unit 12 • session 3 solomon built the temple€¦ · story is char.style “head1a” head 2 head...

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Additional resources are available at gospelproject.com. For free training and session-by-session help, visit MinistryGrid.com/gospelproject.

Use Week of:

INTRODUCE THE STORY (10–15 MINUTES)

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TEACH THE STORY(25–30 MINUTES)

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APPLY THE STORY(25–30 MINUTES)

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Unit 12 • Session 3

Unit 12 • Session 3

BIBLE PASSAGE: 1 Kings 6–8

STORY POINT: God led His people to build a temple where He would dwell

with them.

KEY PASSAGE: James 1:5

BIG PICTURE QUESTION: What does God know? God knows everything about the past, present,

and future.

Solomon Built the Temple

186 Younger Kids Leader GuideUnit 12 • Session 3

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3

Use Week of:LEADER Bible StudyWhen David was king, he wanted to build a temple for God, but God did not allow him to. “When your time comes and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up after you your descendant … and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (2 Sam. 7:12-13). God said King David’s son would build the temple.

King Solomon began to gather materials to build the temple. He ordered cedar and cypress timbers from Lebanon. He gathered 30,000 men from all of Israel as laborers to excavate stone and prepare the timbers for the temple’s construction.

The temple was impressive. The entire interior was cedar. King Solomon had everything covered with gold. In all, it took seven years for the temple to be completed. Inside the temple was furniture and accessories. (See 1 Kings 7:48-50.)

The time came to dedicate the temple. All of the Israelites gathered in Jerusalem. The priests brought the ark of the Lord to the most holy place, and a cloud filled the house of the Lord. God’s glory filled the temple.

Solomon prayed and praised God for keeping His covenant with David. He recognized that God is not confined to a temple. “Even heaven, the highest heaven, cannot contain you, much less this temple I have built” (1 Kings 8:27). Solomon’s prayer and speech was followed by a great offering to God.

The temple was where God met with His people, and it gave God’s people a more permanent place to worship Him. The people could go there to make sacrifices and worship God. Jesus changed everything when He died for our sins on the cross. By taking our sin upon Himself, Jesus made the way for sinners to come to God. Today, when we trust in Jesus, He is with us wherever we go. We can look to Him for forgiveness and help.

187Wise King Solomon

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Solomon Built the Temple1 Kings 6–8

Solomon was the king of Israel after his father, David, died. God made Solomon very wise. Solomon began to build a temple for the Lord. Solomon ordered thousands of workers to help build the

temple. They cut cedar logs and stone blocks. They laid a foundation and built the outside of the

temple.God blessed the temple and promised Solomon, “If you obey

My commands, I will keep the promise I made to David. I will live among the Israelites, and I will not abandon My people.”

The temple was built in seven years. It was beautiful! The cedar paneling inside the temple was carved with ornamental gourds and flower

blossoms. Solomon overlaid everything inside the temple with

pure gold. He hired men to make bronze furnishings for the temple,

such as bronze bowls for holding water.When the temple was complete,

Solomon moved the ark of God from its place on Mount Zion to the new temple in Jerusalem.

Solomon gathered the leaders of Israel. As the priests moved the ark to the most holy place in the temple, King Solomon and the leaders sacrificed sheep and cattle to the Lord.

Bible Storytelling Tips

• Use sound effects: Play sounds representing construction and carpentry while telling of the temple’s construction. Play triumphant music when you reach the temple’s completion. Play a cheering crowd after Solomon’s dedication speech.

• Use practical effects: Build a model of the temple to explain the parts. Use dry ice in water or a smoke machine to represent the cloud in which God’s glory rested.

The BIBLE Story


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Solomon Built the Temple1 Kings 6–8

Solomon was the king of Israel after his father, David, died. God made Solomon very wise. Solomon began to build a temple for the Lord. Solomon ordered thousands of workers to help build the

temple. They cut cedar logs and stone blocks. They laid a foundation and built the outside of the

temple.God blessed the temple and promised Solomon, “If you obey

My commands, I will keep the promise I made to David. I will live among the Israelites, and I will not abandon My people.”

