Jan. 29, 2017
God Is Sovereign
DATE
PONDER POINT
2 Samuel 2; 5—7
(King David)
How abundant are the good things that
you have stored up for those who fear
you, that you bestow in the sight of all,
on those who take refuge in you.
Psalm 31:19
THE BIG GOD STORY
REMEMBER VERSE
Welcome and Worship (10 minutes)

The large group room will be divided into three
sections. Please help kids find which section
they should sit in according to their grade: 1st2nd, 3rd-4th & 5th-6th.

Tiffany Blum will be dismissing kids into small
groups

Toward the end of small group time, we will
knock on the door/wall as your 3 minute warning and we will open your door or curtain when
it is time to regroup in the large group meeting
space.

5th & 6th graders can go directly to Snack
Shack after small group time, rather than regrouping in the large group space.
Begins class creating an inviting atmosphere for
kids to feel welcome and engage kids in worship
through singing and communion.
The Big God Story (20 minutes) & Response
Creates space for children to hear God’s word and
respond to the Holy Spirit in worship response.
Small Groups (20 minutes)
Kids will build relationships with each other and
their leaders, and respond to what they learned in
the Big God Story.
Bless & Dismiss (5 minutes)
Bless kids to send them out with a sense of peace
so they can be a blessing to others.
SCHEDULE
Large
Group
Small 3 Min
Group Warn.
Regroup/
Dismiss
5th-6th
1st Service (9:00)
9:00
9:30
9:57
10:00
2nd Service (10:15)
10:15
10:45
11:12
11:15
3rd Service (11:30)
11:30
12:00
12:27
12:30
Host Administrative To Do’s:
 Make sure no group is too large
 Make sure each group has enough supplies
 Close curtains and divider wall for small groups
at 10:15
 Give a 3 minute warning knock to groups
 Open doors when it’s time to dismiss groups
 Call names for dismissal after blessing
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GOAL: Worship & welcome is all about engaging kids and helping them enter into worship, letting
them know that class has begun preparing their minds for what they are going to hear.
WELCOME (Host):
Stage Lights On VIDEO LOOPS: Welcome Loop, 5 Min Countdown, Welcome Image
We are so glad you are here today. Welcome the kids in your own words and finish by saying, Let’s all stand and hear God’s word and sing our praise to Him…
OPENING WORSHIP SONG (Worship Leader):
Turn out main overhead lights REMEMBER VERSE VIDEO
VIDEO 1: (9:00 and 11:30) Jump Up
(10:15) Movin Me
VIDEO 2: (9:00 and 11:30) The Lord Our God
(10:15) Good News
(Kids may be seated)
TIMELINE VIDEO
(Storyteller)
The Big God Story: Point out that what kids are about to hear is true and is recorded in the Bible. Open your Bible to the passage and leave it open and visible throughout The Big God Story. Invite kids to open their Bibles and follow along as you storytell. Children respond to what the
Holy Spirit is teaching them as they reflect on the day’s portion of The Big God Story.
The Prayer of Release: This allows children and leaders to pause, be still, and ask God to quiet
their hearts and minds. Before you pray, you might ask the kids to hold out their hands, palms
up, in a spirit of releasing their worries and distractions in order to better receive what the Holy
Spirit might have for them today. Then encourage the kids to quiet their voices, take a seat, and
pray with you.
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The Big God Story:
Worship Response:
• Crown (homemade paper or plastic)
• Robe (purple)
• Toy sword or scepter
• Oil (bottle or jug)
• Chair (large) or “throne”
Storyteller Script
Lead children in a Prayer of Release to pause, be still, and ask the Holy Spirit to quiet their hearts and minds.
What do you know about kings? As kids respond, pull crown, robe, and sword or scepter out of
bin. Put on the crown and robe and hold the sword. Sit on the large chair or throne. What’s a good king
like? Allow responses. Great thoughts. Good kings care about their people. They lead, guide,
and protect their people. Also, kings are sovereign. Invite kids to say, “ sovereign” with you.
Sovereign means having complete power, authority, and control over someone or something.
If you’ve ever seen a king, tell the kids about it, or look up some facts about kings on the internet and
share these facts with the kids. Then stand up and place the crown and sword on the throne. God was
victorious over the giant Philistine warrior Goliath. He used David, who was just a young boy at
the time, to kill Goliath with a simple slingshot and a small stone. That young boy would one
day become the king of Israel. God worked through David’s life to show the people that God is
sovereign He is in control of everything! Invite kids to say, “ sovereign” with you.
