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C at e g o r y t i t l e r e f e r e n C e

Doctrine The Promises of God 1 Kings 6:11–13

1 Kingsleaders lesson overview—lesson 1

f o r t h e l e a d e r

“Royal Rangers,” the Royal Rangers Emblem, and Royal Rangers group names and group logos are registered trademarks of Gospel Publishing House. Permission for use is required.Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®,NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™© 2011 by Gospel Publishing House, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, Missouri 65802. All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this material may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means–electronic, me-chanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise–without prior written permission of the copyright owner, except brief quotations used in connection with reviews in magazines or newspapers.Handout material may be reproduced for use in teaching within your local outpost.We ask that our members set a good example for the young men that they lead by honoring this license agreement.

M at e r i a l s & p r e p

Prepare a copy of the Student Handout for each boy.

Read the lesson in advance, taking note of the main points. Be prepared to present the lesson to your group, but avoid reading it word for word. Include discussion with the group to make it more enjoyable for everyone.

Key PointI will trust God to keep His promises.

Key verseThe word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. Psalm 33:4

Note: Boys are not required to memorize the Key Point or Key Verse to receive completion credit for this lesson.

In this lesson, we will examine how God is in the business of making and keeping promises.

For information on how to use Bible merits in a Royal Rangers meeting, refer to the TRaCclub Support section or the Royal Rangers Leader Manual.

refleCt answersThese answers match the questions in the Reflect section of the boys’ sheet. • God promised Solomon that the kingship would be passed down though Solomon’s descendants, that God would live among the Israelites, that God’s promises to David would be fulfilled through Solomon.

• Solomon was David’s son. • Answers will vary.




This license grants permission to Rich Schreiber to use and reproduce this sheet from Feb 05, 2013 to Feb 20, 2014 for use in a local outpost/group or self-study. Anyunauthorized use constitutes a violation of the agreement and may result in the revocation of TRaCclub membership.

©2010 by Gospel Publishing House. All rights reserved worldwide.

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1 Kingsstudent handout—lesson 1

K e y t h o u g h t s

Has anyone ever made a promise to you that you really wanted the person to keep? Maybe your dad promised to take you to a baseball game. Maybe your mom promised to buy you a new gadget. Maybe your Royal Rangers leader promised to take you on an upcoming trip. It could even be as simple as a friend promising to come to your house and play after his homework is done.

What about you? Do you ever make promises? Have you ever promised your dad you would mow the lawn? Have you ever promised your mom you would clean your room after your favorite TV show? Ever promised a friend you would share your soda? Ever promised one of

your brothers or sisters you would help them with a school project?

All people make and receive promises. You don’t want to be known for breaking promises. You can’t trust people who break promises.

In the Bible, God makes promises to His people. And His people make promises to Him. In the passage we read, God was talking to Solomon. Solomon was the king of Israel.

Years earlier God had made a promise to Solomon’s father, David. The promise was that Solomon would get to build the temple. The promise also said the throne would be passed down by Solomon.

Later, God made the same promise to Solomon. God also promised to live with the Israelites and not to leave them. But God’s promises come with conditions. Solomon had to obey God’s orders for the temple. Solomon did what God said. And God kept His promise. God’s presence filled the temple.

The word of the Lord came to Solomon: “As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, observe my laws and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your father. And I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel.” 1 Kings 6:11–13

Key PointI will trust God to keep His promises.

Key verseThe word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. Psalm 33:4



1 K i n g s — lesson 1

God offers a similar promise to us. God no longer lives in a building. God wants to live inside of us. However, we must follow some instructions.

We must ask Jesus to forgive our sins and clean our heart. The Holy Spirit then comes and lives inside of us.

After that, we can ask Jesus to baptize us in the Holy Spirit. When we receive the Baptism, we get power to live as witnesses of Jesus’ love! Another part of the Spirit baptism is the ability to pray in a language the speaker does not understand. This language is different for different people. It is a special prayer language. It allows us to pray what we need to when we don’t know what that is or how to say it. Praying this way is called “speaking in tongues.” The baptism in the Holy Spirit also helps us to praise God. What an incredible gift!

God has amazing promises for us. But none is more amazing than salvation. Let’s commit to giving our life to God and obeying God’s commands.

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As a group, discuss the following questions.

• What did God promise Solomon? • How was David related to Solomon? • How do your word choices impact what you’re obligated to do? Do the words “I promise” and the words “I will” mean the same things? Do the words “I promise” and the words “I’ll try” mean the same things?

