Revised Common Lectionary, Copyright 1992 Consultation on Common Texts. Used by permission.

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2 New Growth Press, Greensboro, NC Copyright 2017 by Bible Study Media Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided by USA copyright law. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Reader s Version, NIrV Copyright 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. The NIrV and New International Reader s Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright 2000; 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, Copyright 1960, 1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Revised Common Lectionary, Copyright 1992 Consultation on Common Texts. Used by permission. Cover Design: Faceout Books, faceoutstudio.com Interior Design, Illustration, and Typesetting: Scot McDonald ISBN

3 LOWER ELEMENTARY SUNDAY SCHOOL CONTENTS Welcome to Hearts Alive / 4 Week 1 Baby Moses Saved from Pharaoh / 9 Week 2 Moses and the Burning Bush / 25 Week 3 Plagues and Passover / 35 Week 4 Salvation at the Red Sea / 47 Week 5 Manna in the Wilderness / 58 Week 6 Water from the Rock / 77 Week 7 Sinai and the Ten Commandments / 91 Week 8 The Golden Calf / 105 Week 9 Moses s Intercession / 118 Week 10 Moses s Death and Burial / 130 Week 11 Joshua and Israel Cross the Jordan / 141 Week 12 Joshua and the Covenant Renewal / 154 Week 13 Deborah and Barak / 166 Week 14 God the Good Shepherd / 180 (Feast of Christ the King) The Rev. Charlie Holt, Director; Ginny Mooney, General Editor; Joni Tapp, Project Manager and Copyeditor; Writers: Sara Buffington, Christopher Caudle, Katie Dunn, Lisa Salerno, Leslie Shriner, Marci Strickland, Joni Tapp; Brad Watson, Bible Background Consultant ALIVE

4 WELCOME TO ALIVE In the line of Christian formation resources for children, the Hearts Alive curriculum is something brand-new! We have listened to the desire of churches to have a fully integrated weekly worship experience in which children and adults are engaged in exploring the same scriptural texts. Each lesson in both the Sunday school and Children s church curricula is built on one or more readings taken from the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), a three-year cycle of Bible readings used by churches across denominations and around the world to guide weekly worship. By aligning the lessons of Hearts Alive to these common readings, families are able to have cross-generational discussions related to the worship service message, Sunday school, and Children s church teachings. While Hearts Alive is a natural fit for churches in the liturgical tradition that incorporate regular use of the RCL, its appeal is much broader. Hearts Alive is evangelical in its interpretation of Scripture and contemporary in its teaching style and life application. By using a sequential approach to Scripture teaching, Hearts Alive seeks to help churches train up young disciples in the whole Word of God, emphasizing a high view of scriptural authority and a gospel focus. The weekly age-specific lessons support and even elevate liturgical traditions as well as important observances in the church calendar while using clear and contemporary teaching techniques to present the Word of God in ways that will produce lifelong followers of Christ. Hearts Alive is flexible enough to fit any congregation, no matter how large or small, of any Christian denomination. ALIVE IS: Gospel-centered, emphasizing the story of salvation through Jesus Christ in every lesson. Scriptural, teaching the full scope of the Bible over a 3-year span following the RCL. User-friendly, making it easy for teachers and Christian educators to implement. Fun and engaging for children, offering age-appropriate storytelling, crafts, and activities. Family-oriented, providing a Take-Home page so parents and children can apply the lesson with activities throughout the week. Varied, offering both smalland large-group moments so children stay interested and engaged. Cost-effective for both small and large churches, available for quarterly purchase with price adjustments for volume. Downloadable, in a format that is easy to share with a whole team of leaders and volunteers. 4

5 What Each Lesson Provides Each weekly Hearts Alive lesson provides two hours of material for children ranging from Pre-K/ Kindergarten through Grade 6. The curriculum is divided into two categories: Sunday school and Children s church. These two distinct curricula offer different themes for each week s lesson so that children participating in both programs have fresh, engaging material in each class. Sunday School Curriculum: The Hearts Alive Sunday school curriculum is designed to be used during the Sunday school or Bible study hour of a church s weekly worship time. It is divided into three separate age groups and perfect for use in classroom-sized group settings. The age divisions are: Pre-K/Kindergarten, Lower Elementary (grades 1 3), and Upper Elementary (grades 4 6). Children s Church Curriculum: The Hearts Alive Children s church curriculum offers a weekly church experience tailored just for young followers of Jesus. It is intended for a larger, age-inclusive setting for children from pre-k through grade 5 (ages 4 through 11) designed to help them learn the basics of an adult worship service, including Welcome, Worship, Scripture Reading, Lesson, Creed, Prayer, and Offering. The larger group setting encourages children of varying ages to worship together, mirroring the generational integration of the church. At the close of each lesson, an age-specific breakout time ensures that every child, from the youngest to the oldest, can take part in a follow-up game, craft, or activity that will help them apply the week s lesson to their own lives. Many churches hold Children s church during the first part of the adult worship service. After Children s church concludes, there is time to welcome the children into the adult service for the final portion, often the celebration of Communion/the Eucharist. How To Use The Hearts Alive Curriculum Hearts Alive follows the 3-year cycle of the RCL. Because liturgical dates vary from year to year, specific dates are not assigned to the lessons. Instead, lessons are numbered and an accompanying online chart identifies which lesson falls on which calendar date for that specific year. In the heading of each lesson, you will find the Lectionary Year, Season, and Week number, plus the associated liturgical day (if applicable) and lectionary reading. This information can help you design your entire congregation s weekly worship experience around shared themes all year, providing a fresh unity to your congregation s spiritual focus and growth. The first page of each Sunday school and Children s church lesson includes Lesson Title, Key Scripture, Big Idea, Memory Verse, and Lesson Overview. The Big Idea summarizes in one or two sentences the main point you want the children to learn from that day s lesson. The Lesson Overview provides a more in-depth explanation of the key points of the lesson. Lower Elementary Introduction 5 ALIVE

6 Next, there is a Lesson Outline chart to help you stay organized. It tells you what happens when. On this chart, you ll find each lesson component along with a time estimate for how long it will take, a list of the supplies you will need, and a list of the things you ll need to prepare before class for that activity. A unique Bible Background study is provided for each lesson to help you prepare your heart and mind as a leader or volunteer before class. It aims to provide a thorough understanding of the biblical setting of the day s passage along with any helpful information to help you field questions the children may have about the lesson. (Detailed explanations of each lesson component follow below.) Anything that needs to be printed and possibly copied for each lesson (the printables ) are included in the download of each lesson. They are designed to be effective using simple black and white printing on standard-sized paper. Finally, each lesson has a Take-Home page designed to be copied and sent home with the child. The resource is directed either toward parents (Sunday school) or children (Children s church). Either way, parents are encouraged to use the resource to talk with their child about the week s lesson. The page also suggests ways to apply scriptural lessons all week through family discussions and activities. The Sunday School Curriculum The Sunday school curriculum is divided by age group into: Pre-K/Kindergarten, Lower Elementary (grades 1 3), and Upper Elementary (grades 4 6). The lessons are designed for use in small group settings of approximately children. If you expect more than 18 children in a room, we recommend dividing into smaller groups so all children feel engaged in the activities. If your group is smaller than 9 or 10, the games and activities can be adapted for fewer children. Each weekly Sunday school lesson contains the following sequential Lesson Elements: Welcome Activity An attention grabber designed for the beginning of class as you wait for latecomers to arrive. Lesson Introduction A group activity to start the children thinking about the Big Idea and its application. Scripture Story An engaging way to tell the story of the Key Scripture passage. It may include visual aids, drama, costumes, simple experiments, or props. Story Discussion Discussion questions varied according to age group. We provide suggested answers for some of the trickier questions to aid you in your discussion with the children. Lower Elementary Introduction ALIVE 6

7 Variable Elements The below elements are variable to keep each week s approach fresh. Memory Verse Activity Snack If there is a common allergen in the recommended snack (gluten, nuts, etc.), we will point that out and recommend an alternative for sensitive children. Craft Step-by-step directions and illustrations are provided at the end of each lesson. Music You may choose to find your own recordings or sing the songs with instrument accompaniment or without musical background. Game Other Lesson Application Activities Closing Activity A simple and quick activity that allows you to bring the lesson to a close. Hand out the Live It All Week Take-Home page during this part of the lesson, and make sure children take home any crafts or activity pages. A Special Note to Leaders Congratulations on your role in helping to shape young hearts and minds in the Christian faith. Sunday school is a time-honored tradition of inviting the youngest of Christ s family to get to know their Savior, their church family, and their place in the Kingdom of God through weekly teaching and hands-on participation. We have specifically designed the Hearts Alive curriculum to be everything you need to confidently lead an engaging time of worship, learning, and fun in the service of Christian formation. Here are a few specifics about the curriculum to help you in your role: Hearts Alive uses the New International Reader s Version (NIrV) of The Holy Scriptures, believing it is the easiest translation for children to read and understand while remaining faithful to the original text. If you choose, you may use a different version in your lessons. We have included a unique Bible Background section specifically to help you get familiar with the background of the week s passage of Scripture. It provides the setting of the passage in the overall story of the Bible, the connection to the life and work of Jesus Christ, and how the passage speaks to the church today. We recommend taking some time to read, pray through, and digest this information to help you be prepared for questions and good discussion. Lower Elementary Introduction ALIVE 7

8 Much of the Lesson Content is bolded and prefaced by words like Say: or Continue: These sections are designed for you, the leader, to speak aloud. However, we suggest that you use the words as a guide rather than reading directly from the page. The most effective way to communicate with children is by making eye contact. Try reading the lesson several times to get a good idea of what you want to say and the main points of the Bible teaching. You may want to highlight the sections you want to be sure to mention specifically. Other parts you can put into your own words. Have the lesson handy to refer to on paper or electronic device as you go. Feel free to adapt the curriculum to meet the needs of your class. If a different approach to the lesson works better, go for it! For example, you may choose to swap out drama for a visual aid in the lesson or vice versa. Use what is written as a guide to present the beauty and power of God s Word to your group of children in the most effective way possible. Jesus said to let the children come to me. What greater calling can there be than helping to lead precious young souls to the heart of God and the joy, peace, and power of living the Christian faith? We pray that you will find the Hearts Alive curriculum an exciting and effective way to bring the wonderful message of salvation to the children of your congregation and community even as your entire church body unites in the weekly exploration of God s Word as one. Lower Elementary Introduction ALIVE 8

9 LOWER ELEMENTARY SUNDAY SCHOOL Year A Fall Week 1 Proper 16, Lectionary 21 Baby MOses Saved FrOm PharaOh Scripture: Exodus 1:8 2:10 Big Idea: Like Moses, we are never alone. Because we belong to Jesus, God Father, Son, and Holy Spirit watches over us. MemOry Verse: The Lord will watch over your life no matter where you go, both now and forever. Psalm 121:8a LessOn Overview Pharaoh thought there were too many Israelites in Egypt, so he hatched a sinister plan to reduce their numbers by decreeing that every Hebrew infant boy be thrown into the Nile. Pharaoh intended the river to mean death, but God used it to bring baby Moses to safety. God protected Moses, and, likewise, he keeps watch over all his children. We are never beyond his reach: The Lord will watch over your life no matter where you go, both now and forevermore (Psalm 121:8). Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 1 ALIVE 9

10 Week 1 Lesson Plan Activity and Supplies To Prepare 1 Welcome Activity (5 minutes) Braiding Baskets Yarn skein Masking tape Cut three 16-in. lengths of yarn for each child. Tie a loop knot at one end to bind the three pieces of yarn together. Before class, tape all of the knotted ends to the table to make braiding easier. 2 Lesson Introduction (5 minutes) Your Best Hiding Place 3 Scripture Story (10 minutes) Moses Saved from Pharaoh Printables: Baby Moses Small box with lid, like a jewelry gift box with the soft lining inside Pillowcase in a solid color (blue if you have it) Print and cut out the Baby Moses printable. 4 Discussion (10 minutes) Moses Saved from Pharaoh 5 Snack (10 minutes) Invisible but Present Pitcher of water mixed with clear drink mix, like Kool- Aid Invisible, or bottles of flavored water with the labels peeled off. Any snack food Mix up the invisible drink mix or peel the labels off the flavored water. Do not leave the labels or drink mix canister out during class. You want the children to think they are drinking plain water! 6 Memory Verse Activity (15 minutes) Four Corners Printables: Five signs, each a page in size, with the verse divided this way: The Lord / will watch over your life / no matter where you go / both now and forever. / Psalm 121:8. Painter s tape or masking tape Print out one set of the five signs. Hang one sign in each corner of the room. Hang the sign with the reference (Psalm 121:8) at the front of the room. Keep the signs in order, so the children can walk in a circle and see the whole verse. 7 Closing (5 minutes) St. Patrick s Breastplate Printables: Take-home page (one for each child) Print enough copies of the Takehome page for each child. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 1 ALIVE 10

11 Bible BackgrOund for Leader Today s story takes place after the Israelites had lived in Egypt for several generations. God had sent his people, Israel, into Egypt, but now it seemed that God had abandoned them. The children of Israel (also called the Hebrews) were enslaved by the Egyptians, surrounded by foreigners, and subject to oppression by the powerful Egyptian king, Pharaoh. But even in the midst of their persecution, God was at work to protect his people, to rescue them from slavery, and to teach the world about his love for his children. In today s story, a new leader is born who will follow God s commands and eventually lead the Hebrew people out of Egypt Moses. But Moses s birth is not without complication as Pharaoh has just ordered the murder of all infant Hebrew boys. Old Testament. Under God s guidance, Joseph had won the trust and respect of the Egyptian pharaoh of his day by saving Egypt from famine. But the kings who knew and respected Joseph died and a new pharaoh became the king. Forgetting the role that Joseph and (ultimately God) had played in preserving Egypt from extinction, this pharaoh sought to protect himself and his country from Joseph s people, the Israelites. Instead of pursuing friendship with the Israelites, he made them slaves. When the people of Israel continued to increase, the king sought to limit their numbers by killing their male children. In today s story, Moses is born and his life is immediately in danger. His mother builds a waterproof basket for her baby and places him in the river while Moses s sister, Miriam, stands watch. Under the providence of God, Pharaoh s own daughter hears Moses s cries, finds the baby, and defies her father s orders choosing to protect him and raise him as her own. Then she hires Moses s own mother to nurse him. The later Israelites would recount the story of Moses's birth and know that God had protected him from being killed as a newborn and from dangerous waters and wild animals as he floated in the basket. Just as God sheltered Noah in the ark, he shelters Moses in his floating crib. The forces of nature and evil humanity are no match for the loving purposes of God. Jesus. Just as Moses was born in difficult times when God s people faced persecution, so God sent his Son, Jesus, to be born as a baby in difficult and dangerous times. Just as Pharaoh commanded the slaughter of male children to prevent the Hebrews from threatening his power, King Herod commanded the slaughter of male infants in the town of Bethlehem to prevent the foretold King of the Jews Jesus from growing up to challenge his throne. And just as God would later protect Jesus by sending him into Egypt, God protected Moses by sending him into the very heart of Egypt to Pharaoh s own palace, through his daughter. When Moses was grown, he delivered God s people from political slavery, just as Jesus rescues God s children from slavery to sin and its consequences. Moses gave us the Law written on stone and Jesus gives us the law written on our hearts. Moses led the people of Israel through the desert to the edge of the Promised Land a foreshadowing of how Jesus leads his followers through the trials and deserts of this life into the true Promised Land, the New Jerusalem. The Church and the World. The Church today should be reminded that Moses was born at a time when the people of God were persecuted, outnumbered, and oppressed in a foreign land that did not worship God or share their values. As Christians today we may feel that we have been abandoned, that our neighbors are suspicious of our values or even hostile to us, and that the world is growing harder for us and our children to navigate. But God watched over the children of Israel, as demonstrated by the way they flourished even under slavery and the way God protected Moses. God s servant reminded the people of God s love and eventual deliverance. We can take heart that God always watches over us and in his time prepares deliverance that reflects his love and wisdom. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 1 ALIVE 11

12 To Prepare: Cut three 16-in. lengths of yarn for each child. Tie a loop knot at one end to bind the three pieces of yarn together. Before class, tape all of the knotted ends to the table to make braiding easier. 1 WelcOme Activity Braiding Baskets Begin with the yarn strands taped to the table. Have each child braid their yarn strands. If a child does not yet know how to braid, encourage another child to teach him/her. Say: In our Bible story today, we will hear about someone who made a basket that floats on the water. Baskets were made by braiding strips of plants together and coiling them around and around to make a container. Basket weaving was a challenging but extremely useful craft! 2 LessOn IntrOductiOn Your Best Hiding Place Say: Do you ever play hide and seek at your house? What is your best hiding place? (Give each child a chance to respond.) There aren t as many places to hide in this room as there are in your house. If we played hide and seek in here, where do you think would be the best spot to hide? (Let the children point out possible spots in the room.) If you were small, about the size of a baby, would it be easier to hide? What would be a good hiding place for a very small person? (Let the children point out these small places.) In our Bible story today, a baby s life is in danger. God helps his mother think of a very clever place to hide her son. Let's see where that is. To Prepare: Print and cut out the Baby Moses printable. 3 Scripture StOry Moses Saved from Pharaoh Open the Bible to the book of Exodus. Have the baby Moses figure and the small jewelry box close at hand. Do not put Moses in the box at this time. Lay the pillowcase across the center of the table. Crinkle it to resemble waves. Say: Long ago, the people of God were welcomed into the land of Egypt by its king, called the pharaoh. God s people worked there, built homes there, and raised their children there. Those children grew up and had families of their own. This went on for generations. Eventually, there were millions of God s people living in Egypt! Egypt s new pharaoh was worried about the number of God s people. What if they decide to join our enemies and fight against us? I must do something to make these people weaker. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 1 ALIVE 12

13 Pharaoh was cruel. He made the people of God into slaves and forced them to do exhausting jobs in the hot, scorching sun. The king hoped the people would die of exhaustion, but this didn t happen. The people of God continued to live and have more and more children! So the king hatched an even more evil plan. He decided to kill all the baby boys. He told his soldiers, Go into every house, and if you find a baby boy, throw him into the river where he ll drown! One of the families had just had a beautiful baby boy. Show the baby Moses figure. The whole family adored him: his mother, father, and older sister Miriam. How could they save him from Pharaoh s soldiers? His mother came up with a plan. She took a basket and covered it with tar so no water could seep in. She wrapped her baby in soft cloths and sang him a gentle lullaby. When the baby was asleep, she set the basket in the river and told Miriam to watch over him. No one would look for a baby in the river! Open up the small box and gently place the baby Moses figure inside. Close the lid and set the box at one end of the pillowcase. Miriam stayed near the basket. She was about your age, old enough to keep an eye on her younger brother. The river currents gently carried the basket downstream, and Miriam followed it, hiding in the reeds to make sure no soldier would spot her and ask her questions. The basket glided gently to the water s edge. Miriam froze in terror. There, right by the basket, was Pharaoh s grown daughter, the princess! She was bathing in the water. What if baby Moses cried and was discovered? Miriam held her breath and said a prayer. Just then, her brother awoke and let out a high-pitched cry. The princess glanced up in surprise, What is that sound I hear? I think it is coming from that basket in the water! The princess retrieved the basket and opened it. Open the box. Show the children the baby inside. A tiny, adorable baby looked up at her and let out a cry of hunger. The princess felt sorry for him. She gathered the baby in her arms and nuzzled his cheek. I will name him Moses (which means taken out or drawn forth) because I took him out of the water, she declared, and I will raise him as my son. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 1 ALIVE 13

14 Miriam saw her chance. She jumped out from the behind the reeds and said, Do you want me to find someone to feed this baby for you? The princess promptly agreed. Miriam ran home as fast as she could. She burst through the door. Mother, Father, you will never believe it! God has helped us! Come quickly! Mother, you will take care of our baby. He is living in the house of Pharaoh himself! Moses would grow up safely in Pharaoh s house, adopted by the princess, and watched over by his very own mother. Even when he was in that basket floating down the river, Moses was never alone. The Lord was with him. And just like Moses, the Lord will watch over your life no matter where you go, both now and forever. (Psalm 121:8) 4 StOry DiscussiOn Moses Saved from Pharaoh XX What was Pharaoh s evil plan to stop the people of Israel from growing in number? (To kill the baby boys.) XX What did Moses s mother do? (Hid baby Moses as long as she could, then she wove a basket of reeds and placed him in the river with his sister Miriam watching over him.) XX Who found the basket? (Pharaoh s daughter.) XX What did Miriam do? (She got Pharaoh s daughter to agree to let Moses s mother take care of him until he no longer needed to nurse.) XX Was Moses really alone in that basket? (No, God was with him, and his sister Miriam was watching over him.) XX What are some places where you are alone? (Answers will likely include in bed at night, lost at a store, etc.) Have you ever felt alone, even when there were other people around? (Discuss social situations where the child may feel unconnected or out of place attending new school or church, recently joining a team, or attending a birthday party where all the other kids know each other.) Even though Moses couldn t see him, the Lord was near, guiding the basket and watching over him. Even though you may not see God, he is with you always. You are never alone. You can ask him to comfort you during those times you feel alone, and he will. XX God is always watching over you, but he has come even closer than that. Who did God send to become a human being and make his home with us? (John 1:14) Let the children answer Jesus. You can always give Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 1 ALIVE 14

15 them a hint: Christmas is his birthday. No one has ever seen God the Father, but Jesus is God and people have seen him, talked to him, touched him, and been healed by him. Jesus came to earth to be with us. XX Even though Jesus came to earth long before we were born, he promised that he would return. In the meantime, he did not leave us alone. When he went back up to heaven, he said, I will ask the Father, and he will give you another friend to help you and to be with you forever. That friend is the Spirit of Truth (John 14:16 17a). That Spirit of Truth is called the Holy Spirit. He does not have a body like people do, so he can go anywhere. The Holy Spirit can help you pray, guide you to make good choices, comfort you when you are sad, and give you peace. Let s thank the Lord Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for always being with us. Lead the children in a prayer, such as: Father, we thank you that you guard us and guide us. Thank you for Jesus, who came to be with us and live with us. Thank you for the Holy Spirit, who lives in our hearts and helps us. You are always with us, God, now and forever. Amen. To Prepare: Mix up the invisible drink mix or peel the labels off the flavored water. Do not leave the labels or drink mix canister out during class. You want the children to think they are drinking plain water! 5 Snack Invisible but Present Distribute the snack to the children. Set the pitcher of clear, flavored water in front of them. Say: What drink do we have to go along with our snack today? (Water.) What if I told you this isn t just water? Would you believe me? (Answers may vary ask them to explain why they would or would not believe you.) It would be hard to believe me, because you can t see anything in the water. We tend to believe what we see. (Pour the drink into cups and let the children taste it.) Surprise! It s sweet. This isn t only water after all. Something else is mixed with the water. In the same way, you may not be able to see God, but that doesn t mean he is not there. In fact, he is more real than anything we can see with our eyes! He is all around us and within us. Jesus said, Blessed are those who have not seen me but still have believed (John 20:29b). Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 1 ALIVE 15

16 To Prepare: Print out one set of the five signs. Hang one sign in each corner of the room. Hang the sign with the reference (Psalm 121:8) at the front of the room. Keep the signs in order, so the children can walk in a circle and see the whole verse. 6 MemOry Verse Activity Four Corners Say: Our memory verse for this week is written on the signs around the room. Listen as I say it and point to the signs. Say the memory verse slowly as you point to the words to assist early readers. Explain to the children that when you call out a phrase on a sign, they should all gather by it. When you say the reference, Psalm 121:8, they should sit down wherever they are. Say the verse in order two to three times so the children can hear the verse and practice walking to the correct sign. Say the reference at the end. Once the children have mastered this, say the phrases out of order. If they can do this well, say them faster. Intersperse the reference, Psalm 121:8, to get them to sit down quickly! At the end of the game, see if the children can say the verse with you as you walk around the room to all four corners. To Prepare: Print enough copies of the Take-home page for each child. 7 ClOsing Activity St. Patrick s Breastplate Have the children stand in a circle. Say: Have you heard of St. Patrick s Day? You might think of it as a day to wear green and eat Irish foods like corned beef, but St. Patrick was a real man. He was a bishop in the country of Ireland over a thousand years ago. He spent his life telling the people there the good news about Jesus. He wrote a prayer we now call St. Patrick s Breastplate. A breastplate is a piece of armor that you wear over your chest to protect yourself in battle. St. Patrick knew that God watched over him. He talks about being protected by the strong name of the Trinity Father, Spirit, Son. Moses was surely protected by the strong name of the Trinity when he was saved from Pharaoh. God protects you, too. I am going to read you a part of St. Patrick s poem. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 1 ALIVE 16

17 Make up a motion to show where and how Christ will protect you. Read slowly and pause after each comma so the children can make up a motion. You may need to help them think of something. Christ be with me, (pause) Christ within me, (pause) Christ behind me, (pause) Christ before me, (pause) Christ beside me, (pause) Christ to win me, (pause) Christ to comfort and restore me, (pause) Christ beneath me, (pause) Christ above me, (pause) Christ in quiet, (pause) Christ in danger, (pause) Christ in hearts of all that love me, (pause) Christ in mouth of friend and stranger. (pause) Say: The Lord will watch over your life no matter where you go, both now and forever (Psalm 121:8). As the children leave, hand out their Take-home pages and remind them to bring home their Moses in a Basket craft. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 1 ALIVE 17

18 Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 1 18 ALIVE

19 The Lord Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 1 19 ALIVE

20 will watch over your life Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 1 20 ALIVE

21 no matter where you go Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 1 21 ALIVE

22 both now and forever. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 1 22 ALIVE

23 Psalm 121:8 Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 1 23 ALIVE

24 ALIVE WEEK 1 Live It All WeeK Lower Elementary Take Home Paper for Families What Your Child Learned Today Pharaoh thought there were too many Israelites, so he hatched a sinister plan. He decreed that every Hebrew infant boy be thrown into the Nile. Pharaoh intended the river to mean death, but God used it to bring baby Moses to safety. Moses s mother and sister sent him down the river in a basket, where Pharaoh s daughter found him. She hired Moses s own mother to nurse and care for him. God protected Moses as he keeps watch over all his children. We are never beyond his reach: The Lord will watch over your life no matter where you go, both now and forever (Psalm 121:8).. Try This We can now travel long distances with ease. Write the memory verse on a sticky note and place one inside your car as a reminder that God is with you wherever you go! Table Talk X X Read the Scripture story as a family from Exodus 1:8 2:10. How did God use Miriam (she was about seven at the time)? God uses all people, young and old, in his story! Give your child an example of how God has used him or her in your life (e.g., brought you joy, said or did something that helped you in some way, developed a certain positive quality in you, etc.). X X Moses was in great danger from Pharaoh. Is there is a time that you know God has kept you safe? (e.g., natural disasters, accidents, travel protection, medical procedure). X X Moses was not alone in the basket floating down the river; God was with him. Has anyone in your family experienced a time when he or she knew that God was present? (e.g., a time when you sensed his presence). Remember, we may not see him or even feel that he is near, but he is always with us! Baby Moses Saved from Pharaoh Scripture: Exodus 1:8 2:10 Big Idea: Like Moses, we are never alone. Because we belong to Jesus, God Father, Son, and Holy Spirit watches over us. Memory Verse: The Lord will watch over your life no matter where you go both now and forever." Psalm 121:8a Something Else to Do Brainstorm with your child about three people they would like to surprise with the memory verse: local friends, family, or neighbors. Write the verse on three more sticky notes (perhaps have your child write it and/ or draw a small illustration). Go with the child to stick the note under the windshield wiper of the person s car. Next time that person drives somewhere, he or she will get an uplifting reminder that God is present! Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 1 ALIVE 24

25 LOWER ELEMENTARY SUNDAY SCHOOL Year A Fall Week 2 Proper 17, Lectionary 22 MOses and the Burning Bush Exodus 3:1 15 Big Idea: God is always with us. He has a plan for our salvation that has its fulfillment in Jesus. MemOry Verse: Moses spoke to God. Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh? he said. Who am I that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt? God said, I will be with you. Exodus 3:11 12a LessOn Overview Students will learn about Moses and his encounter with the burning bush. The students will grasp that God is always with us. God has a plan for our salvation through Jesus s saving work, and he will bring his plan to fruition. We do not need to make a way. He sees us and will make a way. He hears our cries for help. He has a plan for us that is good. This lesson will allow the children to consider the important questions, Who does God say he is? and How would it change the way I act and feel if I really began to believe that I AM is always with me? Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 2 25 ALIVE

26 Week 2 Lesson Plan Activity and Supplies To Prepare 1 Welcome Activity (5 minutes) Dress up and Review Pair of flip-flop-type sandals that are muddy or dirty Robe and turban Shepherd s crook or staff The leader can dress up as a traveler to make the lesson come to life. The leader can wear a pair of flip-flop-type sandals that are muddy or dirty and a robe and turban, and carry a shepherd s crook or staff. 2 Lesson Introduction (5 minutes) Setting the Stage Towel for a headpiece Bathrobe that will fit a helper or child Rope for tying the towel into a headpiece Shepherd s staff (made from cardboard or large branch can be the same one as the teacher used for the welcome activity) 3 Scripture Story (15 minutes) Moses and the Burning Bush 2 large green poster boards Large sheets of yellow, red, and orange tissue paper 2 flashlights See text for details on how to construct a burning bush. 4 Discussion and Snack (10 minutes) Milk and Honey Honey (Have maple syrup or agave for any children who can t have honey.) Saltines or fresh bread (Have gluten-free option for children with dietary restrictions.) Milk (Have juice or non-dairy milk like coconut or rice milk available for children with allergies.) Allergy Alert sign For the snack, post the Allergy Alert sign outside the door and be sure to ask parents if their child has any gluten, honey, or dairy allergies. 5 Memory Verse Activity (5 minutes) Verse in a Circle Printables: Print out the separate phrases of the memory verses on card stock: Moses spoke to God./ Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh? he said. / Who am I that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt? /God said, I will be with you. /Exodus 3:11 12a Print out the separate phrases of the memory verses on card stock and cut apart. 6 Craft (15 minutes) I AM Bracelet Brown hemp or string for a bracelet for each student Large 2-hole buttons in any color except black or brown (preferably lighter colored) 6 per student. Small plastic zipper bag for each student (used to store the buttons and string for the craft) Cut string into 12-inch lengths. Use a thin permanent marker to write the words I AM always with you on each set of buttons (one word per button). Put the reference on the sixth button Matthew 28:20. Place the pieces for each bracelet in a small separate zippered bag. 7 Closing (5 minutes) God Moments Challenge Printables: Take-home page (one for each child) Make enough copies of the Take-home page for each child. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 2 ALIVE 26

27 Bible BackgrOund for Leader n today s story, Moses is tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, when he comes to Mount Hebron. Here he sees a burning bush a bush that is on fire but doesn t char or burn up. Drawn by the wonder of a bush that burns without being destroyed, Moses approaches the bush. Suddenly, God calls out to him from inside the bush: Moses! Moses! Moses answers, Here I am. God tells him to stop and remove his sandals for he is standing on holy ground. God then identifies himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He expresses his concern for the Hebrew people. God promises Moses he will rescue the children of Israel from Egypt and bring them to a bountiful land, rich in milk and honey. God then gives Moses instructions to go to Pharaoh, proclaiming God s most holy name: I AM WHO I AM, the Hebrew phrase from which the sacred name Yahweh is derived. Old Testament. Today s story takes place after Moses fled the land of Egypt, accused by Pharaoh of murdering an Egyptian. He travels far from Egypt to escape the king s wrath. Upon reaching Midian, Moses is sheltered by a local herdsman. He even marries the man s daughter and fathers a son with her. Although he has a wife and son in a new community, Moses still misses his people in Egypt. I am a stranger in a strange land, he laments. Meanwhile, back in Egypt, the children of Israel continue to suffer under slavery and oppression. But God has heard their cries for rescue. In today s passage, God commissions Moses to be the hand by which he rescues his people. Jesus. God tells Moses he is aware of his people suffering. The Israelites have endured hardship and slavery; they are calling out for deliverance and God hears their cries. Moses has wandered far from home, from the royal courts of his youth, and has found himself living as an exile. Now he is being called as God s chosen instrument to rescue the suffering Israelites and lead them to a land of new beginnings. Moses, an earthly rescuer, is incapable of freeing Israel from Pharaoh alone. So God sends supernatural plagues to convince Pharaoh to free the Hebrews, and God parts the Red Sea to move them to safety. Moses is a prototype and foreshadowing of Jesus, the Divine Rescuer. All of humanity suffers under slavery to sin. The Father has already sent his Son out of the courts of heaven, to live as an exile on the earth, to tend his flock and deliver his people to the ultimate Promised Land the new heavens and new earth. Jesus is no earthly rescuer in need of assistance, as Moses was. Jesus is God himself come to free us. Even the name Jesus points back to the event on Mount Horeb. Jesus is the Greek version of the Hebraic name Joshua or Yeshua, a name that means Yahweh saves. On Mount Horeb God came down and spoke through a burning bush. In Bethlehem, God came down and took on the body of a baby boy. In both cases God reached down to his people to deliver them from evil and misery. The Church and the World. The Church today should be reminded that God hears our pleas and knows about the pain and persecution we endure. He has already made preparations to deliver us according to his will and his plan. He has come to us in a most surprising form as a vulnerable child, Jesus. God has promised to deliver us to a rich land beyond this life, just as he brought the people of Israel into the land of milk and honey. He will one day rescue us from this life of sin and death. For now God promises to be with us, to empower us to do all that he calls us to, just as he empowered his servant Moses. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 2 27 ALIVE

