3rd-5th Grade (Both Hours) May 12, 2013
Teacher BIBLE STUDY The tenth plague was the most severe and had the greatest impact on the Egyptian people. God told Moses that around midnight, every firstborn male in Egypt would die. No one would be excluded. Even the firstborn of the livestock would die. But God gave specific instructions to the Israelites. They were to slaughter a lamb or goat and put its blood on their doorposts. The blood on the doorpost would be a distinguishing mark. When God saw the blood, He passed over the house. The Israelite people were sinful, and they deserved death just as much as the Egyptians did. But God, by His grace, provided them a way out. By marking their doorposts with the blood of a lamb, they were spared from the judgment and death they deserved. They deserved to die; the lamb was killed instead. The tenth plague happened just as the Lord said. The Lord struck every firstborn male in the land of Egypt. There wasn t a house without someone dead. Pharaoh had finally had enough. Get up, leave my people, and go, worship Yahweh as you have asked, he said. (See Exodus 12:29-31.) As Christians, we are redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish (1 Peter 1:18-19). The heart of the gospel is found in the story of the Passover: Jesus was crucified, not for His sins, but for our sins. We deserve death, but He died instead. Jesus is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). His death was the ultimate sacrifice, and those who are under His saving blood will be passed over in the final judgment. God gave the Passover to show us His loving provision for sinful man to be made right with Him. Older Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 5 Session 3 1 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources
Older Kids BIBLE STUDY OVERVIEW Session Title: The Passover Bible Passage: Exodus 11:1 13:16 Big Picture Question: Why is the Passover important? The Passover was the way God chose to save His people and is a picture of Christ s sacrifice for sinners. Key Passage: Exodus 6:7 Unit Christ Connection: God saved His people from physical captivity in Egypt as He would one day send Jesus to save His people from spiritual captivity. Small Group Opening Welcome time Activity page (5 minutes) Session starter (10 minutes) Large Group Leader Countdown Introduce the session (2 minutes) Big picture question (1 minute) Timeline map (1 minute) Tell the Bible story (10 minutes) The Gospel: God s Plan for Me (optional) Key passage (5 minutes) Discussion starter video (6 minutes) Sing (5 minutes) Prayer (2 minutes) Small Group Leader Bible story review & Bible skills (10 minutes) Key passage activity (5 minutes) Activity choice (10 minutes) Journal and prayer (5 minutes) 2 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources
The BIBLE STORY The Passover Exodus 11:1 13:16 No, no, no, no! Pharaoh refused over and over to let the Israelites go. I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt, God said. After that, he will let you go from here. Moses confronted Pharaoh and told him exactly what would happen: About midnight God will go through Egypt, and every firstborn male in the land of Egypt will die, from Pharaoh s firstborn to the firstborn of the servant girl. Even the firstborn of the livestock will die. There will be a great cry in Egypt, but none of the Israelites will be harmed. Then you and your officials will come down and bow before me and tell us to leave. Despite Moses warning, Pharaoh did not let the Israelites go. So the tenth plague would happen as God had planned. God gave to the Israelites specific instructions to prepare for that night. Every Israelite family would kill a lamb or goat and sprinkle its blood on the doorposts of their houses. This would be a special mark that God would see and pass over the houses of the Israelites. No one in their families would die. God also told them to eat the lamb as a meal at midnight. The lamb was to be unblemished: no broken bones, no marks, no deformities. They were also to eat unleavened bread (bread without yeast) and bitter herbs. God said, When you eat it, get dressed and put on your sandals. Eat the meal quickly and be ready to go! The Israelite families obeyed God s instructions and got everything ready. While the Egyptians were sleeping, the Israelites were busy making a meal and putting blood on their doorposts. Then, at midnight, God struck every firstborn in the land of Egypt. Pharaoh s son died. The prisoner s son died. The firstborn of the livestock died. There was a great cry in the land of Egypt because there wasn t a house without someone dead. Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, Get up, leave my people, and go, worship Yahweh as you have asked. The Israelites were ready! A whole army of them 600,000 men and Older Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 5 Session 3 3 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources
their families left Egypt quickly. They took with them bread and their animals. The Israelites even asked the Egyptians for their riches, and the Egyptians were so afraid that they handed them over! God lead His people out of Egypt. He was preparing a place for them in a land called Canaan (KAY nuhn). For 430 years, the Israelites had been slaves in the land of Egypt. They were finally free! Christ Connection: By His grace, God spared the Israelites from judgment by requiring the blood of a lamb. Jesus is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. His death was the ultimate sacrifice, and those who trust in Christ are under His saving blood and will be passed over in the final judgment. 4 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources
Small Group OPENING Session Title: The Passover Bible Passage: Exodus 11:1 13:16 Big Picture Question: Why is the Passover important? The Passover was the way God chose to save His people and is a picture of Christ s sacrifice for sinners. Key Passage: Exodus 6:7 Unit Christ Connection: God saved His people from physical captivity in Egypt as He would one day send Jesus to save His people from spiritual captivity. Welcome time Use this time to fill out attendance sheets, and help new kids connect to your group. Ask kids to share about a time when they had trouble being patient waiting for a special trip or vacation. Where were they going? Why was it hard to be patient? Mealtime activity page, 1 per kid pencils Bibles, 1 per kid Activity page (5 minutes) Ask kids to write or draw a picture of their favorite meal on the Mealtime activity page. Say How often do you eat your favorite meal? Do you only have it on a special occasion like your birthday or Christmas? Do you eat your meal once a week? Why is this meal your favorite? What makes it so special to you? Today we will hear about a special meal the Israelites had. This meal was so important that God instructed them to have it once a year to remember what He had done for them. Every time they sat down to eat the meal, they were to remember and celebrate a special time that God Older Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 5 Session 3 5 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources
had provided for them. The meal was a time for grandparents and parents to share with their children how great God is and that He is the one true God. Read Exodus 12:5,8,20 to discover what the Israelites ate during their special meal. LOW PREP Session starter (10 minutes) Activity: Find your shoes Instruct kids to remove their shoes and pile them in the middle of the room or small group area. Lead kids to hold hands and form a circle around the pile of shoes. Without releasing hands, kids must put on their shoes again (on the correct feet). Say In today s Bible story, we will hear that God told the Israelites to be ready to go. They had to have their sandals on and their staffs in hand to leave Egypt quickly. 6 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources
Large Group LEADER Session Title: The Passover Bible Passage: Exodus 11:1 13:16 Big Picture Question: Why is the Passover important? The Passover was the way God chose to save His people and is a picture of Christ s sacrifice for sinners. Key Passage: Exodus 6:7 Unit Christ Connection: God saved His people from physical captivity in Egypt as He would one day send Jesus to save His people from spiritual captivity. countdown video archaeologist attire for large group leader wooden or ceramic cross piece of paper, folded Create a spot where an archaeological discovery is in progress. Partially hide an old-looking cross in this spot, surrounded by tools. Cross can be any size. Place the folded piece of paper on stage in a spot kids can easily see. Countdown Show the countdown video as your kids arrive, and set it to end as large group time begins. Introduce the session (2 minutes) [Dress as an archaeologist in white and khaki clothing, work boots, and a wide-brimmed hat. Begin calling for the professor while off stage.] Leader Professor! Professor! Professsoooorrrr! That professor sure is a busy guy. Seems like I can never find him around. Did you all come to find the professor so you can learn more about biblical archaeology, too? Interesting. Well, I guess I ll just sit over here and wait for the professor. Cool! It looks like he left some of his tools. [Walk over to the spot with the archaeology tools and the hidden cross. Depending on how you arrange the cross you can finish unburying it or just find it already unburied.] Leader Let s check them out. OK, here s the trowel. That s a good tool for digging. And here s his brush to dust off the dirt to see what has been found. The bucket is for getting the dirt out of the way while you dig. And Older Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 5 Session 3 7 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources
what do we have here? I see another archaeological discovery. Hang on a minute while I uncover it. It is an old cross. Interesting. I wonder what it means. Maybe the professor left us a note again this week that will help us figure out this discovery. Big picture question (1 minute) [Look around the stage for the folded piece of paper. Allow the kids to point out to you where it is.] Leader Thanks, kids! You would be great archaeologists. You discovered our note very fast. Our note says, Today s big picture question is, why is the Passover important? The Passover? What s the Passover? Maybe we need to figure out what the Passover is so we can figure out why it s important. Maybe our timeline will tell us where we can find the Passover story in the Bible. Timeline Map The Passover video Bibles Big Picture Question Slide or Poster Bible Story Picture Slide or Poster Timeline map (1 minute) Leader Here is our archaeological dig site. I see our Bible story pictures about Moses and the burning bush and Moses confronting Pharaoh. And here on the timeline it says the Passover is found in Exodus 11. Does everyone know where Exodus is in the Bible? I heard someone say it! Yes, it is the second book of the Bible, right after the Book of Genesis. Tell the Bible story (10 minutes) Open your Bible to Exodus 11 and tell the Bible story in your own words, or show the Bible story video The Passover. Leader The Passover became a very special time of remembrance for the Israelites. God instructed them to celebrate the Passover every year so they would 8 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources
Tip: Anytime you share how to become a Christian in a large group environment, try to have counselors available to meet one-on-one with kids. Make sure kids know who they can talk to and when they can talk. Key Passage Slide or Poster I Am Yahweh! song remember all He had done to free them from slavery. God required a sacrifice in order to provide salvation for the Israelites. Although the Israelites worshiped the one true God, they were still sinners. They didn t deserve to be saved. They couldn t earn a way to be saved. But God chose to save the Israelites because He is gracious and loving. God promised Abraham that He would free his descendants from slavery in Egypt, and that is exactly what God did. God gave the Israelites instructions to follow so they would be protected during the final plague. Sadly, Pharaoh and the Egyptians faced a very difficult consequence for their sin. They lost every firstborn son human and animal. Even Pharaoh s son died. Why is the Passover important? The Passover was the way God chose to save His people and is a picture of Christ s sacrifice for sinners. Sin always has consequences, even if we don t see them immediately. The greatest consequence for sin is that it separates us from God. Without the sacrifice of Jesus as the Lamb of God, we could not be saved. But God graciously provided Jesus, the Lamb of God, to be our sacrifice. Jesus death paid the price for our sin. The Gospel: God s Plan for Me (optional) Use the guide provided to explain the gospel to boys and girls. Encourage kids who have questions about becoming a Christian to ask an adult or counselor. Key passage (5 minutes) Leader God redeemed the Israelites just like He told Moses He would. He took the Israelites to be His people. He would be their God. The Passover shows us these things. Older Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 5 Session 3 9 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources
Sing I Am Yahweh! Leader Does anyone know our passage from memory? If you have a volunteer, allow him to quote the passage. Gently assist him if needed. Lord s Supper video You Lift Me Up song Discussion starter video (6 minutes) Leader Why is the Passover important? The Passover was the way God chose to save His people and is a picture of Christ s sacrifice for sinners. God instructed the Israelites to celebrate the Passover every year so they would never forget how He rescued them from their physical captivity in Egypt. Right before Jesus died on the cross for our sins, He instructed people who trust in Him to observe a new event as a way to remember Him and His sacrifice on the cross. Let s watch this video and see if we recognize this special time of celebration and remembrance. Show Lord s Supper video. Leader Did anyone recognize what was happening? What did the plate of unleavened bread represent? What did the cup of juice represent? Why do Christians celebrate the Lord s Supper or Communion? Great answers! Some of you may be like the kids in the video and you didn t know what was going on during the Communion time. The Lord s Supper or Communion is a special time that Christians celebrate to remember how Jesus Christ saved us from spiritual captivity. All people are captive to sin, but the good news is that Jesus came to rescue us and free us to follow and serve Him not sin! Sing (5 minutes) Leader Why is the Passover important? The Passover was the way God chose to save His people and is a 10 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources
picture of Christ s sacrifice for sinners. God s chosen people would see God come to their rescue again and again. God would provide for them. He would save them. He would lift them up when they were weak just like He lifted them out of their captivity. Sing You Lift Me Up. Prayer (2 minutes) Leader Why is the Passover important? The Passover was the way God chose to save His people and is a picture of Christ s sacrifice for sinners. After I pray, watch your small group leader for the signal to leave. In your small groups you will talk more about the Passover and how it is a picture of Jesus, the Lamb of God. Close in prayer. Ask God to help boys and girls understand the sacrifice that Jesus made for them. Dismiss to small groups Insights for Large Group Leaders The Passover lamb is a picture of Jesus, the Lamb of God, who conquered sin and death for God s people. Help kids understand the significance of sin and that it requires a payment. Jesus gave His life as the payment for their sins. Here are some tips to guide you as you present the gospel to kids. Try to have counselors available to meet one-on-one with kids. Make sure kids know who they can talk to and when they can talk. Be as concrete as possible. Avoid abstract or highly symbolic phrases like inviting Jesus into your heart. Abstract phrases often lead to distraction and confusion in concrete thinkers. Older Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 5 Session 3 11 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources
The Gospel: God s Plan for Me Ask kids if they have ever heard the word gospel. Clarify that the word gospel means good news. It is the message about Christ, the kingdom of God, and salvation. Use the following guide to share the gospel with kids. God rules. Explain to kids that the Bible tells us God created everything, and He is in charge of everything. Invite a volunteer to read Genesis 1:1 from the Bible. Read Revelation 4:11 or Colossians 1:16-17 aloud and explain what these verses mean. We sinned. Tell kids that since the time of Adam and Eve, everyone has chosen to disobey God. (Romans 3:23) The Bible calls this sin. Because God is holy, God cannot be around sin. Sin separates us from God and deserves God s punishment of death. (Romans 6:23) God provided. Choose a child to read John 3:16 aloud. Say that God sent His Son Jesus, the perfect solution to our sin problem, to rescue us from the punishment we deserve. It s something we, as sinners, could never earn on our own. Jesus alone saves us. Read and explain Ephesians 2:8-9. Jesus gives. Share with kids that Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again. Because Jesus gave up His life for us, we can be welcomed into God s family for eternity. This is the best gift ever! Read Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; or 1 Peter 3:18. We respond. Tell kids that they can respond to Jesus. Read Romans 10:9-10,13. Review these aspects of our response: Believe in your heart that Jesus alone saves you through what He s already done on the cross. Repent, turning from self and sin to Jesus. Tell God and others that your faith is in Jesus. Offer to talk with any child who is interested in responding to Jesus. 12 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources
Small Group LEADER Session Title: The Passover Bible Passage: Exodus 11:1 13:16 Big Picture Question: Why is the Passover important? The Passover was the way God chose to save His people and is a picture of Christ s sacrifice for sinners. Key Passage: Exodus 6:7 Unit Christ Connection: God saved His people from physical captivity in Egypt as He would one day send Jesus to save His people from spiritual captivity. Bibles, 1 per kid Small Group Visual Pack Bible story review & Bible skills (10 minutes) Review the timeline. Note again how much time passed between God s promise to Abraham and the Passover. Guide kids to look up the following verses to review the Bible story: Exodus 11:1-3; Exodus 11:4-6; Exodus 12:5,21-23; Exodus 12:29-32; Exodus 12:35-36. Assign verses to kids individually or in groups. Say Why is the Passover important? The Passover was the way God chose to save His people and is a picture of Christ s sacrifice for sinners. Who is the Lamb of God? (Jesus is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.) Because Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice to pay for our sins, as Christians we no longer celebrate the Passover. We now celebrate the Lord s Supper as a time of celebration and remembrance of Jesus, the Lamb of God, who gave His life to take away our sin. You may choose to review how to become a Christian with boys and girls. Take time to answer any questions kids may have about the gospel. Encourage boys and girls to talk to you, another church leader, or their parents if they need to. Older Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 5 Session 3 13 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources
Tip: It is OK if you do not complete all the activities in a session because kids are asking questions about Jesus and salvation. Always follow the Holy Spirit s guidance and don t feel pressured to cut short any needed conversations. Key Passage Poster paper plate Print the key passage on the bottom side of the paper plate. Tip: If kids are struggling with a particular section of the key passage, play the game with just that section for a few rounds. LOW PREP God rules. God created and is in charge of everything. (Gen. 1:1; Rev. 4:11; Col. 1:16-17) We sinned. Since Adam and Eve, everyone has chosen to disobey God. (Rom. 3:23; 6:23) God provided. God sent His Son Jesus to rescue us from the punishment we deserve. (John 3:16; Eph. 2:8-9) Jesus gives. Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again so we can be welcomed into God s family. (Rom. 5:8; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 3:18) We respond. Believe that Jesus alone saves you. Repent. Tell God that your faith is in Jesus. (Rom. 10:9-10,13) Key passage activity (5 minutes) Allow kids to pass the paper plate facing up around the circle as they quote the key passage. Only the person holding the plate is allowed to provide a word. If someone forgets a word or hesitates too long, start the key passage again. Allow kids to turn the plate over and read the verse before restarting the game. If time allows, repeat the game a few times. Say Every year when the Israelites celebrated the Passover, they remembered how God had delivered them from slavery. Our key passage mentions that God would redeem the Israelites and they would be His people. Activity choice (10 minutes) Activity: Door frame relay Guide kids to draw the symbols and write the five key statements from the gospel plan poster on an index card. 14 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources
index cards markers painter s tape The Gospel: God s Plan for Me Tips: Do not allow kids to jump to touch the top of the door frame edge. If you do not have a door frame, draw one on long paper or poster board and allow kids to attach the index cards to the paper door frame. Form two teams. Allow teams to race to attach their card to any part of a door frame. Say The Israelites were required to cover the lintel and the doorposts with the blood of a lamb. This was a picture of how Jesus would die for sinners to be saved. The lintel was a wooden crossbeam at the top of the doorway. Jesus was our sacrificial lamb. He paid the price for our sins so we could have forgiveness. The Lord s Supper is how Christians celebrate and remember Christ s sacrifice. Why is the Passover important? The Passover was the way God chose to save His people and is a picture of Christ s sacrifice for sinners. Encourage kids to remove their cards from the doorway and use them to share with others about Jesus Christ. Older Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 5 Session 3 15 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources
pencils journals Journal Page, 1 per kid Bibles Sandal Sort activity page, 1 per kid Journal and prayer (5 minutes) Lead kids to write a prayer to God about His gift of salvation. Kids may wish to include a prayer for people they know who have not accepted God s gift of salvation. Allow boys and girls to share any prayer requests they have for the upcoming week. Say God provided the Israelites with physical salvation from captivity, but His plan was to send Jesus to provide people salvation from their spiritual captivity to sin. Close in prayer. As time allows, guide kids to build their Bible skills by completing the Sandal Sort activity page. You may choose to extend the activity by calling the name of a Bible book aloud and asking kids to respond by announcing whether it is an Old or New Testament book. 16 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources
TM Journal Page Key Passage: Exodus 6:7 Session 1: Moses Was Born and Called Exodus 1:8 2:10,23-25; 3:1 4:20 Session 2: Moses Confronted Pharaoh Exodus 5:1 6:13; 6:28 11:1 Session 3: The Passover Exodus 11:1 13:16 Session 4: The Israelites Crossed the Red Sea Exodus 13:17 17:7 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources. OK to print
TM I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. Exodus 6:7 UNIT 5 Key Passage Poster (ESV) 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources. OK to print
TM Why is the Passover important? The Passover was the way God chose to save His people and is a picture of Christ s sacrifice for sinners. UNIT 5 Session 3 Big Picture Question 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources. OK to print
TM Instructions: Draw a picture or write a description of your favorite meal or a special meal your family eats to celebrate a holiday or special event. The Israelites were given instructions to eat a special meal. Read Exodus 12:11 to reveal what name this special meal was given. This meal became a traditional time of remembrance for the Israelites. UNIT 5 Session 3 Older Kids Activity Pages 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources.
TM Instructions: Circle the Old Testament books and draw a box around the New Testament books of the Bible. UNIT 5 Session 3 Older Kids Activity Pages 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources.
TM UNIT 5 Session 3 The Passover 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources. OK to print
TM the GOSPEL god s plan for me gos pel noun. good news. the message about Christ, the kingdom of God, and salvation. god rules. we sinned. god provided. jesus gives. we respond. The Bible tells us God created everything, including you and me, and He is in charge of everything. Genesis 1:1; Revelation 4:11; Colossians 1:16-17 We all choose to disobey God. The Bible calls this sin. Sin separates us from God and deserves God s punishment of death. Romans 3:23; 6:23 God sent Jesus, the perfect solution to our sin problem, to rescue us from the punishment we deserve. It s something we, as sinners, could never earn on our own. Jesus alone saves us. John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9 He lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again. Because Jesus gave up His life for us, we can be welcomed into God s family for eternity. This is the best gift ever! Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 3:18; Ephesians 2:8-9 Believe in your heart that Jesus alone saves you through what He s already done on the cross. Repent, turning from self and sin to Jesus. Tell God and others that your faith is in Jesus. John 14:6; Romans 10:9-10,13 UNIT 5 Gospel Plan Poster 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources. OK to print The Wilderness