Fear, Inc.

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October 16th, 2016 .:. .:. Room 301

Pathways Kids Weekend Small Groups

This curriculum is for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd graders.

This Weeks Scope

Parting Waves
Bible Story: Parting Waves (Moses and the Red Sea) Exodus 13:1714:31
Bottom Line: You can do what you should even when things seem impossible.
Memory Verse: Be strong and brave. Do not be afraid. Do not lose hope. I am the LORD your God. I
will be with you everywhere you go. Joshua 1:9b, NIrV
Life App: Couragebeing brave enough to do what you should do, even when youre afraid.
Basic Truth: I can trust God no matter what.

Welcome Time
Welcome kids and spend time engaging in conversation and catching up. Get ready to experience
todays story.
Before kids arrive, pray for each regular attendee by name. Pray for those who might visit your group
for the first time. Pray for kids who are dealing with things that seem impossible, whether its learning
fractions at school or a parent who is terminally ill. Ask God to give those kids courage to move forward
in faith, knowing that He will be with them every step of the way.
Bible Story: Exodus 13:1714:31 Please use as a reference
When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country,
though that was shorter. For God said, If they face war, they might change their minds and return to
Egypt. So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up
out of Egypt ready for battle. Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the
Israelites swear an oath. He had said, God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my
bones up with you from this place. After leaving Sukkoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the
desert. By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night
in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by
day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people. Then the LORD said to Moses, Tell
the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. They are to
encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon. Pharaoh will think, The Israelites are wandering
around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert. And I will harden Pharaohs heart, and he will
pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will
know that I am the LORD. So the Israelites did this. When the king of Egypt was told that the people

had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, What have we done? We
have let the Israelites go and have lost their services! So he had his chariot made ready and took his
army with him. He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with
officers over all of them. The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the
Israelites, who were marching out boldly. The Egyptiansall Pharaohs horses and chariots, horsemen
and troopspursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth,
opposite Baal Zephon. As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians,
marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD. They said to Moses, Was it
because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done
to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didnt we say to you in Egypt, Leave us alone; let us serve the
Egyptians? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert! Moses
answered the people, Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring
you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need
only to be still. Then the LORD said to Moses, Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to
move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the
Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they
will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his
horsemen. The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots
and his horsemen. Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israels army, withdrew
and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming
between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one
side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long. 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. The Egyptians pursued them, and all
Pharaohs horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. During the last watch of the
night the LORD looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into
confusion. He jammed the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians
said, Lets get away from the Israelites! The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt. Then
the LORD said to Moses, Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the
Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen. Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at
daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the LORD swept
them into the sea. The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsementhe entire army of
Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived. But the Israelites went
through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. That day
he LORD saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the

shore. And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the
people feared the LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.
What You Need: Offering container
What You Do:
Welcome students as they arrive and direct them to place their offerings in the offering
container.
Remind the kids that last week we learned that we can do what we should even when we dont
feel ready.
Ask if anyone faced a situation this past week for which they didnt feel prepared. What did they
choose to do? How did that go?
Invite kids to share any stories of courage they have heard about or experienced recently.
Lead your kids to large group.

Activity #1
What You Need: Paper, markers, Bibles
What You Do:
Ask kids to share what they remember from todays Bible story. Let them refer to their Bibles if
needed (Exodus 13:1714:31).
Let kids take turns telling you their favorite part of the story and why they liked it.
What were some examples of extreme courage in the face of extreme situations?
Ask kids to describe what may have been going through the Israelites minds as they stood with
the sea in front of them and the Egyptian army behind them.
Set out paper and markers.
Ask kids to draw a scene from todays Bible story using their non-dominant hand.
When finished, let them share their Awkward Artwork with the group and see if the group can
guess or figure out what each kid drew.
What You Say:
Drawing a picture with the hand you dont normally use is super awkward. It feels like an impossible
way to draw a picture. It would be so much easier to just use your other hand, right? Sometimes we
face really difficult situations that make our life hard. We wish they would just go away because itd be
so much easier for us if we didnt have to go through them. Moses and the Israelites found themselves
up against a really hard day and an impossible task that they wished would go away. The only thing
that could save them was God. Without knowing what the outcome would be, Moses stood strong in the
face of his fear. He led the Israelites in trusting God. We can make it through anything with Gods help.
[Bottom Line] You can do what you should even when things seem impossible. This week, if you
have a Red Sea moment, trust God and say, I can be brave even when things seem impossible.
If you lead mostly older kids, consider asking these discussion questions:
If you had been an Israelite kid in todays story, what would you have done to show courage?
If you could have reminded the Israelites of some things about God, what would you tell them?
When have you or someone you know been in a Red Sea situation where you felt like
everything was going along fine and then suddenly it all fell apart? What did you do?
Is there ever a situation so impossible that its okay to quit? Explain.

Activity #2
What You Need: Chariot Races Activity Page
What You Do:
Mix up and scatter the Chariot Races cards on the floor around your groups area.
Form teams of three and assign them a card color.
Explain that teams will race their chariots around the room to collect all the sections needed to
complete the memory verse and stack them in correct order.
If time allows, scatter cards around the room and play again.
[Make It Personal] (Share what you believe to be one of your more courageous moments in life.
What made the situation seem impossible? How did God help you find Joshua 1:9b courage in
the middle of it?)
What You Say:
Joshua 1:9 is a great verse to remember when things seem impossible. When you trust your
circumstances to our great God, its all good. That doesnt mean you wont face some tough days. It
does mean youll never face those days alone, though. God is always with you. Hes good and
powerful. He can use your hardships to benefit you by giving you courage. Verses like Joshua 1:9b give
you hope when you feel like giving up. God wants you to bring your fears to Him. He doesnt want you
to simply grit your teeth and hold your breath until the bad stuff goes away. When things seem
impossible, remember what God wants to do in you. He can use hard times to benefit you and to
achieve His purposes for your life. If something happens this week that requires a dose of courage,
remember that God wants to use everything youre going through to help you grow stronger in your
faith. [Bottom Line] You can do what you should even when things seem impossible.

Prayer
Opposites

Time

What You Need: No supplies needed

What You Do:
Remind kids that God is at work in the good and the bad, the easy and the impossible things
that happen. Learning how to have courage when things seem impossible is a huge life lesson
that God will keep teaching us as we follow Him.
Ask everyone to stand up and lead kids in the following commands:
o If youve ever had the flu, sit down.
o If youve ever been given a birthday gift, stand up.
o If youve ever had a pet die, sit down.
o If youve ever had ice cream, stand up.
o If youve ever been made fun of, sit down.
o If youve ever had a friend, stand up.
What You Say:
Life isnt always ice cream and birthday gifts. Theres also sadness and things that hurt. You will face
many ups and downs in life. In some situations, youll feel like a winner and in others youll feel like the
Israelites did when they looked at the Red Sea and knew there was no way across. God knows about
every single thing youre facing now and all that you will face in the future. All of the ups and downs are
in His control. Let Him use each one to help you grow courageous in Him. Lets pray and ask God to
help us be courageous.
Dear God, thank you for the ups in lifethe times when You bless and encourage us. Youre an
amazing God with amazing plans for each of us. Sometimes those plans will include a down day in
order to achieve Your purposes in us. Help us trust You when that happens. We ask this in Jesus
name, amen.