betty lukens flannelgraph

Transcription

Set 3 Lesson 1
God Calls Moses
Exodus 3:1–4:20
Overview
Aim
How God got Moses ready to do his work
Truth
God gave Moses the help he needed to do
his work.
Application/Appropriation
God gives us help and strength to do our
work.
Materials Needed
q For Introduction and Letter: letter from Moses (see Copy Master 1)
q For Sharing God’s Word, Option 1: clothespin “Moses” figure (use a rubber band to attach
a four-inch square of cloth to the top of a round-headed clothespin to look like a head
covering, and draw a face on the figure) with pipe-cleaner staff, several small toy sheep
figures (optional), burning bush cut from construction paper (glue it onto an empty toilet
tissue tube to make it stand), small plastic snake (or cut a small snake from poster board)
q For Sharing God’s Word, Option 2: flannelboard; Betty Lukens’ flannelgraph pieces: water
and sky scene; hillside overlay; S7—large tree; S13 and 14—tree line on horizon; 126,
127, 130—sheep; 14—Moses; 283—staff; 187—bush; 266—fire; 166—snake
q For Applying God’s Word: Bible
Dear Christian Friend
© 2010 JCM Media. All rights reserved.
Set 3 Lesson 1 – Page 1
Set 3 Lesson 1
– God Calls Moses
Lesson
Beginning the Lesson
Opening Statement
We begin in the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Introduction and Letter
Have you ever learned about baby Moses? When he was born, the king of Egypt wanted to
kill all the baby boys of God’s people. So Moses’ mother put him in a basket and put the basket
in a river. Then the king’s daughter found baby Moses and took care of him.
Today we’re going to learn about something that happened to Moses when he grew up to be
a man. We’re going to pretend that Moses wrote you a letter. (Distribute a copy of the letter to
each student, or display one enlarged letter.) Let’s read his letter. (Read the letter.)
Listen carefully to today’s Bible lesson to find out how God got Moses ready to do his
work.
Sharing God’s Word
Option 1
When Moses was young, he lived in the land of Egypt. (Display Moses figure.) When Moses
grew up, he went to live in a faraway country. There Moses became a shepherd. (Optional:
Display toy sheep.)
One day Moses was out in the desert taking care of the sheep. Suddenly Moses saw a bush
that was on fire. (Display burning bush.) But the bush did not burn up! Moses thought, “That’s
strange! I will go and see why this bush does not burn up.” (Move “Moses” next to bush.)
God was in this burning bush. When Moses got close, God called from the bush, “Moses!
Moses! Don’t come any closer. I am your God.”
Moses was afraid to look at God. He covered his face. Then God told Moses, “I have seen
the sadness of my people in Egypt. And I have heard their cries for help. I know that the king
makes them work very hard. So I will save them from the king and take them to a new, good
land. And I want you, Moses, to lead my people out of Egypt.”
Set 3 Lesson 1
– God Calls Moses
But Moses told God, “I can’t do this work. The people won’t believe that you sent me to lead
them out of Egypt.”
God told Moses, “Throw down your staff.” When Moses threw down his staff, (have “Moses”
throw down his staff) it turned into a snake! (Replace staff with snake.) When Moses picked up
the snake by its tail, it turned back into a staff. (Replace snake with staff.) God also gave Moses
the power to do other miracles. “When the people see these miracles,” said God, “they will
believe that I sent you.”
But Moses said, “God, I’m not a good speaker. I can’t do this work. Please send someone
else to do it.”
God said, “Your brother Aaron will do this work with you. And I will help you both.”
Finally, Moses did what God told him. He went to Egypt to tell the king to let God’s people go
out of Egypt. (Move “Moses” away from bush.)
Option 2
(Display water and sky scene with hillside overlay; add trees and sheep.) When Moses was
young, he lived in the land of Egypt. When Moses grew up, he went to live in a faraway country.
There Moses became a shepherd. (Add Moses with staff in his right hand.)
One day Moses was out in the desert taking care of the sheep. Suddenly Moses saw a bush
that was on fire. (Add bush and fire.) But the bush did not burn up! Moses thought, “That’s
strange! I will go and see why this bush does not burn up.” (Move Moses toward bush.)
God was in this burning bush. When Moses got close, God called from the bush, “Moses!
Moses! Don’t come any closer. I am your God.”
Moses was afraid to look at God. He covered his face. Then God told Moses, “I have seen
the sadness of my people in Egypt. And I have heard their cries for help. I know that the king
makes them work very hard. So I will save them from the king and take them to a new, good
land. And I want you, Moses, to lead my people out of Egypt.”
But Moses told God, “I can’t do this work. The people won’t believe that you sent me to lead
them out of Egypt.”
God told Moses, “Throw down your staff.” (Have Moses throw the staff down to the ground.)
When Moses threw down his staff, it turned into a snake! (Have Moses pick up staff and
replace it with snake.) When Moses picked up the snake by its tail, it turned back into a staff.
(Pick up snake and replace it with staff.) God also gave Moses the power to do other miracles.
“When the people see these miracles,” said God, “they will believe that I sent you.”
But Moses said, “God, I’m not a good speaker. I can’t do this work. Please send someone
else to do it.”
God said, “Your brother Aaron will do this work with you. And I will help you both.”
Set 3 Lesson 1
– God Calls Moses
Finally, Moses did what God told him. He went to Egypt to tell the king to let God’s people go
out of Egypt. (Remove Moses.)
Checking for Understanding
1a.
1b.
When Moses was young, where did he live? (Egypt)
When Moses was young, did he live in the United States? (no)
When Moses grew up, he went to live in a faraway country.
2a.
2b.
What did Moses become there? (a shepherd)
Did Moses become a farmer there? (no)
3a.
3b.
What did Moses see out in the desert one day? (a bush on fire that did not burn up)
Did Moses see a burning cactus out in the desert one day? (no)
4a.
4b.
When Moses got close to the bush, whose voice did he hear? (God’s)
When Moses got close to the bush, did he hear God’s voice call to him? (yes)
5a.
What did God plan to do for his people in Egypt? (save them from the king and take them
to a new land)
5b.
Did God want to save his people from the king and take them to a new land? (yes)
6a.
What did God want Moses to do? (lead God’s people out of Egypt)
7a.
7b.
At first, what did Moses tell God about this work? (“I can’t do this work.”)
At first, did Moses think he could do this job? (no)
6b.
Did God want Moses to help his people stay in Egypt? (no)
Moses thought the people wouldn’t believe that God had sent him. So God gave him the power
to do some miracles.
8a.
What happened when Moses threw down his staff? (It turned into a snake.)
8b.
When Moses threw down his staff, did it turn into a rabbit? (no)
9a.
Then Moses said he couldn’t do the work because he was not a good _____. (speaker)
9b.
Then did Moses say he couldn’t do the work because he was not a good speaker? (yes)
10a. Who did God say would help Moses with this work? (his brother Aaron)
10b. Did God tell Moses that his brother James would help him with his work? (no)
11a. Most importantly, who would help Moses do this difficult job? (God)
11b. And did God promise to help Moses do this work? (yes)
Set 3 Lesson 1
– God Calls Moses
12a. What did Moses finally do? (He went to Egypt to tell the king to let God’s people go out of
Egypt.)
12b. Did Moses finally listen to God and go to Egypt to do what God told him to do? (yes)
Truth (a): How did God help Moses get ready to do his work?
God gave Moses the _____ he needed to do his _____. (help, work)
Truth (b): Did God give Moses the help he needed to do his work? (yes)
Yes, God gave Moses the help he needed to do his work.
Applying God’s Word
At first, Moses did not want to do the work that God told him to do. He thought that the
people wouldn’t listen to him. And he thought that he didn’t have the abilities to do the job. But
we learned that God gave Moses the help he needed to do his work.
God also has work for each of us to do. What work does God want you to do? (Have the
students tell what work they do. For those who do not have jobs, help them realize that their
“work” may be to help around their home, to do their schoolwork, to obey those God puts in
charge of them, etc.) Sometimes our work may seem hard. We may think we can’t do it. Who
can we ask for help when our work seems too hard? (God) Yes, we can pray to God to help us
when our work seems hard for us. And we can trust that God will help us.
God sent Aaron to help Moses with his job. Sometimes God gives us other people to help us
with our work too. Who are some people who help you with your work? (Have students name
people who help them with their jobs or their work around home.)
(Display Bible.) The Bible tells us, “My help comes from the LORD” (Psalm 121:2). Just as
God helped Moses, God helps do the work he wants us to do. Let’s remember to ask God for
help to do our work as well as we can.
Closing the Lesson
Song
“You Are by My Side” (Everyone Sing & Sign, Northwestern Publishing House)
Set 3 Lesson 1
– God Calls Moses
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for giving us our abilities. Help us do whatever work you want us to do.
Even when our work seems hard, help us do our work as well as we can. We pray in Jesus’
name. Amen.
Bible Words to Remember
My help comes from the LORD. (Psalm 121:2)
1. help—place left fist on right palm and raise both upward a few inches
1
2. comes—place bent right hand in front of body and make beckoning
motion
2
3. Lord—make “L” shape with thumb and index finger of right hand, and
touch the thumb to left shoulder; then move the “L” hand to right hip
3
Activities
1. Letter Writing
Write a letter responding to the one from Moses by completing the letter on Copy Master 2.
You could give each student a letter to complete individually by inserting words or pictures, with
help from a teacher as necessary. Or you could display an enlarged copy of the letter and fill in
the entire group’s responses. (Possible answers/pictures: bush, God [cloud with rays], happy
[happy face], God.)
2. Activity Sheet
Provide duplicates of Copy Master 3 for the students to complete on their own or with
assistance as needed. (Option: Provide this sheet as a take-home activity.)
Set 3 Lesson 1
– God Calls Moses
3. Craft Projects
Assist the students as necessary in completing one or more craft projects following these
steps:
q Burning Bush Magnet
~ Photocopy the bush from Copy Master 4 onto orange or yellow paper.
~ If desired, the student may color the edges of the project with a red or orange marker.
~ Help the student cut out the project and laminate it or cover it with clear self-adhesive
paper.
~ Attach a magnet to the back of the project. Let the student know that the magnet can be
displayed on a refrigerator or other metal object.
q Poster
~ Have the student use bright colors to paint an abstract design on a 9" x 12" sheet of
paper.
~ When the painting is dry, use a black marker to print in the middle of the poster, “God
Helps Me.”
4. Song or Action Rhyme
Teach the students the following song. Encourage them to sing the song whenever they have
a difficult job to do.
(Melody: “My Darling Clementine”)
God will help me; God will help me;
God will help and give me strength.
God will help me; God will help me;
God will help and give me strength.
5. Personalized Prayer
Photocopy and cut out the box from Copy Master 4 for each student. Help each student
complete the prayer and color the border as desired. Encourage the students to take their
prayers home and pray them often.
Dear Christian Friend,
Remember me? You learned how my mother put me in a basket in the river
so that I wouldn’t be drowned by the king’s soldiers. Then God used the king’s
own daughter to save me.
Today you will learn about something that happened to me when I was all
grown up. I saw something very strange one day. And I heard the voice of God
himself talking to me. Listen carefully to find out about the work God wanted me
to do. At first, I didn’t want to do what God told me to do. You will hear how God
helped me get ready to do his work. And you will learn how God helps you too.
Your friend,
Moses
Set 3 Lesson 1 – CM 1
Dear Moses,
You must have been surprised to see that burning __________ that never
burned up! And you must have been even more surprised to hear __________
talking to you!
I learned that at first you didn’t want to do the work that God told you to do.
Then God gave you the power to do miracles. He also told you that your brother
Aaron would help you. I’m __________ that then you went to do what God told
you to do.
Sometimes my work seems hard for me too. I’m happy to know that
__________ will give me the help I need to do my work.
Your Christian friend,
____________________
God Helps
Name _________________________
Directions Draw a line to the missing word for each sentence.
1. One day Moses saw a _____ in the desert. v
v God
2. _____ was in the burning bush. v
v burning bush
3. God wanted Moses
to lead his people out of _____. v
v Moses
4. God gave _____ the help
he needed to do his work. v
v Egypt
5. God has _____ for each of us to do. v
v work
6. We can _____ to God
for help with our work. v
v people
7. Sometimes God uses other
_____ to help us with our work. v
v pray
8. God ______ us do our work. v
v helps
Burning Bush Magnet
My help comes
from the LORD.
(Psalm 121:2)
Personalized Prayer
Dear God, thank you for giving me my work of ______________________
____________________________________________________________
And thank you for giving me these people to help me: ________________
____________________________________________________________
Help me do my work as well as I can. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Set 3 Lesson 2
God Sends Troubles to Egypt
Exodus 5–10
Overview
Aim
How the king of Egypt showed that he did
not love God
Truth
The king of Egypt did not obey God.
We love God and want to obey him.
Materials Needed
q For Introduction and Letter: paper heart, letter from Moses (see Copy Master 1)
q For Sharing God’s Word, Option 1: pictures depicting the first nine troubles/plagues made
by enlarging the pictures on Copy Master 3
q For Sharing God’s Word, Option 2: flannelboard; Betty Lukens’ flannelgraph pieces: indoor
scene with throne room overlay; water and sky scene with desert overlay; 14—Moses;
43—king; 44—servant;185—palm trees; 216—pyramids; 170—frogs; 169—flies; 124,
155—cattle; 284—hail; black cloth for over flannelboard
Set 3 Lesson 2
– God Sends Troubles to Egypt
Lesson
Opening Statement
(Show paper heart.) What does a heart stand for? (love) Who are some people you love?
(parents, friends, teachers, etc.) Whom else do we love—someone who loves us most of all?
(God)
Today we’ll hear about someone who did not love God. And we’ll learn some more about
Moses. We’re going to pretend that Moses wrote you a letter. (Distribute a copy of the letter to
each student, or display one enlarged letter.) Let’s read his letter. (Read the letter.)
Listen carefully to today’s Bible lesson to find out how the king of Egypt showed that he
did not love God.
Option 1
(Display the corresponding picture for each trouble as you tell about it.)
God sent Moses to Egypt to talk to the king. Moses went to the king and said, “God says you
should let his people leave Egypt.”
But the king said, “I don’t have to obey God. I won’t let his people go.” And the king made
God’s people work even harder.
So God sent some terrible troubles to the people of Egypt. First God made all the water in
the land turn into blood. The people could not drink it. Then God sent many frogs that covered
the land. The frogs even went into the people’s houses and got into their food! After that God
sent small insects that crawled all over the people. Then he sent many flies that filled the
people’s houses. Still the king would not let God’s people leave.
So God sent a terrible sickness that killed thousands of the Egyptians’ animals. Then God
made painful sores cover the people’s bodies.
Set 3 Lesson 2
Next God sent a powerful hailstorm. The hail was so big that it killed all the people and
animals that were outside. The hail crushed all the plants growing in the fields. The king called
for Moses and told him, “Pray to God to make the storm stop, and I will let his people leave.” So
Moses prayed, and God made the storm stop. But the king changed his mind and still would not
let God’s people leave.
So God sent thousands of grasshoppers that covered the ground and ate up all the plants.
After that God made the sky over Egypt completely dark for three days. No one could see
anything. Still the king would not obey God.
Finally God told Moses, “I will send one more terrible trouble to the land of Egypt. Then the
king will let my people leave.”
Option 2
(Display indoor scene with throne room overlay. Show the king on his throne facing left.
Place the servant to the right of the king and Moses facing the king.)
God sent Moses to Egypt to talk to the king. Moses went to the king and said, “God says you
should let his people leave Egypt.”
But the king said, “I don’t have to obey God. I won’t let his people go.” And the king made
God’s people work even harder. (Remove indoor scene and save for use at the end of the story.
Replace with water and sky scene and desert overlay; include palm trees to left and pyramids
on the horizon.)
So God sent some terrible troubles to the people of Egypt. First God made all the water in
the land turn into blood. The people could not drink it. Then God sent many frogs that covered
the land. (Display frogs.) The frogs even went into the people’s houses and got into their food!
After that God sent small insects that crawled all over the people. Then he sent many flies that
filled the people’s houses. (Add swarm of flies.) Still the king would not let God’s people leave.
So God sent a terrible sickness that killed thousands of the Egyptians’ animals. (Display
cattle.) Then God made painful sores cover the people’s bodies.
Next God sent a powerful hailstorm. (Add hailstones.) The hail was so big that it killed all the
people and animals that were outside. The hail crushed all the plants growing in the fields.
(Place indoor scene over outdoor one.) The king called for Moses and told him, “Pray to God to
make the storm stop, and I will let his people leave.” So Moses prayed, and God made the
storm stop. But the king changed his mind and still would not let God’s people leave.
So God sent thousands of grasshoppers that covered the ground and ate up all the plants.
After that God made the sky over Egypt completely dark for three days. (Cover flannelboard
with a black cloth.) No one could see anything. Still the king would not obey God.
Set 3 Lesson 2
Finally God told Moses, “I will send one more terrible trouble to the land of Egypt. Then the
king will let my people leave.”
1a. What did Moses tell the king of Egypt? (to let God’s people leave Egypt)
1b. Did Moses tell the king to let God’s people leave Egypt? (yes)
2a. Who told Moses to say this? (God)
2b. Did God tell Moses to say this? (yes)
3a. How did the king react to God’s command? (The king did not obey God.)
3b. Did the king obey God’s command? (no)
4a. What did God then send to the people of Egypt? (some terrible troubles)
4b. Did God then send some wonderful blessings to the people of Egypt? (no)
5a. First God made all the water turn into _____. (blood)
5b. Did God make all the water turn into milk? (no)
6a. Then what jumping animal did God send that went into people’s houses? (frogs)
6b. Did God then send many frogs that went into people’s houses? (yes)
God then sent small insects that crawled all over the people. After that, he sent many flies that
filled the people’s houses. Still the king would not let God’s people leave.
7a. So God sent a terrible sickness that killed thousands of the Egyptians’ _____. (animals)
7b. Then did God send a terrible sickness that killed thousands of the Egyptians’ animals?
(yes)
After that, God made painful sores cover the people’s bodies.
8a. Then what kind of storm did God send to Egypt? (a hailstorm)
8b. Then did God send a terrible snowstorm to Egypt? (no)
9a. The hailstorm was so bad that what did the king promise to do? (to let God’s people go)
9b. Did the king promise that if the storm stopped, he would let God’s people leave? (yes)
10a. When God made the storm stop, what did the king do? (He changed his mind and would
not let God’s people leave.)
