Leader Guide

Leader Introduction

Today’s Bible story reinforces and expands on the previous three lessons about when God spoke to Moses from a burning bush in the wilderness. God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt to free them from the hard and cruel hand of Pharoah. After initially questioning God’s choice, Moses overcame his doubts and fears and acted with courage to obey. Back at Quantum Labs, Miss Tina is quite surprised when she takes the robots to the dentist and discovers she is the only one who needs a check-up!

Today’s lesson is about courage. Courage is trusting God to help you do something that may seem hard (difficult) or scary, especially when facing new challenges.

*Scripture is quoted from the New Living Translation unless noted.

Optional Opening Game

Make two copies of the Obstacle Card Page on cardstock in color or black and white. See note.

Make one copy of the Shepherd’s staff Page on cardstock in color or black and white.

Make two copies of the Sheep and Water Page on cardstock in color or black and white.

Note: Add additional sheets of cardstock to copy more Sheep for classes larger than four children. Add one additional sheet for 5-8, 9-12, 13-16 children, etc.

Optional: For black and white copies, use crayons or markers to color the cards and objects.

Cut out the two shepherd staves from the Shepherd’s Staff Page. One is extra.

Cut out the pond and the individual sheep cards from the Sheep and Water Page.

Create sheep game pieces. Start with the Sheep Card face up, blank block at the bottom. Hold the blank block with one hand and carefully fold the middle sheep block backward at the line. Now hold that stack of the middle sheep and the blank block in one hand and fold the top sheep backward at the line. The two sheep should now be face-up at the top and bottom of the stack.

Unfold the stack and pull the blank block out until it sits flat on the table and forms a triangle or tent shape with a sheep visible on both sides. Place a strip of tape from the base block to the sheep at the open end to finish. The sheep should now be visible on both sides and stand upright on the base.

Tape the water image at one end of the game board (poster board).

Cut out the individual cards from the two Obstacle Card Pages. Bend/fold at the line below the image to form a base so the card stands upright.

Place the 18 Obstacle Cards on the game board – images facing the water. Leave adequate space between cards to move the sheep from the top of the board to the water. The course should be challenging but not too difficult.

Write the name of each child on the base of each sheep triangle.

Optional:

Add physical objects such as branches, rocks, small twigs with leaves for realistic obstacles

· Color the board surface with crayons or markers.

· Draw and color paths for children to follow around obstacles to the water.

· For a larger game area, tape obstacles on a tabletop instead of a poster board.

In today’s Bible story, Moses was a shepherd who cared for his sheep. He protected them from anything that could hurt them and found safe paths to walk. He also led them to water and grass to eat. In this game, you are shepherds who guide your sheep to water and grass with a shepherd’s staff. Hold up the staff.

Raise your hand if you are ready to be a good shepherd! Children respond.

Place the game board on a table. Write the child’s name on the sheep base before their first turn.

Each player will take a turn to guide a sheep using only the shepherd’s staff from the top of the board, around the obstacles, to the water and grass at the bottom of the board.

Play until each child takes at least one turn.

Optional: Move the obstacle cards to different locations and play again. The tape on the obstacles will pull up easily and can be used to attach the cards to the game board surface again.

Optional: give each child a sheep to take home with his/her name on it to remember the story of Moses and how God is always with us and gives us courage to do difficult things, too.

Conclusion: You were all good shepherds like Moses! Did you know that we have a shepherd, too? Jesus called Himself the Good Shepherd and He guides us, protects us and gives us everything we need including strength and courage to do what He asks us to do.

Object to GO!

Show the tube of toothpaste or hold up the image. Lead a discussion with the comments and questions below:

· Optional: squeeze a small ribbon of toothpaste onto the plate. What is in this tube? Toothpaste, tube of toothpaste

· What do you put the toothpaste on? A toothbrush

· Why should we use toothpaste on our teeth? To clean them, to help you not get a cavity.

· Who do you go see to check if your teeth are healthy? A dentist.

· In today’s video, Miss Tina takes all of the bots to the dentist for a checkup, but the dentist only needs to see one person’s teeth. Do you think it is Gizmo, Rig, Gears, Widget or Miss Tina? Children respond.

· Let’s visit the Quantum Lab’s dentist office to see if anyone guessed correctly.

Leave the question unanswered until it is revealed in the video.

Play Video (Meet Dr. DentaBot)

Meet Dr. DentaBot

● Why were the robots afraid to go to the dentist? They had never been to a dentist.

● What did Gears want Gizmo to tell Miss Tina so they wouldn’t have to go to the dentist? That they were lost.

● Can you name one of the tools or objects Doctor DentaBot had on his hands instead of fingers? A toothbrush, floss, hook or pick, mirror, air or water hose (nozzle).

● Why didn’t the robots need a checkup? Robots don’t have teeth.

● Which robot got up from a chair and ran to the door? Gears.

● Who needed a checkup instead of the robots? Miss Tina.

● What did Widget sing to Miss Tina to help her? The Courage song.

● What did Miss Tina say as she walked to her checkup? The Lord is with me everywhere I go.

Miss Tina told the bots they needed to be courageous, then she was the one who needed it most!

Doctor DentaBot said it’s always scary to try something new for the first time. No matter what we do or where we go, God is always with us and gives us the strength to be courageous!

