Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Welcome (1 minute)

Welcome back to the second lesson of our Superbook adventure called “The Birth of Moses.” I would like two people to tell me something that Moses did in the Bible. He led God’s people out of Egypt, he received the Ten Commandments, he floated in a basket, he lived in Pharaoh’s palace, he was a shepherd, etc.

In today’s lesson, we will learn that God had a plan for Moses. He would grow up to set God’s people free from slavery! God has a plan to set us free from sin and death!

SuperTruth and Discussion (1 minute)

Our SuperTruth today is: “God has a plan and purpose for my life.” Let’s say that together: “God has a plan and purpose for my life.”

Have you ever planned to do something or go somewhere, but things didn’t seem to go right? Children respond.

As we live our lives, sometimes we face trials, and things don’t seem to make sense. We can trust that God has a plan and purpose for us as we faithfully do what He asks us to do. Let’s watch a short version of our Bible story about God’s plan for Moses and his whole family. If you have seen it before, watch and listen carefully for what his family prays as they place him in a basket.

Introduce Condensed Bible Story (1 minute)

If all children watched the Bible story video in the previous lesson, you may skip it here and go straight to the Bible Background Video.

Play Video 4: Condensed Bible Story (10 minutes)

Superbook takes Chris, Joy, and Gizmo to ancient Egypt. When Pharaoh decrees that all infant Hebrew boys must be thrown into the Nile, Moses’ parents hide him at home, then put him in a floating basket on the river. Pharaoh’s daughter discovers and adopts the baby, then Miriam arranges for their own mother to become his nurse.

Condensed Bible Story

Video Discussion (2 minutes)

Let’s talk about some people who were part of God’s plan in this Bible story.

Who rescued Moses from the basket in the river? Pharaoh’s daughter, the princess.

Who spoke to Pharaoh’s daughter about caring for Moses? Miriam, Moses’ sister.

Whom did Miriam get to take care of the baby? Miriam and Moses’ mother, Jochebed.

Imagine for a moment that you are Moses’ mother. You had just put your precious baby in a basket in a river, wondering if you’d ever see him again. Now you’ve been asked to take care of him until he’s older. How would you feel? Excited, thankful, surprised, amazed.

God had a plan and purpose for Moses to fulfill. When he grew up, Moses rescued God’s people from slavery in Egypt!

Introduce Bible Background Video (1 minute)

In today’s Bible Background video, we’ll learn more about the time when Moses lived. Be ready for Gizmo’s questions! Wait for him to give some answers, then call out the one you think is right!

Play Video 5: Bible Background (6 minutes)

Bible Background Video

Play Video 10B: SuperVerse Graphic

Graphic loops 2.5 minutes without audio; turn off or freeze video after children repeat the verse.

10B SuperVerse Graphic

SuperVerse Discussion (1 minute)

The SuperVerse today is Exodus 4:12 (NLT):

Can you guess who said this? God.

This verse is from the book of Exodus, and it might give you a clue to this question: who did God say this to? Moses.

God had a plan to rescue His people, and Moses was a big part of His plan. This is what God told Moses when he was grown up, giving him the confidence to go to Pharaoh in Egypt.

Let’s say this verse together:

As we fulfill God’s purpose for our lives, we can go in confidence, knowing He is with us and will help us.

Children will have more time to learn the SuperVerse in Small Group. If they are not able to memorize the entire verse, be sure they understand its meaning.

Prayer and Send-Off (1 minute)

Let’s pray. Heavenly Father, we praise You that You have a wonderful plan and purpose for each of us. Thank You for giving us the Holy Spirit to reveal Your plan as we seek You and live according to Your Word each day. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.

In Small Group today, you will follow a plan that was created just for you in a game called “Step by Step.” Are you ready to stick with the plan, no matter what everyone else is doing? Let’s go find out!

Teachers take children to Small Group classes for Grades 1–3 and 4–6. If the combined group is small, all children may stay together for Small Group time.

Game

Step by Step: Play a game to follow a plan.