10b. When God made the storm stop, did the king let the people go? (no)
Set 3 Lesson 2
11a. What insects did God send next that ate up all the plants? (grasshoppers)
11b. Next did God send thousands of butterflies that ate up all the plants? (no)
12a. Then what did God send to cover Egypt for three days? (darkness)
12b. Then did God send a bright light to cover Egypt for three days? (no)
13a. What would the king still not do? (He would not obey God.)
13b. Did the king finally obey God? (no)
14a. What did God say would happen after he sent one more terrible trouble to Egypt? (The
king would let God’s people leave.)
14b. Did God say he would send one more terrible trouble to Egypt? (yes)
Truth (a): How did the king of Egypt show that he did not love God?
The king of Egypt did not _____ God. (obey)
Truth (b): Did the king of Egypt obey God? (no)
No, the king of Egypt did not obey God.
The king of Egypt did not love God. So he didn’t want to obey God. Sadly, many people
today don’t love God, so they don’t want to obey God either.
But we do love God. We believe that God loves us and that he sent Jesus to be our Savior.
We believe that God is always with us. He takes care of us and makes all things work out for
our good. For all these reasons and many more, we love God. And the Bible tells us (show
Bible), “This is love for God: to obey his commands” (1 John 5:3). This means that we can
show our love for God by obeying him.
Raise your hand each time I name a way you can obey God:
Listen carefully to God’s Word (raise hands)
Sing praises to God (raise hands)
Hit people
Obey those who are in charge of us (raise hands)
Yell at people
Be kind to others (raise hands)
Let’s always show our love for God by obeying him!
Set 3 Lesson 2
Closing the Lesson
Song
“Blest Are We” (Everyone Sing & Sign, Northwestern Publishing House)
Prayer
Dear God, you have shown such great love for us! We love you very much. Help us show
our love for you by obeying your commands. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is love for God: to obey his commands. (1 John 5:3)
1. love—make two fists and cross arms at wrists, palms toward body,
1
2. God—move right hand, palm facing left and fingers pointing up, in an
arc toward forehead and down in front of face
2
3. obey—touch tips of right fingers and thumb together on right
3
across chest
forehead, and place tips of left fingers and thumb together at chest
height; then bring down and open both hands, ending with palms up in
front of body
Set 3 Lesson 2
Activities
1. Letter Writing
the entire group’s responses. (Possible answers/pictures: God [cloud with rays], Egypt
[pyramid], love [heart], commands [stone tablets].)
2. Activity Sheet
3. Craft Projects
Assist the students as necessary in completing one or more craft projects using Copy
Master 5 and following these steps:
q Bookmark
~
~
~
~
Photocopy the bookmark from the copy master and let the student color it if desired.
Cut out the project and laminate it or cover it with clear self-adhesive paper.
Help the student punch a hole in the top and attach a ribbon.
Let the student know that the project can be used as a bookmark in a Bible or other
book.
q Badge
~
~
~
~
Photocopy the badge from the copy master and cut it out.
Let the student decorate the border and color the project as desired.
Cover the badge with clear self-adhesive paper or laminate it.
Safety-pin or tape the badge onto the student’s clothing.
Set 3 Lesson 2
4. Action Song
Teach the students the following song. Have them do the hand signs for the underlined
words (see “Bible Words to Remember”) as you sing the song together.
(Melody: “The Farmer in the Dell”)
We love God and obey.
We want to show our love.
5. Role Play
Have the students act out various situations and demonstrate first how not to show love for
God, then how to show love for God by obeying him. You could have the students work in pairs
or you could act out each situation with a student. For example, one person could pretend to be
a parent or roommate who asks the other to help with the dishes. The other person would first
act out not showing love for God. (Example: saying, “No way! I’m watching TV.”) Then the
person could act out how to show love for God. (Example: saying, “Sure, let me turn off the TV,
and I’ll be happy to help you.”) Other possible situations to act out:
~ One person invites the other to come to a worship service.
~ A person at work tells the other, “Come on, no one’s watching. Let’s leave work early.”
~ One person sees the other carrying two heavy bags of groceries.
~ A friend asks to borrow another’s favorite shirt.
~ A person sees a friend being unkind to someone.
6. Story Review
Photocopy the boxes on Copy Master 3 for each student. Let the student color the pictures if
desired, and help cut them out. Then help the student put the numbered boxes in the correct
order and use them to retell the story. Remind the student to include the point that the king of
Egypt did not love God or obey him. Encourage the students to take the pictures home and use
them to retell the lesson to friends or family. Remind them to share the application that we love
God and want to obey him.
Do you love God? I do too! But not everyone loves God.
Do you remember how God told me to go to the king in Egypt? The king
made God’s people work very hard. God wanted me to tell the king to let God’s
people leave Egypt. At first I didn’t want to do what God told me to, but then I
obeyed God.
Today you’re going to hear what happened when I went to tell the king what
God had said. You will learn how the king showed that he did not love God.
Your friend,
Moses
Dear Moses,
I’m happy to know that you love God. I’m glad you obeyed __________ and
went to talk to the king of __________.
But I’m sad that the king did not __________ God. The king did not obey
God even when God sent terrible plagues to the land of Egypt.
I love God, and I know that God loves me. I want to show my love by
obeying God’s __________.
____________________
The First Nine Plagues
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Name _________________________
Love and Obey
Part
One
Circle yes or no to answer each question.
1. Did Moses tell the king to let God’s people leave Egypt?
2. Did the king of Egypt obey God?
3. Did God send some wonderful
blessings to the people of Egypt?
4. Do we love God?
yes
yes
no
no
no
no
5. Do we want to obey God?
Part
Two
yes
yes
yes
no
Circle the correct picture for each underlined word.
This is love for God: to obey his commands.
(1 John 5:3)
Bookmark
This is love
for God:
to obey
Badge
his
commands.
(1 John 5:3)
I
love
God!
Set 3 Lesson 3
The First Passover
Exodus 11:1–12:37
Overview
Aim
How God saved his people
Truth
God saved his people through the blood of
a lamb.
God saved us through the blood of Jesus.
Materials Needed
q For Introduction and Letter: Bible, letter from God (see Copy Master 1)
q For Sharing God’s Word, Option 1: clock or drawing of a clock with hands set to midnight,
picture of a lamb, white board or large piece of paper, a black and a red marker
scene with throne room overlay; water and sky scene with desert overlay; 14—Moses;
43—king; 44—servant; 216—pyramids; 202—house;129—lamb; 13—man; 329—knife;
285—blood spot; 262—pot/fire; 251—bread; 4C—angel; 118—dead boy; 228—couch
q For Applying God’s Word: Bible, picture of Jesus on the cross, picture of Jesus as the
Lamb of God (optional)
Set 3 Lesson 3
– The First Passover
Lesson
Opening Statement
(Show the students a Bible.) All the lessons we learn about in our class are taken from God’s
Word, the Bible. God had men write down the things he wanted us to know so that we can read
and learn about them today. Long ago, God sometimes talked right to his people; today God
speaks to us through his Word.
Today we’re going to learn about the last terrible trouble that God sent to the land of Egypt.
Wouldn’t it be great if God himself came and told us what happened? That probably won’t
happen, but we can pretend that God wrote us a letter. (Distribute a copy of the letter to each
student, or display one enlarged letter.) Let’s read God’s letter. (Read the letter.)
Listen carefully to today’s Bible lesson to find out how God saved his people.
Option 1
God had sent nine terrible troubles (hold up nine fingers and have students do the same) to
the land of Egypt, but still the king would not let God’s people leave the land. So God sent
Moses to the king to say, “God will send one more terrible trouble. (Hold up one finger and have
students do the same.) At midnight (display clock with hands set to midnight), the oldest son in
every Egyptian family will die. And there will be much crying throughout the land.” (Pantomime
crying and have students do the same.)
Then God told Moses what his people should do before the last trouble came. “Every family
should pick out a one-year-old lamb (display picture of a lamb) that has nothing wrong with it,”
said God. “Kill the lamb and put some of its blood around the door of your house. (On the board
or paper, draw a door with a black marker. Then draw “blood” around the door with a red
marker.) Then cook the lamb and eat it for dinner with spices and bread made without yeast.
Set 3 Lesson 3
“As you eat this meal,” said God, “you should be dressed and ready to leave the land. This
special meal will be called the Passover. On that night I will kill the oldest son in every Egyptian
family. But when I see the blood around your doors (point to drawing of door), I will pass over
your houses, and no one will die. You should celebrate this special Passover meal every year.”
God’s people did as God had commanded them. Each family killed a lamb (display picture of
a lamb) and put the blood around the door. (Point to drawing of door.) They cooked the lamb
and ate the meat for dinner. That night, at midnight (display clock with hands set to midnight),
God passed through the land of Egypt and killed the oldest son in every Egyptian family. There
was much crying throughout the land just as God had said. (Pantomime crying and have
students do the same.) But none of God’s people died.
While it was still night, the king called for Moses and told him, “Go! Take all of God’s people
and leave Egypt!”
God’s people left Egypt right away. God had saved them just as he had promised.
Option 2
(Display the indoor scene with the throne room overlay. Add the king on his throne facing left,
a servant to the right of the king, and Moses facing the king.) God had sent nine terrible
troubles to the land of Egypt, but still the king would not let God’s people leave the land. So
God sent Moses to the king to say, “God will send one more terrible trouble. At midnight, the
oldest son in every Egyptian family will die. And there will be much crying throughout the land.”
(Remove the indoor scene and save for later. Replace with the sky and water scene with the
desert overlay. Place the pyramids on the horizon right and the house to the far left side.) Then
God told Moses what his people should do before the last trouble came. “Every family should
pick out a one-year-old lamb that has nothing wrong with it,” said God. (Put on the lamb and
man facing left in front of the house.) “Kill the lamb and put some of its blood around the door of
your house. (Place a knife in the man’s hand and simulate killing the lamb. Put blood spot on
the door.) Then cook the lamb and eat it for dinner with spices and bread made without yeast.
(Add cooking fire/pot and loaf of bread.)
“As you eat this meal,” said God, “you should be dressed and ready to leave the land. This
special meal will be called the Passover. On that night I will kill the oldest son in every Egyptian
family. But when I see the blood around your doors, I will pass over your houses, and no one
will die. (Add angel flying over the house.) You should celebrate this special Passover meal
every year.”
God’s people did as God had commanded them. Each family killed a lamb and put the blood
around the door. They cooked the lamb and ate the meat for dinner. That night, at midnight,
God passed through the land of Egypt and killed the oldest son in every Egyptian family. There
Set 3 Lesson 3
was much crying throughout the land just as God had said. But none of God’s people died.
(Remove present scene and replace with throne room; add dead boy on couch.)
While it was still night, the king called for Moses and told him, “Go! Take all of God’s people
and leave Egypt!”
God’s people left Egypt right away. God had saved them just as he had promised.
1a. How many plagues had God already sent to the land of Egypt? (nine)
1b. Had God sent only three plagues to the land of Egypt? (no)
2a. How many more plagues would God send? (one)
2b. Would God send one more plague? (yes)
3a. What would happen during this last plague? (The oldest son in every Egyptian family
would die.)
3b. In this last plague, would the oldest daughter in every Egyptian family die? (no)
4a. What animal did God’s people kill before the last plague came? (a lamb)
4b. Did God tell his people to kill a cow before the last plague came? (no)
5a. What did the people to do with the blood of the lamb? (put it around the doors of their
houses)
5b. Did God want his people to put the blood of the lamb around their windows? (no)
6a. Then what did God want the people to do with the lamb? (cook it and eat it for dinner)
6b. Did God want God want his people to cook the lamb and eat it for dinner? (yes)
7a. What would this special meal be called? (the Passover)
7b. Would this special meal be called the Passover? (yes)
8a. That night, what happened to the oldest son of every Egyptian family? (He died.)
8b. That night, did the oldest son of every Egyptian family die? (yes)
9a. How many of God’s people died that night? (none)
9b. Did any of God’s people die that night? (no)
10a. What did the king of Egypt then tell Moses? (Take all of God’s people and leave Egypt.)
10b. Did the king then tell Moses to take all of God’s people and leave Egypt? (yes)
Set 3 Lesson 3
11a. What had God done, just as he had promised? (God had saved his people.)
11b. Had God saved his people just as he had promised? (yes)
Truth (a): How did God save his people?
God saved his people through the _____ of a _____. (blood, lamb)
Truth (b): Did God save his people through the blood of a lamb? (yes)
Yes, God saved his people through the blood of a lamb.
God saved his people in Egypt through the blood of a lamb. God saves us through blood
also. The Bible (show Bible) tells us, “The blood of Jesus . . . purifies us from all sin”
(1 John 1:7). Purifies means that Jesus cleans us from our sins; he washes them all away.
When did Jesus give his blood for us? (when he died on the cross) (Show picture of Jesus on
the cross.) Yes, Jesus gave his blood when he died on the cross to save us. What did Jesus
save us from? (going to hell) Yes, just as the blood of the lamb saved God’s people in Egypt
from death, Jesus’ blood saved us from eternal (everlasting) death in hell. Sometimes we call
Jesus the Lamb of God. (Optional: Show picture of Jesus as the Lamb of God.) This name
reminds us that Jesus gave his blood for us.
We are very happy that God saved us through the blood of Jesus our Savior.
Closing the Lesson
Song
“Let Me Learn of Jesus” (Everyone Sing & Sign, Northwestern Publishing House)
Prayer
Dear God, we are so happy that you sent Jesus to be our Savior! Jesus, thank you for giving
your blood to save us. Amen.
The blood of Jesus . . . purifies us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)
Set 3 Lesson 3
1. Jesus—touch left middle finger to right palm, then right middle finger
to left palm, as if indicating nail holes from Jesus’ crucifixion
1
2. purifies—make fists with both hands; then rub knuckles of right fist
back and forth on knuckles of upturned left fist, as if scrubbing
something until it is clean
2
3. sin—pointing index fingers toward each other, palms in, make circles
with both fingers, going toward and then away from each other
3
Activities
1. Letter Writing
Write a letter responding to the one from God by completing the letter on Copy Master 2. You
could give each student a letter to complete individually by inserting words or pictures, with help
from a teacher as necessary. Or you could display an enlarged copy of the letter and fill in the
entire group’s responses. (Possible answers/pictures: Egypt [pyramid], sad [sad face], lamb,
doors, happy [happy face].)
2. Activity Sheet
Set 3 Lesson 3
3. Craft Projects
Assist the students as necessary in completing one or more craft projects, using Copy
q Lamb of God Magnet
~ Photocopy the Lamb of God from the copy master and cut it out.
~ Help the student glue the lamb to craft foam and cut it out again, leaving a border of
foam around the lamb.
~ If desired, the student could trace around the foam border with glitter glue.
~ Attach a magnet to the back. Let the student know that the magnet can be displayed on
a refrigerator or other metal object.
q Lamb Ornament
~ Photocopy the lamb pattern from the copy master and use it to cut out a lamb shape
from heavy cardboard or thin wood.
~ Help the student paint the cardboard or wood shape black on both sides.
~ Cut a 2½" x 4" rectangle of white fake fur and help the student glue it onto the body of
the lamb. (The fur will go over the top and cover both sides of the lamb.)
~ Cut a piece of thin ribbon about 12" long. Help the student tie it around the lamb’s neck
and into a bow. If desired, a small bell could also be tied onto the ribbon. (See diagram.)
~ Thread a piece of thread or fishing line onto a needle and sew through the top of the fur
to make a loop for hanging. (See diagram.) Let the student know that at Christmastime,
the ornament could be hung on a Christmas tree. It can be a reminder that we call Jesus
the Lamb of God.
Teach the students the following song.
(Melody: “Mary Had a Little Lamb”)
Jesus is the Lamb of God,
Lamb of God, Lamb of God.
Jesus is the Lamb of God.
He saved me from my sins.
Jesus gave his blood for me,
Blood for me, blood for me.
Jesus gave his blood for me.
He saved me from my sins.
Set 3 Lesson 3
5. Passover Foods
Explain that the bread without yeast that God’s people ate at the first Passover was
somewhat similar to crackers. Provide some Matzo crackers for the students to taste. If you
wish, you could also provide some small pieces of cooked lamb meat for the students to taste.
Explain that every year when God’s people ate this Passover meal, they were to remember
how God had saved them from Egypt. This meal also helped the people look ahead to the time
when God would send his Son, the Lamb of God, to save the world from their sins.
You have learned that the king of Egypt did not love me. He did not obey me
even when I sent many terrible troubles to his land.
Now I was going to send one last trouble to the land of Egypt. I would show the
king that I was the true God.
Listen carefully to today’s lesson to learn about the final trouble I sent to Egypt.
You will also learn how I saved my people.
Your friend,
God
Dear God,
Today I learned about the last terrible trouble you sent to the land of
__________. It must have made the Egyptians very __________ when the oldest
son in every family died.
I was happy to learn how you saved your people through the blood of a
__________. Your people painted the blood of the lamb around their __________,
and you passed over their houses. None of your people died.
I’m also __________ to know that you have saved me through the blood of
Jesus. I’m very thankful that you sent Jesus to be my Savior.
____________________
Name _________________________
Saved through Blood
Part
One
1. Did God plan to send one more plague to the land of Egypt?
2. Did God tell his people
to put the blood of a cow around their doors?
yes
4. Did God kill the oldest daughter of every Egyptian family?
yes
6. Did God save his people through the blood of a lamb?
Part
Two
no
no
3. Did God tell his people to cook a lamb and eat it for dinner?
5. Did God pass over the houses of his people?
yes
yes
no
yes
no
no
yes
no
God saved you through the blood of Jesus. Draw a mouth to show how that makes
you feel.
Thank you, God, for Jesus!
Lamb of God Magnet
(1 Joh
n 1:7)
Th
puriefiebslood of Jesu
us from s . . .
all sin.
Lamb Ornament
Set 3 Lesson 4
God Gives His Commands
Exodus 19:1–20:21; 24:1-18
Overview
Aim
What God wanted his people to do
Truth
God wanted his people to obey his
commands.
God wants us to obey his commands.
Materials Needed
q For Introduction and Letter: letter from Moses (see Copy Master 1)
q For Sharing God’s Word, Option 1: board and chalk or markers; stick figure of Moses
drawn on a piece of poster board (option: use Moses figure from Lesson 2, Copy Master 3
instead), with tape or magnet attached to the back
and sky scene; desert overlay; 197—mountain; 87, 89, 106, 109—people; 15—Moses,
184—lightning; 1C—cloud; 266—fire
q For Applying God’s Word: Bible, (optional) Copy Master 5, picture of Jesus on the cross
Set 3 Lesson 4
– God Gives His Commands
Lesson
Opening Statement
We’ve been learning how God was using Moses to lead his people from Egypt to a new land.
