david shows extreme kindness 2 samuel 4:4, 9:1-13 shows... · david shows extreme kindness 2 samuel...

David Shows Extreme Kindness2 Samuel 4:4, 9:1-13Kids will understand:

•ThatDavidshowedextremekindnesstoMephibosheth.•God’skindnesstowardus.•ThatwecanshowkindnesstoothersinGod’sname.

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2013February 17

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Editor/Writer: Tina HouserDesign: Nicole IronsIlustrations: Emily Jenness

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SUPPLIES•individuallettercardsspellingMephibosheth

•tape

GamE

Collect 3 sets of objects that would be awkward to carry. Place two of each object on the floor, spreading them across the room.

Two kids will play at a time. At the signal they pick up the baby that is lying at their feet. Then, they go to the first item and pick it up, without dropping the baby. With the baby and their first item in tote, they go to the next item and pick it up. The object is to carry the baby, pick up all three items, and return to the starting point without dropping anything. If someone does drop an item, they have to freeze for a full five seconds, pick up what they dropped, and then continue on.

Know YoUr BIBLE

Place each letter in “Mephibosheth” on thick paper and tape them to the wall with the letter side to the wall. (Use thick paper so the lettering won’t show through.) The kids will take turns choosing a letter that might be part of this word. Each time they get a letter correct, they also have to give a book of the Bible that starts with that letter. Only then can the letter stay turned over. The letter “B” does not have a book in the Bible, so it’s a pass, because it stands for Bible.

When all the letters are turned over, ask the kids if they can pronounce this name (meh-FIB-o-sheth). This name is the focus of our time together today. God used Mephibosheth to teach us about kindness.

BIBLE accoUnt

Use the same cards as in the previous activity. The Bible tells us about David seeking out his best friend’s son, Mephibosheth, in order to show him kindness and raise him to a place of honor. Mephibosheth is quite a mouth-full, but we’re going to let the spelling of this interesting name lead us in the telling of the story. Follow the guideline below. Post the letters one at a time as you tell the part of the story that starts with that letter. Each time you add a letter, over-emphasize the first word of that part of the story.

M– Mephibosheth was just five years old when we first hear about him in the book of 2 Samuel. Is that in the Old or the New Testament? Mephibosheth was the grandson of King Saul and the son of David’s best friend, Jonathan. David and Jonathan made friendship promises to each other, promising that they would always honor and care for each other’s families no matter what happened. How many of you have ever made a promise to your best friend? Then, you know that promises are important to keep between best friends. In a terrible battle one day, both Jonathan and his father King Saul were killed.

SUPPLIES•2babydolls•3setsofawkwardobjects

SUPPLIES•individuallettercardsspellingMephibosheth


When that happened, the nurse who took care of little Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son, thought they should …

E– Escape. She was afraid that a new king would have everyone in King Saul’s family killed. She …

P– Panicked and grabbed little Mephibosheth. As she ran away, she lost hold of the little boy and he fell to the ground. He landed on his feet in an awkward way and it …

H– Hurt them badly. His feet never healed correctly and he was never able to run again. He grew up in the home of a kind man, but stayed hidden just in case the new king would find him and want to hurt him. David had finally become king and he remembered the promise that he had made to his friend Jonathan. That promise was to take care of each other’s families. He wondered if Jonathan had any family still alive, so he decided to …

I– Investigate. He called upon Ziba, who had been a servant in King Saul’s palace, to ask him if he knew of any of Jonathan’s family who might still be alive. Ziba knew of a crippled son. David found out where that crippled son, Mephibosheth, lived and sent for him. David said,

B– “Bring Jonathan’s son to me. Find this son of Jonathan and bring him to me.” When Mephibosheth heard that King David wanted to see him …

O– Ohhhh, how frightening that had to have been. What could the king want? Was he calling for Mephibosheth so he could kill him? Mephibosheth went to King David but he must have been extremely …

S– Scared. When he came before King David, he bowed low. Mephibosheth was afraid to even look King David in the face. What a surprise when Mephibosheth realized that King David was actually …

H– Happy to see him! Here was Jonathan’s son, standing before King David. He missed his friend so deeply, but having Mephibosheth right there somehow made him feel a little better. King David told Mephibosheth not to be afraid. Because of his father Jonathan, David showed Mephibosheth …

E– Extreme kindness. David offered Mephibosheth an unbelievable present. King David gave Mephibosheth ALL the land that had belonged to his grandfather, King Saul. But that wasn’t all. He invited Mephibosheth to come to the palace and eat his meals at the king’s …

T– Table. That was a place that only the family and very closest friends were invited to. Even though Mephibosheth thought that going before King David could only be disastrous, the kindness that David showed …

H– Honored Mephibosheth. In addition, King David assigned Ziba and all Ziba’s family and servants to Mephibosheth so they could take care of the land that David had given him. Extreme kindness changed everything!


