Putting God First: Remembering What God Has Done
Week 3: Remember to Thank God for What He Gives Us
This includes:
Leader Preparation
Lesson Guide
LEADER PREPARATION
BIBLE BASIS
King Saul was having a hard time of it—he was being outshone by a young upstart who had
previously killed the giant Goliath with nothing more than a stone! Now David, all grown up,
was leading Saul’s armies in battle against the Philistines and was receiving praise for his
victories. The green-eyed monster of jealousy clutched at Saul’s heart, prompting him to
attempt to murder David. But God saved David’s life, for his plans were far greater than
Saul’s jealousy. Use this lesson to help kids understand that God wants them to be thankful
and faithful in all circumstances, rather than comparing what they have to what someone
else has.
DISCOVERY POINT
Remember to thank God for what he gives us.
BIBLE FOCUS
1 Samuel 18:5-16
KEY VERSE
“I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living
in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little”
(Philippians 4:12).
TEACHING PREP
The short overview below is designed to help you prepare for your lesson.
Supplies You’ll Need: Putting God First: Remembering What God Has Done (Year 2/Quarter
8) CD, LIVE Children’s Curriculum (Year 2) DVD, CD player, TV/DVD player, “Green-Eyed
Monster” handout, drinking straws, scissors, small cups, juice, water, Bibles, poster paper,
markers, large index cards, newsprint, tape, and markers
Before This Lesson
• Print the “Green-Eyed Monster” handout. You’ll need one copy per crew of four kids.
• Cut drinking straws into different lengths. Leave at least one straw full length. You’ll need
one straw or straw piece for each person.
• Assemble Bible Exploration Kits (one per four kids): Bible, “Green-Eyed Monster” handout,
one sheet of poster paper and one large index card per child, markers (including at least
one green marker).
• Put a large sheet of newsprint (or a white sheet) on one wall.
• Review 1 Samuel 18:5-16.
• Cue "Into the Bible" (Track 1) on the Putting God First: Remembering What God Has Done
(Year 2/Quarter 8) CD or (Quarter 8/Track 1) on the LIVE Children’s Curriculum (Year 2)
DVD.
• Huddle briefly with your volunteers beforehand. Answer any questions they have.
Encourage them and pray.
PARENT EMAIL
We’ve provided you with a “Family Devotion” handout to send the Bible learning and faith
discovery home. When kids and parents have faith discussions regularly, kids’ faith
multiplies.
So we’ve given you two options:
 Print the “Family Devotion” handout and make enough copies for each child to take
one home.
 Email the “Family Devotion” to families before or after the actual lesson.
Or why not do both? That way you’ll double the opportunities for parents to actually get the
handout.
Putting God First: Remembering What God Has Done
Week 3: Remember to Thank God for What He Gives Us
LESSON GUIDE
WELCOME!
Supplies: Putting God First: Remembering What God Has Done (Year 2/Quarter 8) CD, LIVE
Children’s Curriculum (Year 2) DVD, CD player, TV/DVD player, assembled Bible Exploration
Kits, cut straws, cups, juice
1. Play “Into the Bible” (Track 1) from the Putting God First: Remembering What God Has
Done (Year 2/Quarter 8) CD or (Quarter 8/Track 1) from the LIVE Children’s Curriculum
(Year 2) DVD as kids arrive.
• “Into the Bible”
Makes me wanna jump!
Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump!
Makes me wanna sing! Hallelujah!
It’s the greatest book.
Come and take a look.
Makes me wanna shout!
Shout! Shout! Shout! Shout!
So that everyone will see
I’m getting into the Bible
And the Bible...is getting into me!
We’re discovering a brand-new world
As we dig a little deeper (deeper),
Finding out about who God is.
Open it up and see it (see it)!
There’s nothin’ like
God’s Word, and I get
So excited.
It makes me wanna,
Makes me,
Makes me wanna jump!
Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump!
Makes me wanna sing! Hallelujah!
It’s the greatest book.
Come and take a look.
Makes me wanna shout!
Shout! Shout! Shout! Shout!
So that everyone will see
I’m getting into the Bible
And the Bible...is getting into me!
“Into the Bible” by Jay Stocker. © 2006 Group Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.
Permission to use lyrics granted for local church use only. No unauthorized
duplication permitted.
2. SAY: I’m so thankful you’re here today! Today, we’ll remember to thank God for
what he gives us. God always gives us exactly what we need in every situation in
our lives. We don’t need to be concerned about what other people have because
God provides for our unique needs. Let’s try something that will make us think
more about this idea. Start the “Fireworks Countdown” (Quarter 8/Countdown Track 1)
on the LIVE Children’s Curriculum (Year 2) DVD and turn the volume way up. Lead kids in
counting along.
3. Then give each person a straw. SAY: Take a look at your straw, and then look at
everyone else’s straw. What do you notice? Pause for responses. Some straws are
longer than others, aren’t they? Line up along the wall by straw length, with the
longest straws on one end and the shortest straws on the other end.
