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Moses Holds Up His Hands Exodus 17:8-16Oct. 18, 2015The kids will understand:The account of Moses and Joshua battling the Amalekites. That God uses believers to encourage and strengthen one another. That God wants us to encourage others. Parker Woods SkitSupplies:canteenbinocularslarge rockParker Woods is a character who will be carried through the quarter, so you’ll need the same actor playing him any time he appears (if you choose to open your lessons this way). The skits have an outdoors setting where Parker battles the elements while introducing and/or demonstrating the park element in some way. Parker should be dressed in outdoor gear to the hilt with plenty of camping supplies around him. He is well meaning and serious in wanting to “show the kids the ropes” about safe and enjoyable camping in the park, but he often runs into some kind of humorous difficulty. Parker is sitting on a rock taking swigs of water from his canteen and talking to himself. Parker: (looking up into trees and talking to himself) Beautiful, just beautiful! It just doesn’t get any better than this out here in God’s creation! (gulps in a big breath of air) Yep, just me sitting on my favorite rock! This rock isn’t gonna move … it’s a dry stable place to sit on and rest! This rock reminds me of God—it isn’t going anywhere! It was here before me, and it’ll be here long after I’m gone. (turns to kids) Ohhhh, I guess I was in my own little world here—just me and God! I think you all know me by now; my name is Parker Woods. I‘m just taking a little break after getting my campsite set up! (looks off into the distance and shouts) Hey, lookin’ good! (gives thumbs up) Your tent will be up in no time! (turns back to kids) Those are some new campers over there. I knew they could use a little encouragement setting up their first campsite. (looks over again at campers and shouts) Yeah, get a bigger rock to drive those pegs into the ground! They have to go in deeper or the tent will collapse on you during the night! (turns back and shakes his head, smiles) Yeah, this is their first time. They were using one of their cooking pans to drive the stake in the ground! (slaps leg and laughs) That would take them pert-near all day and their pan would be all beat up, too! Yesirree, everyone needs a little encourage-ment. I remember the first time I went camping. My dad told me to start setting up our tent while he went off to gather some firewood. I was having a terrible time! The Agape Park Ranger happened to walk by and saw I was discouraged. He gave me a hand and got me going. He told me that I was doing a real good job. That was quite a pick-me-up! I was able to get that tent set up before my dad came back! Yep, I don’t care who you are … everyone needs a helping hand and some encouraging words! (looks off into the distance at the other campers) Wait, no, that’s not going to work! You’re putting the fire too close to the tent! (stands on the rock and looks through binoculars to look closer) No, that’s still not far enough … wait … I’ll be right there to help you! (jumps off the rock) I’m sorry, I gotta go … those campers need some help and I am just the guy to do it! You know in the Bible story today, Joshua went into battle against the Amalekites. Moses told Joshua he would stand up on a hill and pray for him while he fought. Then guess what? Moses got tired and he needed some encouragement and help! I wonder who helped ol’ Moses? Remember Parker’s tip for today—everyone needs a little encouragement and help … and, I mean everybody! God wants us to encourage one another! Always be on the lookout for someone who needs a kind word or a helping hand. (looks off to campers and shouts) Wait, don’t do that yet … hold on, Parker’s a-comin’! Object LessonSupplies: crutcheswalking stick Hold up the walking stick. How many of you have seen something like this? Demonstrate walking around with the walking stick. This is used on hiking trails in a park like Agape National Park. It gives the hiker support and stability in uneven footing. It helps a person keep their balance so they are less likely to fall. Hold up the crutches. Have any of you used crutches after hurting your leg or spraining an ankle? You might have seen an athlete on the sidelines with crutches after they were injured in a game. Demonstrate the crutches. The crutches provide support. They take the weight off of the injured ankle or leg so it’s less painful and can heal properly. The walking stick and crutches are a great way to provide support and strength to someone when they’re walking or hiking. In our story today, we’re going to learn about another way to support and strengthen someone. This kind of support isn’t made out of