GamE

Write numbers 1-12 on separate cards and fold them in half. You want as many children as possible to get a chance to play so make up some blank cards, or you can write “FREE” on some of them. Shuffle these cards and then place them on the floor or a table at the far end of the room.

Two children at a time will use the crutches to race to the cards at the other end of the room. (If you can’t locate two sets of crutches, then have the kids hold onto one foot, pull it up behind them, and hop … but they really love using crutches!) At the other end of the room they will pick up one card and use the crutches to return to their starting place. If the child picked up a card with a number on it, ask the question below that corresponds to that number. If they are having difficulty answering, give them a moment or two, and then allow them to choose someone to help them. Immediately, the awkwardness of not knowing will disappear and they will be empowered because they get to choose from their peers. If they return with an empty card or a “FREE” card, they get a pass on answering a question. Whew!

QuestionsandAnswers•Who was the father of Mephibosheth?

(Jonathan)•Who was Mephibosheth’s grandfather?

(King Saul)•How did Jonathan and King Saul die?

(in a battle)•How old was Mephibosheth when his father was killed?

(5)•How did Mephibosheth hurt his feet?

(servant dropped him)•What promise had David and Jonathan made to one another?

(to take care of each other’s families)•What did King David ask Ziba?

(Was there any of King Saul’s family still alive?)•Why was Mephibosheth afraid of King David?

(might kill him)•How did King David treat Mephibosheth?

(with extreme kindness)• What did King David give Mephibosheth?

(all the land that had belonged to King Saul, his grandfather)• What did King David invite Mephibosheth to do?

(eat at his table)•Why was King David kind to Mephibosheth?

(because of the promise he had made Jonathan long ago)

ScIEncE ExPErImEnt

Join Dr. Bunsenburner in her laboratory. The children will enjoy seeing how a mucky glass of water that represents Mephibosheth’s life of fear is cleaned when King David showed extreme kindness.

SUPPLIES•2setsofcrutches(assmallaspossible)

•cards

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•videoofDr.Bunsenburner


Our sin makes us unacceptable to God and we have reason to fear facing God and His punishment. We want to hide from God, as Mephibosheth hid from King David. David wanted to be reunited with any member of Jonathan’s family. God wants to be reunited with us and showed His EXTREME kindness by sending His Son Jesus to take our punishment if we will choose it. When we accept God’s EXTREME kindness, we don’t have to be afraid. We don’t have to hide.

mESSaGE

(show slide #1) MephiboshethfeltUNACCEPTABLEtoKingDavid.

Why would Mephibosheth feel unacceptable? In those times, anyone who was disabled or had a handicap was considered worthless. Also, if you were in the family of a king that no longer reigned, the new king could have all the family members chased out of the country or put to death.

(show slide #2) WeareUNACCEPTABLEtoGod.

Why are we unacceptable to God? The Bible tells us that every single person has disobeyed God. Every person has displeased God. Every person has sinned against God. Because God is perfect and He made us to honor and worship Him, we are unacceptable to Him when we have sinned.

(show slide #3) MephiboshethwasfullofFEAR.

Why was Mephibosheth afraid? He was afraid for his life, so he hid for many years. He didn’t want King David to know that he was still alive.

(show slide #4) WearefullofFEAR.

Why should we be afraid? When we disobey God, He should punish us. I’m afraid of being punished! How about you? Have you ever tried to run and hide when you’ve done something wrong? God knows everything about us. He knows where we are and what we have done, so there’s no place we can hide no matter how hard we try. We have reason to be afraid of Him because we deserve His punishment.

(show slide #5) DavidLOOKEDFORMephibosheth.

David sent his servant, Ziba, to find Mephibosheth. Ziba knew where to look and was able to bring Mephibosheth back to the palace. King David looked for Mephibosheth because he had made Jonathan a promise and wanted to give Mephibosheth something special.

SUPPLIES•PowerPointslides


(show slide #6) GodisLOOKINGFORus.

