God Is Enough

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1.7 Bible Passage: Exodus 12:1—15:21; 19—30; 32—34 (The Golden Calf)

God Is Enough REMEMBER VERSE “Let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the LORD. Jeremiah 9:24

A. CONNECT// 5–10 min. Children develop relationships with their leaders and one another through the use of simple supplies and conversation starters. After God freed His people from slavery in Egypt, He took them into the wilderness and gave them the Ten Commandments to guide them as His people. Though God gave His people everything they needed to worship Him, the Israelites often responded with fear and uncertainty. They also chose to worship false gods. This made the Lord sad, but He forgave them when they told Him they were sorry. God kept showing them that He is enough. CONNECT QUESTION: Welcome and greet the kids. Open your time by asking these questions: Who is someone you depend on? What makes that person trustworthy?

Two Real, One Fake RELATE Invite your kids to join you in a circle. Ask the kids to think up two real facts about themselves (facts which many people might not know or which might be interesting) and one fake fact about themselves. Ask one child to tell her two “real” facts and one “fake” fact. Encourage the kids to vote on which of the facts they think is fake. Then have the child reveal the answer. Go around the circle until everyone has a chance to share.

WANT MORE? Invite your kids to discuss these questions about “real” vs. “fake” things. Engage them in conversation about why they chose their answers. As you ask these questions, discuss with them the difference between something that’s “natural” (occurring naturally in nature) or “manmade” (made by humans). Which do they prefer and why? • Would you rather drink soda or fresh-squeezed orange juice? • Would you rather go to the beach or an amusement park? • Would you rather play with toys made of wood or plastic? • Would you rather play board games or go on a walk? • Would you rather have a pet tiger or a pet robot? • Would you rather talk face-to-face with your friends or text them?

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1.7 • Would you rather watch a stage play or a 3-D movie? • Would you rather live in a city or in the country?

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B. GATHER// 20–35 min. Children experience and learn more about God through prayer, storytelling from The Big God Story, an investigation into God’s Word, and creative ways to memorize Scripture. Bible Passage: Exodus 12:1—15:21; 19—30; 32—34 Storytelling Technique: Images, Key Word Response

RELATE Before you begin this storytelling time, invite two kids to the front. Explain that one child should hand the other child as many ping-pong balls (or other items) as she can hold in one minute. At the end of a minute, count to see how many she has. If you have time, invite up multiple sets of children to see how many ping-pong balls they can carry. Maybe they can carry more than they thought! As each child participates, ask him if he ever thinks he has enough, or if he wants more. We just played a game during which you maybe held more than you imagined you could, even when you thought you had enough! Today we’re going to hear about how God is enough for His people. Whenever I point to you, you can say “enough” as loud as possible. Let’s try it. Practice with the children. Good job! Let’s invite God to help us learn more about Him today. Lead the children in a Prayer of Release. Who remembers what we talked about last week in The Big God Story? Interact with responses. God brought Joseph through many difficult situations because He had a big plan for his life. Invite kids to read Genesis 50:20 together aloud. In fact, God planned to use Joseph to save many lives. We heard how God kept His promises and provided for His people. He provided (point to children) enough to save the family line of the promised Redeemer. For about 400 years, the Israelites cried out to God for freedom from slavery. So God raised up a man named Moses to help free them. Even after they’d been freed, the Israelites found themselves being chased by the Egyptian army. Tech: Cue Egyptian Army slide. God had so much more for His people, so He divided the Red Sea (Tech: Cue Red Sea slide.) so they could cross the sea and escape from the army. Then God closed the sea and washed the Egyptian army away. Again, God provided (point to children) enough to care for His people. In the wilderness, God took care of His people. He made a covenant, or everlasting promise, to be their God and make them His people. He gave them the Ten Commandments to guide their lives and help them be set apart for Him, as His own people. Tech: Cue Ten Commandments slide. Read Exodus 20:2–3 aloud. This was the very first commandment and very important. The Israelites had lived in Egypt for 400 years, and the Egyptians worshipped many false gods. Tech: Cue Egyptian Gods slide. But these false gods couldn’t save them from the plagues. They couldn’t divide the seas. They had no power. They were not (point to kids) enough. These false gods weren’t just powerless. They couldn’t be in relationship with the people who worshipped them. God wanted so much more for the Israelites. He longed to be in relationship with His

