Samuel Anointed David

Teacher note: Read the three spy questions aloud BEFORE pressing play. After the video, tables whisper or write each answer; after 3·2·1, tap every table that got it. Q1: accept oil, olive oil, anointing oil. Q2: accept “the heart,” “the inside,” “what’s inside.” Q3: accept “with the sheep,” “in the field,” “being a shepherd.” All three answers come straight from 1 Samuel 16:1–13, so any faithful retelling covers them. Optional starter before the video (the guide’s Pass the Crown, with your tweak): kids in a circle pass a plastic crown in silly ways — pinky finger only, two elbows, balanced on a flat hand, chin to shoulder… but NOT with feet! Drop it and it starts over. Then say: today’s new king wasn’t who anyone expected — but God sees the heart. Or start with the guide’s oil-and-water toy (Set Apart): tip it and watch — oil and water never mix. Anointing showed someone was SET APART by God for a job; we’ll see it again at theater beat 9.

Teacher note: Read each narration, press Space for the cue card, then let the room perform. Before beat 1, a 20-second timeline: God’s people wanted a king like the other nations → God gave them Saul, a great warrior who kept disobeying → God rejected Saul as king → now God leads Samuel to a new king whose heart pleased Him (1 Samuel 8:5; 13:13–14; 15:22–23). Whenever God looks at the heart (beats 5 and 11), everyone makes a heart with their hands 🫶 — the guide’s storytelling tip. Beat 2: keep Samuel’s fear matter-of-fact — God gave him a plan, and He kept Samuel safe. If a kid asks whether that plan was a trick: the sacrifice was real — Samuel invited Jesse’s family to it (16:5); he just didn’t announce everything God was doing. Beat 6 (the parade): tap the counter once per brother while the room chants — it starts at 1 because Eliab already passed by, and stops at 7. If kids play the brothers, pick volunteers who love to ham it up; the chant is for the story, never aimed at a real kid. “Not chosen to be king” did NOT mean God didn’t love those brothers. Beat 9 (the anointing): hold up the oil-and-water TOY instead of a jar of oil. Tip it — the oil always separates and floats back up. Anointing (pouring oil on someone) showed they were SET APART by God for a special job, and oil is a picture of the Holy Spirit, who came powerfully on David that very day (16:13). 16:13 just says Samuel anointed him; the picture shows the oil on his head, the way kings and priests were anointed (1 Samuel 10:1; Exodus 29:7). Beat 10: the golden light in the picture is the Spirit coming on David; little Samuel is walking home to Ramah. In the Old Testament God’s Spirit came on leaders to do their job; today everyone who trusts Jesus receives the Holy Spirit, who sets us apart for God (Ephesians 1:13; 1 John 2:20, 27). Grace, not moralism: God didn’t choose David because he earned it — Jesse didn’t even bring him in at first! God chose by grace, and even a heart that loves God is His gift. David was a good king but not a perfect one (Psalm 51); Jesus is the perfect King, and only God can give us new hearts (Ezekiel 36:26). Last beat: “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew) both mean “Anointed One” (John 1:41) — it sets up the Questions from Kids video. Gospel moment (gentle, optional), after the last beat: “God chose David to be king, but He sent Jesus to be the Savior of the whole world. Anyone who trusts Jesus is forgiven and gets a brand-new life with Jesus as their King. If you want to talk about that, find me after class.” No hands, no pressure. Judged moments are worth 10: wobbliest knees, loudest chant, best sheep.

⚠ Verify: 1 Samuel 16:10–11 and 17:12 point to eight sons of Jesse, but 1 Chronicles 2:13–15 lists seven (David seventh). The theater only says seven sons passed by (16:10), which every Bible agrees on. If a sharp kid asks, it’s a known difference; one common suggestion is that a son died young and wasn’t listed — but the Bible doesn’t say. 16:12 calls David “ruddy” in many Bibles (reddish or healthy-looking) — paraphrased here as “healthy and glowing.”

