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Kids Talk: Joshua 24 (Big Bible Adventure #37)

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The Big Bible Adventure – Joshua 24 (Download Powerpoint)

Coming up to a busy junction in a car, what do you expect to see? [Traffic Lights]

Why do we have traffic lights? [To keep us safe; prevent accidents; drive smoothly to the destination]

Both the red light that tells us to stop and the green light that tells us to go are for our own good, even if we prefer the green light.

After God kept His promise to give Israel the land of Canaan, many years went by and when Joshua was close to death he gave a farewell speech to the people of Israel.  This speech was a bit like a set of traffic lights designed to keep the people safe and so they could enjoy life in the land.

Joshua told the people some things to do like the green light and he told them some things not to do like the red light.

But first he reminded them about some of the incredible things God had done for them and how He had kept His promise.  He reminded them about how God had parted the Red Sea so they could safely cross and how He had brought down the walls of Jericho so they could capture the city and now live in this wonderful and fruitful land.

Then came the green light – the things they should do to carry on enjoying life in the land.

“Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness.  Throw away the gods your forefathers worshipped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:14)

Joshua also had a red light command to give them – the things they were not to do.

“If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you.” (Joshua 24:20)

The people of Israel had a choice: Serve and obey God who rescued them and brought them into the land or serve and obey a pretend gods.

“And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the LORD our God and obey him.” (Joshua 24:24)

The end.

Sadly it’s not the end of the story.  The people did serve and obey God for a time.  But after Joshua and that generation died, the next generation started following pretend gods and as God said it would, disaster came and Israel was attacked and captured.

They ended up as slaves again.  They needed to be rescued again!

More talks from The Big Bible Adventure can be found HERE.

Kids Talk: Joshua 6 (Big Bible Adventure #36)

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The Big Bible Adventure – Joshua 6 (Download Powerpoint)

What are some of the different ways of knocking down a wall? [Battering Ram; Wrecking Ball; Explosives; Wind Power; Sledgehammer; Push it down].

God had overcome the first obstacle in the way of keeping His promise to give the Israelites the land of Canaan.  God stopped the River Jordan so that they could pass safely across on dry land.

But there was still another obstacle He needed to overcome – His enemies that were living in the land.

The first load of these enemies lived in the city of Jericho.  Having heard about what God had done in the past for Israel, they were scared and hid behind the city’s big strong wall.

Surely they would be safe behind it.  They weren’t.

God told Joshua to tell the people to march around the city once a day for 6 days with the priests carrying the ark and trumpets leading the way.  On the seventh day they were to march around the city 7 times with the priests blowing their trumpets.  When they gave one long blast of a note, Joshua and all the people were to give a loud shout and the walls of the city will fall down.

The people followed God’s instructions, and on the seventh day: “When the trumpets sounded, the people shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the people gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so every man charged straight in, and they took the city.” (Joshua 6:20)

But as Joshua and the Israelites captured the city and defeated their enemies, they kept an eye out for something.  A scarlet cord, which the two spies told Rahab to put out her window.  They found it and Rahab and all her family were kept safe and welcomed into God’s people.

Jericho was the first of many cities they would capture in the land as God kept His promise to give the people the land of Canaan.  Everything seemed to be going to plan.

What could possibly go wrong?

More talks from The Big Bible Adventure can be found HERE.

Kids Talk: Joshua 3-4 (Big Bible Adventure #35)

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The Big Bible Adventure – Joshua 3-4 (Download Powerpoint)

Can you solve the following problems?

You are in a cabin and it is pitch black.  You have one match on you.  Which do you light first, the newspaper, the lamp, the candle or the fire? [You light the match first!]

Five people stood under a small umbrella but none of them got wet.  Why didn’t any of them get wet? [It was not raining!]

A boy and a doctor were fishing.  The boy is the doctor’s son but the doctor is not the boy’s father.  Who is the doctor? [His mother!]

There are three houses.  One is red.  One is blue.  One is white.  If the red house is to the left of the house in the middle and the blue is to the right of the house in the middle, where is The White House? [In Washington DC!]