Review the Key Point and the Key Verse.

p r ay e r : Father, thank You for Your promises me. I accept these promises and promise You that I will live my life for You. I accept Your Son Jesus as my Savior. Thank You for Jesus and the forgiveness He gives. I love You. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

r e s P o n d

During the next week, think about promises in your life that you want to keep. This list could contain things like “graduate high school,” “go to college,” “stay pure until marriage,” etc. Write your list and put it somewhere that you will see it regularly to remind you.

Remember to read your Bible this week using the Bible reading plan of your choice. A recommended plan can be found in the Bible Reading merit or online at royalrangers.com. Review this lesson with a friend or parent as a way to help you remember it.




Cultural Issue Justice 1 Kings 3:16–28







Key PointGod is fair and just in all He does.

Key verseWhen all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice. 1 Kings 3:28


Justice is an issue that we all have to wrestle with. As godly men we should always want to see the justice of God at work in the world.


refleCt answersThese answers match the questions in the Reflect section of the boys’ sheet. • A baby. • King Solomon. • Answers will vary. Ask God to help you make the right choice.









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Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. One of them said, “Pardon me, my lord. This woman and I live in the same house, and I had a baby while she was there with me. The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us.

“During the night this woman’s son died because she lay on him. So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast. The next morning, I got up to nurse my son—and he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn’t the son I had borne.”

The other woman said, “No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours.”

But the first one insisted, “No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine.” And so they argued before the king.

Key PointGod is fair and just in all He does.

Key verseWhen all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice. 1 Kings 3:28

The king said, “This one says, ‘My son is alive and your son is dead,’ while that one says, ‘No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.’

“Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword for the king. He then gave an order: “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.”

The woman whose son was alive was deeply moved out of love for her son and said to the king, “Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!”

But the other said, “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!”

Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother.”

When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice. 1 Kings 3:16–28




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• What were the women in the Bible text fighting over?

• Who decided which woman was the baby’s mother?

• What can you do when you need to make a decision and you’re not sure what the best choice is?


p r ay e r : God, please give me a pure heart. Turn my heart toward You. Help me to treat others like You treat me, with love and kindness. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

r e s P o n d


Have you ever been accused of something you did not do? If it was something that you did not do, you didn’t want to take credit for it because you knew it was bad and you didn’t want to get into trouble. When you were accused, who did you have to go talk to—your parents, teacher, or Royal Rangers leader? How did they respond? Were you immediately in trouble? Or did they listen to your side of what happened and then decide what was going on?

A fair and just judge always listens to both sides of an argument. He will then use wisdom to decide what the truth is, and, who, if anyone, is lying. That is what King Solomon did. When the women came to him, he acted like a wise and just judge. He listened to each woman’s side of the story. And he watched their actions. When the mother of the child acted in love to save the baby’s life, Solomon knew who the real mother was. The real mother wanted the baby to live, even if it meant she couldn’t be his mother anymore. The liar didn’t care what happened to the baby. Solomon acted justly and gave the baby back to his mother.

Like Solomon, God is a just judge. God is also a better judge. Solomon could only judge people on their actions. God can judge us on the intent of our heart. If our heart is not turned toward God, He knows. If we don’t give our heart to God through believing in Jesus, God will judge us and we will spend eternity in punishment. We need to continually be turning our heart toward God and letting Jesus forgive us of our sins. If we do that, Jesus will give us a pure heart and we will have nothing to worry about.

When we have a pure heart, we act differently. When our heart is like God’s heart, we treat others like God does. We show love to our fellowman. We help the poor and the helpless. We are kind and thoughtful to friends and

family and everyone else in our life. When we act like this, there are only good things for God to judge!




Worldview Political Marriages 1 Kings 3:1,2



“Royal Rangers,” the Royal Rangers Emblem, and Royal Rangers group names and group logos are registered trademarks of Gospel Publishing House. Permission for use is

required.

Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®,NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights

reserved worldwide.

The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

© 2011 by Gospel Publishing House, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, Missouri 65802. All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this material may be reproduced, stored

in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means–electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise–without prior written permission of the

copyright owner, except brief quotations used in connection with reviews in magazines or newspapers.

Handout material may be reproduced for use in teaching within your local outpost.

We ask that our members set a good example for the young men that they lead by honoring this license agreement.




Key PointWith God’s help, I will do my best to form relationships that are acceptable to Him.

