A Name and A Purpose – Sunday School Lesson: God Calls Samuel
There is a name and a purpose for all things around us…including people! God loves each and every one of us, and has a unique plan for our lives. This lesson uses everyday tools to discuss purpose in relation to human purpose. Recount the story of God’s call to Samuel to remind students that He calls all of us to serve Him.
We have special roles and meanings in our lives, and those come from God. He loves us and knows us, and calls us by name. We are His. We can count on God’s plans and promises, because He has already fulfilled all of His promises to us in Christ. He will be faithful to fulfill His will in our lives and use us to serve one another.
Passage: 1 Samuel 3:1-21
Target Audience: Kindergarten-6th grade
Materials Needed: Construction paper; decorative supplies; glue; markers or crayons; tape; scissors; paper bag; blindfolds; pictures of objects; Bibles.
Lesson Opening: This passage is a great one to do with children. It includes important lessons about how God calls to us and has plans for us, and is also fun to act out and experience. To get students thinking and ready to learn, consider an activity opener along these lines:
- Samuel Listens Tag: Play a game of blindfolded tag, “Marco Polo” style. Have one student wear a blindfold and try to find and tag the others. The blindfolded tagger should call out “Samuel”, and the rest of the students (the Samuels) will answer “Speak, Lord” for the tagger to try locating. *Note: if it seems too callous to use the Lord’s name in a tag game, feel free to substitute with “Eli” or “Here I am.” “Speak, Lord” would just be following the text.
- What’s the Message? Since the lesson involves sharing and hearing a message, begin with a simple game of “Telephone”, passing a message around a circle of students to identify whether it changes as it changes speaker.
- What’s that Sound? Play several sound recordings or instrument pieces, and invite students to guess what the sound is. Remind them that the story involves listening!
- What’s in a Name? Discuss the meaning of names and ask students if they know where their names come from and if they have special meaning. The person in the story today has a significant name that had importance for his life.
- Who said it? Have one student at a time wear a blindfold. Other students in the room will say a word or phrase or verse, and the blindfolded child will try to guess who the speaker is.
- What is that for? Show students pictures of objects that they might not be familiar with, perhaps older items. Invite children to guess what they would be used for, and then describe their names and uses, emphasizing how all things (and people!) have a name and special purpose.
Explain that the lesson covers a special person who was called to serve God in very important ways. God had a plan for him even before he was born, and called him by name to tell him about things that were going to happen. Today we’ll talk about how God has a plan for all of us, and calls us to do His work!
Bible Lesson:
This passage has a lot of important lessons for students, covering God’s call and will, and how we have special purpose and meaning given by Him. Even young kids can listen to God and be used by Him! This story is a fun one to act out or read interactively. Have older students take turns reading, or read out loud for younger kids.
The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.
2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the Lord called Samuel.
Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5 And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down. -1 Samuel 3:1-5
It might be helpful to provide students with a little background for the story. Explain that a woman named Hannah wanted a child very much and was not able to have one. She prayed, and when at last she had a son, she gave him back to God by taking him to grow up and serve in the temple. His name was Samuel, which means “God hears,” because Hannah knew that God had hear her prayers and given her a son.
Samuel helped a man named Eli, who was the priest in the temple. God had a special plan for Samuel, and called him by name one night. At first, though, the boy did not understand that God was calling him. He thought it was Eli, the priest. Samuel went to answer Eli, who told him that he hadn’t called him at all. Samuel went back to bed, but the Lord wasn’t done with him…
Ask: What would you do if God called to you? Do you think He still calls people today?
Does your name have a special meaning that you know of?
6 Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” “My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
8 A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. -1 Samuel 3:6-9
God called to Samuel two more times, and two more times he got up to ask Eli what it was about. On the third time, the priest realized that it was actually God who was calling. He instructed the boy to answer the Lord if he heard the voice again.
*Teaching tip: invite students to take part in the story to make it more interactive. Have a “call and response” time with the group, making half of the students “Samuels” and the other half “callers.” Or at the parts of the reading where Samuel responds, have children stand up and move around the room.
Ask: What would you think if this happened to you in the middle of the night?
10 The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
11 And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. 12 At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. 13 For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God, and he failed to restrain them. 14 Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’” -1 Samuel 3:10-14
Samuel answered the Lord’s call, and was given some rather tough information. He didn’t announce that Samuel would be a great king or that he’d be rich or have wonderful things happen. God actually told Samuel that some bad things were coming for Eli’s family. Sometimes God has things for us that are not easy to hear, but they are still very much real messages from Him. This would be the first time that Samuel had a challenging message from God, but it wouldn’t be the last.
Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, 16 but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.” Samuel answered, “Here I am.”
17 “What was it he said to you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.” -1 Samuel 3:15-18
Samuel was a little reluctant to tell Eli what he had heard from God, and with good reason. The words were not positive for Eli and his family. But Samuel was truthful about the Lord’s message, and Eli accepted it, knowing that it was genuinely from God. Even at a young age, Samuel was honoring God’s words and receiving important knowledge from Him.
Ask: Do you ever feel like you can’t have much impact because you’re a kid? Does this story encourage you to know that God can use any age?
The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord. 21 The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word. -1 Samuel 3:19-21
Samuel grew to be an important prophet and servant of the Lord. He anointed both Saul and later David to be kings over Israel, and he had a close walk with God. He was, as his name meaning states, heard by God, and also heard and listened to God. The Lord used him in amazing ways for His people. Hannah and Samuel were willing to allow God to work His will, and great things happened. When we open up to what He has for us, anything is possible!
Ask: What do you want to do when you get older? How do you hope God will use you?
This story is wonderful because it reminds us that God knows us and loves us. He knows our names and calls us by them. He has a plan and purpose for our lives. We don’t know what will happen to us later, but the Lord knows. He will use us for His glory, if we submit to Him. We can listen to Him as we read His Word, the Bible, and when we go to church and interact with other believers. God can do great things through us, and we don’t have to wait to be older. Just like He did with Samuel, the Lord calls us at every age to be His servants!
Close with prayer, thanking God for His love and purpose in our lives, and asking Him to help recognize His will and words.
This lesson is truly amazing and very helpful. Am so happy I came across this. God bless u and more grace to you
This message was very helpful to me.
I can now teach my pupils with details.