The temple was built in seven years. It was beautiful! The cedar paneling inside the temple was carved with ornamental gourds and flower

blossoms. Solomon overlaid everything inside the temple with

pure gold. He hired men to make bronze furnishings for the temple,

such as bronze bowls for holding water.When the temple was complete,

Solomon moved the ark of God from its place on Mount Zion to the new temple in Jerusalem.

Solomon gathered the leaders of Israel. As the priests moved the ark to the most holy place in the temple, King Solomon and the leaders sacrificed sheep and cattle to the Lord.

Bible Storytelling Tips

• Use sound effects: Play sounds representing construction and carpentry while telling of the temple’s construction. Play triumphant music when you reach the temple’s completion. Play a cheering crowd after Solomon’s dedication speech.

• Use practical effects: Build a model of the temple to explain the parts. Use dry ice in water or a smoke machine to represent the cloud in which God’s glory rested.

When the priests came out of the temple, a cloud filled the temple. God’s glory was in the cloud. Solomon turned to speak to the Israelites. “Praise God!” he said. “God promised David that his son would build a temple. God kept His promise!”

Solomon stood and prayed with his hands spread out toward heaven. “There is no God like You!” he said. Then Solomon thought about the future. He knew Israel would sin and make God angry again; so Solomon asked for forgiveness, and he asked God to hear their prayers.

When Solomon had finished praying, he encouraged the Israelites to love and obey God. The people returned to their homes, joyful because God was good to them.

Christ Connection: The temple was a place where God was with His people. The people could go there to make sacrifices and worship God. Today, when we trust in Jesus, He is with us wherever we go. We can look to Him for forgiveness and help.


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INTRODUCE the Story

SESSION TITLE: Solomon Built the TempleBIBLE PASSAGE: 1 Kings 6–8STORY POINT: God led His people to build a temple where He would dwell

with them.KEY PASSAGE: James 1:5BIG PICTURE QUESTION: What does God know? God knows everything

about the past, present, and future.

Welcome timeGreet each kid as he or she arrives. Use this time to collect the offering, fill out attendance sheets, and help new kids connect to your group. Prompt kids to describe where they live. Ask who lives with them.SAY • All over the world, different people live in very

different ways. Some houses are very big, while others are very small. Some homes have carpet, and others have dirt floors. Houses can be made from bricks, wood, and even mud and grass! Today we will learn about the temple, which was sort of like a house for God.

Activity page (5 minutes)

Invite kids to complete the “Welcome Home” activity page. Challenge kids to match each object or creature with the place that object or creature might live. There may be some that don’t have a match!SAY • One of the homes pictured on your activity sheet was

the temple. We didn’t have an object or creature to match with the temple. Why do you think that is? Who might have lived at the temple?

• “Welcome Home” activity page, 1 per kid

• pencils or markers


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Session starter (10 minutes)

OPTION 1: EliminationInvite the kids to stand in a circle. Make statements and instruct kids to sit down if a statement applies to them. Start with broad statements, but make the statements more specific as the number of kids remaining shrinks. Do not end until all kids are seated.

Example statements:• I ate breakfast this morning.• I am not wearing socks.• I know how to write in cursive.• My name starts with the letter S.

SAY • At first, it may have seemed that there would be one kid left standing to win the game, but in the end, no one remained. In a way, that’s like us and sin. It may seem to us that some people are doing better than others, but only Jesus can stand before God. No one can work his way to God, so God came down to live with us! Soon we’ll learn more about how God lives with us.

OPTION 2: House of pillowsHelp the kids work together to make a house out of pillows, cushions, and bedsheets. You may provide chairs or a table for structure. Allow the kids to play in the pillow house.SAY • It’s a lot of fun to make houses or forts out of pillows.

But even though it is fun, a pillow house would not be a very good place to live for the long term. Today we will learn about a place God’s people built for Him to dwell with them.

Transition to teach the story

• pillows• cushions• bedsheets• chairs (optional)• table (optional)

Note: Do not let any kid play unsupervised or one-on-one with another person in the pillow house.


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CountdownShow the countdown video as you transition to teach the story. Set it to end as the session begins.