Key verseDo not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14


In this lesson, we will examine how in Bible times and throughout much of history world leaders often married the children of other

world leaders to build alliances. The Bible teaches us that we should use godly principles in developing relationships.


refleCt answersThese answers match the questions in the Reflect section of the boys’ sheet. • Because of what they can get. • God knew foreign women would lead the Israelite men to worship false gods.

• Answers will vary. See 2 Cor. 6:14–18 if the boys need additional guidance.






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Have you ever played the game Risk? It is a board game that looks like a map of the world and is broken up into different countries. You have armies that you get to place at different spots on the board when it is your turn. Then you try to conquer other countries. The attacker rolls the dice and tries to get a higher roll than the person who owns the country. The goal of the game is to conquer the entire board.

Experienced players can make a Risk game last for hours. Some people stay up all night playing a single game! To win, you have to have a strategy. Some people make secret deals. They don’t fight each other until the other

players are off the board. This keeps them in the game longer and gives them help. This works for some people, but leads to the two people fighting each other in the end. One of them is still going to lose.

In the real world, every nation has friends. Great Britain and Israel are strong. They are close friends of the United States. Things have been this way for a long time. Even in Bible times, nations made friendship deals. One popular way to go about it was through marriages. To forge an alliance, the king of one country married the daughter of the king of another country. Then, the two countries would trade instead of fight. Problems arose when nations that should not have been friends made these deals. In cases like that, families could be caught in the middle of a fight.

It was wrong for Solomon to marry the Egyptian princess. God had told His people not to marry foreign women. God said this because the women would lead the men to worship false gods. Also, God wanted to be the One to take

Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his daughter. He brought her to the City of David until he finished building his palace and the temple of the Lord, and the wall around Jerusalem. The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places, because a temple had not yet been built for the Name of the Lord. 1 Kings 3:1,2

Key PointWith God’s help, I will do my best to form relationships that are acceptable to Him.

Key verseDo not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14




care of Israel. He didn’t want His people looking to other nations for help. Solomon’s ties to Egypt made it easier for God’s people to seek help there. It’s easier to depend on someone you can see than a God you don’t see.

Sometimes, we can be that way, too. We build friendships that are bad because of what we can get. These friendships sometimes sour quickly. God wants to meet all of our needs, including our need for friends. He gave us our parents and other family. God also gives us church leaders, teachers, siblings, and others to be friends with. God will provide for all our needs. He can do that himself or He can use our relationships. We don’t need to go looking elsewhere. Remember, if we have bad friends, we may end up just like them. Let’s choose to be like God instead!

r e f l e C t


• Why do people sometimes build relationships that are bad?

• Why did God tell the Israelites not to marry foreign women?

• What kind of woman should you seek to marry?


p r ay e r : God, thank You for the wonderful people You have put in my life. I ask that You help me to always lean on You for all my needs. Keep me away from bad relationships. I want to do what is right. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

r e s P o n d

Talk to one of your friends about Jesus. If they do not know Jesus, offer to pray with them. If they do know Jesus, then encourage them to be more like Him. Talk about ways the two of you can be a light to your other friends.





Biblical Manhood Godly Dependence 1 Kings 3:5–14







Key PointI will trust God to help me make the right choices.

Key verseTrust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5,6


As godly men, we must learn that we must depend on God to work things out for us even in rough times.


refleCt answersThese answers match the questions in the Reflect section of the boys’ sheet. • Give Solomon wisdom to govern the people. • God gave Solomon what he requested and more.

• Answers will vary and may include these: God answers unselfish prayers. God sometimes gives us more than we ask for.









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Have you ever had to choose between an easy choice and a hard choice? For example, you asked your mom if you could go out and play. And she asked, “Is your homework finished?” If your homework isn’t done, you could lie, and go play while hoping to do your homework later without getting caught. If you lie, you will have to rush on your homework. You also risk getting in trouble if your mother finds out that you lied. If

At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.

“Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. So God said to him, “Since

you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.” 1 Kings 3:5–14

Key PointI will trust God to help me make the right choices.

Key verseTrust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5,6




Some people try to force things and even try to cheat to get ahead. Others just don’t depend on God to take care of things for them. Depending on God doesn’t mean we are lazy and don’t work. It does mean that we act with honesty, integrity, and perseverance. It also means we trust God and allow Him to work for us. When we take care of God’s business, He takes care of ours!

she does find out, and she always does, she may keep you from going out and playing for several days. Or you could say no, do your homework, and then go play. If you do that, you won’t get to play as long, but you will get your homework done, and there is no way you get in trouble.