After 40 years of wandering around in the wilderness, the people of Israel under Joshua’s leadership were now ready to enter the land God had promised them.  This time they trusted God’s promise.  But two problems or obstacles lay in their way.

The River Jordan AND God’s enemies that were living in the land.

Once the two spies had return, the people packed up their gear and got ready to cross over the River Jordan and into the land of Canaan.  But the river was so high they couldn’t cross.  Also there was no bridge, or tunnel, or ferry to get them across.

It looks like God won’t be able to keep His promise after all.

God said to Joshua: “As soon as the priests who carry the ark of the LORD – the Lord of all the earth – set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.” (Joshua 3:13)

And that’s what happened.

As soon as the priests carrying the ark stepped into the water, the water stopped and the Israelites crossed over on dry ground, like they did back in Egypt when the Red Sea was parted.

God was continuing to keep His promise.  But what about the enemies of God living in the land?

More talks from The Big Bible Adventure can be found HERE.

Kids Talk: Joshua 1-2 (Big Bible Adventure #34)

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The Big Bible Adventure – Joshua 1-2 (Download Powerpoint)

What is wrong with the following pictures? [Wayne Rooney in an Everton shirt; Fernando Torres in a Liverpool shirt; Ashley Cole in an Arsenal shirt; David Beckham in a Manchester United shirt; Peter Crouch in a Spurs shirt].

Each of these footballers have changed sides.

In the next part of the Big Bible Adventure we see someone else who has changed sides.

Because the people of Israel did not believe that God would keep His promise to give them the land of Canaan, their punishment was to wander around in the desert for 40 years until that generation including Moses and Aaron had died.

When the 40 years were over, the people of Israel had a new leader, Joshua, and it was now time for God to keep His promise.

Like Moses, Joshua sent spies into Canaan (only two this time), to check it out, especially focussing on the city of Jericho.

While the two spies were in Jericho, they stayed with a woman called Rahab.  Rahab had heard about God and what He had done.  Rahab said to them: “I know that the LORD has given this land to you… the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.” (Joshua 2:9, 11)

While the spies were with Rahab, the king of Jericho heard about the spies and sent guards to Rahab’s house.  Rahab hid the spies on the roof of her home and sent the guards looking for them in the opposite direction.

Why would Rahab do that?

It is because she had changed sides.  She had replaced her Jericho shirt with an Israel shirt.  As she helped the spies escape, she said to them, “When you take the city, save me and my family!”  The two spies said they would if she tied a scarlet cord to her window.

The spies then hid in the hills before returning to Joshua and the people of Israel.

The last time spies return, the people failed to believe that God would keep His promise.  Will it be different this time?

More talks from The Big Bible Adventure can be found HERE.

Kids Talk: Numbers 14 (Big Bible Adventure #33)

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The Big Bible Adventure – Numbers 14 (Download Powerpoint)

Do you think that the following things will happen one day? [Goaline technology in football; People walk on Mars; We will drive flying cars; Be able to travel back in time; Grow a tree that has money instead of leaves].

As the Big Bible Adventure continues, the people of Israel have to decide whether they think something would happen.  That something, was God keeping His promise to give them the land of Canaan.

Moses had sent 12 spies to check out the land and they returned saying that the land would be a wonderful place to live.

But 10 of the spies said that the people that were living there were too big and strong and powerful, and there was no way they could defeat them.  They were saying that God could not keep His promise.

Two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, said that with God on their side, victory was a guarantee.

Who would the people believe?

This is what they said: “Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword?  Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” (Numbers 14:3)

They believed the 10 spies.

They didn’t think it would be possible to live in the promised land, in the same way we don’t think it would be possible to grow a money tree.

They had forgotten that God had rescued them from Egypt, parted the Red Sea, and provided food from heaven, and because they didn’t believe that God would keep His promise, God said to these people that they would not enter the land.  They are going to wander around in the desert for 40 years until they had all died.

It would be their children who would enter the land.

So we leave the people of Israel wandering the desert for 40 years because they failed to trust God.