Introduce the session (3 minutes)

[Leader enters wearing a white lab coat with feathers stuck to it.]LEADER • Hello, friends! Welcome back. My name is

Professor Peregrine. I’m an ornithologist, which means I’m a bird scientist. I study birds to learn about their behaviors. For me specifically, I try to measure how intelligent different kinds of birds are.

This week, I’ve been focusing my studies on American cliff swallows. They build large and sometimes complex nests out of mud pellets. In a way, a cliff swallow nest can be kind of like apartment complexes for birds! As more birds crowd into popular nesting areas, sometimes their nests can get close enough to touch or overlap. Soon it looks like rows and rows of swallows all living together.

It really is amazing how these birds learned to build. Obviously, their homes are not as sturdy as

• countdown video

• leader attire

Tip: If you prefer not to use themed content or characters, adapt or omit this introduction.

TEACH the Story

SESSION TITLE: Solomon Built the TempleeBIBLE PASSAGE: 1 Kings 6–8STORY POINT: God led His people to build a temple where He would dwell




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buildings made by humans, but the mud and clay mixture that swallows use is similar in some ways to the substances people use to make bricks! How neat is that?

But you know, it makes me think of our Bible story. This week it’s about a very important construction project Solomon started as king. It wasn’t a nest for birds; it was a temple for God!

Big picture question (1 minute)

LEADER • As we get to our story, don’t lose sight of the big picture question and answer: What does God know? God knows everything about the past, present, and future. That means God will never forget anything, no matter how long ago it happened. He will never miss anything happening right now, and the future will never catch Him off guard. God knows all there is to know about everything that can be known! That’s why we can always trust Him. His plans are perfect because they account for every detail.

Giant timeline (1 minute)

Show the giant timeline. Point to individual Bible stories as you review.LEADER • Two weeks ago, we learned that God gave

Solomon wisdom to lead His people. Last week we studied some of what Solomon wrote, learning that wisdom is fearing the Lord and obeying His Word. This week we will learn that another thing Solomon did, besides writing songs and poems, was build a temple for God. Let’s get into it!

• Giant Timeline


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Tell the Bible story (10 minutes)

Open your Bible to 1 Kings 6–8. Use the Bible storytelling tips on the Bible story page to help you tell the story, or show the Bible story video “Solomon Built the Temple.”LEADER • Do you remember when we learned about

God’s covenant with David? David wanted to build a temple for God. God told David that he would not build a temple, but that his son would. Now we learned about God keeping that promise! God knew exactly when the temple would be constructed because God knows everything. What does God know? God knows everything about the past, present, and future.

God led His people to build a temple where He would dwell with them. Do you think God needs a temple to live in? No, of course not. He reminded David that He didn’t need a temple, but He helped His people build it to show them His desire to be with them. The temple was a place they could gather to worship God and learn about Him. It was a place where they could offer sacrifices to cover their sin.

So why don’t we have a temple today? Well, the truth is, we kind of do! The Bible teaches us that Christians’ bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit! Jesus came to fulfill the law. He is the perfect sacrifice for sin. He died so that we do not have to offer rams, goats, or other sacrifices to cover sin. When we put faith in Jesus—trusting that His sacrifice was enough to cover our sin—the Holy Spirit lives in us, filling us with God’s power. In a way, that means that every believer is a temple! We don’t need a physical building to be our temple because Jesus is

• Bibles• “Solomon Built the

Temple” video• Big Picture Question

Poster• Bible Story Picture

Poster• Story Point Poster


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with us wherever we go, day and night. If you are a Christian, nothing can separate you from God.

Christ connectionLEADER • The temple was a place where God was with His

people. The people could go there to make sacrifices and worship God. Today, when we trust in Jesus, He is with us wherever we go. We can look to Him for forgiveness and help. We no longer need a place to offer sacrifices, because Jesus’ death was enough to cover our sin forever.

Questions from kids video (3 minutes)

Show the “Unit 12, Session 3” questions from kids video. Prompt kids to think about why Christians do not have a temple. Guide them to discuss how they can be part of their church in a meaningful way.

