Prepare

Lesson Preparation

CCome On In

MMemory Verse

Memory Verse

Choose a Memory Verse Game and print/gather necessary items.

  Down the Line

  Egg Hunt

  Look Behind You

  Now You See It

  Review Card Relay

  Stack Em Up

  Your Turn

  Popcorn

Down the Line

Say your part of the verse while passing the spoon—under your left leg with your right hand, that is!

Materials

• Passing Cards
• Plastic spoon
• Cotton ball
• Container

Instructions

Print and cut out one set of the Passing Cards and put them into a container. Have the students line up facing you. Put a cotton ball into the plastic spoon and give it to the student on one end of the line.

Draw a card from the container. The students must pass the spoon from one end of the line and back again according to what the card says, keeping the cotton ball on the spoon (without touching it). For example, they may have to pass the spoon with their left hand or under their right leg! As they pass the spoon, they each must say the next word in the memory verse. If the cotton ball falls or someone says the wrong word, you may have the students start the verse over. Repeat with a new card until the verse has been recited several times.

Try using a larger spoon and balancing a small orange or boiled egg on it!

Egg Hunt

Hunt for all the parts of the memory verse hidden in the eggs! This game can be played all year round. The plastic eggs just happen to be great little containers that can be hidden easily.

Materials

• Flip Chart Memory Verse Page (Pre-K-1) or Memory Verse Poster (included in lesson)
• Strips of paper
• Plastic Easter eggs

Instructions

Write the memory verse on strips of paper with one or two words on each strip. Put one strip inside of each plastic Easter egg. Hide all the eggs around the room.

Have the students search for the eggs and bring them back to the table. They will open the eggs and work together to put the verse in the proper order.

For a larger class, prepare more than one set of eggs (sorted by colors for different teams). Students can work in teams to collect and construct the verse.

Look Behind You

“What does mine say?” “Turn around!” “You go here.” Students help each other get in the right order according to the signs on their backs in this crazy group game.

Materials

• Index cards
• Masking tape

Instructions

Write one or two words from the memory verse on each index card. Tape cards onto students’ backs. Students will work together to put themselves in order according to the memory verse. Once they think they are standing in order, check the verse by reading the words out loud according to how they are standing.

If you have more cards than students, tape more than one card in the proper order on some students. Repeat the game so all students get to participate.

Now You See It

Start out with all the words then erase them one by one. Can you still say the verse?

Materials

• White board
• Marker and eraser for white board

Instructions

Write the memory verse on the board. Recite the verse together. Choose a student to come up to the board and erase one or two words at a time. Have the class recite the entire verse each time another word is erased. Continue erasing words and reciting until all of the words are gone. Then ask students to try reciting the whole verse without any words left on the board.

Review Card Relay

“On your mark, get set, go!” Teams will race to put the memory verse cards in order.

Materials

• Index cards
• Tape or poster putty

Instructions

Write one or two words from the memory verse on each index card. Make one set for each team. Divide the class into teams. Randomly lay out each set of cards facedown on the floor—one set for each team. Put a piece of poster putty or tape on each one.

Have teams line up away from the cards. When the relay begins, the first student in each line will race to the cards, pick one up, and put it on the wall or board. As the relay continues, students will put each card on the board in the proper order. They may need to rearrange the cards to fit others.

When finished, have the class read the verse aloud together.

Stack Em Up

Teams of two will stack the cups in the right order. Add a timer or make it a race!

Materials

• Colored markers
• Foam or plastic cups with the memory verse written on them for each team
• Optional: timer

Instructions

Turn each cup upside down so the stack will have a wide base. On the rim of each cup, write one or two words from the memory verse, including the reference. Make sure the words show when the next cup is stacked on top of it. (See picture below.)

Mix up the cups and have teams stack them up in the correct order. Have teams race against each other or time them as they stack the cups in the correct order.

Your Turn

Students recite the verse taking turns back and forth. Will they remember their parts?

Materials

• Optional: timer

Instructions

Pair the students together. Have each pair stand back to back. Allow pairs to take turns reciting the verse. One student begins with the first word of the memory verse. Then the other student must say the next word. Keep going back and forth until the verse is completed. If a student makes a mistake or can’t remember the right word, allow another pair to try.

After everyone has had a turn, mix up the pairs and repeat. Have students race against a timer for an extra challenge.

Popcorn

Students “pop” up as they say their part of the memory verse. Start out slowly and see how fast you can go!