More talks from The Big Bible Adventure can be found HERE.

Kids Talk: Numbers 13 (Big Bible Adventure #32)

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The Big Bible Adventure – Numbers 13 (Download Powerpoint)

Who might use the following things? [Fake moustache; Binoculars; Invisible Ink; Dark Glasses; Code Book; Fingerprint kit]

A spy.

After God forgave the people of Israel for worshipping the golden calf, the people (now divided into twelve family groups called tribes) travelled to the land of Canaan that God had promised them.

God told Moses to send some men to explore the land He was going to give them.  So Moses choose 12 men (one from each tribe) to spy out the land and report back what it was like – were the people living there strong or weak, were there lots of people or few people, was the soil good for farming, and what was the fruit found there like.

After 40 days of exploring the land, the 12 spies returned, bringing with them a bunch of grapes so big it took two men to carry it.  They told Moses and the people how great the land was.  However, 10 of the spies were scared of the people living in the land – they said the people were like giants compared to us, and their cities were big with high walls – they had forgotten what God is like and didn’t think that the people of Israel were strong enough to fight them.

“Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.  But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” (Numbers 13:30-31)

The big question is: “Who will the people believe?”

Will they believe the 10 spies who said the enemy is too strong or will they believe Joshua and Caleb who believed that God would keep His promise and help them to defeat them?

More talks from The Big Bible Adventure can be found HERE.

Kids Talk: Exodus 32 (Big Bible Adventure #31)

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The Big Bible Adventure – Exodus 32 (Download Powerpoint)

When might you hear the words: “Got, Got, Got, God, Need!”?  [When two people are swapping cards or stickers]

Do you thin the following are good swaps or bad swaps? [GameBoy for iPad Mini; Nike Lebrons for ASDA Trainers; Plain Hoodie for Jack Wills Hoodie; Ferrari Enzo for Vauxhall Nova]

In the next part of the Big Bible Adventure we see the people of Israel make a terrible swap.

God has just given the Israelites the 10 Commandments, commands about love God and loving one another, and the people responded by saying: “Everything the LORD has said we will do.” (Exodus 24:3)

However Moses remained up Mount Sinai for what seemed to be a lifetime (it was only 40 days) and at the bottom of the mountain the people of Israel became impatient.  They asked Aaron to make an idol to worship (breaking both the 1st and 2nd Commandments).  Out of the gold jewellery they gave him, Aaron made a golden calf that they could worship.

Do you see what they had done?  They had done a bad swap!

They had swapped the real God who rescued them from Egypt and provided for them in the desert, for a pretend god that could do nothing.

God was angry at them for what they had done and told Moses that He was going to destroy them.  But Moses prayed and pleaded with God not to wipe out the people by reminding God of His promise.

“Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them.” (Exodus 32:13)

Moses said to God, you’ve been keeping your promise about a great people, but what about your promise of a land for them to live in?

“Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.” (Exodus 32:14)

God is a merciful God who does do not give His people what they deserved and He is also a faithful God as He continues to keep the promises He made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

But the question still remains: “Will they ever get to the land God had promised them?”

More talks from The Big Bible Adventure can be found HERE.

Kids Talk: Exodus 19-25 (Big Bible Adventure #30)

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The Big Bible Adventure – Exodus 19-25 (Download Powerpoint)

Rules.  Where do we find rules? [School; Home; Country; Road – Highway Code; Sport; Board Games].

Why do we have rules?  Rules are there for our good, for our safety, so that life works the way it should.

In the next part of the Big Bible Adventure we come to some famous rules or commandments.

The Israelites have been travelling in the desert for three months, and finally they reach Mount Sinai.  Moses told the people that this is where God was going to teach them how to live as His special people.

“The people all responded together, “We will do everything the LORD has said.” (Exodus 19:8)

Moses went up the mountain to meet with God, and was given 10 Commandments that the people were to obey.  There were commandments about loving God (Do not worship any except Me; Do not make idols; Do not misuse God’s name; Keep the Sabbath – one day a week special) and commandments about loving one another (Honour father and mother; Do not murder; Be faithful in marriage; Do not steal; Do not tell lies about other people; Do not want what belongs to someone else).

