Key Verse: Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
Key Words: Shepherd | King | Wholehearted
Our final hero of the faith is David – a heroic king who had faith and even faced literal giants!
Our final activity of the week started with all the counselors becoming lions, wolves, and bears, and the campers becoming sheep. The sheep had to make it safely back to their gate (their tent) before one of the lions, wolves, or bears got them. One counselor was the shepherd and had the ability to allow the sheep to stand up and walk back to their gate safely. After the activity, campers and counselors were able to discuss why the shepherd was so important, and what modern-day shepherds look like.
Our key words of the day were shepherd, king, and wholehearted. These words, through the story of David, showed what it means to be wholly committed to the true Shepherd.
David’s heroic story of faith showed us that our faith in God enables us to defeat giants. David was an unlikely hero, but God uses people who draw near to him, not people who are perfect. And just as David was an unlikely king, The Hero was just the same. Jesus’ kingdom is everlasting, and we have a true and better king in him.
Here are questions about what a shepherd and a savior is from today’s study:
- What are some things you notice about the shepherd in Psalm 23?
- How can a shepherd be a savior?
- In Hebrews 11:6, what are the things that mark someone who pleases God? Do you believe those things?
- How can we help each other draw near to God?
This hero had faith when he stood up to a giant, bringing him down by believing that God was bigger. David believed that he was appointed as king of The People to serve the Lord with his whole heart. This pleased God because David drew close to him. David is an imperfect picture of Jesus, The Hero, who became a shepherd-king who established a kingdom that will long outlast David’s.