Two and Three Year Olds Fall Lesson 6 Bible Passage: Exodus 14:13 15:21 (Moses) LESSON OVERVIEW God Is Mighty 8:15-8:45 8:45-9:05 9:05-9:25 9:25-9:45 9:45 - end 10:30-11:00 11:00-11:25 11:25-11:40 11:40-12:00 12:00 - end Be in class for CONNECT/ CHECK-INS - playtime - coloring pages GATHER: - Welcome - God s Big Story RESPOND - 2-3 prepared crafts/activities WORSHIP BLESS and Snack - playtime until end *see Resources 2018 David C Cook. TruResources are developed in partnership with ROCKHARBOR Church and a national network of family and children s ministry leaders. All rights reserved. Reproducible for church use only.
LEADER PREP Each week you ll find encouraging articles that help you prepare your heart to present the lesson. Inspire Shares personal stories from fellow ministry leaders about how God has worked in their lives Many years ago, I lost a job. I didn t see it coming, and it sent me into a tailspin. I spent months trying to deal with the emotions and panic of figuring out how I would provide for my family. It actually sent me into a time of depression. I knew all the right answers, but they didn t seem to matter. I had somehow forgotten that God is God, and that He is mighty. The worry I d been experiencing was in direct opposition to a life of faith. In my life, I have found that worry, not unbelief, is the opposite of faith. Just this last year, I was in a similar situation. Yet this time my heart was much more trusting. I had moments of panic, but overall, I found myself trusting God much more. I ve learned that there are many situations that seem absolutely hopeless with no obvious solution. But God is mighty. He is bigger than my circumstances and stronger than my fears. I can trust in Him and allow faith to replace my worry. I m reminded and take comfort in the fact that God is God and I am not. He is sovereign and mighty. In Him I will put my trust. Jeff Carter Tru Team Equip Offers perspective and context to the lesson s Bible passage God is mighty, and the people of Israel witnessed this in a powerful way. The parting of the Red Sea was perhaps the most climactic display of God s power and redemption in the Old Testament. Leading up to this climax were many other miraculous displays of God s power. After the burning bush and his preparation in the wilderness, Moses returned to Egypt. God revealed His supremacy over all of the gods of Egypt through the 10 miraculous plagues. God is mighty! When Moses approached Pharaoh, he asked for God s people to take a three-day journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to the Lord (Exodus 3:18; 5:1 4). Pharaoh was indignant and wouldn t obey. He said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go. What began as a three-day festival of worship turned into the salvation, escape, and redemption of Israel. God is mighty! God provided for His people in surprising ways. He instructed them to ask their Egyptian neighbors for silver, gold, and clothing to take with them. This would allow them to buy what they needed later. God declared that He would give them these things by making the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the Israelites request. Through this, God blessed Israel and plundered the Egyptians (3:21 22). God is mighty! Support Provides reflection and assessment through encouragement, prayer, and time in God s Word God moves and works in our lives in miraculous ways. He also directs our paths in ways that may not be so obvious. Not only did the parting of the Red Sea accomplish the salvation of the Israelites, but it also served to prepare their way in the next phase of their journey. In the song of Moses, we see how, because of the miraculous nature of Israel s rescue, terror and dread fell upon the inhabitants of Philistia and Canaan, the chiefs of Edom, and the leaders of Moab (Exodus 15:14 16). They heard how powerful the God of Israel was, and they trembled in fear. When Israel entered the Promised Land, the inhabitants were terrified of them (Joshua 2:10 11; 5:1). God had saved and preserved the nation, but also prepared the way for them to conquer the land. How has God prepared your way? What events in your life have equipped you for your present journey? Remembering is a powerful tool in living a life of faith. Take some time this week and remember what God has done for you. Make a list of the miraculous rescues God has made in your life. Be sure to also include the subtle, no-so-obvious ways God has prepared you for the challenges you face today. Then share these one by one with your children or your spouse around the breakfast table, or share them with your best friend. Consider asking your loved ones to share with you the ways God has prepared them for their journey of faith.
