Embedded Files
Introduction
Introduction
What do you remember about Joshua? (Answers can include that he was one of the 12 spies from when Moses sent the 12 spies out, he was one of the two of those spies that trusted God and brought back grapes to Moses, when Moses passed away he is the one that takes command, and last week we learned about Rahab and how she helped the two spies that Joshua sent into the promise land.)
When Moses died, Joshua became the leader of the Israelites. In Joshua 1, God reaffirmed his promises to give the promised land to the Israelites. God told Joshua to be strong and brave three times between verses 6 through 9 just in chapter 1 of Joshua. God promised to be with Joshua, as He was with Moses.
In chapter 3, Joshua began to rally the Israelites to get prepared to cross the Jordan river and into the promised land. The Israelites approached the Jordan river and then set up camp there. The priests prepared the Ark of the Covenant to be carried into the Jordan river. Remember that the Ark of the Covenant was created by Moses under instruction from God. They placed the 2nd set of stone tablets that had the 10 Commandments written on them into the Ark of the Covenant (anyone remember what happened to the 1st set of stone tablets?).
Joshua told the people that they need to watch for the Ark of the Covenant, and when they see it pass by, to follow along, but not too close (about 1000 ft behind). So the priests picked up the Ark of the Covenant and carried it into the Jordan River. As they entered the river, the water began to pile upstream so that it stopped flowing. The priests were standing in the middle of the river on dry ground!
Joshua chose 12 men - one from each of the 12 tribes of Israel - to gather a stone from the middle of the river and carry it across. Joshua wanted a physical reminder of where they had been, so he piled up the stones as a monument to this very important event. He told the Israelites to tell the story of how God led them across the river on dry ground to all of their children when they asked about that pile of stones.
After the men gathered the 12 stones and all of the Israelites had crossed the river, Joshua ordered the priests to finish carrying the Ark of the Covenant across the river. As soon as they stepped onto the river's bank, the water began to flow again.
What river did the Israelites cross to go into the promised land? (The Jordan River)
What city was across the river? (Jericho)
What did the priests carry into the river? (the Ark of the Covenant)
What was in the Ark of the Covenant? (the 2nd set of stone tablets that had the 10 Commandments written on them)
What happened to the first set of stone tablets? (Moses broke them in anger when he came down the mountain to the Israelites worshipping the golden calf)
What happened when the priests stepped into the water? (it stopped flowing and they stood on dry ground)
What did Joshua order 12 men to pick up from the river? (12 stones)
Why did he want them to pick up the 12 stones (so they could have a physical reminder of when they crossed the river on dry ground)
Who were the 12 tribes of Israel? (the descendants of the sons of Jacob)
This was the 2nd time the Israelites crossed a body of water on dry ground as they were leaving Egypt. What was the first? (when the crossed the Red Sea fleeing Pharaoh and the Egyptian army)
Activities
Activities
Activity 1 "Father's Day Craft"
Activity 1 "Father's Day Craft"
Time: 10-20 minutes
Materials needed from the cart (varies based on the game you choose):
Construction Paper
Scissors
Glue/Tape
Markers
Printer Paper
Get the details by clicking here!
Directions
Have the kids pick two pieces of construction paper (one for their hand cut out and one for their background.
Have the kids trace their handprint and cut it out
Have the fix the white printer paper and background of a color sheet of construction paper and glue/tape the two together creating the the picture above.
Have the kids glue/tape their handprint down on the white computer paper folding in their first four fingers creating a 3D thumbs up effect as you see in the picture.
Lastly, they can decorate it to say "Thumbs up for the world's best dad" or any other thing that they want to say!
Activity 2 "Act it out"
Activity 2 "Act it out"
Time: 10-20 minutes
Materials needed from the cart (varies based on the game you choose):
Pool Noodles
Box
12 rocks
Get the details by clicking here!
Directions
Divide kids into their roles: Joshua, 12 men, 4 priests, and the rest will be Israelites.
Read the following outloud and let the kids act it out. repeat as many times as you want changing roles each time.
Joshua 3–4
After Moses died, God chose a new leader for His people. God chose
Joshua to lead His people into the promised land. It was a big job, but God
promised to be with Joshua and to help him.
Joshua gathered all of the people at the edge of the Jordan River. Joshua
told the people to get ready to follow the ark of the covenant. He told the
priests to carry the ark of the covenant ahead of the people.