God really doesn’t have to look for us, because He knows where we are and what we have done. But God made a promise to give us a way back to Him once we have disobeyed. And, God looks for us, because He wants to give us something special. He watches to see when we turn back to Him.

(show slide #7) DavidshowedextremekindnesstoMephiboshethBECAUSEofwhomhisfatherwas.

When they were very young men, David made a promise to Mephibosheth’s father, Jonathan, who was David’s best friend. Have you ever made an important promise to a friend? Sometimes we make promises that last a lifetime, promises that we remember forever. That’s the kind of promise this was. Jonathan promised David and David promised Jonathan that no matter what happened, no matter where they went, that they would take care of each other’s families. When Jonathan was killed, David remembered his promise. It was because Jonathan was David’s best friend that David treated Mephibosheth with such kindness.

(show slide #8) GodshowsextremekindnesstousBECAUSEofwhoJesusis.

Our punishment for disobeying God is to stay away from Him forever. But God made a promise that He would provide a way back to Him. He gave what was most treasured to Him—Jesus. That’s EXTREME kindness! Jesus was perfect and He was the perfect One to be our bridge back to God. Nobody else would do. God shows us His kindness because of Jesus’ sacrifice.

(show slide #9) DavidgaveMephiboshethanewHOME.

Mephibosheth was taken from a place where he was hiding, probably a poor home, and given a brand new place to live. Not only that, but he was now invited to eat at the king’s table. How cool is that!

(show slide #10) GodgivesusanewHOME.

When we give ourselves to God, He promises us a brand new home when we no longer live on this earth. He promises us heaven, and it’s more wonderful than anything we could ever imagine or dream! You may love where you live, or you may not like it at all. You may have a small house or a big house. Your home might have a big yard or no yard at all. No matter what it’s like, God has some enormously and EXTREMELY better home waiting for you in heaven.

SUPPLIES•Post-Itnotes


GamE

Write on Post-It notes these words: bowl, pajamas, cereal, broom, sweet, kitchen, popcorn, clock, bag, cold, plant, lonely, clean, talk, change, better, seed, desk, umbrella, log, mud, mirror, potato, squeal, and flavor. There are 25 words here. If you need more for your group, just include everyday words that the kids will readily understand the meaning of.

The Bible says that when Mephibosheth appeared in front of King David that he bowed low in the presence of the king. We’re going to bow low in a game! Lay the Post-It notes facedown on the floor at the far end of the room. Two kids at a time will limp to where the Post-Its are. Then, each child will get down on their knees and bow in front of the Post-Its. When they bow, they must get one of the Post-Its to stick to their forehead or chin. Then, carefully take the Post-It back to where they started.

Each child will look at their word (or have the leader read it to them). They must include this word in a sentence that tells a way they could show kindness to someone. Be ready for some unexpected answers, because these words conjure up different thoughts and experiences in different people. This will give you the perfect opportunity to encourage your kids to think about serving in all circumstances.

PraYEr

Most of us are willing to show kindness, but we don’t notice where we could do that. Opportunities to show kindness are all around us. We found that out in our game. You came up with all kinds of ideas of how we can show kindness! Ask the kids to repeat after you the sentences in this prayer. Then, on the last sentence, ask them to fill in the blank with a specific name of one person they are going to concentrate on showing kindness to. God will help you see the ways. He will help you accomplish it. And, He will fill you with joy when you’ve shown His kindness.

Open my eyes, Lord, and help me see ways I can show kindness at school.

Open my eyes, Lord, and help me see ways I can show kindness with my brothers and sisters.

Open my eyes, Lord, and help me see ways I can show kindness to my neighbors.

Open my eyes, Lord, and help me see ways I can show kindness to the older people I know.

Open my eyes, Lord, and help me see ways I can show kindness when I’m shopping with my parents.

Open my eyes, Lord, and help me see ways I can show kindness to ___________.

SUPPLIES•packageofnewcombs


oBjEct LESSon

Give several kids a new comb and ask them to comb their hair. Choose any kids for this, except for girls with really long hair. Easy enough, isn’t it? Oh, but wait! I forgot to tell you that you can’t bend your elbows to do that. Now, give it a try. See if you can comb your hair. Address the entire group and ask them how they think this problem could be solved. Not combing your hair is not an option. Hopefully, someone will suggest that they take the comb and comb someone’s hair. Or, they might line up to comb the hair of the person in front of them.Something as simple as combing your hair doesn’t seem to be a big kindness to show. But, think about someone who has their arm in a cast or is unable to lift their arms over their head. Combing their hair is a difficult task for them. When someone offers to help them look nice, they take that as a great kindness.