4. Once kids have lined up, SAY: Those of you who have longer straws will get a
special drink, but those of you with shorter straws only get water. Give everyone a
small cup of either juice or water, and let kids drink with their straws.
ASK:
• What were you thinking as you received either the water or the juice?
• How is that like or unlike when a friend or your brother or sister gets to do
something you don’t get to do or gets something you wanted?
SAY: It’s possible that those of you with shorter straws might feel jealous of those
of you with longer straws, simply because I told you the longer straws were
better. But the truth is that no matter what length a straw is, they all work the
same way. We can be thankful that we have straws to drink with. Give juice to
everyone who had water, and give water to everyone who had juice.
5. ASK:
• Tell about a time where you felt like you ended up with the “short straw”
and you felt jealous of what someone else had.
6. SAY: Sometimes we might be tempted to feel jealous about what other people
have or the praise they receive for things they do. But God wants us to remember
to thank God for what he gives us. In our lesson today, we’ll hear how a man
named Saul became incredibly jealous of a man named David. Let’s dig into God’s
Word and discover what happened.
LET’S EXPLORE!
Supplies: assembled Bible Exploration Kits
1. SAY: God wants each of his children to remember to thank God for what he gives
us. King Saul, an Israelite king in the Old Testament, forgot this important
command. Here’s what happened: A young man named David had done something
no one in Saul’s army could do—defeat the Philistine giant Goliath. King Saul asked
David to come to work for him and put him in command of the Israelite armies.
2. Have Bible Crews take the Bibles, the poster paper, and the markers out of their Bible
Exploration Kits. Help them find 1 Samuel 18:5. SAY: Let’s find out what happened next
by reading a few verses at a time out loud. Then I want your group to quickly
imagine what Saul must have been thinking and draw a “thought bubble” on a
piece of poster paper. When everyone’s done, we’ll do a quick check to see what
everyone’s thought bubbles say.
3. Have groups read verses 5-6, and then have them illustrate their thought bubbles. After
everyone’s done (encourage them to do this quickly), have groups share what they created.
Then continue the process with verse 7, verses 8-9, verses 10-11, and verses 12-16.
ASK:
• Tell about time you felt like Saul did and felt jealous of someone who you
thought was better than you at something.
• What were you thinking about in that situation?
4. Have crews take the “Green-Eyed Monster” handout from their Exploration Kits. SAY: We
need to remember to thank God for what he gives us, but jealousy can make us
forget. Let’s do a simple experiment to show what happens when we get jealous
of other people. Have Bible Crews take the large index cards out of their Bible Exploration
Kits and follow the directions on the handout. Give crews a few minutes to do the
experiment.
ASK:
• What happened when you focused on that green-eyed monster?
• What can you do to keep your focus where it belongs instead of on the
green-eyed monster?
• What are some things God gives you that you can remember to be
thankful for?
• How can you show God that you’re thankful for these things?
SAY: The absolute best way to battle that mean old green-eyed monster called
jealousy is to remember to thank God for what he gives us. God gives us so many
amazing gifts, and God gives us exactly what we need. Saul needed to be thankful
that God allowed him to be king over a country and gave him a wonderful family
instead of focusing on the gifts God gave to David. In the same way, we needed to
be thankful earlier that each of us got a straw to drink our juice with because it
worked no matter what the size. When we focus on being thankful for what God
gives us, we won’t even notice if someone else has something “better” or “cooler”
than what we have because we’ll know that God gives us exactly what we need.
LET’S PRAISE!
Supplies: Putting God First: Remembering What God Has Done (Year 2/Quarter 8) CD, LIVE
Children’s Curriculum (Year 2) DVD, CD player, TV/DVD player, newsprint, tape, assembled
Bible Exploration Kits
1. SAY: God has done so much for us, and we can remember to thank him for all he
has done. Perhaps if King Saul had focused more on the many blessings God had
given him and less on his jealousy of David’s accomplishments, he would have
been a happier person and his relationship with David would’ve been restored.
Sometimes we need to readjust our focus as well. Today we’re going to take a few
minutes to think of all the blessings God has given us that we can be thankful for,
and then we’re going to create a Gratitude Graffiti Wall by writing and illustrating
those things on the newsprint. It will hang there as a reminder of where God
wants us to place our focus. Have kids get markers from their Bible Exploration Kits and
write their ideas—as many as they can think of—on the Gratitude Graffiti Wall.
2. Set up the Putting God First: Remembering What God Has Done (Year 2/Quarter 8) CD or
the LIVE Children’s Curriculum (Year 2) DVD. PLAY:
• God Loved the World So Much (John 3:16) (CD Track 5) (DVD Quarter 8/Track
5)
Here we are, here we are,
And we’re feeling alive
‘Cause Jesus saved our lives.