Teacher note: No spy questions here (we don’t have a transcript) — just watch together, then use the two talk prompts from the leader guide. Give each table a moment to whisper before anyone shares. Prompt 1: “Messiah” (Hebrew) and “Christ” (Greek) both mean “Anointed One” (John 1:41). Priests and kings were anointed with oil (Exodus 29:7; 1 Samuel 10:1; 16:13) — God even told Elijah to anoint Elisha as a prophet (1 Kings 19:16) — to show God had set them apart for a job. Jesus is THE Anointed One — God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and power (Acts 10:38) — the perfect Prophet, Priest and King, who came to rescue us from sin. Prompt 2 ideas (any one is great): David, the anointed king from Bethlehem, and Micah’s promise of a Ruler from Bethlehem (Micah 5:2); God’s promise that David’s family would have a forever King (2 Samuel 7:12–16; Luke 1:32–33); the promise of One who would crush the serpent (Genesis 3:15); the Passover lamb (Exodus 12; John 1:29; 1 Corinthians 5:7); Jesus reading Isaiah 61 about the One God anointed — and saying it was about Him (Luke 4:18–21).

Teacher note: Before card 1, ask the guide’s welcome question: When you pick fresh fruit at the store, what do you look for? (Color, bruises, squishiness — all outside stuff!) Card 1 picks it right up. Tables hold up A ▲ OUTSIDE or B ■ HEART on “Cards up!”. Read each card aloud first. The question is always: is this going by the OUTSIDE — judging by looks, or doing something just to look good — or by what’s really in the HEART? The hair card is the silly one — enjoy the groans. The apple and spinach cards are OUTSIDE but not wrong: looks aren’t bad (the Bible even says David was handsome, 16:12) — they’re just not how God decides who someone really is. After the closing card, ask the guide’s discussion question: Why do people focus so much on how things look on the outside? Then — grace, not moralism: God sees every heart, and nobody’s is perfect, not even David’s (he later prayed Psalm 51:10). God didn’t choose David because he earned it; a heart that loves God is His gift. Only God can give a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26), and Jesus is the only King with a perfectly good heart. How can we have a heart that pleases God? Trust Jesus and treasure God above everything (Matthew 6:21). Craft (your idea — Heart Magnifying Glass): a paper magnifying glass (circle lens + handle) with a heart drawn or glued inside the lens and “The LORD looks at the heart — 1 Samuel 16:7” on the handle. Great take-home if there’s time.

Teacher note: After each clue, pause: “Anyone want to lock in?” Name cards appear on every round to help weaker readers. Seven rounds — stop whenever time’s up. Accept: horn of oil — oil, anointing oil, a horn; young cow — heifer, cow, calf; Eliab — the oldest brother; Jesse — David’s dad. The Jesse round is a “Who said it?” — the quote is on screen from the start. Horn of oil reveal: a quick “set apart” moment — shake the oil-and-water toy again if it’s handy.

⚠ Verify: Background clues (not in 1 Samuel 16:1–13): Samuel heard God call him as a boy and first thought it was Eli (1 Samuel 3:4–10); “Bethlehem” means “house of bread” in Hebrew; Micah 5:2 calls Bethlehem small among Judah’s clans; Boaz and Ruth were Jesse’s grandparents (Ruth 4:13–17); Eliab later got angry at David at the battle camp (1 Samuel 17:28); olive oil floats on water. All are standard, but double-check if you like.

Teacher note: Put a Bible on every table — open-Bible tiles: God Sees the Heart 50, Set Apart 40 and 50, Who Is Our King? 30 (the Good Shepherd race uses Bibles too). Let the lowest-scoring table pick first. Catnip (double) tiles: Jesse’s Boys 50 and Set Apart 30. No need to clear the board — stop when time’s up. Samuel’s Mission 30: accept “worship” or “make an offering.” 40: the question alone is full credit. Jesse’s Boys 20: accept “sit down” or “eat.” 50: any two of Eliab, Abinadab, Shammah — accept close spellings and Shimea/Shimeah (Shammah’s name in 1 Chronicles 2:13); half credit for one. God Sees the Heart 40: any fair example earns it — clothes, shoes, hair, height, who’s fastest, what stuff someone has. Keep it kind; no naming real kids. 50: accept “stone … flesh” or “hard … soft/new” (Bibles word Ezekiel 36:26 differently). Bonus fact: God called David a man after His own heart (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22). Set Apart: this is the guide’s oil-and-water point — anointing showed a person was SET APART for God’s job, and oil is a picture of the Holy Spirit. 20: priests (like Aaron) or prophets (like Elisha). 30: accept “God’s Spirit” or “the Holy Spirit.” 40: accept “Christ” or “Anointed One.” 50: doing good, or healing people — one is enough. Who Is Our King? 30: Bethlehem is half; add that David came from there or Jesus was born there for full. 40: any one — never sinned, always obeyed His Father, rules forever. Guide discussion tie-in if a table wants it: the Holy Spirit helps us turn from sin (Galatians 5:16), remember God’s words (John 14:26) and tell others about Jesus (Acts 1:8).

