1.11. God Fights for His People. Bible Passage: Exodus 5 12 (The Exodus, Part 1) Schedule

Transcription

1 date: Bible Passage: Exodus 5 12 (The Exodus, Part 1) REMEMBER VERSE For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. Ephesians 1:4 God Fights for His People Schedule Anticipate 5 10 minutes Celebrate & Respond Large Group minutes Respond & Bless Small Group minutes Environment: IDENTITY This lesson highlights the environment of IDENTITY in how God fought for His people so they would be freed to worship Him as their one true God.. TruResources are developed in partnership with ROCKHARBOR Church and a national network of family and children s ministry leaders. All rights reserved.

2 Inspire There are certain memories little girls cherish about their dads memories that help form a sense of who we are. Dancing with my dad at a friend s wedding made me feel like a lady. Going fishing and learning how to bait my own hook made me feel capable. In the midst of a difficult time, coming home to a message on my answering machine with my dad singing I Just Called to Say I Love You made me feel, well, loved! And I still smile at the memory years later. But there is another feeling I cherish the feeling of walking through an uncomfortable, even scary, situation with my little hand safely in his much bigger, much stronger, rough, and callused hand feeling protected and safe. Once when I was 10, I was chased down the street by an angry, snarling dog. Screaming, I rounded the corner of our house just as my dad stepped out from the garage where he had been working. Immediately, he sized up the situation and stepped between me and the dog, brandishing a hammer and shouting. I knew I was safe. Our divine Father is strong and capable and willing to stand with His children in the difficult and scary places. He will step between us and danger, and He will fight for us when injustice comes calling. Nothing can get to us without first going through our Father. El Shaddai, God Almighty, will fight for us. Janet Lee TruStory Team 2

3 Equip We often think of the ten plagues as God convincing Pharaoh to let the people go. But that was not the case. Each time Pharaoh agreed to let the people go into the wilderness to sacrifice to Him, God hardened Pharaoh s heart to not let them go so that He would be able to perform these incredible signs, so that His people would know that He was the one true God (Exodus 10:1 2). After they left Egypt, they would have to endure terrible struggles and trials, and the temptation would be for them to go back to what they were familiar with, namely, the animistic worship that the Egyptians would have forced upon them. While in Egypt they were not allowed to openly sacrifice and worship God, and so God needed to show them who He was and how He wanted to be worshipped. The first step in this, and the purpose of the plagues, was to display that He was the only one with power, and not the false gods of the Egyptians. God chose specific plagues that corresponded to the primary deities of the Egyptians. The Egyptians worshipped Hapi, the spirit of the Nile and Khnum, the guardian of the river s source so God turned all the water into blood. The Egyptians worshipped Heqt, a frog goddess of birth, so God gave them so many frogs they were drowning in them. The third plague of lice showed God s power over Geb, the god of the earth: the fourth plague of flies over Uatchit, god of the flies, and so on. Each plague God used to overpower the pretend gods of Egypt. The ninth plague destroyed confidence in Amon-Ra, the sun god. And the tenth plague overcame Osiris, the Egyptian giver of life and demonstrated that God does indeed own the firstborn of every creature (Exodus 13:1 2). Environment of IDENTITY This environment highlights who we are in Christ. According to Ephesians 1, we have been chosen, adopted, redeemed, sealed, and given an inheritance in Christ all of which we did nothing to earn. This conviction allows children to stand firm against the destructive counter identities the world will offer. The 10 Environments guide us in creating a climate that puts God on display. Encourage your families to discover more about creating the environment of IDENTITY in their homes by checking out HomeFront: A Spiritual Parenting Resource and Spiritual Parenting by Michelle Anthony. The plagues did demonstrate to the Egyptians and to the world that God was the one true God (Exodus 7:5), but more than anything God was demonstrating to His people that He was God and that He would fight for them. 3