Materials

• None

Instructions

Have students squat down in a circle. Begin by saying the first word in the memory verse. As you go around the circle, have each student take turns “popping” up as they say the next word then squat back down. Repeat.

You may want to divide the class into two groups. Have the first group pop up and say the first word then squat back down. Then the second group pops up saying the next word and squats back down and so on until the verse is completed. Repeat—going faster and faster!

 

Play the Memory Verse Song(Isaiah 41:10 or Isaiah 41:10 Lyrics Video) to help your students learn the memory verse.

Find extra verses to practice in the Additional Memory Verses list.

Print the Memory Verse Poster for your classroom.

AStudying God’s Word

LLesson Review

Lesson Review

Print one copy of the Review Questions.

Choose a Lesson Review Game and gather necessary items.

  Box Toss

  Bible Baseball

  Draw Dice

  Four in a Row

  Goofy Golf

  Racetrack

  Pick a Point

  Toss for It

Box Toss

Students will answer review questions then toss the beanbag at the holes in the box to gain points for their team.

Materials

• Review Questions
• Medium-sized cardboard box
• Scissors or knife
• Four beanbags
• Masking tape

Instructions

Print one copy of the Review Questions for your use. Use scissors or a knife to cut two or three holes in the bottom of the box. Make sure they are large enough for a beanbag to easily pass through. Label each hole with a point number: 5, 10, and 15. Use masking tape to make a tossing line several feet away from the box.

Divide the class into teams. Have the teams line up behind the line across from the box. Give each team two beanbags. Alternate asking each team a review question. Students who answer correctly will toss the beanbags at the target holes in the box to earn points for their team. If they answer incorrectly, they may toss the beanbags for fun without the points counting. Students will go to the end of the line after tossing the beanbags. Keep score for both teams. Continue play until all questions have been answered correctly and students have all had a chance to toss the beanbags.

Bible Baseball

Students will answer questions and run the bases!

Materials

• Review Questions
• Three chairs set out for bases
• Optional: gift wrap tube and a large balloon

Instructions

Print one copy of the Review Questions for your use. Set out chairs as bases. Have the students line up by the home base area facing you (at the pitcher’s mound). Each student up to “bat” will have a chance to answer a review question. If he can answer it correctly, let him run the bases. If he can’t answer correctly, give the answer and ask him to go to the end of the line and try again.

You may want the students to sit on the chair at each base while they wait to run to the next base or have them run all the way around and return to the line. Repeat the questions until all the students have run around the bases.

For some added fun, you can use a gift wrap tube as a bat and toss a large balloon for students to hit after they answer each question.

Draw Dice

Teams will answer questions and complete a simple drawing to win. Who will finish their drawing first?

Materials

• Review Questions
• One drawing area for each team (paper, white board, etc.)
• Pencils or white board markers
• One die

Instructions

Print one copy of the Review Questions for your use. Divide the class into two teams. Give each team a sheet of paper and a pencil, or divide the white board in half. Draw a mouse on the board as an example.

Ask the first team a question from the lesson. If they answer correctly, have them roll the die.

To begin drawing their mouse, each team must wait until they get a six. They will then draw the mouse’s body on their paper or the board. After they have drawn the body, as they give correct answers to the questions, they can continue to draw the other parts of the mouse according to the numbers they roll.

They can draw according to the numbers below:

6 = body

5 = nose

4 = whiskers

3 = eyes

2 = ears

1 = tail

Continue giving each team a turn to answer a question and roll the die. Repeat the questions as necessary. The first team to finish their mouse wins.

You may choose to draw a simple object from the lesson, such as a crown, an open Bible, a fish, etc. Be sure to assign numbers (as above) to each part of the object to be drawn before the game begins.

Four in a Row

Students will answer questions and add a marker for their team onto the grid. Which team will be the first to get four in a row?

Materials

• Review Questions
• Masking tape
• Red and black paper circles or other markers for each team

Instructions

Print one copy of the Review Questions for your use. Use masking tape to make a 16-section grid on the floor. The grid should be four sections wide by four sections long. Each section should be equal in size. Use eight red circles and eight black circles cut from construction paper or other markers for the two teams.

Divide the students into two teams. Give each team eight markers. They will take turns answering the questions. If they answer correctly, they can put a marker in a square on the grid. The first team to get four markers in a row wins the game.

Goofy Golf

Hit the sock with the noodle? Teams must work together to answer the questions and putt to get a hole-in-one in this crazy golf game!

