God s Unfolding Story - PDF Free Download

Bible Story: God Stopped the River (Joshua 3 4) Bible Phrase: The hand of the Lord is mighty (Joshua 4:24). Bible Truth: God is mighty and powerful. Old Testament Unit 7: Joshua Lesson 3: Joshua God Stopped the River God s Unfolding Story 1. God created everything. 2. People disobeyed God. 3. God chose a special people. 4. God sent Jesus to help us. 5. Jesus began the Church. 6. Jesus is preparing heaven for us. Suggested Schedule: Arrival Centers 25 minutes Clean-up Time 5 minutes Bible Story Time 15 minutes Craft Time 10 minutes Snack Time 10 minutes Game Time/Dismissal Hour B Unfolding God s Story for Teachers Please read the account of today s story in Joshua 3 4. Last week we learned from chapter 1 that Joshua had been commissioned to lead the Israelites into the land that God had promised His people many years earlier. Chapter 2 indicates that just as Moses sent out spies, so did Joshua; he sent two spies to check out the land and the city of Jericho. Rahab, a Jericho resident, became a vital part of God s Unfolding Story as she helped the two men. They returned with the news that all were in a state of panic because they had heard of the power of Israel s God. God was setting the stage for Israel s conquest of Jericho. This information surely strengthened Joshua s resolve. He moved forward in God s power to take the land. Priests carrying the ark of the covenant led the way. The ark would remind the people of God s presence. The Israelites were to follow the ark but were to keep a safe and holy distance so they could see clearly the route they were to take. Having never been that way before, they would need God to show them. A huge obstacle loomed ahead of Israel a wide, fast moving river. Yet we have no record of doubt on Joshua s part. God would do what God does provide a way. He told the people to consecrate themselves, for the next day God was going to show up! To consecrate means to set apart, make holy, purify, and sanctify. God wanted their hearts to be pure and holy. The Lord told the people they would know He was with them when He wiped out all the nations that stood in their way. The Jordan River was just another opportunity for Him to demonstrate His power. God told Joshua to tell the people that this is how it would happen: when the soles of the feet of the priests touched the edge of the river, the flow of water would be stopped. That s exactly what occurred. Everyone walked across without getting a single toe wet! God always keeps his word. He wanted His people to experience and rely on His faithfulness. He told Joshua to send back 12 men and to have each one to choose a stone from the riverbed and remove it from the river. As God had commanded, the men stacked the stones in a pile. The stones would remind the people that Israel had crossed over Jordan on dry land. They also would testify to the whole world of God s strong rescuing hand and that Israel served a God to be revered. The messages are profound in this passage. Among them are these. Consecrate your heart; move only when and where God moves; stay attentive so you know clearly which direction to go. The days ahead hold places and circumstances we have never before known or seen. We need God s direction. We tend to forget His faithfulness; we must remember it and rely on His promises to walk in the truth. Lesson Plan Arrival Greet children at eye level and express how happy you are to see them. Be sure each child has a name tag and the security measures of your church are followed. Label all coats and personal belongings. Strongly encourage children who have brought items from home, such as toys and books, to place them on a shelf while they are working with other materials. Assure children their items will be safe and they can take them home at the end of the session. Help each child make a choice where he or she would like to begin his or her Center Time. OT07 Lesson 3 Hour B Page 1

Puzzle Center: Work Puzzles Offer a variety of non-fantasy wooden or cardboard puzzles for children to work. What to Do: Invite preschoolers to work puzzles. Encourage children to finish puzzles before leaving the center. Give guidance rather than working a puzzle for a boy or girl. Link to the Bible Story: As children work, look for opportunities in conversation to say the Bible phrase or to briefly tell the Bible story. Home Living Center: Role Play Small rocking chair, sink and stove unit and small table and chairs; plastic dishes, child pots and pans; pretend food items; doll, doll bed, and doll accessories What to Do: Home living items naturally encourage children to act out roles and activities they observe at home. Link to the Bible Story: As preschoolers pretend and act out roles they observe at home and in other places, look for opportunities to share the Bible Phrase, Bible truth, or a portion of the Bible story. Center Time Block Center: Build with Blocks Wooden blocks 12 paper bags Newspaper, tissue, or magazines to stuff bags What to Do: Provide a small carpet if possible. Blocks are best located in a corner of the room away from the traffic flow. Make rocks from paper bags by stuffing them with paper. Tape or staple the ends closed. Number each bag. Invite children to stack the paper rocks one at a time in numerical order. Hide them around the room for children to find and return to the Block area. Link to the Bible Story: As preschoolers build with blocks, use teachable moments to share the Bible Phrase, Bible truth, or a portion of the Bible story. Bible Learning Center: Hidden Objects Copies of Activity Page: Object Search, Find the 12 Stones (Reproducible) Washable markers or crayons What to Do: Encourage preschoolers to use a markers or crayons to color the 12 stones in the Bible story picture. Link to the Bible Story: As children search the picture for the stones, read the Bible Phrase and comment that God held the river back so the Israelites could walk across on dry land to get to the land that God had promised them. Their leader, Joshua, asked some men to go back to the riverbed and choose 12 stones. They piled the stones at their camp where they were spending the night to remind them of the powerful hand of God to hold back the water. Art Center: Water Colors Coloring Page: God Stopped the River Watercolors, brushes, containers for water What to Do: Invite children to paint their Bible Story picture with the watercolors. Link to the Bible Story: As preschoolers work, read the Bible Phrase. Express to preschoolers that the Israelites were going into the land God had promised to give them, but there was a very deep river between them and the new land. God showed His power and might when He held back the river so the Israelites could walk across to the other side. OT07 Lesson 3 Hour B Page 2

