Burning Bush Sunday School Lesson
Burning BushΒ Sunday School Lesson For Kids:
BOTTOM LINE:
God can give us the courage to face new things.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will learn that new things do not have to be scary.
KEY PASSAGE:
Exodus 3:1-14, 4:1-17. Moses and the Burning Bush
MEMORY VERSE:
βWhen I am afraid, I put my trust in you.β- Psalm 56:3 (NIV)
SUMMARY:
New things can be scary; whether it's starting at a new school, making new friends, or just trying something you've never done before. But with God by our side and leading us, we don't have to be afraid.
SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Help us to trust you and remember you are with us so that we will not be afraid of new things.
In Jesusβname,
Amen
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MEMORY VERSE
βWhen I am afraid, I put my trust in you.β - Psalm 56:3 (NIV)
βWhen Iβm afraid, I put my trust in you.β- Psalm 56:3 (NIrV)
LARGE GROUP:
Put the verse on the big screen and read it aloud with the kids.
SMALL GROUP:
Ask the kids what they think the writer was trying to say when he wrote these words. Then ask them how this verse is connected to todayβs story.
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SKIT
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THEY HAD TO MOVE
ITEM NEEDED:
A briefcase
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:
2M/2F
CHARACTERS:
Dad
Mom
Katie
A scary movie announcer
Dad walks on stage with his briefcase. Katie runs on and hugs him.
KATIE: Daddy, youβre home!
DADDY: Hi, Katie! Whereβs your Mom?
Mom enters.
MOM: Oh there you are, dear! Whatβs this big news you have for us?
DAD: Exciting news, guys. I got a new job!
MOM: You did?
DAD: Thatβs right, I got a new job! And that means, weβre going to have to move!
Mom lets out a blood-curdling scream.
ANNOUNCER: Coming soon to a theater near you, the most terrifying motion picture you have ever seen. They had a happy life in a nice house and a nice town. They had a great church and great schools. But that all changed whenβ¦They Had to Move!
KATIE: Move? You mean to a new house?
DAD: Not just a new house, a new city! New Bern, North Carolina! Weβll have a new house, a new church, and youβll go to a new school!
Mom screams again.
ANNOUNCER: Watch in horror as a familyβs life is turned upside down! They were forced into the unknown whenβ¦They Had to Move!
KATIE: But Daddy, Iβll have to leave all my friends! I want to stay here with my church friends and my school friends. And what about my dance class?
DAD: Weβll find you a new dance class, and I know youβll make lots of new friends at a new church and school. Look at your mom. Sheβs excited about making new friends, arenβt you, honey?
Mom screams again.
ANNOUNCER: Thereβs nothing more terrifying than something new, and everything will be new for the Newsome family in this yearβs scariest motion picture, They Had to Move!
Mom screams again.
ANNOUNCER: Oh knock it off, already! Thatβs really annoying.
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OBJECT LESSON
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ITEM NEEDED:
A βnewβ product from the grocery store Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β
Bring in something βnewβ that you found at the grocery store. Ask if anyoneβs tried it yet, and offer some of the kids a sample.
When food companies release new products, they go to a lot of trouble and expense to let people know about it. Do you know why? Because people donβt like to try new things. Most people buy the same brands every week. They do it because they know the brand and they like the brand. If you try something new, thereβs a chance youβll discover that you like it. Thereβs also a fear that you wonβt like it, and youβll feel like you wasted your money.
It seems strange how weβre afraid of new things. New can be exciting. It can bring new discoveries and even adventure. But new is scary because itβs something unknown. And when something new is something big - like a new school or a new home - it can be even scarier!
We donβt have to be afraid of new things. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and when new things and new experiences come our way, that same God we know will be with us.
New is a chance to grow, to learn, and to see what God has in store for us. Donβt be afraid of new things. Embrace them, and let God take away your fears.
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LARGE GROUP GAME
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RECYCLED LEGOS
ITEMS NEEDED:
Two Lego buildings
INSTRUCTIONS:
Prior to the game, build two Lego buildings or other Lego structures. They can be identical or different, as long as they have the same number of pieces.
Choose two Lego masters from the audience. Give them 90 seconds to turn their Lego building into something new - a vehicle, a car, a creature, anything - using the same number of Legos. Ask the kids to describe their new creation.
VARIATION:
Feel free to alter the number of participants by providing more than two structures or choosing teams of two rather than individuals.
WHATβS THE POINT?
New things can be scary, but God will help us to face new things with excitement.
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LARGE GROUP LESSON
BOTTOM LINE:
God can give us the courage to face new things.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will learn that new things do not have to be scary.
KEY PASSAGE:
Exodus 3:1-14, 4:1-17. Moses and the Burning Bush
INTRO
What do you think of when you think about scary things? My guess is many of you think about scary movies and scary stories. When we think about fear and things that make us afraid, we think about things like vampires, zombies, and monsters. We think of werewolves and witches and ghosts.
Monsters, monster movies, and monster stories can certainly give us a fright, but are those the things that scare us the most? Not really. Sure, they can make you jump, but at the end of the day, monsters are just stories. Theyβre fiction. Theyβve got nothing on really scary things.