In Large Group, you were asked to watch for what Moses’ family prayed as they placed him in the basket. What did they pray? They asked the Lord to keep him safe.

Did God answer their prayer? Yes.

God kept Moses safe and used him in a wonderful plan to free His people from slavery!

Divide the children into two equal teams. Give a Plan Card to each player. Explain that they must follow the numbers in order; there are lots of different plans, so they should be careful to follow their own plan, not someone else’s!

Point out the number cards that are in five different places in the room. Begin the game. The first player from each team will start the game and follow their individual plan, walking quickly from number to number in order. The player will then return to the back of the team’s line. Be ready to assist children with special needs.

The first team to complete their plans wins. If time permits, play another round. Gather the cards, shuffle them, and hand one to each player. As the game progresses, call out a new way to travel, sometimes twice during a player’s turn, such as walk backward, skip, hop on one foot, etc.

Discuss how we are sometimes thrown curves in our plans and have to adjust and deal with them.

Conclusion: Was everyone’s plan the same? No.

What can we learn about God’s plan and purpose for each of us from this game? We can’t look at what others are called to do. Each of us needs to find out what our specific plan and purpose is and do it faithfully. Each of us has a unique plan.

God had big plans for Moses. Many ups and downs happened in Moses’ life—and we will experience ups and downs in our lives, too. We must continue to trust in God’s plan and not allow anything to “throw us” off His path. Now, let’s learn more about fulfilling God’s plan and purpose for our lives.

Teaching

40–40–40: Discuss God’s plan and purpose for Moses and each of us.

I would like someone to say the SuperTruth aloud: “God has a plan and purpose for my life.”

Raise your hand if you believe this SuperTruth applies to you. Children respond.

The Israelites were slaves in Egypt for many years. As we saw in the video, they endured long days of backbreaking labor under the cruel Egyptian taskmasters, who kept pushing them to do even more work—and faster! The Hebrew workers were forced to make bricks from mud and straw. Then they carried the dry bricks to a building site. This was no easy task!

Bible scholars say that the bricks used in big Egyptian building projects were much larger and heavier than bricks typically used today. They were over a foot square and more than three inches thick. Imagine carrying those all day, every day, in the hot sun! The people may have wondered if God had forgotten about them, yet God heard every cry! (See Exodus 2:23–25.)

God had a plan to rescue His people, but it would not happen immediately; that is where Moses came in!

Have a volunteer tape the “Baby Moses” plate to the wall. Moses’ life can be divided into three periods of forty years each. Moses was born, and his family hid him for three months. Then Pharaoh’s daughter rescued Moses from what river? The Nile.

Moses’ mother was then hired by Pharaoh’s daughter to raise him until he was old enough to live with the princess. Bible scholars say this could have been for several years. This could give Moses’ family the opportunity to teach him about the Hebrew people and Almighty God. What an important purpose Moses’ family fulfilled in God’s plan!

After this, Moses lived in the princess’s court. Acts 7:22 says:

God was giving Moses an education and the leadership skills to lead God’s people out of Egypt, right in Pharaoh’s house! Have a volunteer tape the “40” plate to the right of the first plate.

When Moses was 40 years old, he saw how cruelly the Egyptian taskmasters were treating the Hebrew slaves. He defended a Hebrew worker and killed an Egyptian who was mistreating him. Moses may have wanted to help his people, but that was not a wise way to do it. He had to flee from Pharaoh and go to the wilderness in Midian where he became a shepherd. (See Acts 7:23–29.)

God was teaching him humility and how to lead people by caring for sheep! What are some things a shepherd might do that would prepare him for leading people? He must provide sheep with protection, care, guidance, food, rest, and water, and find those who wander.

Have a volunteer tape the “80” plate next to the “40” plate. Moses was a shepherd in the wilderness for forty years. So how old was he now? 80.

When he was 80 years old, God called him from the burning bush to go back to Egypt and confront Pharaoh! Moses made many excuses before He finally submitted to God’s purpose and plan for him. But he obeyed—and he led God’s people out of Egypt and through the wilderness for forty years. How old was he then? 120!

