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While young Samuel was sleeping, the Lord called his name. Not recognising the voice, Samuel ran to the elderly Eli, mistakenly thinking it was him. When the voice continued to call Samuel, Eli told him to listen carefully. The voice must be the voice of the Lord. The Lord spoke to Samuel and told him that Eli’s sons would not be the new priests of Israel. Samuel would be. Samuel served the Lord as long as he lived as a Priest, Judge, and Prophet.

Bible verses used in this episode:

1 Samuel 3

Outline:

1. God calls young Samuel, but Samuel does not recognise God’s voice. (1 Samuel 3:1-9)
2. God speaks to Samuel and shares bad news about Eli’s family. (1 Samuel 3:10-18)
3. Samuel grows and establishes a solid reputation as a prophet. (1 Samuel 3:19-21)

Tips for teaching children:

• Invite the children to come to class in their pyjamas. Enjoy acting like Samel sleeping and hearing God calling his name.
• Play a game where one child sits in the middle of the room, blindfolded. The other children move around the room and take turns calling out “Samuel, Samuel.” If the blindfolded child recognises the voice of the caller, then they trade places.
• Talk about hearing God’s voice through reading the Bible.

Tips for teaching adults:

• This chapter is short enough to read in a class setting.  I suggest using the outline provided in the show notes above.  Alternatively, you can arrange for the class to listen to the story in audiobook format. Chances are, someone in the class will have an audiobook app on their phone.
• Instruct the class to be completely quiet and still, and to listen in complete silence.  Do this for 1 minute.   What did they hear?  What did they notice?
• Encourage the class to get into the habit of really listening to God’s voice when they read the Scripture.  Find a quiet space and a quiet time.  Read the Scripture slowly and mindfully, concentrating on the words of the text – not just the words themselves but also the emotional content of the text, the way the text moves forward.  Encourage the class to be intentional when reading the word of God.  And begin your Scripture reading by saying, “Speak Lord for your servant is listening.”  The following week, ask the class if this made a difference in their reading and understanding God’s word.

Full teaching instructions free from Mission Bible Class:

Bible Lesson: The Lord Speaks to Samuel

Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy 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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