Lesson 1 Moses and the Burning Bush

Lesson 1 September 5, 2010 September s B.i.G. Idea We believe that God chooses ordinary people to make a difference in God s world. September s Bible Verse The LORD looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7, NIV September s B.i.G. Theme God Chooses Us Lesson 1 Moses and the Burning Bush Today s Bible Story Exodus 2:11-21; 3:1-15 Three B.i.G. (Believe in God) Truths God is a great big God. God loves us with a great big love. We are part of God s great big world. Objectives Tweens will hear the biblical story of Moses and the burning bush. Tweens will recognize that they, like Moses, can trust God s guidance and care. Tweens will discover the biblical promise that God is always with them. The Exodus formed the people of Israel into a nation. Together they fled the pursuing Egyptian army and experienced God s power as they received the Ten Commandments from the hands of Moses. The Israelites also learned to trust God for food, water, and all that they needed. Did that trust sometimes waiver? Absolutely. Did they sometimes turn away from God entirely? Unfortunately, they did. But they finally came to know God as a God of power, justice, and mercy. Use the timeline each week to help your tweens place the Bible story within the context of other biblical events. Understanding the chronology of the Israelites will help them see this as the history of their faith. The story of Joseph is an important precursor to this story; it explains how the Israelites moved down into Egypt in the first place (see Exodus 1). The story of Moses is a familiar one to tweens who have attended Sunday school often, and they may already have a picture in their minds of who Moses is. Most will view him as a hero. He is the good guy who led the Israelites out of Egypt. Heroes are great, but we sometimes feel that they don t have much to do with us ordinary people. This story will be much more meaningful to your tweens when they discover Moses weaknesses. Moses was a man with a past. He had committed murder back in Egypt and was on the run. Even when confronted by God, Moses did not immediately submit to God s call. Instead, Moses gave God excuses for why he was not the man to confront the Pharaoh and lead the Israelites. Moses argued that he was not a good public speaker, that he could never convince the Pharaoh that he was sent by God, and that his own people would never listen to him. This story is a great example of how God is big enough to handle our fears and weaknesses. God didn t get mad at Moses and depart in a cloud of smoke. God listened lovingly and addressed Moses fears. God assured Moses that he didn t have to be perfect; he only needed to trust in God and obey. What a wonderful testimony for your tweens with their own self-consciousness and fears. God chooses them just as God chose Moses. Like Moses, God does not expect them to be perfect or to do God s work on their own. God just asks them to trust and obey the best they can each day and God will help them grow as disciples. 8 Abingdon Press. www.ilivebig.com

Activity TimeSaver EcoFriendly Invite them in... (15 minutes) Masks We Wear In the Bag Hidden Gifts... Into the Bible (30 minutes) Leading Up to the Bible Story Build a Timeline The Bible Story... Into Life (15 minutes) Common Ground Hidden Gifts Revealed Closing Into Their Hearts TimeSaver TimeSaver Activities that require little or no planning and only basic supplies. EcoFriendly EcoFriendly Activities that encourage responsible earth stewardship by providing options to use recycled or repurposed materials. DVD Summary: Common Ground In today s Common Ground episode, your class will be introduced to Clay, Kayla, Ty, and Becca. Clay is the new kid in town, and he s not sure about getting close to the others. They reach out to him, even though we learn that Clay hasn t always made the best choices. Use today s episode to demonstrate that like Moses (a person who didn t always choose what was right), God chooses us by grace, not because of what we ve done. September 5, 2010 Tweens Abingdon Press. 9

Lesson 1 September 5, 2010 The B.i.G. Idea We believe that God chooses ordinary people to make a difference in God s world. Choose one or more activities to introduce your tweens to the Bible story. Masks We Wear Invite them in... Supplies: cardstock, markers, crayons, scissors Before class make a mask for yourself using the pattern to the right as a guide and following the directions below. Lay out the supplies on a table. Do Welcome the tweens as they arrive. Say: Most people want to be liked. We want people to think well of us so sometimes we try to hide the not-so-perfect things about ourselves from others. Imagine that you could wear a mask that showed only the best things about you. What is it you want people to know about you? Give each tween a sheet of cardstock. Say: Create a mask using the one I made as an example. Decorate the mask with words, pictures, or symbols of things you would like others to know about you. Your mask should show the perfect you, with all of your strengths and none of your weaknesses. After they have created the masks, tell the tweens to cut out their masks. Invite the tweens to tell about their masks, and share about your own. Say: We all have things we hide behind a mask, things that we don t want others to know about us. God knows the real you, behind the mask. And God loves you and accepts you. Have the tweens add one important truth to their masks: write on either the front or back of their masks Child of God as a reminder of who they really are. Live B.i.G. God knows our imperfections but still claims us as children of God. In the Bag Supplies: paper lunch bags, magazines to cut up, scissors, markers, glue, sweet treats or stickers (one per tween) 10 Abingdon Press. www.ilivebig.com