Have a volunteer tape the “120” plate next to the “80” plate. Deuteronomy 34:7 says that Moses was 120 years old when he died after leading God’s people to the edge of the Promised Land.

Conclusion: The Israelites were slaves in Egypt. It was not God’s plan and purpose for the Israelites to stay in bondage, making bricks for the Egyptians day after day, year after year. God had a much higher purpose for His people—to worship and serve Him!

God has a higher calling for us; also, He does not want us to be slaves to sin and live without purpose. Ephesians 2:10 says:

Through Christ, we are set free to worship and serve God and to do the good things He created us for. In Christ, we can fulfill our purpose and His plan! Now let’s do our Discipleship Challenge to learn more about the “I AM” statements of Jesus and how they can strengthen our faith as we live for God.

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Give any child who missed Lesson 1 an “I AM” Wheel. Show children the sample craft made in Lesson 1 and have them assemble the craft at home. Hold up the sample craft.

Last time, your challenge was to learn the first two “I Am” statements of Jesus. I would like two volunteers to each name one.

1. I am the Bread of Life

2. I am the Light of the World.

Did anyone accept the bonus challenge of memorizing one or both of the verses? If so, would you like to try to say one or both now? Children respond.

#1: John 6:35:  

#2: John 8:12:

What does it mean to you that Jesus is the Bread of Life? Children respond.

And what does it mean to you that Jesus is the Light of the World? Children respond.

As we discussed in our last lesson, knowing these things about Jesus can help us grow spiritually and tell others about Him. It also helps us when we pray, knowing that Jesus can meet every need! For example, we could pray something like, “Dear Jesus, You are the Bread of Life; I trust that You will supply all of my needs today.”

Hold up the sample “I AM” wheel. The next challenge is to look up and learn the #3 and #4 “I AM” statements on your wheels and then fill in the blanks. Now, add these statements to the first two that you learned, and try to say them from memory. If you are up for the bonus challenge of memorizing each verse—even better! We will discuss them when we meet again!

SuperVerse

Superbook Instructions: Memorize the SuperVerse with a group activity.

Moses did not believe he was the right choice to play a part in God’s plan to rescue the Israelites from Pharaoh. He told God that he was not good with words—and God’s answer to Moses is our SuperVerse today.

Let’s have the girls say the first line of the SuperVerse, and the boys say the second line. Then, everyone will say the Bible verse reference together.

Girls: “Now go! I will be with you as you speak”

Boys: “and I will instruct you in what to say.”

Everyone: “Exodus 4:12.”

Good! Now, let’s switch. Boys go first, then the girls finish. Ready, go!

How did you know what part of the verse to say each time? You told us.

God has a plan and purpose for all of us, just as He did for Moses. As we obediently do our part in God’s plan, He will lead us by His Word and His Spirit and instruct us what to say and do. We will never be alone because He has promised to go with us. As we obey, He will fulfill His excellent plan and purpose for our lives.

If children cannot memorize the SuperVerse, be sure they understand its meaning. Remind them to keep working on the verse at home.

Prayer

Prompting Prayers: Communicate with God.

Moses believed that he wasn’t the right person for the role he was asked to play in God’s plan to rescue the Israelites. He made a lot of excuses for why someone else should go in his place. God was very patient with Moses. He promised to give Moses the words to say to Pharaoh and even promised to go with him.

God’s promise is still true today. Sometimes, when the Holy Spirit leads us to do or say something, we might hesitate and make excuses about why we can’t or shouldn’t obey. Often, it is because we don’t feel qualified, or we are shy—or like Moses, we may feel that we aren’t good with words.

In our prayer time today, we are going to express our trust in God’s promise to be with us and to give us the words to speak. In Luke 12:12, Jesus told His followers:

In expressing our trust in His promise, we will submit to His plan for us as we follow His instructions by faith. Let’s close our eyes and bow our heads. First, silently praise Him for His plan and purpose for your life. Allow children time to pray.

