THE GIANT
Your Grown-Up Adventure Guide | Inspired by 1 Samuel 17
Your little Explorer just stepped into their very first Bible adventure!
This month, Nina and her friends gathered around Grandma's kitchen table, where five ordinary rocks led to a pretty extraordinary story.
A giant. A shepherd boy. Two frightened armies. And a young man who remembered something everyone else seemed to have forgotten.
God is bigger than whatever stands in front of us.
We hope your child loved discovering this story through Nina's eyes. And we hope it opens the door to a few good conversations around your own kitchen table, too.
We've gathered a few things here to help you keep exploring together. You don't have to do them all, and you certainly don't have to do them in one sitting.
Pick what works for your family, follow your child's curiosity, and enjoy the adventure.
01. READ THE REAL STORY OF DAVID & GOLIATH
1 Samuel 17 | New Living Translation (NLT)
Before there was Nina's letter, there was the story of David and Goliath.
The Israelites were facing the Philistine army, and a giant named Goliath had been challenging them day after day. No one wanted to fight him.
Then David arrived.
He wasn't a soldier. He was a young shepherd who had come to bring food to his brothers. But when David heard Goliath's challenge, he saw the situation differently.
He remembered how God had helped him protect his sheep from a lion and a bear. And he trusted that same God as he stepped into the valley.
David didn't win because he had the best armor or the biggest weapon.
His confidence was in the Lord.
Parent note: This chapter is longer than some Bible stories, so feel free to read it in sections or focus on verses 32–50 with younger children. You can always come back to the rest later.
02. BEHIND THE ADVENTURE
A little more about the story Nina discovered
Nina had a lot of questions about David. We imagine your child might, too. Here are a few things worth knowing as you talk about the story together.
Was David really that young? The Bible describes David as young, but it doesn't tell us his exact age when he faced Goliath.
We do know he was a shepherd, not an experienced soldier, and that King Saul initially questioned whether David was ready to fight someone like Goliath.
Did David really fight a lion and a bear? He did! In 1 Samuel 17:34–37, David tells Saul how he had protected his sheep from both a lion and a bear.
David remembered those experiences because he knew God had helped him before. That memory gave him confidence as he faced something new.
Why didn't David wear Saul's armor? Saul offered David his armor, but David wasn't used to wearing it.
Instead, David took the things he already knew how to use: his staff, his shepherd's bag, his sling and five smooth stones.
The story reminds us that David's confidence wasn't in having the strongest equipment. It was in the God he trusted.
Was David scared? That's a great question, and it's one the Bible doesn't answer directly.
We know David acted courageously, but Scripture doesn't tell us exactly how he felt.
That's an important distinction to share with children. We don't have to pretend we know every detail of a Bible character's thoughts or feelings.
And we can remind our children that courage doesn't always mean feeling fearless.
Sometimes courage looks like taking the next right step, even when something feels difficult.
Does trusting God mean everything will work out the way we want? Not always.
God gave David victory over Goliath, but that doesn't mean every hard situation in our lives will end exactly as we hope.
Following God doesn't promise us a life without disappointment, fear or difficulty.
What we can trust is God's character. He is faithful, He hears us, and we can turn to Him in every circumstance.
A NOTE ABOUT NINA'S WORLD: Nina, Grandma, Jack, Caleb and Lucy are fictional characters created for Little Gospel Post. The kitchen table, the five rocks Grandma brought out, and the children's conversations are imagined parts of Nina's adventure. The biblical story comes from 1 Samuel 17. We want children to enjoy stepping into Nina's world while learning to recognize the difference between the story we're imagining and the Scripture we're exploring.
03. Keep the conversation going
Five questions for curious little hearts
You don't need to sit everyone down for a formal Bible study. Some of the best conversations happen in the car, at bedtime, during breakfast or while you're cleaning up dinner.
Try asking one of these questions and see where your child takes it.
1. What did David remember when everyone else was afraid?
David remembered how God had helped him before. You can ask: "Can you think of a time when God helped you or someone in our family?"
2. What do you think it means to trust God when something feels hard?
Give your child room to think about this one. Trusting God can look like praying, asking for help, doing what's right, or remembering what we know about Him even when we don't know what will happen next.
3. What's one brave step you want to take this week?
It doesn't have to be something big. Maybe it's trying something new, being kind to someone, telling the truth or asking for help.
4. Why do you think David didn't need to be the biggest or strongest person in the valley?
Talk about where David placed his confidence. What did he know about God that helped him face Goliath?
5. If you were sitting at Grandma's kitchen table, what would you ask her about David?
This one's just for fun. Maybe your child wants to know how heavy Goliath's armor was, how a sling worked, or what David did after the battle.
You can explore the answers together, and it's perfectly okay to say, "I'm not sure. Let's see what the Bible tells us."
A LITTLE REMINDER FOR GROWN-UPS
You don't need to have all the answers. In fact, one of the best things you can do is show your child what it looks like to be curious about God's Word.
Ask questions. Read together. Wonder out loud.
And if your child takes the conversation somewhere unexpected, that's okay, too.
04. THIS MONTH'S MISSION
Take one brave step
Inside your child's envelope is an Adventure Card with a mission: Think of one good thing that feels a little hard. Choose one brave step. Then take it.
For some children, that brave step might be something you've been encouraging them to do for weeks. For others, it might be something you never knew they were worried about.
Here are a few ideas if they need help getting started:
- Invite someone new to play.
- Tell the truth, even when it feels uncomfortable.
- Try an activity they've been nervous about.
- Ask a teacher, parent or friend for help.
- Say sorry when they've hurt someone's feelings.
- Sit beside someone who looks lonely.
- Talk to God about something that's been worrying them.
Here's something you can try together:
Ask your child what brave step they want to take this week. Then share one of your own.
Maybe there's a conversation you've been putting off, something new you're learning, or a situation where you're asking God for courage.
Let your child see that grown-ups are still learning to trust God, too.
And when your child takes their brave step, celebrate their willingness to try, regardless of how everything turns out.
They can check off their mission on the back of their Adventure Card and write down the date.
05. A PRAYER TO SAY TOGETHER
When something feels bigger than us
Dear God,
Thank You for loving us and being with us. Sometimes things feel scary, and sometimes we don't know what to do. Help us remember how faithful You are. When we feel nervous, give us courage to do what's right. When we feel small, remind us that we can trust You.
Help us take one brave step at a time.
We love You,
Amen.
You can say this prayer together, use it as a starting point, or invite your child to pray in their own words.
07. A LITTLE MORE TO EXPLORE
My Five Stones of Remembrance
Remember when Grandma placed those five rocks on the kitchen table? David remembered what God had done before, and we can practice remembering His faithfulness, too.
We've made a little something extra for families who want to keep exploring.
My Five Stones of Remembrance is a printable page where your child can draw or write five reminders of God's goodness.
They might remember an answered prayer, someone God placed in their life, a time they felt comforted, or something they've learned about God from the Bible.
The idea is simply to help your child notice and remember.