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Are We There Yet: a 5-Week Teaching Series for Children's Ministry TOPIC: Israel & the Wilderness SCRIPTURE: Exodus DECORATING THEME: Deserts AGE GROUP: Preschool (Get the Elementary version here !) Can you imagine needing to walk through the desert? You'd be surrounded by cacti, sand, snakes, and more sand. With the heat of the sun, we'd wind up so thirsty and wondering "Are we there yet?" That's probably how the Israelites felt as they wandered around the desert, waiting to enter the Promised Land. But no matter how tired our feet get, we can focus on what's happening in our lives right now rather than just on where we're going. In this five-week series based on stories from Exodus, we'll explore how we can choose to be thankful, love God and others, turn to God when we're lost, go to God when we need rest , and remember God's promises. BIG IDEAS & BIBLE STORIES We can choose to be thankful. (Water from a Rock: Exodus 17:1-7) We can love God and others. (The Ten Commandments: Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20) We can turn to God when we're lost. (The Golden Calf: Exodus 32:1-14) We can go to God when we need rest. (Moses Sees God's Glory: Exodus 33:7-23) We can remember God's promises. (The Death of Moses: Numbers 20:1-13; Deuteronomy 34:1-12) WEEKLY CURRICULUM SUMMARIES: This week, kids hear how God helped Moses bring water from a rock. Walking through the desert sounds pretty exhausting-hot sun, dry mouths, and not a water bottle in sight! This week, we hear how God helped Moses bring water from a rock, reminding us that even when things feel tough, there's still something to be thankful for. When we remember how God takes care of us, we can choose to be thankful. This week, kids hear about the ten commandments and God's rules for living. In life, you need more than just a map. You need a guide for how to live and get along with others. This week, God gives the Israelites the Ten Commandments to help them love God and love each other on the journey. Even when we're in the middle of the wilderness, we can love God and others. This week, kids hear about the golden calf and the trouble it caused. When things feel uncertain, it's easy to take a wrong turn-just like the Israelites did in the desert. This week, they got impatient and made a golden calf, forgetting the God who had been with them the whole time. But God didn't give up on them, and just like them, we can turn to God when we're lost. This week, kids hear how Moses went to spend time with God and saw God's glory. Wandering the wilderness takes a lot out of you-it's easy to feel tired and unsure of what's next. This week, Moses goes to spend quiet time with God and finds rest in God's presence, even before the journey is over. No matter how far we have to go, we can go to God when we need rest. This week, kids hear about the death of Moses and what came next for the Israelites. After so many years in the wilderness, the Israelites were finally close to the Promised Land-but they had to say goodbye to Moses first. This week, we see that even though Moses didn't enter the land, God's promises still moved forward with the people. Through every beginning, ending, and in-between, we can remember God's promises. MEMORY VERSE: "I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." - Isaiah 43:19b (NIV)

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