Over the next few weeks, weβre going to talk about some really scary things, things that are real and things that frighten kids and adults. And since this is a new series, why donβt we start with something new.
You donβt always think about fear when you hear the word βnewβ. New can be exciting, especially if itβs something cool like a new toy. But new can also be scary. How many of you have had to sit next to the new kid at school? Even scarier, how many of you have been the new kid at school? How many of you have had to transfer to a new school? Or move to a new house? How many of you have moved to a new town?
New things are scary because they are unknown. We donβt like new things because we want things to stay the same, to stay comfortable. But as Moses found out in todayβs scripture, new can be an exciting beginning and the start of a new adventure.
READ EXODUS 3:1-14, 4:1-17
MAIN POINT
Moses was a shepherd. He had been a shepherd for forty years, living in the wilderness with his family. He was content. He was happy. He had no ambitions of being anything other than a shepherd.
Then one day, Moses saw something new - a burning bush. God spoke to Moses through the bush, and God called Moses to do something new. You see, Moses was no ordinary shepherd. He was a Jew who was raised in the palace of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Moses knew the current Pharaoh from his childhood, and Moses was uniquely qualified to lead Godβs people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.
Moses was just like any of us. He was afraid. He didnβt want to go and leave the life he knew. But God had a plan for Moses, and he wanted to do great things through Moses. If Moses didnβt go, he would miss out not only on something new, but on something amazing!
DRIVE IT HOME
When we talk about Moses, we usually focus on what a great leader he was. We look at the stories of Moses talking to Pharaoh, and we look at the stories where Moses helps the Israelites learn about God.
We donβt often talk about all the excuses Moses made for not obeying God. Moses was scared. He was happy where he was, and he wasnβt ready to give it up for something new. But God persuaded Moses to have courage, and Moses became a great hero.
We all feel like Moses when weβre faced with big changes. No one wants to move and leave his friends behind. No one likes changing schools and having to make all new friends. No one likes when a favorite pastor leaves a church. We get nervous when anything changes.
The truth is thereβs only one thing that never changes, and thatβs God. The Bible tells us God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. God is the one thing we can always count on to never change, and God uses new things to remind us that he is the one and only thing that will always remain unchanging.
You canβt stay in first grade forever. You have to go on to second grade, and then third, and so on. Your favorite TV show wonβt stay the same forever. Even the people you love are changing, growing up, and growing older. Even you are changing, and if youβre following after Christ, God is making you into something new.
Nothing stays the same except our God, so donβt be afraid of new things. Embrace the new things. Welcome the challenges they bring. Ask God to give you courage to face the new things that come your way, and expect God to do exciting things when new things happen to you.
CLOSE WITH A SIMPLE PRAYER
Dear God,
Help us to trust you and remember you are with us so that we will not be afraid of new things.
In Jesusβname,
Amen
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SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (K-2ND)
ICEBREAKER
Whatβs something new that youβve tried recently?
MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY
Psalm 56:3
Ask the kids what they think the writer was trying to say when he wrote these words. Then ask them how this verse is connected to todayβs story.
SMALL GROUP GAME/ACTIVITY
Have the kids study the classroom closely. Then have them close their eyes (or briefly exit the class) while you place something new in the room. Have the kids open their eyes and try to figure out what the new item is. You can repeat this several times.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Exodus 3:1-14, 4:1-17
Who was Moses, and what did he do for a living?
What new thing did Moses discover on the mountain?
What new thing did God ask Moses to do?
What excuses did Moses make for not obeying God?
What should we do when we have to face or try something new?
SIMPLE PRAYER
Dear God,
Help us to not be afraid when you ask us to try new things. Give us courage, and make us ready when you send new things our way.
In Jesusβname,
Amen
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SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (3RD-5TH)
ICEBREAKER
Whatβs something new that youβve tried recently?
MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY
Psalm 56:3
Ask the kids what they think the writer was trying to say when he wrote these words. Then ask them how this verse is connected to todayβs story.
SMALL GROUP GAME/ACTIVITY
Have the kids study the classroom closely. Then have them close their eyes (or briefly exit the class) while you place something new in the room. Have the kids open their eyes and try to figure out what the new item is. You can repeat this several times.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Exodus 3:1-14, 4:1-17
What new thing did God ask Moses to do?
What excuses did Moses make for not obeying God?
Why are we so resistant to new things?
What should we do when we have to face or try something new?
How can God help us when we are faced with something new?
SIMPLE PRAYER
Dear God,
Help us to not be afraid when you ask us to try new things. Give us courage, and make us ready when you send new things our way.
In Jesusβname,
Amen
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For your convenience, you can also download the entire PDF version of thisΒ Burning Bush Children's Ministry LessonΒ (just click the link).Β
Here's a video from Saddleback kids that you might find helpful to go along with your Sunday School Lesson on the Burning Bush.
Take a look at the links below for other ideas for teaching a Burning BushΒ Sunday School Lesson:Β
Moses and the Burning Bush - Children's Sermons
God Calls Moses Through the Burning Bush Sunday School Lesson
Sunday School Curriculum - The Story of Moses - DLTK-Bible
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