1. Welcome everyone to Large Group worship! Lets review our NEW Remember verse for this month! In their hearts human beings plan their lives. But the L ORD decides where their steps will take them. Proverbs 16:9 Read thru the verse a few times as a group. They will get a special card to take home and practice it for a prize!

2. Worship Time After Worship, pass out Character Signs to trustworthy volunteers. Samuel should be a good reader (4 th grade!) Tech: Cue Timeline video/slide

3. Tech: Cue Game Show Music. Storyteller enters (optional: holding microphone) waving at the crowd. Welcome everyone! Welcome to our second ever show we like to call, Let’s Crown A King! Tech: Cue Applause audio and image. Direct children to clap and cheer whenever they see this sign.

4. Let’s Crown a King is the show where you, the Israelites point to children, vote to crown your next king. We present your choice before our judges and if you’ve chosen correctly, we’ll hear this sound. Tech: Cue Right Answer audio. But … if you’ve chosen incorrectly, we’ll hear this sound. Tech: Cue Wrong Answer audio. Are you ready to play? Tech: Cue Applause Audio and Sign.

5. Ok! Let’s meet our judges!! Pause and look at notes. Oh, actually, there is only one judge. Storyteller uses a big announcer style voice. Drumroll, please! Direct children to quickly pat their legs back and forth, creating a drumroll sound.

6. He is the Redeemer who saved the widow Ruth by buying her back from a helpless situation. We know Him as the Ruler over all creation! The One in complete control! He is our heavenly Father who looks at our hearts. He’s the judge who sees all, knows all, and whose choice is always right! Storyteller points to sky. He’s … our God!! Tech: Cue Applause Audio and Sign.

7. Before we go on, let’s welcome Him here today as we pray together. Lead children in Prayer of Release.

8. For our show today, God has chosen a human representative to listen to His voice and obey His instructions. Drumroll please! Children pat legs. He’s a prophet who led the Israelites since he was a boy. He’s the last of the judges, the anointer of kings. It’s the honest and fair … Samuel! Tech: Cue Applause audio and Applause Sign. Volunteer playing Samuel comes onstage.

9. Samuel, welcome back! The last time you were here, the Israelites chose their very first king, King Saul. Tech: Cue King Saul image. Samuel, why don’t you tell us why Saul was chosen to be king? Tech: Cue Verse Slide Have Samuel read 1 Samuel 10:23–24. Tech: Cue Applause audio and Applause Sign.

10. Now King Saul has reigned for 42 years. He looks very impressive, doesn’t he! But God sees what we can’t, because God looks at the heart. Saul is actually a very jealous man who lives for the praise of people. Saul disobeyed God and does not follow His instructions, so God has rejected Him as king.

11. Turn with me in your Bibles to 1 Samuel 16 and keep your finger there. Allow children to find the passage. Your Bible will have some clues to help you as you vote today. Turn to Samuel. Samuel, where did God send you to anoint a new king? Have Samuel read 1 Samuel 16:1 Tech: Cue Slide

12. God sent you to Bethlehem? Isn’t that where Ruth and Boaz lived? Interesting! Did you know that Ruth is actually Jesse’s grandmother? And someone else we know will one day be born in Bethlehem who is related to this same family. Turn to children. Any guesses? Invite responses. Yes, Jesus! God has a bigger plan here.

13. Samuel, you were nervous about God’s plan, weren’t you? Read for us what God told you to do. Samuel reads 1 Samuel 16:2–3. Tech: Cue Slide Excellent! It’s time to begin our vote! Let’s call up today’s contestants as chosen by God. Drumroll, please! Children pat legs.

14. The sons of Jesse! Tech: Cue Applause audio and Applause Sign. Seven volunteers come on stage, lining up from #1 - #7. Welcome to our show! Here are the rules of our game. God is in sovereign control. That means, He is in control of all things and rules all things. God alone will choose the next king by looking at each person’s heart.

15. One by one we are going to have the sons of Jesse walk in front of Samuel. Your job is to vote by cheering loudly for the one you would choose as king. Let’s see if our audience, the Israelites, can guess whom God has chosen for their future king! Tech: Cue Game Show Music.

