1. Welcome everyone to Large Group worship! Introduce today’s Connect Question. What three qualities should a best friend have? Turn to your neighbor and discuss it! Call on a few children to give one of their answers to the whole group.

2. Welcome everyone to Large Group worship! Lets review our Remember verse for this month! Does anyone think they can say it from memory yet? In their hearts human beings plan their lives. But the L ORD decides where their steps will take them. Proverbs 16:9

3. Worship Time Tech: Cue Timeline video/slide

4. Last week in The Big God Story, we heard about David and how God looked at his heart rather than his outward appearance. Today we’re going to learn about how God protected David. He used a man named Jonathan and his bow and arrow to warn his friend of danger. God called Jonathan to play a very important part in The Big God Story. Lead children in a Prayer of Release.

5. So, Jonathan – who we are learning about today – was the son of King Saul. Remember how the Israelites didn’t want judges? They wanted a king just like the other nations. Let me hear you say: “Oh please, give us a king!” Hold up your clasped hands like you’re pleading.

6. So God sent the prophet Samuel to anoint a man named Saul to be their first king. King Saul started as a good king, but later disobeyed God. Let me see you make a sad face and say, “Oh no, King Saul!” God had a big plan to make Israel into a great nation and gave them lots of land, but Saul chose to go his own way. Let me see you say, “Oh no, King Saul!” again.

7. Because Saul didn’t follow God, God told Saul that He would choose someone else to be king. What was his name? We heard about him last week. Allow answers. Yes, his name is David. God chose a young shepherd named David and anointed him. Tech: Cue David’s Anointing image. God didn’t make David king right away. God protected David and had a plan to protect Israel under David’s future kingdom.

8. Let’s turn to 1 Samuel 18:1 to find out what happened next. Read 1 Samuel 18:1–2 Tech: Cue Slide Jonathan and David became close friends. Jonathan loved David just as he loved himself. From that time on, Saul kept David with him. He didn’t let him return home to his family.

9. David went to live with King Saul and his son, Jonathan. David and Jonathan became friends. Best friends. I mean, the very best friends ever. I bet they even had a best friend handshake! Demonstrate a fun handshake with a leader or child in the group. Have the kids turn to the person next to them and make up their own handshake.

10. Have children follow along in their Bibles as you read 1 Samuel 18:3–4 aloud. Tech: Cue Slide Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him just as he loved himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David. He also gave him his military clothes. He even gave him his sword, his bow and his belt.

11. These best friends loved each other so much that they made a covenant. Who can tell me what a covenant is? Encourage kids to answer. Right! A covenant is a very special promise. When God makes a covenant with someone, He always keeps it. Why? Because God always keeps His word/promises.

12. We know God made covenants with Noah, Abraham, and Moses and all of the Israelites. These covenants were more important because they were between God and His people, David and Jonathan’s covenant was a big deal, too. Have children hold up one palm like making an oath. Jonathan promised to treat David like a brother, to never harm him, and to always be his friend. God used Jonathan to protect David.

13. Jonathan was the prince and next in line to be king. But he knew God had chosen to make David the next king of Israel, so Jonathan helped David triumph over many big obstacles to becoming king! Would you be able to give up the chance to be king, like Jonathan did? Allow answers. Read 1 Samuel 18:12–16 and encourage children to follow along. NEXT SLIDE Tech: Cue Verse Slide

14. The L ORD had left Saul and was with David. Saul was afraid of David so he sent David away. He put him in command of 1,000 men. David led the troops in battle. In everything he did, he was very successful because the L ORD was with him. When Saul saw how successful David was, he became afraid of him. But all the troops of Israel and Judah loved David. That’s because he led them in battle.

15. Jonathan’s father, King Saul, was jealous and afraid of David because he saw that all of the people, including his son, loved David. Saul became so jealous and afraid that he planned to kill David! Have kids make a sad face and say, “Oh no, King Saul!” again.

16. Now, David was a good musician, and King Saul liked listening to him play the lyre. Tech: Cue Lyre image. A lyre is a musical instrument with strings. One day, while David played the lyre Tech: Cue Lyre Music audio Saul got so jealous that he threw a spear Tech: Cue Spear image at David! Make a throwing motion towards the crowd Whoa! But God protects; the spear missed, and David escaped. Phew!!

17. Later, David told Jonathan that his father, the king, had tried to kill him. At first Jonathan didn’t believe it. But David kept trying to convince him. So, let’s read what Jonathan said… Read 1 Samuel 20:12–13. Tech: Cue slide He said, “I promise you that I’ll find out what my father is planning to do. I’ll find out by this time the day after tomorrow. The L ORD, the God of Israel, is my witness.

18. Jonathan and David came up with a plan. King Saul had planned a great feast and expected David to be there. But David decided to hide in the fields instead. David knew that if King Saul looked for him at the feast and got upset because he wasn’t there, that meant King Saul wanted to kill him! Have kids make a sad face and say, “Oh no, King Saul!”

19. Sure enough, at the feast, Saul noticed David’s empty seat Tech: Cue Saul’s Feast image and asked Jonathan why David was missing. When Jonathan said David had gone home, Saul got very angry and shouted “David must die!”

20. Jonathan was terrified for his friend! So he ran to warn David that his father really wanted to kill him. As the two had planned, Jonathan shot three arrows in the field, sent a servant to go pick them up, and give David a secret message. Though the servant boy didn’t know what the message meant, David sure did! It meant Saul wanted to kill him! So David escaped into the hills. Tech: Cue David in the Hills image.

21. God used Jonathan to protect David’s life. And after God made David king, God made a covenant with him. God promised David that one day the Messiah, the one true King, would be born in his family line. God kept His promise by sending Jesus! Jesus’ earthly parents were part of David’s family.

22. Even though Jonathan would never be king, he wasn’t jealous of David or angry with him. Jonathan loved David and loved God, and he knew that God protected David. God is powerful and nothing can stand in the way of His perfect plan. God is able to protect, and He fulfills His promises.

23. We can trust that God is able to protect His people. No matter what we face in life, we can remember that He loves us and is able to protect us. He is powerful, and even in the worst situations when it doesn’t look like God is protecting His people, we can remember that God protects, and He always fulfills His promises.

24. Because of sin, the world that we live in can be a scary place to live. But, those who trust in God can have peace because God is powerful enough to protect His people. Is there something you’re afraid of today? You can talk with God about that and trust Him to care for you. Maybe someone in your life needs protection. This is a time when you can pray for them and ask God if there is a way you can help.

25. I am going to begin our prayer time with a Psalm. And then you can spend some time with God. Read Psalm 91:14–16 aloud. Tech: Cue Verse Slide The L ORD says, “I will save the one who loves me. I will keep him safe, because he trusts in me. He will call out to me, and I will answer him. I will be with him in times of trouble. I will give him a long and full life.”

26. Play a quiet worship song while kids spend a few minutes praying. Close the time with a prayer of your own and dismiss by grade