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1.7 people. He led His people to the Promised Land, a place where they could freely worship the one true God. He’d promised to make them His special people. He did this to show the world the love relationship between God and His people. The Israelites were so completely blessed to have the God of the universe choose them as His holy people. He began to transform them into His holy people. Invite kids to read Exodus 20:23 together aloud. He required that His people recognize no other god—especially “gods of silver or gods of gold” they made with their own hands. This is the kind of thing the Egyptian people did, and God wanted His people to be different and set apart. He wanted them to understand that He is (point to kids) enough; they didn’t need anything more. When their earthly leader, Moses, went to be with God on the mountain for 40 days, the Bible says God came upon the mountain in the form of a dense cloud and fire. The people lost their confidence. Tech: Cue Fiery Mountain slide. Moses was gone for too long and they feared God wasn’t (point to kids) enough for them. The mountain was smoking. It shook as if there was a mighty earthquake. This scared the Israelite people. In their fear, they did exactly what God had commanded them not to do. They gathered up their gold jewelry, melted it down, and formed it into the image of a calf they could worship. Though this might seem to us like a really weird thing to do, remember that the Israelites were used to seeing the Egyptians worship false gods. That was familiar to them. But this grieved God’s heart. In fact, God was so upset that His people had disobeyed His first law that He wanted to just start over with a new people. But Moses asked God to spare the people He’d brought out of Egypt—the people who were the children of Abraham, the man to whom He’d made an everlasting promise. God heard Moses’ prayers and, in His mercy, did not destroy the Israelites. Yet, they still faced consequences for their actions. When Moses came down the mountain and saw what the Israelites were doing, he threw down the tablets on which the Ten Commandments were written. Tech: Cue Ten Commandments slide. Then he took the calf they had made and burned it in the fire. He poured the ashes in water and made the Israelites drink it! Because of Moses’ actions and his anger, the Israelites realized the great sin they had committed. And they repented, or turned away, from their sins. God rewrote the Ten Commandments on new tablets. Once again He promised His presence would go with them into the Promised Land. Next week we’ll hear more about their journey in the wilderness and how God is in control of everything. This part of The Big God Story is a sad reminder of how easy it can be to not trust God when things get hard. God called His people to worship Him, the one true God, who is (point to kids) enough for them. Today, God still calls us to worship Him only. Though it may be difficult to worship a God whom we can’t see or touch, and to choose God over everything else, we know God is (point to kids) enough. We can trust Him. This means living life with God is so much better than living life any other way! As we put our faith in God, we learn what it means to trust and obey Him—even when it’s hard. No matter what we face, He is with us. God will give us everything we need to live a life of faith. Through difficult times we can learn to depend on Him. Share a story about God being enough in your life.

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C. RESPOND// 30–40 min. Children process what the Holy Spirit has been teaching them and respond to God through individual and collaborative worship and various forms of play, including interactive games, activities, experiments, and more. (use any of the following 4 activities)

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1.7 1) Engage: a. Option 1: Fill Me Up SUPPLIES • Boxes or containers (2, small) (bring your own) • Masking tape • Cotton balls (100) (available in craft closet) • Bowls (2) (available in MC kitchenette) SET UP Divide the cotton balls between the two bowls. Make two starting lines on the floor with masking tape, then make two finish lines about eight feet away. Place the bowls of cotton balls at the starting lines and the empty containers at the finish lines. RELATE God is enough to fill up all of our needs! Let’s have a race to see which team can fill up their box the fastest. Divide the kids into two teams. Have the first person in each line take one cotton ball from their bowl, race down, and put it in the empty container. Then they’ll race back to the starting line and the next person on their team will go. The first team to fill up their box or container with cotton balls wins. After the game, discuss: • What are some ways God fills up our hearts? (consider sharing your own stories to help them) • How can we draw closer to God when we need Him to be more than enough for us?

