Scripture: I Samuel 24 and 26
Learning Objectives:
- Students will learn David respected those whom God had put into power, even though he knew he would one day replace Saul.
- Students will learn we are not supposed to take revenge on others, but allow God to handle their consequences.
- Students will learn David had to be patient and wait for God’s timing for him to be king.
- Students will make goodie bags for people they may not always get along with.
Guiding Question: How can we serve others who are not kind to us?
Materials: Cellophane bags, ties, candy, toys, stickers, note paper, pencils, etc.
Procedure: Review the stories of David sparing Saul’s life twice from the scriptures above. Remind the students that David let Saul know he had spared his life so Saul would know he had no intent to kill him. Explain that David had to make Godly decisions while he was faced with conflict – not taking revenge, having patience, praying about what to do. David and Saul may not always have gotten long but David still treated Saul in a godly way and turned to God for advice. He had to be patient and wait for God’s timing. We may not always agree with or understand what God is doing, but there is a reason for all that God does and we have to trust Him no matter what.
Introduce the service project. Explain that all of us have or will have people that we just do not seem to get along with in life. We do not have to get along with everyone but we do need to treat everyone with a Godly attitude. Tell the students they are going to make goodie bags for someone or several people in their life they do not get along with. These bags can be filled with candy, encouraging notes, stickers, etc. Encourage the students to write notes, kind phrases, and Bible verses that they know that person would appreciate.
Additional Questions: How can students build relationships with others they do not know well?
Supplemental Activity: Have the students create notes to give to other students in the congregation they may not know well to introduce themselves, encourage them, and plan a time to get to know them better.