Supplies

• Bible
• fan
• flashlight
• green, red, orange, and yellow tissue paper
• rope

Easy Prep

• Tie strips of the tissue paper to the outside of the fan. Place a flashlight behind the fan.

Act It Out

            Say: Today we’ll find out God is real. Let’s hear a true story from the Bible about how God showed he’s real. Show the Bible. Say: There was a man named Moses. He was out in a field taking care of his animals. Choose a few preschoolers to be shepherds, and let everyone else be the sheep and goats. Lead “shepherds” in patting and pretending to feed the “animals.” Shepherds can gather the animals and lead them to different areas of the room. Discreetly dim the lights as kids play.

            Have an adult or teen helper turn on the flashlight and fan. Abruptly point out the “fire.” Say: While Moses was watching his animals, he noticed a bush on fire! But the bush wasn’t burning up! Gather the kids around the fan.

            Read aloud Exodus 3:3-4. Say: Wow! God is real, and he talked to Moses from a burning bush!

            Ask: • Tell whether you think how God came to talk to Moses is exciting or scary.

            Say: God is amazing, and he loves you, so we can always be excited to talk to him! When God called to Moses, Moses said, “Here I am!” Stand behind the “fire” and call each child’s name, inviting kids to respond, “Here I am!” If you have more than 10 kids, do this in leader-led small groups.

            Say: Next, God told Moses, “Don’t come too close to the burning bush I’m in.” This was, after all, a really important place—God is real, and he was right there! Since it was such a special place, God told Moses to take off his shoes, kind of like you take off your shoes when you walk into a special home. Lead kids to take off their shoes like Moses did.

            Say: God told Moses he is the real God—Moses’ dad’s God, his grandpa’s God, and the God of all the people who ever lived. Some people back then believed in make-believe gods, but this was the one, real God! Wow! This was a really special experience for Moses!

            Share about a time you had a special moment with God. It could’ve been when you were praying or worshipping, when you were reading the Bible, or even when a friend said something to you that helped you trust God.

            Ask: • Tell about a special time you’ve had in church. All kids don’t have to share; invite only those who want to. They might tell about a VBS activity, a time they were praying at night, or a time they heard a Bible story in your class. As kids share, emphasize God’s involvement in the situations.

            Say: Moses realized what a special thing this was for him to be right there with God—and he got a little bit scared. Have kids show their scared faces.

            Say: Moses covered up his face when he realized the real God was with him! Lead kids to cover their faces with their hands and then peek out a few times.

            Say: But Moses didn’t need to be scared! This was the real God who loved him and who loves you, too! Lead kids to hug themselves.

            Say: Next, God told Moses why he had shown up in that burning bush. He said he’d heard his friends’ prayers and had a plan to rescue them. And he wanted Moses to be the leader who would lead God’s friends into a new, safe place. But Moses was scared because he didn’t know how to be a leader.

            Tell about a time you were nervous about leading something.

            Ask: • When have you been scared to try something new? Kids might share about riding a bike or swimming.

            Say: God said, “I’ll be with you! I’ll even tell you what to say!” And God gave Moses some words to say about how God is the real God and how God would rescue them. Pause. But Moses still felt worried. Then God said, “I’ll give you a sign that I am real.” He told Moses to throw his stick on the ground, and when he did, it turned into a snake! Then God told Moses to pick up the snake, and when he did, the snake turned back into his stick!

            Lead kids in pretending to have a staff and throw it down. Place a rope on the floor, and slither it around like a snake. The kids can pretend to be scared and hop around so the “snake” doesn’t get them. Invite kids to share whether they’d want to pick up a snake by its tail.

            Say: Even after all that, Moses still felt unsure about leading God’s friends. But finally he agreed when God said he’d be with Moses, he’d tell Moses what to say, and Moses could bring his friend Aaron. And Moses and Aaron did just what God told them to do because they knew God is real and he had a great plan! Invite kids to pair up and journey to a new place like Moses and Aaron did. Turn off the fan and flashlight, and turn on the lights.

Talk About It

            Say: Moses hadn’t seen God before, but God showed he’s real by talking to Moses through that burning bush. You probably haven’t talked to God while he was in a burning bush, but that doesn’t mean he’s not real! God is real, he loves you, and he wants to be your friend. Think about this:

• You can’t see the air around us, but you can breathe it in. Invite kids to take several deep breaths. We have to have air to live!
• You can’t see wind, but you can feel it on your skin. Turn on the fan and blow it on kids. We can see what wind does, like make our hair fly. Invite kids to share other ways they can see that wind is blowing, such as rustling trees or branches.
• You can’t see what I’m saying, but you can hear it with your ears! Invite kids to make silly noises, and observe that they can’t see them but they can hear them.

            Say: God is real, even though we can’t see him. We can talk to him, and sometimes we’ll hear an answer back in our hearts and minds. We can read about him in the Bible, and we’ll learn about him. God is real, and he loves you!