Clean-up Time Encourage preschoolers to help at clean-up time. Assign specific tasks for preschoolers to do such as placing all the crayons in the basket, throwing away the trash, gathering all the glue sticks, etc. Guide children to the Bible Story Time area. Bible Story Time Bible Teaching Picture God Stopped the River (Reproducible) God s Unfolding Story Cube (Reproducible/Cardstock) 1 rock or wooden block for each child Introduction Show the God s Unfolding Story Cube. Express to the boys and girls that even though we find many stories in the Bible, the Bible really tells one big story, and all the little stories are a part of the big one we can call God s Unfolding Story. Tell children that each picture represents a chapter in God s Unfolding Story. Turn the cube and talk about each chapter. (Refer to page 1.) Express that every story from the Bible is from one of these main parts. Today s story is from the third chapter, God chose a special people. Express the following in your own words. In our story today, God told Joshua to lead the Israelites into the land He had promised to give them. There was a huge problem though; there was a fast-moving river between them and the land. There was no bridge. How would they get across? Listen to hear how God provided a way. Bible Story God Stopped the River (Joshua 3 4) God was ready for Joshua and the Israelites to go to the new land He had promised to give them, but something was in the way a big, wide river. The water was flowing fast, and it was too deep to walk through. Also, there was no bridge. As God s people camped beside the river, they were not sure how they would get to the other side. God helped Joshua know what to do. Joshua told the people to get everything packed because the next day they would go into their new land. Joshua said, Tomorrow, God is going to do something wonderful! The people packed their food, clothes, and tents. They gathered their animals. They waited for God to show them what to do. Joshua told the priests to go first. Priests were men who taught the people about God. With the priests going first, the people would be reminded that God was with them. As soon as the priests put their toes in the river, all the water piled up on one side in a tall, giant heap! It was amazing! The priests stood in the middle of riverbed on dry ground. All of God s people walked to the other side, and not one person got his or her toes wet! When all the people had passed, Joshua asked each of 12 men to go back and choose a big stone from the riverbed to bring back. The men went and got 12 large rocks. After all the people and the priests had crossed safely to the other side, SWISH! All the water returned and flowed as before. Joshua and the men placed the rocks in a pile at the camp where the people spent the night. The rocks would remind the people of the wonderful and amazing way God had helped them and protected them. Joshua told the people, God did this so others would know that the hand of the Lord is mighty. Talk Time 1. Show the teaching picture for today s Bible story. Review by using these or similar questions. Why couldn t the Israelites go into the land? What happened when the priests put their toes into the water? What did Joshua have the people make to remember what God had done? 2. Read the Bible phrase on the teaching picture. Say the phrase together, The hand of the Lord is mighty (Joshua 4:24). Express to children that God still shows His power to people today. Talk about things that remind us of God s power, provision, protection and love. Some of these are: His creation, night, day, seasons, our homes, families, food, clothes, healing when someone is sick, keeping us safe in a storm or accident, friends, and meeting our needs. 3. Close the Bible Story Time by inviting children to join you in prayer. Give each child a stone or small wooden block. Ask each boy or girl to name a way that God shows His power and to place his/her rock or block in the center of the circle. As the rocks accumulate, tell the children that the pile is a reminder God s love and power, just as the pile of rocks gathered by the Israelites was a reminder to them. Pray, thanking God that He is mighty and powerful. OT07 Lesson 3 Hour B Page 3