4 Support Everything in our world today from advertising to technology tells us we re capable, independent people. We re fed the message that we can, with enough money or the right products, do more in our own strength. God does, of course, want to transform us into His image. He wants to make us into capable, strong, whole individuals. However, we can t get there by means other than God alone. TIMELINE ADAM & EVE NOAH ABRAHAM ISAAC JACOB JOSEPH MOSES JOSHUA DAVID SOLOMON Even though we know that in our minds, it s difficult to live out on a daily basis. We need to be reminded daily of the truth that God is the only solution to our conflicts and insecurities. In light of this, ask yourself today: Where do you need to invite God to fight for you? How have you exhausted yourself, trying to fight on your own? Close your eyes and clench your fists as you think of these things. Pray and ask God to intervene to step in, to take control. As you feel yourself releasing the issue to Him, begin to open your hands. Sit in silence for a few moments and take in God s peace. Listen for any words of love or encouragement that God might want to offer you. Then let the assurance that God fights for you you! overflow into the lives of your children this week. MARY JOSEPH JOHN THE BAPTIST JESUS CENTURION NICODEMUS PETER LAZARUS 400 YEARS OF WAITING PAUL YOU & ME OUR FUTURE WITH JESUS 4

5 Lesson Overview Experience Time Summary Supplies/Prepare (Master Supply List at tru.davidccook.com) Anticipate// Small Group Check-In Celebrate// Large Group 5 10 min min. Encourages interaction among kids, leaders, and parents; engages the kids in curiosity and anticipation of the lesson; and creates an inviting atmosphere. Establishes community and tells stories both personal and biblical in a fun and engaging way. Brick Builders Plaster of Paris (at least 2 cups per 4 5 kids) water (at least 1 cup per 4 5 kids) dirt (at least 1 cup per 4 5 kids) 1 cup measuring cups (1 per 4 5 kids) mixing bowl (1 per 4 5 kids) plastic spoons (2 3 per 4 5 kids) ice cube trays (2 3 trays per 4 5 kids) newspaper, tarps, or plastic tablecloths optional: brick molds (can be found on items from nature to add to bricks (small rocks or gravel, straw, dried leaves, dried grass, etc.) Traditions mementos for your church Traditions (rocks, marbles, gumballs, etc.) Remember Verse cards, slide, and animation (see tru.davidccook.com) Connect Question Connect Question slide (see tru.davidccook.com) Connect Activity: Fly or Hop Connect Activity slide (see tru.davidccook.com) The Big God Story Bibles (1 per child) Timeline slide and animation (see tru.davidccook.com) images: snake, frogs, storm (see tru.davidccook.com) sound effect: storm (see tru.davidccook.com) clear vase with red scarf inside it optional props: large inflatable snake, wind-up flick frogs, soft plastic frogs *To make metric conversions, search the Internet for a metric conversion chart or calculator. 5

6 Lesson Overview Experience Time Summary Supplies/Prepare (Master Supply List at tru.davidccook.com) Respond// Large Group Respond// Small Group Bless// Small Group min min. Creates space for children to respond to the Holy Spirit in worship and community as a large group. Discusses truth, reflects on the lesson, engages in relationships, and creates a project or a piece of art individually or together. 5 min. Sends the kids out with a sense of peace and blessing so they can be a blessing to their families and others. cinder block or other heavy object on which kids can write (suggestion: wrap a pile of books with plain paper) permanent markers optional: Remain, TruWorship Sincerely Yours; Worship Response Station of your choice Reflect: God Fights for His People Bibles (1 per child) Engage: Fetching Frogs small, squishy frogs (4 5 colors; at least 100; can be purchased on buckets (1 bucket per color of frog) paper (1 sheet per color of frog) marker tape optional: stopwatch or timer Bible HomeFront Weekly (1 per child; tru.davidccook.com) HomeFront: A Spiritual Parenting Resource (1 per family; tru.davidccook.com or *To make metric conversions, search the Internet for a metric conversion chart or calculator. 6