wood or metal … no, not at all. WE are the support! Yep … God wants us to provide support, to hold each other up, and to encourage and strengthen one another! Bible AccountSupplies:large sticklarge fake rockYou will need a large walking stick and a fake rock to sit on. This can be a fake landscaping rock (like you would have in the yard to cover utility outlets) or a grey blanket draped over a small chair.Hold your arms high in the air and instruct the kids to cheer—hoot and holler, go-go-go-go, woo-hoo! Make it loud and victorious! Now, hold your arms down to your side and instruct the kids to make low moaning sounds of defeat. Practice a couple of times. Now, let’s try the transition. Instruct the kids to go from one to the other as your arms lower or raise—going from loud cheering, getting softer in the cheering, and then moving into the low moans as your hands rest next to your side. As your arms raise the low moans will become cheers that increase in volume until your arms are high in the air. Practice this up and down a few times.As you tell the story, there will be times when you signal the kids to react with their cheers or moans depending on where your arms are.This story takes place out in the wilderness when Moses was leading the Israelites to the Promised Land. There was a group of people called the Amalekites who tried to steal what belonged to the Israelites. Moses had enough of these Amalekites! He sent Joshua, one of his right-hand leaders, to go fight them. He wanted Joshua to shut down the Amalekites. Moses was going to help, though. It’s an unusual way that Moses would help, but God often has unusual plans for the way He makes things happen. Moses was going to stand high up on top of a hill where he could see the battle. While he was up there watching, he would hold up God’s rod in his hand.Aaron, Moses’ brother, and another leader named Hur went up the hill with Moses. From up there, they watched the battle. As it started, Moses raised his arms to the heavens—holding the rod high—and he cried out to God to help Joshua and the Israelite men. Joshua and his men pushed the Amalekites back. Signal the kids to respond with their cheers while you hold the rod and both arms in the air. But, Moses’ arms started to get tired. His arms sank to his sides. Slowly drop your arms to your side, and signal the kids to respond with softening cheers and moving to low moans. The Amalekites were coming back and Joshua’s men were losing ground. When Moses saw what was happening, he raised his arms again and called out to God. Yes, Joshua’s men were winning again. Raise your arms again slowly, and signal the kids to respond appropriately. When Aaron and Hur saw what was happening, they found a big rock for Moses to sit on. Sit down on the rock. But, that wasn’t all. Aaron stood on one side of Moses and Hur stood on the other side of Moses and they held his arms up in the air. Call on 2 kids to come and hold your arms up. Aaron and Hur stood there ALL DAY LONG, holding up Moses’ arms while Moses called on God to help Joshua and his men. Signal the kids to respond.The battle ended that evening and the Israelites had won! Aaron and Hur encouraged Moses by holding his arms up while Moses prayed. It was really obvious that God had helped the Israelites throughout the day. ActivitySupplies:canned goods, larger sizeI have some canned goods here. They don’t seem to be that big. I wonder how heavy one can would be if I held it over my head. Give each kid a large canned good to test how long they can hold a can over their heads. They should hold the can in both hands with their arms straight and over their head, high in the air. There is no propping or reinforcing the arms.How did your arms feel?How long do you think you could hold it up there?Could you hold it longer if good things happened while you held it up and bad things happened when you let it down?What would’ve helped you hold it up longer?It would’ve helped if there had been something to lean that arm against. It also would’ve helped if someone had volunteered to support that arm for you. What if someone was standing next to you saying, “You can do this! Come on. I’m here with you”? That’s exactly what happened to Moses. He knew the Israelites were winning when he held up his arms, but just like you, his arms got tired. God gave him encouragement and help! He was encouraged when he saw the Israelites winning when he lifted his rod high. He also had help from Aaron and Hur holding up his arms. GameSupplies:counter bellThe kids will stand in lines at arm’s length from each other. If at all possible, make the lines so the kids are back-to-back rather than facing one another. All the kids will close their eyes. NO PEEKING! Read a question from the list