🔥Chapter 2 -Fear to Courage

10 mins:   [🔥🔥]

Invite the children to share their homework with the class. Last week, they were asked to read Exodus 2–3 and answer this question:

“What was God doing while the Israelites cried out in pain for nearly 80 years?”

Appreciate and reward the children who completed their homework. Give those who couldn’t finish a few minutes to quickly read through Exodus 2–3 before discussing the answer together.

Some possible answers include:

• God was preparing a leader to rescue them—Moses.
• God was teaching His people to face their fears and challenges instead of running away.
• God was waiting for the right time to bring them out of Egypt.

Help the children understand this important truth:

God was working behind the scenes. He never ignored His people’s suffering or forgot about them.

Conclude by saying:

“Now we know that God was not enjoying His people’s suffering. He was working behind the scenes, preparing everything at the right time. One thing we learn about God is that He is the greatest Teacher—the best Sensei, the best Guru. Today, we’re going to discover how God trains His people to face difficult situations with courage. Are you ready?”

10 mins:   [🔥🔥]

GAME

Things Needed: rectangular tray filled with water, a light floating object (such as a ping-pong ball or foam piece), drinking straw (one for each child)

METHOD

• Divide the children into two teams.
• Each team chooses three players.
• Give each player a drinking straw.
• Ask the two teams to stand facing each other.
• Place a rectangular tray filled with water between them.
• Put a light floating object (such as a ping-pong ball or foam piece) in the center of the tray.
• When you say “Start!”, the players must blow through their straws and try to push the floating object toward the opposite side, just like scoring a goal in football.
• The first team to score a goal wins.
• Repeat the game with different players as time allows.

MESSAGE

Ask the children: “Who wins in a football game—or in the game we just played?” Allow them to answer.

Explain: The winners are the ones who face difficult challenge and do not run away. They are not constantly worried about what the other team is doing. Their eyes stay focused on the goal, and they keep trying until they succeed.

Life is similar. People who grow stronger are usually the ones who face difficult situations instead of running away from them.

But let’s be honest—it is often easier to say that than to do it.

• We may want to avoid studying for an exam.
• We may feel nervous about speaking in front of the class.
• We may prefer to stay comfortable rather than try something new.

Those feelings are completely normal.

Today’s Bible event is about a man who wanted to stay comfortable and avoid a big challenge that God placed before him. We are going to listen carefully to the conversation between God and Moses and discover how God encouraged him to step forward in courage.

Are you ready?

35 mins:   [🔥]

Bible Passage: Exodus 2,3
Bible Event: God builds courage in Moses

Context:

From the previous session, we know that the Egyptians turned against the Israelites who had helped them. They made them slaves and worked them hard without mercy. Pharoah, the king of Egypt, issued and order to kill all the male children and let the girls live.

This is when a cute little baby boy is born to an Israelite couple – Amram (Father) and Jochebed (Mother). As per the order of the king, they had to throw the baby into the Nile river. But they hid the baby for 3 months and then they could do so no longer. They had no choice but to throw the baby into the river. Jochebed, made a basket out of papyrus reeds and waterproofed it with tar and pitch. She put it in the basket and laid it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile River. the baby’s sister, Mariam stood at a distance watching what will happen to her little brother.

Soon Pharoah’s daughter came down to bathe in the river and she found this little baby. She felt sorry for him. The wise sister ran towards her and asked her, ” Do you want me to find someone to look after this baby?” Pharoah’s daughter said, “Yes, do”. She went and brought her own mother. Pharoah’s daughter named him Moses which means, “I lifted him out of water”. Moses grew safely in own house and when he was older she brought him to the Pharoah’s daughter. She adopted him as he own son. Can you see how God saved Moses?

God had great plans for Moses. He was trained in the Pharaoh’s house and became skillful.

When he was about 40 years old, he went to visit his own people, Israelites. In trying to help them he killed an Egyptian. He was afraid Pharoah would hear about this and will try to kill him, so he fled to a place called Midian, which was more than 400 Kms from Egypt’s border. Historians and biblical scholars estimate it would have taken him anywhere from 2 to 3 weeks to reach Midian safely. He faced the consequence of his mistake. He lost all the power, fame and comfort he had in Egypt.

Midian was an arid mountainous desert. Moses started a new life and became a shepherd there. He got married and had children. 40 years passed. Moses was 80 years old now. That’s where we start today’s story.

Acitivty – Story Narration

Pick three children to read and act out Exodus 3: 1-14 – Moses, God, Narrator.

Example: The Narrator begins by reading Exodus 3:1–2. Moses reads his lines (verse 3), God reads His responses (verse 4), and the Narrator continues.

Encourage the children to read with expression and imagine how Moses might have felt when he heard God speaking through the burning bush.

Continue the story:

God wanted to help His people, the Israelites. He wanted Moses to lead them out of the clasps of the cruel Pharoah. But Moses had settled comfortably. He was old. He had a family. He had a job. It was too comfortable to move and what God was asking him to do was super scary. So he comes up with lots of excuses. Read through Exodus 3, 4 and find out the excuses he said. (Give some time for the children to list out all the excuses Moses had)

1. Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt? (Exodus 3:11)
2. If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them? (Exodus 3: 13)
3. “What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The Lord never appeared to you’?” (Exodus 4:1)
4. O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled. (Exodus 4:10)
5. “Lord, please! Send anyone else” (Exodus 4:13)

Every time Moses gave an excuse, God gave him an answer. God even sent Aaron, Moses’ brother, to help him.

God never ignored Moses’ fears—He met every one of them with His promise and His presence.

Conclusion:

Ask the children:

Have you ever said any of these things?

• “I’m just a nobody.”
• “I don’t know enough.”
• “What if nobody believes me?”
• “I’m not talented.”
• “Can’t someone else do it?”

Sometimes fear keeps us from becoming the person God created us to be.

Maybe you’re afraid of what your friends will think if you stand up for Jesus.
Maybe you’re nervous about singing in church, praying aloud, sharing your faith, or saying no when others are doing something wrong.

Today God reminds us that He never calls us to do something without also giving us the help we need.

When God asks you to do something—big or small—He promises to be with you. He will give you courage, wisdom, and strength. Our job is simply to trust Him and take the next step.

Moses finally obeyed God.

And look what happened!

• God performed mighty miracles through Moses, including parting the Red Sea.
• God used Moses to confront Pharaoh through the ten plagues.
• God led the Israelites to freedom through Moses. About 600,000 men, plus women and children—around 2 million people—were rescued from slavery.
• Moses experienced one of the closest relationships with God recorded in the Bible and saw God’s glory in a unique way (Exodus 33–34).
• God revealed His works to Moses, including the account of creation.
• Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible.

The man who once said, “I am nobody,” became one of the greatest leaders in history—not because he was extraordinary, but because God was with him.

The same God who called Moses is with you today. Trust Him, step forward in faith, and let Him use you to do great things.

5 mins:   [🔥]

HOMEWORK

Read Exodus 16 and answer the following question:

How did the Israelites respond to challenges? Did they trust God like Moses, or did they respond differently? Explain your answer using examples from the chapter.

For older children: Encourage them to write a short essay based on what they learn from Exodus 16.