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Wednesday, August 19, 2026

Bible tale: Prophet Elijah and Disciple Peter

Prophet Elijah Part 1 and Disciple Peter

Psalm 46 v 1 God is our refuge

re-told by Debbie Dunn










Story highlights:

* God helps His beloved children in times of stress-sickness-trouble

* God fed Prophet Elijah through ravens & a widow during drought

* Peter was able to walk on water until he took his eyes off Jesus


Bible tale:











By a show of hands, how many of you have ever experienced some help in times of trouble that you believe was due to how much God truly loves us?

 

I know that is true for me. How about you?

 

Just like in the Bible, we can turn to God, in big and little ways, to help keep us safe.

 

There is a wonderful Bible verse that states:

 

Psalm 46:1 (NLT) God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.

 

Question: What does refuge mean?

ourself playing Hide-and-Seek. Just like you try to find a safe hiding place for yourself, God guides us to find safe hiding places, as well.


RINGLEADER: What Bible story shows ...    

Group repeats]


... God hiding someone from danger?   

[Group repeats

 

There was a prophet named Elijah. An evil king and queen, King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, wished to kill Elijah.

 

RINGLEADER: How did God keep him safe?    

[Group repeats]

 

Our Heavenly Father God told this to Elijah:

 





GOD: Elijah, go to the east and hide by a brook of water that flows into the Jordan River. Drink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them to bring you food.

 

Elijah obeyed God. He walked until he reached that safe hiding place by that brook of water.

 

RINGLEADER: How did he find food?    

[Group repeats]

 

We learn in 1 Kings 17 that God sent Raven birds to bring Elijah bread and meat every morning and every evening.

 

Question: What color are Raven birds?

Answer: Black



Question: What kind of American birds look like Ravens?

Answer: Crows



RINGLEADER: How long did this go on?     

[Group repeats]

 

Elijah might have hid there for a few weeks or a few months. In any case, those Raven birds brought Elijah food until the brook completely dried up during a period without rain.

 

Question: What "D" word describes when there is no rain for a long period of time?

Answer: Drought. Also accept dehydration.



RINGLEADER: Where did he hide out next?     

[Group repeats]

 

GOD: Elijah, go and live in this far-away city of Sidon. I have instructed a widow there to feed you.

 


RINGLEADER: Was that widow rich?     

[Group repeats]

 

No, she was so poor that she only had enough oil and flour to make one last tiny meal of bread for her son and herself. After that, she was sure that the two of them would starve to death.

 


RINGLEADER: How did she find food?     

[Group repeats]

 

God made this promise to Elijah and the poor widow and her son.


GOD: Elijah, tell the widow this. Don't be afraid! There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the Lord sends rain and the crops grow again!

 


RINGLEADER: How long did this go on?     

[Group repeats]

 

For about 3 years, there was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah.

 


RINGLEADER: Who else did God save from danger?

[Group repeats]

 

One evening, Jesus told His disciples to take a boat out onto the water while He went off to pray to His Father in Heaven.

 

After a while, a storm began tossing the boat back and forth in the waves.

 

RINGLEADER: How did they stay safe?      

[Group repeats]

 

Jesus headed toward them by walking on the water.

 

RINGLEADER: Were the disciples scared?     

[Group repeats]

 

Yes, they actually thought they were seeing a ghost instead of Jesus. But Jesus replied:

 








JESUS: Don't be afraid. Take courage. I am here.

 


RINGLEADER: What happened next?     

[Group repeats]

 


In Matthew 14, the disciple named Peter said to Jesus:

 


DISCIPLE PETER: Lord, if it's really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.

 

JESUS: Yes, walk to me.


RINGLEADER: Was Peter brave enough to obey?   

[Group repeats]

 

At first, he sure was. He climbed out of the boat. Keeping his eyes on Jesus, Peter actually took a few steps on the water.

 


RINGLEADER: Did something bad happen?     

[Group repeats]

 

Yes. When Peter took his eyes off Jesus to look at the strong wind and waves, he gave in to his fear. As a result, Peter began to sink.

 

RINGLEADER: What did Peter do next?     

[Group repeats]

 

Peter wisely called out to Jesus. He shouted:

 









DISCIPLE PETER: Save me, Lord!

 

RINGLEADER: Did Jesus save Peter from drowning?

[Group repeats]

 












Of course. Jesus reached out his hand, grabbed Peter, and pulled him safely into the boat. Then, Jesus said:

 

JESUS: Peter, you have so little faith. Why did you doubt me?

 

Then, the wind stopped. The water was still. The disciples worshipped Jesus and declared to each other:

 

DISCIPLES: Jesus really is the Son of God!

 

By a show of hands, who also believes that Jesus truly is the Son of God?

 










Next week, we will hear about some more ways that people in the Bible were saved from danger by God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

 

Question: Any questions or comments?