As a young boy, David was anointed in a special ceremony to be the king of Israel. But at the
time, there was already another king Saul. But even when Saul died, David still wasn’t allowed
to be king! One of Saul’s sons thought that he should be king. It makes sense, right? David wasn’t one of Saul’s sons, and only the priest, Samuel, and David’s brothers had seen David anointed as king.
David chose to trust that God was sovereign. What does sovereign mean? Allow responses.
Good thoughts. David took his family to a place named Hebron. Have kids look up 2 Samuel 2:4
and follow along. There the rulers of Judah “anointed David king over the tribe of Judah.” To anoint
something means to smear it with oil. Take bottle of oil and pretend to pour it over your head or
the head of one of the kids. Oil represented God’s Spirit. If you remember, David was anointed king as
a young boy, so when he was anointed at Hebron, this was the second time he’d been anointed
with oil to be king. But still he wouldn’t become king just yet!
As David waited, war broke out within the country over who would be the next king of Israel.
After seven years, the people of Israel finally decided they wanted David to be their king. All the
elders of the tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron and anointed him as king (2 Samuel 5:3).
How many times was David anointed? Allow responses. Yes, three times! About 15 years
passed from the first time David was anointed to the last time. God could have made David the
king sooner because He is God and He is sovereign. Invite kids to say, “ sovereign” with you.
But God was in control, and He knew exactly when He wanted David to become king.
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As king, David put God first, so David decided to go get the ark of the covenant. Tech: Cue Ark
of the Covenant image. You might remember that the ark of the covenant was a wooden chest
that held the Ten Commandments. But this was no ordinary box. It was the place where God met
with His people. It represented God’s presence and blessing to them. When the ark led them into battle, the people knew that God was there, fighting their battles. Other nations also knew
that it meant that God was with them. They were afraid to fight against Israel because of the ark.
So when the ark fell into enemy hands, God’s people were devastated. But when David had the
chance to bring the ark to Jerusalem, the people were overjoyed! And as they travelled back to
Jerusalem, they stopped every six steps to worship the Lord. Wow!
Let’s see what happened when David and his men arrived in Jerusalem with the ark. Invite kids
to turn to 2 Samuel 6:14. “Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the LORD with all his
might.” An ephod (Tech: Cue Ephod image) was kind of like an apron men wore over their
clothes. Remove your purple robe and place it on the throne. In fact, David’s dancing looked
more like leaping. Leap a few times. David showed the people how to worship God freely and
with a joyful heart.
God had made David king, just as He had promised. God had won battles for David against his
enemies. God had also brought back the ark of the covenant to Israel. David was so overjoyed
by what God had done for him throughout his life that he wanted to build a temple to honor God.
But this wasn’t God’s plan for David.
Instead, God made a covenant with David. What’s a covenant? Allow responses. A covenant is
a very special promise, and when God makes a promise, He keeps it! God promised that David’s
family line would last forever. Invite children to turn to 2 Samuel 7:14, 16 and follow along. God
said, “I will be his father, and he will be my son … Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.” How do you think David’s family line
would last forever? Who do you think that king would be this Son of God, whose kingdom
would last forever? Allow responses. That’s right! It would be Jesus Christ! Jesus’ earthly father, Joseph, and Jesus’ mother, Mary, came from the family line of King David. David’s family
line will last forever because Jesus will reign as the sovereign King forever! What does this
show us about God? Pause for responses.
Every part of The Big God Story points to Jesus. Jesus chose to come to earth and die on the
cross for our sins so we can be forgiven and live forever with Him. This was all a part of God’s
plan and His promise to David. We can trust God because He is faithful to keep His promises,
and David’s life gives us an example of God’s goodness and His sovereignty. God loves us,
keeps His promises, and is always sovereign. Share a personal story about God as sovereign in
your life.
Storyteller continues into Worship Response…
God is our sovereign King. He is good and fights for His people. Many times in our lives we
need God to care for us, fight for us, and show us that He’s in control of everything. Today we’re
going to spend some time thinking about and responding to these questions:
IMAGE: Worship Response - Are there any areas of my life that I need to surrender to God? If
so, what are they? Is there anything I’m having a hard time surrendering to God? If so, what is
it?
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MUSIC: Spotify “Response” playlist - play very softly
Invite the children to take a posture of worship. As leaders, model these postures for the kids.
Give them a chance to worship God with body postures such as bowing their heads, bowing down,
or raising their hands as they contemplate these questions. Let the children know that with each
posture, they’re asking God to be King of their lives their sovereign leader and simply showing
God their exuberant love for Him. Also, station leaders around the room to pray with the children,
and let the kids know they can receive prayer from the leaders.