28 1 WelcOme Activity To Prepare: The leader can dress up as a traveler to make the lesson come to life. The leader can wear a pair of flip-flop-type sandals that are muddy or dirty and a robe and turban, and carry a shepherd s crook or staff. Dress Up and Review Dress like a traveler (see To Prepare Beforehand ). Greet students and say, Look how dusty and dirty my shoes have gotten from wandering around tending sheep! Ask the students, Have you ever gotten your shoes dirty? How did it happen? Quickly recap last week s lesson: XX In last week s lesson, why did Pharaoh want to kill the infant Hebrew (Israelite) boys? (Pharaoh was worried there were too many Israelites. He didn t want the boys to grow up to join his enemies and attack him.) XX How was baby Moses saved from being killed? (Moses s mother put him in a basket in the river. Pharaoh s daughter found him and hired Moses s own mother to care for him.) Next, fill in the gap in the story between last week and this week. In between last week s story and this week s, here s what happened: XX Moses grew up in the house of the Egyptian king, Pharaoh. XX One day Moses went out to see how his people, the Israelites, were doing. They were slaves in Egypt. Moses saw an Egyptian beating an Israelite slave. Moses got angry and killed the Egyptian. XX Pharaoh found out what Moses had done and tried to kill him, so Moses ran away to a land called Midian. While living there, Moses got married and had a child. In the meantime, the pharaoh that had tried to kill Moses died. Now let s pick up with today s story. 2 LessOn IntrOductiOn Setting the Stage The leader should choose a student to dress up as Moses or arrange for a helper to play the part. Quickly dress the volunteer or helper as Moses in a bathrobe, towel (for headpiece), and a shepherd s staff. Give two children the flashlights and station them behind each side of the burning bush so they are ready to light up at the right moment and bring the scene to life. If desired, other children can play Moses s sheep to get them engaged in the story. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 2 ALIVE 28

29 The leader should dim the lights (but not turn them off) and Moses should enter the room. Leader: I m going to read from the Bible what happened to Moses while he was living in Midian. He was a shepherd there that s why he s carrying the big staff! Listen to what the Word of God says, and Moses will act out the story while I read. To Prepare: Construct a burning bush. Take two large green poster boards and cut out simple, flame-like shapes in both. Cut the poster boards around the edges to give them the shape of a bush. Tape red, orange, and yellow sheets of tissue paper behind the cutout areas so that the boards look like fire. Add bunches of crushed tissue paper to the top of both boards for flames rising. Prop up the burning bush by placing the two boards against each other and taping one side seam together. When opened, the bush should stand like an open book. Place a flashlight behind each board to illuminate the tissue paper so that it looks like fire. 3 Scripture StOry Moses and the Burning Bush Say: As a shepherd, Moses was responsible for a large flock of sheep. He would have to take them all over the countryside looking for grass they could eat. He also had to protect them from wild animals and keep them from getting lost. Being a shepherd required a lot of care and attention, and often he had to stay up all night watching his sheep to make sure they were safe. Prompt your Moses character to act tired. One night Moses was very tired because he had taken his sheep all the way across the desert looking for grass to eat. They had reached a mountain called Horeb, which was known as the Mountain of God. Moses and his flock had found a place to rest that night. Have your burning bush turn on his flashlight and wave it behind the bush so it looks like it s shining. Prompt Moses to act surprised. Suddenly, though, in the darkness, Moses saw a bright light! He looked up and saw that there was a bush on fire! He ran over, at first thinking he needed to try to put out the fire. As he got closer, he saw that even though the bush was on fire, it wasn t burning up! Then, a voice came out of the bush and called Moses s name. Moses! Moses! Prompt Moses to act afraid. Moses was terrified! But Moses answered, Here I am, Lord. (Moses repeats.) The voice from the bush was the voice of God. He said, Take off your shoes, Moses, because you are standing on holy ground. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 2 ALIVE 29

30 Prompt Moses should take off shoes. Then the voice said, I am God, the God of your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. At that, Moses hid his face because he knew he couldn t look at God. Moses either bows down or hides his face in his hands. Then God said, I have seen the pain and sadness of my people in slavery, and I have come down to save them from the Egyptians. I will deliver them out of Egypt and take them to their own land, a beautiful land that will be all their own, where I will be with them. Moses, I have chosen you to go to Pharaoh and bring my people out of that land. Moses said, But I m nobody! Why should Pharaoh listen to me? And God said, I will be with you. Then Moses said, How do I get the people of Israel to listen to me? Who should I say has sent me? God said, Tell them, I AM WHO I AM. I AM has sent you to them. After that, the fire left the bush. Prompt children to turn off flashlights. Then Moses got up and went to obey God. He didn t know how it would happen, but he knew God would be with him. Have Moses remove the costume and all of the children take their seats. To Prepare: Post the Allergy Alert sign outside the door and be sure to ask parents if their child has any gluten, honey, or dairy allergies. 4 DiscussiOn and Snack Milk and Honey Remember any students who have allergies have alternatives available for anyone who cannot have honey, gluten, or dairy. Serve children a simple snack of a cup of milk and slices of bread or crackers with honey. While the children are eating, explain to the class that the Israelites needed to leave Egypt because God had promised to bring them into a land flowing with milk and honey. While they eat ask these questions about the Scripture story: XX Why does God ask Moses to remove his shoes when he came near the bush? (Because God s presence is in the bush, and God is holy. The dirty shoes Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 2 ALIVE 30

31 would be symbolically bringing filth into God s presence.) XX What does taking off your dirty sandals before approaching God mean in a spiritual way? (God is holy and no impurity can enter his presence. We remove our sandals when our sin-stained hearts are washed in the cleansing blood of Christ.) XX What did God ask Moses to do when he spoke to him from the bush? (To go back to Egypt and convince Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave.) XX Why do you think God said to Moses, I will be with you? (To comfort him and assure him that the mission would be a success.) XX How would it change the way we act or feel if we truly believed I AM is always with us? (We wouldn t be afraid, and we would boldly do what is right.) XX Read John 8:58 out loud. Who does Jesus say he is when he is asked? ( I AM, showing that he is also God.) XX How does this story prepare us for Jesus s coming to earth? (It shows us that God cares for his people and goes with them.) XX Why is Jesus called Emmanuel, which means God with us? (Because Jesus is God, God came and lived with us through Jesus.) To Prepare: Print out the separate phrases of the memory verses on card stock. 6 MemOry Verse Activity Verse in a Circle Moses spoke to God. Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh? he said. Who am I that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt? God said, I will be with you. Exodus 3:11 12a Have the students stand or sit in a circle. Hand each child a card that contains a segment of the memory verse (in order) that you prepared before class. (If you have fewer than five children, you may have a helper join the circle or have some of the children read more than one card. If you have more than five children, spread the cards out evenly through the circle; some will just sit in the circle without a card, and they ll get a turn when the cards are passed around.) Have the children read their cards so that the entire verse is said. Then have the children pass their cards to the person on their right. Have the children read them again. Keep passing and reading the cards until every child has had at least one turn to read a card. Challenge the children to speed up their reading to see how fast they can get the verse said as a group. As the activity progresses you could challenge the children to say from memory the segment they have on their card. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 2 ALIVE 31

32 To Prepare: Cut string into 12-inch lengths. Use a thin sharpie marker to write the words I AM always with you on each set of buttons (one word per button). Put the reference on the sixth button Matthew 28:20. Place the pieces for each bracelet in a small separate zippered bag to make it easy to hand out to children. 6 Craft I AM Bracelet Give each child a zippered bag with the string and buttons inside. Instruct the children to string the buttons onto the string in the correct order so that it reads, I AM always with you. Matthew 28:20. Go around and tie the ends of the string so that the bracelet fits on their wrists and is not too tight. Explain to the children that Jesus is speaking in this verse and that Jesus s promise is the same promise God gave Moses in the Old Testament. God and Jesus are one. 7 ClOsing To Prepare: For the closing, make enough copies of the Take-home page for each child. God Moments Challenge Whenever you take off your shoes this week or look at the bracelet you made, say your memory verse so you can remember that I AM is always with you. Let s say it once more together. Moses spoke to God. Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh? he said. Who am I that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt? God said, I will be with you. Exodus 3:11 12a As you go to bed each night, remember that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of your mother and father, the great I AM is watching over you. He hears you and has a plan to take you into a land flowing with milk and honey that means a really great place! Jesus, the I AM, come to earth to save us, will take us to live with him forever one day. Take your bracelet craft with you. This week, think about how God is always with you. He is with you in a sad moment a difficult moment and a happy moment! Write down one of those moments this week when you really know God is with you. Then, next week share it with us. We can all share our stories next week of when I AM was with us! As the students leave, place your hands on their shoulder as they walk out the door and say the words, God go with you. Also hand out their Take-home pages. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 2 ALIVE 32

33 Moses spoke to God. God said, I will be with you. Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh? he said. Exodus 3:11 12a Who am I that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt? Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 2 ALIVE 33

34 ALIVE WEEK 2 Live It All WeeK Lower Elementary Take Home Paper for Families What Your Child Learned Today In Exodus 3, God appears to Moses in a burning bush. God asks Moses to remove his sandals because Moses is standing near God. Then God asks Moses to go lead his people out of Egypt, where they are slaves. But Moses is afraid. To help quiet his fears, God says his name is I AM and tells Moses, I will be with you. The children learned that God will be with them too. They learned that when Jesus was asked who he is, he answered that he is I AM. He is God God come to live with us as a man to save us. The children considered the important question, How would it change the way I act and feel if I really began to believe that I AM is always with me? Try This Today, your child made a bracelet to help them remember that God is always with them. Practice this week s memory verse through a role-playing activity. Take turns playing each part. God: So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh. I want you to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. They are my people. Narrator: Moses spoke to God Moses: Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh? Narrator:...he said. Moses: Who am I that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt? Narrator: God said God: I will be with you. Table Talk X X Ask your children to share a time when they were afraid, but it turned out positively. Was God with them? Ask them how they would act if they really believed God is always with them. How would they feel in a sad time? When facing a hard task? When excited about something? Moses and the Burning Bush }} Scripture: Exodus 3:1 15 }} Big Idea: God is always with us. He has a plan for our salvation that has its fulfillment in Jesus. }} Memory Verse: Moses spoke to God. Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh? he said. Who am I that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt? God said, I will be with you. Exodus 3:11 12a Something Else to Do As your family takes off their shoes this week, say, God said, I will be with you. As your child wears their bracelet, talk about how Jesus is the great I AM. Each time your child wears it, say Matthew 28:20, which parallels the verse from Exodus. As you put your child to bed, remind them that the great I AM is watching over them. Remind your child to write about a moment this week when they felt God was with them and be ready to share it with the class. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 2 ALIVE 34

35 LOWER ELEMENTARY SUNDAY SCHOOL Year A Fall Week 3 Proper 18, Lectionary 23 Plagues and PassOver Exodus 12:1 14 Big Idea: God provided the blood of a lamb to save his people from death in Egypt. This Passover lamb points to the perfect Lamb of God, Jesus, who saves us from sin and death through his blood. MemOry Verse: You were bought with the priceless blood of Christ. He is a perfect lamb. 1 Peter 1:19a LessOn Overview The plagues and the instituting of the Passover were pivotal moments in Israel s history. The Passover is a vivid foreshadowing of Christ in the Old Testament. The children will learn how God miraculously delivered his people from slavery and the death-of-the-firstborn plague afflicting their Egyptian taskmasters. He did this through the blood of a spotless lamb. Just as the angel of death passed over the doors marked with lamb s blood, so God s wrath passes over all of us who are under the blood of the perfect Lamb of God, Jesus. God himself has provided for our rescue from sin and death by becoming the sacrificial lamb we need to free us. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 3 35 ALIVE

36 Week 3 Lesson Plan Activity and Supplies To Prepare 1 Welcome Activity (5 minutes) Tug-of-War Stuffed animal or doll Rope Masking tape See the text for tug-of-war game setup details. 2 Lesson Introduction (10 minutes) Draw the Plague Picture Printables: Print and cut out plague words Small basket or bag the children can select the papers from Whiteboard/marker, chalkboard/chalk, or pad of paper/ marker and easel Minute timer Print and cut the ten plague words. Fold them and put them in the basket/bag. If you don t have a white board or chalkboard, set up a large pad of paper on an easel for this game. 3 Scripture Story (15 minutes) Plagues and Passover 4 Activity (10 minutes) Painting the Door Posts Piece of cardboard large enough so that a 3x 4-foot hole can be cut out of it with at least 6 inches left on 3 sides, and can be propped up against a table (alternatively, tape smaller cardboard rectangles together) Red washable paint in a container with a lid Paintbrushes (1-inch or 2-inch diameter) Towel or newspaper Wet wipes Plastic grocery bag Cut a large piece of cardboard with an open rectangle in the middle; the opening should be about three feet wide and four feet tall. Leave at least six inches of cardboard on three sides so there is plenty of room to paint. See text for additional details. 5 Discussion and Snack (10 minutes) Passover Lamb Animal crackers (Have gluten-free options available for those with allergies.) Napkins 6 Memory Verse (5 minutes) First Peter 1:19a 7 Closing (5 minutes) Printables: Take-home page (one for each child) Make enough copies of the Take-home page for each child. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 3 36 ALIVE

37 Bible BackgrOund for Leader In today s story, God tells Moses that he is going to send a final, tenth plague on the land of Egypt. One night soon, God will slay all the firstborn sons throughout the entire land. But the Lord tells Moses how to protect the children of Israel. They must kill and eat a one-year-old sheep or goat, without any physical flaws and put its blood on the doorframes of the houses where they eat. He gives them rules for preparing the dinner and then tells Moses they must remember these rules and repeat the ritual dinner every year as a feast in honor of the Lord. The angel of death will pass over the homes with blood on the doors. This is the first Passover. Old Testament. When today s story takes place, the children of Israel have been in Egypt for 430 years. During that time, after the kings who knew Joseph had died, the people were enslaved by the pharaohs. But God heard their cries and saw their suffering. He raised up Moses to deliver his people. Shortly before today s story, Moses stands before Pharaoh, demanding the release of the Hebrew people. The Egyptian ruler refuses so God sends one plague after another to humble the king. Yet, after nine plagues, Pharaoh still will not free the people of Israel. God tells Moses that he will send one final, terrible plague on the land of Egypt: every firstborn son will die in the night. But God gives directions to Moses to save his people from this devastation by placing the blood of a flawless lamb on their doors. Jesus. When Jesus began his ministry in Judea, John the Baptist called him the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29 NASB). Jesus was the flawless Passover Lamb who died to save the children of God. His blood protects us from the wrath of God from eternal death itself. As if to underline this connection between Jesus and the Passover lamb, Jesus was hung on a cross and killed during the annual Passover feast, which was eaten to remember God s deliverance of his people. Jesus even used the Passover dinner as a symbol for his sacrificial death: Then Jesus took bread. He gave thanks and broke it. He handed it to them and said, This is my body. It is given for you... In the same way, after the supper he took the cup. He said, This cup is the new covenant in my blood. It is poured out for you (Luke 22:19 20). Jesus died to feed us. His blood was shed to protect us from death and judgment. In both these ways, he gives us life that will continue eternally. The Church and the World. The people of Israel lived in the land of Egypt, a land of sin and false gods. They were enslaved there just as we once were enslaved by sin and its consequences. God, being holy, must judge sin, and pay it back with death. But the Lord has given us a means of protection in fact he has become the means himself. In the Incarnation, God became man in Jesus Christ, who can be our Passover Lamb. His death can both feed us and shield us from God s anger. If we are followers of Jesus, God himself shelters and sustains us. God made the Passover feast an annual dinner as a continual reminder of his goodness. Remembering God s grace and being thankful for his providence is part of the way we grow to be more like Jesus. If we are not followers of Jesus and are outside the protection of his blood, we can find shelter in Jesus by being born again in his Spirit (John 3:5 8). Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 3 37 ALIVE

38 1 WelcOme Activity To Prepare: Clear out a large space on the floor so that two children can tug on opposite ends of a rope and fall without getting hurt. You can place pillows or bean bags to fall on. Use tape to mark a line on the floor in the center between the two sides, and then mark a line on the floor about two feet on either side of that line you will have three lines total. Possibly take this game outside, if weather and space allow. Tie the rope around the stomach of the stuffed animal or doll in the center of the rope so that the children will be pulling on opposite ends, with the doll in the middle. Tug-of-War Say: Good morning, children! Do you remember how the past couple of weeks we ve been learning about a man named Moses? What special way did God talk to Moses in last week s story? (Through a burning bush.) What special thing did God ask Moses to do from the burning bush? (Go to Egypt to command Pharaoh to let his people go.) Why did God s people want to leave Egypt? (Because they were slaves there.) Since they were working as slaves for Pharaoh, the King of Egypt, do you think Pharaoh wanted to let them go? (No.) No way! He wanted the people to stay and keep working for him they were free labor. So, on one side, we have God who wanted his people to be set free and Moses who spoke for him. On the other side, we have Pharaoh who wanted to keep them as slaves. It looks like we re about to have a war! Let s play a game of tug-of-war to get in the mind-set of two sides fighting over something. (Hold up the rope with the doll/animal in the middle.) Let s pretend that this doll is the people of God. I need a volunteer to be Pharaoh and a volunteer to be Moses. (Choose two children.) Instruct Pharaoh and Moses to each hold one end of the rope. Start with the people of God over the center line. When you say, Go! the two children will each pull on their end of the rope, trying to get the people of God across the second line on their side. Whoever gets the people of God across their line wins. Let the other children be judges to shout out when the people of God cross a line. Allow two other children to take turns being Pharaoh and Moses until everyone who wants to play has had a turn, or after about five minutes. Say: In the struggle between God and Pharaoh over the real people of Israel, who do you think will win? That s the story we ll be learning today. 2 LessOn IntrOductiOn To Prepare: Print and cut the ten plague words. Fold them and put them in the basket/bag. If you don t have a white board or chalkboard, set up a large pad of paper on an easel for this game. Guess the Plague Drawing Say: First, we re going to play a drawing game to learn about some of the weapons that God used in this war. As we re drawing these pictures, see if you can figure out how God used these weapons against Pharaoh and the taskmasters of Egypt. Let s take turns selecting a piece of paper without showing anyone Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 3 ALIVE 38

39 else. You ll have one minute to get the rest of the class to guess what s on your paper, but ONLY by drawing you can t say anything! Who wants to go first? Select a child to go first. Allow the child to choose one of the folded pieces of paper from the basket and attempt to draw the plague on the board. Set the timer for one minute, and have the other children try to guess. Help them if needed. Once they guess the word, choose another child to draw the next one until all ten have been guessed. After a word has been guessed, collect the piece of paper for later use. Whoa, those are some strange weapons to fight a war with! Let s take a look at the Bible to find out how God fought this battle and who won. 3 Scripture StOry Plagues and Passover Say: Since Pharaoh was very stubborn, God had to use miracles to show Pharaoh that God was the true King over all the earth. Hold up the slip of paper from the drawing game that says water. The first miracle God did was through Moses. He had Moses turn all the water in Egypt into blood! God showed that he is more powerful than the Egyptian god of the Nile River. But did that convince Pharaoh? Nope, Pharaoh just walked away. He didn t care about the mighty power of God! Hold up the slip of paper that says frog. So then God sent a plague of frogs into the land. There were frogs EVERYWHERE! Pharaoh didn t like that, and so he asked Moses to pray that God would take the frogs away. However, when God had all the frogs die just like Pharaoh asked, Pharaoh still refused to let God s people go. Pharaoh was still stubborn. Hold up the slip of paper that says flea. So then God sent a plague of fleas, or gnats. These tiny bugs got all over everyone and made them itch! Even Pharaoh s magicians agreed that God was more powerful than their gods, but Pharaoh wouldn t listen. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 3 ALIVE 39

40 Hold up the slip of paper that says fly. So then God sent a plague of flies! Huge, black, buzzing flies everywhere. Pharaoh and his people hated the flies, so they asked God to take them away. And he did. But then Pharaoh still wouldn t do what God wanted. Hold up the paper that says cow. This time God sent a plague on the livestock of Egypt. All of the horses, donkeys, camels, cows, sheep, and goats that belonged to the Egyptians died. But STILL Pharaoh wouldn t listen to God! Hold up the paper that says Band-Aid. So God next sent the plague upon the bodies of the Egyptians themselves. He sent a plague of boils on the Egyptians. Has anybody in here ever had chicken pox or a rash that covers your whole body? Boils are red bumps like that, but instead of being itchy, they HURT. All of the Egyptians even Pharaoh himself were covered in painful sores! Do you think Pharaoh listened this time? Nope. He was still stubborn. Hold up the paper that says storm. The next plague was a powerful storm that brought thunder, lightning, rain, and HUGE hail. What is hail? (Allow children to answer.) Yes, hail is when balls of ice fall from the sky. It destroyed the crops in the field, and it tore the leaves off the trees! But still Pharaoh was not swayed. Was it only Pharaoh who was still not convinced? (No, this verse says his officials were also stubborn.) Pharaoh and the Egyptian taskmasters were experiencing miracle after miracle, and yet they still would not listen to God and let his people go. So the tug-of-war continued! Hold up the paper that says grasshopper. The next weapon God used was a plague of locusts. Another name for locust is grasshopper. You don t normally think of a grasshopper as being a powerful weapon, but when they come in a huge swarm, they are scary! The Bible says that God made the wind blow so many locusts into Egypt that the ground was black with them. They filled up people s houses and they ate every single plant in the entire land of Egypt. Even then, Pharaoh still wouldn t let God s people go. Hold up the paper that says dark. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 3 ALIVE 40

41 So God sent a plague of darkness. The darkness was so complete in the land of Egypt that no lamps or candles would work. The Bible says that no one could go anywhere for three days because the darkness was so complete. But still Pharaoh wouldn t listen. God knew that the time had come to bring the tug-of-war to an end, to declare his final victory over Pharaoh and the Egyptian taskmasters. God had given Pharaoh chance after chance to obey him. God used Moses to give Pharaoh one more warning that the last plague would be more terrible than anything he could imagine. Do you think Pharaoh listened? No! Hold up the paper that says angel. The tenth plague was going to be so terrible that God wanted to make sure his people were protected. He gave Moses instructions to tell his people how to be safe. Moses instructed each family of the people of God to take a spotless lamb, kill it, and put its blood on the doorposts of their house. Although they didn t understand what the instructions meant, they knew they needed to obey God, so they did. That night was called Passover. God sent his Angel of Death to each home in the entire land of Egypt. The Angel of Death looked at the doorposts. The Angel of Death didn t enter the homes where the people had listened to his instructions and put the blood of the lamb on their doors he passed over that house. But for all the Egyptians the Angel of Death entered, and the oldest child in each home died. God had finally ended the tug-of-war. No other power, no other king, no other god was a match for him. He freed his people in a way that showed the whole world that God alone is the one true God who rules over all the earth! Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 3 ALIVE 41

42 To Prepare: Cut a large piece of cardboard with an open rectangle in the middle; the opening should be about three feet wide and four feet tall. Make it the right size so that it can lean against the table in your room, as if it were a doorway into the space under the table. Leave at least six inches of cardboard on three sides so there is plenty of room to paint. Keep it leaning somewhere out of the way until it is time for the activity. Put the paint in a bowl with a lid so that you can keep it covered until it is time for use. Have a plastic bag ready to put the used brushes into after the activity. 4 Activity Painting the Doorposts Say: We are going to pretend that we are the people of God before the final plague. What did God command them to do to protect themselves? (Sacrifice a spotless lamb and put its blood on the doorposts of each house.) Everyone stand up and come over here, and make sure you leave your chairs away from the table. Let s pretend we are all a family of Israelites in the land of Egypt. Lean the cardboard doorway against the table, and lay a towel or newspaper underneath it to catch drips. Hold up the bowl of red paint. Say: This is the doorway of our home, and this is the blood of the spotless lamb we have killed. Let s take turns painting the blood on our doorposts. Allow two or three children at a time to take turns dipping the paintbrush into the paint and brushing it on the cardboard. Have wet wipes handy so children can wipe off their hands if they get paint on them. Have the children who have already painted stand back and watch the others. Encourage them to cover all three sides of the doorposts. When all children have had a chance to paint, put the lid on the paint bowl and put the wet brushes inside a plastic bag and set them aside. Use a paper towel or wet wipes to wipe any extra paint drips off the inside edges of the doorway. Say: The people of God painted the blood on their doorposts. Then they went into the house and shut themselves in to eat the meal according to God s instructions. Entering the home the way God commanded them was a symbol that they believed his words and were taking shelter under his promises. They were accepting his protection. Let s crawl through the door and sit under the table inside our home, just like the Israelites did who were sheltering in the safety of God s protection. Encourage the children to carefully crawl through the doorway and sit crosslegged under the table. Bring the snack with you as you are the last one to enter. If any children are uncomfortable going through the doorway or sitting under the table, just allow them to sit on the floor around the table so they can see you under there. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 3 ALIVE 42

43 5 DiscussiOn and Snack Passover Lamb Say: After the people of God entered their homes through the bloodpainted doorway, God instructed them to cook and eat the meat of the lamb they had killed. We re not going to eat lamb meat this morning, but we are going to eat these sheep-shaped and other animal crackers, as a way to remember what the people of God did. Hand each child a napkin or cup to hold in their hands. Ask if any of the children need a gluten-free snack, and distribute animal crackers accordingly onto the children s napkins. While they are eating their snack, ask the following questions: XX When God wanted Pharaoh to set his people free, why do you think he sent ten plagues instead of just going straight to the last one that he knew would make Pharaoh do what he wanted? (God was giving them more and more chances to obey him before he sent the most terrible plagues. He kept sending Moses with warnings to try to get them to listen and obey before it was too late.) XX When it was time for the final plague, who was saved from the Angel of Death? (Everyone who put the blood of a lamb on their doorposts.) XX If some Egyptians had listened to the warnings, do you think they could have been saved, too, by obeying God s instructions and putting the lamb s blood on their doors? (YES! God s salvation is for anyone who believes and will obey.) XX What happened to the lamb? (The lamb had to die. It died in the place of the people in the home, and its blood is what protected them from dying.) Say: Did you know that one name for Jesus is the Lamb of God? Just like the terrible plague on Egypt in which many people had to die, now all of us have another kind of plague called sin. Sin is when we disobey God, and everyone who sins has to be punished. The Bible says that every single person who ever lived sins. Absolutely no one is perfect. But God loves us so much that he sent his Son, Jesus, to die in our place, just like the lamb whose blood saved the Israelites. Jesus was the only person who was perfect he never sinned. That s why he s able to be the perfect lamb and die in our place. Believing in Jesus is like putting his blood on your doorpost and then going into the house. Only by taking shelter in a safe Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 3 ALIVE 43

44 place under the blood of Christ can we be saved from punishment for sin. Only by believing God s warnings and putting faith in Jesus can anyone be saved. 6 MemOry Verse First Peter 1:19a You were bought with the priceless blood of Christ. He is a perfect lamb (1 Peter 1:19a). Write the verse on the whiteboard. Read it together. Erase one word at a time, repeating again and again as a class until they have the verse memorized. 7 ClOsing To Prepare: Make enough copies of the Take-home page for each child. Say: Don t be like Pharaoh, who refused to listen to God s warnings and follow God s instructions for being saved. Instead, choose to be one of God s people by placing yourself under the protection of the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God! Hand out the Take-home page as the children leave. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 3 ALIVE 44

45 water Band-Aid frog storm flea grasshopper fly dark cow angel Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 3 45 ALIVE

46 ALIVE WEEK 3 Live It All WeeK Lower Elementary Take Home Paper for Families What Your Child Learned Today The plagues and the instituting of the Passover were pivotal moments in Israel s history. The Passover is a vivid foreshadowing of Christ in the Old Testament. The children learned how God miraculously delivered his people from slavery and the death-ofthe-firstborn plague afflicting their Egyptian taskmasters. He did this through the blood of a spotless lamb. Just as the Angel of Death passed over the doors marked with lamb s blood, so God s wrath passes over all of us who are under the blood of the perfect Lamb of God, Jesus. God himself has provided for our rescue from sin and death becoming the sacrificial lamb we need to free us. Try This Practice saying this week s memory verse with your child back and forth in segments: You were bought With the priceless Blood of Christ He is a Perfect lamb 1 Peter 1:19a Table Talk X X Start a conversation about how the ten plagues were actually ten chances for Pharaoh to listen to God before he finally struck the devastating blow with the final plague. Ask each member of your family to share about a time when they got a warning. Did they listen to the warning? Or did they ignore it and suffer consequences? Talk about how God gives us warnings, and how it is wiser to listen to warnings and change our ways BEFORE we suffer the hard consequences! Plagues and Passover }} Scripture: Exodus 12:1 14 }} Big Idea: God provided the blood of a lamb to save his people from death in Egypt. This Passover lamb points to the perfect Lamb of God, Jesus, who saves us from sin and death through his blood. }} Memory Verse: You were bought with the priceless blood of Christ. He is a perfect lamb. 1 Peter 1:19 Something Else to Do Visit a farm and talk to the farmer (or use the Internet) to find out what a flawless lamb or goat would look like and why they would be so valuable. Talk about why Jesus is the only perfect lamb who could have died in our place (because he s the only person who never sinned). Talk about ways as a family that God has shown you mercy and forgiveness instead of judgment. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 3 ALIVE 46

47 LOWER ELEMENTARY SUNDAY SCHOOL Year A Fall Week 4 Proper 19, Lectionary 24 SalvatiOn at the Red Sea Exodus 14:19 31 Big Idea: We can put our trust in God. Just as he parted the Red Sea so he also made a way to save us, completely and forever, through Jesus. MemOry Verse: Our God is a God who saves. Psalm 68:20a LessOn Overview The Israelites were trapped; the army of Egypt pressed from behind, the Red Sea stretched ahead. How could they escape? Through the outstretched arm of Moses, the Lord performed a miracle, driving back the waters of the great sea until they stood as walls on either side. The Israelites passed through them on dry land, to freedom. Then the Lord utterly destroyed the most elite fighting force in the world Pharaoh s chariots, horses, and men. That day the Israelites saw the power of God and put their trust in him. God has delivered us from a force greater than the Red Sea from death itself. He provided us with a path to freedom and everlasting life in the miracle of the incarnation. He became man in the form of Jesus to take upon himself the sin of the whole world. Certainly, we can trust him because he has saved us in Jesus, completely and for all time (Hebrews 7:25). Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 4 ALIVE 47

48 1 2 Week 4 Lesson Plan Activity and Supplies To Prepare Welcome Activity (5 minutes) Lesson Introduction (5 minutes) Build a Wall Building supplies for each child Legos, blocks, or even sugar cubes Problem Solving 3 Scripture Story (10 minutes) Salvation at the Red Sea Printables: Egyptian charioteer (full page) 2 small sheets or blankets (preferably blue) Print a copy of the Egyptian chariot. 4 Discussion (10 minutes) Salvation at the Red Sea 5 Snack (10 minutes) Through the Red Sea Graham crackers or large rice cakes one per child Blueberries about 12 per child Plain cream cheese (dairy-free if needed) Another small food item such as M&Ms, raspberries, raisins, chocolate chips, or mini marshmallows 3 per child Music player e.g., phone, computer, CD player Allergy Alert sign For the snack, post the Allergy Alert sign outside the door and make sure to ask parents if their child has any gluten or dairy allergies. 6 Memory Verse Activity (5 minutes) Balloon Toss Inflated balloon Permanent marker For the memory verse activity, inflate a balloon and write on it with permanent marker: Our God is a God who saves. 7 Craft (10 minutes) Our God Saves Collage Printables: Our God is a God who saves. Psalm 68:20 (one for each child) School glue bottle or glue sticks for each child Blue tissue paper (ideally) or blue construction paper 1 sheet per child Markers, crayons, or colored pencils for coloring the printable Print a copy of the printable for each child. 8 Closing (5 minutes) Holy Baptism Printables: Take-home page (one copy for each child) The same sheets/blankets used in the Scripture story For the closing, make enough copies of the Take-home page for each child. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 4 48 ALIVE