Relay Game

Carry on! Play a game to carry bricks to a construction site.

Let’s say the SuperTruth together. “God has a plan and purpose for my life.”

The Israelites were required to make bricks with mud and straw. Once the bricks dried, they had to carry them to the Egyptians’ construction sites. That’s what this game is all about. The good news is that you may work inside, not in the hot sun like the Israelites!

Divide the children into teams of four to five children. For smaller classes, play in pairs. Teams do not need to be even. Try to mix older children with younger children on each team. Have teams form single-file lines beside the team’s pile of dominoes. Point to the domino pile and then walk to the chairs.

The dominoes represent bricks. You are going to carry the bricks to the building sites, which are represented by the chair seats. Does that sound easy enough? I agree—maybe a little too easy! Hold up a jumbo craft stick. Each worker must carry a brick on the end of a stick. Demonstrate as you talk. You will walk as quickly as possible to the building site, but not too fast—the brick may fall off! If it does, you must pick it up and place it on the stick again before you complete your journey. Once you reach the building site, you will place your brick on the seat and walk backwards to your team. The next player will immediately take a turn. Each player will carefully add their brick to the tower. The first team to complete their tower wins. If a tower falls at any time, it must be rebuilt before the player returns home. An additional teammate can quickly walk to the tower to help rebuild, if necessary.

Play another round and, for an added challenge, have the children use the smaller craft sticks this time. Game variations:

1. Grades 1–3 use only the jumbo craft sticks; grades 4–6 use only the standard size.

2. For a second round, children will hold a craft stick in each hand. A team member will place one domino on each stick and then follow the “carrier” as they travel. The teammate will pick up and “reload” any dropped dominoes along the route.

3. Play with more bricks and time the game; the team that has carried the most bricks to their site when time runs out wins.

4. Play with more bricks. Older children must carry two bricks at a time.

Conclusion: God heard the Israelites’ cries and sent Moses to rescue them. In Exodus 7:16, God tells Moses to say this to Pharaoh:

God does not want us to live in bondage, either. He sent Jesus to set us free so that we can serve and worship Him. That is a very high calling, indeed!

Coloring Activity

I Will Be With You: Color a page about God’s call to Moses.

Give a coloring page to each child, along with crayons, colored pencils, or washable markers to share. Lead a discussion using the questions below as children color their pages.

What is happening in this scene on your coloring page? God is speaking to Moses from the burning bush.

When God spoke from the burning bush, He called Moses to go to Pharaoh to rescue the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt. God had a much bigger plan and purpose for Moses beyond tending sheep in the wilderness!

Can you share a time when you feel that God spoke to your heart about something? Children answer.

Do you think Moses was excited about being chosen to go to Pharaoh? Please explain. No, he made excuses for not going. He didn’t feel he was qualified and didn’t think he could speak well.

This is where our SuperVerse comes in; God assured Moses that He would go with him and give him the words to speak.

Conclusion: We are never too young—or too old—to be called by God. As long as we are willing to respond, He will empower us and give us purpose as we do our part in His plan.

Active Game

Fulfill Your Purpose: Play a game to do your part in a plan.

What part did Moses’ parents play in God’s plan? They hid Moses from the Egyptians when he was born. Jochebed made and waterproofed a basket to keep Moses safe. Jochebed nursed Moses until he was old enough to live with Pharaoh’s daughter.

What part did Miriam, Moses’ sister, play? She suggested to Pharaoh’s daughter that she should use one of the Hebrew women to nurse Moses for her.

God has a purpose and plan for us. No matter whether our parts are large or small, everything we do is important as we serve God and work in His kingdom on earth.

Today, you will be assigned fun tasks to do as teams, representing real tasks that you might do as you serve God as part of His plan. Are you ready for the challenge? Let’s play!

Note: This game is the most fun if played outdoors, in a gym, or in a large space. Options for smaller classes or smaller spaces:

• Play only two teams at a time, then hold playoffs, with the winners of each round competing to determine the fastest team.

