10/21/18 TruWonder Bible Passage: Exodus 16 (Manna in the Desert)

Transcription

1 10/21/18 TruWonder Bible Passage: Exodus 16 (Manna in the Desert) God s Care Is Wonderful Remember Verse Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5 Inspire Shares personal stories from fellow ministry leaders about how God has worked in their lives I remember the day I was introduced to the idea of pain as something good. I was arguing with my mom, determined to change her mind. Go sit in the living room and wait for me, my mother said. Two of my aunts overheard the entire exchange. My elder aunt said, Whatever happens, just remember she loves you. She s doing it for your own good. At six years of age, I didn t understand how pain could be good. As an adult, I ve begun to see pain as a crossroads. To honestly look at the issues sin has caused in my life means dealing with the pain that surrounds brokenness. Someday it won t exist, I tell myself. I choose whether I will continue down the same broken path filled with pain, or surrender and allow God into the brokenness to receive His care. There ll be pain in the healing, but only for a season. When I m restored, what once brought me pain will be a sweet reminder of His perfect care for me. Cristi Thomas Tru Team Equip Offers perspective and context to the lesson s Bible passage Early into their journey out of Egypt, the Israelites were learning just how wonderful God s care can be. But after only a month or so, they became disgruntled and began murmuring again against Moses and Aaron. Seemingly the people forgot the bondage, beatings, and misery of their forced labor as slaves. But God heard the complaints of His people. In His grace and mercy, each day the Lord sent nutritional provision. Psalm 78 tells us God opened the doors of the heavens and rained down grain men ate the bread of angels (verses 23 25)! The word manna comes from the question the people asked that first morning, What is it? (in Hebrew, manhu). The manna came with the dew each morning and resembled a hearty seed. The way in which the Lord provided the manna was a wonder-filled miracle. It was especially nutritious and was able to sustain an adult for an entire day s journey. Manna, along with quail, was to be their food for the next 40 years, until the new generation entered the Promised Land. God gave clear instructions that the Israelites were to gather manna daily, but only as much as each person in the family could eat; no more, no less. His people were to wake up early, before the desert sun would melt the manna, and only gather enough for the day. On the sixth day, the people were instructed to gather twice as much in order to prepare for the Sabbath. Additionally, God instructed His people to place a jar of manna in the ark of the covenant to serve as a reminder of His wonderful provision.

2 Support Provides reflection and assessment through encouragement, prayer, and time in God s Word God cares for me. He is my provider. He is my healer. Take a moment to read through each of the above statements once more. Pause at the end of each sentence. How have you experienced God working in your life in relation to these statements? Do you need to be reminded of His provision and care for you? Is there an area of your life that needs His healing? Ask God to reveal more of Himself to you. Allow yourself to respond freely to Him in whatever posture of worship His Spirit directs. Children engage in fun, creative activities designed to pique their curiosity about the day s portion of The Big God Story. Let s Have a Picnic! God s people left their homes in Egypt and journeyed with God into the desert. He provided for their daily needs in tangible ways. Each day, manna fell from the sky to feed His people. The Israelites had a desert picnic! Blanket Picnic basket Various food items (real or pretend) Stuffed animals or dolls Optional: backpacks SET UP Lay the blanket on the floor and place the picnic items on it. Invite children to join you for a picnic. You may opt to share real food; however, pretend food can be just as engaging. What is it called when you eat outside on a blanket? That s right! We re having a picnic! Who has been on a picnic? Where do you like to go on picnics? What s your favorite picnic food? Where does the food we eat come from? If children want, they can use the backpacks loaded with a few items to pretend they re traveling to the picnic site. How was your journey here? What would it be like to travel all the time and live in a tent? Children participate in discovering God s Word through Bible verse memorization, interactive storytelling techniques, and worship as response. Ponder Point: God s Care Is Wonderful Chloe s Rules Host/Worship Leader Chloe s Rules videos)

3 Welcome children as they re entering the large group meeting area. Tech: Cue Chloe s Rules video. The theme song will play as the Worship Leader/Host enters and makes his way up front, welcoming and greeting children along the way. This should be a high-energy entrance. Tech: Cue preschool program theme song. Choose and play two upbeat worship songs of your choice from a worship album that complements the theme and focus of the lesson. Mail Time Host/Worship Leader Mail Time intro image (see Resources) Remember Verse image (see Resources) Remember Verse cards (see Resources) Bibles (your personal and large children s) Mailbox Tech: Cue the Mail Time intro clip and image. Choose one volunteer to hide the mail and another to find the mail. Have the Seeker close her eyes while the Hider finds a good place to hide the Remember Verse. Once the mail has been hidden, the Seeker will begin to look for the mail while children give clues to its whereabouts by calling out hot and cold. Once the Seeker finds the mail, the Host invites her to pull out the enclosed Remember Verse. Next, the Host should find the Remember Verse in his Bible and read the words aloud. Talk about the meaning of the verse while interacting with children. Lead children in reciting the Remember Verse several times together using a variety of engaging methods. Hand motions, different voices, various speeds, and character integration are all great ways to help commit the Scripture to memory. For longer verses, approach the verse one section at a time, increasing what the children repeat back each week. Remember Verse Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5 Remember Verse Definitions Trust: rely on God Heart: your whole self Understanding: your own ability to think through or know things Remember Verse Motions Trust: Make fists and bring together with left fist under right fist (like climbing rope). in the Lord: Make L with right hand. Cross right hand over front of body from left shoulder to right hip. with all: Spread out fingers on right hand. Place hand at left side of waist and bring palm across waist to right side. your heart: Place both hands over heart. and lean not: Bend at waist toward right side while shaking head no. on your own understanding: Point to head with right index finger. Wardrobe of Wonder Storyteller/Host/Worship Leader Wardrobe of Wonder image (see Resources) What sit: Loaf of Bread (see optional image in Resources) Wardrobe of Wonder Small stools or chairs (2)

4 What sit: Loaf of Bread Once in the wilderness, the Israelites began to complain about their hunger and all they had left behind. God heard the grumbling of His people and provided food by sending a white, flake-like substance from heaven each morning. They looked at it and asked, What is it? Manna was indeed the very first What sit. God s care is truly wonderful. Tech: Cue the Wardrobe of Wonder intro clip and image. Invite a child volunteer to spy on the What sit by peeking into the wardrobe. Each time the wardrobe door opens, cue the Wardrobe of Wonder sound effect. Have him whisper the identity of the What sit in your ear to ensure he knows what it is. Invite your assistant to sit on the stools with you. Then lead the group in asking the assistant yes-or-no questions about the What sit. Once the children have guessed correctly, ask your assistant to retrieve the What sit from the wardrobe and bring it to you. Thank your volunteer and encourage him to sit with his small group. ASK (Child s name), why do you think the What sit is a loaf of bread? Encourage volunteer to give suggestions. Ponder some possible reasons with children and interact with their answers and suggestions. Those are great thoughts! Is there anything better than a fresh slice of bread when you re really hungry? Children answer. I wonder how the What sit has something to do with what we re going to hear today from The Big God Story! Friends, we re about to find out because, do you know what time it is? The Big God Story Exodus 16 God s Care Is Wonderful Storytelling Technique: Costumed Storyteller and Group Response The Big God Story intro clip and image (see Resources) What sit: Loaf of Bread (see optional image in Resources) Optional: Storytelling video (see Resources) Stool or chair Optional props: heavy backpack, walking stick, wide-brimmed hat, water bottle SET UP Set up a stool or chair for the Storyteller. Tech: Cue The Big God Story intro clip and image. Storyteller enters from back of room wearing backpack and hat and carrying walking stick and water bottle. He trudges his way around and through children as if extremely tired, pretending to wipe sweat from brow as if each step is difficult. When he finally makes his way onstage, he plops onto stool and takes long drink from water bottle. Hello, friends! I m glad to see you. I ve been walking through the desert. I think I passed this way before because I ve seen that same mound of sand. Point to random location. Or maybe it was that mound of sand? Point in different direction and look confused. I m so glad to be here now. It s hot in the wilderness! Fan self. It must have been hot for the Israelites too when they were in the wilderness. God had saved his people from slavery in Egypt and was leading them to the land He d promised them. On the way, God parted the Red Sea to make a clear path for them to get to the other side safely. Wow, that was a powerful miracle, wasn t it? God s care sure is wonderful! Lead children in a Prayer of Release to pause, be still, and ask the Holy Spirit to quiet their hearts and minds. Well, after the Israelites crossed the sea on dry ground and were safe from the Egyptian army, they had a long way to travel to the special land God promised them. Have you ever taken a long trip with your family? Pause for answers; interact with responses. I bet when you took your long trip you drove in a car, rode a train, or flew in a plane, right? Well, there were no cars, trains, or planes for God s people to travel in, so they had to walk and carry all their supplies with them. Invite children to stand up and walk around room, pretending to carry a heavy load or pull a cart. Make several dramatic and tired laps around room. Children sit down and take break. Walking in the hot wilderness can make you very tired, can t it? Can you imagine having to carry everything you owned along with you on your trip?

5 It wasn t too long before the people got hungry and began to complain to Moses and his brother, Aaron. They said, We wish the Lord had killed us in Egypt, where we had plenty to eat. You brought us out to the wilderness to die of hunger (paraphrase of Exodus 16:3). It was so sad. The people had already forgotten all the wonderful miracles God had done to free them from the pharaoh! Do you think God was going to lead them into the desert and then forget to take care of His people? No way! God s care is wonderful! The Lord heard His people complaining. He wanted them to remember that He is the one true God and He would take care of their needs. So He told Moses that He would send food to rain down from heaven. The next morning when the people woke up, they saw something white all over the ground. What do you think it was? Storyteller takes off heavy backpack as children respond. The people looked at the white flakes on the ground and wondered what it was. They said, What is it? Can you say that with me? Together say, What is it? Tech: Cue Wardrobe of Wonder sound effect. We found something in our Wardrobe of Wonder today our very own What sit. Do you remember what it was? Wait for children to answer. Bread! Well, the manna God sent to the people was a white, flaky, and sweet, and probably tasted something like honey. The Israelites would use the manna and pound it down and bake it into cakes. That s the bread the people ate every day for the rest of their journey. God gave very special instructions that went along with the manna. He told His people to collect only enough food for one day! If they got nervous and gathered more than they were supposed to and tried to save it, the manna would get stinky and even get filled with worms! Ewww! That would be disgusting, wouldn t it? You see, God wanted His people to understand that He would care for them every day. So the people gathered new food every morning. God cared for His people just as He said He would, and He will take care of us too. God s care is wonderful! Wonder Questions Small Group Enhancements, coloring pages, and discussion questions help your group go deeper into today s portion of The Big God Story. Wonder Questions coloring pages (see Resources) TruWonder Small Group Enhancements timeline and images (see Resources) Scissors Crayons Today in The Big God Story you heard about the wonderful way God provided food for His people. He took care of them by sending manna from heaven. God s care for His people is always wonderful! I wonder How did the people feel when they saw the food God sent from heaven? I wonder What did God want the Israelites to know and remember about Him? I wonder What are some ways God cares for me? I wonder What does God want me to know and remember about Him?

6 Children receive a blessing from their leaders and sometimes one another. A blessing may be a prayer of commission, a portion of Scripture, or words to encourage and guide. Remember Verse cards (see Resources) Friends, God cared for His people when they were in the wilderness, and He tells us in His Word, the Bible, that He will care for us too. While I say the blessing today, you can hold out a hand as if you re waiting to be given something. As you speak the following words over each child, touch the palm of the hand he is offering. (Child s name), God takes care of the birds in the air and the flowers that grow in the field. He will also always take care of you (reference Matthew 6:25 28). Now speak a final blessing over the whole group: Children, may you trust that God will care for you. His care is always wonderful.