LEADERS HUB
Year 1, Term 3, Week 1: Ideas for Middle Group
Week 1: God Loves his People - And Sends a Rescuer
Lesson Objective:
God wanted his people, Israel to have a relationship with him. He asked Moses to lead them out of slavery so they could worship him freely.
Bible Passage:
Exodus 3:1-21 (Moses and the burning bush)
Memory Verse:
Exodus 3:8- And I have come down to rescue them from the Egyptians. I will bring my people out of Egypt into a country where there is good land, rich with milk and honey.
Story Idea: Act it Out!
Before the lesson:
- Set up a pot plant or small tree
- Twine a set of fairy lights through it or cut flame shapes from red/orange/yellow paper and stick it to the tree
- Dress one of the kids as Moses using robes from the costume cupboard, choose a child to be the voice of God
- Download and print the Moses/God conversation lines
Tell the story:
- Sit beside the bush and have Moses stand nearby, have a child sit behind the bush to provide the voice of God
- Narrate the story and have the kids act along with you, reading out their lines:
Narrator:
- Moses was out in the dessert, looking after some sheep and goats
- Moses had run away because He had done the wrong thing, He was hiding
- But God had a SPECIAL job for Moses and wanted to get his attention...
- Moses was walking in the fields and saw a bush that was on fire, but wasn't getting burned
- Moses thought this was VERY strange so he went to take a look...
- Suddenly, God SPOKE to Moses from the bush...
God: MOSES, MOSES!
Moses: Here I am!
God: Take off your shoes, you're standing on holy ground
*Moses takes off shoes*
God: I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
Narrator:
- Moses was scared - GOD was speaking to HIM! So he hid his face...
- God had a special job for Moses and wanted to get his attention - God's people were in trouble and He wanted Moses to help!
God: My people are slaves in Egypt and I have heard them crying for my help! I want to save them and bring them to a special land where they will have freedom and everything they need! I am sending you to rescue my people from Egypt
Moses: Who, me?! Who am I to go and save your people from the Pharoah!
God: I am sending you and I will be with you the whole time!
Quiz Questions:
1. What was Moses doing in the dessert and why? Hiding because he'd done something wrong
2. What was strange about the bush? It was on fire but not burning up
3. Who did God want to save? His people
4. What was He saving His people from? Being slaves
5. What did God ask Moses to do? Go to Egypt and help save His people
6. What did Moses think about that? He didn't believe He could do it
7. What did God promise to do for Moses? To be with him
8. Why do you think God wanted to save His people? Because He cared for them
9. Can we trust God when He asks us to do something? Yes
10. How do you know we can trust God? The Bible tells us, God is powerful - He can make a tree be on fire but not burning! We can see how God has been trustworthy in the Bible and in other people's lives etc.
Game Idea: Burning Bush
- Have the kids walk around in a circle to music and the leader (the bush) stand in the middle with their arms by their side
- At some point, the leader waves their arms in the air like flames and gives a direction (eg. jump, hop, crawl, sit, walk backwards etc.) and all of the kids must follow the direction if they wave their arms, but if their arms are NOT waving, the kids should carry on as before
- When kids make a mistake, they are out and should sit to the side
- Once the kids get the hang of the game, allow them a turn in the centre as the 'bush' controlling everyone's movements
Remind the kids that God used the burning bush to talk to Moses, God can use all sorts of ways to talk to us!
Craft Idea: Burning Tree Craft
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Before the lesson:
- Download and print the bush outline on green paper (one page per child) and cut out the four bushes
- Gather toilet rolls and four slits in the top (a little triangle cut at the top of the slit helps threading the tree part in)
- Gather glue, scissors and pens
Have the kids:
- Fold the four bush parts in half and glue them together as shown
- Cut flame shapes from cellophane and tissue paper, then glue them to the top of the bush
- Decorate the tree with pens
Prayer Idea: Circle Prayer!
- Remind the kids that we can talk to God, just like Moses did! If we are unsure or need help, we can ask God to be with us, just like He said he would be with Moses!
- Sit in a circle and allow the kids to pray and ask God to help them to do what God wants or to ask God to be with them when they are unsure