• Play with only three children per team and eliminate shouting the SuperTruth.

• Teachers and assistants can play if necessary to complete teams.

Divide the class into teams of four children. The teams will line up in rows (see diagram) with about 6–8 feet between each player. If space permits, have all teams play at the same time. Give a ball to the first player on each team. Use the board to explain each player’s purpose for each position:

Player 1 throws the ball to Player 2.

Player 2 catches the ball and rolls it to Player 3.

Player 3 catches the ball and bounces it to Player 4.

Player 4 catches the ball and shouts the SuperTruth.

Everyone rotates positions, with Player 4 carrying the ball to stand where Player 1 was. Continue playing until every member of the team has been in each position—the first team to finish wins. Optional: Play some up-tempo music during the game.

Conclusion: God has a plan and purpose for each one of us. What He asks us to do may seem small and insignificant at the time or overwhelming and too big for us like with Moses. Whether we feel qualified or not, God equips us and goes with us every time!

Bible Activity

They Did It on Purpose: Look up verses to discover Bible characters’ God-given purpose.

Let’s say the SuperTruth together. “God has a plan and purpose for my life.”

In this activity, we are going to look up verses about different people in the Bible who fulfilled their purpose as part of God’s plan.

Have the children sit in pairs. Try to pair an experienced Bible user with a child who isn’t as familiar with the Bible. Give each pair a Bible. The experienced Bible user can quickly look up the verse while the other player writes the answer on a sticky note. The notes are then stuck to one of the player’s foreheads. If both players are experienced Bible users, the players can alternate looking up a verse and writing down the answer. Have children close their Bibles before you announce the next verse.

I will say a verse reference and write it on the board along with “O.T.” for Old Testament or “N.T.” for New Testament, so you know generally where to look for the verse in your Bibles. You may then start to look it up, and I will then ask you two questions.

First, I’ll ask the name of the person who had a purpose from God. Second, I’ll ask a fill-in-the-blank question that needs one word about what their purpose was. The writers in the groups will write the answers on a sticky note and then stick it to their foreheads. You have forty-five seconds to do that. (Adjust time accordingly for your group of children.)

The first team to answer both questions correctly scores ten points—five points for each correct answer. All other teams score five points for the right answers stuck to their head within the time limit. Every pair will have a chance to finish, so don’t give up! The team with the most points wins.

Let’s get started! Allow spelling errors because of the fast pace of the game. Do as many verses as time allows. Be prepared to help any children with special needs. Note that the suggested answers are from the New Living Translation. If children are using different translations, their answers will vary.

1. Genesis 50:19–20—Old Testament

A. Who knew his purpose from God? Joseph
B. His purpose was to save ______. Lives

2. John 3:17—New Testament

A. Who had a purpose from God? Jesus, God’s Son
B. He came to _____ the world. Save

3. Matthew 3:1–3—New Testament

A. Who had a purpose from God? John the Baptist
B. He was to _____ the way for the Lord’s coming. Prepare

4. Acts 9:15–16—New Testament

A. Who had a purpose from God? Saul/Paul
B. He was to take Jesus’ _____ to the Gentiles, kings, and Israelites. Message

5. John 21:15—New Testament

A. Who had a purpose from God? Peter/Simon Peter
B. Jesus told him to feed His _____. Lambs

6. Exodus 3:10—Old Testament (Note: this verse doesn’t specifically say “Moses,” but the children should know from this lesson and course.)

A. Who had a purpose from God? Moses
B. God told him to lead His people out of _____. Egypt

7. Judges 6:14–15b—Old Testament

A. Who had a purpose from God? Gideon
B. God sent him to rescue Israel from the _____. Midianites

8. Esther 4:13–14—Old Testament

A. Who had a purpose from God? Esther
B. God made her queen to bring _____ and relief to the Jews. Deliverance

Conclusion: God called each one of these people for a specific purpose as part of His plan. Let’s always be ready to respond when God calls us to do His will in this world.