Missions moment (3 minutes)

Play the “Going West (Part 2)” missions video.LEADER • The Mandrell family asked God for wisdom

about where to start a church, and God led this Tennessee family to Denver, Colorado. God also revealed something else important: they shouldn’t do it alone! God had a surprise in store for the Mandrell family, which included an unplanned stop along the way to Colorado. God directed the Mandrells to a group of Christians who would play a very important part in planting a new church in Denver! Can you think of any ways God might use you to spread the gospel where we live?

Note: You may use this opportunity to use Scripture and the guide provided to explain how to become a Christian. Make sure kids know when and where they can ask questions.

• “Unit 12, Session 3” Questions from Kids video

• “Going West (Part 2)” missions video


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Key passage (5 minutes)

Show the key passage poster. Lead the boys and girls to read together James 1:5. Then sing “If Any of You.”LEADER • As we study what it means to be wise, it may feel

discouraging to realize we lack wisdom. Thankfully, God gave us this key passage! We can always ask God to give us wisdom, and we know that He will!

Sing (4 minutes)

LEADER • God loves us and knows all things. He is perfectly wise, which means He is the best King we could ever ask for or need. Let’s praise God because He is the King of kings.

Sing together “King of Kings.”

Pray (2 minutes)

Invite kids to pray before dismissing to apply the story.LEADER • Lord, We praise You for Your knowledge,

wisdom, and power. We praise You because You love us despite our sinfulness. Help us to have wisdom and see that we need Jesus. Give us faith to trust Him. Use us in Your plan to reach the whole world with the gospel. Amen.

Dismiss to apply the story

• Key Passage Poster• “If Any of You” song

• “King of Kings” song


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The Gospel: God’s Plan for MeAsk kids if they have ever heard the word gospel. Clarify that the word gospel means “good news.” It is the message about Christ, the kingdom of God, and salvation. Use the following guide to share the gospel with kids.

God rules. Explain to kids that the Bible tells us God created everything, and He is in charge of everything. Invite a volunteer to read Genesis 1:1 from the Bible. Read Revelation 4:11 or Colossians 1:16-17 aloud and explain what these verses mean.

We sinned. Tell kids that since the time of Adam and Eve, everyone has chosen to disobey God. (Romans 3:23) The Bible calls this sin. Because God is holy, God cannot be around sin. Sin separates us from God and deserves God’s punishment of death. (Romans 6:23)

God provided. Choose a child to read John 3:16 aloud. Say that God sent His Son, Jesus, the perfect solution to our sin problem, to rescue us from the punishment we deserve. It’s something we, as sinners, could never earn on our own. Jesus alone saves us. Read and explain Ephesians 2:8-9.

Jesus gives. Share with kids that Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again. Because Jesus gave up His life for us, we can be welcomed into God’s family for eternity. This is the best gift ever! Read Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; or 1 Peter 3:18.

We respond. Tell kids that they can respond to Jesus. Read Romans 10:9-10,13. Review these aspects of our response: Believe in your heart that Jesus alone saves you through what He’s already done on the cross. Repent, turning from self and sin to Jesus. Tell God and others that your faith is in Jesus.

Offer to talk with any child who is interested in responding to Jesus. Provide I’m a Christian Now! for new Christians to take home and complete with their families.


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APPLY the Story

SESSION TITLE: Solomon Built the TempleBIBLE PASSAGE: 1 Kings 6–8STORY POINT: God led His people to build a temple where He would dwell



Key passage activity (5 minutes)

Print multiple copies of the “Key Passage Puzzles” printable. Cut apart each puzzle. Form groups of three or four kids, and provide each kid with a puzzle set. Challenge the kids to work together in their groups to assemble the puzzles. Then take volunteers to say the key passage from memory. Praise each kid for her efforts and encourage all the kids to keep working to memorize James 1:5. SAY • James knew that people are not naturally wise. That’s

why he wrote to remind people that we can ask God for wisdom. The best part is, God likes to give us wisdom! James explained that God will generously give wisdom to those who ask Him for it.

