June 15-21, Come Follow Me, Youth lesson helps, Sunday School
- redwallace
- 4 hours ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 4 minutes ago
Hello Friends! There aren't any free Prints this week, but you are welcome to read through my lesson plan for ideas.
Here is the purchasable lesson; click the image to go to Etsy.
This gift tag is already in the lesson bundle, but you can buy it separately by clicking on this image:
With the help of the Lord, I can overcome any challenge.
The story of David and Goliath is one of the best-known stories in the scriptures. Of course, we usually focus on David. But this time, as you study 1 Samuel 17, ponder also the words of other people in this chapter (see the list below). What do you learn about them and their motives? What do you learn about David? How is he different?
Goliath: verses 8–10, 43–44
Eliab: verse 28
Saul: verse 33
Your story, though not as well-known as David’s, is sure to include Goliath-size challenges to overcome and opportunities to exercise faith in the Lord. What does David’s example teach you about facing the adversity in your story? You might also read President Camille N. Johnson’s message “Invite Christ to Author Your Story” (Liahona, Nov. 2021, 80–82) with one of your challenges in mind. Look for answers to questions like these: How does the Lord want me to view my challenges? How has He helped me in the past? How can I show that I trust Him to write my story?
You may already know that there are some tragic chapters later in David’s story (see, for example, 2 Samuel 11). If you had the opportunity to give David some advice after his battle with Goliath, what would you say? How might this advice apply to your life?
See also “The Lord Will Deliver Me” (video), Gospel Library.
I'm a bit giddy about this week's youth lesson(:
First, separate your class into 3-4 teams. These kids will be working together to learn and present material, but later in the lesson, they can be teams for competition, if you choose to do so. Tell the Youth to stay focused so you have time for the game at the end.
Let each team choose from cards like this:
I said 3-4 teams, because if you have a small class, you, the teacher, can be a team of your own. I would choose David and study about him before class, so you can show the students what you learned, while still asking them some questions.
Notice this section on each Character card. The youth rate the person they are learning about, then take an average rating for the discussion. For example, Goliath will get a 1 out of 5, obviously, but Eliab and King Saul will get some points because they are trying to protect(:
The trash talk is just something fun. I think it would be great to tell the youth to say that to their next team they face in competition. And see how they react. Or try it out on each other for laughs.
Point out: Goliath wasn't just fighting physically—he was trying to win the battle mentally. His trash talk was meant to intimidate and discourage his opponents. For fun, see if the youth can think of examples of trash talk in sports and how it affects a game.
Your board will look like this:
This is optional; it may keep your youth engaged during the discussion.
Ok, after this, you will hand everyone a piece of paper with a rock print on it. They will write down a personal Goliath in their life.
They will crumple that paper in their hands to make a ball.
On a table, you will have miniature Goliaths standing up like this:
You can stack them on books to give them different levels.
There are two questions on the back of each, so once a Goliath is knocked over, you can put it back for a second time. But once it is knocked over the second time (answering the second question), you can remove the Goliath. 10 Goliaths, 20 questions total. It will get harder the fewer Goliaths on the table.
Here is a sample:
The students will knock over the Goliaths with their mashup ball of paper AND a rubber band. (If you don't have a rubber band, just have them TAKE TURNS throwing their ball and answer the question when it gets knocked over.)
Teaching tip: ONLY bring one Rubber band to class. If you bring one for each student, they will spend the whole time shooting things instead of listening. Having only one rubber band helps everyone know whose turn it is.
Rules:
-They only get one shot; if they miss, it goes to the next team. If they hit one, they can answer a question for a point.
-Or you can go non-competitive and not take a score.
-If you would like to keep score, you can use the same pictures from the discussion; it will look like this:
The character they studied earlier is still the definition of their team.
Close with your testimony, or if you have time, with President Oaks' testimony, from this movie: