1.5. God Leads to New Life. Bible Passage: Exodus (The Passover) Schedule

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1 date: Bible Passage: Exodus (The Passover) REMEMBER VERSE O Lord my God, I called to you for help and you healed me. Psalm 30:2 God Leads to New Life Schedule Anticipate 5 10 minutes Celebrate & Respond Large Group minutes Respond & Bless Small Group minutes Environment: COURSE CORRECTION This environment flows out of Hebrews 12:11 13 and is the direct opposite of punishment. Instead, biblical discipline for a child encompasses: a season of pain, the building up in love, and a vision of a corrected path with the purpose of healing at its core.. TruResources are developed in partnership with ROCKHARBOR Church and a national network of family and children s ministry leaders. All rights reserved.

2 Equip Passover is one of the most significant parts of The Big God Story, ushering in a new way of life for the Israelites. Without a doubt, many of the images of the Passover feast point to Jesus. In fact, Philip, Paul, Peter, and John all affirmed the Passover Lamb is a picture of Jesus in Acts 8:32; 1 Corinthians 5:7; 1 Peter 1:19; and Revelation 5:6, 13:8. Here are some of the comparisons found in Exodus 12: Tell the whole community of Israel that each man is to take a lamb for his family year-old males without defect (vv. 3, 5). The Israelites were instructed to kill and eat a perfect lamb. Similarly, it was only through Christ s perfect life and His death that His people can be saved. All the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight (v. 6). Many translations render the words at twilight to mean, between the evenings, the Jewish ninth hour. Accordingly, Christ died at the hands of the people during the ninth hour of the day. Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs (v. 7). By doing this, the Israelites affirmed their belief that God would save them by the blood of the lamb. In the same way, we actively submit to Christ in order to be saved. That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast (v. 8). The bitter herbs reminded the Israelites of their sojourn in Egypt and, eventually, stood for the sin Christ accepted on our behalf. The bread without yeast was both practical (because fermentation takes time) and symbolic of a life without sin. The blood will be a sign for you when I see the blood, I will pass over you (v. 13). The Passover is an allusion to the fact that God passed over the houses of the Israelites covered by the blood. When Christ shared communion with the apostles during Passover, He showed that His blood was not only sufficient to cover their sins, but also to obliterate them. When God liberated His people from bondage, He brought them into new life; He bound them together as a nation of His own people. To commemorate this moment, God instituted Passover a meal not only to remind the Israelites of their liberation, but one which also pointed toward Christ, the Lamb of God, whose blood covers the sins of the world (John 1:29). 3

3 NOTES: Lesson Overview Experience Time Summary Supplies/Prepare (Master Supply List under Resource Tab) Anticipate// Small Group Check-In 5 10 min. Encourages interaction among kids, leaders, and parents; engages the kids in curiosity and anticipation of the lesson; and creates an inviting atmosphere. In a Hurry Challenge Cards (see Resource Folder) optional: stopwatch, small suitcase, large pile of clothes (per small group); unleavened crackers Celebrate// Large Group min. Establishes community and tells stories both personal and biblical in a fun and engaging way. Traditions mementos for your church Traditions (rocks, marbles, ping-pong balls, etc.) Remember Verse cards, slides, and animation (see Resource Folder) Connect Connect Question slide (see Resource Folder) The Big God Story Bible Timeline slide and animation, images of a calendar, chariot (see Resource Folder) Respond// Large Group min. Creates space for children to respond to the Holy Spirit in worship and community as a large group. God Leads to New Life Worship Response Stations (see How It Works under the Resource Tab) Respond// Small Group min. Discusses Truth, reflects on the lesson, engages in relationships, and creates a project or a piece of art individually or together. Reflect: God Leads to New Life questions Create: God Draws Us to Him Board Game (per small group) example board game images (see Resource Folder) poster board pens, permanent markers, colored pencils modeling clay or play dough Detour and Move-ahead cards (see Resource Folder), plastic baggies for cards drawing paper Bless// Small Group 5 min. Sends the kids out with a sense of peace and blessing so they can be a blessing to their families and others. Bible (for the blessing) HomeFront Weekly (1 per child, see Resource Folder) 5

4 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. In a Hurry Lead the kids through a fun anticipate in which they have to do things in a hurry. SUPPLIES Challenge Cards (see Resource Folder) optional: stopwatch, small suitcase, large pile of clothes (per small group); unleavened crackers SET UP Hand out a Challenge Card (with an action) to the older kids at check in, and station leaders around the room to time them as they take on the challenges. For younger kids, gather them together as a group, and read each challenge aloud. The child with the fastest time wins. Optional: Place the small suitcase and pile of clothes on a table or in the middle of the room, and challenge kids to take turns packing the entire pile of clothes into the small suitcase in less than a minute. Optional: Give the kids unleavened crackers to eat beforehand (being mindful of food allergies), and remind them that the Israelites ate something similar when they hurried to leave Egypt. ENGAGE The night before God freed the Israelites from the Egyptians, He told them to eat with [their] cloak tucked into [their] belt, [their] sandals on [their] feet and [their] staff in [their] hand. Eat it in haste (Exodus 12:11). When the Egyptians finally freed them, they had to leave quickly just as God had prepared them to do! Fun Challenges Tie your shoe in five seconds. Sing the ABC song in 10 seconds. Do five jumping jacks in less than five seconds. Count to 10 in three seconds. Sing I m a Little Teapot in 10 seconds. 6

5 LARGE Group SECTION Celebrate//20 35 min. Host/Storyteller Kids get to be a part of the faith community of God s family. Welcome and Traditions After everyone is gathered together as a large group, open with Traditions. During Traditions, you are helping the kids work toward a common goal and giving them mementos to celebrate things like memorizing the Remember Verse, inviting a friend, or bringing their Bibles. They participate in traditions and share them with newcomers, connect through fun and interaction, and experience The Big God Story through storytelling. God In Our World A Group Tradition Hang a large piece of canvas in your large group room and write God In Our World at the top. Each week, encourage the kids to write or draw how they ve seen God in their world in the last week. REMEMBER VERSE This is a good time to introduce kids to the Remember Verse. As they arrive, open a Bible and read it together if time allows. Remember Verse cards, slides, and animation can be found in the Resource Folder. O Lord my God, I called to you for help and you healed me. Psalm 30:2 Mementos can be anything, such as rocks, marbles, ping-pong balls, or connecting blocks. Once the kids have been awarded their mementos, direct them to put the mementos into a container or add them to a building effort. When the common-goal tradition is complete, have a celebration! (See the RockWall example in the How It Works document under the Resource Tab.) Connect Connect is a time to laugh, play, and enjoy each other s company. Engaging questions, energizing games, and creative activities encourage the community to get to know each other. Invite kids to ask each other the following question or one of your own. Encourage them to ask someone they might not know yet. After a minute or two, ask several kids to tell the group their friends answers. (See the Connect Question slide in the Resource Folder.) Question What is your favorite holiday and why? Prayer of Release At the end of Connect, pray a Prayer of Release. This is a time for kids and leaders to pause, be still, and ask God to quiet their hearts and minds. If you would like, encourage kids to hold their hands out in front of them in a spirit of releasing their worries and distractions in order to better receive what the Holy Spirit might have for them. Encourage kids to quiet their voices and take a seat. Then ask them to pray with you. 7

6 NOTES: The Big God Story Storyteller During The Big God Story, the kids will learn about how God created Passover and parted the waters of the Red Sea. Though this part of The Big God Story can be delivered verbatim, read it before the lesson, so you can personally interact with the material. Share stories from your life, and speak with your own style by varying your intonation and gestures. Tip Before sharing this account of the first Passover, point out that what they are about to hear is true and is recorded in the Bible. Open your Bible to the passage and leave it open and visible throughout The Big God Story. Establish a consistent place to keep this Bible every week. Read referenced passages directly from the Bible. Invite kids to open their Bibles and follow along in Exodus 12:13 14:4 as you storytell. Encourage adult volunteers to keep an eye out for kids who need help finding the Scripture passage, and allow enough time for each child to locate the passage. You may even want to project the reference on a screen or write it in large print on a poster board or whiteboard. God Leads to New Life SUPPLIES Bible Timeline slide and animation, images of a calendar, chariot (see Resource Folder) Visual Aids You will find JPEGs of various visual aids in the Resource Folder for every lesson of TruStory. Please use these files in whichever format works best for your church, whether you use computer media, an overhead projector, or poster board. SET UP Cue Timeline and images. For the past few weeks, we have heard about how God called Abraham s descendants to be people who would worship only Him. In order to bring them to a place where they could worship Him, God promised to free His people from slavery. The Lord told them He loved them, had heard their cries, and had come to save them. Today we are going to hear about how God delivered His people from the Egyptians, once and for all, by sending the last plague a plague that was sadder and more incredible than the ones we ve already heard about. God knew this plague would force Pharaoh to release the Israelites from Egypt. 9

7 The Big God Story NOTES: But before God sent the final plague, He made some plans for His people. He knew when they left Egypt, where they had lived for 430 years, they would be entering a whole new life. So He gave them instructions to start on a path to a new life with Him. The first thing God gave them was a new calendar (show image of a calendar). What do we use a calendar for? (Encourage kids to answer.) We use a calendar to show us what day it is. We also use calendars to show us which days are holidays. Usually, holidays are days set aside to remember something important. Who can think of a holiday that stands for something important? (Encourage the kids to answer.) God knew when He freed His people from Egypt they would celebrate that day forever as one of the most important days in their history, which would be called Passover. So when God was about to deliver His final plague on the Egyptians, He told his people to kill a perfect lamb and paint its blood over their doorframes. Let s read this part of The Big God Story together from the Bible. Turn to Exodus 12:13, which reads, When I see the [sign], I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt. Then God told His people to make a Passover meal by taking the perfect lamb, roasting it over a fire with herbs, and eating it with flat bread. He also told them to get ready to leave Egypt, because once God freed them from the Egyptians they would have to leave in a hurry (like you hurried in Anticipate)! (Continue reading from the Bible, or continue with storytelling.) So after the Israelites painted their doorposts and sat down to eat their Passover meal, God brought the last plague. It passed over the houses of His people who were covered by the blood of the lamb. By doing this, He showed the Egyptians and the Israelites once and for all that Egyptian gods were powerless against Him. Because God had given His people instructions ahead of time, they were all dressed and ready to go when the Egyptians released them. So, the whole nation of Israel about two million people, plus their animals walked out of Egypt! Then God led His people into a new life where they could be free to worship Him. Wow! But wait! The story does not end here. God performed one more miracle before His people were to be completely free of the Egyptians. Amazingly, when Pharaoh and the Egyptians realized that the Israelites were really gone, they changed their minds! So Pharaoh gathered his whole army (show image of a chariot) and chased after them. But God was with His people. He led His newly freed people into a new life and He was not about to leave them. He had a plan to once again gain glory for [Him]self through Pharaoh and all his army, [so that] the Egyptians [would] know that [He is] the Lord (Exodus 14:4). 10

8 The Big God Story NOTES: When the Israelites seemed to be in the worst place possible trapped between two mountains and a sea the Egyptians caught up with them. It must have been terrifying, but God was in control. As the Egyptians advanced, God told Moses to stretch his staff over the sea while God piled up the water so that the Israelites could walk through the sea on dry ground! The Egyptians tried to chase them into the sea crossing, but their chariot wheels got stuck. Once the Israelites were on the other side, the water swooshed back together and covered the Egyptians. When God s people saw what had happened, they shouted for joy! For the past few weeks, we ve watched God prove to His people He is the Lord the One who heard their cries. We ve heard how He sent ten plagues to prove no one is like Him. And we heard how God led His people into a new life by freeing them once and for all from the Egyptians. In the Bible, God s Son, Jesus, is called the Lamb of God (John 1:29). Amazingly, just like God told His people to put the blood of the lamb over their doorposts to save them from death, God tells us that the blood Jesus shed on the cross made the way to be saved from sin and death. God knew one day the Passover Lamb would be His Son, Jesus Christ. Wow! Just as the Israelites chose to obey, and put the blood of the lamb on their doorposts, we can choose to believe Jesus Christ can save us and bring us new life. Just like God mightily freed His people from slavery, God mightily frees us from the slavery of sin through faith in His Son, Jesus. And just like the Israelites celebrated their new life with God, we can celebrate new life through Jesus. God still leads His people into new life. Though we might not be slaves in a foreign country like the Israelites were, we still need God to deliver us from sin and lead us into a new life with Him. The way God has chosen to do this is through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus. Partner Church Comments One of the teaching styles that our kids love is to have one person narrating the story and another person drawing the story. The drawing is simple, but for those visual learners, it s an excellent addition that we include every five to six weeks. Brookwood Community Church 11

9 LARGE Group SECTION Respond// min. Host/Worship Leader This is a time for kids to worship through silence, prayer, singing, giving, sharing, thanksgiving, and many other ways. 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. NOTES: God Leads to New Life SUPPLIES Worship Response Stations (see How It Works under the Resource Tab) SET UP AND ENGAGE When God freed His people from the Egyptians, He gave them a new calendar and a new holiday to celebrate the Passover event. He set up the day of Passover as a reminder that the Lord brought [them] out of it with a mighty hand (Exodus 13:3). By doing this, God set a new course for His people s lives. God wants to change the course of our lives. He wants to move us out of lives that are not His best for us and into new lives with Him a life free from worry, struggle, pain, or sin. Although God offers us a way to change our course, we have to take the steps to go there with Him. Maybe some of you worry a lot, experience a lot of pain at school or at home, or you feel you are not living God s best for you. Maybe you want to take a step toward God a step that leads to a new life in Him. As you explain this, act it out. Point to the area ahead of you and state that this path represents a life that is not God s best. Then turn away, and explain that this action represents turning toward God s call. Ask the children to stand up. Have them think of what they want to leave behind the sorrow, sin, or pain that is not God s best for them then turn toward God s call to a new life in Him. Encourage the kids to visit the Worship Response Stations (see next page), and continue asking God what new life He might be calling them to. IT S OKAY IF Help kids understand that God speaks to us in many ways mostly through His Word, prayer, and others. Encourage them to ask God for the ability to hear His voice, but also give them the freedom to know that it s okay if they do not always experience Him in the ways that other people do. 12

10 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. NOTES: Reflect: God Leads to New Life When God freed His people from the Egyptians, He led them into a completely new life with Him. He claimed them as His people, proved that He was more powerful than anyone or anything, and He kept His ancient promise to be their one true God. He then created a new calendar and a new holiday Passover to show them how different their new life would be. (Encourage older kids to look up the Scripture references next to the questions below.) Questions for Younger Kids What did God do to free His people? What happened on Passover? Why did God want to lead His people to a new life? (Exodus 6:2 8) Why did God want His people to paint their doorposts with the blood of a lamb? (Exodus 12:7 13) How does God lead us into a new life? Questions for Older Kids What instructions did God give His people before He freed them from the Egyptians? (Exodus 12:1 20) Why did God want His people to paint their doorposts with the blood of a lamb? (Exodus 12:7 13) What was the last miracle God performed to free His people? What does this miracle tell us about God? (Exodus 12:29) How did the Egyptians respond to the final plague? (Exodus 12:31) Why did God start a new calendar? (Exodus 12:13) Why did He set up the Feast of Passover? (Exodus 12:17) Why is Jesus called the Lamb of God? (John 1:29) How is Jesus connected to the Passover feast? (Luke 22:1 23) How is the Israelites painting blood on the doorposts similar to our belief in Jesus? Why did God want to lead His people to a new life? How does God lead us into a new life? Create: God Draws Us to Him Board Game SUPPLIES (per small group) example board game images (see Resource Folder) poster board pens, permanent markers, colored pencils modeling clay or play dough Detour and Move-ahead cards (see Resource Folder), plastic baggies for cards drawing paper 14

11 Partner Church Comments The board game went over well with our older kids! They enjoyed seeing the paths go astray and come back to God. Impact Church All groups loved the game. It worked for all age groups. Our 4th and 5th grade boys really got into creating the game and playing it. Maple Valley Presbyterian Church SET UP Draw a path toward God on the poster board before the children arrive. Leave extra space on the sides of the path. If you want to, draw paths that detour from the path toward God. Print and set out the Detour and Move-ahead cards, and other supplies for the kids to use. Print and display the example board game images for the kids to see. ENGAGE Through Jesus Christ s death on the cross, God made a way to bring us into a new life with Him. Because God made a way, our role is to choose to walk in that way toward Him. Ask older kids: What types of things does God do to lead us toward Him? What types of choices, thoughts, worries, etc., lead us away from Him? What is good about the things God does to lead us toward Him? Help them think through these questions. Explain to the kids that God wants to lead them into a new life in which they are close to Him, and away from their old life, in which they are far away from Him. Then show them the poster board with the outline of a path toward God, and hand out the Detour and Move-ahead cards, as well as the clay, which will represent obstacles. Help the kids be creative in making obstacles from the clay and writing choices, thoughts, etc. on the Detour cards, that lead us away from God. Then have them write on the Moveahead cards the things God does to draw us to Him. Draw paths that veer from God, and obstacles like swamps, thorn bushes, etc., on the poster board, and label these things, too. Be creative! For younger kids ask: What are some of the ways God brings us closer to Him? Help them think through the question, and write their answers on the poster board. Invite and encourage them to write or draw some of the things that draw them toward God on the poster board, Move-ahead cards, or on the drawing paper. Also help them think through what things could block them from moving toward God. Invite and encourage them to write or draw these things on the Detour cards, or create physical barriers with the clay or play dough, and put them on the poster board. Leader Tip The kids are not required to create a real board game through this activity. It is mostly meant to get them thinking about paths toward and away from God. Even so, the older kids may be able to create a playable board game, which would be great! Please see example board game images in the Resource Folder to give your volunteers and children visuals of what these can look like. 15

12 the world has yet to see what a man fully committed to God can accomplish. As I stare at his grave, images of places, times, experiences, pain, my heart. God. date: / / Main Point: REMEMBER & CELEBRATE! by Rick Lund ANTICIPATE CELEBRATE RESPOND BLESS 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. Leader Tip Every lesson ends with a blessing. This is a time for parents and leaders to speak Truth over children s lives. The idea of the blessing is to transition the child from being blessed to being a blessing. The blessing can be done in many ways, but the more intentional you are about it, the more powerful it will be. Depending on whether parents are able to join in at this time, you may want them to put their hands on their child s head or kneel and look him in the eye as they bless him. Leaders, be sure to model how you envision the blessing working in your church so your volunteers and parents become comfortable with it. A blessing 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 kids are blessed, tell them they have the opportunity to also be a blessing to others. Encourage them to freely share with others 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 139:1 5: O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you [know] my thoughts you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord. You hem me in behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me May you always remember that God has a plan for your life, and He is in control. I pray you will find peace in knowing He will lead you where He wants you to go. 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. Inspire (for parents) As I walk down the path of the cemetery where my father was buried, leaves rustle in the wind. All around me, graves mark the resting places for mothers, sons, daughters, fathers, and loved ones. Some of the memorials along the path are huge, imposing, with names prominently displayed on stone that will stand the ravages of weather and time. But the one that means the most to me was my Dad s simple plaque that hunkers flush to the grass, nearly hidden. My dad left for work on February 1, 1965, and never returned. He was 45 years old too young to die. On the grave, his name was written along with his favorite quote, ELEMENTARY KIDS & FAMILIES REMEMBER & CELEBRATE! them to be places that helped us keep walking on the path toward Him. As I drive away from my visit to my Dad s gravesite, I think of how God uses both the prominent and the hidden memorials in our lives as touchstones for remembering and celebrating. From the road, the large gravestones humble me in my mortality and bring me to praise the God who gave me eternal life. And my father s gravestone, now laying hidden in the grass, leads me to thank God for my father s life and pray that I can walk for my children, as he was for me, on the path toward being a man fully committed to 1.6 HomeFront Monthly: Every four weeks we highlight one of the 10 environments. For each new environment, parents and laughter stir up emotion in Memorials are like that. God knows we need places for remembrance. Throughout Scripture, God instructed His people to create memorials out of stone in worship and reverence for what He has done. He wanted should receive HomeFront Monthly. This resource gives families ideas for how to create fun, spiritually forming times in their homes setting aside a sacred space for family in the midst of their active, everyday lives! Getting Started This resource is designed to allow your family to have time in God s Word before your children attend church. Because God s plan is for parents to be the spiritual nurturers of their children s faith, we know that as you grow spiritually, your children will grow spiritually as well. 16