Choosing a King - God Looks at the Heart

What would you do if you were asked to select a young man who should some day be president of the United States? What tests would you apply? Would you look upon the clothes that he wore? Would you consider the color of his hair? Would you insist that he should be of a certain height?

Once upon a time there was a good and wise man who was asked to choose a king for his people. He started on his journey in search of the most promising youth he could find. By and by he came to a home where there were many boys.

One of these boys stood before him. He was tall. He was well formed. He had a good bearing. Surely, thought the king-chooser, here is the perfect man. But something inside him, "the still small voice" I think it was, said to him, "No, do not choose him, he is not the one."

The father then called a second son. Like the first he was goodly to look upon. The great man commissioned to choose a king was about to select this one when the same voice inside warned him to wait. A third son was summoned. A third time the voice said, "No, he is not the one."

How sad the father must have been to have all seven of his splendid sons rejected! All? No, not all. For the king-chooser said, "Have you no more sons?" "Yes, I have one other, but he is young and the keeper of the sheep. I am sure you would not think of him as a king." "Nevertheless," said the prophet, "send for him."

And he came, the youngest, the most unlikely one of all, at least so the father and the brothers thought. But the voice within said, "This is the one, choose him." You will want to read all of this wonderful story and you will find it in your Bible.  It is in 1 Samuel the 16th chapter.

KIDS DISCUSS:  If God looks at your heart, what will He see?  What would God like to find in our heart?

MEMORY VERSE: I Samuel 16: 7

The LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

KIDS ACTIVITY:  
Heart counting game.  This is a game where the kids can practice their counting and matching skills.  They will make half-hearts from construction paper with written numbers and corresponding number of stickers on them.  So that 2 groups can play, make 2 sets of the paper hearts.  The group that matches all the hearts first, wins the game.  Find the instruction on how to make the paper hearts here.

3D Heart Paper Craft and Stuffed heart finger paint craft.  These are heart crafts from DLTK which the kids can easily do.  They can hang them as decoration or they give as gifts to their loved ones.  Click the links for the complete instructions.  To customize it to the lessons today, they can write on the hearts words like "I love Jesus" or "I've got joy in my heart" or the things God wants to find in our heart like "Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Care, etc"