All along the way, God did many wonderful things to help his people. Today we’re going to hear
about something that God wanted his people to do for him.
We’re going to pretend that Moses wrote you a letter. (Distribute a copy of the letter to each
student, or display one enlarged letter.) Let’s read his letter. (Read the letter.)
Listen carefully to today’s Bible lesson to find out what God wanted his people to do.
Option 1
God was leading his people from Egypt to the new land he had promised to give them. On
the way, he led them to Mount Sinai. (Draw a mountain on the board.) God told Moses (attach
the Moses figure to the board at the base of the mountain) to tell the people, “You have seen
how I saved you from Egypt. Now, if you obey my commands, you will be my special people.”
God’s people said, “We will do everything God has said.”
Then God told Moses, “Tell the people to wash their clothes and get ready for me to visit
them. On the third day I will come down to Mount Sinai in a thick cloud. When the people hear
the sound of a trumpet, they should come to the mountain.”
On the morning of the third day, there was thunder and lightning and a loud trumpet blast. (In
the sky around the mountain, draw lightning and a trumpet with lines coming out of it [to
represent the trumpet blast].) All of God’s people came to Mount Sinai. (Draw stick people
around the base of the mountain.) A thick cloud covered the mountain (draw a cloud covering
the mountain top), and God came down on the mountain in fire. (Draw flames coming out of the
cloud.) Smoke rose into the sky (draw smoke coming from the fire), and the whole mountain
Set 3 Lesson 4
shook with a strong earthquake. (Draw wavy lines coming out from each side of the mountain to
represent the earthquake.)
Then God spoke his Ten Commandments to his people. The people were very afraid to hear
God talking to them. They told Moses, “You tell us what God says. If God talks to us, we will
die.”
Moses said, “Don’t be afraid. God doesn’t want to hurt you. But he does want you to love
him and obey his commandments.”
Then Moses went up into the thick cloud on the mountain. (Move Moses to the top of the
mountain.) God told Moses many commands that he wanted his people to obey.
Moses told the people everything that God had said. (Move Moses down the mountain.) The
people said, “We will obey all of God’s commands.” Then Moses wrote down everything God
had told him.
Option 2
(Display water and sky scene with desert overlay; include mountain in far background. Add
people facing right with Moses facing left. Keep the people as far from the mountain as you
can.) God was leading his people from Egypt to the new land he had promised to give them.
On the way, he led them to Mount Sinai. God told Moses to tell the people, “You have seen how
I saved you from Egypt. Now, if you obey my commands, you will be my special people.”
God’s people said, “We will do everything God has said.”
Then God told Moses, “Tell the people to wash their clothes and get ready for me to visit
them. On the third day I will come down to Mount Sinai in a thick cloud. When the people hear
the sound of a trumpet, they should come to the mountain.”
On the morning of the third day, there was thunder and lightning (add lightning) and a loud
trumpet blast. All of God’s people came to Mount Sinai. (Move people, including Moses, close
to the mountain.) A thick cloud covered the mountain (add cloud), and God came down on the
mountain in fire. (Place fire on top of the cloud.) Smoke rose into the sky, and the whole
mountain shook with a strong earthquake.
Then God spoke his Ten Commandments to his people. The people were very afraid to hear
God talking to them. They told Moses, “You tell us what God says. If God talks to us, we will
die.”
Moses said, “Don’t be afraid. God doesn’t want to hurt you. But he does want you to love
him and obey his commandments.”
Then Moses went up into the thick cloud on the mountain. (Move Moses up the mountain,
and remove him when he gets in the cloud.) God told Moses many commands that he wanted
his people to obey.
Set 3 Lesson 4
(Add Moses facing the people.) Moses told the people everything that God had said. The
people said, “We will obey all of God’s commands.” Then Moses wrote down everything God
had told him.
1a.
1b.
On the way to the new land, where did God have his people stop? (Mount Sinai)
On the way to the new land, did God have his people stop at Mount Fuji? (no)
God told Moses to tell the people, “You have seen how I saved you from Egypt. Now, if you
obey my commands, you will be my special people.”
2a.
2b.
What did the people promise to do? (everything God had said)
Did the people say that they would do everything God had said? (yes)
3a.
To get ready for his visit, what did God want the people to wash? (their clothes)
3b.
To get ready for his visit, did God want the people to wash their cars? (no)
On the morning of the third day, there was thunder and lightning and a loud trumpet blast.
4a.
What covered the mountain? (a thick cloud)
5a.
How did God come down upon the mountain? (in fire)
4b.
5b.
Did a thick blanket cover the mountain? (no)
Did God come down upon the mountain in water? (no)
Smoke rose into the sky, and the whole mountain shook with a strong earthquake.
6a.
What did God then speak to his people? (his Ten Commandments)
7a.
7b.
How did the people feel when they heard God talking to them? (afraid)
Show me how the people felt when they heard God talking to them. (Demonstrate fear by
hugging self and opening eyes wide.)
6b.
Show me how many commandments God then spoke to his people. (Demonstrate by
holding up all ten fingers.)
Moses told the people not to be afraid; God did not want to hurt them.
8a.
8b.
What did God want his people to do? (love him and obey his commands)
Did God want his people to love him and obey his commands? (yes)
Set 3 Lesson 4
Then Moses went up into the thick cloud on the mountain, and God told Moses many
commands that he wanted his people to obey.
9a.
9b.
When Moses told them everything God had said, what did the people promise? (to obey
all of God’s commands)
Did the people say they would obey all of God’s commands? (yes)
Truth (a): What did God want his people to do?
God wanted his people to _____ his _____. (obey, commands)
Truth (b): Did God want his people to obey his commands? (yes)
Yes, God wanted his people to obey his commands.
(Display Bible.) In God’s Word we read, “Blessed . . . are those who hear the word of God
and obey it” (Luke 11:28). God wants us to listen to his Word whenever we can. What are some
places we can hear God’s Word? (in church, at Bible school, at home, etc.) And God also wants
us to obey what he tells us in his Word. What are some of the things God tells us to do in his
Word? (He tells us to obey our leaders, be kind to others, always use God’s name in the right
way, make God most important in our lives, etc. Option: Display or distribute Copy Master 5,
and briefly discuss the meaning of each commandment.)
God wants us to obey his commands. Do we always obey God’s commands? (no) No, sadly
sometimes we disobey God’s commands—we sin. God forgives those sins because Jesus died
on a cross for them. (Show a picture of Jesus on the cross.) We are very happy that God
forgives our sins. And we pray that God will help us obey his commands.
Closing the Lesson
Song
“The Bible Is God’s Word” (Everyone Sing & Sign, Northwestern Publishing House), stanza 1
plus this additional stanza:
Set 3 Lesson 4
Let’s all obey God’s Word.
The best news that I’ve ever heard!
Prayer
Dear God, we know that you want us to obey your commands. Forgive us for the times when
we disobey what you tell us in your Word. Please help us obey all your commands. We pray in
Jesus’ name. Amen.
Blessed . . . are those who hear the word of God and obey it. (Luke 11:28)
1. Blessed—touch thumbs of both fists at corners of mouth; then move
hands apart as they go downward and outward
2. hear—use right index finger to touch right ear
1
2
3. word—point left index finger up, and touch tips of right index finger
and thumb, slightly apart, to left index finger, near tip
3
4
5. obey—touch tips of right fingers and thumb together on right
forehead, and place tips of left fingers and thumb together at chest
height; then bring down and open both hands, ending with palms up in
5
front of body
Set 3 Lesson 4
Activities
1. Letter Writing
the entire group’s responses. (Possible answers/pictures: mountain, fire, people [several faces
or stick figures], love [heart].)
2. Activity Sheet
3. Craft Projects
q Mountain Bible Words
~ Photocopy the mountain from the copy master onto heavy paper and cut it out.
~ Help the student fold on the dotted line to make the mountain stand up.
q “Obey God” Plaque
~ Photocopy the box from the copy master and cut it out.
~ Help the student glue the box to the center of an 8" x 5" piece of colored poster board.
~ Help the student glue rick rack around the border of the plaque.
~ Punch holes in the upper corners of the plaque, and attach a piece of yarn or ribbon for
hanging.
4. Song
Teach the students the following song. If you wish, have the students clap the beat as you
sing the song together.
God wants us to obey.
Let’s all obey his Word.
Set 3 Lesson 4
5. Ten Commandments Activity
Photocopy the Ten Commandments from Copy Master 5 onto gray paper for each student
and cut them out. If you have not already done so, read and discuss each commandment as
appropriate for your students. Point out that the first three commandments tell us how God
wants us to show love for him, and the last seven commandments tell us how God wants us to
show love for others. (Note: The wording for the commandments is taken from The Simplified
Catechism © 1987 Northwestern Publishing House. All rights reserved. Used by permission.)
God had led me and the rest of his people out of Egypt and across the
Red Sea. God gave us food and water as we walked through the desert. God was
leading us to the new land he had promised to give us. God had done so much for
us!
Today you will hear about something that God wanted us to do. Listen carefully
to learn what that was. You will learn what God wants you to do too.
Your friend,
Moses
Dear Moses,
Today I learned how God led his people to Mount Sinai. A thick cloud covered
the __________, and God came down upon the mountain in __________. Then God
spoke his Ten Commandments to his people. God wanted his __________ to obey
his commands.
I know that God wants me to obey his commands too. Sometimes I sin, but I
know that God forgives me. I __________ God, and I pray that he helps me obey his
commands.
____________________
Name _________________________
What God Wants
Part
One
1. Did God lead his people to Mount Fuji?
yes
no
2. Did God speak his Twelve Commandments to his people?
3. Were the people happy
when they heard God talking to them?
yes
yes
5. Did the people say they would obey all of God’s commands?
Part
Two
yes
no
no
4. Did God want his people to obey his commands?
6. Did God plan to give Moses
his commandments written on paper?
yes
no
yes
no
no
Circle the picture that answers the question.
What does God want us to obey?
money
God’s Word
mountain
Mountain Bible Words
Blessed . . .
are those who hear
the word of God
and obey it.
(Luke 11:28)
Plaque
OBEY GOD!
1. Love God most
of all.
2. Do not use
God’s name in
a bad way.
3. Worship God.
4. Love and obey your
parents.
5. Do not murder.
6. Do not commit adultery.
7. Do not steal.
8. Do not say bad things
about people; do not
tell lies.
9. and 10. Do not want
what belongs to
someone else.
Set 3 Lesson 5
The Golden Calf
Exodus 31:18–34:28
Overview
Aim
How God showed love to his people
Truth
God forgave his people when they sinned.
God forgives us when we sin.
Materials Needed
q For Introduction and Letter: student picture from Lesson 4, letter from Aaron (see Copy
Master 1)
q For Sharing God’s Word, Option 1: board and chalk or markers; figures of Moses, Ten
Commandments, and golden calf from Copy Master 3 photocopied, cut out, colored and
laminated (if desired), and with tape or magnets attached to the back
and sky scene; desert overlay; 197—mountain; 171—cloud; 14—Moses; 106, 102, 89,
59—people; 35—Aaron; 219—calf; 15—Moses; 281A, 282, 281—commandments;
266—fire
q For Applying God’s Word: poster board sign with enlarged “sin” JCM word picture, red
construction paper heart large enough to cover the “sin” JCM word picture, Bible
Set 3 Lesson 5
– The Golden Calf
Lesson
Opening Statement
Last time we learned what happened at Mount Sinai. (Show student picture from Lesson 4.)
God gave his people his Ten Commandments and many other commands. And what did God’s
people promise after they heard his commands? (They promised to obey all God’s commands.)
Today we’re going to learn about something that happened soon after God gave his people his
commands.
We’re going to pretend that Moses’ brother, Aaron, wrote you a letter. (Distribute a copy of
the letter to each student, or display one enlarged letter.) Let’s read his letter. (Read the letter.)
Listen carefully to today’s Bible lesson to find out how God showed love to his people.
Option 1
At Mount Sinai, God gave many commands to his people. (Draw Mount Sinai on board.) And
the people said, “We will obey all of God’s commands.” Then Moses went up Mount Sinai
(move Moses figure to top of mountain) and stayed with God for forty days and forty nights.
(Draw a cloud with rays to represent God.) God gave Moses his Ten Commandments written on
two pieces of stone. (Put Ten Commandments in Moses’ hands.)
But the people got tired of waiting for Moses to come back down the mountain. (Draw stick
figure people at base of mountain.) They began to think that he would never come back! So
they said to Moses’ brother Aaron, “We don’t know what happened to Moses. So make us a
new god who can lead us.”
Aaron did what the people wanted. He took some gold and made it into a statue of a calf.
(Add figure of golden calf.) All the people said, “This is the god who led us out of Egypt.”
Set 3 Lesson 5
– The Golden Calf
Aaron told the people, “Tomorrow we will worship God.” But the next day the people
worshiped the golden calf.
God saw what his people were doing. He was very angry. He said to Moses, “Go back down
the mountain. My people are worshiping a golden calf. I will kill them all!”
But Moses prayed to God, “Please do not kill your people. You promised to take them to a
new land.”
So God did not kill all his people. But when Moses went down the mountain (move Moses
down the mountain) and saw the people worshiping the golden calf, he became very angry. He
threw down the two pieces of stone with the Ten Commandments on them, and they broke into
little pieces. (Remove Ten Commandments.) Then Moses took the golden calf and burned it up
in the fire. (Remove golden calf.)
God’s people were sorry for their sin. God forgave them and told Moses, “Lead the people to
the land I promised them. I will do many wonderful things as I take them there.” Then God
wrote his Ten Commandments on two new pieces of stone and gave them to Moses. (Put Ten
Commandments in Moses’ hands.)
Option 2
(Display the sky and water scene with the desert overlay. Place the mountain with the white
cloud on top in the far background.) At Mount Sinai, God gave many commands to his people.
And the people said, “We will obey all of God’s commands.” Then Moses went up Mount Sinai
and stayed with God for forty days and forty nights. (Show Moses going up the mountain and
remove as though he were behind the cloud with God.) God gave Moses his Ten
Commandments written on two pieces of stone. (Add people facing Aaron.)
But the people got tired of waiting for Moses to come back down the mountain. They began
to think that he would never come back! So they said to Moses’ brother Aaron, “We don’t know
what happened to Moses. So make us a new god who can lead us.”
Aaron did what the people wanted. He took some gold and made it into a statue of a calf.
(Add the golden calf.) All the people said, “This is the god who led us out of Egypt.”
Aaron told the people, “Tomorrow we will worship God.” But the next day the people
worshiped the golden calf.
God saw what his people were doing. He was very angry. He said to Moses, “Go back down
the mountain. My people are worshiping a golden calf. I will kill them all!”
But Moses prayed to God, “Please do not kill your people. You promised to take them to a
new land.”
So God did not kill all his people. But when Moses went down the mountain and saw the
people worshiping the golden calf, he became very angry. (Add Moses carrying the
Set 3 Lesson 5
– The Golden Calf
commandments.) He threw down the two pieces of stone with the Ten Commandments on
them, and they broke into little pieces. (Take the commandments from Moses’ hand and throw
them down; replace with broken commandments and show them to the students.) Then Moses
took the golden calf and burned it up in the fire. (Show Moses throwing the calf into the fire.)
God’s people were sorry for their sin. God forgave them and told Moses, “Lead the people to
the land I promised them. I will do many wonderful things as I take them there.” Then God
wrote his Ten Commandments on two new pieces of stone and gave them to Moses. (Show the
commandments once again.)
1a.
1b.
2a.
2b.
3a.
What did God’s people say when God gave them his commands? (“We will obey all of
God’s commands.”)
Did God’s people say that they would obey all of his commands? (yes)
What did God give to Moses on top of Mount Sinai? (his Ten Commandments written on
two pieces of stone)
On Mount Sinai, did God give Moses his Ten Commandments written on two pieces of
paper? (no)
3b.
How did the people feel when Moses was on Mount Sinai for forty days and forty nights?
(They got tired of waiting for Moses to come back down.)
Did the people get tired of waiting for Moses to come back down the mountain? (yes)
4a.
4b.
What did the people tell Aaron to make for them? (a new god)
Did the people want Aaron to make them a new god? (yes)
5a.
5b.
What did Aaron make for the people? (a golden calf)
Did Aaron make a golden dog for the people? (no)
6a.
The next day, what did the people do to the golden calf? (They worshiped it.)
6b.
The next day, did the people worship the golden calf? (yes)
7a.
7b.
How did God feel when he saw his people worshiping the golden calf? (angry)
Show me how God felt when he saw his people worshiping the golden calf. (Demonstrate
8a.
8b.
by making an angry face.)
What did God say he would do to all his people? (kill them)
Did God say he would kill all his people? (yes)
Set 3 Lesson 5
9a.
9b.
– The Golden Calf
What did Moses pray to God? (“Please do not kill your people.”)
Did Moses pray to God, “Please do not kill your people”? (yes)
10a. What happened when Moses prayed for the people? (God did not kill them.)
10b. Did God kill all his people? (no)
When Moses went down the mountain and saw the people worshiping the golden calf, he
became very angry.
11a. What did Moses do with the two pieces of stone with the Ten Commandments? (He threw
them down, and they broke into little pieces.)
11b. When Moses threw down the two pieces of stone with the Ten Commandments, did they
break into little pieces? (yes)
12a. What did Moses do with the golden calf? (He burned it up in the fire.)
12b. Did Moses throw the golden calf into the water? (no)
13a. How did God’s people feel about their sin? (They were sorry for their sin.)
13b. Were God’s people happy about their sin? (no)
Truth (a): How did God show love to his people?
God forgave his _____ when they _____. (people, sinned)
Truth (b): Did God forgive his people when they sinned? (yes)
Yes, God forgave his people when they sinned.
God’s people said that they would obey all of God’s commands, but they didn’t. They sinned
against God. They didn’t trust in God to take care of them. And they worshiped the golden calf
instead of worshiping God. But God still loved his people, and he forgave them when they
sinned.
We sin against God too. (Display “sin” sign.) Sometimes we don’t trust in God to take care of
us. And we may not worship statues, but sometimes we love other things more than we love
God. This is sin too. We sin against God many times every day.
Set 3 Lesson 5
– The Golden Calf
But God still loves us. And he forgives us when we sin. (Cover up the “sin” sign with the
paper heart.) The Bible tells us (display Bible) that “[God] will forgive us our sins” (1 John 1:9).
We are sorry for our sins, and we are very happy that God loves us and forgives all our sins.