7 SMALL Group SECTION Anticipate// 5 10 min. Small Group Leaders An energizing time for parents and kids to start engaging with the material that will be presented in the lesson. It is intentionally designed to spark curiosity and cultivate a sense of awe and wonder about God. Encourage parents to participate in this time with their kids. As slaves in Egypt, the Israelites were forced to build Egyptian buildings out of big, heavy bricks. They were even forced to make the bricks! But God heard the cries of His people and freed them from their bondage. God is mighty to save, and He fights for His people. Brick Builders SUPPLIES Plaster of Paris (at least 2 cups per 4 5 kids) water (at least 1 cup per 4 5 kids) dirt (at least 1 cup per 4 5 kids) 1 cup measuring cups (1 per 4 5 kids) mixing bowl (1 per 4 5 kids) plastic spoons (2 3 per 4 5 kids) ice cube trays (2 3 trays per 4 5 kids) newspaper, tarps, or plastic tablecloths optional: brick molds (can be found on items from nature to add to bricks (small rocks or gravel, straw, dried leaves, dried grass, etc.) SET UP Cover the tables with newspaper, tarps, or plastic tablecloths and set out the supplies. ENGAGE As slaves in Egypt, the Israelites were forced to make bricks. Today let s experience a little bit of what that may have been like as we make our own bricks. Safety Tip Plaster of Paris is a very fine dust. Read the packaging carefully and use it cautiously to prevent inhalation or other injury. Divide the children into groups of four to five kids, and encourage each group to work together to make bricks. First, have the group take a mixing bowl and stir together two cups of Plaster of Paris with one cup of water. After all of the lumps have been removed, have the kids slowly add one cup of dirt. The mixture shouldn t be too thick or too runny. If it gets too thick, add more water; if it gets too runny, add a little more Plaster of Paris. Optional: Have the children add small rocks or gravel, straw, dried leaves, or dried grass to the mixture. Then have the kids spoon the mixture into ice cube trays or brick molds and set them aside to dry. They should be dry in about 30 minutes to an hour. If time allows later in the lesson, help the kids take the bricks out of the molds and allow them to use the bricks to build various structures. Or let the kids take a brick or two home. 7

8 LARGE Group SECTION Celebrate//20 35 min. Host/Storyteller Kids get to be a part of the faith community of God s family. They participate in traditions and share them with newcomers, connect through fun and interaction, and experience The Big God Story through Storytelling. Welcome and Traditions REMEMBER VERSE This week s Remember Verse comes from the environment of IDENTITY, which says I belong to God, and He loves me! The environment changes every four weeks. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. Ephesians 1:4 Connect Question Would you rather eat a bug or a frog? Activity: Fly or Hop SUPPLIES Connect Activity slide (see tru.davidccook.com) Hoppin High Fives A Community Tradition Have the children hop on one foot and give as many high fives as they can to other children before putting their other foot down for balance. Each time they give someone a high five, they should say, High five, [child s name]! ENGAGE Ask each child to talk about the CONNECT question with two other children she doesn t know (or two other children she doesn t know very well). As the kids move around the room, invite them to either fly like a bug or hop like a frog, depending on how they answer the question. 8

9 The Big God Story Leader Tip Before sharing this part of The Big God Story, tell your kids they re about to hear a true story that s recorded in the Bible. Open your Bible to Exodus 5, and invite children to follow along in their own Bibles as you storytell. Ponder Point: God Fights for His People Bible Passage: Exodus 5 12 Storytelling Technique: Images and Props SUPPLIES Bibles (1 per child) Timeline slide and animation (see tru.davidccook.com) images: snake, frogs, storm (see tru.davidccook.com) sound effect: storm (see tru.davidccook.com) clear vase with red scarf inside it optional props: large inflatable snake, wind-up flick frogs, soft plastic frogs ENGAGE Earlier you talked about whether you d rather eat a frog or a bug. What did you guys choose? (Allow a few kids to share their responses and why they chose what they did.) Today we re going to talk about a time God sent a bunch of frogs and bugs to swarm over a lot of people. At the end of last week s lesson, Moses, with the help of his brother Aaron, was about to speak with Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. God planned to free His people from slavery and take them to the Promised Land, where they could worship Him. Can you imagine how scared Moses and Aaron must have been? Pharaoh was the most powerful man in the world, and they weren t asking for a small favor. They were asking Pharaoh to set all of his slaves free! To see what happened, let s open our Bibles to Exodus 5:1: Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the wilderness (v. 1). How do you think Pharaoh responded? Do you think he said, Okay, sure! Go ahead! (Allow answers; interact with responses.) Of course not! Pharaoh was furious, and he 9