!! Children develop relationships with their leaders and one another through simple activities and conversation starters. Playtime - Coloring Pages Transition Song: The Cleanup Song Children experience and learn more about God through traditions, song, and storytelling from The Big God Story. Welcome Suitcase template Bible Story Spots Hamilton puppet Hamilton s house Scissors Optional: safety pin Ponder Point: God Is Mighty PREPARE AHEAD If you haven t already done so in CONNECT Option 2, print the Suitcase template and cut it out. Attach the suitcase to Hamilton s hand with a small safety pin. Hi, friends! Welcome! I m so excited to be here with you today. It s time to hear a part of The Big God Story! Do you know who likes to hear The Big God Story? Encourage responses. That s right Hamilton the Hedgehog. Shall we call him and ask him to join us? The children will answer. On the count of three, let s call him together. Are you ready? One, two, three. Hamilton, where are you? Encourage the children to call for Hamilton. Hamilton comes out of his house holding the suitcase. Hi, Hamilton! You have a suitcase with you. Are you going on a trip? Hamilton shakes his head no. The suitcase must be a clue for The Big God Story today. Hamilton nods. Are you ready to hear this part of The Big God Story? Hamilton nods excitedly. Me too! But before we get started, do you know where we can find The Big God Story? Hamilton nods his head and gestures to the Bible. That s right the Bible. God gave us the Bible so we can learn about Him. It s full of things that help us get to know God. We read the Bible to learn about God and about His Son, Jesus. And I know that you love to dig, dig, dig right into God s Word to find out what He has to say to us. Isn t that right, Hamilton? Hamilton nods his head. Let s all stand up and sing our Bible Song together. Bible Song (sung to the tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb ) Now it s time to hear God s Word Hear God s Word Hear God s Word Now it s time to hear God s Word So let s look in the Bible As the song ends, have the children return to their Story Spots. Hamilton can model this for the children by sitting
quietly as he listens to The Big God Story. The Big God Story The Big God Story is written for a three-year-old audience. It can be told in its entirety or shortened if the class is on the younger side. Moses God Is Mighty Exodus 14:13 15:21 Red Sea image (see Resources) Hamilton puppet Hamilton s suitcase PREPARE AHEAD You ll be chanting a section of the storytelling using the same style as We re Going on a Bear Hunt. Refer to Linda Goss s We re Going on a Bear Hunt from It s Storytelling Time on YouTube for an example. Before we go any further, let s all pray together and ask God to teach us. Lead children in a Prayer of Release to pause, be still, and ask the Holy Spirit to quiet their hearts and minds. Boys and girls, can you show me your muscles? Encourage children to make muscles. Hamilton, can you show me your muscles? Hamilton makes muscles. Wow, those are big muscles! Are your muscles strong? Pause for responses. Yes, they are. Who else is strong? Invite responses. That s right our mommies and daddies. Who else? Allow answers. Yes, God. God is very strong. He is mighty! Mighty means powerful and strong. God is mighty! Every time you hear me say the words God is mighty during The Big God Story, let s all show our muscles. Let s give it a try: God is mighty! Everyone makes muscles. Good job! Many, many years ago in the land of Egypt there lived a mean king. He didn t love God. He didn t like God s people either. He was very unkind and made God s people work very hard. The people were so tired. They needed help! So they cried out to God. The people asked God to save them from the mean king. God heard the cries of His people and sent them someone to lead them away from Egypt and the king. God had a special helper named Moses. He knew that God is mighty. Make muscles. God sent Moses to help His people. God s people packed their bags and got ready to follow Moses out of Egypt. What do you think the people packed for the long journey? Allow children to answer. Where do you think they placed everything they were packing? Allow kids to answer; interact with their responses. Where did we see a suitcase today? Kids will respond. That s right. Hamilton had a suitcase. Hamilton pops up with his suitcase. Friends, I think this is our clue to this part of The Big God Story. Hamilton nods and hops up and down. Well, the people got ready and began to follow Moses out of Egypt. The trip was long and may have even been a little scary, but God is mighty. Make muscles. And the people could trust God to take care of them. Let s pretend we re going on a trip. Everyone stand up and pick up your suitcases. Encourage children to use their imagination. Let s start walking. Pretend to pick up suitcases and walk in place. Are you ready to leave Egypt? Me too, but wait. Stop and put your hand up. We re going to sing a song while we re on our trip. I ll sing the words first, and then you can sing the same words. You ll be my echo. Let s give it a try. We re coming out of Egypt. Children echo. God saved us from the mean king. Children echo. God is mighty. Children echo and make muscles. We can be happy. Children echo. Look what s up ahead. Children echo. It s the big Red Sea. Children echo. Can t go over it. Children echo. Can t go under it. Children echo. We ll have to go through it. Children echo, then stop marching or walking. How are we going to go through the big Red Sea? There s so much water! We can t swim across. We can t fly across. What are we to do? Hmmm Let s sit down and hear how God helped His people cross the sea.
