BIG PICTURE QUESTION & ANSWER WHAT IS GOD LIKE? God is holy, loving, and good. Moses needed help to lead God’s people. God does not want believers to follow Jesus alone. He gives us brothers and sisters of faith who can help us love God, obey God, and tell others about Him. MEMORY VERSE READ THE STORY: Moses and the Israelites had experienced a harrowing journey from Egypt into the wilderness. They made their way toward Midian, a land familiar to Moses. As a young man, Moses had fled from Egypt to Midian after he killed an Egyptian. (See Ex. 2:11-15.) Exodus 2 describes Moses’ first interaction with Jethro (also referred to as Reuel, Ex. 2:18), the priest of Midian. Moses rescued Jethro’s seven daughters from some shepherds at a well and drew water for their sheep. Jethro invited Moses to dinner. Moses stayed with Jethro and married his daughter Zipporah. Moses and Zipporah had two sons. Moses’ family had been staying with Jethro, and now they were coming to meet with Moses in the wilderness—at the same place where God had spoken to Moses through the burning bush. Moses told Jethro about all the good things God had done for Israel, and Jethro rejoiced. As the leader of God’s people, Moses had the job of judging the people. Anyone who had any reason to complain stood around Moses all day, waiting to present their case. Jethro observed Moses’ long and lonely work, and he confronted Moses about it. Judging all the people was too much responsibility for one person. Jethro gave Moses advice about leading the people. Simply, don’t lead alone. He encouraged Moses to choose trustworthy men to act as judges over smaller groups of people. These men would judge the minor cases and bring the major cases to Moses. Then Moses would not have to work so much, and the people would not have to wait so long to solve their problems. Moses followed his father-in-law’s advice. Moses needed others to help him lead God’s people and teach them God’s laws. God does not want believers to follow Jesus alone. He gives us brothers and sisters of faith who can help us love God, obey God, and tell others about Him. As you spend time with your kids this week, emphasize the importance of cooperation and humility in wisely carrying out God’s mission of making Jesus known. Check this session’s Activity Page and Big Picture Card as well as the Gospel Project for Kids Family App for ways to interact with the Bible content this week. FAMILY STARTING POINTS
0 Comments
BIG PICTURE QUESTION & ANSWER WHAT IS GOD LIKE? God is holy, loving, and good. God provided for the physical needs of His people. God provided manna for His people’s physical hunger. The Israelites needed bread to live for a little while, but whoever has Jesus will live forever! MEMORY VERSE READ THE STORY: The Israelites’ future looked bright. The Lord, through Moses, had rescued them from slavery in Egypt. He fought for them, displaying His power by parting the Red Sea and subsequently destroying Egypt’s army. God was working out His plan to bring the Israelites to the promised land, the land God promised to Abraham’s family. But the journey from Egypt to Canaan was not direct. The Lord led His people into the wilderness. The Israelites’ bright future seemed to fade. Their dry mouths and rumbling, empty stomachs produced complaints and accusations. They doubted the Lord’s goodness. The Israelites traveled three days into the wilderness and were unable to find water. When they found water at Marah, they must have rushed to it—only to find the water was too bitter to drink. The people grumbled to Moses. Of course, Moses had no power to change the water. But the Lord did. Moses cried out to the Lord, and He showed Moses a tree. Moses threw the tree into the water, and the water became drinkable. Then the Israelites moved farther into the wilderness. Their hunger produced despair: “If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt … Instead, you brought us into this wilderness to … die of hunger!” (Ex. 16:3). Again, the Lord gave the Israelites what they needed. Moses and Aaron explained the purpose behind the Lord’s provision: “You will know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt” (Ex. 16:6). God sent bread from heaven and quail for the Israelites to eat. They ate manna in the wilderness for 40 years. As you talk to your children this week, remind them that the Lord is our Provider. In the New Testament, Jesus said that He is the Bread of life. (John 6:31-35) God provided manna from heaven for His people’s physical hunger, and later He provided His Son, Jesus, for our spiritual hunger. The Israelites needed bread to live for a little while, but whoever has Jesus will live forever! Check this session’s Activity Page and Big Picture Card as well as the Gospel Project for Kids Family App for ways to interact with the Bible content this week. FAMILY STARTING POINTS
BIG PICTURE QUESTION & ANSWER IS THERE ANYTHING GOD CANNOT DO? God can do all things according to His character. Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, and God parted the Red Sea for His people to cross. The Bible says that Jesus is greater than Moses. MEMORY VERSE READ THE STORY:
The crossing of the Red Sea is an event in history that displays God’s grace, remembered for generations as God’s mighty redemptive act. God had clearly shown His power in Egypt through the plagues; now He was about to do something even greater. Instead of leading the Israelites into the wilderness, God instructed Moses to turn back so that the Egyptians would think they were lost. God purposefully hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that he would pursue the Israelites. Why? “Then I will receive glory by means of Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD” (Ex. 14:4). Imagine the fear the Israelites felt as they saw the Egyptians pursuing them. They expressed it in their complaints to Moses. (See Ex. 14:11.) Moses spoke up to calm them: “The LORD will fight for you” (Ex. 14:14). The Lord did fight for them. All night long, the Lord kept a pillar of a cloud between the Egyptians’ chariots and the Israelites. Then He instructed Moses to stretch out his hand; God drove back the sea with a powerful east wind. By faith, the Israelites passed through on dry ground! (See Heb. 11:29.) When Pharaoh and the Egyptians followed after them, the waters came back and covered the entire army of Pharaoh. None of them survived. As you talk to your kids this week, press into their hearts that Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, and God provided a way for them to escape through the Red Sea. The Bible says that Jesus is greater than Moses. (Hebrews 3:3) People who trust in Jesus escape the penalty of sin and have eternal life. God didn’t make a way of salvation for us because we deserve it but because of who He is: a gracious and loving God who created us to know and love Him. Check this session’s Activity Page and Big Picture Card as well as the Gospel Project for Kids Family App for ways to interact with the Bible content this week. |
ghc kids ministryWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
December 2023
|