49 Bible BackgrOund for Leader In today s story, God s people find themselves in a bad spot trapped by the Red Sea on one side and awaiting Pharaoh s chariots on the other. But the Lord sends his presence (in the form of a cloud) and an angel to block the Egyptian army. Moses stands on the shore of the Red Sea, lifts his hand, and God sends a mighty wind to open a path of dry land through the waters. The children of Israel cross to safety. When the Egyptian army pursues, the Lord traps them in the middle of the waters, blocking them with his pillar of cloud. He calls back the waters and destroys Pharaoh s greatest fighters. Old Testament. Today s story comes after a long period of enslavement in Egypt. Generations before God had sent the sons of Jacob into Egypt to escape a great famine. But one of the Egyptian kings had made them into slaves, and later even the murder of their infant male sons was ordered. But God protected baby Moses from this evil decree and guided events so that he grew up as a prince in the Egyptian royal court. After a time of exile, Moses was sent back to Pharaoh with a message from the Lord: Let My people go. When Pharaoh refused, God sent ten judgments (plagues) upon the nation of Israel. At last, Pharaoh reluctantly released the people of Egypt. As soon as Pharaoh let God s people go, he changed his mind. Who would be his slaves now? Pharaoh commanded his army to go after them! God guided the Israelites to a vulnerable location, backed up against the Red Sea on one side and awaiting Pharaoh s terrifying chariots on the other. The people complained that they would be slaughtered, but the Lord had a purpose in choosing this location for camp: he was going to demonstrate his power and protection over his people. I will gain glory for myself because of what will happen to Pharaoh and his whole army. And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord (Exodus 14:4b). Moses reassured the children of Israel they would be safe, but they must wait until the Lord revealed his plan. Jesus. First John 3:8 tells us that the Son of God came to destroy the devil s work. Jesus came to die to deliver his people from sin and evil. When we become followers of Christ he frees us from sin, just as God delivered his people from Egyptian slavery. But while we live, we still journey to the Promised Land. Along the way, we face tiresome and even frightening challenges. While we must endure obstacles (much like the Red Sea) and dangers (much like the Egyptian chariots), God knows his plans to protect us and help us overcome these trials. In fact, these tribulations are a chance for us to wait and learn to trust in God. God will prove his might and his love for his children for all to see. The Church and the World. The children of Israel had left Egypt, but they had not yet reached the Promised Land. The Church today has been delivered from slavery to sin, but has not yet not reached paradise. As the Israelites were vulnerable to attack, so we remain vulnerable to spiritual attack. Christians around the world are also vulnerable to physical persecution. But just as God had plans to deliver his people from Pharaoh, turning their weakness into his glory, so God protects us and magnifies his name through our weakness. At times, the obstacles of this world appear too great to overcome. The attacks of the devil, our greatest enemy, bear down upon us like a rain of arrows. But the Lord has delivered us through Jesus. God will rescue his children in every age. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 4 49 ALIVE

50 1 WelcOme Activity Build a Wall Give each child a small pile of building supplies and ask them to build two walls together, parallel to each other, so something could pass between them. Give each child a section to work on. Say: People have been building walls for centuries walls of wood, stone, and even baked mud! Walls are easily made from hard, solid objects. Can you imagine building a wall of water? What would make that difficult? 2 LessOn IntrOductiOn Problem Solving Say: What if you had a problem that you needed to solve? I am going to give you some imaginary problems, and you try and think of a way out of these problems. Give the children a scenario and ask them what they would do. XX You accidently walk into some wet concrete and get your feet stuck. XX You go horseback riding with friends, and your horse starts galloping away with you on it! XX You climb a tree to the top and then can t get back down. Say: Good job. You thought of some creative ways out of those problems. But what if there was a problem so big and so challenging that you couldn t think of a single way out? The people of God faced a problem like that in our Bible story today. They couldn t see a single solution. That s when God did something no one could have possibly imagined: He built walls out of water! Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 4 ALIVE 50

51 3 Scripture StOry To Prepare: Print a copy of the Egyptian chariot. Salvation at the Red Sea Spread the two sheets/blankets on the floor, end to end. Say: Our story today comes from the book of Exodus in the Bible. At long last the people of God were leaving Egypt after being slaves there for many years. At first, the king of Egypt (called the pharaoh) said they could leave, but then he changed his mind. If God s people left Egypt, who would work as his slaves? Pharaoh ordered his mighty army to go after the people, capture them and bring them back. He sent his strongest fighting men: his charioteers. Show the printed picture of an Egyptian chariot. The chariots were carts loaded with weapons, pulled by swift warhorses. One soldier drove the chariot while the other shot arrows at the enemy. The pharaoh s charioteers had never been defeated. They were the fiercest army in the world, and now they were after the people of God. The people of God weren t an army trained for battle! They were families children, babies, mothers, fathers, grandparents, uncles, and aunts plodding along together. Their carts moved slowly, loaded down with supplies for the long journey ahead. The people walked alongside their carts with their animals sheep, goats, cattle, and oxen. How could they get away from the mighty Egyptian charioteers speeding toward them? There seemed to be no escape! To make matters worse, the people were stopped at the edge of the Red Sea. Let s pretend these blankets are the Red Sea. The people had been following God himself. He was in a giant cloud pillar that went ahead of the people and showed them where to go. Now God had led his people to a dead end. They were at the edge of a sea too wide and too deep for them to cross. They couldn t turn around the Egyptian army was at their heels. Where could they do? Their problem was big, but God was bigger. God was going to fight for his people. The first thing he did was to move the cloud pillar behind the Israelites so the Egyptian army couldn t see them. Then God sent an angel to block Pharaoh s army from reaching the people. Next, God told Moses, the leader of the people, to raise his hand over the sea. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 4 ALIVE 51

52 Raise your hand over the blankets. God peeled back the water from the Red Sea, making a giant wall of water on the right, and a giant wall of water on the left. Grab one sheet and have a helper grab the other sheet. Hold up the sheets to create a passageway How do you make a wall of water? We don t know because we can t do it, but God made that water in the first place. He made everything in the universe, and it all obeys him. God can rescue us in ways that will surprise us! The people of God walked on dry land between the walls of water. Have the students walk through the walls. They crossed safely to the other side. The charioteers followed the people of God into the Red Sea. The army was coming fast, so God slowed them down. He jammed the wheels of the chariots. He spooked the horses and caused the soldiers to panic. After the last of God s people had crossed the sea, God told Moses to put down his hand. The walls of water collapsed and the sea came back together on top of Pharaoh s charioteers. The mightiest army in the world was swept away in the water. The Lord had rescued his people! The people learned something that day. They learned to respect the Lord he was mightier than Pharaoh s army. They also learned to trust him, because Our God is a God who saves (Psalm 68:20a). 4 DiscussiOn Salvation at the Red Sea XX Why did Pharaoh want the people of God (the Israelites) to come back to Egypt? (To be slaves.) XX Whom did Pharaoh send to capture the people? (His army or his charioteers.) XX How did the Israelites escape the army? (God parted the waters of the Red Sea.) XX How did God make walls of water? (We don t know; it was a miracle!) Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 4 ALIVE 52

53 XX If you ever have a problem, big or small, you can always ask God for help. Fill in the blank. Who is our God? Our God is a God who. (Saves.) XX God saved his people in a very surprising way; no one expected him to divide the sea in half! He has saved us too. Who did God send to save us from our sins? (Jesus.) XX Without Jesus we would be dead in our sin, but because Jesus died for us, we are saved from death, completely and for all time! (Hebrews 7:25) Lead the children in a prayer of thanksgiving, such as the following: Thank you, Father, that you are a God who saves. You saved your people by parting the waters of the Red Sea, and you saved us from our sins. Thank you for Jesus. We know that if we believe in him, we will be saved! We pray in Jesus s name, Amen. 5 Snack To Prepare: Post the Allergy Alert sign outside the door and make sure to ask parents if their child has any gluten or dairy allergies. To Prepare: Inflate a balloon and write on it with permanent marker: Our God is a God who saves. Through the Red Sea Spread a thin layer of cream cheese on a graham cracker or rice cake and give one to each student. Give them a handful of blueberries. Tell them the graham cracker is the Red Sea and the blueberries are the water. They should arrange the blueberries on either end of the graham cracker to show the parting of the waters. They can then place the three small food items (such as chocolate chips) in the center of the graham cracker, as if they are the people of God walking between the walls of water. While the students are assembling/eating their snack, play a hymn or worship song related to God s saving power preferably one they have heard in church. Some ideas include Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah, Through the Red Sea Brought at Last, Our God Saves by Paul Baloche, Beneath the Waters performed by Hillsong, No Longer Slaves performed by Bethel Music, and Mighty to Save performed by Hillsong. 6 MemOry Verse Activity Balloon Toss Get out the balloon. Toss it in the air and say, Our God is a God who When you catch the balloon, say saves (Psalm 68:20a). Tell the children that you will toss the balloon to one of them, and he or she should complete the verse. First, toss each child the balloon while saying Our God is a God who and have him or her catch it and say saves. Next, toss the balloon and say Our God is and have the child catch it and say a God who saves. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 4 ALIVE 53

54 6 Craft To Prepare: Print a copy of the printable for each child. Our God Saves Collage Give each child a printable, some coloring supplies, glue, and a piece of blue tissue paper. Have them rip the tissue paper into small pieces and glue the strips to the word God in an overlapping collage effect. They can then color the remainder of the picture. 7 ClOsing To Prepare: Make enough copies of the Take-home page for each child. Holy Baptism Spread the blankets on the floor again and sit in a circle around them. Say: God saved his people that day by the Red Sea. On one side of the Red Sea, they were known only as slaves. But when they passed through the water and out on the other side, they were no longer slaves they were free people! God had saved them completely. When we are baptized, we celebrate the saving power of God in our lives. We have been saved from death completely and for all time. We are no longer slaves of sin we are free to live a new life! The Bible says, By being baptized, we were buried with Christ into his death. Christ has been raised from the dead by the Father s glory. And like Christ we also can live a new life (Romans 6:4). Let s close our lesson today with this prayer that is often said when someone is baptized. Emphasize the words in bold. We thank you, Almighty God, for the gift of water. Over it the Holy Spirit moved in the beginning of creation. Through it you led the children of Israel out of their bondage in Egypt into the land of promise. In it your Son Jesus received the baptism of John and was anointed by the Holy Spirit as the Messiah, the Christ,to lead us, through his death and resurrection, from the bondage of sin into everlasting life. [Amen.] Thanksgiving over the Water from The Book of Common Prayer Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 4 ALIVE 54

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56 Our God is a who SAVES. Psalm 68:20a Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 4 ALIVE 56

57 ALIVE WEEK 4 Live It All WeeK Lower Elementary Take Home Paper for Families What Your Child Learned Today The Israelites were trapped; the army of Egypt pressed from behind, the Red Sea stretched ahead. How could they escape? Through the outstretched arm of Moses, the Lord performed a miracle, driving back the waters of the sea until they stood as walls on either side. The Israelites passed through them on dry land, to freedom. Then the Lord utterly destroyed the most elite fighting force in the world Pharaoh s army. That day the Israelites put their trust in God. God has delivered us from a force greater than the Red Sea from death itself. He provided us with a path to freedom and everlasting life through the death of Jesus. Certainly, we can trust him because he has saved us, completely and for all time (Hebrews 7:25). Try This Pour a couple of tablespoons of water onto a rimmed plate. See if your child can get the water to separate by placing their hands, palms together in the center of the plate and then pushing the water off to the sides of the plate. No matter how hard they try, they will not be able to create a water free path in the middle of the plate. Remark on God s amazing miracle of parting the Red Sea to create a dry path for his people to escape the pursing Egyptians. Table Talk XXRead the Scripture story from Exodus 14:19 31 as a family. How did God save his people? XXWhy do you think God wanted to save his people in such a dramatic way? X X Our God is strong! He is stronger than. (Everyone should name a strong thing.) X X God also saved us from sin and death in an astounding way. Read John 3:16. Saving his people from the Egyptians didn t cost God anything. What did it cost him to save us? Salvation at the Red Sea }} Scripture: Exodus 14:19 31 }} Big Idea: We can put our trust in God. Just as he parted the Red Sea, so he also made a way to save us, completely and forever, through Jesus. }} Memory Verse: Our God is a God who saves. Psalm 68:20a Something Else to Do The Israelites crossing through the water of the Red Sea is a symbol of baptism passing through the waters from death to life. If your child has already been baptized, retell the story of his or her baptism. When was it? Who was there? Do you have any pictures or mementoes from that day? If your child has not yet been baptized, talk about how baptism is celebrated. What is said during the service? What is done with the water? How does the person being baptized prepare? If you don t know the answer, ask a pastor or deacon. You can also research baptism in the Scriptures. Check out Matthew 3:13 17; Matthew 28:19 20; Acts 2:38; and Galatians 3:27. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 4 ALIVE 57

58 LOWER ELEMENTARY SUNDAY SCHOOL Year A Fall Week 5 Proper 20, Lectionary 25 Manna in the Wilderness Exodus 16:2 15 Big Idea: God s provision of manna for the people of Israel shows us how he would later provide eternal life through his Son, Jesus. MemOry Verse: Then Jesus said, I am the bread of life, whoever comes to me will never go hungry. John 6:35a LessOn Overview The people of Israel left Elim and entered a desert area. Without a source of food and fearing that they might starve, they complained to Moses and Aaron and expressed regret for having left Egypt. God heard their grumbling and showed them his faithfulness and loving-kindness by raining down bread (manna) from heaven each morning and quail for meat each evening. In a similar moment of need, God provided for the multitude that was following Jesus by miraculously feeding them when they had nothing to provide for themselves. Jesus took the opportunity to connect these two miraculous events and reveal that he was sent from God and why to be the bread of life (John 6:35), the true bread from heaven (John 6:32), the One who gives life to the world (John 6:33). God s provision of manna for the people of Israel points us to his provision of eternal life through Jesus Christ, his Son. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 5 ALIVE 58

59 Week 5 Lesson Plan Activity and Supplies To Prepare 1 Welcome Activity (5 minutes) Food Origins Printables: pictures of a large farm and a rocky desert Empty soup can Empty cereal box Empty pasta box Empty fruit or vegetable can Shopping bag Place empty cans and boxes into a shopping bag and print the lesson printables of a large-scale farm and a rocky desert. 2 Lesson Introduction (5 minutes) Review and Preview Printables: Moses and Pharaoh; Israel crossing the Red Sea; Israel gathering manna in the desert Make copies of printables 3 Scripture Story (10 minutes) Manna in the Wilderness Printables: Israel gathering manna in the desert; Jesus and the multitude of 5000 Exotic fruits like lychee or chomchom or pictures of exotic fruits. Purchase an exotic fruit such as a lychee or chomchom. You could also print pictures of exotic fruits, in which case, you will need to slightly change the wording of the lesson. Print a copy of the lesson printables: Israel gathering manna in the desert and Jesus and the multitude of Discussion (10 minutes) Snack (10 minutes) Manna in the Wilderness Baskets of Manna Paper cupcake liners Small white cheese snack crackers (Have gluten-free alternatives.) Plastic spoons Scoop or small measuring cup Bread basket or serving bowl Fruit cups (optional) Allergy Alert sign Empty a box of cheese snack crackers into a bowl or bread basket. Place a small measuring cup or scoop in the basket so the children can serve themselves. Post the Allergy Alert sign outside the door, and ask parents if their children have gluten allergies. 6 Memory Verse Activity (5 minutes) Call Out 3-in. x 5-in. index cards (one for each child) Light-colored markers or highlighters (enough for each child to have 3 different colors) Fine-point markers or pens (one for each child) Prepare a sample memory verse card, and use markers or highlighters to color the verse using three colors of your choice. See text for details. continued on next page Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 5 ALIVE 59

60 Week 5 Lesson Plan Activity and Supplies To Prepare 7 Craft (10 minutes) Bread of Life Bracelet 7 mm (1/4-inch) round lettered beads with 1 mm holes (enough for each child to spell out he is the bread of life ) Elastic beading thread cord or nylon thread for each student to make an 8-inch bracelet Plastic zipper bags one for each student (for storing beads and thread before bracelet is made) Masking tape Make a sample he is the bread of life bracelet. Assemble a craft kit for each child by placing letter beads and elastic thread in small plastic zipper bags. See text for detailed instructions. 8 Closing (5 minutes) Call Out Printables: Take-home page (one copy for each child); two cue cards printed on card stock one card has the phrase Lord, how faithful you are! ; the other, The Lord is everything I will ever need. 2 pieces of card stock 8½-in. x 11-in. for cue card Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 5 60 ALIVE

61 Bible BackgrOund for Leader In today s story, the children of Israel are hungry. They complain to Moses that they cannot find food. In answer, God tells Moses he will send the people meat and bread: When the sun goes down, you will eat meat. In the morning, you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God (Exodus 16:12b). At dusk, quail covered the camp, ready for the Israelites to kill and eat. The next morning, thin flakes appeared on the ground, like flakes of snow. This was manna from heaven. God told Moses to have the people gather enough food for the day, but on the sixth day, they should gather twice as much and prepare it so that they did not need to gather or prepare food on the Sabbath. Old Testament. The people of Israel have been in the desert for a month and a half. God has miraculously freed them from slavery in Egypt by parting the Red Sea to rescue them from Pharaoh s army. They have witnessed God s power to provide. But now, since they have eaten most of the food they brought with them and food is scare in the desert, they are afraid. Instead of trusting God to provide for them again, they complain and grumble to Moses and Aaron. They go as far as to say they wish they had been left to die in Egypt where at least there were pots of meat. Jesus. While Jesus was teaching a large crowd near the Sea of Galilee, the people began to get hungry. A young boy with five loaves of bread and two fish was about to become part of a miracle. Jesus took the boy s small lunch, gave thanks, and began giving pieces of bread and fish to the crowd. The small lunch increased until all five thousand men plus women and children were fed. What s more, after everyone had eaten there were more leftovers than there had been food to begin with! Jesus told those who listened, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry. And whoever believes in me will never be thirsty (John 6:35). Jesus s act of feeding the crowd mirrored God s gift of meat and bread to the Israelites in the desert. But Jesus went farther, explaining, I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh (John 6:48 51 ESV). Jesus s death on the cross was his body broken for us, which we partake of in the Eucharist, or Lord s Supper. He is our bread in the desert. He gives us spiritual life, not just for the here and now, but for eternity. The Church and the World. Jesus taught his disciples to pray this way: Give us today our daily bread (Matthew 6:11). As his followers we should recognize our dependence on God and rely on him to provide everything we need in this life. Jesus came so that we may have life... [and] have it in the fullest possible way (John 10:10). We can endure trials in the knowledge that God will meet our needs not just in the most minimal way possible, but abundantly, both in this life and in our glorious life to come! Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 5 61 ALIVE

62 1 WelcOme Activity To Prepare: Place empty cans and boxes into a shopping bag and print the lesson printables of a large-scale farm and a rocky desert. Food Origins Invite the children to find their places at the table. Place the shopping bag on the table. Begin a brief discussion by asking questions such as the following: Do any of you like to help prepare a meal for your family? Do you ever make your own lunch or breakfast? What must you have to prepare a meal? What do you think is in this shopping bag? Remove each item individually from the bag. Hold the item up, not allowing the children to see that the can or box is empty. Have the children identify the food items. Ask: Would you eat this food for breakfast, lunch, or dinner? What other foods do you like to eat at (breakfast, lunch, dinner)? What other meals might your family be able to make using this food? Return the cans and box to the shopping bag. Ask: Do you ever go shopping for food with your parents? What kinds of food do you buy? Where does all that food come from? That s right, we buy food from stores and markets, but all the food we eat comes from farms. It must be grown or raised because food comes from plants and animals. Show the first visual of a large-scale farm. Hold up the picture so that all the children can see it, tape the visual on the board, or show on a computer screen. Say: Look at how much food is being grown on this farm! Now display the second visual of a rocky Israeli desert. Say: Do you think it would be easy to grow food in a place like this? Why not? (Allow children to respond.) That s right; you cannot very easily grow food in a desert. Plants and animals need water to live and grow. Remove the cans and boxes from the shopping bag again and demonstrate that they are all empty. Say: We were all imagining eating these foods and what we could make with them, but as you can see, we wouldn t be able to use any of these cans or boxes to help us prepare a meal. They are all empty! We live in a country where food can be easily grown. (Point to the large-scale farm visual.) Some of you may even live on a farm or plant a garden at your own home. But what if you lived in a desert like the one in this picture? (Display or point to second visual.) Imagine if all the people in your city had to travel together to find new homes. Imagine that you had to travel through a desert area like this one. Where would you find food? You could bring food with you, but eventually you would run out. That would be very hard, wouldn t it? That s what happened to the people of Israel, and we re going to hear their story today. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 5 ALIVE 62

63 To Prepare: Make copies of printables: Moses and Pharaoh; Israel crossing the Red Sea; and Israel gathering manna in the desert. 2 LessOn IntrOductiOn Review and Preview To review the previous lessons and set the stage for this week s lesson, read the following script, show the corresponding visuals to the class, and allow the children to respond briefly to the questions. Say: Before we read about what happened to the people of Israel, let s remember what we have learned over the past few weeks. Show the visual depicting Moses and Pharaoh. Ask: Who can tell us the names of the two men in this picture? (Allow children to respond.) That s correct! Pharaoh was the Egyptian king who had forced the Israelites to be his slaves. Moses was the leader that God sent to free his people and lead them to a promised land. Tape the first visual to the whiteboard or prop it up. Show visual depicting the crossing of the Red Sea. Ask: What happened after the people left Egypt? How did God help his people? Allow children to respond with Red Sea crossing details. Tape the visual to the board. Then show the visual depicting the people gathering manna in the desert. Say: Look at the people in the picture. They are the same people that God led out of Egypt and the same people that crossed the Red Sea on dry land. What do you think they are doing now? I wonder what they found on the ground. Tape the visual to the board or prop it up alongside the others. Let s listen to the Bible story to find out! 3 Scripture StOry To Prepare: Purchase an exotic fruit such as a lychee or chomchom. You could also print pictures of exotic fruits, in which case, you will need to slightly change the wording of the lesson. Print a copy of the lesson printables: Israel gathering manna in the desert and Jesus and the multitude of Manna in the Wilderness Say: The people of Israel were a very large community. They were on a long journey traveling together to the land that God had promised to give them. They traveled for more than a month and came to a desert. All those people began to get hungry. They had run out of food and wondered where they would find food in the rocky desert. They began to complain to Moses. They grumbled. They were mad at Moses. They said, We wish the Lord had put us to death in Egypt. There we ate all the food we wanted. But you have brought us into this desert. You must want this entire community to die of hunger (Exodus 16:3). The Lord spoke to Moses and told him that he would provide food for the people. Moses told the people that God would give them food in the morning and in the evening. How would God do this? What kind of food would he send? Imagine that you are one of the Israelites. Imagine that you are going to sleep in your tent and you are Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 5 ALIVE 63

64 hungry. Imagine that when you walk out of your tent in the morning, you see thin white flakes spread out across the desert. Point to the visual of the people of Israel gathering manna in the desert. Ask: What do you think the people asked when they saw it? (Allow the children to respond.) That s right, they asked, What is it? Optional exercise: Show the children a piece of an unusual fruit such as a lychee or chomchom. Ask: Has anyone ever seen this fruit before? It is very strange looking, isn t it? It doesn t look like it is very good to eat. Cut open the fruit and show it to the children. You may want to ask if anyone would like to try the fruit. This fruit is actually very good. It tastes sweet, but you would not know that if you had never seen it before or tasted it. You might think it looked too weird to try. That s probably how the people of Israel felt at seeing this strange white stuff on the ground. Let s continue with the story. Moses told them, It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat. The people called the food manna. The Lord told Moses that he would rain down bread from heaven for the people; every morning the manna appeared on the ground. Moses told them to obey God s instructions. He told them to gather enough manna for one day. God would send new food every day, except on the Sabbath. On the day before the Sabbath, they were to gather extra food. God did not want the people to work on the Sabbath. He wanted them to rest and worship. The Israelites probably wondered what the manna tasted like. They had never seen anything like it before. The Bible tells us that the manna was good, like wafers made with honey. Every day the people baked and boiled the manna and used it to make bread and other meals. God also sent them meat to eat. In the evening the people went out and caught quail that God sent them. Quail is a bird sort of like chicken. For forty years, the Israelites traveled through the desert, and for forty years God provided food for them! They never had to worry again about food. God took care of them. He showed them his faithfulness. Does anyone remember another time in the Bible that God provided food for hungry people? Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 5 ALIVE 64

65 Display visual of Jesus and the multitude alongside the visual of the people gathering manna. Many, many years later when Jesus was living on earth, a large group of people followed him to a mountainous area. Just like the people in the desert, these people had been traveling; they had been following Jesus. They were away from their homes, and Jesus knew they would be hungry. The Bible tells us that Jesus asked his disciples, Where can we buy bread for these people to eat? (John 6:5b). One of Jesus s disciples told him, Suppose we were to buy enough bread for each person to have just a bite. That would take more than half a year s pay (John 6:7). Another disciple said, Here is a boy with five small loaves of barley bread. He also has two small fish. But how far will that go in such a large crowd? (John 6:9). The Bible tells us that there were about five thousand men in the crowd. We know there were children, and probably women too. Jesus had the people sit down. He took the loaves of bread and the fish. Jesus thanked God for the food, and God did an amazing miracle. He fed all the people with that tiny lunch! They all had plenty to eat. In fact, there was even food left over! The next day, the people went looking for Jesus. They remembered that long ago God had fed their great-great-grandparents with manna from heaven. Jesus knew that they were following him because he had fed them. Jesus also knew that the people needed something else something more important than food for their bodies. What do you think the people needed? Let the children try to answer for a moment, but don t tell them the answer until later, after the discussion questions. 4 DiscussiOn Manna in the Wilderness Say: Before we talk about that, let s answer some questions about these stories. Then let s find out what is more important than food. XX Where were the people of Israel in our story? (The desert.) XX Where was God leading them? (The Promised Land, Israel.) XX What problem did they have? (No food.) XX How would you feel in a situation like that? (Afraid.) XX How did God provide for them? (Manna and quail.) XX What did the people Jesus fed have in common with the people in the wilderness? (They had been traveling.) Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 5 ALIVE 65

66 XX How did Jesus provide for them? (He multiplied five loaves of bread and two fish.) The people of Israel went through many difficult times. They always needed God to lead, guide, and save them. God was always faithful to them. One of God s prophets, a man named Jeremiah, was also in a very difficult situation. He and the people of Israel were taken captive to a foreign land. It was difficult for them and Jeremiah was sad. But then Jeremiah reminded himself that God is faithful. He praised God with these words: The Lord loves us very much. So we haven t been completely destroyed. His loving concern never fails. His great love is new every morning. Lord, how faithful you are! I say to myself, The Lord is everything I will ever need. So I will put my hope in him (Lamentations 3:22 24). Let s go back to the stories that we just heard. Jesus had something very important to teach the people. He told them, I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never go hungry (John 6:35a). What was Jesus talking about? Jesus explained that he was sent from heaven by God. God sent Jesus to show us how much he loves us! He wants us to love him, and he wants to give us eternal life! Jesus told the people that he was like bread. If you are hungry, bread will fill you up. When we are hungry to know God, Jesus will fill up our hearts. When we come to Jesus, God forgives us our sins, and he gives us his Spirit to live in us. He gives something more important than food; he gives eternal life through Jesus. Do you know that we are just like people in the desert and the people who were following Jesus? Just like them, we need more than food. What else do we need? We need Jesus! He is the one God provided to pay for our sins and give us eternal life! Let s remember what Jeremiah told himself. Read the verse, pausing to allow the children to repeat it, phrase by phrase, using hand gestures if appropriate. Say: Repeat after me: The Lord loves me very much (children echo) (Hug yourself) I say to myself (children echo) (Point to self) The Lord is everything I will ever need. (Children echo) (Point to heaven, make large circle with hands) So I put my hope in him. (Children echo) (Make praying hands over chest) Ask the children to pray with you, something like this: Dear God, thank you for Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 5 ALIVE 66

67 providing for us. Thank you for sending your Son, Jesus. Please forgive our sins and give us eternal life with you. Teach us to trust in you and help us love you more than anything else! Amen. To Prepare: Empty a box of cheese snack crackers into a bowl or bread basket. Place a small measuring cup or scoop in the basket so the children can serve themselves. Post the Allergy Alert sign outside the door, and ask parents if their children have gluten allergies. 5 Snack Baskets of Manna Give each child a bottle of water, fruit snack cup (optional), a spoon, and a paper cupcake liner. Say: The bread that God provided for the people may have resembled these little crackers. What was it called? As I pass the bowl around, scoop some crackers into your paper baskets, like how the Israelites gathered manna to feed themselves and their families. Check to see whether there are children who need the gluten-free alternative. To Prepare: Prepare a sample memory verse card, and use markers or highlighters to color the verse as demonstrated. Use three colors of your choice. Then Jesus said, I am the bread of life, whoever comes to me will never go hungry. John 6:35a 6 MemOry Verse Activity Call Out Say: Our memory verse today is John 6:35a. Do you remember what Jesus said about himself? Have children sit around the table. Give them each an index card, a pen or fine-point marker, and then allow them to choose colored markers. Show them your example. Say: Write the verse on your card, and select three different colors to highlight your verse like my card. The three colors are three segments of the verse. As the children are close to finishing their cards, say: I will read the first highlighted section of the verse aloud. Point to the student on your right. You will call out the second section. Point to the student on your left. You will call out the third section. I will then read the reference. After this first round is finished, select another child in the circle to start the verse by reading the first segment aloud. The child on their right will call out the second segment, and the child on their left will call out the third. Continue until everyone has participated. Complete the game a second time, asking the children to put their cards facedown on the table so they can practice saying the verse from memory. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 5 ALIVE 67

68 Recite the verse from memory as a class. Encourage the children to play the game at the dinner table with their family and to post the memory verse where it can be easily seen and practiced during the week. 7 Craft To Prepare: Make a sample bracelet that says he is the bread of life. Assemble a craft kit for each child by placing the following into a small plastic zipper bag: *Lettered beads: A (1), E (4), I (2), O (1), B (1), D (1), F (2), H (2), L (1), R (1), S (1), T (1) Elastic or nylon beading thread cut into 8 10-inch sections, with masking tape folded over one end of the thread Bread of Life Bracelets Distribute a craft kit to each child. Show the finished product. The children will string the beads provided in their kit to make a bracelet that spells out, he is the bread of life. Assist the children in securely tying the two ends of the bracelet together and trimming off any excess elastic/thread. Do not remove the tape until the bracelet is tied together. Place the finished craft along with their memory verse card in the plastic zipper bag for easy take home. 8 ClOsing Activity To Prepare: Print cue cards on card stock. The first reads, Lord, how faithful you are! ; the second card reads, The Lord is everything I will ever need. Print enough copies of the Takehome page for each child. Call Out Form a circle with the children to play a shortened version of the memory verse activity Call Out. The children will have a chance to acknowledge God as their provider both for their salvation and their daily needs. Say: We are going to play the Call Out game again. This time we will play it a little differently. Pay close attention to the instructions. There are two cards that will help you remember what to say. First listen carefully while I read the verse from Lamentations that we talked about earlier in the lesson. Read aloud from Lamentations 3:23b 24: Lord how faithful you are! I say to myself, The Lord is everything I will ever need. So I put my hope in him. Do you remember this verse? It reminds us that God is faithful and that he is the one who provides for us. He is all we need because only he can give us eternal life. He also provides all the things that we need every day. Let s play the Call Out game again. I ll start the game off. (Hold up the first cue card Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 5 ALIVE 68

69 that reads Lord, how faithful you are! ) This time we will begin by saying aloud Lord, how faithful you are! Ask the person to your right to call out something that God provides, such as, God gives me parents who love me! (Hold up the second cue card). Now, let s say together The Lord is everything I will ever need. Ask the person to your left to call out something else God provides such as, God gives us food. Each time you read the cue cards together, have the next child to the right or left call out something God provides. Play until all the children have had a chance to participate or as time allows. When the children are leaving, have them take home the zipper bags with their bracelets and memory cards, and also distribute a Take-home page to each child. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 5 ALIVE 69