Closing the Lesson
Song
“God Is So Good” (Everyone Sing & Sign, Northwestern Publishing House) with this
additional stanza:
God forgives me;
God forgives me;
God forgives me;
He’s so good to me.
Prayer
Dear God, we are sorry for all the times we sin against you. Thank you for loving us and
forgiving all our sins. Help us obey your commands. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
[God] will forgive us our sins. (1 John 1:9)
1
2. forgive—lightly brush fingertips of right downturned open hand across
the fingers of the left upturned open hand several times
2
3. sins—pointing index fingers toward each other, palms in, make circles
3
Set 3 Lesson 5
– The Golden Calf
Activities
1. Letter Writing
Write a letter responding to the one from Aaron by completing the letter on Copy Master 2.
the entire group’s responses. (Possible answers/pictures: people [several faces or stick figures],
sorry [sad face], sins [dark scribble], happy [happy face].)
2. Activity Sheet
3. Craft Projects
steps:
q Forgiveness Reminder
~
~
~
~
Photocopy the box from Copy Master 5 and cut it out.
Help the student attach a Jesus sticker to the project and color the border if desired.
Cover the project with clear self-adhesive paper or laminate it.
Encourage the student to keep the project in a handy place at home and look at it
whenever he or she feels bad about sinning.
q Story Picture
~ Photocopy Copy Master 3. Help the student color and cut out the figures.
~ Help the student draw a mountain on a sheet of construction paper. The student can
then glue on the figures and draw stick figure people at the base of the mountain.
Encourage the student to use the picture to retell the story to family and friends.
(Optional: Rather than gluing the figures on to the construction paper, the student could
simply place them on the paper and move them around as he or she retells the story.)
Set 3 Lesson 5
– The Golden Calf
q “God Forgives” Group Poster
~ Across the top of a large piece of bulletin board paper or poster board, print “God
Forgives . . .” in large letters.
~ For each student, cut out a circle of construction paper and make on it a face with no
mouth. (Be sure all the circles will fit onto your poster.)
~ Let each student choose a circle and draw a smiling mouth on it.
~ Then help each student glue the face onto the poster and print his or her name
underneath it.
~ Display your poster in your classroom or in a hallway.
4. Action Song
Teach the students the following song and sing it together while doing the actions.
(Melody: “Are You Sleeping?”)
God forgives me; God forgives me; (Make hand sign for “forgives” [see page 6].)
When I sin; When I sin. (Make hand sign for “sin” [see page 6].)
God will always love me; God will always love me. (Make hand sign for “love”—make
fists and cross arms across chest.)
Yes, he will; Yes, he will. (Make hand sign for “yes”—hold up right fist and move up and
down as if nodding.)
5. Forgiveness Litany
Write on the board, “God forgives us when we sin.” Have the students say the sentence with
you several times. Then have the students describe sins that we may sometimes be tempted to
commit. Make a list of those sins for your own reference. Then have the students join you in a
forgiveness litany. Each time you read about a sin, have the students join you in reciting the
phrase on the board. Close by thanking God for forgiving all your sins.
Sample litany:
Teacher: Sometimes we are tempted to love other things more than we love God.
Students: God forgives us when we sin.
Teacher: We don’t always help others when we can.
Teacher: Sometimes we say unkind things to others.
Etc.
Set 3 Lesson 5
– The Golden Calf
6. Commandment Activity
Refer to the Ten Commandments as written out on Copy Master 5 of Lesson 4. Point out that
when God’s people worshiped the golden calf, they were sinning against the First
Commandment, which says, “Love God most of all.” They were also sinning against the Third
Commandment, which says, “Worship God.” Explain that we sin against these commands also.
Anytime we love something or someone more than we love God, we are sinning against the
First Commandment. And anytime we don’t want to hear and learn God’s Word and do what it
says, we are sinning against the Third Commandment. If applicable, have the students list ways
that we might sin against these commandments. Then have them list ways we can obey these
commandments. Close with a reminder that God loves us and forgives all our sins against his
commandments.
Do you remember what happened at Mount Sinai? God gave his people his
commands. And we said we would obey all his commands.
Today you will learn that we did not keep our promise. You will hear how we
sinned.
But even though we sinned, God still loved us. As you hear how God showed
love to us, you will learn how God shows love to you too.
Your friend,
Aaron
Dear Aaron,
Today I learned that you and many of God’s people did not obey God’s
commands. God had told you to worship only him. You sinned against God by
making a golden calf and worshiping it. But God loved his __________ and forgave
you when you sinned.
I sin against God’s commands too. Sometimes I don’t trust in God to
take care of me. And sometimes I love other things more than I love God. I am very
__________ for my sins. And I know that God forgives my __________. That makes
me very __________.
____________________
Name _________________________
God Forgives!
Directions Cut out the boxes at the bottom of the page and glue each
one after the correct question.
1. What did God want his people to obey?
2. What did the people worship instead of God?
3. What does God feel for his people?
4. What does God forgive?
#
#
sins
#
commands
golden calf
#
love
Forgiveness Reminder
[God] will forgive us
our sins.
(1 John 1:9)
Set 3 Lesson 6
The Twelve Spies
Numbers 13:1–14:35
Overview
Aim
How God punished his people when they
sinned
Truth
Because his people sinned, God did not let
them go into the new land.
God uses other people to discipline us when we sin.
Materials Needed
q For Introduction and Letter: simple map showing Egypt and the “new land” (Canaan)
drawn on the board, letter from Joshua (see Copy Master 1)
q For Sharing God’s Word, Option 1: helper to act as Joshua or Caleb, (optional) robe for
helper to wear
and sky scene; desert overlay; 197 A—rock; 87, 89—group of 12; 106, 109, 114, 119,
109—women & children; 15—Moses facing left; 87A—people facing left; 88, 89—group of
ten; 63—Caleb facing right; 28—Joshua facing left; 49—grapes on a pole; 14—Joshua
facing right
q For Applying God’s Word: two poster board signs: one with the enlarged “sin” JCM word
picture and one with the enlarged “die” JCM word picture; Bible
Set 3 Lesson 6
– The Twelve Spies
Lesson
Opening Statement
We’ve been hearing about how God was leading his people from Egypt to a new land. (Show
map drawn on board. Draw an arrow from Egypt to the “new land.”) Today we’re going to learn
about what happened when God’s people got close to the new land.
In our lesson we’ll hear about a man named Joshua. We’re going to pretend that Joshua
wrote you a letter. (Distribute a copy of the letter to each student, or display one enlarged
letter.) Let’s read his letter. (Read the letter.)
Listen carefully to today’s Bible lesson to find out how God punished his people when
they sinned.
Option 1
(Have a helper act as Joshua or Caleb and tell the lesson from that person’s point of view. If
you wish, act as an interviewer and ask the helper questions to help him tell the lesson. For
example, you could begin by saying, “Caleb, what did God tell Moses to do as you got close to
the new land?”)
God was leading his people to a new land. When they got close to the new land, God told
Moses, “Send out twelve men to look at the land.”
So Moses chose twelve men and told them, “Go into this new land. See if the people who
live there are strong or weak. See if the land is good or bad. And bring back some fruit that
grows there.”
So the twelve men walked around the new land for 40 days. When they came back, they
brought a huge bunch of grapes and some other fruit.
Set 3 Lesson 6
Ten of the men said, “This new land is very good. But the people who live there are very big
and strong. Their cities are large with strong walls around them. We can’t go into this land. The
people are stronger than we are.”
God’s people were afraid. They said, “We should choose a new leader and go back to
Egypt.”
Then two of the men, Joshua and Caleb, said, “This land is very good. God will give us the
land. Do not be afraid of the people there. God is with us.”
But the people would not listen to Joshua and Caleb. They even talked about killing them!
Then God said to Moses, “These people don’t trust in me even though they have seen me
do many miracles. I will kill them all.”
But Moses said to God, “Show your love to your people and forgive them once more.”
God said, “I have forgiven my people. But to teach them to obey me, none of them will get to
go into the new land. Instead they will stay in the desert for forty years, and they will all die
there. Only their children will get to go into the land along with Joshua and Caleb, who trusted
in me.”
Option 2
(Display the water and sky scene with the desert overlay. Add the rock against the right
margin of the board. Add the 12-man group upper left, and women and children lower left.
Show Moses pointing.) God was leading his people to a new land. When they got close to the
new land, God told Moses, “Send out twelve men to look at the land.”
So Moses chose twelve men and told them, “Go into this new land. See if the people who
live there are strong or weak. See if the land is good or bad. And bring back some fruit that
grows there.” (Remove 12 men from the scene; add group of people looking left.)
So the twelve men walked around the new land for 40 days. When they came back, they
brought a huge bunch of grapes and some other fruit. (Place the group of 10 where the 12
were, and add Joshua and Caleb holding the grapes on a pole.)
Ten of the men said, “This new land is very good. But the people who live there are very big
and strong. Their cities are large with strong walls around them. We can’t go into this land. The
people are stronger than we are.”
Then God’s people were afraid. They said, “We should choose a new leader and go back to
Egypt.”
But two of the men, Joshua and Caleb, said, “This land is very good. God will give us the
land. Do not be afraid of the people there. God is with us.”
But the people would not listen to Joshua and Caleb. They even talked about killing them!
(Remove all figures and add Moses looking right, standing and listening to God.)
Set 3 Lesson 6
Then God said to Moses, “These people don’t trust in me even though they have seen me
do many miracles. I will kill them all.”
But Moses said to God, “Show your love to your people and forgive them once more.”
God said, “I have forgiven my people. But to teach them to obey me, none of them will get to
go into the new land. Instead they will stay in the desert for forty years, and they will all die
there. Only their children will get to go into the land along with Joshua and Caleb, who trusted
in me.”
1a.
1b.
How many men did Moses choose to look at the new land? (twelve)
Did Moses choose ten men to look at the new land? (no)
2a.
For how long did the twelve men walk around the land? (40 days)
2b.
Did the men walk around the land for 20 days? (no)
When the men came back, they said that the land was very good.
3a.
3b.
But what did the men say about the people who lived in the land? (They were very big
and strong.)
Show me what the men said about the people who lived in the land. (Demonstrate
strength by shaking both fists in front of shoulders.)
Ten of the men did not think they should go into the new land. They thought the people living
there were too strong.
4a.
4b.
How did this make God’s people feel? (afraid)
Show me how God’s people felt. (Demonstrate fear by hugging self and opening eyes
5a.
5b.
What did the people want to do? (choose a new leader and go back to Egypt)
Did the people want to choose a new leader and go back to Egypt? (yes)
6a.
6b.
Which two men trusted in God to lead them into the land? (Joshua and Caleb)
Did Joshua and Aaron trust in God to lead them into the land? (no)
wide.)
The people would not listen to Joshua and Caleb. They even talked about killing them! God
was angry with his people.
7a.
7b.
What did God say he would do to his people? (kill them all)
Did God say he would kill all his people? (yes)
Set 3 Lesson 6
8a.
8b.
What did Moses ask God to do? (show his love and forgive his people)
Did Moses ask God to forgive his people? (yes)
9a.
9b.
What did God do when Moses asked this? (God forgave his people.)
Did God forgive his people? (yes)
10a. But what did God say these people would not be able to do? (go into the new land)
10b. Did God say that all his people would get to go into the new land? (no)
11a. How long would the people have to stay in the desert? (40 years)
11b. Would the people have to stay in the desert for 20 years? (no)
12a. What would happen to most of the people in the desert? (They would die.)
12b. Would most of the people die in the desert? (yes)
13a. Only their children would get to go into the land along with which two men? (Joshua and
Caleb)
13b. Would only their children and Joshua and Caleb get to go into the new land? (yes)
Truth (a): How did God punish his people when they sinned?
Because his people _____, God did not let them go into the new _____. (sinned,
land)
Truth (b): Did God let his people go into the new land? (no)
No, because his people sinned, God did not let them go into the new land.
Does God want his people to sin? (no) God tells us in his Word that he does not want his
people to sin. But God’s people, including us, do sin. (Display sin sign.) And sometimes God
uses other people to discipline us when we sin. For example, if you use bad language, your
caregiver may send you to your room for a while. Or if you are unkind to someone, a friend may
tell you that you are sinning. Who are some other people who might discipline us when we sin?
(parents, pastors, teachers, supervisors, etc.) We may not like it when others discipline us, but
God puts people there to discipline us so that we do not keep on sinning.
(Display Bible.) In God’s Word we read that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).
Wages are what we earn. Our sins (display sin sign) earn us death—everlasting death in hell.
Set 3 Lesson 6
(Display die sign.) We believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins and save us from
the punishment of hell. But if God lets us keep on sinning, we could lose our faith in Jesus as
our Savior. Then we would go to hell. So God disciplines us because he loves us. He does not
want us to keep on sinning and go to hell. Rather, God wants to give us the gift of everlasting
life in heaven. (Note: Emphasize that God does not punish us for our sins; Jesus suffered the
punishment for our sins in our place on the cross. Rather, God disciplines us out of love.)
God does not want us to get angry when others discipline us. Rather, he wants us to be
sorry for our sins and trust in God for forgiveness.
Closing the Lesson
Song
“Lord Jesus, Hear Our Prayer” (Everyone Sing & Sign, Northwestern Publishing House)
Prayer
Dear God, we know that you love us and do not want us to go to hell. Please help us not get
angry when others discipline us. Instead, help us be sorry for our sins and trust in you for
forgiveness. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
The wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23)
1. sin—pointing index fingers toward each other, palms in, make circles
1
2. death—place open left palm up and open right palm down; then move
hands to right while turning left palm down and right palm up
2
Set 3 Lesson 6
Activities
1. Letter Writing
Write a letter responding to the one from Joshua by completing the letter on Copy Master 2.
the entire group’s responses. (Possible answers/pictures: people [several faces or stick figures],
Egypt [pyramid], sin [dark scribble], loves [heart].)
2. Activity Sheet
3. Craft Projects
q Death/Everlasting Life Project
~ Photocopy the boxes from the copy master and cut them out.
~ Help the student make a sad face on one side of a paper plate or paper circle and a
happy face on the other side. Then help the student glue the first box onto the sad face
and the second box onto the happy face.
~ Explain that the project can be a reminder of how our sins lead to everlasting death in
hell, but God gives us everlasting life in heaven through Jesus our Savior.
q Discipline Reminder
~ Photocopy the heart from the copy master and cut it out.
~ Help the student attach a Jesus sticker or some heart stickers to the project if desired
and laminate it or cover it with clear self-adhesive paper.
~ Tell the student that when he or she is disciplined for sin, the project can be a reminder
that God disciplines us because of his love for us.
Set 3 Lesson 6
4. Action Rhyme
Teach the students the following action rhyme. Do the corresponding action for each
underlined word as you say the rhyme together.
God uses people (Point up.)
to tell us when we sin. (Do hand sign for sin; see “Bible Words to Remember.”)
Listen to those people; (Use right index finger to touch right ear.)
be sorry for your sin. (Make sad face.)
5. Role Play
Discuss with the students how God wants them to respond when they are disciplined for their
sins. (Don’t get angry, be sorry for sins, trust in God for forgiveness, etc.) Then help them act
out God-pleasing responses in various situations. Two students could act out a situation or you
could act out a situation with a student. Possible situations to use:
~ A worker takes items home from work to keep for himself. His boss tells him that this is
wrong and asks him to pay for the items.
~ A person says unkind things to a roommate. A friend tells her that this is wrong and
encourages her to apologize to the roommate.
~ A person has been looking at naked people on the Internet. A parent finds out and takes
away Internet use for two weeks.
~ A student has written some bad words on a wall. A teacher talks to the student about the
sin and has the student clean the wall.
We were very close to the new land God had promised to give to his people.
Moses chose me and eleven other men to go look over the land. It was very exciting!
Today you will find out what we saw when we walked through this new land.
You will also learn how God’s people sinned and how God punished his people for
that sin. And you will learn what God sometimes does when you sin.
Your friend,
Joshua
Dear Joshua,
It must have been exciting to look at that new land! I learned that it was a good
land but the people living there were big and strong. You and Caleb trusted in God to
give you the new land as he had promised. But the __________ did not trust in God.
They wanted to go back to __________.
God punished his people for not trusting in him. He did not let them go into the
new land.
I know that sometimes God disciplines me when I __________. He does this
because he __________ me and does not want me to go to hell.
____________________
Name _________________________
God Disciplines
Part
One
1. Did Moses choose ten men to look at the new land?
2. Were the people in the new land small and weak?
yes
yes
no
3. Did the people trust God to lead them into the new land?
yes
4. Did God let all his people go into the new land?
no
yes
5. Does God use other people to discipline us when we sin?
6. Does God discipline us because he loves us?
Part
Two
no
yes
yes
no
no
no
Circle all the pictures that answer the question.
Who might God use to discipline us when we sin?
parents
pastor
friends
teacher
Death/Everlasting Life Project
The wages of sin is death.
The gift of God is everlasting life.
Discipline Reminder
God
disciplines us
out of love.
Set 3 Lesson 7
The Bronze Snake
Numbers 21:4-9
Overview
Aim
What God did when his people sinned
Truth
God led his people to be sorry for their sins,
and he forgave them.
God leads us to be sorry for our sins, and
he forgives us.
Materials Needed
q For Introduction and Letter: student lesson pictures from Lessons 4, 5, and 6; letter from
Moses (see Copy Master 1)
q For Sharing God’s Word, Option 1: none
and sky scene; desert overlay; 185—palm tree; 208—tent city; 197A—large rock;
87—group of people; 24, 91, 92—men; 15—Moses; 104, 110—woman and child; 166,
167, 168—snakes; 106—woman; 73, 77, 78, 118—people on the ground; 322—snake on
the pole
q For Applying God’s Word: two poster board signs: one with the enlarged “sorry” JCM word
picture and one with the enlarged “happy” JCM word picture; picture of Jesus on the
cross; Bible
Set 3 Lesson 7
– The Bronze Snake
Lesson
Opening Statement
We’ve been learning about God’s people who lived long ago. We heard how God gave his
people his Ten Commandments. (Display picture from Lesson 4.) When God gave his
commands, what did his people say they would do? (They said they would obey God’s
commands.) Did God’s people always obey his commands? (no) No, sometimes they sinned
such as when they worshiped a golden calf. (Display picture from Lesson 5.) Another time, they
didn’t trust God to give them the new land as he had promised. (Display picture from Lesson 6.)
Today we’re going to hear about another time when God’s people sinned. We’re going to
pretend that Moses wrote you a letter. (Distribute a copy of the letter to each student, or display
one enlarged letter.) Let’s read his letter. (Read the letter.)
Listen carefully to today’s Bible lesson to find out what God did when his people sinned.