Craft Time: Bible Phrase Necklace Copies of Bible Phrase Necklace (Reproducible, 1 copy for every 2 children, cardstock recommended) Crayons, washable markers or as an option, ink pad (Hand wipes for clean-up) Yarn, hole punch Plastic beads for stinging a necklace What to Do: Cut out each necklace piece. Punch holes where indicated. Cut yarn long enough for a necklace of about 18. Invite each child to trace and color his or her handprint or make a handprint using an inkpad. Provide hand wipes for easy clean-up. Next, invite preschoolers to string the handprint along with some beads on the yarn to make a necklace. Secure each necklace by knotting the ends together. Link to the Bible Story: Review the Bible Phrase with the children. Ask them to say today s Bible Phrase, The hand of the Lord is mighty (Joshua 4:24). Review the story and ask how God showed His hand to be mighty. Encourage children to wear their necklaces to remind them of God s power. Snack Time Be sure to wash hands or use hand sanitizer. Say a thank-you prayer to God for the snack. When snack time has ended, encourage preschoolers to help with cleaning up. Game Time / Dismissal Carry the Rock Small to medium sized rocks, 1 per child (These can be the same rocks used in Bible Story Time) Plastic spoons (2) Masking tape What to Do: Place the rocks in two equal piles at one end of the Game Time area. Using the masking tape, make an X at two spots on the opposite side of the rock piles. Help the children form two equal lines behind the rock piles. Express to them they will play a game called Carry the Rock. Give the first child in each line a plastic spoon and ask him/her to go and get a rock from the pile. The child should select a rock, place it in the spoon, and carry it to the spot marked with the X. He then should place the rock on the marked spot and return the spoon to the next child. The object is to see which team can be first to get all their rocks to the other side. If time permits, play the game again. Comment to children that each one of them may want to find a rock when God does something special in his or her life, as a reminder of what God did. Explain that many people do this. A person might place his or her rocks in a jar or box as reminders of God s help and encouragement. Dismiss children as parents arrive. Be sure to follow the security procedures of your church. OT07 Lesson 3 Hour B Page 4

Resources and Supplies Old Testament Unit 7: Joshua Lesson 3: Joshua God Stopped the River Hour B Standard Art Supplies (Supplies that are generally in the room) Washable markers Crayons Child scissors Playdough and accessories Drawing paper Easel (optional) Glue/glue sticks Tempera paint, 4 colors Tape/masking tape Pencils/colored pencils Hole punch Teacher scissors Stapler/staples Permanent markers Watercolors Paintbrushes Yarn Standard Equipment (Equipment that is generally in the room) Bible Small beanbag for Bible Story Time Assorted wooden/cardboard puzzles Set of wooden blocks Small cars and trucks Doll bed Baby doll (soft plastic) Stove/sink unit Play dishes/pots and pans Small table and chairs Small carpet for block area Play food items Storage shelf for blocks Tables and chairs for art, puzzles, and Bible Learning Center CD player/children s Worship CDs Reproducibles (Included with the lesson plan downloads) Activity Page: Object Search, Find the 12 Stones (1 copy per child) Bible Phrase Necklace (1 copy for every 2 children, cardstock recommended) Teaching Picture: God Stopped the River (1 copy per class) God s Unfolding Story Cube (Cardstock 1 copy per class) Parent Page (1 copy per child) Coloring Page, God Stopped the River Additional Block Materials Paper bags (lunch size, 12) Newspaper, tissue, or magazines to stuff bags Additional Craft Materials Plastic beads for stringing a necklace Option: Large inkpad Additional Game Time Materials Small or medium sized rocks (1 per child) (These also will be used in Talk Time following the Bible Story) OT07 Lesson 3 Hour B

Find the 12 Stones The hand of the Lord is mighty. Joshua 4:24 Activity Page: Object Search: Find the 12 Stones Instructions: One copy per child. Find and color the twelve stones in the Bible story picture. OT07 Lesson 3 Hour B Bible Learning Center

The hand of the Lord is mighty. Joshua 4:24 Craft Time: Bible Phrase Necklace Instructions: One copy for every 2 children, cardstock recommended. Cut out the necklace pennants. Punch hole where indicated. Using washable markers or crayon trace the child s handprint and ask the child to color or make a handprint with paint or inkpad. Insert a length of yarn for a necklace. The hand of the Lord is mighty. Joshua 4:24 OT07 Lesson 3 Hour B Craft Time

The hand of the Lord is mighty. Joshua 4:24 Coloring Page God Stopped the River OT07 Lesson 3 Optional