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76 ALIVE WEEK 5 Live It All WeeK Lower Elementary Take Home Paper for Families What Your Child Learned Today The people of Israel left Elim and entered a desert area. Without a source of food and fearing that they might starve, they complained to Moses and Aaron and expressed regret for having left Egypt. God heard their grumbling and showed them his faithfulness and lovingkindness by raining down bread (manna) from heaven each morning and meat (quail) each evening. In a similar moment of need, God provided for the multitude following Jesus by miraculously feeding them when they had nothing to provide for themselves. Jesus took the opportunity to connect these two miraculous events and reveal that he was sent from God and why to be the bread of life (John 6:35), the true bread from heaven (John 6:32), and the one who gives life to the world (John 6:33). God s provision of manna for the people of Israel points us to his provision of eternal life through Jesus Christ, his son. Try This As a family, play the memory game that your child played in class. You can also use the game to memorize other verses together. Copy each verse onto a card for each family member and divide the verse by phrases. Highlight each phrase with a different color. At the dinner table, have one person (the starter) lead by reading aloud the first highlighted phrase. The person to their left will read the second phrase. The person to the starter s right will read the third phrase. Finally, the starter will read the reference, and then call out the name of another person. Repeat the game until everyone has started. Play the game again without looking at the cards. Table Talk Manna in the Wilderness }} Scripture: Exodus 16:2 15 }} Big Idea: God s provision of manna for the people of Israel shows us how he would later provide eternal life through his Son Jesus. }} Memory Verse: Then Jesus said, I am the bread of life, whoever comes to me will never go hungry. John 6:35a Something Else to Do Read the memory verse for the week. Discuss what Jesus meant when he said, I am the bread of life. Bake a loaf of bread together. Or take some stale bread to a pond to feed the ducks/fish. XXRead the Scripture story from Exodus 16:2 15. Discuss how God provided for the people of Israel. Did the Israelites have any way of providing food for themselves in the desert? Do we have any way of providing salvation for ourselves? XXRead John 6:35a. Discuss what Jesus meant when he said, I am the bread of life. X X Encourage your children with the words of Lamentations 3: Discuss the ways God has provided for your family. Why is God everything we will ever need? Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 5 ALIVE 76

77 LOWER ELEMENTARY SUNDAY SCHOOL Year A Fall Week 6 Proper 21, Lectionary 26 Water from the ROck Exodus 17:1 7 Big Idea: Almighty God is always able to provide for our needs. God provides eternal life to us through his Son, Jesus. MemOry Verse: Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35b LessOn Overview In the previous lesson, we learned how God satisfied the Israelites hunger with manna from heaven. This week, the Israelites are in need again. They are thirsty but there is no source of water. God intervenes, commanding Moses to strike a rock with his staff and promising water will flow from the rock. God satisfies his people s thirst through another miracle. Here we see God s faithfulness. Even though the Israelites complained and argued, God was gracious to them. God knew what the Israelites needed, and he knows what we need. God provided water for his thirsty people; he provides forgiveness of sin and salvation for us. In John 6:35 Jesus says, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry. And whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. If we want to live, we need food and water. If we want to live eternally, we need to believe in Jesus! Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 6 ALIVE 77

78 Week 6 Lesson Plan Activity and Supplies To Prepare 1 Welcome Activity (5 minutes) What s in the Backpack? Dark bag or small cardboard box filled with items that one might take on a camping trip (NOT water), e.g., sunglasses, hat, sunscreen A child s lunch-bag or a brown bag stuffed with newspaper and folded closed to look like a packed lunch-bag Backpack Various small rocks or stones, enough for each child to have one. Riverbed stones can be purchased by the bag at craft stores. Prepare a brown lunch-bag (or child s lunch-bag) to look like a packed lunch by putting newspaper inside and folding it closed. Place lunch-bag and the camping items into a large dark bag or cardboard box that the children can t see into. Also place the rocks/stones for the children in the dark bag or box. Do NOT include water. 2 Lesson Introduction (5 minutes) Printables: Picture of a rocky Israeli desert scene. Print out the picture of an Israeli desert scene. 3 Scripture Story (10 minutes) Water from the Rock Printables: Moses (3-inch) Tape or something to prop up the Israeli desert scene picture from the lesson introduction Craft stick or plastic spoon Colored pencils/crayons/markers if you wish to color the Moses puppet Use the 3-inch Moses printable to make a puppet by attaching a cut-out Moses to a plastic spoon or wooden craft stick. 4 Discussion (10 minutes) Water from the Rock 5 Snack (5 minutes Rock or Staff Snack Napkins Cookies or pretzel rods (Have an alternative snack available for those with gluten or dairy allergies.) Allergy Alert sign Post the Allergy Alert sign outside the door and ask parents to notify you if their child has any gluten or dairy allergies: Option 1: Purchase chocolate covered marshmallow cookies or prepare an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie that is mounded to look like a rock. Option 2: Pretzel rods or stick shaped pirouette cookies sold in tins. 6 Memory Verse Activity (5 minutes) Let s Learn John 6:35 Printables: John 6:35 Memory Verse (one card stock copy cut into individual words Photocopy the memory verse and cut it into individual words (the reference is one word). Store memory cards in a container. If you have a large class, make two or more sets of cards. continued on next page Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 6 ALIVE 78

79 Week 6 Lesson Plan Activity and Supplies To Prepare 7 Craft (15 minutes) Tissue Art Printables: Moses striking the rock (one copy for each child) Colored pencils Glue sticks or white glue Torn strips of brown and blue tissue paper For the craft, print out enough copies of the Moses striking the rock printable, and tear small strips of brown and blue tissue paper, enough for each child to cover the dotted lines on the printable. 8 Closing (5 minutes) God Is Printables: God Is... printable; Take-home page (one copy for each child) Copy and cut apart the God Is... printable. Make enough copies of the Take-home page for each child. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 6 79 ALIVE

80 Bible BackgrOund for Leader In today s lesson the children of Israel complain that they do not have water. After leaving the Desert of Sin (no relation to sinfulness ), they enter the land of Rephidim. They are thirsty, frightened, and very angry with Moses so angry that he begins to fear for his life. Moses pleads to the Lord. God tells Moses to strike a rock on Mount Horeb with the walking stick he used to change the Nile River into blood. He was to do this with the leaders of Israel as witnesses. Though the passage doesn t explicitly say that clean water flows from the rock, we know that it did (Nehemiah 9:15). Perhaps this omission is a reminder that we are to be confident God will keep his promises without needing proof (see John 20:24 29). Old Testament. When today s story takes place, God has already rescued his people from slavery. He has brought them safely out of the land of Egypt through the miraculous parting of the Red Sea. He is now leading them to Canaan. He had just provided them with manna and quail for food more miracles. Yet, when they grow thirsty, they still doubt God and put him to the test. Jesus. While traveling though Samaria, Jesus told a woman he met at a well, anyone who drinks the water I give them will never be thirsty. In fact, the water I give them will become a spring of water in them. It will flow up into eternal life (John 4:14). Later, in Jerusalem, Jesus tells the pilgrims who had come to observe a religious festival by drawing water (among other things), Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink rivers of living water will flow from inside them (John 7:37b 38). Jesus is like the rock that Moses struck. Moses used the same staff he used to turn the Nile River to blood a symbol of God s wrath since turning the Nile to blood was a sign of God s anger toward Pharaoh. But when the rock was struck, it produced life-giving water. Similarly, on the cross Jesus became the willing object of God s wrath in order to become our source of life-giving water! The Church and the World. To desert-dwelling cultures, rain and water are symbols of life because lack of water is deadly. Thus, when Jesus says that the Father sends rain on those who do right and those who don t (Matthew 5:45b), he is reminding us that the Father sustains even the wicked. Jesus presents himself as the source of living water, meaning the Holy Spirit who brings a new and sustaining life to God s children. God provided water in the desert to care for the physical needs of his children, but also to remind us that he is the one true source of life, both physical and spiritual. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 6 80 ALIVE

81 1 WelcOme Activity To Prepare: Prepare a brown lunch-bag (or child s lunch-bag) to look like a packed lunch by putting newspaper inside and folding it closed. Place lunch-bag and the camping items into a large dark bag or cardboard box that the children can t see into. Also place the rocks/ stones for the children in the dark bag or box. Do NOT include water. What s in the Backpack? Have the children sit in a circle on the floor or in chairs placed in a circle. Place an opened empty backpack in the middle of the circle. Say: Let s imagine that it is a hot, sunny day and you and your family are going out for a hike and a picnic. I m going to show you some items, and we will take turns packing our backpack for the day out. Show the children the following items in order, taking them out of the dark bag or box that you prepared earlier. As you show each item, choose a volunteer to explain why they think it would be a good idea to bring that item along. Have the child come up and place the item in the backpack. Items: sunglasses, a hat, sunscreen, any other camping items you included, and a packed lunch. Say: Is there anything else that would be important to bring along? You may receive various answers. If no one suggests water or something to drink, prompt them by asking, What if it is a hot day or what if you will be gone for many hours? When someone suggests water, look into your bag/box. Say: You are right, water would be important, but I don t have any! All I have left in this bag/box are rocks. Hand each child a rock and ask them to take their rock with them and find a place at the table. Once all of the children are seated at the table, instruct them to place their rocks in a pile in the middle of the table. To Prepare: For the lesson introduction, print out the picture of an Israeli desert scene from week 5. 2 LessOn IntrOductiOn What s Missing? Say: A few minutes ago, we pretended that we were going out for a hike. We packed a backpack with some things that would be important to take along, but there was one thing missing. What was missing? (Allow a child to answer.) That s right; we didn t have any water to put in our backpack. Ask the children the following questions, allowing them to answer as a group or individually: Do you think that water is important? Why? Can we live without water? Today s story is about a time when the people of Israel traveled through a desert and ran out of water. (Show the children the picture of a rocky Israeli desert scene.) Here is a picture of a desert area in the land of Israel. You may think that a desert is a sandy place. Not all deserts are sandy. This is a rocky desert that is near mountains. All deserts are places where there is very little rain and little water. The Israelites were somewhere like this when they ran out of water! They were frightened and even angry. Let s see what happens. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 6 ALIVE 81

82 To Prepare: For the Scripture story, use the 3-inch Moses printable to make puppets by attaching a cut-out Moses to a plastic spoon or wooden craft stick. 3 Scripture StOry Water from the Rock Tape to the whiteboard or prop up the Israeli desert as a visual. Read Exodus 17:1 7: The whole community of Israel started out from the Desert of Sin. They traveled from place to place, just as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim. But there wasn t any water for the people to drink. So they argued with Moses. They said, Give us water to drink. Moses replied, Why are you arguing with me? Why are you testing the Lord? But the people were thirsty for water there. So they told Moses they weren t happy with him. They said, Why did you bring us up out of Egypt? Did you want us, our children and our livestock to die of thirst? Then Moses cried out to the Lord. He said, What am I going to do with these people? They are almost ready to kill me by throwing stones at me. Move the rocks that the children placed on the table in front of the picture of the desert, piling them up to look like a large rock. The Lord answered Moses. Go out in front of the people. Take some of the elders of Israel along with you. Take in your hand the walking stick you used when you struck the Nile River. Go. I will stand there in front of you by the rock at Mount Horeb. Hit the rock. Then water will come out of it for the people to drink. Move the stick puppet of Moses in front of the rock. So Moses hit the rock while the elders of Israel watched. Moses called the place Massah and Meribah. That s because the people of Israel argued with him there. They also tested the Lord. They asked, Is the Lord among us or not? Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 6 ALIVE 82

83 4 DiscussiOn Water from the Rock Say: Let s review the lesson. Ask each question, pause, and allow the children to answer before reading any of the provided responses. XX Have you ever been very thirsty? XX What if you couldn t find water to drink? What would happen? The people of Israel were very thirsty. In our lesson last week, we read about how God gave the people bread from heaven when they were hungry. The bread he gave them kept them alive. Do you remember what the bread was called? (Let children respond). Yes, manna! This time God gave them water from a hard, dry, brittle rock! Bread from heaven and water from a rock is something that only God can do. When God does something that is not possible for us to do, we call that a miracle. We also learned last week that the Bible described Jesus was talking to a group of people, and telling them that he was the bread of life. He also said that anyone who believes in him will never be thirsty. Would you be able to live without food or bread or water? No, of course not! If we want to live, we need food and water. If we want to live eternally, we need to believe in Jesus! Let s think about what God is like. XX Does God know what we need? (He does! He created us and knows everything about us.) XX Is God able to help us? (Yes, God can do anything! Nothing is too difficult for God.) XX Can we depend on God? (Yes, God is faithful! Even when the people complained and argued, God still helped them. God is always with us.) XX Can we trust God? (Yes, God is good; he always wants what is best for us.) XX Does God love us? (Yes, he sent his Son Jesus to be our Savior. He wants to give us eternal life!) Lead children in a prayer like the following: Thank you, God, for loving us. Thank you that you know everything and can do anything! Thank you that you are a good Father who provides everything we need. Most of all, thank you for salvation and eternal life through Jesus Christ, your Son. We pray in his name, Amen. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 6 ALIVE 83

84 To Prepare: Choose one of these options, and post the Allergy Alert sign outside the door and ask parents to notify you if their child has any gluten or dairy allergies: Option 1: Purchase chocolate covered marshmallow cookies or prepare an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie that is mounded to look like a rock. Option 2: Pretzel rods or stick shaped pirouette cookies sold in tins. 5 Snack Rock or Staff Snack Give napkins and a cookie or pretzel to each child. (Check beforehand to see if any children have allergies and need an alternative snack.) Ask the children if the food reminds them of anything they heard about in today s story. (Either like rocks or like the staff that Moses used to hit the rock.) Say: God made water come from a rock and gave the Israelites the water that they needed to live. God sent Jesus to give us eternal life! 6 MemOry Verse To Prepare: Photocopy the memory verse onto card stock and cut it into individual words (the reference is one word). Store memory cards in a container. If you have a large class, make two or more sets of cards. Let s Learn John 6:35 Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35b Set the memory cards out in order and lead the class in reading it through several times. Scramble the cards and choose a volunteer to put them back into the correct order. If you have a large class, make two or more sets of cards for different groups to assemble. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 6 ALIVE 84

85 To Prepare: Print out enough copies of the Moses striking the rock printable, and tear small strips of brown and blue tissue paper, enough for each child to cover the dotted lines on the printable. 7 Craft Tissue Art Distribute the coloring pages to each child. Give the children five minutes to color the picture of Moses striking the rock. Ask them not to color in the curvy dotted lines that are drawn across the mountains in the background or on the rock in the picture. If time allows, the children may want to trace over the phrase Water from the rock with colored pencils. Have each child write their name on the back of their paper. Show them how to lightly apply glue to the lines on the mountains and rock in the picture, as well as the flowing water. Give each child pre-torn strips of brown and blue tissue paper. The children should glue the brown tissue paper along the dotted lines and the blue tissue paper on the water to create texture. Set the papers aside and allow the glue to dry before the children leave. 8 ClOsing To Prepare: Copy and cut apart the God Is... printable. Make enough copies of the Take-home page for each child. God Is... Have the children stand in a circle or in a line. Hand each child a God Is card. Say: Our lesson today taught us that God knows what we need. We also learned that God can be trusted. He is a great God, and there is no one else who can do what God can do! He can provide for us, and he can give us eternal life when we believe that Jesus is our Savior. I am going to pass out 16 strips of paper. (If you have less than 16 children in your class, give some children 2 cards; if you have more than 16 children, distribute the cards evenly around the circle and read through the cards more than once so that each child has a chance to read.) Written on each slip are true words about God. Let s take turns reading out loud and encouraging one another to trust in our great God. Go around the circle and have each child read their phrase out loud. If time allows, have the children pass their slip to the right and go through the circle reading them again. If time allows, lead the class in singing, Trust and Obey. Have the children take home their Tissue Art coloring pages, and give each child a Take-home page as they are leaving. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 6 ALIVE 85

86 Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 6 ALIVE 86

87 Whoever in will be believes me never thirsty. John 6:35b Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 6 ALIVE 87

88 Water from the rock Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35b Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 6 ALIVE 88

89 1. God is holy 2. God is love 3. God is wise 4. God is faithful 5. God knows everything 6. God is just 7. God is everlasting 8. God is good 9. God is all-powerful 10. God is invisible 11. God never changes 12. God is in control 13. God is true 14. God is merciful 15. God is patient 16. God is forgiving Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 6 ALIVE 89

90 ALIVE WEEK 6 Live It All WeeK Lower Elementary Take Home Paper for Families What Your Child Learned Today In last week s lesson, the children learned how God satisfied the Israelites hunger with manna from heaven. This week, the Israelites are in need again. They are thirsty, but there is no source of water. God intervenes, commanding Moses to strike a rock with his staff and promising water will flow. In this story we see God s faithfulness in providing for his people. Even though the Israelites complained and argued, God was gracious to them. God knew what the Israelites needed, and he knows what we need. God provided water for his thirsty people; he provides forgiveness of sin and salvation for us. In John 6:35 Jesus says, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry. And whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. If we want to live, we need food and water. If we want to live eternally, we need to believe in Jesus! Try This Write the memory verse with each word on a separate piece of paper. Mix them up and then work together to put them in order. After you put it together, ask the children to retell Exodus 17:1 7. Table Talk XXRead the Scripture story aloud as a family from Exodus 17:1 7. Discuss how God provided for the people in the desert. XXThe people of Israel were very thirsty and began to argue and complain. Think of a time when you or your child argued and complained. Discuss how this does not show trust in God, but also remember that even when the Israelites complained, God still provided for them. X X Read Philippians 2:14 together. (With older children you may want to read Philippians 2:1 16.) Encourage your child that God is at work in them. Encourage them to love and obey God because he can be trusted. Remind your children of what God is like. He knows everything! He is loving, compassionate, and strong. He is able to do anything, and we can trust him. Water from the Rock }} Scripture: Exodus 17:1 7 }} Big Idea: Almighty God is always able to provide for our needs. God provides eternal life to us through his Son Jesus. }} Memory Verse: Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35b Something Else to Do Have each person put a little bit of salt on their tongue. Wait and see how long it takes until you feel thirsty. Before you get water, talk about how the Israelites felt this thirsty or worse in the desert really thirsty! Is it harder to trust God when we are in great need? Why? Now have everyone drink some water. Ah! That feels great. Jesus says he is living water and those who believe in him will never thirst. Discuss what kind of thirst Jesus satisfies the thirst of our souls. What does this mean? How does Jesus quench this thirst? Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 6 ALIVE 90

91 LOWER ELEMENTARY SUNDAY SCHOOL Year A Fall Week 7 Proper 22, Lectionary 27 Sinai and the Ten COmmandments Exodus 20:1 4, 7 9, Big Idea: The law teaches us how we can love God and love others, because God first loved us! MemOry Verse: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your mind. Matthew 22:37 LessOn Overview God gives the Israelites the Law words for the children of God to live by. Once again, God has proven himself to be a good Father; he personally spells out what is right and wrong for his children. Today s Scripture focuses on the Ten Commandments, which fall neatly into two categories: those that focus on God and those that focus on others. Jesus himself summed up the Law in Matthew 22:37 40: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your mind. Love your neighbor as you love yourself. We are able to love God and other people only because he first loved us (1 John 4:19). Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 7 ALIVE 91

92 1 2 Week 7 Lesson Plan Activity and Supplies To Prepare Welcome Activity (5 minutes) Lesson Introduction (5 minutes) Mountain of Tens Building supplies, such as Legos, blocks, cups (10 per child) House Rules 3 Scripture Story (15 minutes) Printables: God enclosed with a heart; Others enclosed with a heart; Ten Commandments cut out 10 envelopes or paper lunch-bags Shoebox with lid or large bag Cut out the Ten Commandments. Place each one in an envelope or paper lunch-bag. Number the envelopes/bags one to ten, corresponding to the commandment number. Put the two signs ( Love God and Love others ) in the shoebox (or large bag). 4 Discussion (5 minutes) Sinai and the Ten Commandments 5 Snack (10 minutes) Pomegranate Juice and/or Pomegranates Pomegranate juice (or water) Cups for drinking Pomegranate to eat, and one to display, if available 6 Memory Verse Activity (5 minutes) Chant and Motions 7 Craft (10 minutes) Love God Yarn Art Printables: GOD in the center of a heart, one per child, copied on card stock if possible Yarn, any color, but red is optimal (thick yarn works best) School glue bottles, one per child (or they can share) Scissors, one per child (or they can share) Markers (optional) Cut three 12-inch lengths of yarn for each child. Bring a skein of yarn to class in case some children need a few more pieces. Copy the printable with GOD in the center of a heart onto card stock for each child. 8 Closing (5 minutes) For You Alone Circle Printables: Take-home page (one for each child) For the closing, make enough copies of the Take-home page for each child. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 7 ALIVE 92

93 Bible BackgrOund for Leader In today s lesson God calls Moses up onto Mount Sinai, apart from the people of Israel. He gives Moses Ten Commandments, which summarize his moral law. When God s presence descends upon the mountain, thunder rumbles and lightning flashes! Smoke billows from the top. The sights and sounds frighten the people of Israel, but Moses calms them. He tells them not to fear: God wants you to have respect for him. That will keep you from sinning (Exodus 20:20). Old Testament. The children of Israel lived peacefully in Egypt until they were enslaved by an evil Pharaoh. In their darkest hour, God prepared Moses as a prophet and sent him to deliver his people from the Egyptian king s clutches. The Lord sent miraculous plagues to humble Pharaoh and guided his people safely through the Red Sea to the base of Mount Sinai. He commanded the children of Israel to cleanse themselves and set apart the mountain as a sacred place. This is the mountain upon which God met Moses and delivered the Ten Commandments. Jesus. Jesus came to fulfill the Law, not destroy it. He lived in harmony with God and others by living in obedience to God s moral law. He also helped to better explain the Law to us. For example, the Commandments against actions such as murder and adultery can also be violated by our motives and attitudes, such as hate and lust (Matthew 5:21 22, 27). Thus, the Law goes deeper than surface action it is a matter of the heart. Jesus also explains that the Commandments are meant for our good (Mark 2:27) and that the entire Law can be summarized by two basic commands: Love God and love your neighbor. Most of all Jesus knew that we could not fulfill the Law. He came to fulfill it for us by living a sinless life, dying to meet the demands of the Law, and giving us his perfect righteousness and life in place of the Law s penalty of death. The Church and the World. At Mount Sinai, God showed his people how to love him and love our neighbors. He taught us how to love him this way: Do not put things ahead of God, do not make idols to try to capture or control or diminish God, and do not misuse the name of God. He gave us commands that combine loving God and loving our neighbors, such as keeping the Sabbath day to rest and honor God and letting those who work for us do the same and honoring our parents. He taught us how to better love and value our neighbors: Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not lie, and do not be hungry for anything our neighbor owns. Today we may not see thunder and lightning on a sacred mountaintop as a reminder of God s power. We must remember the other ways God has taught us to love, fear, and respect him, to help keep us from sinning the Ten Commandments. We ought to petition God for the help of his Holy Spirit in learning to apply his commands to better love him and our neighbors. But chiefly, we must remember that the Law is ultimately a tutor that shows us our need for God and his forgiveness. Those who trust in Christ are no longer made righteous by following the Law, but through faith in Jesus and his atoning death (Galatians 3:24 25). Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 7 93 ALIVE

94 1 WelcOme Activity Mountain of Tens Give each of the children ten of some kind of building supply: large Legos, blocks, or even plastic cups. Say: Our lesson today has something to do with the number ten and a mountain. You each have ten Legos/blocks/cups. Can you work together to build a mountain? 2 LessOn IntrOductiOn House Rules Say: What are some of the rules at your house? (Answers may include finishing dinner before dessert, going to bed at a specific time, doing chores, etc.) Now imagine this: your parents decide there won t be any more rules. What would you eat for dinner? (Allow answers.) What would you do all day? (Allow answers.) What time would you go to bed? (Allow answers.) If there were no rules, you might eat chocolate cake for breakfast, stop brushing your teeth and taking baths, and stay up late every night watching TV. This might be fun for a while, until you start to get sick from all the junk food, smell from not cleaning yourself, and feel tired and cranky from the lack of sleep. The rules your parents have for you are there to help you lead a good life. God is our heavenly Father. Today, we will learn about the rules he gave to his children because he loved them and wanted them to have a good life. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 7 ALIVE 94

95 To Prepare: Cut out the Ten Commandments. Place each one in an envelope or paper lunch-bag. Number the envelopes/bags one to ten, corresponding to the commandment number. Put the two signs ( Love God and Love others ) in the shoebox (or large bag). IM- PORTANT: Hide the envelopes/ lunch-bags around the room before the students arrive. Do not hide the shoebox/large bag. 3 Scripture StOry Sinai and the Ten Commandments The leader should sit by the shoebox (or bag) with the signs ( Love God and Love others ) inside. Say: The people of God, the Israelites, had been in the desert for three months. God, their good Father, had been taking care of them giving them food from heaven every day and leading them on their way to the Promised Land. Now the people were camped at the bottom of Mt. Sinai waiting to hear from God. The presence of the Lord was dwelling on the mountain, covering it with thick smoke. Flashes of lightning cut through the air, thunder boomed, and the mountain itself trembled. God had a message for his people. He gave them ten rules Ten Commandments to follow. I have hidden these commandments around the room. Let s try to find them. Have the students search for these. Then ask them to line the envelopes/bags up in order Have a student open the first bag: Put God first. Show it to the children. Ask them to say it with you: Put God first. (For the following commands, the leader or a child may pull it out of the envelope and read it aloud, showing it to the other children. The children should repeat each commandment aloud.) The first commandment is to put God first. The Israelites had come from Egypt, where Egyptians worshiped many false gods. God didn t want his people to worship any god other than him. Pull out the second commandment: Only worship God. Have them say it with you. God did not want his people to bow before statues or pictures of other gods. They should only worship him. Pull out the third commandment: Honor the name of the Lord. Have them say it aloud: Honor the name of the Lord. Honor the name of the Lord. We can honor the name of the Lord by only using it when we are talking to him or about him. Pull out the fourth commandment: Rest on the Lord s day. Have the children repeat it. Rest on the Lord s Day. What does this mean? God made the world in six days, and on the seventh day, he rested. So we take one day out of the Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 7 ALIVE 95

96 week (mention Sunday if this is your church day), and we rest on that day too. This is a day we set apart for the Lord. We go to church, we sing praises to God, we read our Bible, and we rest. Pull out the fifth commandment: Honor parents. Ask the children to repeat it with you: Honor parents. Honor your parents. Listen to them. Obey them. Talk to them in a kind and respectful way. Pull out the sixth commandment: Don t hurt people. Have the children say it aloud with you. Don t hurt people. Be kind to others. Pull out the seventh commandment: Keep wedding promises. Have the children repeat it with you. Keep wedding promises. When two people get married, they make promises to each other and before the Lord. They should keep those promises. Pull out the eighth commandment: Don t steal. Have the children say it aloud. Should you take something that doesn t belong to you? Of course not! The eighth commandment is Don t steal. Pull out the ninth commandment: Don t lie to other people. Have children repeat it. Don t lie to other people. As God s children, we should tell the truth. Pull out the tenth commandment: Don t be jealous of what other people have. Have the children say it together. God gives you everything you need. Be thankful for what you have been given. Don t be jealous of what other people have is the tenth commandment. Get out the shoebox/bag. Now let s put all the commandments into the box. Mix the cards around. Which one of these commandments is the most important one, do you think? (Give the children a chance to guess.) Would you like to hear Jesus s answer? Here s what Jesus said. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your mind. This is the first and most important commandment. And the second is like it. Love your neighbor as you love yourself (Matthew 22:37 39). More simply, what did Jesus say? Pull out the Love God sign. He said to love God. That s the greatest commandment. He also said this: Pull out the Love others sign. Love others. Was Jesus giving new commandments? No he was summing up the Ten Commandments God had given to Moses. Every one of the Ten Commandments helps us either love God or love others. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 7 ALIVE 96

97 4 DiscussiOn Sinai and the Ten Commandments XX Why do parents have rules for their children? (Because they love them and want them to have a good life.) XX Why do you think God gave his children the Ten Commandments? (Because he wanted to show them how his people are supposed to live.) XX What is a way that you can honor your parents? XX What is something your family does on the Lord s Day? XX Have you ever broken a commandment lied, disobeyed, or been jealous? We all have. The only one who ever lived a life without sin is Jesus. When you do break a commandment and sin against the Lord, you don t have to worry that God will stop loving you. The Bible says that God loved us so much that he sent his Son Jesus to save us from our sins. To be forgiven, all we have to do is to believe in Jesus that means trusting him to forgive us and save us. (John 3:16) This is a good time to pray with the children and model a forgiveness prayer. Something like: God, we know that we have disobeyed you and broken your commandments. We are sorry for our sins. We believe that Jesus died for us, and we trust him to forgive us and make us clean. Thank you for loving us, Lord. Amen. 5 Snack Pomegranate Juice and/or Pomegranates Say: God gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments. He also gave detailed instructions to the people about how to worship him he even spelled out what the high priest should wear in the temple! The trim of his robe should have a fruit embroidered on it the pomegranate. Why? Some say the pomegranate is a sign of righteousness; others believe it was a fruit from the Garden of Eden. Jewish tradition says the pomegranate is a symbol for the Law that God gave his people. The Law includes the Ten Commandments that we learned today. Show the open pomegranate if you have one. Say: A pomegranate is a reddish-pink fruit filled with hundreds of seeds, call arils. Each seed has a red and juicy flesh. You can even squeeze the juice from these seeds. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 7 ALIVE 97

98 Set an empty cup before each child. Have an empty cup yourself and the bottle of pomegranate juice. Say: Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your mind (Matthew 22:37). How can we love God more? The Bible tells us we love because he first loved us (1 John 4:19). Hold up your empty cup. Imagine this cup is your heart. We don t have love for God on our own. Pour juice from the bottle into your cup until it is mostly full. It s God who pours love into our hearts and fills them up. Now we have love to give back to him! Pour some juice from your cup back into the bottle. Because we are filled with God s love we can share that love with others. Fill everyone s cup with juice from the bottle. 6 MemOry Verse Activity Chant and Motions Have the children repeat the verse and motions after you several times. Then say it all together a couple times. Love the Lord your God (touch thumb to forehead, fingers outstretched, palm outward This is American Sign Language (ASL) for Father ) With all your heart (make a heart with your two hands) And with all your soul (cross hands over chest) Love him with all your mind. (point to your temple) Matthew 22:37 (open hands like a book) Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 7 ALIVE 98

99 To Prepare: For the craft, cut three 12-inch lengths of yarn for each child. Bring a skein of yarn to class in case some children need a few more pieces. Copy the printable with GOD in the center onto card stock for each child. (This project will also work on regular copy paper.) 7 Craft Love God Yarn Art Say: The greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. Let s make a picture to remind ourselves of that. Hand each child a copy of the picture of a heart with GOD inside, a bottle of glue, and a pair of scissors to trim the yarn to the desired lengths. Each child can trace the heart and words with the glue bottle and lay pieces of yarn overtop. If the yarn is a thin variety, laying two pieces side by side may work better. You can let children decorate inside the heart with markers. 8 ClOsing To Prepare: For the closing, make enough copies of the Take-home page for each child. For You Alone Circle Say: There is a song called Gloria that has been sung in church services for hundreds of years. The words may be sung or spoken. It echoes the first few commandments: Put God first, only worship God, and honor the name of the Lord. Let s hold hands in a circle. I will say a line of the song, and you repeat it. Then we will pass a hand squeeze around the circle. Say one line and have the children repeat it. Then send a hand squeeze around the circle. When it returns to you, repeat the process with the next line. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen. (from Holy Eucharist: Rite II) As the children leave pass out their Take-home pages, and make sure they take their craft. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 7 ALIVE 99

100 1 Put God first 6 Don t hurt people 2 Only worship God 7 Keep wedding promises 3 Honor the name of the Lord 4 Rest on the Lord s Day 5 Honor parents 8 Don t steal 9 Don t lie to other people 10 Don t be jealous of what other people have Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 7 ALIVE 100