Materials

• Review Questions
• Swimming noodles or rolled up newspapers
• Rolled up socks
• Masking tape
• Ten sheets of paper
• Markers

Instructions

Print one copy of the Review Questions for your use. Use the markers to number sheets of paper 1–10 (use more or less depending on class size and time). Tape down the sheets of paper around the room in a random pattern to form a golf course. You may want to add chairs as obstacles in the path.

Divide the class into teams. Give each team a rolled up sock and a swimming noodle. Ask the first student a review question from the lesson. If he answers correctly, allow him to use the noodle to drive the rolled up sock toward the first sheet of paper labeled #1. Continue with the next team. Take turns allowing team members to answer questions and continue putting the socks along the course to each hole, continuing from where the last teammate left off. The sock must touch or roll over the sheet of paper to consider it in the hole. The first team to reach the tenth hole wins.

Racetrack

Who will reach the checkered flag first? Teams will race to the finish by answering review questions.

Materials

• Review Questions
• White board or chalkboard
• Markers/chalk
• Optional: paper cutouts for each team (cars, animals, circles, etc.), tape/poster putty

Instructions

Print one copy of the Review Questions for your use. Draw a racetrack on the board. It may be as simple as a straight horizontal path or a curvy circle. Label “Start” and “Finish” (with a checkered flag) at either end of the track. Add numbers along the track (e.g., 1–10) at equal intervals between Start and Finish. The numbers will be used as placement points for the racers as they progress along the track.

Divide the class into teams. You may draw a different symbol (e.g., stick figure, circle, X or O) to represent each team at the Start, or use paper cutouts as team markers and stick them to the board with tape/poster putty.

Ask the first team a review question. If they answer correctly, move their marker or redraw their symbol along the track at #1. If they answer incorrectly, give the next team a chance to answer and move to the first number. If they do not know, give the answer and ask that question again later. Continue to alternate asking review questions and moving teams’ markers along the racetrack according to the numbers along the track. The first team to reach the Finish wins!

Pick a Point

Answer the questions correctly to earn the right to pick a point.

Materials

• Review Questions
• Small paper strips
• Cup or basket

Instructions

Print one copy of the Review Questions for your use. Write various numbers in increments of 5 or 10 on strips of paper to use as point cards. Put the point cards into the cup or basket. Divide students into teams of 4–5 students each. Have each team take turns answering a review question. After each correct answer, let a member of the team draw a point card from the cup.

The number of points on the cards will vary, so the score will have nothing to do with how skilled one team might be. Keep track of each team’s points. If time allows, repeat the questions!

Toss for It

How many points? Toss for it! Students answer the questions and toss the beanbag to earn points for their team.

Materials

• Review Questions
• A deck of numbered cards, or numbers and “wild” written on index cards
• One beanbag
• Masking tape
• Two baskets or containers for cards

Instructions

Print one copy of the Review Questions for your use. Place several rows of numbered cards facedown with a few inches between them to form a grid pattern (make sure to put several wild cards or Jokers down, too). Use the masking tape to make a tossing line several feet from the cards.

Divide students into teams and have them line up behind the tossing line. Ask the first student a review question. If he gives the correct answer, have him toss the beanbag onto a card. Turn the card over to reveal the points he receives for his team. Face cards or word cards are 10 points each. Wild or Jokers are also 10—plus another turn. All other cards are face value.

Have the student pick up his card and put it in the team’s basket to be counted at the end of the game. Next team’s turn. If a student gives an incorrect answer, he should go to the end of the line. Give the answer and repeat that question later. Continue taking turns until all the questions have been answered. Add more cards to the grid if necessary.

GGo to Prayer

Optional Supplements

Hands-On Activities

Video Clips

PowerPoint

Come On In

As students arrive, direct them to the activity you chose for today .

Memory Verse

Studying God’s Word

Introduction

We’ve seen how God protected Moses from Pharaoh and called him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.

Refer to Lesson 53 Theme Poster. Moses and Aaron went before Pharaoh and delivered God’s message to let the Israelites go. But Pharaoh didn’t listen, so God began to send miraculous plagues to show his power.

• Refer to Lesson 54 Theme Poster. Because Pharaoh was stubborn and refused to let the Israelites go, God had to send a tenth and final plague. What was the tenth plague? Death of the firstborn.
• How did God protect the Israelites from this plague? What did he have them do? Kill lambs and spread the blood on their doorposts.