Video Lesson

Play Video (Bible Story)

Bible Story

In today’s video, Moses hears a voice and sees something amazing and unusual in the wilderness. Let’s watch the video to see what he hears and sees!

Teaching Time

Have children sit at arm’s length apart.

Moses was a shepherd. What does a shepherd do? Watch or care for sheep.

On the count of three, let’s do the sound a sheep makes. Are you ready? One, two, three… baa!

That was so good that I think someone outside the door might think there is a flock of sheep in the room instead of children!

Let’s baa like sheep one more time in case no one heard us. One, Two, three! Baa!

The baa of his sheep was the sound Moses heard every day in the wilderness.

Then one day Moses heard a different sound. It wasn’t the baa of a sheep, it was a voice—but not just any voice. It was a very important voice, the most important voice we can hear! Whose voice did Moses hear? God’s voice.

God said, “Moses!” … “Moses!” Say Moses in a deep but not scary voice two times, pausing in between so children can repeat.

Something else was very different. God’s voice came from an unusual place. Where did His voice come from? A bush.

That’s right, but it wasn’t a talking bush, it was God talking from the bush!

What else was different about that bush? It was burning (on fire) but didn’t burn up.

Moses had an amazing day with many new things that happened for the first time! Surprises and new things can be exciting and fun, but they can also be scary.

Doing something for the first time, like meeting a new person, trying to do something you’ve never done before, going to a new school, or even trying a new food can be scary. It takes courage to do them. Whenever you feel scared about something, whether it is new or not, you can trust in God to because He is always with you! He will give you strength to have courage!

In the wilderness, Moses was amazed when he saw the bush burning and heard God’s voice. He was probably a little scared, too.

Then God told Moses to do something new. He asked him to do a job that was very big, bigger than watching his flock of sheep. A job no one had done before. It was big… very big! How big? Hold both arms out as wide as you can and have children imitate.

It was really, really big! Stand on tip toes. Reach to the sky and have children imitate.

Who did God ask Moses to talk to? Pharaoh.

Pharoah was the leader of Egypt, and he wasn’t a kind person! Pharaoh made the Israelites work very hard, too hard! No one wanted to go to Pharaoh, especially to tell him to do something that would make him very angry!

What did God want Moses to tell Pharaoh? To let God’s people (Israelites) go (leave Egypt).

Moses didn’t have the courage to do such a big job. Hold both arms out as wide as you can and have children imitate.

He made many excuses and told God to send someone else to Pharaoh.

Raise your hand if you ever made an excuse to get out of doing something new or that seemed too hard for you to do. Children respond.

All these excuses made God angry. He told Moses He would go with him and do miracles so Pharaoh would know God sent him. God even said He would send someone with Moses to talk to Pharaoh for him. Who did God send with Moses? His brother Aaron.

After making all the excuses, Moses finally chose to trust God. God was with Moses, and gave him the strength to have courage to boldly go to Pharaoh.

There are times we don’t know what to say, or don’t know how to do something, especially when it is new. We have a choice: make excuses why you can’t do it, OR trust God to give you the courage to do it, especially when we are afraid. That is what our memory verse reminds us to do!

Verse to GO!

Psalm 56:3 (NLT)

Today’s Bible memory verse is Psalm 56:3. Say the memory verse slowly.

“But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in You.” Psalm 56:3

What does this verse tell us to do when we are afraid? To trust in God.

Stand facing the children and help them to repeat phrases and imitate the motions.

But when I am afraid … hold hands with bent fingers up to mouth with big eyes.

I will put my trust… point to self with one index finger.

In You… raise arms upward and point to the sky with both index fingers.

Repeat slowly a few more times.

Optional: Ask if anyone would like to say the verse for the class.

Whenever we feel afraid or scared, remember that that we can trust in God because He is always with us and will give us strength and courage. With God we are never alone!

Prayer Time

Close the lesson in a simple prayer to thank God for His presence in our lives.

For example: Dear God, thank You for going with us wherever we go and for always hearing our prayers. Help me remember that we can trust in You when we are afraid. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Music Time

Be Courageous!

The lyrics and chords for this song are found in Resources.

Be Courageous!

The lyrics and chords for this song are found in Resources.

Create your own motions for the song, or imitate Miss Tina and the robots movements in the video.

Play the video song and teach the chorus and motions of “Be Courageous” to your students.

My God’s giving me strength, giving me strength to be courageous…. Run in place, raise arms as if lifting barbells or flexing muscles with clenched fists. Dance side to side.

Additional motions:

Do not be afraid… Stand tall and straight with feet together and make a serious, confident, determined face.

because the Lord… Point to the sky with one hand

Is with me everywhere I go… Point to self and march in place.

He’s always so close… Hold arms out as if to hug someone.

I’m never alone… Simultaneously point to self with one hand and to the sky with the other hand.

The children may also want to dance and move to the verses of the song.

Be Courageous

Take Home Coloring Page

As children color, review today’s lesson using the discussion points below:

· Which bot told Miss Tina that God would give her courage to see the dentist? Widget.

· Have you ever tried something new when you needed courage? Children respond.

· Who will give us strength to have courage? God.

· Who is with us wherever we go? God.

· What does it mean to have courage? Children respond.

Did you know that God hears all of our prayers, even when we pray without speaking aloud? No matter where we are, or what we are doing, we can pray aloud or silently to ask God to help you and give you courage!