101 Love God Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 7 ALIVE 101

102 Love Others Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 7 ALIVE 102

103 Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 7 ALIVE 103

104 ALIVE WEEK 7 Live It All WeeK Lower Elementary Take Home Paper for Families What Your Child Learned Today God gave the Israelites the Law: words for the children of God to live by. Jesus himself summed up the Law in Matthew 22:37 40: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your mind. Love your neighbor as you love yourself. We are able to love God and other people only because he first loved us (1 John 4:19). Try This Jesus summed up the Law by saying that the greatest commandment is to Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your mind (this week s memory verse), and that the second greatest is Love your neighbor as you love yourself. Your children learned these as: Love God and Love others. Find places where you can leave a sticky note with one of those phrases Love God or Love others (e.g., on the fridge door, on the washer, on your child s bedroom door, by the place you leave your keys, or inside the silverware drawer). In so doing you will keep my words in your hearts and minds (Deuteronomy 11:18). Table Talk XXThe third commandment is Do not misuse the name of the Lord (Exodus 20:7). The positive command is Honor the name of the Lord. Research online the different names of God and what they reveal about his character. Some examples to get you started: Holy Spirit, Messiah, Emmanuel, Yahweh/Jehovah, Jesus Christ, Comforter, Abba. XXThe fifth commandment is Honor your father and mother (Exodus 20:12). Remind your child of a time when they honored you (e.g., obedience, gift or drawing, time when they spoke kindly). Have everyone share an example of how they have honored their parents. X X The tenth commandment is Do not want to have anything your neighbor owns (Exodus 20:17). The positive command is to be content. Talk about what you are thankful for. Sinai and the Ten Commandments }} Scripture: Exodus 20:1 4, 7 9, }} Big Idea: The law teaches us how we can love God and love others, because God first loved us! }} Memory Verse: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your mind. Matthew 22:37 Something Else to Do Set two targets on the floor, one for each category (laundry baskets or hula-hoops work well). Go through the Ten Commandments in random order. As you figure out which category each commandment falls into Love God or Love others take turns tossing a beanbag, or even a balled-up sock into the correct target. If you make it into the target, you get a point! Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 7 ALIVE 104

105 LOWER ELEMENTARY SUNDAY SCHOOL Year A Fall Week 8 Proper 23, Lectionary 28 The GOlden Calf Exodus 32:1 14 Big Idea: God leads us to worship him. Because of Jesus s sacrifice, we can stand before God. MemOry Verse: Then the Lord took pity on his people. He didn t destroy them as he had said he would. Exodus 32:14 LessOn Overview The people of Israel were uneasy; Moses had been gone too long on Mt. Sinai. In their fear they made a terrible decision: to make a lifeless idol and worship it. God leads us to worship only him he goes into great detail with Moses about how the people can come before him. God was righteously and justly angry at the Israelites sin, but he heard the prayer of Moses and took pity on his people. He kept his promise to go with them to the Promised Land (Exodus 6:6 8). The Lord is gracious and full of love so much so that he sent his only Son to pay the penalty for our sin. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 8 ALIVE 105

106 Week 8 Lesson Plan Activity and Supplies To Prepare 1 Welcome Activity (5 minutes) Foil Animals Roll of aluminum foil Pipe cleaners, any color (1 or 2 per child) Scissors Tear off a sheet of foil for each child (roughly in the shape of a square). Cut the pipe cleaners in half. You may wish to make a model animal for the children to see. 2 Lesson Introduction (5 minutes) Idol Buzzer 3 Scripture Story (10 minutes) Printables: Golden calf; Israelites with a large X over them; Moses kneeling in prayer; Then the LORD took pity on his people written inside a heart 4 paper lunch-bags, labeled 1, 2, 3, 4 Black marker Print and cut out the four printables. Label the paper bags with a marker: 1, 2, 3, and 4. Put the golden calf in the bag labeled 1. Put the group of Israelites marked with an X inside the bag labeled 2. Put Moses in bag 3. Put the Scripture, The Lord took pity in bag 4 4 Discussion (5 minutes) The Golden Calf 5 Snack (5 minutes) Snack food of your choice. (Remember to take into consideration gluten or dairy allergies.) Allergy Alert sign. 6 Memory Verse Activity (5 minutes) Chant and Roll Balls, like tennis balls, baseballs, basketballs (one for every 2 children) 7 Game (10 minutes) Leader Says 8 Craft (10 minutes) Printables: Cube template (one card stock copy per child). (Template is a large cross to cut out. The cross is made of 6 squares that, when folded and taped together, make a cube.) Crayons Clear tape Safety scissors for each child 9 Closing (5 minutes) Eucharistic Prayer Printables: Take-home page (one for each child) Make enough copies of the Take-home page for each child. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 8 ALIVE 106

107 Bible BackgrOund for Leader Today s story takes place after the Israelites had beheld many miracles on their journey out of Egypt toward the Promised Land. They had witnessed the ten plagues God sent to Pharaoh to convince him to let God s people go. They had crossed the Red Sea on dry ground, tasted bitter water turned sweet, eaten manna from heaven, and quenched their thirst with the water from a rock. All these miracles God performed at the hands of his servant Moses. But in today s story the people seemingly forget these miracles and turn their backs on Moses. Impatient for Moses to return from Mt. Sinai where he had gone to meet with God, they demanded a god they could see and touch, and a leader who would give in to their demands. Old Testament. The Old Testament presents the journey toward the Promised Land as the end of the exile that was imposed on the disobedient first family of Adam and Eve. This Promised Land of milk and honey (rich resources) was first promised to Abraham, his son Isaac, and his grandson Jacob. Now the descendants of Jacob (also called Israel) have been released from slavery under Pharaoh and are being led by Moses through the wilderness toward the Promised Land. Repeatedly in this journey, the Israelites have grumbled and complained to Moses, only to have Moses call out to God and God show mercy. In today s story their complaining turns to full-scale rebellion as the Israelites, tired of waiting for Moses, demand a new god. Moses s brother Aaron complies and fashions a golden calf. Though God could righteously reject this nation that had sworn to uphold his covenant and then broken it, God once again shows mercy. Moses intercedes, beseeching God to go with them into the Promised Land. Moses s plea shows not only how much he cares for the rebellious Israelites, but also that he desires God s glory above his own Moses refuses God s offer to make him a nation instead of Israel. Perhaps this was Moses s test to put God s glory and the love of the people he leads above his own advancement. Jesus. The Old Testament journey of God s people from slavery in Egypt into the Promised Land is a foreshadowing of an even greater exodus: the sinner s release from slavery to sin into the promised land of heaven. That exodus comes only through the atoning death of Jesus Christ, foreshadowed in the sacrifice of the Passover lamb before Israel was released from its slavery in Egypt. As God spoke in the Ten Commandments, You shall have no other gods before me (Exodus 20:3 ESV), so Jesus reiterates, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me (John 14:6). The God of the Bible Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is the one true God, and the only one we should worship. The Church and the World. Idols do not save, whether Old Testament idols of gold and wood or modern idols of money and power. The God of the Bible is the only true God and, as such, deserves our worship. As sinful people we cannot approach God. In the Old Testament only priests could approach God s presence, and only after the blood sacrifice of animals. But it was not these sacrifices that saved them. They were mere symbols of the coming sacrifice by God of his own Son, Jesus Christ, which would wash away sin and tear the veil that shrouded God s presence from us. Now any sinner washed in Christ s blood is invited to approach the throne of God without fear, but with boldness (Ephesians 3:12). Why did God make such a great sacrifice? Because, as God said to Moses on Mt. Sinai, I am the God who is tender and kind. I am gracious. I am slow to get angry. I am faithful and full of love (Exodus 34:6b). Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week ALIVE

108 1 WelcOme Activity To Prepare: Tear off a sheet of foil for each child (roughly in the shape of a square). Cut the pipe cleaners in half. You may wish to make a model animal for the children to see. Foil Animals As the children enter, ask them to crumple and mold the aluminum foil into an animal of their choosing. They can wrap pipe cleaners around the foil body for arms, legs, necks, tails, etc. Limit them to a few pipe cleaners each. Say: You can make any animal you choose, like a snake, a dog, a panda, or a made-up animal. After a couple minutes, set all the animals in the middle of the table. Say: Now let s watch and see what these animals do. (Wait a few seconds.) So far, they aren t doing anything interesting. Let s wait a little longer. Maybe they need to warm up a bit. OK, go. (Wait a little bit more.) What is wrong with these animals? Why aren t they doing anything? (Children chime in with answers like, they aren t alive, they are made of foil, they aren t real, etc.) Today we are going to find out what happened when God s people made a lifeless, do-nothing animal statue. 2 LessOn IntrOductiOn Idol Buzzer Say: Do you remember last week s lesson about the Ten Commandments? God, through Moses, gave his people detailed instructions about how to worship him. This is the second commandment: Do not make for yourself statues of gods that look like anything in the sky. They may not look like anything on the earth or in the waters either. Do not bow down to them or worship them (Exodus 20:4 5a). So the people are not to make an idol that s a statue to worship of any creature that looks like anything in the sky, land, or water. That means no birds, no fish, no animals of any kind. Got it? Now I am going to ask you some questions about idols. If you think the answer is no, cross your arms in front of you like a giant X and make the sound of a buzzer. Let s try that. Do a quick demonstration of the gesture and sound. Spoiler alert: The answers to all of these questions will be no! Just don t tell the children this. Should I make and worship an idol of a bat a really big one with giant wings? What about a regular-sized bat? If that is still too big, what about a miniature bat the size of my pinky fingernail? Let s try something more mysterious. Should I worship an idol of a dragon? A pink dragon? A blue dragon? Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 8 ALIVE 108

109 OK, no dragons. How about something more harmless, like a sheep. Should I worship a sheep? What if the sheep were really cute, like a fluffy white lamb with big round eyes? Is that not cute enough? What about a kitten? Maybe you prefer puppies to kittens. I ll try one last time. Should I worship the idol of a puppy? You all know your commandments! God says we shouldn t worship any manmade, lifeless idol. That s sin. We worship God alone. Let s find out what happened when the people of God decided to build an idol and worship it. That sounds like a really bad idea, doesn t it? To Prepare: Print and cut out the four printables. Label the paper bags with a marker: 1, 2, 3, and 4. Put the golden calf in the bag labeled 1. Put the group of Israelites marked out with an X inside the bag labeled 2. Put Moses in bag 3. Put the Scripture The Lord took pity in bag 4. 3 Scripture StOry The Golden Calf Sit in front of the children with the Bible on your lap. Set bags 1, 2, 3, and 4 on the table. Say: These are mystery bags. They provide clues about what happens in our story. I will tell you when you can pull out what is in the bag. This story is found in the book of Exodus in the Bible. Just before this Moses had disappeared up the mountain to talk to God, and the people of God didn t know when he would come back. The mountain was covered in smoke because the presence of the Lord was on the mountain (Exodus 19:18). The people were scared of it. The truth was that the people were tired of serving such a big God. They wanted to worship something like the gods of Egypt a smaller god, something that they could see and touch. So they decided to make something. Let s see what is in Mystery Bag 1. Allow a child to pull out what s in the bag. What is it? (Let children respond.) It s an idol of a baby cow a calf. The people took all their treasure their golden rings and silver bracelets and threw them into the fire. The metals melted, and a priest shaped them into a beautiful, shiny calf. God s people made a lifeless animal statue to bow down and worship. You made foil animals today to have fun and be creative. That s just fine. But God s people made that golden calf because they wanted to worship it. They sinned against God. God leads us to worship him, and he tells us how to worship him. But the people of God had their own ideas. They danced wildly in front of the calf. They ate and drank and Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 8 ALIVE 109

110 feasted. They offered sacrifices to their little gold statue. They said, This is the god that brought us out of Egypt! This golden calf is the god that saved us! Was this a good decision? Let s do the sign and make the buzzing sound again. No way! God saw all of this. He sees everything. Here were his people, the very people that he had rescued from Egypt by parting the waters of the Red Sea. He had been with them, leading them through the desert. He had promised to bring them to the Promised Land, a good land flowing with milk and honey. These were his people, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Now they were turning away from him to worship in their own way. They were sinning against the Lord. What did the people deserve? Let s open Mystery Bag 2. Allow a child to pull out what s in the bag the Israelites with a big X over them. God said to Moses, I have seen these people... They are stubborn. Now leave me alone. I will destroy them because of my great anger. Then I will make you into a great nation (Exodus 32:9 10). This is what they deserved death. (Romans 6:23) God told this to Moses. Remember, God was talking to Moses on the mountain. Do you know what Moses did? Let s open Mystery Bag 3 to find out. Allow a child to pull out what s in the bag Moses kneeling in prayer. He talked to the Lord. When we pray, we talk to the Lord. Moses pleaded with God to save the people and have mercy on them. Moses said, You used your great power and mighty hand to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.... Turn away from your great anger. Please take pity on your people. Don t destroy them! Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel. You made a promise to them in your own name. You said, I will make your children after you as many as the stars in the sky. I will give them all this land I promised them. It will belong to them forever (Exodus 32:11b, 12b 13). What do you think God decided to do? (Give the children a chance to guess.) Well, let me give you a hint. This is how God describes himself a little later in Exodus. I am the God who is tender and kind. I am gracious. I am slow to get angry. I am faithful and full of love (Exodus 34:6b). Since God is tender and kind and gracious, what do you think he did? Did he destroy his people Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 8 ALIVE 110

111 like they deserved because of their terrible choice and their great sin, or did he decide to stay with them and keep his promise? Let s find out by opening Mystery Bag 4. Allow a child to pull out what s in the bag the heart with the memory verse on it. If there is a child who would like to read, he or she can read the verse. If not, the leader should read it. The Bible says, Then the Lord took pity on his people. He didn t destroy them as he had said he would (Exodus: 32:14). The Lord felt pity that means he felt sadness at the thought of destroying his people. He remembered his great love for them and let them live. 4 DiscussiOn The Golden Calf XX Do you remember the second commandment? (Do not make or worship idols.) XX What did the people do while Moses was on the mountain with God? (They made an idol.) XX What punishment did they deserve? (They deserved to die.) XX What did Moses ask God to do? (To have pity on the people and not destroy them.) XX What did God decide to do? Let the children answer, then rephrase it with the memory verse: Then the Lord took pity on his people. He didn t destroy them as he had said he would (Exodus: 32:14). XX Have you ever made a bad choice? You probably haven t made a golden calf to worship, but have you ever done something else, like disobey your parents or be mean to your brother or sister? The Bible tells us that we all sin against God. The punishment for sin is death. Who did God send to take the punishment for our sin? (Jesus.) It says in the Bible, When you sin, the pay you get is death. But God gives you the gift of eternal life. That s because of what Christ Jesus our Lord has done (Romans 6:23). This is good time to offer a short prayer of thanksgiving for Jesus and his atoning sacrifice. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 8 ALIVE 111

112 5 Snack Pray together before eating. While the children are eating the snack, continue the discussion. 6 MemOry Verse Activity Chant and Roll Say: Let s practice saying that verse. Repeat after me: Then the Lord took pity on his people. He didn t destroy them as he had said he would. (children echo) (children echo) (children echo) (children echo) Do this call and response once more. Then have the children pair up and sit on the floor across from their partner (a distance of five feet apart is sufficient). Give each pair a ball to roll back and forth as they repeat parts of the verse. Leader: Then the Lord Child A (rolling ball to Child B) repeats, Then the Lord Leader: Took pity on his people. Child B (rolling ball back to Child A) repeats, Took pity on his people. Leader: He didn t destroy them Child A (rolling ball to Child B) repeats, He didn t destroy them Leader: As he had said he would. Child B (rolling ball back to Child A) repeats, As he had said he would. Repeat this process several times. End by having the children repeat the reference after you. Exodus 32:14. 7 Game Leader Says Say: The people didn t obey the Lord s call to worship only him. Let s play a game to see how well you follow my directions. Only do the action if I say, [Leader s name] says Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 8 ALIVE 112

113 Here are some ideas for possible actions you can direct the children to do. Just have fun with this game don t eliminate anyone for doing an action they weren t supposed to do. Give grace! Touch your toes Stretch to the ceiling Jump one time Hold up three fingers Flap your arms Spin around once Touch your nose Smell your elbow Sit down Take a deep breath Hum a tune Touch your ear Squat down low Meow like a cat Put your hands on your knees Shrug your shoulders Hiss like a snake Put your hands on your hips Scrunch your nose Stick out your tongue Whisper your name Stand on one foot Bark like a dog Get down on hands and knees Clap your hands Stomp your feet Wiggle your whole body To Prepare: Print and cut out the cube template (one card stock copy per child) 8 Craft Worship Cube Say: The people of God came up with their own, wrong ways to worship. So what are the right ways to worship? We practice several of these ways in our church worship services. Remember, we are only worthy to stand before the Lord in worship because Jesus paid the price for our sins. Pass out the worship cube papers. Talk through the different pictures of the ways we worship : reading the Bible aloud, praying, singing praise, listening to sermons, and participating in the Eucharist (communion). Have each child color the cube with crayons, cut it out, and then fold and tape it into an actual cube. 9 ClOsing To Prepare: For the closing, make enough copies of the Take-home page for each child. Eucharistic Prayer Begin the closing by having every child roll their cubes until they have all landed on prayer. Say: Today we have learned that God wants us to worship only him, and he leads us to worship him. He led his people in the desert, and he leads us today. There is a beautiful prayer of thanksgiving in the Book of Common Prayer that is spoken during the Eucharist. Listen closely for the name of Jesus it s because of him that we are worthy to stand before the Lord! Let s Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 8 ALIVE 113

114 close our eyes and listen carefully. When you hear me say Jesus, show me a thumbs-up, but keep your eyes closed. Read the following passage slowly (emphasis added): We give thanks to you, O God, for the goodness and love which you have made known to us in creation; in the calling of Israel to be your people; in your Word spoken through the prophets; and above all in the Word made flesh, Jesus, your Son. For in these last days you sent him to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary, to be the Savior and Redeemer of the world. In him, you have delivered us from evil, and made us worthy to stand before you. In him, you have brought us out of error into truth, out of sin into righteousness, out of death into life. Let s end by saying: Thank you, Lord. Amen. (Children repeat.) As children leave, hand out their Take-home pages and remind them to bring home their Worship Cubes. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 8 ALIVE 114

115 Then the Lord took pity on his people. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 8 ALIVE 115

116 Ways We Worship Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 8 ALIVE 116

117 ALIVE WEEK 8 Live It All WeeK Lower Elementary Take Home Paper for Families What Your Child Learned Today In Exodus 32, we find out the Israelites were making and worshiping a lifeless idol a golden calf while Moses was on Mt. Sinai with the Lord. God was righteously angry at the Israelites sin, but he heard the prayer of Moses and took pity on his people. He kept his promise to go with them to the Promised Land (Exodus 6:6 8). The Lord is gracious and full of love so much so that he sent his only Son to pay the penalty for our sin. Because of Jesus we are his children, and he still leads his children to worship him today on our way to the eternal Promised Land. Try This Your child chanted the memory verse today by rolling a ball back and forth with a partner, each child saying half of a sentence while he rolled: Then the Lord He didn t destroy them Exodus 32:14 Table Talk took pity on his people. as he had said he would. At mealtimes, pass your child something and say the first part of the verse. Does your child want ketchup? Hand him the ketchup and say, Then the Lord and have your child complete the remainder of the sentence. He can pass the ketchup back to you when he is done and say, He didn t destroy them and have you finish the verse. XXRead Exodus 32:1 6 as family. Not only did the Israelites create an idol, they devised their own way of worshiping it (wild revelry). What ways do you worship God alone, as a family, and as part of the church? How should we worship the Lord? The Bible is full of ways. Do a Scripture seek-and-find: 1 Samuel 15:22; 1 Chronicles 16:29; Psalm 5:7; 47:1; 95:6-7; 98:4-6; 100:4; Luke 22:19; and Hebrews 12: The Golden Calf }} Scripture: Exodus 32:1 14 }} Big Idea: God leads us to worship him. Because of Jesus s sacrifice, we are worthy to stand before God. }} Memory Verse: Then the Lord took pity on his people. He didn t destroy them as he had said he would. Exodus 32:14 Something Else to Do Ask for a behind-the-scenes tour of the items your church uses in worship. This gives your child a chance to get up close and examine these objects. Most objects used in worship have a rich symbolism behind them. You just may learn something that enriches your own worship experience! Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 8 ALIVE 117

118 LOWER ELEMENTARY SUNDAY SCHOOL Year A Fall Week 9 Proper 24, Lectionary 29 MOses s IntercessiOn Exodus 33:12 23 Big Idea: God s people can only move forward with God s promised presence. MemOry Verse: The Lord replied, I will go with you. And I will give you rest. Exodus 33:14 LessOn Overview In this lesson, the children will learn of Moses s urgency in seeking the Lord s promise to continue with his rebellious people. Moses s second request to know God better so that Israel might serve him better leads to a stunning glimpse of God s glory! This experience gives Moses and those he leads a lasting revelation of God s character as merciful and gracious, sharing kindness and keeping his promises. Children will consider the role of interceding for others. They will also recognize the great privilege given to followers of Jesus during his lifetime on earth to see God s glory face-to-face and to those of us who live now, experiencing God s glory through the Holy Spirit who is given those who trust in Jesus. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 9 ALIVE 118

119 Week 9 Lesson Plan Activity and Supplies To Prepare 1 Welcome Activity (10 minutes) Yum, Moses Whipped topping in a tub (thawed) Allergy Alert Sign One for each per child: Person-shaped cookies (e.g., Keebler E. L. Fudge cookies) (Have gluten-free alternatives available.) Graham crackers (Have gluten-free alternatives available.) Paper plates Plastic spoons Thaw the whipped topping in the refrigerator overnight. In class, set out paper plates, cookies, whipped topping, and graham crackers. Make sure allergy-friendly alternatives are available if you have any kids in your class who need them. Post the Allergy Alert sign, and ask parents if their children have any allergies. 2 Lesson Introduction (5 minutes) Prism Presence Small prism Small flashlight 3 Scripture Story (10 minutes) Moses s Intercession Printables: Picture of Moses praying Print out the Picture of Moses praying printable. 4 Discussion (10 minutes) Moses s Intercession 5 Craft (10 minutes) Hidden Memory Verses Watercolor paint sets (one set per 2 children) Paintbrushes (1 per child) White construction/watercolor paper White crayon Small paper cups Smocks or big T-shirts (optional) For younger students, in white crayon on white construction paper, write the memory verse. Fill cups with a small amount of water and set them aside in the classroom where they won t be disturbed until time for the activity. 6 Activity (10 minutes) Prayer Walk Card stock sheets (1 per child) Tacks/tape Markers (optional) Stickers (optional) Write the name of each student on a piece of card stock, one name per piece. Write Jesus is praying for you. (Hebrews 7:25) on the back of each card. Prepare a few extra cards for guests. Before church, find places inside the classroom, in the education department, or out on the church campus, depending on what works best for your class, and hang each card, spreading them about so you can walk to each one. 7 Closing (5 minutes) Review & Look-Ahead Printables: Take-home page (one for each child) For the closing, make enough copies of the Take-home page for each child. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week ALIVE

120 Bible BackgrOund for Leader Moses s long relationship with the Lord was initiated, renewed, tested, and proved through a series of challenging events and experiences. God showed Moses many things about himself, especially his power, his commitment to his promises, his strength, and his provision for his people. In today s story Moses asks God for two things: first, to promise to continue to go with the Israelites on their journey to the Promised Land; and second, to show Moses his glory. In asking to see God s glory, Moses was asking to know God better. The Lord agrees to continue with Moses and his people, saying, I will go with you. And I will give you rest (Exodus 33:14). God agreed to Moses s request to see his glory, but he carefully guarded Moses by placing him in the cleft of a rock and covering his face while he passed because You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live (Exodus 33:20, NIV). Instead, God let Moses see him from the back and let all his goodness pass before Moses. Old Testament. Today s story takes place just after the Israelites rebelled against God by creating a golden calf to worship while Moses was on Mount Sinai. Moses asked God to mercifully forgive the Israelites and let them continue their journey. God agrees, but says that he will not go with them. Moses then appeals to God, asking two things: that God will go with them to the Promised Land and that God will show Moses more of who he is. This clearer picture of God s identity would be essential as the people of God prepared to welcome God s presence in the Tabernacle and move toward the Promised Land. This revelation would also guide the later prophets and sages as they sought to understand God s purpose in the unfolding history of his people, understanding that God s heart expresses itself in law, provision, and love. The visible presence of God was a striking, if rare, occurrence in the history of God s people. The Pillar of cloud and fire, the Glory cloud over the Tabernacle, and the Shekinah glory in the Temple each gave tangible proof that God had arrived among his people. In today s story the visible glory that Moses sees, from behind, is accompanied by God s proclaiming his name, Yahweh, or Adonai, revealing his Lordship over everything. Notice also that Moses is a model intercessor, both after the treason of the golden calf episode and now. He not only desires to know God better, but also beseeches God to keep his promise to his people. This model builds on the model of Abraham and Job before him and is replicated in later righteous leaders of Israel, including David, as well as other faithful kings and prophets throughout the Old Testament. Jesus. God was hesitant to display his glory to Moses for fear of Moses s weakness. But now, because of the humility of the incarnation, as Jesus takes on human nature and shields his own glory, God s glory can be revealed, at least in part, to human beings. Jesus is described as glorious, a visible display of the invisible God. Jesus reveals a glimpse of his glory s grandeur on the Mount of Transfiguration to Peter, James, and John. St. Paul tells the Corinthian believers that we become more like Jesus as we behold him in his glory. Just as God reveals his character to be gracious and merciful, Jesus shows that he too shares this same character, showing mercy and compassion to hurting and sinful people. And, as the promised leader that Moses described, Jesus intercedes for those who have rebelled and have no claim to mercy. The Church and the World. This passage points to a key aspect of Israel s and Moses s relationship with God. The people of God desired to know and worship God as he was and not merely in relation to his power or deeds. The desire of a godly leader to grow in a personal understanding of God as well as to seek the presence of God for their people is a sign of a leader sent from God. In contrast to mercenary or pragmatic views of God, or the give-to-get nature of much religion then and now, the God of Israel is a God who saves us not merely because he is able, but because he desires to. Our response as believers is to rejoice in this amazing love, seeking to know God more fully not for what he can give us, but simply for the marvelous, loving, awe-inspiring God that he is. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week ALIVE

121 To Prepare: Thaw the whipped topping in the refrigerator overnight. Set out paper plates, cookies, whipped topping, and graham crackers. Make sure allergy-friendly alternatives are available if you have any kids in your class who need them. Post the Allergy Alert sign, and ask parents if their children have any allergies. 1 WelcOme Activity Yum, Moses. Say: Good Morning! I need some volunteers to hand out these materials. Please don t eat the cookies yet when you get them! Just set them on your plate. (Choose children to hand out plates, spoons, graham crackers, and personshaped cookies. Ask whether anybody in the class needs an allergy-friendly option.) Everybody pick up your little guy cookie. This guy is going to be Moses today. We have seen Moses s journey and watched God do amazing things along the way. The graham cracker on your plate will be the path Moses and the people of Israel are taking. Stand Moses on one side. In today s story, Moses asks God a very important question. In response, God gives Moses a special gift because he knows Moses and loves him. I m going to bring around the tub of whipped topping. Use your spoon to take one spoonful of the whipped topping and put it on the other side of the graham cracker from where Moses is. (Take tub around the table for each child to take a spoonful as you continue talking.) This will be God s good gift. But wait! This gift was so good that Moses could only have a small amount; the whole gift would overwhelm Moses! Because God loved Moses, he put protection between Moses and the very good gift. Let s break our graham cracker in half and hold it between Moses and the very good gift. God also used his hand to help protect Moses. You guys have been really patient. Do you want to taste the good gift now? OK, let s try out God s good gift to Moses. (Allow some time for the children to eat the snack.) What do you think? Very good, right? The Bible invites us to taste and see that the Lord is good. Does anybody have any guesses about what the good gift is that God gave to Moses in our Bible story? Allow some time for speculation. If someone guesses correctly that the gift is God s presence or God s glory, or anything along the lines of friendship with God, say: Great job! Today, we will see how Moses and the people of Israel can only move forward with God s good promised presence. If no one guesses correctly, say: Those are all good things, but not the good thing God gave to Moses in today s story. Today, we are going to find out what this very good gift is and how it helps Moses and the people of God move forward on the journey. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 9 ALIVE 121

122 2 LessOn IntrOductiOn Prism Presence Bring out a prism and let the children look at it. Allow them to describe what they see. Have them shine a flashlight through the prism onto a nearby wall. Ask: What happened to the prism? Did the light change what was inside the prism? (No.) What did happen when the light shone through? (The light revealed the inside of the prism, and the amazing way that it can change light.) There is often more to something than what we see with our first look. There is often more to know, to learn, or to understand. Today, Moses is asking God for a particular gift and promise. Like the light shining through the prism, God s gift shows Moses that there was more to God than he knew. Give the children opportunities to manipulate the prism and the light. Say: The light reveals what is inside the prism, and as the light passes through, it shines a wonderful and beautiful gift outside. Let s listen to today s story and find out how God s gift is revealed. 3 Scripture StOry To Prepare: Print out the Picture of Moses praying printable. Moses s Intercession Hold up the picture of Moses praying and say: Moses goes to God to have an important conversation. God has already provided so much for Israel. What has God done for Israel in the past few lessons we studied? (Allow children to answer: He has delivered them from slavery, opening the Red Sea for them to cross. He has judged the Pharaoh for his cruelty. He has led them through the wilderness, offering his people bread and meat and water. He has given them protection from other nations who might try to harm them. He has led them to oases in the wilderness. He has given them the Law. He has forgiven them for their treason when they decided to worship in the ways of the Egyptians by making the golden calf.) Ask: What do you think Moses will ask for this time? (Allow children to respond.) Moses asks God to make a promise. The promise is a big one. He asks God to promise that God himself, not an angel or any other substitute, will continue leading the people all the way to the land promised to them. God points out that the people have not always seemed very willing to follow him: they have rebelled, grumbled, and wished to return to Egypt. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 9 ALIVE 122

123 God asks Moses if it would be better to send someone else with the people of Israel, and God will just take Moses alone. Moses has a chance to make his own work easier. He has had many sad days dealing with the struggles and the complaints of the Israelites. He has also had trouble encouraging them to obey God and trust in him. Maybe Moses will agree and let God leave his people. Do you think Moses would agree to leave the Israelites behind? (Allow children to respond.) No! Instead, Moses prays and asks God to make a promise for the people. Moses asks that God go with them all the way to the place that he promised. Moses doesn t want God or the people to miss the fulfillment of God s promise to Abraham and to them. Moses knows that God s people can only move forward with his promised presence. Moses also prays for himself. He asks God, Please teach me your ways and show me your glory. Let me know you better as you are. Moses knew that he needed God s own power to continue to lead God s people through the difficult days ahead. God was glad for Moses to know him better. God knew that if Moses knew him better, he would be able to understand God s laws, God s directions, and God s purposes better. However, God s face was so glorious and wonderful that any person who saw it would be completely overwhelmed and struck down. So, in his kindness, God was careful that his full shining glory would not overwhelm or hurt Moses. God carefully found a place in the crack of a rock for Moses to be shielded so that when he passed by, Moses could see only his back. God gives to Moses such a great gift as he reveals himself to Moses, shielding him in the rock and allowing Moses to glimpse just a small bit of his glory just like the graham cracker shielded your person cookie! God also tells Moses his name, which was a very special thing in that time. Since God and Moses already know each other very well, God sharing his name is a way of saying that God will share with Moses things about his identity and character more than Moses could know by just watching his deeds, more than Moses could know just by reading words. Have a child read Exodus 33:19. Then say: God is the LORD, and he is merciful and compassionate, and no one can stop him from helping his people. Not Pharaoh, not any king living in the Promised Land. God s mercy is unstoppable. Ask: How exciting would these words be for Moses to see and hear? Moses and Israel will need to know God in this important way as they journey to a Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 9 ALIVE 123

124 new and unknown land. They will need to trust God s plans for them, now and in the future. God has already shown mercy to Israel after their disobedience with the golden calf. This was not a random decision or mistake. It was an expression of who God really is. What good news for Moses to share! But there is more to see. When Moses comes down from the mountain, his face is shining with God s glory. It surprises the people. But over time, even that fades. Sadly, over time, the people forget God s mercy and compassion, and they grumble about God s deeds, words, and plans. But Moses knows that God s people cannot move ahead without his promised presence. In the New Testament, when Jesus came to earth, the people could see an even clearer picture of God s glory and of his goodness, mercy, and compassion. To whom did Jesus show mercy? To the sick, the sinful, the weary, and the weak. Moses s prayer to know God better was first answered for Moses on the mountain, but it would ultimately be answered by God in Jesus, who revealed the fullness of who God is. Jesus also sent the Holy Spirit so that we could have God s promised presence living with us and guiding us. We can also pray for a better understanding of who God is as we see him act in the story of Moses and Israel, in the story of Jesus and the apostles, and in the church and world today. And we can follow the example of Moses and Jesus by praying for others to know God better, to see God s deeds and God s heart, and to experience God s mercy and compassion as they trust in him through the life and resurrection of Jesus. God s people only move ahead with his promised presence. 4 DiscussiOn Moses s Intercession XX What is the great gift that God gave to Moses? (He allowed him to see a small part of his glory and shared more knowledge about his character.) XX Why is knowing God so important as we witness his deeds, hear his words, and trust his plans? (Because it is the greatest joy possible. Only through knowing him can we truly know ourselves and other people.) Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 9 ALIVE 124