⚠ Verify: Priests were anointed (Exodus 29:7; 30:30) and God told Elijah to anoint Elisha as prophet (1 Kings 19:16). “Messiah” (Hebrew mashiach) and “Christ” (Greek christos) both mean “anointed one.” Revelation 19:16 wording differs slightly by Bible (“King of kings and Lord of lords”). Shammah is called Shimea/Shimeah elsewhere (1 Chronicles 2:13; 2 Samuel 13:3).

Teacher note: Before the video, share the leader guide’s facts: Dr. Doug Derbyshire and his wife, Cheryl, moved to Thailand as IMB missionaries in 1992. Their mobile medical clinics bring medicine to Thai people — and tell them about their need for a Savior. Read the two spy questions before pressing play. We don’t have a transcript, so both come from the guide’s summary of the man in this video; if the clip doesn’t make one clear, just tell the answer and give everyone the points. Q1: accept “he fixed cars” or “a car shop.” Q2: accept “let them use it” or “gave it as a meeting place.” Prompt 2 is the prayer: let a volunteer (or you) pray for the Derbyshires, the clinics, and many Thai people to trust Jesus as King.

⚠ Verify: Missionary details come from the 2025 leader guide and may have changed since.

Teacher note: Start with Scramble — it’s the guide’s sticky-note race on screen: the phrase cards are shuffled, and tables race to call out which card comes next (Space places it). Want it physical? Before class, write each phrase on a sticky note (one set per table), scatter them on the wall, and let tables race to line them up — then check on screen. Then First Letters, Vanish and Voices as time allows — in Vanish, each Space hides a few more words; a table can press its number to recite with the blanks showing for 10 points per blank. N shows the memory hook. Motions: throne = sit up tall like a king, heaven = point up, kingdom = hands make a crown, all = arms wide. Tie-in: God rejected Saul as king and picked a shepherd boy — because God is the real King, and His throne never wobbles. Then sing it with the next video!

Teacher note: Just sing! Lyrics are in the video. Add the verse motions (throne = sit tall, heaven = point up, kingdom = crown hands, all = arms wide). If there’s energy left, play it once more — each table takes a turn singing loudest.

Teacher note: Bibles on every table. ⚔️ questions are a Bible drill: “Swords up!” (closed Bibles held high) → read the reference → “CHARGE!” → the first table to find it reads it aloud, then every table writes the answer. True-or-Hairball questions are thumbs up (true) or thumbs down (hairball). Space reveals; tap every table that got it — their kittens step down the road. First to 5 steps gets +30 and the payoff; press E to end when time’s up. Accept: Q2 “God’s people,” “Israel” or “Jacob”; Q4 “gives His life” / “dies for them”; Q5 “voice”; Q7 anything like “goes looking until he finds it”; Q8 “Chief” (some Bibles: “great” or “head” Shepherd). Guide live option instead (or after): the Good Shepherd game — scatter cotton-ball “sheep”; pairs of shepherds race to gather 10, then 15, 20, 25. Then read Psalm 78:70–72 and John 10:11–15: David the shepherd boy became the shepherd of God’s people, and Jesus is the greater Good Shepherd who laid down His life for His sheep.

Teacher note: Tables write a secret bet first; then the question and think music — tables write one number. Closest wins their bet; everyone else loses theirs (never below 0). Wild guesses are part of the fun — the number line handles huge ranges. Backups on the title card (V): “Sheep flash count” (37 sheep + one sneaky goat) and “David’s reign” (40 years). Sheep flash tips: before the flash, let each table split the screen — one kid counts the left, one the middle, one the right. At “Time’s up!”, say: write your count AND anything strange you spotted. Only tables that wrote the goat BEFORE the question appeared get a bonus.

⚠ Verify: Dates are approximate: David became king about 1010 BC at age 30 (2 Samuel 5:4) and was anointed some years before that (the Bible doesn’t give his age then; it’s often placed around 1025 BC). Jesus was born around 6–4 BC — so roughly 1,010–1,025 years apart. 1,000 is the round number; closest wins, so if a table argues for 1,020 with that reasoning, give them a cheer.