Gather appropriate magazines for tweens to cut. Be mindful of the images they will see as they search the magazines. Do Give each tween a lunch bag. Say: Think about how other people see you. Ask yourself, How would my teacher describe me? What would my best friend or my family say are my strengths and weaknesses? Cut out words or pictures that show how others might describe you. Glue those on the outside of your bag. Then think about how you see yourself. What excites you? What are you best at? What is hard for you? Cut out words or pictures that show how you think of yourself and put those inside your bag. When everyone is done, tell the tweens to get into groups of two or three with persons they don t know well. Invite them to tell their partners about what they have put on the outside of their bags. Bring the class back together. Ask: Was their much difference between what went on the outside of the bag and what went inside? If they were different, which side was easier to do? Why? Say: God knows what is on the outside and the inside and God delights in each one of you. Tell the tweens to hold out their bags. Drop a sweet treat in each as a reminder that they are sweet treasures to God. Live B.i.G. God knows us, inside and out, and delights in who we are. Hidden Gifts Supplies: baking soda, water, tablespoon, stir sticks, small cups, cotton swabs, white paper, pencils Set the supplies on a table. Do Give each person a small cup for mixing, a piece of white paper, and a cotton swab. Say: Every person has weaknesses. We all have moments when we say or do things we wish we hadn t. We also have things we are good at, but sometimes we don t use our talents. We keep our talents, or gifts, hidden. Have the tweens stir together 1 tablespoon of baking soda and 1 tablespoon of water in their cups. Ask the tweens to think about their own talents and positive character qualities. Have them dip a cotton swab into the baking soda mixture to carefully write a gift they possess on the sheet of paper, using the cotton swab as a paintbrush. When they finish writing, have them initial their papers with a pencil and place them on a table to dry completely. Live B.i.G. An activity will introduce the theme of this month s lessons. September 5, 2010 Tweens Abingdon Press. 11

Lesson 1 September 5, 2010 The B.i.G. Idea We believe that God chooses ordinary people to make a difference in God s world. Choose one or more activities to immerse your tweens in the Bible story. Leading Up to the Bible Story Supplies: scissors, tape... Into the Bible Make photocopies of the strips below, one set for every two tweens, and cut them apart. Be sure to keep the sets of strips separate. Jacob has twelve sons. His favorite son is Joseph, so he gives Joseph a special coat. Joseph s brothers are jealous of him and sell him to traders who are on their way to Egypt. With God s help, Joseph becomes the chief assistant to Pharaoh and is in charge of distributing the stored food during the seven years of famine. Joseph invites his whole family to move to Egypt where there is plenty of food. Years pass, and a new Pharaoh comes into power who couldn t care less about the descendants of Jacob. He makes the Hebrews his slaves. Pharaoh orders that every Hebrew baby boy be thrown into the Nile River. Moses mother puts him in a basket by the river. He is found by Pharaoh s daughter and raised as an Egyptian. Moses is so angry at seeing an Egyptian guard beating a Hebrew slave that Moses kills the Egyptian. Moses realizes people saw what he did and he runs away in fear to Midian. Do Four hundred years pass between Joseph (the story of the covenant between God and the Israelites before slavery) and Moses (during and after slavery). The statements listed above are in chronological order. You can refer back to this as you discuss with the tweens the proper order of events. Tell the tweens to find a partner. Have the pairs work together to put one set of strips into chronological order. Say: When I say go work with your partner to put the strips in order. When you think you have it, stand up and shout, We re awesome! Allow a few more minutes for the other teams to finish. Live B.i.G. Tweens will prepare to hear the story of God calling Moses. 12 Abingdon Press. www.ilivebig.com