  The blood on the doorposts was a sign for God to pass over their homes without harming their firstborn.

• God also commanded them to eat a meal of lamb, unleavened bread, and bitter herbs. What was the name of this meal? Passover.

  The Passover was celebrated the first time on the night of the tenth plague. But God meant for his people to have this meal every year to remind them of how he rescued them from slavery in Egypt.

God Provided Possessions

For starters today I want you to see something really neat about God’s promise to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. Everyone turn in your Bibles to Genesis 15.

• Slide #5
  • Encourage your students to bring their Bibles to class. If appropriate, have them read the lesson Scriptures.
  Who will read verses 13 and 14? Assign readers.
• Who was God speaking to in these verses? Abram.

  Remember that God later changed Abram’s name to Abraham. These verses are part of the covenant, or special promise, God made to Abram.

• Who did the covenant pass to after Abraham? What was the name of his son? Isaac.
• And after Isaac, the covenant passed to his son Jacob. Who remembers the new name God gave Jacob? Israel.

  Yes, God named Jacob Israel, and Israel’s 12 sons and their descendants became known as the Israelites.

• In verse 13, what three things did God say about Abram’s offspring, or descendants, the Israelites? They would be sojourners in a land that was not theirs. They would be servants (slaves). They would be afflicted for 400 years.

  God told Abram here, hundreds of years before Moses, that the Israelites would live in a land that was not theirs. This land was Egypt. The Israelites were called “sojourners” in Egypt because Egypt did not belong to the Israelites; they belonged in the land that God promised Abram—the land of Canaan. The word afflicted meant that they would suffer terribly as slaves.

• But then God promised he would do something in verse 14. What was it? He would bring judgment on the nation who made the Israelites slaves.
• How did God judge the Egyptians? He sent ten plagues.

  The Egyptians faced ten plagues from God, which were judgments on them for making the Israelites their slaves.

• But what else did God promise in the last part of verse 14? The Israelites would come out with great what? Great possessions.

  Now that the Israelites were free to leave Egypt, how would they come out of Egypt with great possessions? They were slaves, so they didn’t have valuable things. Let’s find out how God fulfilled this part of his promise!

• Slide #6
  Turn to the book after Genesis, which is Exodus. Who will read Exodus 12:35–36? Assign readers.
• What did the Israelites ask the Egyptians for in verse 35? Silver and gold jewelry and clothing.
• And how did the Egyptians respond when the Israelites asked for jewelry and clothing? They gave them what they asked for!

  Moses had told the people to ask the Egyptians for jewelry and clothing. But they didn’t ask until after the tenth plague. By this time, the Egyptians were willing to do anything to get rid of them. It says here that God also gave his people favor in the sight of the Egyptians so that they were willing to give them everything they asked for. This was another miracle that shows that God is powerful and can provide!

  The end of verse 36 says that the Israelites plundered the Egyptians. Plunder usually means taking things from a place or a people by force. But here, God made the Egyptians give their valuable possessions to the Israelites! So his people were leaving Egypt with great possessions, just as God promised Abram hundreds of years earlier.

• Refer to the Attributes of God Poster. Which attribute of God means that he will always keep his promises? Faithful.

  Yes. God was faithful to fulfill his promises to Abram and to Moses and the Israelites.

• Slide #7
  Let’s look at our Class Notes. You will match the shapes to find the answers for each sentence. Who will read #1 and give us the answer? Choose a reader. Abram. Have students complete #1.
• And #2? What did God provide for the Israelites before they left Egypt? Choose a reader. Clothing. Have students complete #2.
• Who will read #3? God kept his promises he made hundreds of years earlier to Abram. What attribute can we see here? Choose a reader. Faithful. Have students complete #3.

The Egyptians Pursued the Israelites

• There’s a word that means many people leaving a place at the same time. Does anyone know what it is? I’ll give you a hint: it’s also a book of the Bible. Exodus.

  An exodus describes the Israelites all leaving Egypt together, and that’s where we get the name of this book of the Bible!

  God led the Israelites out of Egypt, and they headed toward the Red Sea. They left Egypt with their flocks and herds, the nice things they got from the Egyptians, and all their families. There were others in the crowd, too, that went with the Israelites. They were probably slaves and other people from different countries.

  They also carried something else that may seem kind of strange. Back in Genesis, before Joseph died, he made his family promise to take his bones with them when they left Egypt one day. Now, hundreds of years later, the Israelites kept that promise and carried Joseph’s bones with them.