below. They are all True/False questions. Once the question is read, ring a bell (or sound some other signal). Kids will raise both arms toward heaven for a true answer and drop both arms straight down when they think the answer is false. Kids will keep their arms in their selected position until the correct answer is revealed. For any false answers, ask the kids to shout out what would be the correct answer. Continue the game until the entire list has been completed. You had to hold up your arms for a correct answer just like Moses held up his arms during the battle. When Moses’ arms fell down to his side—just like you lowered your arms for a false answer—Joshua began to lose the battle. Questions and AnswersJoshua fought against the Fly-a-kites. (False. It was the Amalekites.)Moses sent a man named Hur to lead the battle. (False. Moses sent Joshua to lead the battle.)Aaron, Hur, and Moses went down by a lake to watch the battle. (False. They went to the top of a hill.)Moses held up a rod while Joshua fought. (True)Moses was strong and had no trouble holding up his arms. (False. Moses’ arms got tired and he needed help holding them up.)Aaron and Hur found a folding chair for Moses to sit on. (False. They got a rock.)Aaron and Hur held up Moses’ arms when he was tired. (True)When Moses’ arms lowered, the Israelites began to lose the battle. (True)God doesn’t care if we ever encourage each other. (False. God wants us to encourage each other.) Puppets Supplies:2 puppets5 bandages Note: These puppets will be used in several lessons throughout the quarter. Make or locate 2 small hats that look like ranger hats and 2 badges. You will need 2 puppets to be the Park Ranger and the Ranger Trainee.Prior to the skit, place bandages on the Ranger puppet’s face and arms. It starts with the Ranger Trainee alone on the stage looking down.Ranger: (enters) Good morning, ranger trainee! Trainee:(doesn’t look up, but softly answers) Morning, ranger.Ranger:Hmmmm … (enthusiastically) are you ready to learn something new today? Trainee:(still looking down, shakes his head no) Oh, what’s the point? Yesterday I dropped the official ranger binoculars from the tree stand and they broke. I forgot to empty the trash and then I hit the bees’ nest with a branch and they flew out and stung you. Just look at you! Ranger:Ummm, yeah … yesterday was not a day to repeat, that’s forsure. Trainee:I’ll never graduate from the ranger academy. Ranger:Yes you will! Listen, we all have bad days. Yesterday wasn’t a good day for you, but you learned a lot, didn’t you? Trainee:I did? Ranger:Yes! You know not to disturb a bees’ nest, unless you have the right equipment on. You know to put the binocular strap around your neck so it won’t fall. And, you know to put check marks next to the tasks for the day when you complete them. That way, you’ll know what you’ve done and what you haven’t! Trainee: (perks up) You know you’re right! I DID learn all of those things! Thank you for encouraging me ranger! (slaps ranger on the arm at a spot where the bandage is located) You’re a great trainer! I will graduate! Ranger: (yells out and moves away) OUUUUUCCCHHHH! Here’s the first lesson for today that you need to learn—DON’T smack somebody else’s bee sting! Trainee:Oh, I am so sorry, ranger! (moves over and accidentally touches another one) Let me help and encourage you …Ranger:(moves away and yells in pain again) OUUUUCHHH! No, I don’t need help … stay away … oh, that hurts. Go take care of your checklist while I put an ice cube on this! Object LessonSupplies:Kool-Aid packetclear cupspoonwaterBeforehand, place a small amount of Kool-Aid in a glass of water and mix it up—just enough that it barely changes the color. Moses told Joshua to go fight the actual battle, BUT he also told Joshua that he would stand on the hill with the rod of God in his hand. Moses encouraged Joshua by telling him he was standing with him and praying for him as he fought! Encouraging someone means that we help cheer them on so their task seems easier or so they know others are rooting for them and will keep working harder and longer.A way we can encourage others is with our words! One of the most encouraging things we can do for someone is to let them know we’re praying for them … that we’re behind them as they do whatever God called them to do or as they go through a difficult situation. We can also use our words to encourage someone by saying something kind to them. Place the glass of water on the table with a sprinkle of Kool-Aid in it. How many of you like Kool-Aid? This is a glass of Kool-Aid. What, you don’t believe me? Look really close. Okay, you got me … there is Kool-Aid in the glass but not much at all. It isn’t very strong. In fact, it’s really weak! Now, let’s say