Build a Timeline Supplies: Leader page 17, 8 1 2 x14 pack of paper, rulers, markers, tape, mailing tube, ribbon Tape 20 sheets of paper end to end to create a long banner. If possible, post the timeline on a wall to use throughout the quarter. Do Have the tweens use rulers to draw a line down the middle of the banner from left to right. Across the first three pieces of paper, have the tweens write, Prehistory. This part of the timeline is not proportional and represents millions of years. At the left edge of the fourth sheet, have the tweens write 2100 BC. Starting at 2100 BC and moving to the right, have the tweens measure 100-year marks every ten inches. For example, ten inches to the right of 2100 BC would be 2000 BC. When the children get to 100 BC, the next mark should be 1 BC or AD 1. Ask the groups where they think Moses fits on the timeline. Have the tweens guess. Explain that no one knows the exact year, since it was so long ago, but that Bible scholars can estimate using a variety of methods. Refer to Leader page 17. Around 1650 BC, have the tweens write, Joseph. Around 1300 BC, have the tweens write, God calls Moses and draw a small burning bush. If you are unable to post the timeline on the wall, roll the timeline up and tie it with a ribbon. Store the timeline in a mailing tube to keep it in good shape. Live B.i.G. A timeline helps us understand how our Bible stories fit together. The Bible Story Supplies: Bibles, Leader page 16 Make two copies of the skit, Who Me? (Leader page 16). Determine what will be used for a burning bush. The tween who will be the voice of God should be hidden and the voice should seem to come from the bush. Do Ask for volunteers to read the parts of Moses and God in the skit. Give them a few minutes to read through it silently. As they read, have the rest of the group open their Bibles to Exodus 3:7 and read the verse aloud. Have the two volunteers act out the skit. Ask: Why did Moses think he was the wrong person for the job? Does it surprise you that a Bible hero like Moses would question God? Say: God is not afraid of questions. By being honest with God about his fears, Moses was able to receive God s guidance and reassurance and do what God asked. Read Exodus 3:1-12 together. Live B.i.G. God sees a person s heart and potential. September 5, 2010 Tweens Abingdon Press. 13

Lesson 1 September 5, 2010 The B.i.G. Idea We believe that God chooses ordinary people to make a difference in God s world. Choose one or more activities to immerse your tweens in the Bible story. Common Ground Supplies: Student Guide pages 6-7, DVD, DVD player, television... Into Life Preview the DVD segment. Do Say: Today you ll be meeting some teens that you ll get to know better throughout this year. Have everyone turn to page 6 in Like Moses, Clay has a troubled past. Just as Moses had an encounter with God that radically changed his life, Clay s grandmother has intervened in a way that will change Clay s life. Kayla, Becca, and Ty will model what it means to engraft an outsider in a loving way. their Student Guide. Have everyone read to themselves about the characters at The Common Ground, or read about them aloud as a class. Say: As you watch today s episode, look for ways that these teens make a difference in each other s lives. Watch The Common Ground (DVD). Say: When Will is talking to his plant, he remembers how God called Moses from a burning bush and changed Moses life and that of the Israelites forever. Not all changes in our lives are that dramatic! What are some small ways that the teens at The Common Ground make differences in one another s lives? As you talk, remind them of the specific character traits that Clay points out: Becca s heart, Ty s brain, and Kayla s courage. Say: At the beginning of this episode, Will asks, Ever wonder what big plans God has for you? Because God does, ya know? That s a powerful statement: God has big plans for you. How do you feel when you hear that statement? Say: Keep that statement in your mind and your heart. We don t always know what our gifts are. Just remember that like Moses, God has big plans for you. Live B.i.G. The group at the Common Ground will help us to learn how to live our belief in God. Hidden Gifts Revealed Supplies: Hidden Gift papers from page 11, paintbrushes, small cups, 100% grape juice (purple) 14 Abingdon Press. www.ilivebig.com