Then the Lord spoke to Joshua, “Tell the priests to carry the ark of the
covenant to the Jordan River. At the river, they should stand in the water.”
This was the time of the year that the Jordan River was full of water. It had
so much water that it overflowed and spilled out over the edges.
Joshua prepared the people with special instructions. He picked one man
from every tribe of Israel.
Joshua said, “When the feet of the priests carrying the ark enter the Jordan
River, the water will stop and stand up in a mass.”
And that is what happened. While the priests stood on dry ground in the
middle of the riverbed, all of the Israelites crossed on dry ground to the
other side of the river.
After they all crossed, Joshua sent the 12 men to each get a stone from
the middle of the riverbed. Joshua called to the priests, “Come up from
the Jordan.” As soon as the priests were on solid ground, the waters of the
Jordan flowed again like normal.
Joshua stacked the stones together and made a memorial. The stones were
a reminder of how God stopped the Jordan River so His people could walk
into the land He had promised them so long ago.
Activity 3 "Cross the Jordan Game"
Activity 3 "Cross the Jordan Game"
Time: 10-20 minutes
Materials needed from the cart (varies based on the game you choose):
masking tape
24 rocks made from crinkled construction paper
Get the details by clicking here!
Directions
Divide the group into two teams.
• Explain that one at a time, they are to wade into the river (walk on their knees), pick up a stone, and carry it
to the other side.
• They should stay on their knees for the whole journey.
• When one person reaches the other side, the next player on their team can go.
• The first group to have all 12 “stones” across the river is the winner.
• Remind kids that Joshua asked the people of Israel to do something hard, but he knew that God would give
them strength and courage to complete the task.
• Conclude the activity by reviewing the Text Truth: We can have courage because God is always with us.
Activity 4 "Order up the books of the Bible"
Activity 4 "Order up the books of the Bible"
Time: 10-20 minutes
Materials needed from the cart (varies based on the game you choose):
Cups
Markers
Get the details by clicking here!
Directions
Divide the group into two teams
Have one person run down and grab a cup and bring it back to their group. Then have the next person run down and grab a cup to bring back to their group. Continue until all cups are collected and delivered back to the group.
When all cups are collected, the team needs to work together to stack them in the correct order of the books of the Bible. (See the picture) They can use the Bibles for reference to help them stack the cups!.
Connection: Talk about a quick review of each Book of the Bible that we have learned about so far (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and today we are starting Deuteronomy.) This will give them perspective of how much of the Bible we have covered and how much we have left to cover. Ask them to think of any Bible story that they remember or that they know that we haven't talked about so far in the Bible. For example, Jesus hasn't been born yet, Jonah and the Whale, etc...
Activity 5 "Dance it out"
Activity 5 "Dance it out"
Time: 10-20 minutes
Materials needed from the cart (varies based on the game you choose):
christian just dance videos below
If they don't want to play the Christian Just Dance game they can play follow the leader.
Wrap It Up!
Wrap It Up!
**Snacks can be given at this time, if needed**
**Snacks can be given at this time, if needed**
-Come together and sit in a circle to talk about what they learned today. Ask them the same questions that you asked at the beginning of the day. How are their answers different now that they know more? Talk about what they can go home and tell their family. This is also a time they can update their journals (big kids only) or color the pictures (littles).
-Come together and sit in a circle to talk about what they learned today. Ask them the same questions that you asked at the beginning of the day. How are their answers different now that they know more? Talk about what they can go home and tell their family. This is also a time they can update their journals (big kids only) or color the pictures (littles).
-Ask if anyone has a prayer request/praise report. Pray over requests.
-Ask if anyone has a prayer request/praise report. Pray over requests.
-Worship time- Have the kids go find a spot to themselves and have some time with God (play the song below for around 3/5 minutes).
-Worship time- Have the kids go find a spot to themselves and have some time with God (play the song below for around 3/5 minutes).
Worship
Worship
Energy Release!
Energy Release!
Last Minute Filler Ideas
Last Minute Filler Ideas
-Have them gather around the table and draw a picture or write a letter to their families about what they learned today.
-Play a game of some sort. (If you have the hula hoops, have them join hands in a circle and pass the hula hoop around the circle without breaking their hands)
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