this glass represents a friend of yours. She’s really sad. Things just aren’t going well. She’s weak and needs help. This Kool-Aid represents encouraging words. Take a spoonful of Kool-Aid, add it to the glass, and mix it up. You want to encourage her, so you say something kind. Look, she’s getting stronger, right? Now, you tell her that you’re going to pray for her. Add another spoonful of Kool-Aid and mix it up. Wow, she’s getting even stronger. But you don’t stop! You share a time when you were having a rough go of it and how God was there and helped you. Stir in another spoonful and mix it up. Hold up the glass. Oh my, look how strong she has become! This is how God wants us to encourage and strengthen one another with our words! Our words are a powerful thing. So let’s use kind words and prayer to encourage others! CraftSupplies:construction paperscissorspencilscrayonssheets of label stickersBeforehand, run a sheet of label stickers that say, “I am praying for you!” Each child will need one label.For this craft, children will make a set of praying hands that open in the middle like a card. To do this, fold a piece of construction paper in half. Trace a child’s hand lining up the pinkie finger along the fold. Let the child cut out the hand, although some younger preschoolers may need help with this, especially so the fold is not cut! When you are finished cutting you should only see 1 hand, but when the paper is unfolded, it will look like 2 open hands together. Each child will use crayons to decorate their praying hands. They will also place a “I’m praying for you!” label on the inside of their card. Each child should write his name under the label in his card. If you have children struggling with writing names, form dot-to-dot letters to trace. We can use our words to encourage others by praying for them! This week let’s find someone who needs encouragement, pray for them and their problem, and then let them know we are praying by giving them this praying hands card!ActivitySupplies:blanket The bigger and heavier the blanket is, the better. Hold up the blanket and struggle with it a bit to hold it up in the air. You know, I want to stretch this blanket up in the air and it’s too much for one person. Who wants to help me? Choose a volunteer to try to hold the blanket in the air. They’ll struggle to keep it up. It looks like we need some more help. Choose another volunteer and try it again. They must hold the blanket straight up over their heads, arms outstretched. Now, keep those arms straight, okay? Continue to call up kids until they can lift the blanket in the air over their heads. Okay, that’s better, isn’t it? Now you all keep holding the blanket up while I finish this object lesson, okay? If they start to get tired, some more of you can come help.Sometimes, we try to do something good and we discover it’s just too big a job for one person. Or, maybe it starts out okay, but over time you just get tired and you need some help! Moses stood in prayer and support, holding up his rod toward heaven. He was fine at first, but the battle went on for most of the day. He got tired! I would have, too! Look over at the kids holding the blanket. How you guys doing? You okay? They’re probably getting a little shaky by now. If other kids haven’t come up to help, call some more up. (smile big) You know I’ll try real hard to not go longer than 15 more minutes, okay?Hur and Aaron saw Moses needed some help … and fast! They sat Moses down on a rock to rest and give him support and they lifted his arms up. The Bible says that, with the help of Hur and Aaron, Moses’ arms were steady for the rest of the battle! God has given us all something to do! Sometimes we need help and encouragement along the way. It was hard to do the task I asked _______ (name the first kid) to do. Actually, it was impossible to stretch out the blanket and keep it lifted in the air! Would it have helped to just use words and say something kind or tell them that we were praying as they held the blanket up? It may have made them feel better about their tough job, but what they really needed was help! The more people who helped the easier it became. And, as they got tired, the others came to help them. That’s what God wants us to do! He wants us to look for ways to strengthen, encourage, and help each other! Sometimes we use our words to encourage, but other times, we need to use our hands and actually DO something to help.VideoSupplies:YouTube videopair of suspendersDownload the YouTube video called “Inspirational: Be Kind To Others, It Will Pay Off” submitted by WeedChicken54. We can encourage with our words, but we can also encourage with our hands! Put the suspenders on. Do you know what these are? They’re suspenders. Do you know