IMAGE: It’s time for small groups
Turn main overhead lights on
Dismiss for small groups
9:00
10:15
11:30
1st-2nd
Yellow - Rm 118
1st-2nd
Yellow - Rm 118
1st-2nd
Yellow - Rm 118
1st-2nd
Red - Rm 101
1st-2nd
Red - Rm 101
3rd-6th
Teal - Rm 105 F
3rd-4th
Purple - Rm 104 B
1st-2nd
Pink - Rm 112
3rd-4th
Green - Rm 103
3rd-4th
Purple - Rm 104 B
5th-6th
Teal - Rm 105 F
3rd-4th
Green - Rm 103
5th-6th
Orange - Rm 105 B 3rd-4th
Gray - Rm 104 F
5th-6th
Teal - Rm 105 F
5th-6th
Orange - Rm 105 B
5th-6th
Blue - Rm 102
5th-6th
Navy - Rm 110
Turn on ceiling speakers and play Spotify “small group” playlist
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GOAL: Kids build relationships with each other and their leader as they respond to what they heard
in the Big God Story.
Crowned King
David was first anointed king when he was a young boy, but he had to wait many years until God’s
promise came to pass. Today, children will play a game allowing them to share how they would act
as king or queen.
SUPPLIES
• Crown (toy or paper)
• Upbeat music on CD
• CD player
RELATE
Open your time by asking this question: What kind of person would make a good king or
queen?
Kings and queens usually have a lot of power over the countries they rule. Let’s play a
game to get us thinking about what we would do if we ruled our own countries.
Have the children sit in a circle. While the music is playing, have them pass the crown around the
circle to the right. When you hit pause on the music, whoever is holding the crown gets to answer
this question:
• What would you do if you were king or queen for a day?
Continue playing until several of the children have had a chance to answer the question then keep
playing but change up the questions specifically referring to what they learned during the Big God
Story. Stop and take time to also look up the answers with the provided scriptures.
• What does sovereign mean?
• When was David first anointed king? 1 Samuel 16:13
• How was God sovereign in David’s life? 2 Samuel 5:12
• How did David model praise to the people? 2 Samuel 6:14–15
• What was God’s covenant to David about his family? 2 Samuel 7:16
• How can you praise God for being sovereign?
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GOAL: Kids build relationships with each other and their leader as they respond to what they heard
in the Big God Story.
Remember Verse Game: Mirror, Mirror
This week we have a new Remember Verse. Use today’s small group time to help each student
work on scripture memorization. Each Remember Verse focuses on a character trait of God that’s
highlighted in that day’s portion of The Big God Story.
How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you
bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you. Psalm 31:19
SUPPLIES
• Backward Remember Verse template (9 pages)
• Mirror (medium-sized)
• Remember verse cards (one per child)
RELATE
Have the children join you in a circle. Pass out the Backward Remember Verse pages, keeping
them in order as you pass them around the circle. Each page has a few words from the Remember
Verse - written backward. See if the children can figure out what is written on their pages. Then
pass the mirror around so they can check their answers.
Next, have each child hold his page in front of him for the rest of the group to see. Recite the
verse again, using the Backward Remember Verse pages as clues. Practice the verse several
times, speeding up faster as you go along.
Pass out remember verse cards for the kids to take home and keep studying.
DISCUSS
Choose a few of the following questions that you think would help your kids connect to today’s Big
God story, then close in prayer.
Questions for Younger Kids
• How does it make you feel to know that God is your King?
• What is a covenant?
• What did God promise King David through His covenant? 2 Samuel 7:11–16
• How did God fulfill His promise? Matthew 1:1–17
• How does it make you feel to know that God always keeps His promises?
Questions for Older Kids
• What is a covenant?
• Who were some other people with whom God made covenants? Genesis 9:1, 15; 15:1; 2
Samuel 7:18
• What did God promise David through His covenant? 2 Samuel 7:11–16
• How are we a part of God’s covenant with David? Matthew 1:1–17; John 1:12
• What does the word sovereign mean?
• How does it make you feel to know that God is in control of everything?
• How does it make you feel to know God keeps His promises?
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GOAL: Bless kids to send them out with a sense of peace so they can be a blessing to others.
CLOSING REMARKS/ANNOUNCEMENTS (HOST):
Wall Speakers On
VIDEO LOOP: Thanks, glad you were here.
BLESSING (HOST):
As you bless your kids, tell them they have the opportunity to also be a blessing to others. Encourage them to freely share the joy and love they have received from God.
