Introduction
The story of David killing Goliath reminds us that no matter how small or insignificant we may feel, in God’s strength there is nothing that we cannot do. This session provides an opportunity for children and young people to discover what this might mean for them.
The session
Begin the session with a game. Divide the group into small teams and provide each team with a newspaper and a roll of masking tape. Challenge the young people to see which team can build the tallest freestanding tower, using only the newspaper and masking tape. Set a time limit, and when time is up, award a prize to the team who create the tallest tower.
Ask the group to think of times when they feel small or a time when they feel big enough to take on whatever situation life throws at them. You could invite them to share some examples, or just to think about this for themselves, before listening to the track.
Track: Giants
Play the track, perhaps providing lyrics for the group to follow, if appropriate. As a group, discuss:
- How does the song make you feel?
- When can you relate to that sense of being made to feel like a ‘giant’, on top of the world?
- What is it that makes you feel this way?
Provide Bibles and ask the group to look at 1 Samuel 17:12-54. Take turns to read a few verses each, or ask someone to read aloud to the rest of the group. Invite the young people to comment on things they notice and discuss any issues raised.
Reread verses 33-37, looking more closely at David’s speech to Saul. Ask the young people to think about verses 36-37. In this story, a young boy, possibly of a similar age to those in the group, defeats a giant. Yet in these two verses, David reveals something about the way God makes him feel, as though he is in fact the giant, on top of the world. David has total trust in God, who is greater than any enemy; nothing can stand against him.
Invite the group to think again of the times when they are made to feel small. Remind the group that God is always with them, just as he was with David. No matter what ‘giants’ we may face, in God’s strength we can do all things! You may find it helpful to share some of your own examples of where you have experienced this in your own life, or invite your young people to share their own testimonies.
As you draw the session to a close, pray for your group, for any particularly difficult ‘giants’ that they may face in the week ahead, that they would remember God’s promise never to leave us. Thank God for the way that he can work through us as we face any situation.
