Leader Guide

Bible Activity


  • Bibles or the Superbook Bible App
  • Bookmarks, strips of cardstock, or index cards—three per child or per Bible if children share
  • Whiteboard and marker or chalkboard and chalk

Look over the three passages:
1. Isaiah 6:1–8
2. Jeremiah 1:4–10
3. Exodus 3:1–17
If time is short, you may wish to do only the first two passages. Write the selected Bible passage references on the board. Note that the suggested answers are from the New Living Translation. If children are using different translations, their answers will vary.

Send Me or Someone Else: Children compare responses to being sent by God.

Give each child a Bible and a bookmark for each of the passages you have chosen. If using all three passages, give each child three bookmarks. Referencing the board, have children look up and place a bookmark at the chosen Bible passage(s) in their Bibles. Be prepared to assist children as needed to find the Scriptures.

God calls people to be His mouthpieces, and He speaks through them to accomplish His plans. In this activity, we will discuss people who said "yes" to God.

Read a passage aloud together, allowing each child who volunteers to read a paragraph or a few verses. Lead a discussion with the questions below. Feel free to add your own questions and comments. If time is limited, you may choose to compare Isaiah to only one of the other prophets or eliminate some questions.

1. Isaiah 6:1–8 

1It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of His robe filled the Temple.  2Attending Him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew.  3They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with His glory!”  4Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke.  5Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.”  6Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. 7He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.”  8Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for Us? I said, “Here I am. Send me.”

1. Who is God calling in this passage? Isaiah.

2. How did God appear and speak to Isaiah? In a vision.

3. Did Isaiah initially feel worthy and up for the task? No, he felt sinful and unclean in God’s presence.

4. In Isaiah’s vision, how was he cleansed and prepared to do God’s work? A seraph cleansed his lips with a hot coal.

5. Did God demand that Isaiah submit to His call to go? No, He asked who He should send as His messenger.

6. Why do you think God gives us a choice to answer His call instead of forcing us against our will? He wants us to respond because we love Him and want to serve Him and spread His Word. He wants us to have the right attitude as a willing servant, not a robot or puppet.

7. Did Isaiah make objections or excuses about why he shouldn’t go? Did he hesitate or ask if he could think about it for a few weeks? No, he immediately said, "Here I am, send me!"

8. Why do you think he was filled with confidence to go? He was in God’s presence and experienced His power and might. God could protect him and equip him for the task.

2. Jeremiah 1:4–10

4The LORD gave me this message:  5“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as My prophet to the nations.”  6“O Sovereign LORD,” I said, “I can’t speak for You! I’m too young!”  7The LORD replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you.  8And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the LORD, have spoken!”   9Then the LORD reached out and touched my mouth and said, “Look, I have put My words in your mouth!  10Today I appoint you to stand up against nations and kingdoms. Some you must uproot and tear down, destroy and overthrow. Others you must build up and plant.”

1. How was this similar to the way God appeared to Jeremiah? He appeared in a vision.

2. In verse 4, when was Jeremiah set apart to be a prophet? God set him apart before he was born.

3. How does it make you feel to read this? Do you believe God has a plan for you now and had it when you were born? Children respond.

4. Have you ever thought you were too young to do something for God? If so, please share. Children respond.

5. God does have a plan and purpose for each of us—isn’t that exciting? Does anyone have an idea what God may be calling you to do now or sometime in the future? Children respond.

6. If you could choose one thing to do for God, what would it be? Children respond.

7. In verse 6, how did Jeremiah respond? Was it the same as Isaiah? No, he said he was too young and didn’t know how to speak.

8. According to verse 6, did God agree that Jeremiah was too young and send someone else? No, He told Jeremiah not to say he was too young and that he must go and say what God told him.

9. Do you think Jeremiah could have still said no? Yes, God gives us a choice.

10. Jeremiah wasn’t refusing to go because he was lazy and rebellious. He felt young and unable to do what he was called to do. Thinking about speaking to nations at his young age was an overwhelming thought! God knew this and was prepared to respond to his fears and feelings of inadequacy. 