125 XX How did the Israelites benefit from Moses s prayers? (They were protected from God s wrath, the consequences of their own sin, and the removal of God s protective presence.) XX How do we benefit from Jesus s prayers? (He rescues us from God s wrath by standing in our place, he frees us from our sins and sends God s abiding presence, the Holy Spirit, to comfort and guide us.) XX Where do you notice that you need God s promised presence to go forward? (Share an example of your own, and encourage children to speak from their own experiences.) XX How can God s promise to Moses, through Jesus and by the Holy Spirit, help you go with confidence? (We know that we are never alone, and that God is merciful to our weakness.) To Prepare: For younger students, in white crayon on white construction paper, write the memory verse. Fill cups with a small amount of water and set them aside in the classroom where they won t be disturbed until time for the activity. 5 Craft Hidden Memory Verse The Lord replied, I will go with you. And I will give you rest. Exodus 33:14 If available, hand out smocks or large t-shirts to protect the children s clothing. Ask children to help you lay out newspaper or a tablecloth to protect the table, and then place the watercolor sets and cups of water on the table. Choose a child to hand one of the pre-made white memory verse papers to each child. Say: Our memory verse is hiding today! First, you should write your name on your paper. Then, let s use the paints and see if we find it! Moses asked God to make a promise in our story today. Do you remember what it was? (Allow time for the children to respond. If some children say, To know God, remind them that that was Moses s request for himself, and we are looking for the promise Moses asked God to make to all the people.) Moses asks God to go with the people of Israel all the way to the Promised Land. God s answer is on our paper. Let s remember what it is. Start painting with your paints in whatever colors you like, and God s words will show up! Allow time for the children to begin painting and announce letters or words as you see them starting to appear. When most of the children have finished their painting, say: God promises his presence will go with the children into the land he has promised. He says, I will go with you. And I will give you rest (Exodus 33:14). God didn t send just Moses because Moses isn t enough. He didn t even send an angel because Moses asked him for a BIGGER promise. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 9 ALIVE 125

126 God knew, and Moses knew, that his people could only move forward with his promised presence. Let s repeat our verse together three times. Lay the pages flat on the table to dry as you continue with your last activity, the prayer walk. 6 Activity To Prepare: For the prayer walk activity, write the names of each child who comes to your class on card stock, one name per piece. Write Jesus is praying for you. (Hebrews 7:25) on the back of each card. Prepare a few extra cards for guests, and write their names on cards as soon as they enter the class. Before church, find places either inside the classroom, in the education department, or out on the church campus, depending on what works best for your class, and hang each card, spreading them about so you can walk to each one. Prayer Walk Say: Moses talked to God and asked to know God more, but first he prayed or interceded for his family and friends who were the people of Israel. He asked God to stay with them and lead them to the Promised Land. Let s take a walk around to (name the place where you displayed the names), and see if you find the name of someone you know. When you do, let s stop and pray for that person as Moses prayed for the people he knew. Lead the children through the path you ve prepared, remembering if there are visitors to write their name on one of the extra cards and hang it as you are walking. If someone is absent from your class that day, it is a great opportunity to pray for them and whatever reason they missed. As you walk, allow opportunities for the children to pray, but keep in mind that this is a learning opportunity, so they may need to hear you pray first. Have everyone say Amen together after each prayer. After you have prayed through all the cards, lead the children through the prayer walk a second time and when they come to each name, have them flip the page over and read what is written there. Say: Yes! Jesus is praying for you! Hebrews tells us that Jesus can save us completely because he lives forever and prays to the Father for us. As you give the good gift of prayer to your friends and family, remember that Jesus gives that good gift back to you. We remember what Moses knew God s people can only move forward with his promised presence. 7 ClOsing To Prepare: Make enough copies of the Take-home page for each child. Review & Look Ahead Say: Next week we come to the very end of Moses s ministry and life. He has done so much for the people of Israel. We will also come to the very border of the Promised Land. How will the people of Israel face the new challenges and opportunities of this new day in their lives? Remember that Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 9 ALIVE 126

127 God s people can only move forward with his promised presence. Moses has heard God s promise, so we can be confident as we find out how God keeps this promise next time. Hand out Take-home pages as children leave, making sure they also take their watercolor memory verse pages. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 9 ALIVE 127

128 Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 9 ALIVE 128

129 ALIVE WEEK Live It All WeeK Lower Elementary Take Home Paper for Families What Your Child Learned Today Moses knew it was very important that the Lord continue to go with the Israelites, even as they demonstrated their failures and weaknesses. At Moses s request, God promised this, and today s memory verse records it. Moses also asked to know God in his glory, and God responded by sharing a glimpse of his glory with Moses, shielding him from its full power. He also showed Moses that he is merciful, gracious, just, and sovereign. The prayers of Moses for Israel inspire us to depend on God s promised presence and to seek God s presence for others. Jesus grants his followers the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. Try This God has given his presence to believers since the days of Adam and Eve. He revealed himself in a very special way to Moses in this week s lesson, by offering a glimpse of his glory. Find a palm-sized stone with your child, wash it and allow it to dry. Use paints or markers on one side to draw Moses peeking over the rock. On the other side, brainstorm ways you might represent God s glory. Remember that his glory is so great that angels bow, heavenly creatures guard his throne, and he is worshiped day and night both in heaven and on earth. A few ideas could be glitter crayons or paint, shiny fabric, or a cotton ball. Remind your child that we can only move forward with God s promised presence. Let the stone be a reminder of God s promise to Moses and God s promise to your family to be with us and to show us his glory. Moses s Intercession }} Scripture: Exodus 33:12 23 }} Big Idea: God s people can only move forward with God s promised presence. }} Memory Verse: The Lord replied, I will go with you. And I will give you rest. Exodus 33:14 Something Else to Do As a family, think of a way that you can bring the presence of God to someone. Is there a neighbor or church member who needs a meal or help around the house? Table Talk XXToday, your child s class participated in a prayer walk for their friends. Take time this week to pray for friends and family as Moses prayed for the children of Israel his friends and family. Each day this week, select a different family member or friend to pray for at the dinner table. If you have them, pull out a photo of that person to look at as you pray. Then place those photos around in odd places in your house so they catch the attention of your child. Explain that whenever they notice the photos, they could whisper a prayer for that person, just as Moses prayed for the children of Israel and Jesus prays for his people. (Even just God, be with Grandma today, could be a big blessing to her.) God s promised presence is essential for his people to move forward. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 9 ALIVE 129

130 LOWER ELEMENTARY SUNDAY SCHOOL Year A Fall Week 10 Proper 25, Lectionary 30 MOses s Death and Burial Deuteronomy 34:1 12 Big Idea: Moses finished his life trusting God and looking forward to God s promises. MemOry Verse: Since then, Israel has never had a prophet like Moses. The Lord knew him face to face. Deuteronomy 34:10 LessOn Overview This lesson marks a key transition in the leadership of God s people. Moses s long life of ministry is coming to an end. He views its conclusion as a person of faith, trusting that all of God s promises will be kept. From the top of Mt. Nebo, Moses surveys the place to which God will bring his people. Children will consider the topic of leadership. From identifying the special aspects of Moses s leadership to cultivating their own gifts of leadership, the children will see that God s promises are only fully kept through the unique ministry of Jesus Christ, the leader promised by Moses and the source of believers present strength. The conclusion of one leader s ministry is not the conclusion of God s presence with his people. Even as the people go forward without Moses, they continue onward with God. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 10 ALIVE 130

131 Week 10 Lesson Plan Activity and Supplies To Prepare 1 Welcome Activity (5 minutes) I Spy! Printables: Small Moses Figure Short cardboard tube Cut out the Small Moses Figure printable and tape it to a short cardboard tube so it can stand up. Hide it somewhere in the classroom where the children will be able to find it. 2 Lesson Introduction (5 minutes) Outlines and Limits Butcher paper (large enough to outline an adult) Markers/crayons For the lesson introduction, get a large piece of butcher paper and trace the outline of an adult on it. Roll it up and set it aside until it is time to be used. 3 Scripture Story (10 minutes) Moses s Death and Burial 4 Discussion (5 minutes) Moses s Death and Burial 5 Snack (5 minutes) Snack food of your choice. (Remember to take into consideration gluten or dairy allergies.) Allergy Alert sign 6 Memory Verse Activity (5 minutes) Now You See It 18 index cards Tape 2-sided board or poster board Pen or fine-tip marker For the memory verse activity, write each word of the memory verse and its reference on separate index cards. 7 Craft (20 minutes) Timeline of Moses s Life 4.25 in. x 22 in. paper, one strip for each student (made from one sheet of 8½-in. x 11-in. paper as directed) Safety scissors Tape Markers Colored pencils For each student make a long rectangle (4.25 in. x 22 in.) from one sheet of 8½ in. x 11 in. white paper. See text for details. 8 Closing (5 minutes) Prayer for Leaders Printables: Take-home page (one for each child) Make enough copies of the Take-home page for each child. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 10 ALIVE 131

132 Bible BackgrOund for Leader This lesson brings us to a major transition in the story of the Bible. Moses was the leader who brought God s people out of slavery, delivered God s law and plans for the Tabernacle, and told stories to the Israelites about their faithful mothers and fathers, recorded in the books of the Torah. Moses, who led the people through a wilderness of testing and failing and prayed for them so that they might see their children possess the land, had completed the tasks to which he had been called. Finally, Moses climbed the mountain to again enter the presence of God. Like other faithful people before him, Moses did not receive the full promise before his death. Yet Moses received a special gift. He saw with his eyes what Abraham had only seen by faith, what Adam and Eve had hoped for, and what Noah prayed for as he left the ark. He saw the entire Promised Land with his own eyes from atop Mt. Nebo. Moses s life ended at God s decree, just as his life had been saved by divine intervention. God preserved him, sustained him, and finally, God buried him. The chapter s tribute to Moses ends with these powerful words: Since then, Israel has never had a prophet like Moses. The Lord knew him face to face (Deuteronomy 34:10). Old Testament. Moses had been the human focal point of the Israelites faith and life. As Moses came to the end of his life, he spent the book of Deuteronomy addressing, exhorting, and reminding the people of God s Law, especially how that Law ought to be applied wisely and intentionally in the new land of promise. Moses left the people with a song of blessing and sober warning, a reminder of God s righteousness and his loyalty. Moses s life came to an end, and with that, the people of God entered a new stage of life. Moses had given them God s instructions for living in the new land, including plans for a leadership transition to Joshua and a standard by which future leaders would be measured. This transition after Moses s death was not only about Israel s geography, but also its growth in maturity and self-understanding as a nation. The nation would now be settled in one place, no longer nomadic. Jesus. Moses himself had promised the people that God would raise up a prophet for them like himself one day. Jesus stepped into a line of leadership that had suffered many disappointments and poor comparisons to Moses s high standard. Jesus is the true heir to Moses s leadership. He came to fulfill and preserve the Law, to teach upon the mountain, and give the true application of the Law for a new day, the dawning of the Kingdom. Jesus challenged the pretend heirs to Moses and claimed that he was the one to whom Moses was pointing. The New Testament shows us a glimpse of Moses finally inside the land of promise at Jesus s transfiguration, standing with Jesus and discussing the imminent new Exodus accomplished through Jesus s death and resurrection. The apostles described the unique relationship of Moses and God, comparing the glory of Moses s face after his encounters with God with the even greater glory shown in the face of Christ and in his new covenant. Where other leaders have led to disappointment or stopped short of their goals, Jesus has accomplished the work of salvation for his people and has become the author and standard of salvation. Jesus arrived in Israel to lead his people as the complete fulfillment of Moses s standard and Israel s long-awaited hope for the Messiah the true Joshua who will lead his people to the promised rest in the eternal Promised Land. The Church and the World. On a personal level, this lesson points to the inevitability of physical death and the opportunity as we age to rejoice and reflect upon life s successes and failures. On a community level, the event of Moses s passing reminds us that all leadership is a stewardship and temporary. Only Jesus can fully accomplish the expectations required for sustained, successful, and redemptive leadership. As children begin to cultivate their own gifts of leadership and identify leaders they hope to emulate, servants of God like Moses are excellent examples, especially when leaders point specifically beyond themselves to a leader who will never disappoint. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week ALIVE

133 1 WelcOme Activity To Prepare: Cut out the Small Moses Figure printable and tape it to a short cardboard tube so it can stand up. Hide it somewhere in the classroom where the children will be able to find it. I Spy! As the children arrive, ask: Have you ever played the game I Spy? I m going to go first. I spy with my little eye a guy who stood against Pharaoh and freed God s people. If no one says, Moses, ask them who you could be speaking of, based on the Bible stories they ve been learning the past few weeks. Then say: Yes! I spy Moses! Give the children time to look around and find the cardboard tube Moses. Whoever finds Moses hides him this time. Have the child hide him while the others cover their eyes, and then say, I spy with my little eye someone who... And let them come up with an event in Moses s life. Allow time for the children to find Moses. Repeat once more if time permits. Then take Moses and shut him away in a cabinet or some other place where he can t be seen, and say: Moses has gone away now, and we can t find him anymore. There was a time when Moses went away from the Israelites, and they could not find another prophet like him no matter how hard they looked. Moses had come to the end of his life. Moses finished his life trusting God and looking forward to God s promises. Today we are going to find out what happened to Moses. To Prepare: On a large piece of butcher paper, trace the outline of an adult. Roll it up and set it aside until it is time to be used in class. 2 LessOn IntrOductiOn Outlines and Limits Roll out onto either the floor or a large table the butcher paper with the adult s outline. Give the children crayons and markers, and have them gather around the picture and decorate the person s body with various scenes as the story is told. They may draw images from Moses s life, images from the Promised Land, or images of future challenges. At the end of the story, the leader may ask the children how easy or difficult it would be to fill the hole left by a person with Moses s experiences, gifts, and calling. Many later leaders had portions or aspects of Moses s gifts, but none could surpass his role and contribution until Jesus Christ arrived to fulfill the expectations and hopes Moses raised. Say: In today s lesson, we will see how important God s servant Moses was to Israel, both while he was with them and after he was gone. Like this outline you are filling, Israel could see the place Moses left in their lives by noticing the hole his absence created. Every leader has their time and their limits, except for the One leader that Moses promised would come. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 10 ALIVE 133

134 3 Scripture StOry Moses s Death and Burial Allow the children to continue drawing if they would like to while you move on to the story. Say: Moses was old one hundred and twenty years old! But Moses was still strong, and his vision was clear. Moses had lived a long life, filled with amazing events. He was God s chosen servant to bring Israel out of slavery in Egypt, through the wilderness, and now to the edge of the Promised Land. Moses had played a big role in God s plans for Israel. Moses and Israel remembered all that God had done for them during their many adventures. And now, Moses s life was at its end. Would this be the end of God s time with Israel? Would they actually be able to enter the Promised Land without Moses? Would these days with Moses be as good as things could ever be, or were any good days still ahead? These were questions that Moses and Israel may have wondered about as Moses began climbing the mountain of Nebo to its peak. God asked Moses to stand and see. Moses stood on top of the mountain peak named Pisgah. God wanted Moses to look look and see the big land! With his strong eyes, he looked at the land below him. He could see the whole Promised Land, every promised inheritance, every tribe s new home. God wanted Moses to look and see the big promise. God reminded Moses that this land before him was the land promised to Abraham and his family hundreds of years earlier. The big promises of God were being fulfilled. This was happening NOW, not years from now, but just a few weeks from that moment. God reminded Moses to look at the transition ahead. Moses s life was ending, but God s commitment was not ending. Joshua would now lead the people, and they would listen to him as they had listened to Moses. Moses could remember that things like this had occurred before. He had stood in the big land of Egypt, the biggest empire in the world, in front of Pharaoh, the strongest ruler of the world. He had told Pharaoh about God s big promise that the people of Israel would be set free to serve God forever. They were not to remain slaves, but to take their families and go to the place God would show them. Pharaoh had not liked that idea. As Pharaoh stubbornly refused to obey God s words, one plague after another showed Egypt and Pharaoh that the true strength in the world was with Israel and with its leader, Moses. Moses could also imagine that the people would face a big change Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 10 ALIVE 134

135 again. Israel would enter the Promised Land, and each tribe would go to its inherited piece of land. Israel would face obstacles, but nothing would undo God s big promise. Israel would learn that God s word was trustworthy even when it was given through a new leader. Israel would learn to obey the words of Joshua, just as they had listened to the words of Moses. And now, like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and all the trusting people of Israel, Moses would wait to receive God s promise even as he rejoiced to see those who followed him enter the land they had waited for so long. Moses trusted that God s discipline was just and that God s faithfulness was worth relying upon. And now, here at Pisgah, Moses died. God himself buried him in a private, special place. Israel was sad. For a month they cried and mourned. And soon Israel would stand and look. First, they would look for Moses, but not find him. They would not find where God buried him. Then, they would look at the big land ahead of them, remember the big promise, and face the big transition before them. God would still keep his promises, God would still speak and guide, God would still give the tribes a land of promise. Soon, Israel would see. Israel would also look for a leader like Moses. Joshua was the next leader, and he was like Moses in many ways. But he wasn t Moses. Israel would not find anyone as great as Moses. They would find others who reminded them of Moses leaders like Joshua, who was selected and anointed by Moses to lead. Future leaders and prophets would bring military success or deliver them from oppression. But many leaders would be nothing like Moses. Instead, they would be fearful, selfish, and even unfaithful. Moses himself had told the people that God would raise up a prophet like himself for them one day (Deuteronomy 18:17). Israel believed Moses s words. So they kept looking. The search continued a long time. But Moses was right. God did raise up a leader for Israel who was even greater than Moses. Jesus Christ came as Israel s promised leader, and he kept God s big promises for all who trust in him. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 10 ALIVE 135

136 4 DiscussiOn Moses s Death and Burial XX How do you imagine Moses felt as he saw the Promised Land from a distance? XX When do you need reminding that God s promises will last even when other things change? XX What challenges have you already been through? XX In what ways was Moses a good leader? (He served the people, protected them, worked for their good, sought to lead the people in the right direction, etc.) XX How does Jesus show us even greater leadership in his life and death? (He did all of the things Moses did except perfectly. Additionally, he gave his very life for us so that we might have eternal life.) 5 Snack Pray together before eating. While the children are eating the snack, continue the discussion. 6 MemOry Verse Activity To Prepare: For the memory verse activity, write each word of the memory verse and its reference on separate index cards. Now You See It Since then, Israel has never had a prophet like Moses. The Lord knew him face to face. Deuteronomy 34:10 Tape the words written on the index cards, in order, on the board or a blank patch of wall. Read it aloud with the children. Say: Remember when God hid Moses behind the rock to protect him from his full glory? This was one of many times that Moses talked with God face-to-face! Because of Jesus we can have that same hope. One day we will see God face-to-face too. Today let s remember our verse with a magic trick. Let s all read the verse again together. (Read the verse with the children.) Now close your eyes. Remove two words and place them elsewhere in the room. Continue to play as described below. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 10 ALIVE 136

137 When the children close their eyes, pick two words, and hide them somewhere around in the room. Have the children look at the board again, and ask them which words are missing. Tell them that if they look carefully, they will see the words somewhere in the room. Tell them to get up and search for the words. As they bring the words to you, tape them up in correct order on the back of the reversible board or onto a separate poster board that you keep hidden from them. Continue removing words until only the Scripture reference is left. Ask if anyone can recite the verse, or have the whole class try. When the correct answer is given, flip the board (or poster) around to reveal the full verse. Ta-Da! Say: Moses trusted God to protect him even when the Lord s glory was near. Moses knew God would keep his promises about the future just as God kept his promise to take care of Moses behind the rock. We can trust in the same promises. To Prepare: For each student make a long rectangle (4.25 in. x 22 in.) from one sheet of 8½ in. x 11 in. white paper. To do this: fold in half a sheet of paper. Open it and cut along the fold line to make two 4.25-in. x 11-in. rectangles. Tape the short ends of the halves together to make one long rectangle about 4.25 in. x 22 in. Fold the paper back and forth to produce an accordion-folded paper with five squares of approximately the same size. 6 Craft Timeline of Moses s Life Introduce the idea of Moses s life by asking: What did Moses do that made him so special to Israel? Why have they never had another prophet like Moses? (He saw God, he led them out of Egypt, he saw a burning bush, he was kept safe in a basket as a baby, etc.) Moses s whole life was pretty amazing. When we remember someone s life, one way to show it is with a timeline. A timeline is a way to think of the things that happen in a person s life and when those things happened. (Hold up one of the accordion papers.) You each have a paper with several squares. On each square, we are going to draw a picture of something that happened in Moses s life. (Open the paper.) This is the first square, so in this square we will draw the first story we learned about Moses. It s when he parted the Red Sea, right? (NO!) It wasn t? Ohh! It was when he saw the burning bush, right? (NO!) So what WAS the very first thing that happened to Moses? Allow the children to tell you the first story of Moses. Give the children the opportunity to draw a picture of that story in the first square. As the children begin to finish the first square, talk about the burning bush, keeping the events limited to only the ones previously covered in Sunday school. There are ten stories about Moses that we have studied, including today s. As the majority of children begin to finish a square, start to introduce the next square, discussing for some amount of time each of the ten events that have been taught. You need both the front and back of the accordion paper for all ten events. (If children don t have time to finish, have them write the events down in pencil in their squares, and they can finish drawing them at home.) The ten events were Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 10 ALIVE 137

138 covered in the following lessons: Baby Moses Saved from Pharaoh in the Basket God Calls Moses from the Burning Bush The Ten Plagues and Passover The Parting of the Red Sea God Provides Manna in the Wilderness God Provides Water from a Rock God Gives the Ten Commandments at Sinai The Israelites Build the Golden Calf God Hides Moses in the Rock Moses Dies, Still Believing in God s Promises To Prepare: Make enough copies of the Take-home page for each child. 7 ClOsing Prayer for our Leaders Say: Moses finished his life trusting God and looking forward to God s promises. One of the promises God made to the people of Israel was that they would have an even greater leader than Moses. God kept that promise when he sent Jesus. Jesus is the greatest leader anyone has ever known! If we follow him, he will lead us all the way to God, the Father. Only Jesus is a perfect leader. Every other leader has strengths and weaknesses, and they need God s help to lead well. As we finish our time together, let s pray together to thank God for all the leaders he has placed in our lives, and for Jesus, the greatest leader. Have children name leaders in their lives. This may include parents, coaches, teachers, clergy, government officials, etc. Let s pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us leaders in our lives. Bless (place the names of leaders here) and give them strength and courage to do your work. Bless each child here and help them to grow up in you, ready for the work you have for them to do. Thank you so much for the story of the Israelites. Help us to follow the greatest leader, Jesus. Help us to become more like Jesus each day, and bring us to you one day. Amen. As children leave, hand out Take-home pages and prompt them to take home their Moses Timelines. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 10 ALIVE 138

139 Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 10 ALIVE 139

140 ALIVE WEEK Live It All WeeK Lower Elementary Take Home Paper for Families What Your Child Learned Today This week we mark a key transition in the leadership of God s people, as Moses s long life of ministry comes to an end. Moses died still believing that God would keep his promises, and we now know that God s promises are only fully kept through the unique ministry of Jesus Christ. The conclusion of one leader s ministry is not the conclusion of God s presence with his people. Even as the people of Israel went forward without Moses, they continued onward with God. Try This Have your child make a drawing of Moses s face on a thin paper plate or translucent paper. Write the Scripture, Since then, Israel has never had a prophet like Moses. The Lord knew him face to face (Deuteronomy 34:10), along the top of the plate/paper. Hang the plate in a window you see regularly, and let the sunshine remind you of the glory of God. Table Talk X X At mealtime this week, talk with your child about the amazing life of Moses. Maybe your child has had some amazing events in their life as well. Remind them of these times and explain to them how these moments have made them a stronger person. Tell them that as they grow into the gifts God has given them, he will give them opportunities to lead like Moses, Jesus, and leaders in your church today. Moses s Death and Burial }} Scripture: Deuteronomy 34:1 12 }} Big Idea: Moses finished his life trusting God and looking forward to God s promises. }} Memory Verse: Since then, Israel has never had a prophet like Moses. The Lord knew him face to face. Deuteronomy 34:10 Something Else to Do Talk about the leaders at your church. Maybe one of them has helped your family in a time when you needed encouragement or had questions about the church or faith. Take some time this week to write a thank-you note with your child and deliver it on Sunday to a special leader at your church. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 10 ALIVE 140

141 LOWER ELEMENTARY SUNDAY SCHOOL Year A Fall Week 11 Proper 26, Lectionary 31 JOshua and Israel Cross the JOrdan Joshua 3:7 17 Big Idea: God goes with us, his people, in the past, present, and future. He has made a way for us to live eternally with him through Jesus Christ, his Son. MemOry Verse: Lord, I will remember what you did. Yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. Psalm 77:11 LessOn Overview Children face many challenges as individuals and as groups. They look for guidance and encouragement to feel strong enough to make brave and worthy choices. As we see in the story of Joshua and the Jordan River, these questions are not new. This lesson asks the children to think about how God has been with them in their past experiences, is with them in their current situations, and will be with them in their future. The lesson also reminds them that God keeps his promises to all his people! The stories of those who followed Jesus before us can give us courage to follow him in our lives today. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 11 ALIVE 141

142 1 2 Week 11 Lesson Plan Activity and Supplies To Prepare Welcome Activity (5 minutes) Lesson Introduction (5 minutes) Rushing Water Recording of rushing water (river, ocean) CD player, laptop, etc. to play the recording Past, Present, or Future 3 Scripture Story (10 minutes) Joshua and Israel Cross the Jordan Printables: Joshua in 3 Directions 3 craft sticks for each Joshua (optional) Print and cut out the Joshua in 3 Directions printable. You may choose to put them on wooden craft sticks like puppets, or you could just hold up the paper. See text for additional details. 4 Discussion (10 minutes) Joshua and Israel Cross the Jordan Snack (5 minutes) Snack food of your choice. (Remember to take into consideration gluten or dairy allergies.) Allergy Alert sign. 5 Memory Verse Activity (10 minutes) Team Relay 40 index cards Masking tape 2 dry erase boards 2 containers to hold index cards Write one word from the memory verse on each card. Write the full Scripture reference on one card. Add five extra cards to each set, and on each extra card, write a random word (i.e., Cow, piano, alligator). Make two sets of these verse cards with different random words. See text for additional preparation details. 6 Activity (10 minutes) Printables: Scripts (one copy per child) Ark of the Covenant (plastic treasure box or decorated box with craft rods or pool noodles as handles any size) Blue bath towels Sandpaper Copy scripts for the class. Make some kind of decorative gold box that can represent the Ark of the Covenant. See text for additional preparation details. 7 Closing (5 minutes) Telephone Listening Printables: Take-home page (one copy per child) Make enough copies of the Take-home page for each child. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week ALIVE

143 Bible BackgrOund for Leader This lesson introduces us to the history of Israel after the death of Moses and the passing of the first generation of Israelites who were part of the Exodus. Joshua, the new leader God chose to replace Moses, and the second generation of those who have wandered in the desert are now ready to enter the land promised to their ancestors. The lesson today marks this long-awaited entry through a miraculous act of God as he stops the flow of the Jordan River for the Ark of the Covenant to lead his people through the river on dry ground. Old Testament. The Old Testament presents the long-awaited entry into the Promised Land as an end to the exile that was imposed on the disobedient first family, Adam and Eve. This end of exile was first promised to Abraham, who died owning only a small piece of land used as a burial place for his wife, Sarah. The patriarchs after Abraham also experienced many blessings and wealth, but continued to dwell as nomads. It wasn t until Joseph was elevated to leadership in Egypt under Pharaoh that Israel (Jacob) and his sons settled somewhere in Egypt. But Joseph asked his sons to take his bones with them when they left Egypt for the Promised Land. The Israelites kept this promise, taking the bones of Joseph along when God delivered them from Egyptian slavery. Through this generation s wilderness wanderings, they experienced God s presence, miracles, and judgments under Moses. Now, under Joshua s leadership, they are ready to cross the river and finally begin to possess the Promised Land. Jesus. The writer of the book of Hebrews points out that the rest promised to the people of Israel in the days of Joshua was not fulfilled in a permanent way. Only the greater leader, Jesus, can lead God s people into a permanent place of rest from their enemies and troubles. Jesus is the leader God has chosen, and he is the one to whom God has given his words and blessing. He will lead us to our heavenly Promised Land! The Church and the World. The crossing of the Jordan River reminds the church that the promises of God extend beyond one generation. The younger generation of Israelites wandering in the wilderness had experienced many of God s mighty acts. Now they are on the front lines of God s new acts, witnessing the long-awaited fulfillment of God s plan to lead his people into the Promised Land. A promise-keeping God is an anchor in a world where many people make promises that fall away within weeks, never mind keeping promises through generations. This lesson balances the long-term covenantal promises of God with the duty of each new generation to embrace these promises and follow God faithfully as the Church carries out God s mission until Christ s return. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week ALIVE

144 1 WelcOme Activity Rushing Water Play a sound recording of rushing water, either river or ocean, as the children come in. Ask them to sit and close their eyes. Ask them to picture in their mind what they are hearing. Say: Today, the children of Israel will face a large body of water that probably sounded much like what you are hearing now. It seems impossible to cross, just as the Red Sea did many years before. Will God help them as he did in the past? Let s find out! 2 LessOn IntrOductiOn Past, Present, or Future The children will respond to a list of activities that they will describe as either in their past (for example, baby bottles), present (chores), or future (driving a car). When children hear the past, they point over their shoulder behind them; when they hear something related to the present, they point at their feet; and when they hear a future activity, they point ahead of them. Say: In our story today, we are going to talk about the past, the present, and the future. We can remember things that have happened before. That s called the past. We can know what is happening right now at this time of our lives. We call this the present. And we can imagine what will happen in the future maybe you are hoping to get a pet, a baby sister or brother, or a new game. For followers of Jesus, there is a promise that we can know for sure that is, God goes with us, his people, past, present, and future. Have the children stand and give them the instructions. As you read the items individually, give children a chance to perform the hand motions that show whether they think the event is in their past, present, or future. It may be different depending on the circumstances of each child, and some of them are things a child could do more than once past, present, and future. 1. Learn to tie your shoes. 2. Sneeze like a hurricane. 3. Brush your teeth on your own. 4. Share your lunch with someone. 5. Own a pet. 6. Go to a wedding. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 11 ALIVE 144

145 7. Drive a car. 8. Eat broccoli. 9. Use markers. 10. Cry during a movie. 11. Need a Band-Aid. 12. Play on a team. 13. Pop a balloon. 14. Hug a friend. 15. Hold a snake. 16. Eat something blue. 17. Lose a tooth. 18. Go to a concert. 19. Move to a different house. 20. Graduate from college. 21. Have a library card. 22. Be a parent. 23. Forget your homework. 24. Tell a funny joke. 25. Fly in an airplane. 26. Throw a paper airplane. 27. Hold your breath for a minute. 28. Drink from a baby bottle. 29. Take a field trip. 30. Sleep in a crib. 31. Get married. 32. Play a game in Sunday school. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 11 ALIVE 145