Jesus made us see.
God is love; God is good.
God is bigger than sin.
It’s easy to let him in.
All you gotta do is believe.
(Chorus)
God loved the world so much he gave his only Son.
God loved the world so much he gave his only Son,
So whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
We can try, we can try but it’s not enough.
We can’t earn God’s love because it’s already free.
So give it up, give it up,
Give your sin to the Lord.
You know you can be sure he’s all that you will need.
(Chorus)
Whoever believes in him, whoever believes in him, whoever believes in him
Will not perish, but have eternal life.
(Chorus)
“God Loved the World So Much” (John 3:16) by Jay Stocker. © 2007 Group
Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission to use lyrics granted for local church
use only. No unauthorized duplication permitted.
When kids are done, encourage them to praise God with you as you sing:
• Love Is (1 Corinthians 13:4-5) (CD Track 3) (DVD Quarter 8/Track 3)
Love is patient,
Love is kind,
It does not envy,
It does not boast,
It is not proud.
It is not rude,
It’s not self-seeking,
Not easily angered,
It keeps no record of wrongs. (No!)
Love keeps no record of wrongs.
Love is, love is…
Love is, love is…
(Repeat from the beginning.)
Love is, love is…
Love is, love is…
“Love Is” (1 Corinthians 13:4-5) by Carol Smith. © 2003 Group Publishing, Inc. All
rights reserved. Permission to use lyrics granted for local church use only. No
unauthorized duplication permitted.
• Let Us Bow Down in Worship (Psalm 95:6-7) (CD Track 6) (DVD Quarter
8/Track 6)
Come, let us bow down in worship.
Let us kneel before the Lord.
Let us bow down in worship.
Let us kneel before him.
For he is our God,
Yes, he is our God.
We are always under his care.
He is always there.
(Repeat from the beginning.)
For he is our God,
Yes, he is our God.
We are always under his care.
He is always there.
Always there,
He is always there.
“Let Us Bow Down in Worship” (Psalm 95:6-7) by Ben Glover and Jay Stocker. ©
2004 Group Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission to use lyrics granted for
local church use only. No unauthorized duplication permitted.
LET’S PRAY!
Supplies: Putting God First: Remembering What God Has Done (Year 2/Quarter 8) CD, CD
player
1. SAY: We can focus on God and remember to thank God for what he gives us.
Let’s do that now.
2. Have kids stand near the Gratitude Graffiti Wall. Ask them each to locate two blessings
on the wall that they’re especially thankful for and put their hands on those blessings. Then
have kids take turns praying aloud or silently, thanking God for those blessings.
3. As kids pray, play the instrumental version of “God Loved the World So Much” (John
3:16) (Track 13) from the Putting God First: Remembering What God Has Done (Year
2/Quarter 8) CD in the background.
HIGH FIVES
Supplies: none
Show kids how to make the American Sign Language sign for thank you. (Put the fingertips
of your right hand on your chin, and then move your hand down and place it, palm up, in
your left palm.)
SAY: As you leave, encourage the members of your Bible Crew. Show each person
the sign for thank you as you say remember to thank God for what he gives us.
Then flip your hand over and give each person a high five.
FOR-EXTRA-TIME ACTIVITIES
Distorted Focus
Supplies: straw, clear drinking glass, water
Fill a glass with water. Hold up the straw so kids can see it before you put it in the water.
After you put the straw in the water, have kids look at the straw from the side of the glass.
Discuss what the straw looks like and how the distortion might be like the distortion
jealousy causes to our vision of life. Remind kids they can avoid jealousy by remembering
all of the things they’re thankful for.
True Success
Supplies: old magazines, construction paper, scissors, glue sticks, markers
Give each person a sheet of construction paper. Have kids draw a line down the middle of
the paper and label one side “Worldly Success” and the other side “Godly Success.” Have
kids cut pictures from the magazines that represent the world’s idea of success and glue
them to the paper. Then have them find or draw pictures that represent God’s idea of
success on the other side of the paper.
Hiding It in Your Heart
Supplies: none
Think of several possible scenarios in which kids might be jealous of others. Share each
scenario with kids, and after you share, have them read aloud the Key Verse, Philippians
4:12, and the following verse, Philippians 4:13.
Create a Bible Dictionary
Supplies: paper, markers, dictionary, CD player, Putting God First: Remembering What God
Has Done (Year 2/Quarter 8) CD
Ask kids to create one or more pages, each with a new word, for a Bible dictionary. Have
kids suggest words from today’s lesson—blessings and power are two suggestions. Have
them write each word on a sheet of paper in fun letters, add a definition, list Scripture
references, and make illustrations. Play “The Books of the Bible Song” (Track 8), from the
Putting God First: Remembering What God Has Done (Year 2/Quarter 8) CD while kids
work. Add each page to a three-ring binder, and watch the dictionary grow!