Encourage the kids to hold their hands in front of them, palms up. Then open a Bible and read
Ephesians 1:16–23:
I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit
of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your
heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called
you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably
great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the
heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name
that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God
placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the
church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
Now bless each child individually by putting a hand on his shoulder and saying, (Child’s name),
may you trust that God is sovereign over everything that happens in your life this week.
Finally, bless the entire group with the following:
May you know God as your all-powerful King
realms, far above all earthly rulers.
the One who is seated in the heavenly
CLOSING WORSHIP SONG (WORSHIP LEADER);
VIDEO 3: (9:00 and 11:30) You Are
(10:15) This Is Amazing Grace
DISMISSAL (HOST):
Call names of kids as parent come to pick up and welcome kids who are being dropped off. Encourage parents to enter the room and encourage kids and parents to exit out the middle door
(103)
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It was 4:20 p.m. on a Friday, and I was on my way to my wedding rehearsal when my phone rang.
“Drive to the courthouse,” my dad said. “You need a marriage license.” What? How could I have forgotten this detail? The courthouse was at least half an hour away and closed at 5 p.m. I burst into
tears.
Our family and friends arrived at the church for the rehearsal and went through the motions of the
ceremony without us Everyone except my dad, who was outside pacing and praying we would
make it to the courthouse on time. As he prayed, we drove frantically toward the courthouse. I was
crying, my fiancé was speeding, and my maid of honor was trying to bribe a courthouse staffer to
keep it open. The courthouse was actually to close at 4:30 p.m., no exceptions. That was half an
hour earlier than we had thought!
It was 4:40 p.m. when we finally arrived. Fortunately, my dad’s assistant was there already. She
had filled out the paperwork and begged the county recorder to stay open and let us in. At 4:44 p.m.
(a minute before the computers shut down), we raised our hands, took our oaths, and signed the
marriage license.
When we arrived at the church, everyone cheered and hugged us. My dad said it was a miracle the
courthouse stayed open In the 30 years he had been an attorney, it had never stayed open past
closing time. It was also a miracle that his secretary just happened to be in the area of the courthouse and was able to help.
In this situation, God was in control of the traffic, the courthouse, the whereabouts of my dad’s secretary, and the recorder’s computers. God was completely sovereign, and it was only through His
power, over everything, that we obtained the license. In the grand scheme of things, this was very
small … but it was important to me. I will never fully understand, but I will praise Him for His love
again and again.
Tori Funkhouser
TruStory Team
In 2 Samuel 7:2, David said, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a
tent.” David was so overcome with love and respect for the God who had given him and his people
rest from their enemies that he wanted to give God a gift of gratitude: a house for Him to dwell in.
Though God approved of David’s intentions, He did not allow David to build a house for Him. Instead,
God promised something amazing: Christ, the Savior, would come through David’s family line!
2 Samuel 7 describes God’s covenant with David. Although the word “covenant” doesn’t appear in
this passage, David uses it many times in the psalms to describe the experience in 2 Samuel. For
instance, in Psalm 89:3–4, David says: “You said, ‘I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I
have sworn to David my servant, “I will establish your line forever and make your throne firm through
all generations.”’”
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This passage also uses the word “house” multiple times to describe many different concepts, including dynasty, bloodline, kingdom, an actual house, and a temple. God fulfilled this promise to David His son Solomon built a temple (or a house) for the Lord for Him to dwell in. Also, David’s
house, or kingdom, continued even when the kingdom of Israel split and the kingdom of Judah remained. Most importantly, Christ came from David’s family line through Joseph. David’s descendant,
Jesus Christ, will one day establish His kingdom on earth.
Through God’s covenant with David, we see God’s plan was far-reaching, masterfully crafted, and
motivated by love. We know this because Christ’s life, death, and resurrection fulfilled God’s covenant with David.
As you think about God’s covenants, what comes to mind? The covenants can be somewhat confusing to us, but they’re such important, beautiful parts of The Big God Story.
Spend time reading 2 Samuel 7 and think for a moment about what this covenant means to you
personally. How does it make you feel to know God gave David this covenant with the knowledge
that Jesus would fulfill it? How does it make you feel to know Jesus isn’t just the fulfillment of this
covenant but also your personal Savior your personal Good Shepherd?
After you’ve spent some time meditating on God’s use of covenants in Scripture, spend time praying for your children. Pray they will begin to comprehend God’s sovereign plan how masterful,
beautiful, and loving it is and how they are a part of it. Pray they see God as the Shepherd King,
the One who controls everything in the universe and loves them like a nurturing caretaker.
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