what they do? Suspenders hold up someone’s pants so their pants don’t fall down around their ankles! They lift the pants up. They provide support! Aaron and Hur pitched in to provide support when they held up Moses’ arms. They did something with their hands. They used their hands to help Moses. They strengthened Him, so he could keep supporting Joshua! They also used their hands to bring a big rock over for Moses to sit on and be more comfortable and rest his feet. Isn’t that cool how one person helped another … who helped the other! The Bible tells us that Moses’ arms remained steady until sunset. Play the YouTube video. What ways did you see people using their hands to help out others?Sometimes, we can support someone in prayer. Other times we need to offer a hand and share the load! Both ways can encourage and strengthen someone who needs our help! And who knows, it may just inspire them to go and help and encourage someone else! Activity Supplies:scenario cards from the end of the lessonBeforehand, cut apart 1 set of the scenario cards found at the end of the lesson. Hide these 8 cards around the room. God wants us to encourage people who are close to us like our family and our friends, but also encourage people we may not even know! We always need to be on the lookout for people who may need our encouragement. Ask children to search for the scenario cards around the room. When one card is found, gather children back to the center of the room. Read the scenario on the card. The kids will raise BOTH arms to offer a way that the person could be encouraged. Call on several kids to try and get a variety of creative possibilities. Encourage the kids to share a way to encourage with kind words and with using their hands to help! You may need to ask more specific questions such as “How could we pray for them?” or “What could we do that would encourage them?”After a few children have shared their thoughts, return to search for another scenario where encouragement is needed. Blessing May you always be ready to encourage others. EXTRA OPTIONSScripture MemorizationIsaiah 40:31 “Those who trust in the Lord?will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”This verse is the memorization for the entire quarter. For preschoolers, each month we will focus on a different phrase within this verse so that by the end of the quarter, they will have all parts put together. Using hand motions aids in the memorization for most preschoolers.Motions:Those who trust – place hands over heartin the Lord – point upwill find – put hand across forehead as if looking into the distancenew strength. – flex arm musclesReview the verse phrase by phrase with the motions a few times before beginning the activity.Divide the children into two groups. One group will recite the verse with a leader, while the other group cheers. The “encouragers” can clap, shout out “Woo-hoo, you got this!” or any other encouraging phrase. Once the first group is finished, switch roles so that the previous “encouragers” are reciting while the other group now cheers. To continue, mix up the groups. Let the boys cheer for the girls and switch. Have the 3-year-olds encourage the 4-year-olds, then switch. The memory verse fits Moses and Joshua so well. Joshua trusted in God, in Moses’ prayers, and in victory in a very tough battle. The sight of Moses standing in prayer and holding the rod toward God gave Joshua strength. God provided the help and encouragement through Aaron and Hur to strengthen Moses, so he could continue to lift the rod. When we trust God, He will strengthen us to do His work. Oftentimes, God uses other believers around us to provide prayer, an encouraging word, or a helping hand. That could be YOU! Supplies:paper grocery bagBeforehand, put a paper grocery bag over your head and mark the eyes, nose, and mouth on the bag. Cut out the openings.Put the bag on your head. How many of you had heard of the man named Hur before today’s Bible story? That’s what I thought! Hur is only mentioned 2 times in the Bible. But, that doesn’t mean that Hur wasn’t important. He played an important role! We don’t know much about Hur, but we don’t need to either. He served Moses and God. He didn’t call attention to himself, just like me with this bag over my head. If you hadn’t just seen me put this bag on, you’d have a hard time figuring out who it was. God wants us to encourage and strengthen others, even if it means doing it without them knowing it was us! We don’t do it so they will tell us thank you, we do it to please God and to help others! Pull the bag off. Let’s encourage with our words and encourage with our hands by doing something, even if no one else knows it was us! ................
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