11. In verse 8, how did God encourage Jeremiah to accept His call? He told him not to be afraid because He would go with him and rescue him.

12. In verse 9, what did God do? He touched Jeremiah’s mouth. God put His words in his mouth.

13. How was this similar to what happened in Isaiah’s vision? The angel touched Isaiah’s mouth.

In both cases, God touched the prophets’ mouths; they were to be the mouthpieces for God’s holy and powerful Words.

14. In verse 10, what did God set Jeremiah apart to be? A prophet to the nations.

15. How do you think you would feel if God spoke the words in verse 10 to you? Overwhelmed, shocked, scared, humbled.

3. Moses: Exodus 3:1–17

1One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God.  2There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up.  3“This is amazing,” Moses said to himself. “Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go see it.”  4When the LORD saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!” “Here I am!” Moses replied.  5“Do not come any closer,” the LORD warned. “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground.  6I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” When Moses heard this, he covered his face because he was afraid to look at God.  7Then the LORD told him, “I have certainly seen the oppression of My people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering.  8So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey—the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live.  9Look! The cry of the people of Israel has reached Me, and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abuse them.  10Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead My people Israel out of Egypt.”  11But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?"  12God answered, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the One who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.”  13But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is His name?’ Then what should I tell them?”  14God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you.”  15God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you. This is My eternal name, My name to remember for all generations.  16Now go and call together all the elders of Israel. Tell them, ‘Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—has appeared to me. He told me, “I have been watching closely, and I see how the Egyptians are treating you.  17I have promised to rescue you from your oppression in Egypt. I will lead you to a land flowing with milk and honey—the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live.”’”

1. Isaiah and Jeremiah saw a vision. How did God get Moses’s attention? An angel appeared in a burning bush; God spoke from the bush.

2. What was Moses doing when the angel came? Tending sheep; shepherding sheep.

3. Have you ever thought that God only speaks to people in church? Children respond. God speaks to us anywhere. He can speak to you at school, home, outside, at a friend’s house—anywhere!

4. God got Moses’s attention in an amazing way. What are some distractions today that could make it difficult for God to get our attention? Technology like phones and the internet, gaming, entertainment, fast pace of the world, being too busy, TV, sports, etc.

5. Why was Moses forbidden to come closer? The ground was holy because of God’s presence.

6. Moses covered his face because he was in God’s presence and holiness. How was this similar to Isaiah’s experience? Both were afraid and felt unclean in God’s presence and holiness; Moses bowed to the ground or fell prostrate before God.

7. Where was God sending Moses? To Egypt; to see Pharaoh; to free His people.

8. Did Moses volunteer to immediately go to Egypt? No, he made excuses; he said he didn’t feel worthy and asked, “Who am I?”

9. How did God encourage Moses? He said He would be with him. He said he would return to this very place.

This was only one of Moses’s excuses or protests; our time is limited, so we are only able to look at Moses’s last response before God had enough! Let’s turn to Exodus 4:13:

But Moses again pleaded, “Lord, please! Send anyone else.”

10. How is this different than Isaiah’s response? Isaiah said, “Here I am, send me.” Moses basically said, “Here I am, send someone else!”

Conclusion: Even though Moses and Jeremiah were reluctant to go, we know that they did answer God’s call and were used mightily! Did you know that God has big plans for all of us? Whether we are a boy or girl, man or woman, He wants us to take His message to other people! There is no minimum age or maximum age: Jeremiah was about 20 years old when He was called, the prophet Samuel was just a young boy, Moses was about 80 years old, and Isaiah was somewhere in between. We can always think of an excuse not to go like I’m too young, I’m too old, I’m too busy, I can’t speak well, I don’t know much about the Bible, what if they don’t believe me, etc. Yet if we say, "Yes," God will equip us to do what He calls us to do!

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