Option 1
God’s people were traveling through the desert to the new land God had promised to give
them. (Have the students move their feet as if walking.) God was always with his people, taking
care of them. But after some time, the people became tired of waiting to go into their new land.
So they grumbled against God. (Have the students make grumbling faces.) They asked Moses,
“Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die? There is no water here! And we hate this bread that
God gives us every day!”
God showed his people that they had sinned by grumbling. He sent poisonous snakes
among his people. (Have the students point one arm forward and wiggle the hand in a slithering
motion while making a hissing sound like a snake.) The snakes bit the people, and many of the
people died.
Set 3 Lesson 7
Then the people were sorry for their sins. (Have the students make sorry faces.) They said to
Moses, “We sinned when we grumbled against God. Pray that God will take away these
snakes.”
So Moses prayed to God for the people. (Have the students act out praying.) God told
Moses, “Make a snake and put it on a pole. Anyone who is bitten by a snake may look at the
snake on the pole and live.”
So Moses made a large snake out of a metal called bronze and put it high up on a pole.
(Have the students point up.) When the people who were bitten looked at the bronze snake,
they did not die. God had forgiven his people.
Option 2
(Display the water and sky scene with the desert overlay. Add palm tree left, tents in the
background, and rock far right. Add group of people and three men facing Moses, with Moses
facing left. Add child and mother facing left standing in front of the rock.) God’s people were
traveling through the desert to the new land God had promised to give them. God was always
with his people, taking care of them. But after some time, the people became tired of waiting to
go into their new land. So they grumbled against God. They asked Moses, “Why did you bring
us out of Egypt to die? There is no water here! And we hate this bread that God gives us every
day!”
God showed his people that they had sinned by grumbling. He sent poisonous snakes
among his people. The snakes bit the people, and many of the people died. (Display snakes
with one biting the man closest to Moses. Change the scene by removing the group of people
and all other people except the one pointing right and Moses. Add woman next to man pointing
right, and place all people on the ground.)
Then the people were sorry for their sins. They said to Moses, “We sinned when we
grumbled against God. Pray that God will take away these snakes.”
So Moses prayed to God for the people. God told Moses, “Make a snake and put it on a
pole. Anyone who is bitten by a snake may look at the snake on the pole and live.” (Add snake
on the pole behind the people lying on the ground.)
So Moses made a large snake out of a metal called bronze and put it high up on a pole.
When the people who were bitten looked at the bronze snake, they did not die. God had
forgiven his people.
Set 3 Lesson 7
1a.
1b.
What did God’s people do when they got tired of waiting to go into the new land? (They
grumbled against God.)
Did God’s people grumble against him? (yes)
2a.
2b.
What did God send when his people grumbled against him? (poisonous snakes)
When the people grumbled again, did God send poisonous bugs to bite them? (no)
3a.
What happened when the snakes bit the people? (They died.)
4a.
4b.
How did the people feel about their sins? (sorry)
Were the people happy about their sins? (no)
5a.
5b.
What did the people ask Moses to do for them? (pray to God)
Show me what the people asked Moses to do for them. (Demonstrate folding hands as if
praying.)
6a.
6b.
When Moses prayed to God, what did God tell him to make? (a snake to put on a pole)
Did God tell Moses to make a snake and put it on a pole? (yes)
7a.
What happened when a person who was bitten looked at the snake on the pole? (He did
3b.
Did the people die when the snakes bit them? (yes)
7b.
not die.)
When a person who was bitten looked at the snake on the pole, did he die? (no)
8a.
What had God done for his people? (He had forgiven them.)
8b.
Had God forgiven his people? (yes)
Truth (a): What did God do when his people sinned?
God led his people to be sorry for their _____, and he _____ them. (sins, forgave)
Truth (b): Did God lead his people to be sorry for their sins? (yes) Did he forgive them?
(yes)
Yes, God led his people to be sorry for their sins, and he forgave them.
Set 3 Lesson 7
God was not happy when his people sinned. And he did not want them to keep on sinning.
Instead, he wanted them to repent of (be sorry for) their sins. (Display sorry sign.) So he sent
the poisonous snakes so that the people would think about their sins and be sorry for them.
And when his people repented of their sins, God forgave them. This made the people very
happy. (Display happy sign.)
God is not happy when we sin either. He does not want us to sin. God wants us to be sorry
for our sins. (Display sorry sign.)
Sometimes our sins may cause us troubles. For example, if you say unkind things to a
friend, that person may not want to be your friend anymore. Or if you take things from work that
don’t belong to you, you could lose your job. God uses troubles like these to make us think
about our sins and be sorry for them. (Display sorry sign.)
Does God punish us for our sins by sending us to hell? (no) Whom did God punish for our
sins? (Jesus—show picture of Jesus on the cross to cue.) God does not punish us for our sins.
Jesus suffered the punishment for our sins in our place on the cross.
Sometimes we may feel very bad about our sins. We may think that God might not forgive
us. But in his Word (display Bible), we read, “[God] will forgive us our sins” (1 John 1:9). God
wants us to be sorry for our sins, and he promises that he will forgive us. We can trust in that
promise of God.
How does it make us feel to know that God forgives all our sins? (happy, thankful) (Display
happy sign.) Do we want to keep on sinning? (no) No, out of love for God, we want to stop
sinning. We are very happy and thankful that God forgives all our sins because of Jesus.
Closing the Lesson
Song
“God Was There on Calvary” (Everyone Sing & Sign, Northwestern Publishing House)
Prayer
Dear God, we are very sorry for all our sins. Help us trust that you will always forgive our
sins. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Set 3 Lesson 7
[God] will forgive us our sins. (1 John 1:9)
1
2. forgive—lightly brush fingertips of right downturned open hand across
2
3. sins—pointing index fingers toward each other, palms in, make circles
3
the fingers of the left upturned open hand several times
Activities
1. Letter Writing
the entire group’s responses. (Possible answers/pictures: people [stick people], snake, sorry
[sad face], sins [dark scribble].)
2. Activity Sheet
3. Craft Projects
steps:
Set 3 Lesson 7
q Prayer Card
~ Photocopy the boxes from Copy Master 4 and cut them out. You may wish to give the
student just one of the prayers or both of them, whichever is appropriate.
~ Help the student glue the prayer(s) onto a 4" x 6" index card. If you are using both
prayers, one prayer could be glued onto each side of the card. The student could then
decorate or trace around the border(s) with markers.
~ Laminate the card or cover it with clear self-adhesive paper.
~ Read through the prayer(s) with the student. Point out that the first prayer contains JCM
word picture pictures and the second one has blanks for the student to add his or her
own words.
~ Encourage the student to take the prayer card home and use it to pray to God when
feeling sad about sins.
q Bronze Snake Picture
~ Photocopy the picture of the bronze snake and Jesus from Copy Master 5 and let the
student color it.
~ If you wish, help the student glue the picture onto a 9" x 12" piece of construction paper
to frame it.
~ You may wish to tie in this project to Activity 5 that follows.
4. Song
Teach the students the following song. If you wish, give each student a paper plate or a
paper circle with a “sorry” face drawn on it (see JCM word picture picture) to wave back and
forth while you sing the song together.
Be sorry for your sins;
Be sorry for your sins;
God will forgive your sins;
Be sorry for your sins.
5. Bronze Snake/Jesus Comparison
Give each student a duplicate of Copy Master 5 or display one enlarged copy. Explain that
the bronze snake can remind us of Jesus. God’s people would die when they were bitten by the
poisonous snakes. But they were saved when they looked at the bronze snake on the pole. We
would die an eternal death in hell because of our sins. But we are saved because Jesus died
on the cross for us. Be sure also to point out an important difference between the bronze snake
and Jesus. The bronze snake itself had no power; it was God who saved the people. However,
Jesus is God, and he has the power to save us from the punishment for our sins.
Sin is a terrible thing. When we sin, we disobey God’s commands. This
makes God very unhappy. God does not want his people to sin.
Sadly, all people sin. I sinned too. And God’s people long ago sinned. Today
you will hear about one time God’s people sinned against him. And you will learn
what God did when his people sinned. You will learn what God does when you sin
too.
Your friend,
Moses
Dear Moses,
Today I learned that God’s __________ sinned when they grumbled against
God. So God sent poisonous snakes that bit the people. But the people were
sorry for their sins. Then God told you to put a __________ up on a pole. When
the people looked at that snake, they did not die.
I know that sometimes when I sin, troubles will come to me. God uses
those troubles to make me think about my sins and be __________ for them. I
know that God forgives all my __________. Thank you, God!
____________________
Name _________________________
Part
One
God Forgives!
Draw a line to the correct answer to each question.
1. What did God’s people do that was sinful? v
2. What did God send
when the people complained? v
v complained
3. How did the people feel about their sins? v
4. What did Moses do for the people? v
Part
Two
v sorry
v pray
v snakes
Draw a mouth to answer each question.
How do you feel
about your sins?
How do you feel knowing
God forgives you?
Prayer Card
Dear God, I am sorry for the sins I have done. Please
forgive all my sins because Jesus died for me. Amen.
Dear God, I am sorry that I
_________________________________________.
(Name a sinful thing you did today.)
My sins make me feel
_____________________________________________.
(Tell how your sins make you feel.)
But I’m so happy that you forgive all my sins! Please help
me live the way you want me to live. Amen.
Set 3 Lesson 8
God’s People Enter the New Land
Numbers 27; Deuteronomy 5,31;
Joshua 1,3,4 (selected verses)
Overview
Aim
What God did for his people as he led them
into the new land
Truth
God encouraged his people as he led them
into the new land.
God encourages us with his Word as he leads us to heaven.
Materials Needed
q For Introduction and Letter: letter from Joshua (see Copy Master 1)
q For Sharing God’s Word, Option 1: board and chalk or markers
and sky scene with desert overlay; 185—palm tree; 197A—rock structure;
209—tabernacle; 55, 106A, 88, 108, 54, 114—people; 28—Joshua; 15—Moses; shoreline
overlay; 88, 95, 119, 108, 17—people; 28—Joshua; 37, 39—priests; 328—ark
q For Applying God’s Word: board and chalk or markers, Bible
Set 3 Lesson 8
– God’s People Enter the New Land
Lesson
Opening Statement
(Have the students move their feet as if walking.) Have you ever gone on a long walk?
We’ve been learning that God’s people were walking in the desert for a long time. Do you
remember how long God’s people traveled in the desert? (40 years) Today we’re going to hear
about the day that God finally led his people into the new land.
Do you remember hearing about Joshua before? He was one of the twelve men who first
explored the new land. We’re going to pretend that Joshua wrote you a letter. (Distribute a copy
of the letter to each student, or display one enlarged letter.) Let’s read his letter. (Read the
letter.)
Listen carefully to today’s Bible lesson to find out what God did for his people as he led
them into the new land.
Option 1
(On the board, draw a simple diagram including the Jordan River with a mountain and some
stick figures on the right side of it.) For forty years, God’s people traveled through the desert.
Finally God was ready to lead them into the new land. But Moses would not be going into the
new land with them. God told Moses to choose Joshua as the new leader for God’s people.
So Moses called all the people together. (Draw Moses talking to the people.) He reminded
them to obey all of God’s commands. Then Moses told the people, “God will be with you, and
Joshua will lead you. God will destroy your enemies and give you the land. Do not be afraid.”
Soon after this, Moses climbed a nearby mountain. (Erase Moses and draw him on top of the
mountain.) There God showed him the new land. Then Moses died, and God buried him.
(Erase Moses.)
Set 3 Lesson 8
Then God spoke to Joshua. (Indicate one of the figures as Joshua.) God said, “Joshua, get
the people ready to cross the Jordan River into the new land. I will be with you just as I was
with Moses. Obey my commands and study my Word. And do not be afraid, for I will be with
you wherever you go.”
So Joshua led God’s people to the Jordan River. He told them, “Get ready. Tomorrow God
will do a great miracle.”
The next day, God’s people walked toward the Jordan River. God’s priests went first. As soon
as the priests’ feet touched the water of the river, the water stopped flowing and piled up like a
wall. (Erase a path through the river and draw water piling up.) Now there was a dry path
through the river! The priests stood in the middle of the river. (Draw two stick figures in the
middle of the river.) God’s people crossed over the river into the land God had promised to give
them. (Erase the stick figures from one side of the river and draw them on the other.) Then
twelve men picked up twelve stones from the middle of the river and took the stones with them.
When all of God’s people had crossed into the new land, the priests walked out of the river.
(Erase the figures from the middle of the river.) Immediately the water of the Jordan River
flowed back into place. (Redraw the river.) The men put the twelve stones they had picked up
into a pile. The stones would remind them that God had done a wonderful miracle to lead his
people into the new land.
Option 2
(Display the water and sky scene with the desert overlay. Add a palm tree left and rock
structure. Add tabernacle back center close to rock structure. Add people including Joshua in
the crowd and Moses facing left.) For forty years, God’s people traveled through the desert.
Finally God was ready to lead them into the new land. But Moses would not be going into the
new land with them. God told Moses to choose Joshua as the new leader for God’s people.
So Moses called all the people together. He reminded them to obey all of God’s commands.
Then Moses told the people, “God will be with you, and Joshua will lead you. (Bring Joshua out
of the crowd.) God will destroy your enemies and give you the land. Do not be afraid.”
Soon after this, Moses climbed a nearby mountain. There God showed him the new land.
Then Moses died, and God buried him. (Remove all pieces including the desert overlay and
replace with the shoreline overlay. Add the people with priests carrying the ark of the covenant
next to the water. Joshua is behind them with others behind Joshua.)
Then God spoke to Joshua. God said, “Joshua, get the people ready to cross the Jordan
River into the new land. I will be with you just as I was with Moses. Obey my commands and
study my Word. And do not be afraid, for I will be with you wherever you go.”
Set 3 Lesson 8
So Joshua led God’s people to the Jordan River. He told them, “Get ready. Tomorrow God
will do a great miracle.”
The next day, God’s people walked toward the Jordan River. God’s priests went first. (Place
priests with the ark in the water.) As soon as the priests’ feet touched the water of the river, the
water stopped flowing and piled up like a wall. Now there was a dry path through the river! The
priests stood in the middle of the river. God’s people crossed over the river into the land God
had promised to give them. (Have others walk over to the other side.) Then twelve men picked
up twelve stones from the middle of the river and took the stones with them.
When all of God’s people had crossed into the new land, the priests walked out of the river.
Immediately the water of the Jordan River flowed back into place. The men put the twelve
stones they had picked up into a pile. The stones would remind them that God had done a
wonderful miracle to lead his people into the new land.
1a.
1b.
After 40 years, where was God ready to lead his people? (into the new land)
After 40 years, was God ready to lead his people into the new land? (yes)
2a.
2b.
Who would not be going into the new land with God’s people? (Moses)
Would Moses be going into the new land with God’s people? (no)
Moses was going to get to go somewhere better than the new land. Moses was going to go to
heaven!
3a.
3b.
Whom did God tell Moses to choose as the new leader for the people? (Joshua)
Did God tell Moses to choose Aaron as the new leader for the people? (no)
Moses called all the people together.
4a.
4b.
What did Moses remind the people to do? (obey all of God’s commands)
Did Moses tell the people to obey only some of God’s commands? (no)
Then Moses encouraged the people—he made them feel happy and confident. He told them
that God would always be with them and that he would give them the land as he had promised.
Soon after this, Moses climbed a nearby mountain.
5a.
5b.
What did God show Moses from the mountaintop? (the new land)
From the mountaintop, did God show Moses the land of Egypt? (no)
6a.
What happened to Moses then? (He died.)
6b.
Then did Moses die? (yes)
Set 3 Lesson 8
Then God spoke to Joshua.
7a.
7b.
What should the people get ready to cross? (the Jordan River)
Should the people get ready to cross the Nile River? (no)
Then God encouraged Joshua—God’s words gave Joshua the courage to lead the people.
8a.
8b.
Why shouldn’t Joshua be afraid to lead God’s people? (God would be with him.)
Did God promise to be with Joshua as he led God’s people? (yes)
Joshua told the people that God would do a great miracle as he led them into the land.
9a.
9b.
Which people stepped into the Jordan River first? (the priests)
Did Joshua step into the water first? (no)
10a. What happened as soon as the priests’ feet touched the water? (the water stopped flowing
and piled up like a wall)
10b. When the priests stepped into the river, did the water keep flowing? (no)
The priests stood in the middle of the river.
11a. What were all God’s people able to do? (cross on the dry path into the new land)
11b. Were all God’s people able to cross on a dry path into the new land? (yes)
12a. Who had done this wonderful miracle to lead the people into the new land? (God)
12b. Had God done a wonderful miracle to lead his people into the new land? (yes)
Truth (a): What did God do for his people as he led them into the new land?
God encouraged his _____ as he led them into the new _____. (people, land)
Truth (b): Did God encourage his people as he led them into the new land? (yes)
Yes, God encouraged his people as he led them into the new land.
God encouraged his people as he led them into the new land. He had Moses tell the people
that they should not be afraid and that God would be with them and help them. This helped the
people trust in God. And God himself spoke to Joshua to encourage him as he led God’s
people.
Set 3 Lesson 8
Just as God led his people into a new land, God is leading us to a “new land” also. Where is
God leading us as we travel through our lives? (He is leading us to heaven. On the board draw
the word picture for heaven [a city on a cloud] to cue.) As we travel through our lives, we
sometimes have troubles. And God encourages us also. He tells us things that will help us and
give us courage. God’s words make us feel comforted and happy.
How does God talk to us? (through his Word, the Bible) (Display Bible.) In the Bible, God
tells us many encouraging things. In Matthew 28:20, God tells us, “I am with you always.” In his
Word, God also tells us that Jesus saved us from our sins. He tells us that he will make all
things work out for our good. God also tells us that one day he will take us to heaven. When we
hear these encouraging things from God’s Word, it helps us trust in God.
Just as God used Moses to tell his people his words, God sometimes uses other people to
encourage us with his Word. Name some people who encourage you with God’s Word. (The
students might name pastors, teachers, relatives, and friends. If you wish name specific people
who have encouraged you with God’s Word and invite the students to do the same.) We are
very thankful that God encourages us with his Word as he leads us to heaven. Let’s always be
happy to hear and learn God’s encouraging Word.