Are you a Bible enthusiast or do you lead a Youth Group or Family Bible Study? To get a FREE PDF download of this story, click on this link below:


Free PDF download of About Elijah part 1 & Disciple Peter.


Do you want more stories about prophets like Elijah, Elisha, Samuel, & Nathan? If so, visit the More Prophets of Israel chapter from my EXPLORE BIBLE STORY dot org website.


Click here to get more stories about prophets like Elijah, Elisha, Samuel, & Nathan.



My ever-expanding Explore Bible Story dot org website includes Bible stories and Biblical Family Trees about



Explore Bible story dot org Business Card designed by Debbie Dunn using PowerPoint
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Tuesday, August 18, 2026

Bible tale: Samson part 3 of 3

Samson part 3 of 3

Judges 16

re-told by Debbie Dunn











Story highlights:

* After 20 years serving as judge -Samson fell in love with Delilah

* Philistines bribed Delilah for Samson’s superhuman-strength secret

* Delilah cut Samson’s hair so Philistine rulers could enslave Samson


Bible tale:


It's time to conclude Samson's story by telling you what happened with his 'bad news' girlfriend, Delilah.

 

Question: Who recalls what superpower Samson possessed?

Answer: Superhuman strength


That's right. Because Samson followed God's 3 rules for his life, God gave him superhuman strength.

 



Question: What three rules did Samson have to follow?

Answer: 1st, don't drink wine or alcohol. 2nd, don't cut your hair. and 3rd, don't touch dead animals or dead humans.



Question: Who recalls how many years Samson served as a judge in Israel?

Answer: 20 years


 

At the end of those 20 years of judging Israel, Samson walked into enemy territory belonging to the Philistines. There, he fell madly in love with another pretty woman by the name of Delilah.

 

When the 'bad guys' heard about this, they secretly went to Delilah. Their Philistine ruler said:

 

PHILISTINE'S RULER: Delilah, we heard that Samson has fallen in love with you. We need you to persuade Samson to tell you what makes him so strong and how he can be overpowered and tied up securely.

 

DELILAH: What will you give me if I do this thing?

 

PHILISTINE'S RULER: If you find out Samson's secret, we will each give you 1,100 pieces of silver.

 

DELILAH: You have a deal!

 

That night, greedy Delilah said to Samson:

 

DELILAH: Samson, please tell me what makes you so strong and what it would take to tie you up securely.

 

Don't you think Samson should have been suspicious of her odd question?

 

In any case, that night and the following two nights, Samson told Delilah lies about tying him up with various devices like bow strings, new ropes, and weaving his hair into her loom.

 

Each night, in Delilah’s attempt to remove his strength, she would use that item to tie him up. Hoping it would work, she would awaken Samson with the announcement that the Philistines were there to get him. Naturally, Samson had no problem breaking free.

 

Instead of feeling guilty, pretty Delilah would fuss and whine. After 3 nights of tricks, Delilah pouted as she demanded:

 

DELILAH: Samson, how can you tell me that you love me when you don't share your secrets with me? You've made fun of me three times now, and yet, you still have not told me the secret of your great strength.

 

Day after day, Delilah nagged Samson until he became sick to death of it.

 

Finally, Samson gave in and unwisely revealed:

 

SAMSON: Delilah, my hair has never been cut. If my head were shaved, I would become as weak as anyone else.

 

Thrilled, Delilah alerted the Philistine rulers to return with their money in their hands.

 

After lulling Samson to sleep with his head in her lap, she quietly told a guard to shave off the seven locks of Samson's hair. Then, Delilah called out:

 

DELILAH: Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!

 

Samson woke up and felt sure he could easily escape like he had every other time in his life. Unfortunately, because his hair was cut, the Lord had left poor Samson. As a result, he could not break free.

 

So, the Philistines finally captured Samson. Tragically, they gouged out his eyes. Then, they bound blind Samson with bronze chains and forced him to grind grain in their Gaza prison.

 

But before long, Samson's hair began to grow back.

 

One night, the Philistine rulers held a great festival to offer sacrifices to their false god, Dagon, for supposedly delivering Samson into their hands.

 

Half drunk, they demanded to be entertained by their blind captive. A servant led Samson in by the hand and propped him up between two pillars that held up the roof of that temple building.

 

All the Philistine rulers were inside the temple. There were also 3,000 men and women crowded onto the roof watching Samson from above.

 

Samson prayed to God Almighty and said:

 

 


SAMSON: Sovereign Lord, remember me again. O God, please strengthen me just one more time. With one blow, let me pay back the Philistines for the loss of my two eyes.

 

Then, Samson put his hands on the two center pillars that supported the temple roof. Pushing against those pillars with both hands, Samson said one last prayer.

 

SAMSON: Lord, let me die with the Philistines!

 

Sure enough, the temple roof crashed down, killing the rulers, and Samson, plus all 3,000 people crowding the roof. In fact, Samson killed more Philistines than he had during his entire lifetime.

 

Later, Samson's family came, dug up his body, and buried him in his family's plot.