10 The Big God Story gave the Israelites more work to do! But Moses still trusted God and delivered His messages, and God would still fight for His people. Moses was discouraged, but God reminded Moses that He is the Lord and that He always keeps His promises. In Exodus 6:6 7 (encourage kids to turn to this passage and follow along) God told Moses to say to the Israelites: I am the Lord, and I will bring you out [of slavery] I will free you and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord, your God. (vv. 6 7). God told Moses and Aaron to go back to Pharaoh and perform a miracle. When Aaron threw his staff, or walking stick, to the ground, and it turned into a snake! (Show image of snake and/or bring out large inflatable prop.) Pharaoh wasn t impressed; he brought out his magicians to do the same thing. Then Aaron s snake ate the other snakes! But Pharaoh still refused to let the people go. God continued to fight for His people. Again, Moses and Aaron told Pharaoh, The Lord has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship me (Exodus 7:16). Pharaoh again refused, so God turned all the water in the Nile River into blood. (Hold up vase with red scarf inside.) All of the water in the city turned into blood too. Leader Tip As you describe the plague of frogs, have a volunteer wind up the flick frogs and set them loose onstage or throw plastic frogs out to the audience. Pharaoh still wouldn t let the people go. So God told Aaron to stretch his hand over the streams and rivers, and out of the water came thousands of frogs! (Show image of frogs.) They were in people s ovens, on their beds, in their clothes even on top of their heads! It sounds funny, but the Egyptians weren t laughing. Finally, Pharaoh said he would let the Israelites go if God took away the frogs, so Moses prayed and the frogs died. But Pharaoh changed his mind; he refused to let the people go. This happened nine times! God sent gnats and flies. He sent a plague that made the Egyptians horses, camels, sheep, goats, and pigs sick. He gave the Egyptian people big, nasty sores all over their bodies. He sent a powerful hailstorm. (Show image of storm and play sound effect.) He brought big plant-eating bugs called locusts to eat all the crops. He sent darkness so thick that the people could feel it. But God protected the Israelites. He saved His children from suffering. The flies didn t bother them, their animals didn t get sick like the Egyptian animals, and the people didn t get sores or experience thick darkness. By sending plagues, God showed His power. The Egyptians thought their makebelieve gods were as powerful as the one true God. Each plague proved that He alone was God. But even after all those plagues, Pharaoh still wouldn t free the 10

11 The Big God Story Israelites. So God sent one last plague a very sad one. God said, Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh to the firstborn son of the female slave (Exodus 11:5 6). But God protected the Israelites. God told Moses to warn the Israelites that they must kill their best lamb and paint its blood around their doors. In Exodus 12:13 (invite kids to follow along) God said, When I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you (Exodus 12:13). At midnight, the firstborn sons of the Egyptians died, and the Egyptians cried loudly. Finally, Pharaoh said to Moses, Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the Lord as you have requested (v. 31). The Israelites quickly gathered their things and fled. God had rescued His people. We ll hear more about this next week. God still fights for us today. (Share a story about a time God fought for you.) Through Jesus, God has saved us forever. We have also been adopted as God s children. In light of this, we don t have to worry. We can trust that God hears us, because we know that God fights for His children. 11

12 LARGE Group SECTION Respond// min. Host/Worship Leader This time allows kids to worship through silence, prayer, singing, giving, sharing, thanksgiving, and other ways. SUPPLIES cinder block or other heavy object on which kids can write (suggestion: wrap a pile of books with plain paper) permanent markers optional: Remain, TruWorship Sincerely Yours (available at tru.davidccook.com for Premium, Unlimited, and Combo users; or itunes); Worship Response Station of your choice SET UP Place the cinder block or other heavy object at the front of the room along with the markers. Cue the music. Make plans for your worship time, but prepare yourself and your team to hold them loosely if the Holy Spirit leads the group in a different direction. ENGAGE Do you have trouble sleeping because you feel afraid or lonely? Do you feel bad about something you ve done wrong? Do you cry at night because your parents fight or because kids at school are mean to you? These things might feel like battles you can t win on your own. But God is bigger than all of those things. The Bible says Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). (Pick up the cinder block or heavy object.) This is really heavy. The bricks the Israelites made while they were slaves in Egypt were also probably heavy. Sometimes our pain, loneliness, guilt, or fear feels like a heavy weight. God wants to be with you in that and carry the weight for you, because He loves you. I want you to sit and think for a minute: What are you carrying inside that feels heavy? Is there anything you want to give to God and have Him fight for you? The Bible says The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still (Exodus 14:14). You can rest knowing God will fight for you. You are His beloved child! After a minute or two, come and write on this cinder block a word that expresses something you re carrying and want God to free you from, such as fear or sadness. God cares for you and thinks you re worth fighting for. After the kids have had time to respond to God, gather them for prayer. Ask God to continue revealing Himself to them during small group time. Consider singing Remain as a group, letting the song remind you of God s power and sovereignty. During this time, children may also visit a Worship Response Station. 12