Closing the Lesson
Song
“You Are by My Side” (Everyone Sing & Sign, Northwestern Publishing House)
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for encouraging us with your Word. We know that you are always by
our side as you lead us through our lives to heaven. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
I am with you always. (Matthew 28:20)
1. I (God)—move right hand, palm facing left and fingers pointing up, in
an arc toward forehead and down in front of face
1
Set 3 Lesson 8
2. with—make two closed fists; then move the fists toward each other
until they meet
2
3. you—point outward with right index finger
3
4. always—point right index finger up, palm facing in, and move in a
small counter-clockwise circle
4
Activities
1. Letter Writing
Write a letter responding to the one from Joshua by completing the letter on Copy Master 2.
the entire group’s responses. (Possible answers/pictures: wall, path, Word/Bible [Bible], heaven
[city on cloud].)
2. Activity Sheet
Set 3 Lesson 8
3. Craft Projects
steps:
q Bookmark
~ Photocopy the bookmark from Copy Master 4 and let the student color or decorate it if
desired.
~ Cut out the project and laminate it or cover it with clear self-adhesive paper.
~ Help the student punch a hole in the top and attach a ribbon.
~ Let the student know that the project can be used as a bookmark in a Bible or other
book.
q Encouraging Words
~ Photocopy the box from Copy Master 5 and cut it out.
~ Help the student fold in half a 9" x 12" piece of black construction paper so that it looks
like a book. On the “cover” help the student use a white crayon to write “God’s Word.”
The student could also attach a sticker of Jesus or of a Bible if desired.
~ Then help the student fold in half the box from the copy master and glue it inside the
construction paper cover.
~ Encourage the student to read these encouraging words from the Bible often.
Teach the students the following song. If you wish, let the students clap the beat or play
rhythm instruments as you sing the song together.
(Melody: “Happy Birthday to You”)
God encourages us.
God encourages us.
As he leads us to heaven,
God encourages us.
5. Puppet Review
Introduce a puppet friend to the students. Tell them that your “friend” was listening to the
story and is going to retell it. But he may make some mistakes. So the students should listen
carefully and correct any mistakes they hear the puppet say. Then have the puppet retell the
story with errors for the students to correct. For example, you could have the puppet begin by
saying, “For 100 years, God’s people traveled in the desert. Then God was ready to have
Moses lead them into the new land. . .” At the end, have the students tell the puppet the
application of the lesson: that God encourages us with his Word as he leads us to heaven.
Do you remember the story of how I explored the new land with eleven
other men? Caleb and I knew that God would give us the land as he had
promised. But God’s people did not trust in God. So they had to travel in the
desert for forty years. Now it was finally time for us to go into the new land. It was
very exciting!
Listen to today’s lesson to hear about the wonderful way God led us into
the new land. You will learn how God encouraged us. And you will learn how God
encourages you too.
Your friend,
Joshua
Dear Joshua,
I liked hearing about the wonderful way God made the water of the Jordan
River pile up like a __________. God’s people could walk right into the new land
on a dry __________! And I was happy to learn about the way God encouraged
his people with the words he spoke to Moses and to you.
I’m traveling to a new land too—heaven! And God encourages me too. He
tells me many wonderful things in his __________. He tells me that Jesus has
saved me. I know that God will always be with me as he leads me to
__________.
____________________
Name _________________________
Love That Obeys
Directions Circle the correct answer to each question.
1. Who told the people
that God would always be with them?
Aaron
Moses
2. Whom did God choose
as the new leader for his people?
Joshua
Aaron
3. What did the people cross
to get into the new land?
river
lake
4. When the priests stepped into the river,
what piled up like a wall?
water
dirt
5. Where is God leading you?
desert
heaven
6. What does God use to encourage you?
flowers
God’s Word
Bookmark
I am
with you
always.
(Matthew 28:20)
only Son. (John 3:16)
God so loved the world that he gave his one and
God works for the good of those who love him.
I am with you always. (Matthew 28:20)
(1 John 1:7)
The blood of Jesus . . . purifies us from all sin.
(Romans 8:28)
The gift of God is eternal life. (Romans 6:23)
I will strengthen you and help you. (Isaiah 41:10)
Set 3 Lesson 9
God Gives Gideon a Victory
Judges 6:1-16; 7:1-8,16-25
Overview
Aim
How God’s people defeated their enemies
Truth
God gave his people the victory over their
enemies.
No matter how big our troubles are, our
almighty God will help us.
Materials Needed
q For Introduction and Letter: picture of soldier from Bible times with a sword, or a toy
sword; letter from Gideon (see Copy Master 1)
q For Sharing God’s Word, Option 1: board and chalk or markers, trumpet (or cardboard
tube), clay jar (see Activity 3 for clay recipe), “torch” made from red and orange tissue
paper glued to a cardboard tube (Optional: Give one of each of these items to each
student.)
and sky scene with the shoreline overlay; 174—sun; 87, 89, 73, 74—people; 31—Gideon;
desert overlay; 176—stars; 89, 87, 91, 92—people; 208—tent camp; 268A—trumpets;
268—torches
Set 3 Lesson 9
– God Gives Gideon a Victory
Lesson
Opening Statement
Do you know what soldiers do? Sometimes soldiers fight in armies. Today many soldiers
fight with guns. Long ago, many soldiers fought using swords. (Show a picture of a soldier from
Bible times with a sword, or show a toy sword.)
Today we’re going to hear about a time when some enemies attacked God’s people. The
enemy army had many soldiers with swords. We’ll also hear about a man named Gideon. We’re
going to pretend that Gideon wrote you a letter. (Distribute a copy of the letter to each student,
or display one enlarged letter.) Let’s read his letter. (Read the letter.)
Listen carefully to today’s Bible lesson to find out how God’s people defeated their
enemies.
Option 1
God’s people said they would obey all of God’s commands. But after a while, many of God’s
people began to worship false gods. So God let some enemies attack his people. The enemies
destroyed their crops and killed their animals. Then God’s people prayed to God for help.
(Pantomime praying.)
God talked to a man named Gideon. God said, “Gideon, I have chosen you to save my
people from their enemies. I will be with you and help you.”
So Gideon gathered some men. Thousands of men came to help Gideon fight against the
enemies. (Make many marks on the board to represent the men.)
But God said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I will defeat the enemies for you. I don’t
want your men to say, ‘We beat the enemy with our strong army.’ So tell your men that anyone
who is afraid can go home.”
Set 3 Lesson 9
Gideon gave God’s message to his men, and many of them went home. (Erase about twothirds of the marks.)
Then God said, “You still have too many men. Take them to the water and watch how each
man drinks. Take with you the men who scoop up water to drink with their hands. (Pantomime
scooping up water in your hand and drinking it.) But send the rest of the men home.”
Gideon did what God told him to do. Now he had only 300 men left! (Erase all the marks
except a few.) And the enemy had a huge army. (Draw many marks on another section of the
board.) But God said, “I will defeat your enemies with those men.”
Gideon gave each man a trumpet and a clay jar with a torch inside. (Display these items or
give them to each of the students.) In the middle of the night, Gideon and his men surrounded
the enemies’ camp. When Gideon blew his trumpet, all the men blew their trumpets.
(Pantomime blowing the trumpet. Have the students do the same if desired.) They smashed
their jars and held up their torches and shouted. (Pantomime smashing the jar and hold up the
“torch.” Have the students do the same if desired.)
Then all the enemies became very confused. They started swinging their swords and killing
each other. Some of them ran away, but Gideon and his men chased them and defeated them.
God gave his people the victory!
Option 2
(Display the water and sky scene with the shoreline overlay. Place the sun in the sky and
add people, with two kneeling by the water.) God’s people said they would obey all of God’s
commands. But after a while, many of God’s people began to worship false gods. So God let
some enemies attack his people. The enemies destroyed their crops and killed their animals.
Then God’s people prayed to God for help.
God talked to a man named Gideon. (Add Gideon.) God said, “Gideon, I have chosen you to
save my people from their enemies. I will be with you and help you.”
So Gideon gathered some men. Thousands of men came to help Gideon fight against the
enemies.
But God said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I will defeat the enemies for you. I don’t
want your men to say, ‘We beat the enemy with our strong army.’ So tell your men that anyone
who is afraid can go home.”
Gideon gave God’s message to his men, and many of them went home. (Remove some of
the men.)
Then God said, “You still have too many men. Take them to the water and watch how each
man drinks. Take with you the men who scoop up water to drink with their hands. But send the
rest of the men home.”
Set 3 Lesson 9
Gideon did what God told him to do. (Remove all but those kneeling by the water.) Now he
had only 300 men left! And the enemy had a huge army. But God said, “I will defeat your
enemies with those men.”
(Change the scene to desert overlay with stars in the sky. Add people facing right standing
behind Gideon. Place tent camp in background.) Gideon gave each man a trumpet and a clay
jar with a torch inside. (Have some people blowing trumpets and others carrying torches.) In the
middle of the night, Gideon and his men surrounded the enemies’ camp. When Gideon blew his
trumpet, all the men blew their trumpets. They smashed their jars and held up their torches and
shouted.
Then all the enemies became very confused. They started swinging their swords and killing
each other. Some of them ran away, but Gideon and his men chased them and defeated them.
(Move people toward the tent camp.) God gave his people the victory!
1a.
1b.
What did God’s people begin to worship? (false gods)
Did God’s people always worship only the true God? (no)
2a.
2b.
What did God let some enemies do? (attack his people)
Did God let some enemies attack his people? (yes)
3a.
3b.
Whom did the people ask for help? (God)
Did the people pray to the enemies for help? (no)
4a.
4b.
Whom did God choose to save his people from their enemies? (Gideon)
Did God choose Joshua to save his people from their enemies? (no)
5a.
5b.
Did many or few men come to help Gideon fight the enemy? (many)
Did only a few men come to help Gideon fight the enemy? (no)
God did not want Gideon’s men to say that they beat the enemy with their strong army.
6a.
6b.
Which men did God say could go home? (anyone who was afraid)
Did God say that anyone who was afraid should stay? (no)
Many men went home, but God said that Gideon still had too many men. So God told Gideon to
keep only the men who scooped up water to drink with their hands.
7a.
7b.
How many men did Gideon have left? (only 300)
Did Gideon have 500 men left? (no)
Set 3 Lesson 9
8a.
8b.
What did Gideon give each man? (a trumpet and a clay jar with a torch inside)
Did Gideon give each man a sword? (no)
In the middle of the night, Gideon and his men surrounded the enemy camp.
9a.
9b.
What did all the men do with their trumpets? (They blew them.)
Did all the men blow their whistles? (no)
The men also smashed their jars and held up their torches and shouted.
10a. How did all this make the enemies feel? (very confused)
10b. Did all this make the enemies feel very happy? (no)
11a. What did the enemies start doing? (swinging their swords and killing each other)
11b. Did the enemies start swinging their swords and killing each other? (yes)
12a. What happened to the enemies who ran away? (Gideon and his men chased them and
defeated them.)
12b. When some enemies ran away, did Gideon and his men let them go? (no)
Truth (a): How did God’s people defeat their enemies?
God gave his _____ the victory over their _____. (people, enemies)
Truth (b): Did God give his people the victory over their enemies? (yes)
Yes, God gave his people the victory over their enemies.
God’s people had a big trouble. Their enemies were making life terrible for them. But God’s
people knew what to do. Whom did they ask for help? (God) And God helped them by giving
them the victory over their enemies.
Do we ever have troubles in our lives? (yes) Some of our troubles can seem very big. For
example, we may have a bad sickness. Or we may have trouble getting enough money to buy
food. Or it may be very hard for us to do certain things. (If you wish, tell about some troubles
you have had and allow the students to do so.) But we know that our God is almighty. What
does that mean? (God is all-powerful; he can do anything.) No matter how big our troubles are,
we can trust that our almighty God will help us.
Set 3 Lesson 9
When we have big troubles, we may get worried or afraid. But the Bible (display Bible) tells
us, “In God I trust; I will not be afraid” (Psalm 56:11). Whenever we have troubles, big or small,
let’s remember to pray to our almighty God for help. And let’s trust that he will help us. God
loves us, and he will do what’s best for us.
Closing the Lesson
Song
“Call Upon Me” (Everyone Sing & Sign, Northwestern Publishing House)
Prayer
Dear almighty God, whenever we have troubles, help us remember to pray to you for help.
And help us not be afraid or worried but trust that you will help us. We pray in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
In God I trust; I will not be afraid. (Psalm 56:11)
1
2. trust—extend thumb and curve fingers to form the letter “C” with each
hand, holding right “C” hand a few inches above left “C” hand; then
2
3. not—make fist with right hand and put upturned right thumb under
chin; then move the hand a few inches forward while tipping the
3
make fists and bring hands together, right fist on top of left
thumb forward
Set 3 Lesson 9
4. afraid—hold both fists in front of body and apart from each other; then
open both hands and move them toward the center of the chest with a
4
strong motion
Activities
1. Letter Writing
Write a letter responding to the one from Gideon by completing the letter on Copy Master 2.
the entire group’s responses. (Possible answers/pictures: men [several faces or stick figures],
300, trumpet, God [cloud with rays].)
2. Activity Sheet
3. Craft Projects
steps:
q Pencil Topper
~ Photocopy the project from Copy Master 4 onto brightly-colored heavy paper and cut it
out.
~ Let the student select one pencil topper and color the border, if desired. Then help the
student cut slits in the top and bottom using the lines as guides.
~ Show the student how the project can be slid over the top of a pencil.
q Clay Jars
~ Help the student make a clay jar. Purchase clay or use the following recipe: Mix 2 cups
flour, 1 cup salt, and about 2/3 cup water. (One batch makes enough for about five
students.) The clay jar will need to dry overnight.
~ If you wish, photocopy favorite passages on slips of paper for the student to keep in the
jar.
Set 3 Lesson 9
Teach the students the following song. If you wish, make each student a “torch” from red and
orange tissue paper glued to a cardboard tube. Let the students wave the torches while you
sing the song together.
I put my trust in God;
I put my trust in God;
I will not be afraid;
I put my trust in God.
5. Trust Litany
Have the students tell about troubles they sometimes have. List them for yourself if
necessary. Then write on the board the Bible words for this lesson: In God I trust; I will not be
afraid. Have the students practice saying the words together. Then lead the students in a litany
using the troubles they named. Example:
Teacher: God, sometimes we worry about going to the doctor.
Students: In God I trust; I will not be afraid.
Teacher: We feel sad and afraid when people laugh at us.
Students: In God I trust; I will not be afraid.
Etc.
Do you ever have troubles? One time God’s people had a terrible trouble.
Some enemies attacked them. The enemies destroyed their crops and killed their
animals.
God chose me to save his people from our enemies. So I gathered many men
to fight. But God did not have us fight our enemies with swords. Listen carefully to
today’s lesson to learn how we defeated our enemy. You will also learn what you can
do when you have troubles.
Your friend,
Gideon
Dear Gideon,
Today I learned that you gathered many __________ to fight against your
enemies. But God had you take only __________ men! And instead of swords, you
gave each man a __________, a clay jar, and a torch. When your men blew their
trumpets and smashed their jars and shouted, the enemies became confused and
killed each other. I know that it was __________ who gave his people the victory
over their enemies.
I have troubles—sometimes big troubles! But I know that no matter how big my
troubles are, my almighty God will help me.
____________________
Name _________________________
God Is Almighty!
Part
One
Draw a line to the picture that answers each question.
1. Whom did God choose
to save his people from their enemies? v
v trumpets
2. What did Gideon’s men blow? v
v Gideon
3. How did the enemies feel? v
v God
4. Who gave the people
the victory over their enemies? v
Part
Two
v confused
Circle the picture that answers the question.
Who can help you with all your troubles?
doctors
friends
parents
God
Pencil Topper
In God
I trust;
I will not
be afraid.
(Psalm 56:11)
In God
I trust;
I will not be
afraid.
(Psalm 56:11)
Set 3 Lesson 10
Samson
Judges 13:1-5, 24,25; 14:5-19; 15:3-5,8,15
Overview
Aim
How God used Samson to help his people
Truth
God helped his people by giving Samson
the strength to fight against their enemies.
God gives us our abilities, and he wants us
to use them to help others.
Materials Needed
q For Introduction and Letter: letter from Samson (see Copy Master 1)
q For Sharing God’s Word, Option 1: helper to act as Samson—if possible, a man with long
hair or wearing a long-haired wig; (optional) robe for helper to wear
scene; 230—window; 97—mother; 9—angel; 112A—baby; 40, 40A—Samson and long
hair; pillars from temple overlay; 59, 89, 56, 106B, 58, 46, 242—people; 106B—Samson’s
wife
q For Applying God’s Word: Bible, paper heart, picture of Jesus on the cross
Set 3 Lesson 10
– Samson
Lesson
Opening Statement
Did you ever wish that you were really strong? (Make the sign for “strong” [shake both fists in
front of shoulders] and encourage the students to do so.) What kinds of things could you do if
you were really strong? (Allow students to respond.) In what ways could you help others if you
were really strong? (Allow students to respond.)
Today we’re going to hear about a man named Samson. God made Samson very strong.
We’re going to pretend that Samson wrote you a letter. (Distribute a copy of the letter to each
Listen carefully to today’s Bible lesson to find out how God used Samson to help his
people.
Option 1
(Have a helper acting as Samson wait outside the classroom as you tell the first part of the
story.) Some enemies were ruling over God’s people. So God came to a woman and told her
that she and her husband would have a son. Their son would save God’s people from their
enemies. God told them that their son’s hair should never be cut.
Soon the woman had a baby boy. She named him Samson. Samson grew up, (have helper
enter the room) and God made him very strong so that he could fight the enemies. (Samson
should flex his muscles to show his strength.)
When Samson was a grown man, he killed a lion with his bare hands. (Samson should
pantomime killing a lion.) Later, Samson saw that some bees had made a hive inside the lion’s
dead body. Samson ate some of the honey that the bees had made. (Samson should
pantomime eating honey out of the lion’s body.)
Set 3 Lesson 10
– Samson
Samson found a woman he liked and decided to get married. At the wedding feast, Samson
told some of the guests (Samson should pantomime speaking the words or he could actually
say them if you wish), “Let me tell you a riddle. If you guess the answer, I will give you all some
new clothes. Here’s the riddle: Out of the eater came something to eat. Out of the strong came
something sweet.” Samson was thinking about the honey inside the lion’s body.
The guests could not guess the answer to the riddle. Finally, they told Samson’s new wife,
“Find out the answer from Samson and tell us, or we will kill you and your family.”
Samson’s wife cried and cried until Samson told her the answer to the riddle. Then she told
the guests. When the guests told the answer to Samson, he got very angry. (Samson should
pantomime being angry.) He went and killed 30 enemy men. (Samson should pantomime killing
the enemy men.) Then he took their clothes and gave them to the guests. (Samson should
pantomime giving clothes to the guests.)