 

As for Delilah, we don’t whether or not she was one of those who died.

 

In any case, that was the story of another one of Israel's many judges. 

 


Question: Any questions or comments?



Are you a Bible enthusiast or do you lead a Youth Group or Family Bible Study? To get a FREE PDF download of this story, click on this link below:


Free PDF download of Samson part 3 of 3.


Do you want more stories about the 12 Judges of Israel? If so, visit the 12 Judges of Israel chapter from my EXPLORE BIBLE STORY dot org website.


Click here to get more stories about the 12 Judges of Israel.



My ever-expanding Explore Bible Story dot org website includes Bible stories and Biblical Family Trees about



Explore Bible story dot org Business Card designed by Debbie Dunn using PowerPoint
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Bible tale: Samson part 2 of 3

Samson part 2 of 3

Judges 13 to 16

re-told by Debbie Dunn















Story highlights:

* Spirit of the Lord enabled Samson to rip lion's jaws apart

* Samson fell in love with a pretty Philistine later murdered by her own people

* Samson won battle vs 1000 Philistines using donkey’s jawbone


Bible tale:


We will continue with the story about Samson that we started last week.

 


QUESTION: Who recalls what superpower Samson possessed?


Answer: Superhuman strength



That's right. Because Samson followed God's 3 rules for his life, God gave him superhuman strength.

 


QUESTION: Who recalls what superpower Samson possessed?


Answer: Superhuman strength



Speaking of strength, have YOU ever been so scared for your own safety or the safety of somebody you care about that you were able to run faster than you thought possible?

 

Have YOU ever found yourself in danger, or someone you care about, and found the physical strength you needed to help fix the situation?

 

That ability to run faster or be stronger happens when we experience an adrenaline rush coursing through our bodies, helping us to survive the situation.

 

In Samson's case, he did not experience an 'adrenaline rush.' Instead, when Samson found himself in danger, the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him.



This Spirit of the Lord was likely the Holy Spirit who would fill Samson with supernatural power. As a result, Samson displayed superhuman strength to do what he needed to do to survive.


In other words, Samson was not super-strong every moment of every day. It was only when the ever-watchful Holy Spirit saw that Samson was in danger.

 

One day, while Samson was out walking, he was attacked by a young lion. At that moment, the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon Samson. As a result, Samson was able to easily rip the lion's jaws apart with his bare hands.

 

CHANT LEADER: Hooray for Samson!            

[Group repeats]

                                

He was strong and brave!  

 [Group repeats]

 

CHANT LEADER: Did Samson have a weakness?    

[Group repeats]

 

He sure did! Samson loved pretty women! But instead of choosing a woman from his own tribe, he fell in love with the daughter of one of their enemies - the Philistines.

 

A bunch of bad things happened that included the Philistines murdering his wife and father-in-law. In revenge, Samson killed a bunch of Philistines.

 

Afterward, Samson went off to live in a cave. Unfortunately, that ‘revenge game’ never benefits anyone. Since the Philistines couldn't find Samson, they decided to threaten the Israelites.

 

Making a long story short, 3,000 Israelites came to Samson's cave. They explained that the Philistines were punishing them for something Samson had done.

 

As a result, Samson allowed his own people to tie him up and hand him over to 1,000 Philistine soldiers.

 

While the Philistine soldiers were cheering at the sight of the captured Samson, the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon Samson. Therefore, Samson was able to snap those ropes as easily as if they had been spaghetti noodles.

 

CHANT LEADER: Yikes! It was 1,000 against 1. 

[Group repeats].

         

What did Samson do next?          

[Group repeats]

 

Samson looked around for a weapon. He found and picked up the jawbone of a dead donkey, swung it around, and killed all 1,000 Philistine soldiers.

 

Impressed, the Israelites asked Samson to be their next judge.

 

CHANT LEADER: How many years did Samson serve as Israel's judge?      

[Group repeats].


Samson judged his people for 20 years.

 

CHANT LEADER: Samson was a good judge!  

[Group repeats].

 

CHANT LEADER: Last week, you mentioned greedy Delilah. Did Samson meet Delilah at the end of those 20 years of judging Israel?

 

That's right. Next week, we will hear all about the horrible things that happened when 'bad news' Delilah became Samson's next girlfriend.

 


Question: Any questions or comments?

 

Are you a Bible enthusiast or do you lead a Youth Group or Family Bible Study? To get a FREE PDF download of this story, click on this link below:


Free PDF download of Samson part 2 of 3.


Do you want more stories about the 12 Judges of Israel? If so, visit the 12 Judges of Israel chapter from my EXPLORE BIBLE STORY dot org website.


Click here to get more stories about the 12 Judges of Israel.



My ever-expanding Explore Bible Story dot org website includes Bible stories and Biblical Family Trees about



Explore Bible story dot org Business Card designed by Debbie Dunn using PowerPoint


Posted by at No comments:
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Location: Athens, AL, USA
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