Discussion & Bible skills (10 minutes)

Distribute a Bible to each kid. Help them find 1 Kings 6–8. If you have new kids in your group, be sure to explain how to find passages in the Bible using the table of contents, large chapter numbers, and small verse numbers. Review which division 1 Kings is in. (Old Testament History) Challenge a kid to name the other books in this division. (Joshua–Esther)

• Key Passage Poster• “Key Passage

Puzzles” printable• scissors

• Bibles, 1 per kid• Story Point Poster


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Ask the following questions. Lead the group to discuss:1. What did God promise to do if Solomon obeyed

Him? (dwell among the Israelites, not abandon them; 1 Kings 6:13)

2. How long did it take Solomon and the workers to finish the temple? (seven years, 1 Kings 6:38)

3. What did Solomon ask God to do when Israel sinned? (hear their prayers, forgive them, and restore them when they repent; 1 Kings 8:33-34)

4. Does God need a house or a place to live? Guide the kids to see that God did not need a temple. Help kids understand that the temple was a symbol of God’s choice to dwell with Israel. Remind them that God does not need anything from people. (See Acts 17:24-25.) God is everywhere, but He showed His presence in a special way to the Israelites through the temple.

5. How does God dwell with Christians today? Discuss the role of the Holy Spirit. Remind kids that all who trust in Jesus have the Holy Spirit living inside them. He guides Christians to love and obey Jesus. Christians gather together to worship God and learn about Him, but Jesus is with us everywhere.

6. If Jesus is already with us, why is His return important? Discuss the difference between Jesus’ presence with us now and His physical return to rule as King of kings. When Jesus returns, He will fix everything sin has broken. Jesus’ return will signal the full coming of God’s kingdom.

SAY • God led His people to build a temple where He would dwell with them. Because of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and ascension, Christians have God with us all the time through the Holy Spirit.

Option: Retell or review the Bible story using the bolded text of the Bible story script.


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Activity choice (10 minutes)

OPTION 1: Work togetherInvite kids to form a circle. Place a hula hoop

over one kid’s arm and instruct everyone to join hands. Kids must work together to pass the hula hoop around the circle without letting go of one another’s hands. You may choose to track the time takes to pass the hula hoop around the circle. If time allows, challenge kids to beat their previous time. If you have a big group, form teams to race against each other. Discuss how working together made accomplishing this task easier.SAY • Working together was helpful to accomplish this task.

The Mandrell family knew it would be important for others to join them in starting a church in Denver, Colorado. Partnering together in God’s global mission is very wise. We can partner with the Mandrell family by praying for them. We can partner with other missionaries by praying or giving money to help them follow God’s call. We can also be part of God’s plan by showing God’s love to others and telling them about Jesus.

OPTION 2: Found in ChristSelect a kid to lay on a large sheet of paper. Trace carefully around the kid. Then distribute Bibles to each kid. Help the kids find a few of the following Scripture passages:

• John 1:12• 1 Peter 2:9• 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 • 2 Corinthians 5:17• Romans 6:8• Philippians 3:8-9

• hula hoops, 1 per team

• stopwatch (optional)

Tip: Use this activity option to reinforce the missions moment found in Teach the Story.

• large sheet of paper• markers• Bibles


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Read the passages aloud and instruct the kids to write attributes that describe a Christian in the outline on the large sheet of paper.SAY • Wow! Those are some incredible things the Bible says

about people who have faith in Jesus. Christians are described as children of God, a royal priesthood, temples of the Holy Spirit, new creations, and more! God led His people to build a temple where He would dwell with them. Now, through Jesus’ death and resurrection, God dwells with Christians personally. God fills us with the Holy Spirit, giving us His power to love and obey Him.

Reflection and prayer (5 minutes)

Distribute a sheet of paper to each child. Ask the kids to write about or draw a picture to answer the following questions:

• What does this story teach me about God or about the gospel?

• What does this story teach me about myself?• Whom can I tell about this story?

Make sure to send the sheets home with kids alongside the activity page so that parents can see what their kids have been learning.

If time remains, take prayer requests or allow kids to complete the Bible story coloring page provided with this session. Pray for your group.

• pencils and crayons• paper• Bible Story Coloring

Page, 1 per kid

Tip: Give parents this week’s Big Picture Cards for Families to allow families to interact with the biblical content at home.


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unit 12 • session 3 solomon built the temple€¦ · story is char.style “head1a” head 2 head...

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