Another time, Samson burned up many of the crops in the enemies’ fields. After that, he
attacked the enemies and killed many of them. (Samson should pantomime killing enemies.)
And one time, Samson used a bone from a donkey to kill a thousand enemies who had come to
capture him. (Samson should pantomime killing many men with a bone.) God gave Samson
great strength to fight against the enemies.
Option 2
(Display indoor scene with window in the background. Add mother and angel facing each
other.) Some enemies were ruling over God’s people. So God came to a woman and told her
that she and her husband would have a son. Their son would save God’s people from their
enemies. God told them that their son’s hair should never be cut. (Remove angel and place the
baby in the mother’s arm.)
Soon the woman had a baby boy. She named him Samson. (Remove the baby and add
Samson facing his mother.) Samson grew up, and God made him very strong so that he could
fight the enemies.
When Samson was a grown man, he killed a lion with his bare hands. Later, Samson saw
that some bees had made a hive inside the lion’s dead body. Samson ate some of the honey
that the bees had made.
(Remove mother, Samson, and window. Add pillars from temple overlay. Add people,
Samson with long hair, and his wife.) Samson found a woman he liked and decided to get
married. At the wedding feast, Samson told some of the guests, “Let me tell you a riddle. If you
guess the answer, I will give you all some new clothes. Here’s the riddle: Out of the eater came
something to eat. Out of the strong came something sweet.” Samson was thinking about the
honey inside the lion’s body. (Remove Samson.)
Set 3 Lesson 10
– Samson
The guests could not guess the answer to the riddle. Finally, they told Samson’s new wife,
“Find out the answer from Samson and tell us, or we will kill you and your family.”
(Show Samson and his wife talking off to the side.) Samson’s wife cried and cried until
Samson told her the answer to the riddle. (Show wife talking to the guests.) Then she told the
guests. (Move Samson closer to the guests.) When the guests told the answer to Samson, he
got very angry. (Remove Samson.) He went and killed 30 enemy men. Then he took their
clothes and gave them to the guests.
Another time, Samson burned up many of the crops in the enemies’ fields. After that, he
attacked the enemies and killed many of them. And one time, Samson used a bone from a
donkey to kill a thousand enemies who had come to capture him. God gave Samson great
strength to fight against the enemies.
1a.
1b.
Why did God’s people need help? (Some enemies were ruling over them.)
Did God’s people need help because some enemies were ruling over them? (yes)
God told a woman that she and her husband would have a son who would save God’s people
from their enemies.
2a.
2b.
What did God say should never be cut? (their son’s hair)
Show me what God said should never be cut. (Demonstrate by pointing to your hair.)
3a.
3b.
What did the woman name her baby boy? (Samson)
Did the woman name her baby boy Goliath? (no)
4a.
4b.
When Samson grew up, what ability did God give him? (great strength)
When Samson grew up, did God make him very weak? (no)
5a.
5b.
What did Samson kill with his bare hands? (a lion)
Did Samson kill a donkey with his bare hands? (no)
6a.
6b.
What made a hive inside the lion’s dead body? (some bees)
Did some grasshoppers make a hive inside the lion’s dead body? (no)
At Samson’s wedding feast, he told some guests a riddle: Out of the eater came something to
eat. Out of the strong came something sweet.
7a.
7b.
What was the answer to the riddle? (the honey inside the lion’s body)
Was the answer to the riddle the honey inside the lion’s body? (yes)
Set 3 Lesson 10
8a.
8b.
– Samson
What did Samson say he would give the guests if they guessed the answer to the riddle?
(some new clothes)
Did Samson say he would give his guests some new swords if they guessed the answer
to his riddle? (no)
The guests could not guess the answer to the riddle. So they told Samson’s new wife, “Find out
the answer from Samson and tell us, or we will kill you and your family.” Samson’s wife found
out the answer from Samson and told the guests.
9a.
9b.
How did Samson feel when the guests told him the correct answer to his riddle? (angry)
Show me how Samson felt when the guests told him the correct answer to his riddle.
(Demonstrate by making an angry face.)
10a. How did Samson get the clothes to give to the guests? (He killed 30 enemy men.)
10b. Did Samson kill 10 enemy men to get the clothes for his guests? (no)
11a. Another time, what did Samson burn up? (many of the crops in the enemies’ fields)
11b. Another time, did Samson burn up many of the enemies’ houses? (no)
After that, Samson attacked and killed many enemies.
12a. And one time, what did Samson use to kill a thousand enemy men? (a bone from a
donkey)
12b. And one time, did Samson use a bone from a cow to kill a thousand enemy men? (no)
Truth (a): How did God use Samson to help his people?
God helped his people by giving Samson the _____ to fight against their _____.
(strength, enemies)
Truth (b): Did God help his people by giving Samson the strength to fight against their
enemies? (yes)
Yes, God helped his people by giving Samson the strength to fight against their
enemies.
Who made us all the way we are? (God) Yes, God made each of us, and he gave each of us
abilities to do things. God made Samson very strong so that he could fight the enemies. God
Set 3 Lesson 10
– Samson
does not want us to fight enemies. And he may not have made us very strong. But God has
given each of us the abilities that he wants us to have. What are some of your abilities—some
things you can do? (sing, carry things, talk to others, pray, clean, be cheerful, etc.) God gives
us our abilities, and he wants us to use them to help others. What are some ways you can use
your abilities to help others? (sing someone a song about Jesus, help my friend carry groceries,
tell my roommate about Jesus, pray for people who have troubles, help clean my house, cheer
up a friend who is sad, etc.)
The Bible (display Bible) tells us, “Serve one another in love” (Galatians 5:13). To serve one
another means to do things to help others. According to these words, what do we want in our
hearts as we serve others? (Love—show paper heart to cue.) When we use our abilities to help
others, we show love for them. And we also show God our love and our thanks for sending
Jesus to be our Savior. (Show picture of Jesus on the cross.)
Closing the Lesson
Song
“Love One Another” (Everyone Sing & Sign, Northwestern Publishing House)
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for giving each of us the abilities that you want us to have. Help us use
our abilities to serve others. We pray in the name of Jesus, our Savior. Amen.
Serve one another in love. (Galatians 5:13)
1. Serve—hold both hands in front of chest, palms up; move them
alternately forward and back
1
across chest
2
Set 3 Lesson 10
– Samson
Activities
1. Letter Writing
Write a letter responding to the one from Samson by completing the letter on Copy Master 2.
the entire group’s responses. (Possible answers/pictures: hands, people [several faces or stick
figures], love [heart], God [cloud with rays].)
2. Activity Sheet
3. Craft Projects
steps:
q Hanging Heart
~ Photocopy the top heart from Copy Master 4 onto heavy paper and cut it out. Photocopy
the bottom heart onto a different colored heavy paper and cut it out. (Or use the bottom
heart as a pattern to cut a heart from a different colored paper.)
~ Help the student glue the top heart onto the bottom heart. Then the student could add
heart stickers to the project or decorate the border.
~ Help the student punch a hole in the top of the project and add a ribbon for hanging.
q Abilities Poster
~ Help the student cut out pictures from magazines or computer clip art that represent
abilities he or she has: singing, praying, cleaning, being friendly, helping others, etc.
~ Help the student glue the pictures onto a sheet of paper with the caption, “God gives me
abilities to help others.” (Option: Help the student make the poster on a computer using
clip art.)
Set 3 Lesson 10
– Samson
4. Song
Teach the students the following song.
(Melody: “London Bridge”)
God gives us abilities,
Yes, he does; yes, he does.
God gives us abilities;
Let’s help others.
If you wish, alternate singing the song stanza with telling a way the students can help others.
Example:
Sing song.
Say, “We can help clean up our homes.”
Sing song.
Say, “We can pray for people hurt in an earthquake.”
Etc.
5. Group Service Project
Help the students identify specific ways they could use their abilities to help others as a
group. For example, maybe they could help clean the church, make cards for the elderly, help
present a Bible lesson to a class of young children, or pray for someone specific. Then help the
students choose one of their ideas and carry it out.
Remember how God helped Gideon defeat the enemies of God’s people?
Well, some enemies were ruling over God’s people again. And this time God
planned to use me to help them. Even before I was born, God told my parents
that I would help his people.
When I grew up, God made me very strong. Listen carefully to today’s
lesson to find out how God used me to help his people. You will also learn how
you can help others.
Your friend,
Samson
Dear Samson,
Wow! You were really strong! I can’t imagine how you killed a lion with your
bare __________! I learned how God used you to help his __________ by
fighting against their enemies.
I know that God doesn’t want me to fight against my enemies. But God
does give me my abilities. And I know that God wants me to use my abilities to
help other people. When I help others, I show my __________ for them. And I
show my love for __________ too!
____________________
Name _________________________
Help Others
Part
One
1. Were enemies ruling over God’s people?
2. Did God choose Goliath
to save his people from their enemies?
3. Did God make Samson very weak?
4. Did Samson kill 30 enemy
men to get clothes for his guests?
Part
Two
yes
no
yes
yes
yes
no
no
no
5. Did Samson use a bone
from a cow to kill a thousand enemy men?
yes
no
6. Did God help his people by giving Samson
the strength to fight against their enemies?
yes
no
Circle the pictures that answer the question.
Whom can you help with your abilities?
parents
teachers
friends
neighbors
Hanging Heart
Serve one another in love.
(Galatians 5:13)
Set 3 Lesson 11
Samson’s Death
Judges 16:4-30
Overview
Aim
How God showed his love to Samson
Truth
Even though Samson had sinned, God
made him strong again.
Even though we are sinful, God shows his
love to us.
Materials Needed
q For Introduction and Letter: story picture from lesson 10, letter from Samson (see Copy
Master 1)
q For Sharing God’s Word, Option 1: figures of Samson (2), Delilah, and enemy from Copy
Masters 3 and 4 photocopied onto heavy paper, colored, cut out, and attached to toilet
paper tubes so that they stand; two paper towel tubes; 3" x 12" strip of cardboard
scene; 230—window; 228—bed; 325—vase; 95—Delilah; 40—Samson with long hair;
pillars from temple overlay; 59, 89, 56, 106B, 58, 46—people; 53—Samson
q For Applying God’s Word: Bible; lesson picture; heart stickers; the following JCM word
pictures enlarged: sin, take care of, blessing, Savior, heaven
Set 3 Lesson 11
– Samson’s Death
Lesson
Opening Statement
Last time we learned about Samson. (Show picture from lesson 10 as a reminder.) What
special ability did God give Samson? (God made Samson very strong.) Samson used his great
strength to fight against the enemies of God’s people. But Samson did not always do what God
wanted him to do.
We’re going to pretend that Samson wrote you a letter. (Distribute a copy of the letter to each
Listen carefully to today’s Bible lesson to find out how God showed his love to Samson.
Option 1
Some enemies were ruling over God’s people. But God made Samson very strong so that he
could fight against the enemies. (Display long-haired Samson figure.) And Samson killed many
of the enemies. This made the rest of the enemies angry. They wanted to capture Samson.
Samson was in love with a woman named Delilah. (Put Delilah figure next to Samson.) The
enemies went to Delilah (remove Samson and put enemy figure next to Delilah) and said, “Find
out what makes Samson so strong. Then tell us so that we can capture him. Then we will give
you a lot of money.”
So Delilah asked Samson (replace enemy with Samson), “What makes you so strong?”
Samson lied to Delilah. He told her, “If I am tied up with new ropes, I will be weak.”
But when Delilah tied up Samson with new ropes, he broke free of them easily.
Delilah begged Samson so much that finally he told her, “God said that my hair should never
be cut. If my hair were cut off, I would be weak.”
Set 3 Lesson 11
Then Delilah sent a message to the enemies telling them what Samson had said. When
Samson was sleeping (lay Samson down), the enemies cut off his hair. (Add enemy and
replace Samson with short-haired Samson figure.) And God took away Samson’s strength.
When Samson woke up (stand Samson up), he was weak. The enemies captured him. (Have
enemy move Samson away. Remove Delilah.) Then they poked out Samson’s eyes and put
him in prison.
The enemies were very happy that they had finally captured Samson. Many of the enemies
went to the temple of their false god. (Set up paper towel tubes with cardboard strip across top
to represent temple.) They said, “Our god has helped us capture Samson.” Then they brought
Samson to the temple so that they could laugh at him. (Put Samson between the two “pillars.”)
Samson was standing between two pillars that held up the temple. He prayed to God, “God,
please make me strong one more time.” Then God made Samson strong again. Samson
pushed against the pillars with all his strength. The pillars fell (knock down the paper towel
tubes), and the whole temple fell down. Many enemies were killed when the temple fell on
them.
Option 2
(Display indoor scene with window on the back wall, bed on the left side of the room, and
vase in the right upper corner.) Some enemies were ruling over God’s people. But God made
Samson very strong so that he could fight against the enemies. And Samson killed many of the
enemies. This made the rest of the enemies angry. They wanted to capture Samson.
Samson was in love with a woman named Delilah. The enemies went to Delilah and said,
“Find out what makes Samson so strong. Then tell us so that we can capture him. Then we will
give you a lot of money. (Show Delilah and Samson with full head of hair talking to each other.)
So Delilah asked Samson, “What makes you so strong?”
Samson lied to Delilah. He told her, “If I am tied up with new ropes, I will be weak.”
But when Delilah tied up Samson with new ropes, he broke free of them easily.
Delilah begged Samson so much that finally he told her, “God said that my hair should never
be cut. If my hair were cut off, I would be weak.”
Then Delilah sent a message to the enemies telling them what Samson had said. When
Samson was sleeping, the enemies cut off his hair. And God took away Samson’s strength.
When Samson woke up, he was weak. The enemies captured him. Then they poked out
Samson’s eyes and put him in prison.
The enemies were very happy that they had finally captured Samson. Many of the enemies
went to the temple of their false god. They said, “Our god has helped us capture Samson.”
Then they brought Samson to the temple so that they could laugh at him. (Remove the bed,
Set 3 Lesson 11
vase, and window from the room. Add the pillars from the temple overlay. Add people. Place
Samson, without the long hair, with his hand wrapped around two pillars.)
Samson was standing between two pillars that held up the temple. He prayed to God, “God,
please make me strong one more time.” Then God made Samson strong again. Samson
pushed against the pillars with all his strength. The pillars fell, and the whole temple fell down.
Many enemies were killed when the temple fell on them.
1a.
Who made Samson strong so that he could fight against the enemies? (God)
2a.
2b.
What did the enemies want to do to Samson? (capture him)
Did the enemies want to capture Samson? (yes)
3a.
Whom did Samson fall in love with? (Delilah)
4a.
4b.
What did the enemies tell Delilah to do? (find out what made Samson so strong)
Did the enemies tell Delilah to find out what made Samson so strong? (yes)
1b.
3b.
Did Samson make himself strong so that he could fight against the enemies? (no)
Did Samson fall in love with a woman named Mary? (no)
At first, Samson lied to Delilah.
5a.
5b.
What did Samson say would make him weak? (if he were tied up with new ropes)
Did Samson tell Delilah he would be weak if he were tied up with old ropes? (no)
When Samson told Delilah this, she tied him up with new ropes. After that, Samson knew that
he could not trust Delilah. He should not have told her what God had said about his hair. He
sinned when he told her this.
6a.
6b.
What had God said about Samson’s hair? (It should never be cut.)
Did God say that Samson’s hair should always be cut? (no)
When Samson told Delilah this, she sent a message to the enemies.
7a.
7b.
What did the enemies do when Samson was sleeping? (They cut his hair.)
When Samson was sleeping, did the enemies cut his fingernails? (no)
8a.
When Samson woke up, was he strong or weak? (weak)
8b.
When Samson woke up, was he still strong? (no)
Set 3 Lesson 11
9a.
9b.
What did the enemies do after they captured Samson? (They poked out his eyes and put
him in prison.)
Did the enemies capture Samson, then poke out his eyes and put him in prison? (yes)
10a. How did the enemies feel now that they had finally captured Samson? (very happy)
10b. Show me how the enemies felt now that they had finally captured Samson. (Demonstrate
by making a happy face.)
Many of the enemies went to the temple of their false god. They said, “Our god has helped us
capture Samson.”
11a. Why did the enemies bring Samson to the temple? (so that they could laugh at him)
11b. Did the enemies bring Samson to the temple so that they could praise him? (no)
12a. What did Samson pray to God? (“God, please make me strong one more time.”)
12b. Did Samson ask God to make him strong one more time? (yes)
13a. What happened when Samson pushed the pillars down? (The whole temple fell, and
many enemies were killed.)
13b. When Samson pushed the pillars down, did the whole temple fall and kill many enemies?
(yes)
Truth (a): How did God show his love to Samson?
Even though Samson had _____, God made him _____ again. (sinned, strong)
Truth (b): Even though Samson had sinned, did God make him strong again? (yes)
Yes, even though Samson had sinned, God made him strong again.
Samson knew that he couldn’t trust Delilah. If he told her his hair should not be cut, what
would she do? (have his hair cut) This would go against God’s command. So it was sinful for
Samson to tell her this.
Do we ever sin? (yes) Yes, we all sin many times every day. But we know that God still loves
us. The Bible (show Bible) tells us, “God loves you” (Deuteronomy 23:5). Even though we are
sinful, God shows his love to us.
Set 3 Lesson 11
How did God show his love to Samson (put a heart sticker on Samson on the lesson
picture)? (He made Samson strong again.) How does God show his love to us (put a heart
sticker on each student and on yourself)? (He forgives our sins, he takes care of us, he gives
us many blessings, he sent Jesus to be our Savior, he promises to take us to heaven, etc. Use
enlarged JCM word pictures to cue as necessary. To cue the idea of forgiveness, show the sin
picture and tear or crunch it up.) Let’s never doubt that God loves us. God shows us his love
every day.
Closing the Lesson
Song
“God Loves Me Dearly” (Everyone Sing & Sign, Northwestern Publishing House)
Prayer
Dear God, we are sorry for all the sins we do every day. We are so happy you forgive our
sins! Thank you for showing us your great love every day. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
God loves you. (Deuteronomy 23:5)
1
2. loves—make two fists and cross arms at wrists, palms toward body,
across chest
2
3. you—point outward with right index finger
3
Set 3 Lesson 11
Activities
1. Letter Writing
Write a letter responding to the one from Samson by completing the letter on Copy Master 2.
the entire group’s responses. (Possible answers/pictures: hair, sad [sad face], loves [heart], sins
[dark scribble].)
2. Activity Sheet
3. Craft Projects
steps:
q “God Loves You” cards
~ Duplicate the cards from Copy Master 6 onto heavy paper.
~ Let the student decorate the cards with heart stickers and Jesus stickers.