Obeying these rules, God said would please Him and make Him happy.

As well as these 10 Commandments, God gave lots of other instructions including how to build a special tent where God would live amongst His people.  The tent called the Tabernacle would be a reminder to the Israelites that God was with them.

“When Moses went and told the people all the LORD’s words and laws, they responded with one voice, “Everything the LORD has said we will do.” (Exodus 24:3)

But will they?  Will they do everything the LORD has said?

More talks from The Big Bible Adventure can be found HERE.

Kids Talk: Exodus 16-17 (Big Bible Adventure #29)

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The Big Bible Adventure – Exodus 16-17 (Download Powerpoint)

What do people complain the most about? [The Weather; Traffic; Referees; Price of Fuel; Poor Service].

People whinge and moan when things don’t go the way they want them to.

God’s people, the Israelites, having been rescued from slavery in Egypt, were travelling through the desert to a special mountain that God had told them to go to.

But life in the desert was not easy, and soon they began to moan, forgetting about the amazing rescue God had given them.

“We have no food!”

“Then the LORD said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you.” (Exodus 16:4)

The next morning there were strange white wafers that tasted like honey covering the ground – enough food for everyone to eat.  God also provided for them some fresh meat too!

But soon God’s people began to complain again.

“We have no water!”

God told Moses: “I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb.  Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” (Exodus 17:6)

Sure enough, that’s what happened.  Plenty of water for the people and their animals.

Some time later there was another problem.

“Our enemies are coming!”

Enemies called the Amalekites came to fight against them.  But God helped his people to victory.  “So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army.” (Joshua 17:13)

Instead of punishing them for moaning, God gave them what they didn’t deserve – food, water and victory.  He showed that He could be trusted to look after them.

Eventually the Israelites made it to the special mountain.

More talks from The Big Bible Adventure can be found HERE.

Kids Talk: Exodus 14 (Big Bible Adventure #28)

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The Big Bible Adventure – Exodus 14 (Download Powerpoint)

Imagine you were going on holiday to France.  In order to get to there you have to cross some water (a whole English Channel).  How might you get across? [Tunnel; Bridge; Boat; Swim; Water Ski; Fly – plane/hang glider; Raft; Li-lo]

The Israelites had to cross some water in order to be finally rescued from Egypt.

When the final plague came, God passed over the Israelite homes so that their sons were safe.  But He did not pass over the Egyptian homes and their sons died.  So Pharaoh said “Get out!” leave Egypt.  The Israelite were free!!!

The Israelites travelled through the desert towards the Red Sea.  But after they had left, Pharaoh changed his mind: “We’ve let our slaves go!” and so he set off with his army (600 chariots) and chased after them.

Now the Israelites had reached the Red Sea, and when they looked back they saw the dust cloud of Pharaoh’s army coming after them.  When they looked forward they saw water (lots of water!)

They were scared.  “We’re going to get captured again.”  Moses said to the people “Do not be afraid” the Lord will fight for you.

Go told Moses to stretch out his hand over the Red Sea.  Listen to what happened when he did: “Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land.  The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.” (Exodus 14:21-22)

The sea opened up so it was like there was road that ran through it, and all the Israelites quickly crossed to the other side.

The Egyptians chased after them and ran onto the road in the middle of the sea.  God then told Moses to stretch out his hand over the sea again, and when he did, the wind stopped and the water came splashing down over the Egyptians.

God’s people were rescued, and now they were safe!

When the Israelites saw God’s power, they put their trust in Him.  That night there was a great celebration in the Israelite camp.  There was a massive party.  They were free!  God had saved them!  Moses and the people laughed and sang songs.  What an incredible rescue!

But what will happen to them now they have been rescued?

More talks from The Big Bible Adventure can be found HERE.

Kids Talk: Exodus 12 (Big Bible Adventure #27)

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The Big Bible Adventure – Exodus 12 (Download Powerpoint)

We are told some things as children to keep us safe.  [Don’t talk to strangers; Stop, look, listen when crossing a road; Don’t run along the side of the swimming pool; If the fire bell rings meet at a certain location; Don’t put your fingers in electric sockets; Don’t play with matches].

