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The Lord gave King Saul specific instructions on how to handle a battle with the enemy, the Amalekites. King Saul disobeyed the Lord in front of all of the people, and then he refused to admit his own sin. When Samuel confronted him, Saul made excuses and even blamed others. Although Saul would remain in place as king for many years, it was at this time that the Lord rejected him as King.

Bible verses used in this episode:

1 Samuel 13:5-14; 15:1-35

Outline:

1. Saul’s impatience costs him the crown. (1 Samuel 13:5-14)
2. Saul disobeys God’s plan for battle. (1 Samuel 15:1-9)
3. Saul makes excuses and Samuel delivers God’s judgment. (1 Samuel 15:10-35)

Tips for teaching children:

• Discuss taking responsibility when we have done something wrong. 
• Discuss God’s forgiveness when we repent. As a prayer exercise, provide small pieces of paper and pens. Children write their sins on the paper and then pray to ask God’s forgiveness. After the prayer, crumple up the paper and throw it in a rubbish bin. Plan for a quiet and thoughtful time for this, so the children do not rush through it. One way to do this is to turn the lights low and light candles.

Tips for teaching adults:

• The big takeaway from this story is the words Samuel spoke to Saul, “to obey is better than sacrifice.”  Here are some questions to ask the class members.  Remember to give them time to think and to formulate a response:  
  • What does Samuel mean by this?  
  • Does this mean that ritual in worship is not important? Why or why not? 
  • How does this apply to our context today?  How can we be guilty of sacrifice without obedience?
• Pass out paper and have each person in class write down an area of their life in which they struggle to obey God fully.  After a period of time, ask each class member to pray about what they’ve written, asking God to give them strength and courage to obey and not to offer excuses.  Ask God for the strength to trust him more, even when it is difficult. 

Full teaching instructions free from Mission Bible Class:

Bible Lesson:  King Saul Disobeys God

Scriptures quoted from The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.

Excerpts from Mission Bible Class used by permission.

Music: Upbeat Positive Culture (Acoustic Corporate Travel Promo Christian Rock), Individual License, Stock Media provided by HumansWin, pond5.com

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