146 3 Scripture StOry To Prepare: Print and cut out the Joshua in 3 Directions printable. You may choose to put them on wooden craft sticks like puppets, or you could just hold up the paper. It might be helpful for you to write BACK, STRAIGHT, and FORWARD on the back of the appropriate pieces of paper so they don t get mixed up as you are telling the story and switching from one to another. Joshua and Israel Cross the Jordan The leader and children will sit in a circle. The leader will have the three pictures of Joshua (looking back, looking straight, looking forward). As the leader tells the story, the children will listen for how the story moves between God s presence in the past, present, and future. The leader will encourage the children to shout past, present, or future when they see the appropriate picture. Say: Moses, the leader of God s people had grown old and died. (Show children the BACK picture/ past! ) Joshua was the new leader of God s people. (STRAIGHT/ present! ) Joshua had many responsibilities. It was his job to lead the Israelites into the land God had promised to give them years ago. (FORWARD/ future! ) Joshua had spent lots of time with Moses. He had seen God answer prayers and perform miracles, like bringing water from a rock! Joshua had also heard God s Law and seen God discipline his people when they didn t obey him or grumbled against him. (BACK/ past! ) Joshua had also been a spy. He and some other spies snuck into the land God promised to the Israelites to see how big the enemies were. Even though the other spies had trembled with fear when they saw the big, scary guys they would have to fight, Joshua didn t. (BACK/ past! ) He trusted God and said, With God s help, we can take them. No problem! (FORWARD/ future! ) Now, God encouraged Joshua to be bold and strong as Israel s new leader, to remember the Law God had given to his people. God reminded Joshua that he would be with him, just as he had been with Moses. (STRAIGHT/ present! ) I will never leave you or forsake you, God told Joshua. And now, today, it was time to enter the Promised Land (STRAIGHT/ present! ) the same place God had told Abraham and Sarah about hundreds of years before. (BACK/ past! ) The Bible calls it a land of milk and honey. Who likes milk and honey? (Let children respond.) Those are yummy things. Now God told Joshua to spread the word that it was time to get ready to move. Spies went ahead and listened behind the walls. They heard that the people in the city of Jericho knew that God s people were coming! These spies returned and gave Joshua the thumbs-up. God s promises would be kept. (STRAIGHT/ present! ) Joshua and all the people of Israel are now standing on the edge of the Promised Land. But there s a problem there s a giant river in front of them! Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 11 ALIVE 146

147 The Jordan River is rushing fast. What now? How will the people get across? This will be one of Joshua s first tests. Joshua remembered when God had opened up the Red Sea after they left Egypt. (BACK/ past! ) But what about now? (STRAIGHT/ present! ) God gave Joshua specific instructions. The people needed to be ready to follow the plan. The priests would go first, carrying the Ark of the Covenant. That was a very holy box of wood and gold that held the Ten Commandments. The priests would step into the water first, and then everyone else would follow, even the children like you. Everyone had a specific job to do on this miraculous morning. (STRAIGHT/ present! ) Guess what happened? (Let children guess) God showed he was with Joshua. He opened up that rushing Jordan River! Just as the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant put their feet in the water, the river stopped flowing. All the water piled up on one side. How high do you think that was? (Let children respond or stretch their arms up.) It was very high. And underneath was dry land for God s people to cross. Isn t that amazing? The Ark of the Covenant was the symbol of God s presence with his people. God went ahead of them into that river, making a safe path for them. (STRAIGHT/ present! ) And they all crossed the fast ones, the slow ones, the old ones, the babies, even their animals. God was taking them into the special land he had promised their parents and grandparents to give them. When everyone was safely across, God said that the people should build something to remind them of this day. They took stones from the river large smooth stones and built a memorial that people would see for years and years. (FORWARD/ future! ) God was with Joshua. He let the people know they could trust Joshua s words because Joshua trusted God. God gave the people confidence in Joshua as a leader and as a true teacher of God s word. (Both STRAIGHT and FORWARD/ present! and future! ) The people would see that God was with them just as he was with their parents. He really was the God of whole families. (BACK, STRAIGHT, and FORWARD/ past!, present!, and future! ) There would be many challenges ahead for God s people in the new land, but the promises God made in the past, he would keep. (BACK/ past! ) God had promised to be with his people as they entered the Promised Land and he would continue to be with them and that means even us today. (FORWARD/ future! ) Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 11 ALIVE 147

148 4 DiscussiOn Joshua and Israel Cross the Jordan XX What did you like about that story? XX Do you remember the story of the Red Sea, when God parted the waters and Moses led the people through? How was today s story of Joshua leading the people through the Jordan River similar? (God miraculously parted the water and brought the Israelites safely through.) How was it different? (God used Moses s staff to part the water vs. the feet of the priests; at the Red Sea the Egyptian army was pursuing them vs. the Israelites entering the Promised Land to conquer it, etc.) XX What was on the other side of the Jordan River where God had promised to take his people long ago? (The Promised Land.) XX Read Joshua 3:14 out loud. Who went first into the water? (The priests.) What were they carrying? (The Ark of the Covenant.) Why was this important? (It showed that God was with them and was going before them to make their path safe.) XX What wonderful or amazing thing has God done for you or your family that you can share? 5 Snack Pray together before eating. While the children are eating the snack, continue the discussion. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 11 ALIVE 148

149 To Prepare: Use index cards and write one word from the memory verse per card. Write the full Scripture reference on one card. Add five extra cards to each set, and on each extra card, write a random word (i.e. Cow, piano, alligator). Make two sets of these verse cards with different random words. Place each set in a container, and place each container at one end of the room with space provided on a wall or dry erase board for the full memory verse to be posted. Make a masking tape line at the other end of the room for each team to line up behind. 6 MemOry Verse Activity Team Relay Lord, I will remember what you did. Yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. Psalm 77:11 God s words remind Joshua and the people of Israel about what God has done in the past ( your miracles long ago ), and what they should do in the present ( I will remember ) so that they have confidence in God to guide them in the future. Divide the children in half to form two teams. Have them line up behind the two lines of tape. At the signal, the first player in each team runs to the container and looks for a word that is part of the memory verse. When the player finds any word in the verse, they use the masking tape to tape it on the board (or other space provided) in approximately the place it goes in the verse. Once their correct word is up on the board, they can run back and tag the next player. The next player must find any correct word and place it in approximately the correct place, either before or after the previous word found. They can move previously placed words to make space for their word. (Verbal help from their team is permitted.) They then tag the next player and continue until one team completes the verse, with its Scripture reference, on the board. The leader may need to lead the children in saying the verse aloud throughout the game so they know where the words go. To Prepare: Copy scripts for the class. Make some kind of decorative gold box that can represent the Ark of the Covenant, preferably with loops for pool noodles or craft rods to go through to carry it. Tape sandpaper rectangles to the floor, and lay the blue bath towels over them. 6 Activity Action Theater Assign roles to volunteers: Joshua, a narrator, two priests to carry the Ark, two River Rollers. Everyone else will be the children of Israel. Have the children all stand on one side of the bath towels. Hand each child a script and have them read the lines and act out their parts. If time permits, read through the script first to make sure everyone understands it before acting it out. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 11 ALIVE 149

150 To Prepare: Make enough copies of the Take-home page for each child. 7 ClOsing Telephone Listening Invite the children to sit in a circle, close enough to whisper in their neighbor s ear. Say: We are going to listen carefully to our neighbor just as we are supposed to listen to God. When we listen to God, he can share his plans for our lives and we can know he is with us. Share the rules of the game Telephone with the children. Start the message and allow it to be passed around the circle. The message is, God goes with us, his people. Say: Listen carefully, it s not always easy to hear, but it s important to listen. Have the last child repeat aloud what they heard. It may be funny! See how many times it takes before the message comes out correctly on the other end. End by saying today s memory verse once more together: Lord, I will remember what you did. Yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. Psalm 77:11 Say: Next week, we will find out what happened to the people of Israel as they began to settle in the Promised Land. Many challenges were waiting. But God was with them, as he had been with Abraham and his family when he called them to leave their homeland, and as he had been with Moses and the Israelites during their stay in Egypt. He was with them and their leader, Joshua, as they crossed the Jordan River. Now they are finally in the Promised Land. Before too long, God will show the people he is with them in a very special way. He will send his Son to be born. Jesus shows us how much God wanted to keep his promises to Israel. He also shows us God goes with his people, past, present, and future. Use your Take-home page to share with your family what you ve learned today. God doesn t want us to keep the good news to ourselves. Let s share it! Remember, God is with you today, and will lead you to exactly where you re supposed to be! Hand out Take-home pages as they leave. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 11 ALIVE 150

151 Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 11 ALIVE 151

152 Crossing The Jordan River JOSHUA: I am Joshua. NARRATOR: The Lord was with Joshua. ISRAELITES: We are the children of Israel. PRIESTS: We are the priests. NARRATOR: This is the Promised Land. RIVER ROLLERS: This is the river. NARRATOR: This is the dry land. The Lord said, Go to the Promised Land. JOSHUA: The Lord was with me. NARRATOR: The Lord gave Joshua a plan. JOSHUA: Come here. Listen to what the Lord your God is saying. ISRAELITES: LORD, we will remember what you did. Yes, we will remember your miracles of long ago. The PRIESTS go into the river. The RIVER ROLLERS roll the river back. (RIVER ROLLERS pull back the towels to reveal the sandpaper squares.) JOSHUA and ISRAELITES walk across on dry ground. EVERYONE: The Lord was with Joshua and the children of Israel. Hooray!! (EVERYONE celebrates.) The End Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 11 ALIVE 152

153 ALIVE WEEK 11 Live It All WeeK Lower Elementary Take Home Paper for Families What Your Child Learned Today In Joshua 3, it is finally time for the people of Israel to enter the Promised Land. But to get there, they must cross the Jordan River, a big rushing river without any bridges. God gives Joshua instructions. The priests will go first, carrying the Ark of the Covenant. As soon as the priests step into the river, the water stops rushing and piles up. Dry land! The people of Israel walk safely across. In this miraculous way, God proves his presence with his people and leads them finally into the land he had promised. Try This Today, your child learned a memory verse. At home try this shout out activity: Parent: Lord, I will remember what you did. Children: Yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. Together: Psalm 77:11 Take turns with the parts. During the week when you d like to get your child s attention, call out, Lord, I will remember what you did! At first you may have to remind them of the response, Yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. Soon they ll get it, even if they add an eye roll! Table Talk X X Ask if your children can think of any other times in the Bible where we hear of events happening at the Jordan River. You might be surprised how often God used this body of water as the setting for his work. (Search Jordan River in a Bible index or an online Bible resource.) Joshua and Israel Cross the Jordan }} Scripture: Joshua 3:7 17 }} Big Idea: God goes with us, his people, in the past, present, and future. He has made a way for us to live eternally with him through Jesus Christ, his Son. }} Memory Verse: Lord, I will remember what you did. Yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. Psalm 77:11 Something Else to Do Take a trip to a river or find a video online of a river cruise. Talk about the things you see and experience wildlife, foliage, visitors, solitude. Talk about how the Jordan River might be similar to or different from the river you see. Imagine together how the priests must have felt as they took that first step into the water. They didn t want to drop the Ark! Talk about how it would feel to watch the river began to pile up! Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 11 ALIVE 153

154 LOWER ELEMENTARY SUNDAY SCHOOL Year A Fall Week 12 Proper 27, Lectionary 32 JOshua and the COvenant Renewal Joshua 24:1 3a, Big Idea: God s commitment to us inspires our loyalty to him MemOry Verse: Then the people said to Joshua, We will serve the Lord our God. We will obey him. Joshua 24:24 LessOn Overview In today s lesson the children will see Joshua calling Israel to remember God s commitment to them and to respond with loyalty and devotion. Abandoning any form of idolatry and declaring where one s loyalties lie is at the heart of this community recommitment. Children will hear the importance of making clear decisions for themselves, their families, and their community. They will be reminded that serving God is best. But only Jesus perfectly fulfills and renews our own covenant participation as we trust and rely upon him. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 12 ALIVE 154

155 Week 12 Lesson Plan Activity and Supplies To Prepare 1 Welcome Activity (10 minutes) Hot Potato Small beanbag Music CD Player or Laptop to play the music 2 Lesson Introduction (10 minutes) 100 Reasons 3 pieces of paper 3 pencils Minute timer 3 Scripture Story (10 minutes) Joshua and the Covenant Renewal Very large bowl Costume for storyteller (could be a robe, headscarf, or towel/turban; something simple) 4 Discussion (5 minutes) Joshua and the Covenant Renewal 5 Object Lesson (10 minutes) Plastic Fruit, Plastic Idols Plastic fruit Real fruit 2 serving platters Small paper plates Napkins Plastic fork/spoon for serving For the object lesson, lay plastic fruit on a serving platter. Prepare another serving platter with real fruit, but keep it hidden so the children can t see it until you bring it out. 6 Memory Verse Activity (10 minutes) Memory Verse Bowling Printables: Memory Verse cards, copied and cut out 6 small plastic bottles with lids Sand or water to weigh down bottles Duct tape to secure lids Masking tape to secure verse cards to bottles Small ball Copy and cut apart Memory Verse cards. Partially fill the bottles with water or sand to weigh them down, and then secure the lids with duct tape. Tape the Verse cards onto the bottles. Have a small ball for bowling the bottles down. 7 Closing (5 minutes) Review & Look Ahead Printables: Take-home page (one for each child) Make enough copies of the Take-home page for each child. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 12 ALIVE 155

156 Bible BackgrOund for Leader The Israelites new situation, living in the Promised Land, will raise questions about keeping the Law revealed to Moses on Mt. Sinai since they are now surrounded by foreign peoples. Joshua urges the people to recommit to the God who has been so committed to them. He instructs them to renew the covenant made at Mt. Sinai. This covenant renewal hearkens back to earlier moments when God invited his people to commit to him through Noah, Abraham, and Moses. The generous offer of God s blessings to those who are loyal to him is a chief avenue of God s redemptive purposes in the world. Later moments in the Old Testament will recall these renewals of the people s commitment to God, and the people s breach of these commitments will grieve the hearts of the prophets. The recurring need for Israel to be reminded of its covenant and renew their commitment to God draws out the reality that God has only weak and sinful partners in his covenants. Yet, despite Israel s failures, the promised renewal of the covenant described by prophets like Jeremiah and Ezekiel, buoy the hopes of Israel as exile tears the nation apart. Old Testament. Joshua s renewal of the covenant between Israel and God marks a significant transition in the progress of God s people. Here, at the end of Joshua s life, we see the end of the generation who were born in the days of slavery and hope, who experienced both the exhilaration of the Exodus and the forty-year discipline of the wilderness. Now, as the founding generation passes away, the families that have been reared on the journey and taught about the Lord s promises now live in the Promised Land enjoying the fulfillment of the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Through the miracles of their entry, conquest, and protection in the land, every promise made by God through Moses and Joshua is coming true. Joshua desires that the people not lose sight of their identity as God s people, and not forget the dramatic deeds that shaped their lives thus far and that ought to inspire loyalty among them for the future. Jesus. Jesus was born into the covenant people of Israel and received the signs of both covenant membership (circumcision) and covenant renewal (baptism). Jesus s call to others to repent in light of the arriving Kingdom of God and the judgment of sin, shows Jesus s familiarity with the language and ideas of covenant responsibilities and consequences. Jesus made it clear, as he approached his own death, that God s covenant promises were still in need of both fulfillment and redemption. Jesus described his own death as the new or renewed covenant accomplished through his death and resurrection. God now has a covenant partner whose perfect obedience will both merit reward but also atone for the failures of the previous covenant representatives fallen humanity. The apostles summarized the ongoing call to covenant commitment, so common in the Old Testament, in its new embodiment: believing on Jesus Christ for salvation. Trusting in the accomplishments and mercy of Jesus connects the believer to all the covenant blessings Jesus earned through his fulfillment of all righteousness. The writer of Hebrews goes on to contrast the good, but incomplete, service that Joshua rendered as he led the people into the initial rest of the Promised Land with the final heavenly rest Jesus provides as the covenant head and Lord of his people. Church and the World. The relational and community aspects of covenants can make the concept seem strange to modern readers. The commitment of God to create, redeem, and sustain a people through his Son s success is expressed through the church s life as a community shaped by covenant. God s commitment inspires our loyalty. The signs of membership and participation in this community, chiefly baptism and the Lord s Supper, point towards our covenant mediator, Jesus Christ. Cultivating loyalty to God through Jesus Christ is a continual calling for the church in the world. Basing that loyalty upon gratitude and faith in the One who both calls for our loyalty and grants it by his grace makes our own opportunities to renew our commitments to him moments of joy and celebration. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week ALIVE

157 1 WelcOme Activity Hot Potato After children enter, have them stand in a circle. Say: Good morning! Today we are going to hear from Joshua. He has gathered all the people of Israel together. They are beginning their lives in the Promised Land. Joshua wants to remind the people how important their response is to God s kindness. It will help themselves, their families, and their community. Let s begin warming up for what Joshua will say by playing Hot Potato. When you hear the music, pass the beanbag to the partner beside you. When the music stops, stop passing. If you have the beanbag when the music stops, your turn ends for this round, and you may cheer for those remaining. The game ends when there is only one player left. Play the game with music being stopped intermittently. Each time the music stops, the child holding the beanbag is eliminated and must sit down or stand beside you. Say: We respond to the music we hear, and we move with it. When the music stops, we stop because we cannot move without the music. After the game, connect the game to our lesson and say: In today s lesson, Joshua makes it clear that God s commitment and love for us inspires our loyalty to him. We serve God only because he has already been kind to us. If we try to move apart from God, instead of with him, things fall apart. Let s see what God s prophet Joshua has to say about this. 2 LessOn IntrOductiOn 100 Reasons Divide children into groups of three and give each group a pencil and a piece of paper. Say: In today s lesson Joshua will remind the people of Israel of just a few of the reasons they should show their loyalty to God. He will remind them of what God has done for them in the past. Let s see how easy it is to come up with reasons we should do other activities. Assign each group one of the following topics: Topic 1: We should have ice cream for breakfast. Topic 2: We should postpone having a haircut. Topic 3: We should take our turtle for a walk. Say: Working with your group, list as quickly as you can as many Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 12 ALIVE 157

158 persuasive reasons as you can think of why this event should occur. The group who comes up with the MOST reasons in one minute wins the game. Ask the children what the word persuasive means (able to convince using reason or emotion). Give the children an example to do first as a class: Here s an example: We should not have to take any tests in school. Give me some reasons why this should happen. Give each team one minute to brainstorm for their assigned topic. Then have them present their list verbally to the whole group. Have someone tally each group s number of reasons. Say: Joshua does try to persuade his audience because he is concerned they will make a poor choice if they forget the many good things God has done. After each group has presented and the reasons have been tallied, congratulate the winners and say: God s commitment to us inspires our loyalty to him. 3 Scripture StOry Joshua and the Covenant Renewal Turn a large bowl upside down and place it on the floor to serve as the memorial stone mentioned in Joshua 24. Say: Today s story comes from the end of the book of Joshua. Joshua is a book of the Bible in the Old Testament, in the days before Jesus. Place a robe or headscarf on to indicate that you are taking on the character of an Israelite. Have the children gather in a circle around the stone and you. Tell the story to the children as if they have arrived from different corners of the Promised Land, addressing groups of two or three as if they are families. Say: It s a long road to Shechem. It s been a while since we were all together, all the tribes. I ve just arrived with my family. I see many of you have as well. Joshua called us all here to this place. I know there is a lot to do, building homes and raising families in this new land. While there have been some battles, I m thankful that we have been safe. God has helped his people in so many ways. He raised up Joshua to be our leader. Do you remember when God helped us cross the Jordan River? He kept us safe when others tried to fight us, and he kept us safe when others tried to trick us. God has kept his promise by giving every family a place to live in this Promised Land. God has been very good to Israel and to me. And you too, I see. This story is our story, even if we are living further apart now. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 12 ALIVE 158

159 Joshua realized that sometimes people forget the kindnesses God shows to them. Joshua doesn t want the people to forget God or his promises to them. So here we are at Shechem. Joshua gave us an important message. He is getting older now, but he still speaks with God s words and authority. Joshua has been a good leader. We can trust him to tell us what we need to hear. Joshua reminded us of God s promises. He reminded all of us of God s laws that help us live with one another as God s special people. Joshua reminded us not to forget how important our choices are for our lives. He asked us to make a fresh choice as we live in the Promised Land. Do you remember what he asked us to do? Joshua asked us to think about all that God has done for our people. What comes to your mind? Joshua asked us to think if other so-called gods would treat us better. Some people remember the failed idols of Egypt, while others have learned about new idols from the foreign people in this land. Two groups of trouble. Joshua says we should show our loyalty and commitment to God alone. Our choices will affect us, our families, and our community. Our choices matter. Joshua told us that his family had decided to trust in God. He knew, and we know, that no one can perfectly keep all of God s laws, but God s commitment to all of us gives us reasons to trust God alone. I m thankful we ve come here today. This big stone is a reminder of what we ve heard and thought and decided. I hope you have decided to trust God as well. His commitment to us inspires us to be loyal to him and love him. Remove scarf or robe and finish story as the leader. Say: As time goes on, the people of Israel will face this choice again and again. Who would they trust to take care of them? Joshua s words and the memorial stone will remind generations of Israelites to answer this question for themselves. Will we trust God or ourselves? God or an idol? Finally, in God s kindness, he sent Jesus to the people of our world to show us just how much he loves us and wants the best for us. Through Jesus, God shows us his mercy when we fail to keep his Law. Jesus inspires our loyalty and trust because he shows God s love for us. When people put their trust in Jesus for their forgiveness and new life, they enter into the renewed covenant Jesus secured. They are marked as members of that covenant in Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 12 ALIVE 159

160 baptism. As the new follower of Jesus lives in trust and loyalty to him, they are reminded often of God s great kindness and his power for their lives. They want this same good life for their families. God s commitment to us inspires our loyalty to him. 4 DiscussiOn Joshua and the Covenant Renewal XX What has God done for Israel so far? (Brought them out of slavery in Egypt, rescued them from Pharaoh s army, provided them with food and water, showed them the right way to live, etc.) XX Why is it important to serve God together as people, as families, and as communities? (Because through our service we can honor God and thank him for all that he has done for us; we can also share God s love with others by serving them.) XX Jesus offers us life in the covenant that he has renewed through his own life and death. How does his sacrifice inspire our trust in him? (Because if he s willing to give his own life for us, he is also willing to give us any good thing that we need. Through his sacrifice, he shows that he truly loves us.) 5 Object LessOn To Prepare: Lay plastic fruit on a serving platter. Prepare another serving platter with real fruit, but keep it hidden so the children can t see it until you bring it out. Plastic Fruit, Plastic Idols Have the children sit back down at the table. Say: Joshua wanted the people of Israel to know that God s commitment to us inspires our loyalty to him. One of the things Joshua highlights is that the other so-called gods or idols don t really do anything for the people. They may share some external characteristics with the true God of Israel, but they will not show any commitment to the people of Israel because they are not alive or real. They are dead objects. Let s think about this while we eat some fruit. Hold up a piece of the plastic fruit. This fruit looks delicious. It looks just like a [banana or whatever fruit you have selected]. Continue highlighting the apparent traits that are comparable to real fruit. Ask: Who wants to have a piece of fruit? Offer to share the fruit, and Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 12 ALIVE 160

161 then act as though you are answering questions and say: No, it doesn t have any vitamins. No, it isn t delicious to taste. You might actually get sick if you put it in your mouth. No, it isn t a real [banana], but doesn t it look close enough for you to choose it instead of a real banana? Now pull out the platter of real fruit, along with small plates and napkins. Say: AHHH, now HERE is the real fruit. It IS delicious and nutritious. We can actually eat this. (Distribute fruit and allow children to eat as you keep talking.) How does this fake and real fruit connect to Joshua s challenge to Israel? (Allow children to give ideas.) That s right. The true God of Israel is real. He provides good things for us. His love is sweet to our taste. But the idols or false gods are not real. They do not provide us with any good things. They do not love us. God s commitment to us inspires our loyalty to him. His living, powerful ministry on earth through Jesus, his Son, inspires our trust and devotion. We love God because he first loved us! As you eat your fruit, think about Joshua s question. Which choice deserves your loyalty and trust? The real God or fake gods? Can you think of some false idols people serve today? (money, fame, power, material things) To Prepare: Copy and cut apart Memory Verse cards. Partially fill the bottles with water or sand to weigh them down, and then secure the lids with duct tape. Tape the Verse cards onto the bottles. Have a small ball for bowling the bottles down. 6 MemOry Verse Activity Memory Verse Bowling Then the people said to Joshua, We will serve the Lord our God. We will obey him. Joshua 24:24 Set the six water bottles you prepared with the verse cards at one end of the room in a bunch not in order. Say: In Joshua s speech to Israel, he described some of the many things God had done for his people. He began back in the days of Abraham before Egypt, went through the days of slavery and freedom with Moses, and through the long years in the wilderness. Now God has moved them across the Jordan River and into the Promised Land itself. God has always been active and moving for his people. Let s learn today s verse by moving things actively like God has done. Everyone stand up and make a line. The first person in the line will run down and put the verse bottles in order. Once the verse is complete, we will say the verse together before the next person in line rolls the ball to knock them down. Then that person will rush down and put the verse in order, and we will Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 12 ALIVE 161

162 follow the pattern through until everyone has had a chance to play. If you get stuck putting the verse in order, you can ask for help from a friend. Ready? Let s go. Play the game until everyone has had an opportunity to arrange and knock down the verse. Say: God s commitment to us inspires our loyalty to him. Joshua gathered all of Israel together at Shechem so that everyone could make their commitment afresh together. You have helped one another learn our verse. Let s say our verse together once more. To Prepare: Make enough copies of the Take-home page for each child. 7 ClOsing Review & Look Ahead Review today s lesson along with the memory verse. Tell the class that next week s lesson is about another person who God used as a leader. Explain that they will see how God used that person to encourage the people to trust God even when times were scary. Hand out Take-home pages as children leave. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 12 ALIVE 162

163 Then the people said to Joshua, We will serve Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 12 ALIVE 163

164 the LORD our God. We will obey him. Joshua 24:24 Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 12 ALIVE 164

165 ALIVE WEEK 12 Live It All WeeK Lower Elementary Take Home Paper for Families What Your Child Learned Today Joshua called Israel to remember God s commitment to them and to respond with loyalty and devotion. Abandoning any form of idolatry and declaring where one s loyalties lie is at the heart of this community recommitment. Your children heard the importance of clear decisions for themselves, their families, and their community. They were reminded that serving God is best. Their own opportunities to renew their commitments to Christ come each week in worship as we reflect on our baptism and share in the Lord s Supper. Because only Jesus perfectly fulfills the requirements of absolute loyalty and perfect living, we are blessed that he invites us to join in the blessings and salvation he has won for us. Try This Joshua wanted all Israel to make the commitment that he and his family had made. God asked for these commitments from individuals, families, and communities. Say Joshua 24:24 together, letting your voices blend together as an encouragement that our life of faith is a shared journey. Table Talk X X Joshua urges the people to make a commitment to God based on God s long and proven commitment to them. Talk with your children about people in your lives that you know to be reliable and dependable. Is it easier or more difficult to show loyalty to people like this? Joshua knows that people can disappoint us, and many of us have disappointed others. Jesus offers us the good news that his death and resurrection make it possible for covenant-breakers to share in the renewed covenant that he brings. How does this opportunity for renewed life with God encourage us to even greater loyalty? Joshua and the Covenant Renewal }} Scripture: Joshua 24:1 3a, }} Big Idea: God s commitment to us inspires our loyalty to him. }} Memory Verse: Then the people said to Joshua, We will serve the Lord our God. We will obey him. Joshua 24:24 Something Else to Do Loyalty is an attitude that expresses itself in concrete words and deeds. Joshua urged the people to love God and throw out their useless idols. Brainstorm a way your family can show loyalty this week. Following are some examples: Do a chore for another family member, showing loyalty to family. Invite a neighboring family over for pizza and games, showing loyalty to neighbors. Ask if you can serve your church by doing a yard cleanup, planting a new tree, or serving in the nursery, showing loyalty to your local body of Christ. As you make and enact your plan, pray a prayer of thanks that Jesus s renewal of the covenant offers us the strength and gifts of the Holy Spirit to help us as we serve God in the world. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 12 ALIVE 165

166 LOWER ELEMENTARY SUNDAY SCHOOL Year A Fall Week 13 Proper 28, Lectionary 33 DebOrah and Barak Judges 4:1 7 Big Idea: God s plans are for my best, both now and in the future. MemOry Verse: Blessed is the person who trusts in the Lord. Proverbs 16:20b LessOn Overview Deborah and Barak s story is one of faithful responses to difficult circumstances. Deborah served God as a prophetess and judge, pointing people to right decisions. Barak hesitated at the call God gave him, yet found courage in the company of another faithful leader. Children have similar experiences, even if they are not as dramatic. The imperfections of our lives give us a chance to recognize and embrace God s short and longterm solutions. God s guidance to us can be as immediate as an answered prayer or as long-term as the teaching of wisdom for living. Students will connect most readily with the short-term deliverance of Deborah, Barak, and Jael. (See Judges 4-5.) It is significant to help students see that this moment of grace pointed beyond itself to the larger plans God had in store for his people a loyal king who would guide the people for generations. This longer-term solution is still in seed form at this point in the Bible. It sprouts in the reign of David and his successors, reaching full maturity in the identity and ministry of Jesus. Deborah helps us see God at work in the short- and long-term, and seeing this dual focus of God in her life can assist us as we look for it in our own. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 13 ALIVE 166

167 Week 13 Lesson Plan Activity and Supplies To Prepare 1 Welcome Activity (10 minutes) Sound Charades Index cards with sound ideas written on them Basket or box to hold the index cards Write these ideas on index cards or come up with your own for the Sound Charades Game: thunderstorm, dripping faucet, galloping horses, hoot owl, blowing wind, chugging train, police siren, clock, snoring person, popping balloon. 2 Scripture Story (10 minutes) Deborah and Barak Printables: Deborah and Barak story visuals, copied Print out the two visuals. 3 Discussion (5 minutes) Deborah and Barak 4 Snack (5 minutes) Snack food of your choice. (Remember to take into consideration gluten or dairy allergies.) Allergy Alert sign. 5 Memory Verse Activity (10 minutes) Scramble: Race to the Finish Printables: Verse Words in Groups Per every 2 children, one piece of the following, large enough to tape verse words onto Piece of sponge Index card Piece of felt Band-Aid (or cotton square) Piece of wide ribbon Paper bags Blindfolds enough for half the children Make enough copies of the Verse Words in Groups printable so that there will be one verse for every two children. Cut apart the phrase strips and paste/tape each one a different object. Put each separate set in a paper bag. See text for additional details. 6 Craft (10 minutes) Deborah and Barak Story Wheel Printables: Story Wheel (one copy for each child) Crayons/markers Brass brads Safety scissors Make enough copies of the Story Wheel printable so that each child can have one set. Prepare your own copy of the Story Wheel so that you can use it to review the lesson while the children color. 7 Closing (10 minutes) Blindfolded Drawing Printables: Take-home page (one for each child) Paper Crayons/markers Blindfolds for each child Make enough copies of the Take-home page for each child. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 13 ALIVE 167

168 Bible BackgrOund for Leader After the death of Joshua and his generation, the tribes of Israel continued to live in the Promised Land, but they spent less and less time as a unified group. The local challenges of their settlement caused most of the tribes to pay little attention to the situations of other tribes. This was a sad contrast to the tribes unity when they left Egypt and traveled together through the wilderness, entering the Promised Land under Joshua s leadership. Judges were empowered by God to bring deliverance to the people in their area. Even after the initial success of possessing the land, there were still some threats to the people s safety and peace. The tribes were not faithful to remove all the pagan groups from the Promised Land and had increasingly adopted the manners, beliefs, and worship practices of these groups. The book of Judges describes a weary cycle of Israel s unfaithfulness, God s judgment through oppression, a cry for deliverance, and God s raising up of a Judge to bring deliverance and a time of peace to the land. Some of these Judges were good and some were bad. None of them were permanent, so the progress made by one was soon lost after their judgeship ended. In today s lesson we will see how God brought deliverance through the leadership of Deborah as she supported the military leader Barak. Old Testament. The book of Judges continues to make the point that in those days there was no king, and the implications of that deficit were fearsome. The people did as they thought best, and their best thinking had little place for loyalty to God or one another. The book s dark message sets the stage for the later book of Samuel, where the final Judge, Samuel, is raised up by God to anoint a king for Israel. The purpose was to establish not simply a monarch, but a family that could extend godly, unifying rule through the generations. This vision was first given to Israel in the days of Abraham, as God promised that all the nations of the earth would be blessed through his descendants. This vision was only a distant hope in the days of Deborah, yet her focus on rendering just decisions, even as the nation anxiously watched its borders, gives us a picture of the dual task of a godly king. The initial rule of King David began with great promise, but the Old Testament closes with a profound disappointment in the performance of David s house. Yet the prophetic promise that God would raise up a king from David s line was still Israel s hope, and would still be fulfilled. Jesus. Jesus arrives to fulfill the role of the promised King for both Israel and the world. Jesus s ministry combined the meeting of immediate needs, such as healings, with solutions to longer-term challenges, such as living in peace in this world and conquering fear of the grave. Though Jesus was not the messiah the Israelites expected and demanded one who would free them from immediate Roman rule he was the long-awaited Messiah of God! Jesus came to bring freedom from slavery to sin and death, to die to set the captives free, and to win eternal life for all who would embrace him. The apostles proclaimed Christ s lordship, telling the communities of faith that Jesus had come to unite all peoples, beginning with the twelve tribes of Israel, and including all the nations of the world. He is the fulfillment of God s promise to Abraham, that through his line all the nations of the world would be blessed. Church and World. The book of Judges points out the consequences of everyone making their own decisions about issues relating to a common faith and life. The cycle of judgment, repentance, deliverance, peace, and then forgetfulness-leading-to-sin recurs throughout the book. But Jesus brings a solution to this seemingly endless cycle of human frailty. He is the One who unites. He is the Supreme King who brings peace. Though Jesus s rule won t fully be established until he comes again, when every knee will bow before him (Philippians 2:10), the church s role today is to share with the world the good news that God in Christ has provided a permanent solution to the problems we find intractable sin, violence, hostility, even death itself. Glory to God! Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week ALIVE