! Have the children sit down around you. The people were stuck. They looked back, and whom do you think they saw? The king of Egypt and his army were coming after them. Oh no! But Moses said, Don t be afraid. God told him to pick up a very big stick and put it over the water, like this. Hold your hands out. Moses trusted God and he did what God said. Hold up The Big God Story image (Red Sea). Our mighty God blew a great big wind on the water. And the water separated! The people were able to walk safely to the other side of the sea. That s so amazing! God is mighty! Make muscles. He took care of His people and protected them from the mean king and his army. The people knew God had saved them. They praised God and thanked Him for keeping them safe. They sang songs of praise to God. Friends, let s stand up and finish our pretend trip across the Red Sea. Are you ready? Here we go. Repeat the rhyme and encourage kids to follow. We re coming out of Egypt. Children echo. God saved us from the mean king. Children echo. God is mighty. Children echo and make muscles. We can be happy. Children echo. Look what s up ahead. Children echo. It s the big Red Sea. Children echo. Can t go over it. Children echo. Can t go under it. Children echo. We ll have to go through it. Children echo, then stop marching or walking. Make sounds that indicate crossing the dry ground of the sea. Whew, we made it. Children echo. Now it s time to celebrate. Children echo. For God is mighty and has saved us. Children echo and make muscles. Have the children say good-bye to Hamilton as he goes back into his house. Thank him for coming and being a part of The Big God Story. Children reflect on what the Holy Spirit is teaching them and respond through worship, creative activities, and games. Option 1: Windy Paint God sent a big, strong wind to blow on the Red Sea. Children use straws to make a strong wind to blow the paint on paper. Table covering Paper (1 sheet per child) Washable paint Water Cup Disposable spoon Straws (1 per child) SET UP Cover the table with the table covering. Place a sheet of paper at every child s seat. Pour paint in the cup and mix water with the paint to create a consistency similar to milk. Spoon a small amount of paint onto each sheet of paper. Place a straw on every sheet of paper. Invite the children to join you at the table. God sent a big, strong wind to blow on the Red Sea. We re going to use our straws to make a strong wind to blow the paint on our paper. First, let s all pick up our straws and practice blowing through them. Next, let s point our straws at the paper and blow and watch what happens to the paint.
! Option 3: Red Sea Art To remind children of how God parted the Red Sea, they make their own Red Sea by gluing pieces of blue construction paper onto poster board. Poster board Marker Construction paper (blue) Glue sticks (1 for every 2 children) PREPARE AHEAD Use the marker to draw the separated Red Sea on the poster board. When drawing the Red Sea, you can draw two squiggly lines that represent the water, making sure to leave four inches in between the lines to represent the dry land that the Israelites walked across. SET UP Tear up some of the construction paper into pieces. Leave most of the paper whole so the children can tear it themselves. Invite the children to join you at the table. Divide the children into two groups. Have one group tear more paper and the second group start gluing the paper onto one of the walls of water on the poster board. When half of the water has been filled in with paper, switch the jobs of each group. This will allow the children to participate in both aspects of the activity. What happened to the Red Sea when Moses raised his stick? Children will answer; interact with their responses. That s right, God made the wind blow the sea apart. Here s a picture of the Red Sea. Can you help me fill the sea with blue paper? I need help tearing up some more paper to glue. Some of us can glue the paper and some of us can tear it, and then we ll switch. When it s time to put the toys away, cue the kids with The Cleanup Song. WORSHIP// 9:25 and 11:40 2 s - In your classroom 3 s - in the worship room, unless combined with 2 s Children receive a blessing from their leaders and sometimes one another. A blessing can be a prayer of commission, a portion of Scripture, or words to encourage and guide. Encourage the children to close their eyes as you speak the blessing. Children, God is mighty. You can always trust Him. May you praise and thank Him for who He is. Open a Bible and read Psalm 150:6: Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD. Send home the At Home Weekly 1.5 1.8 with any families who may need one.