• Slide #8
  But how did the Israelites know which way they were supposed to go out there in the wilderness? Let’s find out. Someone read Exodus 13:21–22 for us. Assign readers.
• Who went before them? The Lord.
• How did the Lord lead the Israelites on their journey? By a pillar of cloud and fire.
  Slide #9

  Slide #10
  Show Lesson Illustrations. God used a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night to guide the people. All they had to do was follow them!
• Did this pillar ever leave them? What does verse 22 say? No. It did not depart from before the people.

  God was faithful to lead them all the way. They were on their way back to the land of Canaan that God had promised hundreds of years earlier when he first spoke to Abraham.

• Slide #11
  Let’s find out how Pharaoh felt after letting the Israelites go. Who will read Exodus 14:5? Assign a reader.
• Uh oh! What did Pharaoh think now that the Israelites were gone? He changed his mind about having let them go.

  God had told Moses that he would harden Pharaoh’s heart again to show the Egyptians that he was the one true God. After going through ten plagues that showed their false gods were powerless, the Egyptians still hadn’t learned the lesson!

• Why do you think Pharaoh and his people were sorry they let the Israelites go? Allow discussion. They lost all their slaves!

  Who would they have to make bricks, work in the fields, and build their cities now that the Israelites were gone? They’d lost over 600,000 male slaves in a single night! The whole group with women and children could have been over 2 million people! And they all left Egypt.

So what would Pharaoh do now? Someone read Exodus 14:6–8 for us. Assign readers.

• What did they decide to do about losing their slaves? Chase after them to get them back.
• That’s right! Pharaoh got his army and his chariots and raced after the Israelites. How many chariots did Pharaoh have? 600 chosen chariots and other chariots of Egypt.

  He had over 600 chariots, which meant that Pharaoh’s army was fast and powerful! A horse and chariot could easily catch up to people on foot.

• Slide #13
  Let’s answer a few more questions in our Class Notes. For #4, what word means people all leaving a place together? Choose a reader. Exodus. Have students complete #4.
• And how did God lead his people for #5? Choose a reader. Pillar. Have students complete #5.

  Right. The pillar of cloud led them during the day and the pillar of fire led them during the night.

• And #6? What did Pharaoh have that made his army so frightening? Choose a reader. Chariots. Have students complete #6.

God Parted the Red Sea

The Israelites had left Egypt boldly, but they didn’t know the Egyptians would chase them. Let’s act out what happened from Exodus 14. I need two volunteers to be Moses and Pharaoh. The rest of the class will be either Israelites or Egyptians. Follow the script and instructions in the Red Sea Reenactment.

Great job acting out the parting of the Red Sea, everyone! Have students put chairs back and return to their seats.

Let’s finish our Class Notes to see what you remember from the account you just acted out.

• Who will answer #7? How did God save the Israelites when they were trapped between the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s army? Choose a reader. Parting. Have students complete #7.
• But what happened to the Egyptians in #8? Choose a reader. Drowned. Have students complete #8.

Application

Refer to the Lesson Theme Posters. We saw some great examples of God’s faithfulness today. He delivered the Israelites from slavery and brought them out of Egypt with great possessions—an event we call the Exodus. They needed direction in the wilderness, and God provided it through the pillar of cloud and fire. Then they needed protection from Pharaoh and his great army, and God provided it by parting the Red Sea. But when they saw Pharaoh’s army coming, the Israelites panicked and blamed Moses.

We might think they weren’t very smart to think that God would just leave them now after all he had done for them. But sometimes it’s easy to forget that God is faithful. We panic and get scared and try to figure things out on our own. But that’s not what God wants us to do. He wants us to bring every problem to him and trust him to lead us and help us through every situation.

• What are some times when you’ve had to trust God? Times when it was hard? Allow discussion or share a personal example.

  We’ll have times in our lives when we need God to provide something, give us direction on an important decision, or protect us from sin or wrong choices. When we’re in these situations, it’s important to trust God and turn to him first in prayer instead of worrying, getting scared, or blaming others. This is hard to do, but with God’s help, we can trust him completely because he is faithful!

Lesson Review

We encourage you to play a lesson review game.

Group Prayer

Be sure to pray with your students and take requests if time allows.

• Thank God for his faithfulness to the Israelites.
• Ask God for help to trust him completely and to not be fearful or blame others.