Overcoming Fear

Age group: Preschool – Second Grade

Passage: I Samuel 17

Click to Print: Overcoming Fear Bible Lesson

Bible Lesson:

Introduction – vs. 1-3

One day a group of botanists (people who study plants) were out hiking in the mountains of Switzerland. They were looking for rare and unusual plants. As they were searching, they spotted a very rare flower down the side of the cliff. It would have been difficult to lower a full grown man down the side of the cliff, so the botanists found a young boy and asked him if he would be willing to climb down. Without answering, the young boy ran off. After a little while, he reappeared with his father. The thought of being lowered down on a rope scared the boy, but he said that he would be willing if his father held the rope.[1]

The young boy was afraid but he knew he could trust his father. He believed that his father would hold the rope tightly and not let go. This is called trust. Trust is when you believe that someone will do what they say they will do. Just as the boy trusted his father to take care of him, we can trust God to take care of us. Even though we cannot see God, He is right here with us in this room. He is always watching out for us and protecting us. We can talk to God whenever we want just as we talk to our best friend. The Bible tells us that God never sleeps. He is always watching over us and protecting us. We don’t ever have to be afraid.

The Bible tells us about a young boy named David who chose to be brave and fight against the giant Goliath. Everyone else in the Israelite army was afraid to fight against this giant, but David chose to trust God to deliver Goliath into his hand. The Israelite army was camped out on one mountain, and their enemies, the Philistines, were camped out on the opposite mountain. The Valley of Elah lay between them. Every day, for forty days, Goliath would stand in the valley calling out for someone to come and fight him.

David’s Foe – vs. 4-7

Goliath had fought and won many battles. He was the Philistine champion. He was a great giant standing almost ten feet tall. Goliath wore a coat that was made of small pieces of metal put together that looked like fish scales. It weighed at least 125 pounds, this would be the weight of two or three of children about your size. Pieces of brass covered his legs and chest. His spear weighed about 15 pounds. He also had someone to go before him carrying his shield for protection.

David’s Family – vs. 12-31

David was not a soldier. He was just a young shepherd boy who took care of his father’s sheep. One day, his father sent him down to the battlefield with some food for his older brothers who were soldiers in the Israelite army. When David arrived on the scene, he heard Goliath mocking and making fun of the Israelite army and their God. David knew that this was wrong and started asking why no one was willing to go and fight Goliath.

Soon David’s oldest brother Eliab heard that David had arrived and was asking questions about Goliath. Eliab became angry with David and asked what he was doing there. David said to him, “Is there not a cause?” David believed that there was a good reason for someone to go and fight against Goliath. Goliath was mocking God and His people. David knew that he should be defeated.

David’s Faith – vs. 32-51

None of the other Israelites had a strong enough faith in God to go and fight Goliath. Even King Saul who was taller than anyone else was too afraid. David trusted God to protect him and to help him defeat Goliath. As a shepherd boy, David had killed a lion and a bear. He knew that God could also help him kill Goliath. He was not afraid to go and fight.

King Saul gave David his armor to help protect him. David tried it on, but he was not used to wearing armor, so he decided not to wear it. Before going to fight Goliath, he went to the brook and chose five smooth stones and put them in his bag. As David neared Goliath, he put one of the stones into his sling and started swinging it around. As David let go, the rock flew out of the sling and hit Goliath on the forehead. The stone sunk into his head and Goliath fell, face down on the ground.

When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they became scared and starting running away. The Israelites ran after them. That day the Philistines were defeated because one young boy chose to trust God instead of being afraid. Whenever you are afraid, you can think of David and how he trusted God to fight the giant Goliath. Just as God helped David, He can help you too. Jesus promises us in the Bible that He will never leave us or forsake us; He is always with us (Heb. 13:5).

 

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Supplemental Ideas:

Lesson Activity:

Bring in pictures to show what Goliath’s armor looked like. To help students understand the size of Goliath, get a piece of rope the height of Goliath (roughly 9ft. 6-7in.). Compare his height to the height of the students. Have students stand next to the rope and make a mark to show their height. To show students how much Goliath’s spear weighed, put 15 lbs. of weights in a back pack and see if students can pick it up.

Memory Verse:

II Timothy 1:7, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

Download FREE II Timothy 1:7 Memory Verse Printables

Recommended Songs:

“Only a Boy Named David”, “Trust and Obey”

Practical Application Activity:

After telling the story, give each child a small bag. Take them on a walk and have each one collect fives stones to put in his or her bag. As you are walking, have them share about something that they are afraid of. Tell about something you were afraid of as a child. Discuss five things that God helped David not to be afraid of (lion, bear, Goliath, Saul, Goliath’s brothers). When they are afraid, they can look at their rocks and remember how David trusted God to protect him.

Other Resources:

For free Bible illustrations to go with this story, visit Free Bible Images

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[1] McKay, David O.  “Dad Held the Rope” Margies Messages. http://margiesmessages.com/Dadheldr.htm 27 September 2016.