~ Laminate the cards or cover them with clear self-adhesive paper. Then cut them out.
~ Encourage the student to give the cards to family and friends to assure them of God’s
love.
q “Stained Glass” Heart
~ Cut two squares of clear self-adhesive paper 6" x 6" or larger.
~ Peel the backing off one of the squares. Help the student tear off small pieces of colored
tissue paper and stick them onto the sticky side of the paper in an abstract design. Use
a variety of colors. (Note: You will probably need to hold down the adhesive paper while
the student sticks on the tissue paper pieces.)
~ Peel the backing off the second self-adhesive square and carefully put it over the top of
the square with the tissue paper. You will now have the tissue paper layered between
the two pieces of self-adhesive paper.
Set 3 Lesson 11
~ Help the student cut the project into a heart shape. (Hint: You may wish to use one of
the hearts from Lesson 10, Copy Master 4 for a pattern.)
~ Use a black, permanent marker to write on the heart, “God Loves You” or “God Loves
Me.”
~ Tell the student that the project can be taped to a window so that the light will shine
through it.
q Story Figures
~ Photocopy the figures from Copy Masters 3 and 4 onto heavy paper and let the student
color them.
~ Help the student cut out the figures, and show the student how they can be used to help
retell the lesson.
~ Encourage the student to take the figures home and use them to retell the lesson to
family and friends.
4. Song
Teach the students the following song and sing it together. Encourage the students to look
sad while singing the first half of the song and to look happy while singing the second half.
(Option: Give each of the students a sad face drawn on a paper plate or paper circle to hold up
while singing the first half of the song and a happy face to hold up while singing the second
half.)
(Melody: “Are You Sleeping?”)
I am sinful; I am sinful,
Yes, I am; yes, I am.
But I know God loves me; But I know God loves me,
Yes, he does; yes, he does.
Set 3 Lesson 11
5. Application Activity
Give each student a paper heart and a sad face drawn on a paper plate or paper circle. Then
read statements similar to the following. If the statement shows a way we might sin, the
students should hold up the sad faces. If the statement shows a way God shows his love to us,
they should hold up the hearts.
Sample statements:
~
~
~
~
Sometimes we say unkind things to others.
Sometimes we don’t want to listen to God’s Word.
God forgives all our sins.
God gives each of us a good home.
~
~
~
~
God gives us people who take care of us.
Sometimes we don’t obey those who take care of us.
Sometimes we watch TV shows or movies that are not God-pleasing.
God promises to take us to heaven.
~ God gives us food to eat.
~ Sometimes we complain about the things God gives us.
~ God sent Jesus to be our Savior.
(Note: The difficulty level of your statements can be adjusted to meet the needs of your
students.)
Close the activity with a reminder that even though we are sinful, God shows his love to us.
God made me very strong. And I used my strength to help God’s people by
fighting against their enemies. Do you remember what God had told my mother
before I was born? God told her that my hair should never be cut.
I knew that God did not want my hair to be cut. But I did not always do what
God wanted me to do. Today you will see how I sinned against God. But you will
also see how God showed love to me. And you will see how God shows his love
to you too.
Your friend,
Samson
Dear Samson,
Today I learned how you sinned. You told Delilah that if your __________
were cut, you would be weak. You knew she would cut your hair. It made me
__________ to hear how the enemies captured you. But God still loved you and
made you strong again one last time.
I sin too, but it makes me very happy to know that God still __________
me. God forgives my __________, and God gives me many blessings. I thank
God for his great love!
____________________
Name _________________________
God Loves You
Part
One
Part
Two
Draw a line to the picture that answers each question.
1. Who was fighting the
enemies of God’s people? v
v enemies
2. What did Delilah
do to Samson’s hair? v
v Samson
3. Who poked out Samson’s
eyes and put him in prison? v
v cut
4. Who made Samson
strong one more time? v
v God
Even though we are sinful, God shows his love to us. Draw a mouth to show how that
makes you feel.
God loves you.
God loves you.
God loves you.
God loves you.
God loves you.
God loves you.
God loves you.
God loves you.
God loves you.
God loves you.
(Deuteronomy 23:5)
(Deuteronomy 23:5)
(Deuteronomy 23:5)
(Deuteronomy 23:5)
(Deuteronomy 23:5)
(Deuteronomy 23:5)
(Deuteronomy 23:5)
(Deuteronomy 23:5)
(Deuteronomy 23:5)
(Deuteronomy 23:5)
Set 3 Lesson 12
Ruth’s Faith
Ruth 1:1-19; 2:1-18; 4:13-17
Overview
Aim
How Ruth showed her faith in God
Truth
Ruth showed her faith in God by leaving her
homeland and its false gods.
God wants us to stay away from things that
could hurt our faith.
Materials Needed
q For Introduction and Letter: letter from Ruth (see Copy Master 1)
q For Sharing God’s Word, Option 1: wooden spoon puppets of the man, two sons, Naomi,
Ruth, Orpah, and Boaz made in the following manner:
~ Use markers to draw faces on the bowls of seven wooden spoons.
~ Glue yarn onto the spoons for hair.
~ Make clothes for each figure out of cloth scraps or construction paper, and attach the
clothes to the spoon handles with craft glue.
~ Hold up each spoon by the handle bottom.
and sky scene with the hillside overlay; S7—tree; S18—bush; 202—house; 20—husband
of Naomi; 106—Naomi; 54, 40—sons; 94—Orpah; 99—Ruth; 199A—road; 101—Ruth
kneeling; 279—sheaves of grain; 18—Boaz; 90—servant; 112—baby
q For Applying God’s Word: Bible; signs saying “Stay away!” and “That’s okay!” for each
nonverbal student in your class
Set 3 Lesson 12
– Ruth’s Faith
Lesson
Opening Statement
Have you ever taken a trip somewhere? Maybe some of you have even moved to a new
home. What was it like to go to a new place? (Allow students to respond.)
Today we’re going to hear about a family who moved to a new home in a different land. We’ll
also hear about a woman from that land named Ruth. We’re going to pretend that Ruth wrote
you a letter. (Distribute a copy of the letter to each student, or display one enlarged letter.) Let’s
read her letter. (Read the letter.)
Listen carefully to today’s Bible lesson to find out how Ruth showed her faith in God.
Option 1
In the land where God’s people lived, there was no rain. No plants grew in the fields, and the
people did not have enough food to eat. (Display spoon puppets of man, sons, and Naomi.) So
one man took his wife, Naomi, and their two sons and moved to the land of Moab. (Move the
puppets across the front of the room.) Many people in Moab worshiped false gods, but this man
and his family worshiped the true God.
While they were living in Moab, the man died. (Remove man puppet.) That meant Naomi and
her two sons were alone. Then both of the sons married women from Moab named Ruth and
Orpah. (Display Ruth and Orpah puppets.) After about ten years, the two sons died also.
(Remove son puppets.)
Then Naomi heard that there was food again in the land of God’s people. So she decided to
go back there. Ruth and Orpah decided to go with her. They all packed up their things and
started on the long walk. (Begin moving puppets back across the front of the room.)
Set 3 Lesson 12
– Ruth’s Faith
But after a short time, Naomi said to Ruth and Orpah, “You should both stay here in Moab
with your families.”
Orpah kissed Naomi good-bye and went back home. (Remove Orpah puppet.) But Ruth said,
“Don’t ask me to leave you. I will go where you go. Your people will be my people, and your
God will be my God.”
So the two women went to the land of God’s people and lived in the town of Bethlehem.
(Move Naomi and Ruth puppets the rest of the way across the front of the room.)
In those days, poor people could pick up leftover grain from the fields. So Ruth went to the
field of a man named Boaz. (Display Boaz puppet.) She picked up leftover grain and took it
home to Naomi so that they could have food to eat.
Boaz believed in the true God. And Boaz was very kind to Ruth. He told his servants to drop
extra grain for her to pick up. After a while, Boaz and Ruth were married. And many years later,
Jesus our Savior was born from Ruth’s family.
Option 2
(Display the water and sky scene with the hillside overlay. Add tree, bush, and house.) In the
land where God’s people lived, there was no rain. No plants grew in the fields, and the people
did not have enough food to eat. So one man took his wife, Naomi, and their two sons and
moved to the land of Moab. (Display husband, Naomi, and sons.) Many people in Moab
worshiped false gods, but this man and his family worshiped the true God.
While they were living in Moab, the man died. (Remove husband.) That meant Naomi and
her two sons were alone. Then both of the sons married women from Moab named Ruth and
Orpah. (Show the sons and their wives with Naomi.) After about ten years, the two sons died
also. (Remove the sons and house and add the road piece. Place Naomi and her daughters-inlaw on the road.)
Then Naomi heard that there was food again in the land of God’s people. So she decided to
go back there. Ruth and Orpah decided to go with her. They all packed up their things and
started on the long walk.
But after a short time, Naomi said to Ruth and Orpah, “You should both stay here in Moab
with your families.”
Orpah kissed Naomi good-bye and went back home. (Remove Orpah; change Ruth to
kneeling figure.) But Ruth said, “Don’t ask me to leave you. I will go where you go. Your people
will be my people, and your God will be my God.”
So the two women went to the land of God’s people and lived in the town of Bethlehem.
(Remove the trees and bush; add Ruth facing sheaves of grain with Boaz talking to his servant
right of Ruth.)
Set 3 Lesson 12
– Ruth’s Faith
In those days, poor people could pick up leftover grain from the fields. So Ruth went to the
field of a man named Boaz. She picked up leftover grain and took it home to Naomi so that
they could have food to eat.
Boaz believed in the true God. And Boaz was very kind to Ruth. He told his servants to drop
extra grain for her to pick up. (Remove the sheaves of grain. Add the house with Ruth and
Boaz standing in front of the house, Ruth holding a baby.) After a while, Boaz and Ruth were
married. And many years later, Jesus our Savior was born from Ruth’s family.
In the land where God’s people lived, there was no rain and no plants grew.
1a.
1b.
What problem did this cause for the people? (They had no food to eat.)
Did the people have lots of food to eat? (no)
2a.
Where did one man move with his wife, Naomi, and their two sons? (the land of Moab)
3a.
3b.
What did many people in Moab worship? (false gods)
Did all the people in Moab worship the true God? (no)
2b.
Did one man take his wife, Naomi, and their two sons and move to Egypt? (no)
The man died in Moab. Then the two sons married women from Moab.
4a.
4b.
What were the names of the women the sons married? (Ruth and Orpah)
Were the women named Mary and Orpah? (no)
5a.
5b.
After about ten years, what happened to the two sons? (They died also.)
After about ten years, did the two sons die also? (yes)
Then Naomi heard that there was food again in the land of God’s people.
6a.
6b.
What did Naomi decide to do? (go back to the land of God’s people)
Did Naomi decide to stay in the land of Moab? (no)
7a.
What did Ruth and Orpah decide to do? (go with Naomi)
8a.
As they were walking, what did Naomi tell Ruth and Orpah to do? (stay in Moab with their
families)
As they were walking, did Naomi tell Ruth and Orpah to stay in Moab with their families?
7b.
8b.
Did Ruth and Orpah decide to go with Naomi? (yes)
(yes)
Set 3 Lesson 12
9a.
9b.
– Ruth’s Faith
Which woman went back home? (Orpah)
Did Ruth go back home? (no)
10a. What did Ruth say to Naomi? (“Your people will be my people, and your God will be my
God.”)
10b. Did Orpah say to Naomi, “Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God”?
(no)
Ruth and Naomi went to the land of God’s people and lived in the town of Bethlehem.
11a. Where did Ruth go to pick up leftover grain for them to eat? (the field of Boaz)
11b. Did Ruth go to pick up leftover grain from the field of Joseph? (no)
Boaz was very kind to Ruth.
12a. After a while, what happened to Boaz and Ruth? (They were married.)
12b. After a while, did Boaz marry Ruth? (yes)
13a. And many years later, who came from Ruth’s family? (Jesus our Savior)
13b. And many years later, did Jesus come from Ruth’s family? (yes)
Truth (a): How did Ruth show her faith in God?
Ruth showed her faith in _____ by leaving her homeland and its false _____. (God,
gods)
Truth (b): Did Ruth show her faith in God by leaving her homeland and its false gods?
(yes)
Yes, Ruth showed her faith in God by leaving her homeland and its false gods.
Do you think it was easy for Ruth to leave her homeland? (no) Things would probably seem
very different to Ruth in the new land. Also, all of Ruth’s family and friends lived in Moab. Ruth
knew that when she left with Naomi, she would probably never get to see her family and friends
again. But Ruth also knew that the people in Naomi’s land believed in the true God. And Ruth’s
faith in God was very important to her. If Ruth stayed in Moab, she might be tempted to forget
about the true God and worship false gods like the other people there.
Like Ruth, we also have faith in the true God. And our faith is very important to us. Many
people and things in this world could lead us to sin against God. Those things could hurt our
Set 3 Lesson 12
– Ruth’s Faith
faith. If we are often spending our time with sinful things and with people who don’t love God,
they could cause us to lose our faith in God.
The Bible (show Bible) tells us, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart” (Matthew 22:37).
One way we show that we love God with all our heart—more than anyone or anything else—is
by staying away from sinful things that could hurt our faith. I’m going to name some activities. If
it’s something we should stay away from, I want you to say loudly, “Stay away!” If it’s not
something we should stay away from, I want you to say, “That’s okay!” (Nonverbal students
could hold up signs.) Here we go:
~ Watching TV shows and movies with a lot of sinful words and actions in them (Stay
away!)
~ Watching Christian movies (That’s okay!)
~ Looking at Bible story books and devotion books (That’s okay!)
~ Looking on the Internet or in magazines at pictures of people not wearing clothes (Stay
away!)
~ Spending lots of time with people who try to get us to do sinful things (Stay away!)
~ Spending lots of time with people who love Jesus (That’s okay!)
Sometimes it is not easy to stay away from sinful things. But we love God, not those sinful
things. We want to keep loving God until we are with him forever in heaven.
Closing the Lesson
Song
“The Spirit Works in Me” stanzas 1 and 2 plus the following stanza 3 (Everyone Sing & Sign,
Northwestern Publishing House):
The Spirit works in me;
Stay away from things
That could hurt your faith.
Prayer
Dear God, many things in this world could hurt our faith. Help us stay away from anything
and anyone who might lead us away from you. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart. (Matthew 22:37)
Set 3 Lesson 12
– Ruth’s Faith
across chest
1
2. Lord—make “L” shape with thumb and index finger of right hand, and
touch the thumb to left shoulder; then move the “L” hand to right hip
2
3
4. all—place both hands in front of body, palms facing in and left hand
behind right hand; sweep right hand under left hand, landing the
backs of the right fingers against the left palm
4
5. heart—using extended index fingers of both hands, trace outline of a
5
heart on left side of the chest
Activities
1. Letter Writing
Write a letter responding to the one from Ruth by completing the letter on Copy Master 2.
the entire group’s responses. (Possible answers/pictures: land [horizontal line with area below it
colored green or brown], friends [two stick people with happy faces holding hands], God [cloud
with rays], God [cloud with rays].)
Set 3 Lesson 12
– Ruth’s Faith
2. Activity Sheet
3. Craft Projects
steps:
q DANGER Sign
~ Photocopy the sign from Copy Master 4 on heavy paper and cut it out.
~ If possible, show the student examples of DANGER signs. (You can find examples on
the Internet.) Explain that such signs warn us about things that could be dangerous to
us.
~ Have the student color the oval around “DANGER” with a red marker or crayon.
~ Remind the student that sinful things can be dangerous to our faith. Encourage the
student to display the sign at home as a reminder to stay away from things that could
hurt his or her faith.
q Doorknob Hanger
~ Photocopy the doorknob hanger from Copy Master 5 onto heavy paper.
~ The student may color the project as desired.
~ Help the student cut out the hanger and cover it with clear self-adhesive paper or
laminate it. Let the student know that the project can be hung on a doorknob or on a
wheelchair.
4. Song
Teach the students the following song. If you wish, let the students clap or play rhythm
instruments as you sing the song together.
(Melody: “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)
Stay away from all things that could hurt your faith.
We have faith in God our Savior,
And we’ll be with him forever.
Set 3 Lesson 12
– Ruth’s Faith
5. Role Play
Help the students role-play ways to stay away from things that could hurt their faith. You
could role-play a situation with a student or help two students role-play a situation. Possible
situations to use:
~ Your roommate invites you to come to a movie. You know that the movie will show many
things that God would not like. What do you say to your roommate?
~ You are at the library looking at things on the Internet. Accidentally you find a site that
contains pictures of people without enough clothes on. What do you do?
~ You have a friend that often tells you to skip church and sleep in on Sunday mornings.
What could you say to your friend? What would you do if your friend laughs at you and
continues to tell you to skip church?
~ You are watching a TV show with your brother. You notice that the characters in the
show use a lot of bad language. What do you do?
~ Some people at work often say unkind things about another worker. What could you say
to them? What would you do if they keep saying unkind things?
Hi! My name is Ruth. I lived long ago in a land where most people
worshiped false gods. But one day a new family moved to our land. They
worshiped the true God. After a while, I married one of the sons of the family.
Then I came to faith in the true God too. I was very happy to believe in God.
Listen carefully to today’s lesson to find out how I showed my faith in God.
You will learn how you can show your faith too.
Your friend,
Ruth
Dear Ruth,
Today I learned that you showed your faith in God when you moved to a
new __________ with Naomi. It must have been hard to leave your family and
__________. But many people in your homeland worshiped false gods. You
wanted to be around people who believed in the true __________.
Many things in the world today could hurt my faith. Those things could even
lead me away from __________. I know that God wants me to stay away from
things that could hurt my faith. I pray that God will help me do this.
____________________
Name _________________________
Don’t Hurt Your Faith
Part
One
1. Did Naomi’s family move to Egypt?
yes
no
2. Did many people in Moab worship the true God?
3. Did Naomi’s sons marry Ruth and Orpah?
yes
yes
no
no
4. Did Naomi decide to go back to the land of God’s people?
5. Did Ruth show her faith
by leaving her homeland and its false gods?
6. Does God want you
to go by things that could hurt your faith?
Part
Two
yes
yes
yes
no
no
no
Cross out things that you should stay away from. Circle things that are okay.
#*x~x#*#!
Rated
XXX
Bible
TV shows with bad language
Christian friends
Sinful movies
Stay away from things that could hurt your faith!
DANGER Sign
AVOID
EVERY KIND
OF EVIL.
1 THESSALONIANS 5:22
Doorknob Hanger
Thank you,
God,
for giving me
faith!

betty lukens flannelgraph

Transcription

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