The Israelites were slaves in Egypt.  They needed to be rescued, and God had sent a rescuer, Moses, to lead them out of Egypt.  But Pharaoh said “No!  I will not let the Israelites go.”  Even after 9 plagues had fallen upon the Egyptians (Nile to blood, frog, gnats, flies, death of livestock, boils, hail, locusts, darkness), he still refused to let them go.

Why do you think Pharaoh didn’t want to let the Israelites go?  [As slaves they were a valuable workforce].

God spoke to Moses again and said that He would send one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt, and then Pharaoh would let the people leave.

This plague would be the worst of all the plagues.  It was a plague called the Passover.  God was going to pass through Egypt and every firstborn son and animal will die.

But God also gave instructions to keep the firstborn Israelite sons safe.

Three instructions:

1) Get ready to leave Egypt – put your sandals on, tuck your cloak in your belt, and have your staff at hand.

2) Get a lamb which has no defects, kill it, and paint the sides and tops of the doorframes of your house with its blood.

3) Roast the lamb, and eat it with bread (without yeast) and bitter herbs.  And do all this quickly because you’re about to leave Egypt.

Now it makes sense to get ready to leave Egypt, it makes sense to eat a meal, but why painting your doorframe with blood?

“The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you.  No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.” (Exodus 12:13)

When God passes through Egypt, every house where He sees the blood on the doorposts, He will pass over and everyone inside those houses will be kept safe.

And that’s what happened.  At midnight every eldest son of every Egyptian died.  But in the home of the Israelites, the eldest son was kept safe because they followed God’s instructions.

Then Pharaoh said to Moses and Aaron “Get out, leave Egypt, you and all the Israelites.”  So that’s what they did.  God had rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.  But the story is not quite over yet…

More talks from The Big Bible Adventure can be found HERE.

Kids Talk: Exodus 5-10 (Big Bible Adventure #26)

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The Big Bible Adventure – Exodus 5-10 (Download Powerpoint)

Teach the following sound effect… [taken from Click 5-7s Unit 3]

  • “No” [for Pharaoh’s answer]
  • “Er yuk” [for Nile River turning to blood]
  • “Ribbet, Ribbet” [for frogs]
  • “Buzz, Buzz” [for gnats]
  • “Zing, Zing” [for flies]
  • “Ker splat” [for death of firstborn cattle]
  • “Scratch, Scratch” [for boils]
  • “Clatter, Clatter” [for hailstones]
  • “Munch, Munch” [for locusts]
  • “Ooo! Ooo!” [for darkness]

The Israelites were slaves in Egypt.  They needed to be rescued.  They cried out to God to rescue them, and God answered their prayer by sending a rescuer called Moses.  God promised Moses that He would lead the people out of Egypt.

So Moses went to the king of Egypt, he took his big brother Aaron with him, and they said to Pharaoh, “God says, “Let my people go!”  But Pharaoh said: “Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go?  I do not know the LORD and I will not let Israel go.” (Exodus 5:2)

It looked like Moses had failed.  It looked God wouldn’t rescue His people after all.

But Pharaoh (and the Israelites) were about to see that God not Pharaoh is the real King!  God would send 10 plagues to should that God is the powerful King of all.

[Follow the pattern below for the first nine plagues].

Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said: God says “Let my people go!”  Otherwise I will send… [insert plague].

But Pharaoh said: [shout out “No!”]  So… [insert plague – then sound effect].

[Comment about how Pharaoh’s magicians could do the first two miracles but none of the others, and how God showed Pharaoh that the Israelites were His people by keeping the plagues of flies, animals dying, boils and hail away from where they lived]

But still Pharaoh would not let the people go.

[After going through the nine plagues] Pharaoh refused to accept that God was in charge, that He is the real King.  But there was one more plague to come.

Will Pharaoh listen after this one and let the people go?

More talks from The Big Bible Adventure can be found HERE.