WANT MORE? Have the kids repeat this activity, but call out silly cues as they’re racing back and forth. For example, you might say, “Hop on one foot,” “Crawl like a crab,” or “Walk backwards.” Those racing at that moment will have to obey the command until you call a new one

2) Stations: More Than Enough for Me SUPPLIES • Suggestion: soft music • Paper (3 sheets) • Marker • Tape • Disposable cups (1 per child) (available in kitchenette cabinet) • Index cards (3 per child) (available; ask Justin) • Pens • Stones (3 per child, small) (bring your own) SET UP On each of the three sheets of paper, write one of these words: “HOME,” “SCHOOL,” “ACTIVITIES.” Tape the three papers to different walls in your room to create three stations. Divide the index cards and stones among the three stations and place them on the floor beneath the signs.

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1.7 RELATE God is enough! He freed His people from slavery, called them His “treasured possession,” and gave them commandments for how to live the best kind of life. And God is enough for you. Whatever you’re needing right now—God can fill that place in your life. If life is difficult for you like it was for the Israelites, God wants to care for you and help you depend on Him. Nothing and no one else can satisfy you. Invite the kids to take some time to respond to God. Ask them to ponder: What is hard, or difficult, or uncomfortable in your life right now? What do you want to say to God today? Play music softly as the kids talk with God and ponder these questions. Give each child a cup and a pen. Invite them to visit each of the three stations. At each station, they can take a stone and spend a moment praising God for how He has been enough for them in that area, or praying about how they want to ask Him for His help. Then they can add the stone to their cup, write a prayer on their index card, roll it up and add it to their cup. They can do this at each of the stations, allowing God to “fill” their cups with His goodness! When finished, invite them to place their cups in an “altar” area in your classroom.

3) Investigate Discussion Questions • Why were the Israelites in the wilderness at Mount Sinai? Exodus 19:1 • What is the first commandment? Exodus 20:2–3 • Why do you think the first commandment is so important to God? • What is an idol? Why did the Israelites build the idol? Exodus 32:1 • What did God do for His people, even when they broke His first commandment? • What is your favorite way to worship God? • What is the difference between what we need and what we want? • How has God shown you through your life, or the life of someone you know, that He is enough?

God Is Enough Invite a volunteer to read 2 Corinthians 9:8 out loud. • How does it make you feel to know that God is able to bless us abundantly? • How has God provided for your needs?

God Has So Much More for Us Though the one true God chose the Israelites to be His holy people, that same God of the universe has also offered us the opportunity to be in relationship with Him. He has offered us so much more than what the rest of the world offers. Invite a volunteer to read John 10:10 out loud. • In what ways does Jesus give us the best kind of life? • Do any of you have stories about how God has blessed you with a life that is better than anything the world can offer?

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1.7 Invite a volunteer to read Philippians 4:11–13 out loud. • What does it mean to be content? • What things can keep us from being content? • How can God use difficult situations to show us that He is enough?

4) Remember Verse Each week children will spend time memorizing a portion of Scripture together. The Remember Verse focuses on a character trait of God that’s highlighted in today’s portion of The Big God Story.

“Let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the LORD. Jeremiah 9:24

Game: Verse in an Envelope SUPPLIES • Bible • Remember Verse Game cards (see Resources) • Envelopes (2) • Scissors • Optional: Remember Verse cards and printable image (see Resources) RELATE Read through the verse several times with the children. Form the kids into two teams and give each group an envelope. On your signal, have the teams open their envelopes and race to see which team can work together to put the words of the verse in order the fastest.

D. BLESS// 5 min. Children receive a blessing from their leaders and sometimes one another. A blessing can be a prayer of commission, a portion of Scripture, or words to encourage and guide. Before you bless the children in your group, pray about the blessing God would have you give to them. Gather the children in a circle. Invite them to kneel and place their hands over their hearts as you read the blessing from Psalm 23:5b–6: You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. May God pour His blessings into your life. May you know that He is enough for you today, tomorrow, and always. HomeFront Weekly: Be sure to send home the HomeFront Weekly for next week’s lesson! This preteaching tool for parents encourages families to spend time in God’s Word together before children arrive at church.

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