Set the supplies on a table. Do Give each tween a small cup for mixing, Hidden Gift papers made earlier, and a paintbrush. To read the secret message, paint grape juice concentrate across the paper. Say: The acid in the grape juice reacts with the alkaline in the baking soda to make the message appear. Live B.i.G. God gives each of us gifts and will help us to use those gifts for God s glory. Closing Into Their Hearts Supplies: Bibles, Student Guide page 4, DVD, DVD player, television, Hidden Gift papers from above, tablecloth (optional), cross or candle and matches (optional) Lay a cloth on a table to create a worship center, or use an altar if one is available. Put a cross or lighted candle on the worship table. Do Invite tweens to place their Hidden Gift papers around the altar table. Ask: What was the hidden gift that has now been revealed? Allow time for the tweens to share their hidden gifts with the rest of the class. Have everyone look up 1 Samuel 16:7 and read the Bible verse together aloud. Have everyone turn to page 4 in their Student Guides. Invite them to look over the pictures of the musical artists featured in this quarter s B.I.G. Sound segments. Ask: What is grace? (After some discussion, read the definition shown to the right aloud.) Grace God s great love for humanity which cannot be earned, but which is offered by God as a free gift. This grace, or divine power flowing through Jesus Christ into the lives of those who believe in him, makes it possible for persons to think, act, and speak according to God s will. (Young Reader s Bible Dictionary, copyright 2000, Abingdon Press, page 100). Say: God loves you. God wants to be loved in return. As you listen to this month s B.I.G. Sound, listen for ways that we can experience God s love. Play The B.I.G. Sound (DVD). Pray: Almighty God, thank you for your grace. We offer our gifts to you, our hidden gifts. Help us to use these gifts to love other people the way you love us. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Live B.i.G. Christians believe that God s grace is a gift that enables ordinary people to make a difference in God s world. September 5, 2010 Tweens Abingdon Press. 15

Who Me? Lesson 1 Walking along, Moses is whistling a happy tune. He sees something very strange in the distance. As he approaches, he appears amazed. (Note: God is not seen, only heard. The voice should be coming out of the bush.) Moses: There is something very weird about that burning bush. (Pause) I ve got it! It s on fire but it is not burning up. Unbelievable! Believe it, Moses. Moses: Who said that? I did. I am God and I m trying to get your attention, Moses. Moses: Well, I m listening now. Then take your sandals off. This is a holy place here. I have a job for you. Moses: A job for me? I m so honored. Anything you say, I m your man! Great! I need you to go back to Egypt and tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. Moses: Whoa! You ve got to be kidding! I thought you just said you d do anything I ask. Moses: Anything except that. Pharaoh wouldn t listen to me. I m a nobody. Actually, I m worse than a nobody. I m not sure you know about this, but I have a murder record back in Egypt. I do know about it Moses. I know everything about you. I know you better than you know yourself. I m choosing you, Moses. You are the one for the job. I like the fact that you don t think you can do this alone. That means you ll be depending on me and when you do that, you can t go wrong! Illustration by Jessica Phoenix, www.jessicaphoenix.com 16 Abingdon Press. www.ilivebig.com

Timeline Summary - September Lesson 1 Lesson 1 Have the tweens use rulers to draw a line down the middle of the banner from left to right. Across the first three pieces of paper, have the tweens write, Prehistory. This part of the timeline is not proportional and represents millions of years. At the left edge of the fourth sheet, have the tweens write 2100 BC. Starting at 2100 BC and moving to the right, have the tweens measure 100-year marks every ten inches. For example, ten inches to the right of 2100 BC would be 2000 BC. When the tweens get to 100 BC, the next mark should be 1 BC or AD 1. Around 1650 BC, have the tweens write, Joseph. Around 1300 BC, have the tweens write, God calls Moses and draw a small burning bush. See pages 57 and 107 in the Leader s Guide for the October and November Timeline Summaries, respectively. Lesson 4 Have the tweens write Jesus calls Matthew around AD 25 on the timeline and draw a dollar sign ($) to represent Matthew s occupation as a tax collector. Tweens will have to mark a place for AD 25. since the timeline is marked off by 100-year increments. Tape 20 sheets of paper, end-to-end, to create a long banner. If possible, post the timeline on a wall to use throughout the quarter. Lesson 3 Have the tweens write God calls David around 1000 BC on the timeline and draw a jar of olive oil. Supplies: 8 1 2 x 14 pack of paper, rulers, markers, tape, mailing tube, ribbon Lesson 2 Have the tweens write God calls Samuel around 1100 BC on the timeline and draw a small lamp stand. Prehistory 2010 A.D. 2100 B.C.... 1700 B.C. 1600 B.C. 1500 B.C. 1400 B.C. 1300 B.C. 1200 B.C. 1100 B.C. 1000 B.C. 900 B.C. 800 B.C. 700 B.C. 600 B.C.... 100 B.C. 1 A.D. 100 A.D. Joseph God calls Samuel God calls David Jesus calls Matthew $ God calls Moses Jesus sends the 12 disciples September 5, 2010 Tweens Abingdon Press. 17