David and Bathsheba
Scripture: 2 Samuel 11:1-12:25
Theme: Sin has devastating consequences, but God’s grace is greater
Age Group: Nursery (Ages 0-2)
Overview
“God’s Love is Always There!” “God loves you so much! Just like a hug from a big, kind father. But sometimes, people forget God and do things they don’t want to do. But God always calls us back, just like a parent calling a child home!” Short repeatable phrase for toddlers: “God’s love is always there… even when we turn away!”
Bible Story
God Loves Us Always
Once, King Solomon loved God very much. He asked God for wisdom, and God gave him a big, beautiful kingdom. But then, Solomon turned away from God and made many strange gods to worship.
One day, Solomon’s sons, Rehoboam, didn’t listen to God like their father had. They split the kingdom into two parts, one for the northern tribes, and one for the southern tribes.
The northern tribes said, “We want a different king!” But God had already told Solomon long ago that His kingdom would stay together forever, even if leaders got confused.
God still loves us, even when we forget Him. His love never changes!
Why this matters: This story shows that God’s love is always there, even when people choose differently. Like a big hug from a parent, God’s love stays with us forever, just like His kingdom!
Activities
- Start with Love: Tell the kids, “God loves you! Just like He loved His people long ago (1 Kings 11), we can show our love to Him by making this bracelet!” (Hold up a Bible.)
- Color the Strip: Give each child a paper strip and crayons. Say, “Color your strip red, white, or blue, like a flag of love!” Let them decorate while singing “God loves you today!” (Repeat twice).
- Glue & Sing: Glue the strip into a loop. Ask, “What does God promise? He loves us always!” (Repeat.) Then, hold up the bracelet: “This is our promise to remember God’s love!”
- Shout “Love!”: When finished, all kids say “God loves me!” together. Place bracelets in a jar for the next class to see!
- 2. “Kingdom Tree Planting”
- Open the Bible: Hold up a Bible and say, “God’s love is like a big tree. Even when we turn away, God’s love never stops growing!” (Point to 1 Kings 11:12: “But I will not take away your whole kingdom.”)
- Cut the Tree: Give each child green paper to cut into a leaf shape (or pre-cut simple shapes). Glue it to a stick/pipe cleaner: “This is our leaf of faith!”
- Plant the Tree: Arrange the trees in a circle on the floor. Say, “God’s love is like this circle, always there!” Add a “seed” (optional) in the center.
- Sing & Repeat: All kids say “God’s love is strong!” while holding up their trees. Add a leaf to the circle each time to show growth. End with: “God forgives us, just like He forgave His people!”
- Note: For both activities, end with prayer: “Dear God, thank You for Your love. Help us remember to turn back to You.”
Discussion Questions
- Here are four simple, open-ended questions for babies and toddlers about God’s love, based on the Bible story of King Solomon’s heart turning away:
- “What did God say to Solomon when he asked for wisdom? What did God love about him?” (Let them point to hands, eyes, or a heart when you repeat, “God loves you!”)
- “When did God tell Solomon, ‘I will not be with you anymore’? What could make us turn away from God like Solomon did?” (Practice saying, “God loves us always!”)
- “If we listen to God’s heart, what kind of love will we keep in our hearts?” (Show a big hug or a soft touch, then repeat, “God loves us!”)
- “How can we always remember that God is our Father? What does that mean to us?” (Use a simple gesture like holding up a family picture or pretend hands holding a heart.)
- These keep it short, repetitive, and full of warmth! Let them respond with sounds, gestures, or even “I love you!”
Prayer Focus
“Dear God, we thank You for Your big, love love love. You are always with us, even when we turn away. Stay close to us, like You promised. Help us to remember Your kindness always, forever and forever.” (Optional repeat: “God is love, and we are loved by Him!”)
Missions Spotlight
The churches in Western Europe, once the heartland of Christianity, have largely turned away from God. Missionaries from the Global South are now returning to Europe to re-share the Gospel, proving that God never gives up on a people.
To the Cross
Solomon’s heart turned away from God, and the kingdom was divided. Humanity’s heart turns away from God again and again. But God never gave up on His people. He sent Jesus to reunite what sin had divided, to bring us back to God forever.
Family Take-Home
This Sunday school lesson tells the story of King Solomon’s divided heart, first worshiping foreign gods (1 Kings 11) and later quarreling with his son Rehoboam (1 Kings 12). When people turned away from God’s love, chaos followed, reminding us that faithfulness and unity depend on our choices.