13 SMALL Group SECTION Respond// min. Small Group Leaders A time to engage in relationship, reflect on the lesson with spiritual conversation, and/or create a meaningful project or piece of art. Reflect: God Fights for His People Allow kids to freely share their personal response to God. Lead them in a time of reflection about what God is doing in their hearts. Give them time to think about and reflect on today s story. Have them close their eyes and imagine what it would have been like when God turned the river to blood, rained down giant hailstones, or brought thick darkness to the land of Egypt. God saved the Israelites in a very powerful and miraculous way. He heard their cries and came to save them because He loved and cared about them. (Encourage the kids to open their Bibles and read the suggested passages.) Questions for Younger Kids How did Pharaoh react the first time Moses and Aaron asked him to let the Israelites go? (Exodus 5:4) How did God save the Israelites? (Exodus 11:1 8) How do you think the Israelites felt as they saw the plagues happen to the Egyptians? How does it make you feel to know God cares for you enough to fight for you? Questions for Older Kids Skim through the plagues in Exodus 7 10 with your kids. Which of these plagues do you think would be the worst? How would you react to these things happening? Read Exodus 12:12 13 or ask a volunteer to read it. Resource Tip Science Experiments activities are available for this lesson. Premium, Unlimited, and Combo users may access this resource at tru.davidccook.com. God knew where the Israelites lived. Why do you think He had them mark their doorposts with blood? Have you ever seen God fight for you? Have you ever had to wait to see God fight for you? What was it like? How does it make you feel to know God cares for you enough to fight for you? 13

14 Engage: Fetching Frogs SUPPLIES small squishy frogs (4 5 colors; at least 100; can be purchased on buckets (1 bucket per color of frog) paper (1 sheet per color of frog) marker tape optional: stopwatch or timer SET UP Write each color of frog on a separate sheet of paper. Attach one sheet of paper to each bucket. Set the buckets at different places around the room. ENGAGE Read Exodus 8:1 15 to the children. If you have older children in your group, you might ask a few volunteers to read. It s pretty funny to imagine thousands of frogs invading an entire city. But after Pharaoh agreed to let the people go, Moses prayed to God and all of the frogs died. The Bible says that it smelled pretty rotten but I can t even imagine how bad rotten frogs smell! Then the Egyptians had to clean it all up. Sounds pretty disgusting to me! Divide the kids into groups according to the number of colors of frogs. For example, if you have five colors of frogs, create five groups. Assign each group a color and point out each group s bucket. Then scatter the frogs all over the room. There are frogs everywhere. We better clean these up before they get too stinky! But here s the catch: You can only collect frogs that are the same color as your group. The group that collects all of their frogs fastest wins the game! On your signal, let the kids loose to find their corresponding colored frogs and put them in their buckets. After one team wins, if you have time, reassign the colors and play again. You might also see how many frogs each group can collect in one minute. 14

15 SMALL Group SECTION Bless// 5 min. Small Group Leaders A blessing can be a prayer of commission, a portion of Scripture, or words of encouragement or guidance. Blessings can be offered in order to ask God s Spirit to overflow from the child s life to bless others or prayed over a child for the purpose of declaring God s protection, joy, or wisdom. As you bless your kids, tell them they have the opportunity to also be a blessing to others. Encourage them to freely share the joy and love they have received from God. Encourage the kids to hold their hands in front of them, palms up. This posture is meant to symbolize a willingness of heart to respond to God s Holy Spirit and receive what God has for them. Invite them to remain in this posture as you bless them. Encourage parents to come early in order to read the blessing over their child. Open a Bible and read Psalm 144:1 2: Praise be to the Lord my Rock He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge. After children have received a group blessing, invite them to bless one another. Have them turn one by one to the person on their left and pray a blessing over her by saying, May you see the ways God fights for you this week. HomeFront Weekly: Be sure to send home the HomeFront Weekly for next week s lesson! This preteaching tool for parents encourages families to spend time in God s Word together before children arrive at church. HomeFront: A Spiritual Parenting Resource: This magazine gives families ideas for creating fun, spiritually forming times in their homes setting aside a sacred space for family in the midst of their active, everyday lives! As the new issue becomes available each month, you may choose to print them for families or encourage them to visit to subscribe to have the magazine sent directly to their inbox. HomeFront is also available as an app for your iphone, ipad, or Android device. 15