Showing kindness doesn’t have to be huge things that make the headlines in the newspaper. No, it’s the everyday things that we do for one another. Each time we show kindness in God’s name, we make God smile.

taKE HomE

As the children leave, give each child a new comb as a reminder that they can find a small way to show kindness.

BLESSInG

You are God’s blessing when you show kindness to one another.

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•newcombforeachchild

This iKnow kidzmatter.com

SUPPLIES•Scrabblelettertiles•cookiesheet

ScrIPtUrE mEmorIzatIon

1 Corinthians 2:9 (The Message)“No one’s ever seen or heard anything like this, never so much as imagined anything quite like it—what God has arranged for those who love Him.”

Mephibosheth didn’t write these words, but what if he had? That’s the beauty of God’s Holy Word. It speaks words for all of us. Scripture applies to not just one person’s life, but everyone’s. If this scripture was something Mephibosheth said, what do you think he meant by it?

You’ll need several sets of Scrabble letter tiles. Put all of them together on a large cookie sheet. Divide the kids into 3 groups. One child from each group will play at a time. Write MEPHIBOSHETH on the board where everyone can see. What a crazy name! How would you like to have to put that name on every school paper? Maybe he went by a nickname, like Phib, or Sheth, or Bo. The 3 group representatives will stand around the cookie sheet with the Scrabble tiles. At the signal, they will remove tiles in order to spell out Mephibosheth. They are permitted to consult the board as they do. The first person to spell Mephibosheth with yell, “I found Mephibosheth!” Then, they’ll lead their group in saying the scripture. Return all the tiles to the cookie sheet. Do as many rounds as you like with new players for each round.

mUSIc

We’re excited to provide you with two songs by contemporary Christian artist, Yancy, to use in worship. Your kids will love this music, because Yancy presents a Christian message in the style that kids enjoy. It’s not the same music that you grew up with, so relax and enjoy how much your kids connect with it. Throw the graphics on the wall and let your kids loose to have a blast worshipping God. The two downloads for this quarter are: “Shout!” and “No Other Name.” If you’d like additional music by Yancy, check out www.yancynotnancy.com.

SnacK

King David invited Mephibosheth to eat at his table. Why do you think this would’ve been special? Do you think it would’ve been served in a special way? Would it have been served on a paper plate? Being asked to join someone for dinner is special, but being asked by the king would’ve been EXTREMELY special. There were probably fancy dishes and servants.

SUPPLIES•silverplatter•snackcakes•prettynapkins•youthdressedaswaiters

•nicedishtowels

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•musicvideo

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This iKnow kidzmatter.com

Recruit a couple of your youth to dress in white shirts and black pants. Lay a nice dishtowel across each waiter’s arm. Place some snack cakes on a silver platter and have it covered with a metal or glass lid. The youth will go to each child, bow, and present their elegant snack on a silver platter.

How did it make you feel to be treated like this? It was so much more special than me just passing out snack cakes or letting you grab them out of a box yourself. King David made Mephibosheth feel special by showing him EXTREME kindness. Not only did David show Mephibosheth kindness, but King David went even further and honored Mephibosheth.

actIvItY

Sometimes showing kindness takes a lot of time or costs money. But, there’s always one way you can show kindness that takes just a second and is free. God gave you the perfect way to share kindness with others. It’s your SMILE! Your beautiful smile, even when you’re missing your teeth, can brighten someone’s day. But, when those people are reminded of that smile you gave, that’s even better. We’re going to make some smile cards.

Give each child several small pieces of card stock. Cut an 8½” x 11” piece of cardstock into 16 pieces. If you have Smiley stickers, the kids can put one on each card; otherwise, the kids can color in a yellow circle and add a simple smiling face. For each card, the kids should think of someone who needs a boost, a special dose of kindness. Challenge them to think of someone who doesn’t usually get included or someone who is lonely or hurting. On the card, they will write, “This is my smile for you today, __________.” Make sure they include a specific name.

Then, impress on your kids that it is important to actually follow through with delivery, with a REAL smile as they hand the card to the person.

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SUPPLIES•cardstock•smileystickers•pencils,markers,orpens

david shows extreme kindness 2 samuel 4:4, 9:1-13 shows... · david shows extreme kindness 2 samuel...

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