LEADERS HUB
Year 1, Term 2, Week 7: Ideas for Middle Group
Week 7: Obeying God - When we Feel Weak
Lesson Objective:
Gideon obeyed God even though he felt he was not big or strong enough to do what God asked him. We should be like Gideon, and obey God even if it seems difficult!
Bible Passage:
Judges 6:1-7, 11-16, Judges 7: 2-8, 16-22
Memory Verse:
Judges 6:16 – ‘Gideon,’ the Lord answered, ‘you can rescue Israel because I am going to help you!’
Story Idea: Watch It!
- Ask the kids if they have ever felt too small or not strong enough to do something, and hear their responses
- Tell them that today's story is about a man who felt just like that - too small and weak to do God's work, but he trusted God and God helped him!
Quiz Questions:
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1. How did Gideon feel when God asked him to lead the army and save His people? Scared, unsure
2. Why did Gideon think he couldn't do what God had asked? He was small and weak compared to so many others
3. How did Gideon ask God to show him that the message really was from God? Make the fleece wet and the ground dry, then make the ground dry and the fleece wet
4. Did God perform these miracles to show Gideon that He could be trusted? Yes
5. God made Gideon's army much smaller - how many men were left at the end? 300
6. Did God help Gideon and his army win the battle and save the Israelites? Yes
7. What weapons did Gideons army use? Torches in jars and trumpets
8. Gideon's tiny army beat the Midianites massive army with only lights and trumpets, why do you think that shows that God was with them? They couldn't have won the battle on their own with only that many men!
9. Can we trust God to help us to do the things he wants us to do, even if they seem hard or scary? Yes
10. How do we know we can trust God? He has shown us many times in the Bible that He can be trusted, just like he showed Gideon many times that He could be trusted!
Game Idea: Ping Pong Ball Relay
- Split the kids into two teams, making one team significantly smaller than the other/s
- Give each team two buckets - one with a pile of ping pong balls (or other similar sized objects) at one side of the room and an empty one at the other
- Give each child a teaspoon
- Have the teams work together to carry ping pong balls (egg and spoon style) from one bucket to the other, starting again if they drop the ball
- The first team to transfer all balls wins (the small team should lose as they have less people to carry balls)
- For the second round, give the small team each a large soup ladle so they can carry many balls at once - they should win now!
Remind the kids that God helped Gideon win the victory with the smaller army - God helps us do His work, even if we feel too small or young to be able to!
Craft Idea: Gideon Lantern Jar
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Before the lesson:
- Gather some old jars, string, hot glue gun, tissue paper, glue and fake tea light candles
- Glue a length of string to either side of the top of the jar to make a handle, then wrap string around the top of the jar to cover where the handle is glued, gluing in place at each end
- Download and print the message reminder tag, cut out one per child and punch a hole in it, tying a string through the hole
Have the kids:
- Tear or cut off bits of tissue paper and glue them to the jar
- Tie their message reminder tag to the handle
- Turn a tea light on and place it in the jar so that the interesting light effects can show through the outside
Remind the kids that Gideon and the army defeated the Midianites with nothing but light jars and trumpets because God was with them! God helps us when we feel weak too!