169 1 WelcOme Activity To Prepare: For the welcome activity, write these ideas on index cards or come up with your own for the Sound Charades Game: thunderstorm, dripping faucet, galloping horses, hoot owl, blowing wind, chugging train, police siren, clock, snoring person, popping balloon. Sound Charades As the children arrive, have them form a sitting circle on the floor. Say: Let s play a game called charades. Does anyone know the rules of charades? Allow a child to answer or if no one knows, explain the general rules to them. Say: OK, let s each pick one card out of the basket. Read your card, but don t say it aloud and don t let anyone else see it! (Allow the children to each pick one card and give them a chance to read it.) Now that you ve looked at your card, we are going to change the rules of charades a little. We are going to play sound charades! Aren t there times when it s hard to describe something or act it out, but you can get the point across by making the sound? That s what we are going to do. Instead of acting out what is on our cards, we are going to sound it out. You re allowed to use your voice or objects in the room. You may make a noise, but you may not say any word that is on your card. (Demonstrate by drumming on objects in the room with a pencil for sound of a drum. ) Pick the first player and have them stand or sit in the circle. Then say: You are going to make your sound and everyone else is going to close their eyes and listen. When someone knows the answer, shout it out! Continue with the game until everyone has had a turn and all the cards have been played. Then say: In our story today, we are going to hear about a woman all the people of Israel listened to. They expected her to solve arguments and help the tribes get along better with her wisdom. She also did a lot of listening, just like in our game. She listened to God and relayed the message he gave her to the people. Let s find out what the message is today. Ready to LISTEN?! To Prepare: Print out the two Deborah and Barak story visuals. 2 Scripture StOry Deborah and Barak Deborah and Barak are a bright spot in the overall disappointment of the book of Judges. They trusted God by listening to his words to them. Say: God s people now lived in the Promised Land. This was after the days of Moses and Joshua. The twelve tribes had settled into their designated places. The tribes of Israel spent less and less time together and more time on their own. They began to pay less attention to one another and more attention to the people already living in the land. If something good or Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 13 ALIVE 169

170 bad happened to another tribe far away, they did not always offer to help or celebrate. This was not God s plan, and this was not what the tribes had promised each other. The land was a rich and wonderful place, and God s people were blessed there. But the people began to forget God s laws and began imitating the bad actions and beliefs of their neighbors. Trouble came to them. Sometimes these other nations would oppress God s people and steal their food or hurt their families. The tribes of Israel would eventually ask God for help. They would cry out asking for deliverance, like in the days of Moses when they were slaves in Egypt. God heard their cries and would raise up a strong leader, called a judge, to drive out the enemies of the nation. Peace would return for a while, but the people soon forgot to trust God and were again oppressed by enemies. As time went by, the times of trouble and oppression got longer and longer, and the times of peace got shorter and shorter. The tribes needed a leader who could keep the tribes together as one nation, as God promised to Abraham, like in the days of Moses and Joshua. The tribes needed a leader who would remind them of God s Law and guide them to follow him so they could serve God in the world. They did not have a leader like this yet. Show visual 1 Deborah and Barak Today we are going to hear a story from this time of the judges. One of the leaders in Israel was Deborah. We read about her in Judges, chapters 4 and 5. Deborah answered people s questions when they could not resolve own their disputes. Under palm trees she reminded the people of what God had said to his people and shared God s words for them. Even though there was trouble around her, she still gave God s direction to the people who wanted to know Gods plans and laws. People respected Deborah s words because she was a prophetess and heard from God. But the people had again stopped obeying God and were serving false gods instead. God s sad warning came true. The people were given into the hands of a terrible king. King Jabin was a wicked king, whose army was led by Sisera, a powerful but cruel general. His army had nine hundred chariots with iron wheels, making them strong, fast, and very frightening. For twemty years, this bad king oppressed God s people. They cried out to God for help. Deborah called for a man named Barak and told him God s words. She said Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 13 ALIVE 170

171 to him, The Lord, the God of Israel, is giving you a command. He says, Go! Take 10,000 men from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun with you. Then lead them up to Mount Tabor. I will lead Sisera into a trap. He is the commander of Jabin s army. I will bring him, his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River. There I will hand him over to you (Judges 4:6 7). But Barak was unsure. The other general had many chariots with strong iron wheels nine hundred chariots plus soldiers who had been cruel to Israel for twenty years. He asked Deborah to go with him. Deborah agreed. God would deliver his people and those who came after would always remember this woman s heroic action that brought victory to Israel. Show visual 2 Deborah and Barak lead Israel to victory God provided victory through the leadership of Deborah, the courage of the soldiers, and the bravery of a woman named Jael. The army of Sisera was defeated, and King Jabin was defeated as well. God brought peace to the land for forty years. Deborah and Barak sang a song of praise to God celebrating the victory and remembering God s strength. Deborah served God and reminded the people of God s laws. God delivered the people from the hand of an evil king through her faith and leadership. Things were not easy in Deborah s day. People had forgotten God s law. Enemies were oppressing God s people. Even though things were not as good as they would be, Deborah had faith in God. Her trust helped people know the right thing to do and helped the tribes find courage as they faced their enemies. She points us to God s promise to give Israel a king who can unite the entire nation one leader for all twelve tribes who will bring justice inside the nation and safety from enemies. Who is this king? (Let children respond.) That s right Jesus! The story of God s people includes many ups and downs and many good leaders like Deborah, but this long story leads us to Jesus Christ, who is the long-awaited King, ruling us with love and kindness. His Kingdom will last forever! 3 DiscussiOn Deborah and Barak XX If you asked the Israelites why they forgot their promises to God and one another, how do you think they d answer? (They probably would blame the people around them, who worshiped idols.) Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 13 ALIVE 171

172 XX How are we affected by those around us who misbehave? (We are tempted to be like them.) XX Barak was unwilling to lead the army alone, and he asked for Deborah s help. Who can you depend on when you aren t comfortable doing things alone? What good qualities does that person have? XX Deliverance came to God s people as they listened to his plans, given through Deborah. God has bigger plans as well. How do you learn about God s bigger plans for you and your family? (Through Scripture, prayer, and the wise advice of other Christians.) XX What are some of those plans? (Many possible answers, but most importantly to love God and love others.) 4 Snack Pray together before eating. While the children are eating the snack, continue the discussion. To Prepare: Make enough copies of the Verse Words in Groups printable so that there will be one verse for every two children. Cut apart the phrase strips and paste/tape each one on a different object: sponge piece, index card, felt piece, Band-Aid or adhesive bandage, wide ribbon. (Note: each group s words do not need to be on the same object as another s, and you are free to substitute more easily accessible items to you. They just need to be easy to distinguish from each other by touch.) Put each separate set in a paper bag. Write the memory verse up on an erasable board in the classroom or on a piece of paper that you can hang up. 6 MemOry Verse Activity Scramble: Race to the Finish Blessed is the person who trusts in the Lord. Proverbs 16:20b Read the verse aloud as a group from the poster or whiteboard. Ask the children what they think the verse means. Say: Being blessed means to have joy and good things. This verse is saying that when we trust in God, we ll be happy and things will end up right, even though it isn t always easy. Remembering this verse can help us choose to trust God even when things are hard and we feel afraid, just like Deborah did. Read the verse two more times together. Then say: Let s all find a partner. Help the children pick partners to make sure no one gets left out. If there s an odd number, an adult leader can join in. Say: Pick one person to be the doer and the other person will be the speaker. The doer is going to wear a blindfold and listen to the speaker. All the words of this verse are in this bag on different objects. The speaker Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 13 ALIVE 172

173 will use only verbal instructions to tell the doer which piece goes where. Erase or hide the Scripture passage you were previously reading from. Help the doers to get blindfolded. Make sure each pair has room at the table. Say: When I say, Trust, the speakers will dump out the bag on the table and start telling the doer which object goes first. The blindfolded doer will use only their sense of touch to try to figure out how to place the words in order based on the instructions of the speaker. Ready? On your mark, get set, trust! Help the speaker children use verbal instructions to get the doer children to put the verse in the correct order using touch to find the right pieces. You may need to say the verse aloud a few times if children get stuck. If time allows, switch jobs so that each child gets a chance to do both jobs. Say: Great job everyone! Was it easy to listen and trust that what the speaker said would work to put the words in order? It s the same way when we trust in the Lord sometimes. It can be really hard to listen and trust that what he tells us to do is the right thing. But the Scripture says that blessing will come when we trust in the Lord. It did for Deborah and all the tribes, and it will for you too. Let s say it together one more time: Blessed is the person who trusts in the Lord Proverbs 16:20b. 7 Craft To Prepare: Make enough copies of the Deborah and Barak Listen to God printable for the class. Deborah and Barak Listen to God Hand out the Deborah and Barak printables along with crayons, markers, and colored pencils. Read the captions in the boxes together, reviewing the story and tell the class to illustrate the story as it unfolds in the four boxes. Tell the children to use their imagination as they visualize the story in four scenes. After the illustrations are complete, as time allows, have volunteers share their story of Deborah and Barak. Emphasize that Deborah s obedience reminds us that God cares for us all the time, and he will give us strength to trust his plan. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 13 ALIVE 173

174 7 ClOsing To Prepare: Make enough copies of the Take-home page for each child. Blindfolded Drawing Have the children sit at the table. Review the memory verse for the day. Say: One of the ways we trust is by listening, just as we have talked about today. Sometimes the Scriptures will say that if we aren t listening to God, we are blind (Matthew 15). The Bible is not talking about our eyes, but our hearts. Let s find out what happens if it is our eyes that are blind. I am going to give you a piece of paper and I want you to choose something to draw, just one thing. Make it as beautiful or as awesome as you can in a quick three minutes. (Allow time for the children to draw an object.) Now let s use our blindfolds. Flip your paper over and draw the same object again, but this time, blindfolded! (Put on blindfolds. Allow time for the children to draw.) Now, take off your blindfolds. What do you think of your picture? Can you draw very well when you can t see? This is what it s like when we aren t trusting and listening to God; it s like trying to draw without seeing. You might get some lines on the paper, but they aren t where they should be and they don t form what you want them to. It s the same way when we don t listen to God things don t work out the way we want them to. God wants us to hear his words so much that he sent his only Son to walk and teach and speak the words of God to us. Jesus came to help us understand that God has a beautiful plan for our lives, just like your first beautiful drawing. Jesus came to earth and gave his body and blood for us so we can listen, share the gospel, and each day come a little closer to the beautiful picture God has planned for us. But remember, Jesus also forgives us if we don t listen and start drawing with our blindfold on we all do at some point. Let s bow our heads and finish our time together in prayer. Dear Jesus, help us to listen and hear your words. Help us to ask for your help each day as we become more of the beautiful picture you created us to be. Amen. Hand out Take-home pages, and make sure each child takes home their "Deborah and Barak Listen to God" craft. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 13 ALIVE 174

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177 Blessed is the person who trusts in the Lord. Proverbs 16:20b Blessed is the person who trusts in the Lord. Proverbs 16:20b Blessed is the person who trusts in the Lord. Proverbs 16:20b Blessed is the person who trusts in the Lord. Proverbs 16:20b Blessed is the person who trusts in the Lord. Proverbs 16:20b Blessed is the person who trusts in the Lord. Proverbs 16:20b Blessed is the person who trusts in the Lord. Proverbs 16:20b Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 13 ALIVE 177

178 Deborah and Barak Listen to God 2. Barak goes to battle against Sisera and his army of chariots. 1. Judge Deborah, who lives in a tent under a palm tree, tells frightened soldier Barak that God wants him to fight the enemy. 3. Sisera, frightened, runs from defeat. 4. Israel praises God for victory. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 13 ALIVE 178

179 ALIVE WEEK 13 Live It All WeeK Lower Elementary Take Home Paper for Families What Your Child Learned Today After the time of Moses and Joshua, the people of Israel were settled in the land of Canaan, the Promised Land. However, there were still other people living in that land, and sometimes the Israelites were in conflict with them. The people of Israel had no king, so whenever the people cried out to God in a time of crisis he would raise up a strong leader called a judge to help them. Once, when a Canaanite king called Jabin and his general Sisera were giving Israel trouble, God raised up a woman called Deborah to be a judge. She trusted in God and helped God s people, along with a leader named Barak, to defeat King Jabin and General Sisera. Deborah s leadership of trust and obedience in God allowed the people of Israel to find peace for 40 years. Try This Blessed is the person who trusts in the Lord. Proverbs 16:20b Write the memory verse down on a piece of paper and place it in your child s lunchbox or pants pocket. Ask them at supper if they found the verse. At dinner, hand everyone a piece of paper with blanks, like this. See if they can fill in the verse! is the who in the. 16: Try it each night until every family member can fill in the missing words! Table Talk X X Using the illustrations your child made during Sunday school, have them summarize the story of Deborah and Barak. Ask them to describe what it meant for Deborah to trust in God s plan. Together read Judges 5. Note the blessing in Judges 5:31b that the Israelites received by trusting God s words through Deborah. Deborah and Barak }} Scripture: Judges 4:1 7 }} Big Idea: God s plans are for my best, both now and in the future. }} Memory Verse: Blessed is the person who trusts in the Lord. Proverbs 16:20b Something Else to Do Start a conversation about ways and special times your family has trusted God. Get a piece of paper and list the ways God has blessed you in return. Keep the paper hanging on the refrigerator and add to it any time you think of a new blessing. Ask your child if they have thought of any additional blessings and add those too. This can be a running list! You may find you need many pieces of paper. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 13 ALIVE 179

180 LOWER ELEMENTARY SUNDAY SCHOOL Year A Fall Week 14 Reign of Christ Proper 29, Lectionary 34 GOd the GOOd Shepherd (Feast Of Christ the King) Ezekiel 34:11 16, Big Idea: Jesus is our Good Shepherd and our King. He is strong, wise, and good. MemOry Verse: I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. John 10:11 LessOn Overview This week marks the church s celebration of Christ the King. The Scripture lesson emphasizes God s commitment to personally care for his flock, who had suffered greatly under the care of unfaithful shepherds. Children will consider the role of a good shepherd, contrast it with the criticism God offers of the poor shepherds, and celebrate the gift of Jesus as God s lasting King who truly is the Good Shepherd. The emphasis throughout the lesson on Jesus s strength, wisdom, and goodness allows us to point to Jesus as unique, and to feel gratitude for his mercy toward the weak and lost, including us. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 14 ALIVE 180

181 Week 14 Lesson Plan Activity and Supplies To Prepare 1 Welcome Activity (10 minutes) What Was Lost, Now Is Found! Printables: Sheep Sticky notes with numbers written on them: 2, 3, or 4 Copy several pages of the Sheep printable and cut the sheep out separately. Make a sticky note for each child in the class that has the number 2, 3, or 4 on it. The number on their sticky note is the number of sheep the child will need to find, so be sure to have enough sheep for all the children in the class to collect the number of sheep on their note. Before class, hide the sheep in various places around your classroom. 2 Lesson Introduction (10 minutes) Strong, Wise, Good 3 Scripture Story (10 minutes) God the Good Shepherd (Feast of Christ the King) Large marshmallows (at least 2 per child) 4 Discussion (5 minutes) God the Good Shepherd (Feast of Christ the King) 5 Memory Verse Activity (5 minutes)) The Good Shepherd; Our Very Good King Pipe cleaners (8 per child) Each child has eight pipe cleaners. Bend five pipe cleaners per child in half, making a V shape (leave three straight). 6 Activity (15 minutes) Service Project: The King s Good Grace Permanent marker Materials for project (per child): 1 pair of adult socks 1 toothbrush (can be bought inexpensively in packs) 1 travel toothpaste 1 pack of gum 1 hard candy 1 travel soap 1 washcloth 3 granola/nutrition bars 1 large paper bag/large zipper storage bag 1 clothespin (optional, to seal paper bags if you choose to use them rather than the zipper storage bags) Plastic grocery bags to hold each category of items (8 if you re going with the provided suggestions) Gather up all the items (either the ones recommended in the materials list or other items you feel appropriate), enough so that each child in class will have one of each to put in their care bag. See text for more details. 7 Closing (5 minutes) Review & Look Ahead Printables: Take-home page (one for each child) Make enough copies of the Take-home page for each child. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 14 ALIVE 181

182 Bible BackgrOund for Leader In the verses preceding today s passage, the Lord expresses his anger toward the leaders (shepherds) of Israel because of how they have treated his people (the sheep). He says, You dress yourselves with the wool. You kill the finest animals. But you do not take care of your flocks (Ezekiel 34:3). The Lord accuses these false leaders of letting his sheep wander and scatter, as indeed the people of Israel have done. In response, God resolves to take care of his people personally: I myself will search for my sheep I will gather them together from other countries. I will bring them into their own land I myself will take care of my sheep. I will let them lie down in safety (Ezekiel 34:11, 13b, 15). Old Testament. The imagery of a shepherd and his sheep is a common one in the Old Testament. It points to the critical role that leaders play in the well-being and security of their people. Ezekiel s critique of the false shepherds in the final days before Israel s exile contrasts with the golden days of the past when King David and his house were, for the most part, godly leaders. It also points to the fact that failed leadership results in true suffering and misery for the people. In today s passage, however, the Lord promises to bring his people back from where they will be scattered. God accomplishes this in bringing thousands of Jews back from exile in Babylon under Ezra and others. The Lord, who calls himself the King, speaks of a future shepherd he will place over all his people: He will belong to the family line of my servant David. He will take good care of them. He will look after them. He will be their shepherd (Ezekiel 34:23b). This prophecy in Ezekiel is fulfilled over 500 years later in the Good Shepherd, Jesus (John 10:11). Jesus. Jesus enters into a world where the imagery of sheep and shepherds is still powerful. He describes the failed, self-centered leadership of the false shepherds (the Pharisees) and calls himself the good shepherd (John 10). Jesus s own leadership of his people is more than simply a better option than the Pharisees it is a death-bearing role for the good of his scattered and sick flock: The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep, (John 10:11b). Jesus shows the care-taking nature of his leadership when he calls his disciples and sinners alike to follow him, welcomes the outcast and weak, and even from the cross provides for the care of his mother through his disciple, John. Jesus truly is the Good Shepherd who cares for his flock, going as far as to lay down his life to save them. The Church and the World. The leadership of Jesus as King and Shepherd continues today as Christ is currently reigning from heaven to advance God s kingdom, subdue his enemies, and intercede for his people. Jesus administers his rule on earth through leaders chosen according to the wisdom and guidance of his word, and the powerful, personal guidance of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Jesus s parting commission for his people is to go into the whole world to make disciples (Matthew 28:19), and his promised return to be judge of all things shapes the mission and emphasis of the church. Comparison of Jesus with other leaders, even good leaders within the church or Israel, leads to the recognition that Jesus s kingship is unique he is the shepherd who loves, gives, dies for, lives for, and humbly serves his sheep. His promised reign through all eternity gives his followers hope as they serve him and introduce this Good Shepherd to others. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week ALIVE

183 To Prepare: Copy several pages of the Sheep printable and cut the sheep out separately. Make a sticky note for each child in the class that has the number 2, 3, or 4 on it. The number on their sticky note is the number of sheep the child will need to find, so be sure you have enough sheep for all the children in the class to collect the number of sheep on their note. Before class, hide the sheep in various places around your classroom. 1 WelcOme Activity What Was Lost, Now Is Found! As you greet each child, place a numbered sticky note on their shirt. Say: Good Morning! Have a seat at the shepherd s meeting (point to the place you would like the children to gather.) OK, shepherds, we have a problem. The sheep have all wandered off. We, as their shepherds, must go find them and guide them back home. Look at your number that s how many sheep you need to find. Those sheep are your responsibility! Be sure to walk and not run. But walk quickly to get them and bring them back! Allow time for the children to go and find their sheep. Notice if any children are wandering and remind them: The good shepherd goes quickly for his sheep; that way they don t get far away. The shepherds that aren t so good allow the sheep to wander too far, and when they finally go to find the sheep, it takes much longer to find them. The children who go right away will get the easy-to-find sheep, leaving the difficult ones still to be found. The last shepherds may need some help finding the well-hidden sheep. Once everyone comes back with their sheep, say: Good job finding your sheep! The Bible speaks a lot about shepherds. Today we are going to hear about a shepherd who was such a good shepherd that he became our strong, wise, and good King. He always goes after every lamb and brings them back to safety. 2 LessOn IntrOductiOn Strong, Wise, Good Children will play a quick game of Rock, Paper, Scissors to recall that many items and attributes have both strengths and weaknesses. They then will imagine a game of STRONG, WISE, and GOOD. As they attempt to create a hierarchy of these traits, they will notice that each of them is essential for a leader of God s people. Say: Let s get started today with a familiar game. Find a partner and quickly play Rock, Paper, Scissors a few times. Review the rules of the game for anyone who doesn t know. Have children partner with one another and play five quick rounds. Ask: Why doesn t one item win every round? (Because they all have another item that will beat them.) How do these items relate to each other? Which item would you be if you could be only one? Allow the children to discuss which they think is best. Say: Today we will see that good leaders Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 14 ALIVE 183

184 need to be strong, wise, and good. How would a game of STRONG, WISE, and GOOD work? Talk it out with your partner and another team. Is any one of those traits better than the others? How would you decide which trait is most essential? Give the children a minute to discuss and offer their responses. Say: Let s listen to the message God sent through the prophet Ezekiel and see if we can determine which traits are most essential for the leaders of God s people. 3 Scripture StOry God the Good Shepherd (Feast of Christ the King) At the beginning of the lesson, give each child a large marshmallow. The marshmallow represents their very own sheep and they are the shepherd. (Tell them that if they don t eat their sheep until the end of the lesson, they may have an additional one to eat!) Encourage them to be good shepherds of their sheep and do the hard work of protecting them. They can plan and encourage one another to keep their sheep safe as well. As the lesson continues, the task of shepherding will become more difficult, and their role will be more essential. Say: Today s lesson takes place in a dark and difficult time in the Old Testament. The prophet Ezekiel saw that nearly everything around him was falling apart. The people of God were being judged for their long-term disobedience. Exile, or deportation, was coming to them. That means they were forced out of their homes and their country was being destroyed. Even worse, the leaders of the people the kings and priests, and even prophets other than Ezekiel were not taking care of God s people. Have the children hold their marshmallow an arm s length away. God sent a message to the nation through Ezekiel, and he reminded the people of three things. First, the people of Israel were special to God. He called them his flock. How has God cared for Israel like a flock so far? (Wait for responses from the children, but ideas could include a quick summary of previous lessons: God gave them food and water, protected them from their enemies, led them to a good land, etc.) Second, God said he has seen how the current leaders have failed and hurt the flock, and he will judge them. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 14 ALIVE 184

185 Have the children turn their marshmallow upside down. The people remembered past kings who were cruel to them. They recalled the times of suffering under Pharaoh, Jabin, and other oppressive rulers. Ezekiel brings the message that their own kings have also mistreated them. And God has seen it. God will step in and make it stop. The failures of David s family that ruled after him caused lots of sorrow to the people of Israel. Have the children march their sheep marshmallows around in a little circle in front of them as is they are in a cycle of bad kings and sorrows. But their sorrows would one day end. What do you think makes it hard to take care of a whole nation of people? (Allow children to respond.) What makes it hard not to devour your marshmallow sheep right now, or to let it get lost or dirty? (Allow children to respond.) Should the leaders do the right thing even when it is difficult? (Allow children to respond.) Third, God himself will be the people s shepherd. What he will do? God will appoint good leaders once his people are gathered again. Have the children hold their marshmallow close to them. Even greater than this, God will send his Son to be the perfect and final king of God s people. Jesus himself told his followers that he was the Good Shepherd, and he described how he cared for his people. Jesus is the King whose kingdom will never end, and his people can always rely on him. He is strong, wise, and good. He shows us he is the Good Shepherd by giving his life for the sheep. His death on the cross, in place of his sinful people, gives them absolute proof that he is committed to their safety, well-being, and salvation. Have children hold their marshmallow high above their head. He rescues his people and shares the blessings he has earned with them. So let s see how your own shepherding has gone. How many of you still have your sheep? Was it easy or difficult to keep it safe? Share the additional marshmallows with the class. Say: Jesus is the Good Shepherd who shows mercy to those who are lost and Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 14 ALIVE 185

186 to those who have been unkind to others. We celebrate that he is the Good Shepherd, our King who is strong, wise, and good. 4 DiscussiOn God the Good Shepherd (Feast of Christ the King) XX When would it be most easy to be a good king? (When there is peace and the people do what is right.) XX When would it be most difficult? (When there is war and the people do what is wrong.) XX Why is it important that a king/shepherd be strong, wise, and good? (He must be strong to protect his people/sheep, wise to guide them through danger into safety, and good to love them and sacrifice his own desires to help them.) XX Which trait is most important to you? XX Why would a good shepherd need to be all three? (Because people and sheep need protection, guidance, and someone who will love them and help them.) XX How does Jesus show us that he is a good shepherd? (He protects us from the attacks of Satan and the world, he guides us away from death and into life, and he has shown that he loves us and wants to help us by sacrificing his life for us.) XX Think of a time when Jesus s strength, wisdom, or goodness has helped you. Share it with the group. To Prepare: Each child has eight pipe cleaners. Bend five pipe cleaners per child in half, making a V shape (leave three straight). 5 MemOry Verse Activity The Good Shepherd; Our Very Good King Distribute Bibles to children, and have them open their Bibles to John 10:11. Read it aloud together. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. Who is the good shepherd? Yes! God is that good shepherd. If you get some Jesus answers say: Yes! We are going to talk about that too. I have some pipe cleaners. Let s make a corral using three pipe cleaners for the sheep, of course. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 14 ALIVE 186

187 Allow each child to choose three straight pipe cleaners. Show the children how to carefully twist the ends together to join each pipe cleaner into a straight line. Once you have the line of pipe cleaners bend them gently to connect the ends making a circle. Say: Excellent! Now we need something to feed the sheep. In the book of Ezekiel it says God provides the hills for the sheep to graze on. I have some hills here. Let s connect them around our corral so the sheep don t have far to go when they need to eat. Because the good shepherd wants to take care of his sheep, he makes sure he always knows where they are. Allow each child to take five folded pipe cleaners. Show them how to twist the ends around the circle you just finished. Make sure the point in the middle is sticking up to resemble hills or mountains. When you finish with the hills, say: In the New Testament Jesus speaks of himself as the Good Shepherd. Have a look at our wonderful home for the sheep. Does it remind you of anything? (Allow children to respond.) Yes! It looks like a crown. Let s look at the second sentence in our verse: The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. That is how Jesus became not only our Shepherd but also our very good King, who is strong, wise, and good. He conquered his enemies by giving his life for us. That s what kings do conquer their enemies to protect their people. Place the crown on your head because we are the sheep inside this corral. Jesus brings us into the fold with his promises of doing good for us, like letting us feast on the hillside. When you wear your crown, remember the promises of our good King Jesus. He loves you and wants only good for your life. Let s say our memory verse together again. Repeat the Bible verse together three times. Invite the children to wear their crowns if they desire. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 14 ALIVE 187

188 To Prepare: You will be making care bags for the homeless or needy. Gather up all the items (either the ones recommended in the materials list or other items you feel appropriate), enough so that each child in class will have one of each to put in their care bag. Before class, place each category of item in a separate plastic bag. (For example, all the socks in one plastic bag, all the toothbrushes in another plastic bag, and so on down the list.) 6 Activity Service Project: The King s Good Grace Set up ten chairs in an open circle, or designate ten spots around a table. In the first spot, station a child who writes well, and give him/her the paper bag or zipper bags and a permanent marker. This child will write Jesus YOU! on each bag. In the next eight spots, station children and assign them each a particular item to put in the bag when it is passed to them from the previous child. In the final spot, station a child who will close the bags, either by using a clothespin on a paper bag or sealing the zipper closed. Before you begin, bring the children to the circle and say: Jesus is our very good King who is strong, wise, and good. He loves everyone and wants them to share in his kingdom. There are some folks who aren t feeling God s promises right now. They need to hear the good news and feel cared for by the Good Shepherd. Jesus told his followers to help those who need help. He even said that when you do, it s like you are helping him! So today we are going to make bags you can keep in your car to share with someone you think may need to be reminded that Jesus loves them and wants to care for them. Let s get started! Assign a child to each station. If you have more than ten children, assign two children to one space and ask them to take turns placing items in the bags. Have the bags begin with the child who writes the message on, then travel all the way around the circle to the child who seals them closed. When all the bags are filled, say: Jesus is our very good King, and we are his hands and feet. Let s spread the news of Jesus s great love to everyone! (Note: It may take the child doing the writing longer than the rest. It would be wise to assign more children to this station if possible. If there is a lull in the activity, have a song to sing or some questions about the activity or lesson ready to discuss while children wait their turn.) Give each child a bag to take home with them, and tell them to watch and pray for someone who needs that bag. Ask them to have their parents help them choose who should receive it. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 14 ALIVE 188

189 To Prepare: Make enough copies of the Take-home page for each child. 7 ClOsing Review & Look Ahead Say: Next week, we will begin thinking about the birth of Jesus and preparing for Christmas through the season of ADVENT. How exciting to finally see God keep his best promise to his people! How surprising Jesus s arrival will be to the people and the world. This week, show others that you follow a Good Shepherd who is giving you strength and mercy to be strong, wise, and good. Make sure the children leave with their Take-home pages and Service Project bags. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 14 ALIVE 189

190 Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 14 ALIVE 190

191 ALIVE WEEK 14 Live It All WeeK Lower Elementary Take Home Paper for Families What Your Child Learned Today This week marks the end of the church year and the celebration of Christ the King. Our lesson today emphasized God s commitment to personally care for his people, who are described as sheep. The reign of Jesus as God s lasting King is good news because Jesus is also the Good Shepherd who is strong, wise, and good. His mercy toward the lost and weak is a fitting conclusion to the annual reflection of his life and ministry, crowned by his greatest act of love, laying down his life for his sheep. Try This This week your child created a care bag for someone facing homelessness or need. It is filled with one pair of socks, a toothbrush, toothpaste, nutrition bars, travel soaps, a washcloth, a pack of chewing gum, and a hard (non-melting) candy (items may vary). Consider making more of these bags and placing them in your car. As your family drives along and you see someone beside the road in need, share a small amount of God s grace with them by giving them a care bag. Christ is the King of all God s children, and we are his hands and feet, bringing the good news of his kingdom to earth. Table Talk X X Jesus is our King who is strong, wise, and good. Talk with your child about ways God is our Good Shepherd. Share which attribute of God encourages you most as you face the new week. Then, discuss how Jesus became our King by giving his life for his people. Would anyone have supposed that a crown of thorns would prove that Jesus the Good Shepherd is the promised King? God the Good Shepherd (Feast of Christ the King) }} Scripture: Ezekiel 34:11 16, }} Big Idea: Jesus is our Good Shepherd and our King. He is strong, wise, and good. }} Memory Verse: I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. John 10:11 Something Else to Do Make a crown with your child this week. Talk about Jesus as our King. Remind your child that Jesus has all the attributes of a perfect king. He is strong; he suffered death for us. He is wise; he taught the people God s ways during his ministry here on earth. He is good; he is always bringing us back to his plan for us even when we run in the opposite direction. Celebrate his good kingship each time your child puts on the crown this week. Jesus is our very good King! Why not throw your own Feast of Christ the King? Allow your child to help prepare their favorite meal. Decorate with streamers or gold ribbon. Serve water in fancy goblets. Talk about how a feast is a celebration of wonderful things. Christ is our wonderful King! Sing a favorite song of worship at your feast. Lower Elementary Sunday School Year A Fall Week 14 ALIVE 191