The second option is often a harder choice. That’s because we don’t want to wait for it. It is the better option though because we still get what we want and then some. We still get to go play, we make better grades, and we please our mom.

Early in his reign, Solomon made a choice that pleased God. God told Solomon that He would give him whatever he asked for. That’s a pretty cool offer!

Solomon could have asked to be the richest guy in the world. He could have asked to live a long life. He could have asked that he never lose a battle and that his country always prospered. Instead of asking for those things, he asked for wisdom. He wanted to be a good king and a good man. And as a result, God honored him. Not only did God give him wisdom, God made him the wisest man to ever live. And because Solomon acted so selflessly, God made him the richest man alive. God also gave him great honor and made him the most powerful king in the world. And God promised Solomon a long life, if Solomon would obey God’s instructions.

We will all face tough choices, especially as we grow older. As godly men, we must learn to choose the best way and depend on God for everything else. Someone once said, “Take care of God’s business and He will take care of yours!” This means that if we do what God expects of us, we don’t need to worry about anything else. God will take care of us. He will be with us.

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• What did Solomon ask God to do? • How did God respond to Solomon’s request? • What can we learn from this story?


p r ay e r : Dear God, I want to make You proud of me. Help me to make the right choices in my life. Also help me to depend on You for all my needs. I don’t want to force things. I want You to be my provider. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

r e s P o n d

Before coming back to Rangers next week, talk to your parents or guardians about things you can do at home that will make it a more comfortable and happy place for everyone. Do those things for at least one month.





Integrity Marrying Right 1 Kings 11:1–5







Key PointI will guard my heart by guarding my relationships.

Key verseHe who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord. Proverbs 18:22


One day you may select a wife. Be sure to marry a woman who loves Jesus and is full of the Holy Spirit. Nothing can turn the heart of a

husband away from God more quickly than his wife.


refleCt answersThese answers match the questions in the Reflect section of the boys’ sheet. • His wives • Political reasons • Answers will vary. It is clear that God had forbidden such marriages.






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Have you ever heard the saying, “Be careful who your friends are, because you may end up just like them”? It contains a great deal of truth. If your friends act a certain way, it probably won’t be long before you act that way too. That can be

a good thing, if you have friends who love God and do what is right.

If you have bad friends, however, it is a different story. Bad friends can have a really bad influence on us. They can tempt us to do things we shouldn’t. And they can make it seem normal to do things we know are wrong. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have friends who are not Christians. How can we ever tell people about Jesus unless we know people who don’t know Him? We all just need to choose our friends wisely.

If you ask your Royal Rangers leader, he will probably say your wife is the most important friend you will ever choose. You are a long way from getting married. But, it’s not too early to decide to marry a godly woman.

In the Bible story we read, we found out that the wisest man who ever lived was taken down by poor marriage decisions. Solomon, the king of Israel, had a lot of wives. They came from

King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. 1 Kings 11:1–5

Key PointI will guard my heart by guarding my relationships.

Key verseHe who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord. Proverbs 18:22




different countries, and Solomon married them for political reasons. The Bible says he loved them. As Solomon got older, he began to worship the gods his foreign wives worshipped. This is why God had told the Israelites not to marry foreign women. God knew foreign women would draw a man’s heart away from Him. Solomon was no exception.

Some people never get married, but most guys do. When we do, we need to make sure that she loves God. You don’t want to end up like Solomon. You don’t want to allow your heart to wander away from God. When you don’t have a partner in life that is helping you follow God, it is easy to make excuses not to go to church, pray, or read your Bible. And when those things happen, your love for God quickly starts to go away. Choose today that when the time comes you will marry a girl who loves Jesus and is willing to do all that God has planned for your lives.

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• Who encouraged Solomon to worship idols? • Why did Solomon marry foreign women? • What does Solomon’s decision to marry foreign women for political reasons say about his relationship with God?


p r ay e r : Dear God, I want to follow You all the days of my life. When the time comes, help me to find and choose a wife who loves You and will help me in my spiritual growth. I want to lead a family that goes after You! In the name of Jesus. Amen.

r e s P o n d

In the next week, make a list of good qualities you are looking for in a wife. Once you have your list, put it away and look at it once in awhile, as you get older. Revise it as you learn more about yourself and what you are looking for.




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