16. Let’s hear your cheers for contestant number one! Tech: Cue Applause audio and Sign. Direct first volunteer to step forward and wave. Tell all “contestants” to smile really big and wave to the crowd. This is Eliab, the oldest son of Jesse.

17. Samuel what was your first impression of Eliab? Samuel reads 1 Samuel 16:6 Turn to children. Is this the Lord’s anointed? Have we found our king? Samuel shakes head no. Tech: Cue Wrong Answer sound. Wow, he’s the oldest and the tallest, but not whom God has chosen. Dismiss volunteer.

18. Let’s hear your cheers for contestant number two! Tech: Cue Applause audio and Sign. Second volunteer steps up. This is Abinadab, Jesse’s second son. Have we found our king? Samuel shakes head no. Tech: Cue Wrong Answer audio. Sorry Adinadab. You are not our new king. Dismiss volunteer.

19. Alright–let’s hear your cheers for contestant number three, Shammah! Tech: Cue Applause audio and Sign. Third volunteer crosses stage. Samuel, what does God say? Samuel shakes head no. Tech: Cue Wrong Answer audio. Sorry, Shammah. Dismiss volunteer.

20. I think we need a clue about what God is looking for. Let’s read 1 Samuel 16:7. Tech: Cue Verse Slide Read 1 Samuel 16:7 for the group. God’s perspective, that means His thoughts and His understanding, is bigger than our own.

21. Does contestant number four have the heart God is looking for? Tech: Cue Applause audio and Sign. Fourth volunteer steps up. We don’t even know your name but are you God’s choice for a king? Samuel shakes head no. Tech: Cue Wrong Answer audio. Sorry... Dismiss volunteer.

22. This is getting embarrassing! Contestant number five will you claim the prize? Tech: Cue Applause audio and Sign. Fifth volunteer steps up. And God says … Tech: Cue Wrong Answer audio. Dismiss volunteer. Contestant number six do you have what it takes? Tech: Cue Applause audio and Sign. Sixth volunteer steps up. Samuel shakes head no. Tech: Cue Wrong Answer audio. Dismiss volunteer.

23. We are running out of contestants here! Our last one – this must be our new king! Contestant number seven! Tech: Cue Applause audio and Applause Sign. Seventh volunteer crosses stage. What do you think? Have we finally found our new king? Samuel shakes head no. Tech: Cue Wrong Answer audio. Dismiss volunteer.

24. Wait. Stop the show. I don’t get it. Turn to Samuel. Samuel, didn’t God tell you the new king would be one of Jesse’s sons? There’s no one left! What does the Bible say? Invite children to look at 1 Samuel 16:11– 13 while you read. (NEXT SLIDE) Tech: Cue Verse Slides

25. So he asked Jesse, “Are these the only sons you have?” “No,” Jesse answered. “My youngest son is taking care of the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send for him. We won’t sit down to eat until he arrives.” So Jesse sent for his son and had him brought in. He had a fine appearance and handsome features… (continued)

26. (Read large/italic text with emphasis!) Then the L ORD said, “Get up and anoint him. This is the one.” So Samuel anointed David in front of his brothers. From that day on, the Spirit of the L ORD came on David with power.

27. God chose David? Samuel shakes head yes. Tech: Cue Right Answer audio. But David was the youngest. He’s just a young shepherd. David wasn’t even important enough to be invited here today! Why would God choose him? Invite responses. Thank and dismiss Samuel.

28. When God looks at our hearts, He sees who we really are, but He also sees who we can become in Him. God saw something amazing in David, and that’s why He chose him as king. Next week, we’ll hear how Saul wanted to kill David but God protected him. The Bible tells us that God rejects the proud but gives grace to the humble.

29. God often chooses someone unlikely so the world knows that it is God who is worthy, not people. Israel’s next king needed to be someone who loved God, someone who wanted to know God more and more, and someone who had such a genuine faith that he would trust God and follow all of His instructions. God looks at our hearts because to Him that is what is most important.

30. Tech: Cue Foil Heart Image Instruct leaders to pass out foil Your leaders are passing out a sheet of foil to each of you, and we’re going to play a quiet worship song while you form the foil into the shape of a heart. You can take it home to remind you that God looks at what’s in our hearts, not how we appear on the outside.

31. Have leaders watch for when their groups are finished with the hearts. They can take them downstairs when they are done.