LESSON OVERVIEW FOR ADULTS
In Joshua 3-4, the people of Israel had spent forty years wandering in the wilderness, and the moment to enter the Promised Land had finally arrived. There was just one problem standing in their way: the Jordan River. It was harvest season, which meant the river was overflowing its banks, running fast and deep. God gave Joshua specific instructions. The priests were to carry the Ark of the Covenant, which represented God’s very presence, and step into the water first. God did not part the water before they walked toward it. The miracle only happened when their feet actually touched the river. The moment the priests stepped in, the water stopped flowing upstream and the riverbed dried out so that all the people could cross safely to the other side. This event was a direct parallel to the parting of the Red Sea under Moses, and it established Joshua as God’s chosen leader for this new generation.
Once the entire nation had crossed, God instructed Joshua to have one man from each of the twelve tribes carry a large stone from the middle of the dry riverbed and stack them at the camp in Gilgal. These twelve stones were not simply decorations. They were a deliberate memorial, a physical reminder of what God had done so that future generations could point to them and tell the story. Joshua 4:6-7 describes children asking their parents what the stones meant, and the parents answering with the story of the crossing. After the crossing, the people celebrated Passover, and the manna that had sustained them for forty years stopped. They were now eating the food of the Promised Land. The lesson woven throughout this passage is clear: God is faithful, God acts on behalf of His people, and it is our responsibility to remember what He has done.
OPENING ACTIVITY 6:00-6:15 | Rock Memorial & Air Dry Clay Rocks
Items Needed:
- Smooth flat rocks (12+ per setup area)
Setup children in stations of 2-3 kids. Give each station of 12 flat rocks. Ask children to take turns stacking them as high as they can. Tell them that our story today involves 12 rocks that were left as a memorial.
Items Needed (Optional Depending on Length of Interest in First Activity)
Setup another area where kids can make their own rocks out of Air Dry Clay.
BIBLE STORY 6:15-6:25
Question 1: Where is this found in the Bible? The book of Joshua.
Question 2: Is this in the Old Testament or New Testament? The Old Testament.
Object Lesson Setup: Before telling the story, gather 12 real smooth stones and place them in a small bag or basket. Keep them out of sight until the memorial moment in the story.
A long, long time ago, there was a man named Joshua.
[Ask kids to repeat:] Can you say Joshua?
[Wait for response.]
Joshua was a leader. That means he was in charge of taking care of God’s people and helping them go where God said to go. God’s people had been walking in the desert for a very, very long time. A whole FORTY years!
Now, God was ready to take His people to a special new home called the Promised Land. A promised land is a place God said He would give them. Can you say Promised Land?
[Wait for response.]
But there was something in the way. A RIVER. The Jordan River. It was a big, fast, rushing, flooding river!
Now, there was something very special that the priests carried. It was called the Ark of the Covenant.
[Say slowly:] Ark of the Covenant. Can you say that?
[Wait for response.]
The Ark of the Covenant was a very special golden box that reminded the people that God was with them. Wherever that box went, the people knew God was there. And God told Joshua to have the priests carry that golden box right toward the water.
The priests looked at that rushing, fast, scary river. What do you think? Were they a little scared?
[Make a scared face. Let kids respond.]
But they trusted God. They kept walking.
[Walk fingers slowly closer.]
The moment the priests put their feet into that water…
[Pause.]
THE RIVER STOPPED. The water stopped flowing, and where the priests were standing, the ground was dry.
All of God’s people crossed over on dry ground.
Now, God had a special idea. He did not want the people to ever, ever forget what He did that day. So He said to Joshua, “Pick twelve men. One man from each family group. And have each man carry one big stone out of the middle of the river.”
[Hold up fingers and count to twelve slowly with the kids.]
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve!
[Now reach into the bag and pull out the 12 stones one at a time.]
Twelve big stones. And the men stacked them up in a big pile at their camp.
[Stack the stones one by one into a pile while kids watch.]
And God said, when your children see these stones and ask, “What are these for?” you tell them. You say, “These stones help us remember what God did. He stopped the river so we could cross over to our new home.”
[Point to the pile of stones.]
Those stones were like a giant reminder.
Theological Questions:
- Who stopped the Jordan River from flowing? Could Joshua do that by himself, or did it take God’s power to do it?
- Why did God want the people to build a pile of stones? What were they supposed to help people remember?
Life Application Questions:
- Can you think of something good that God has done for you or your family? What would help you remember it?
- When something feels really scary, like the big rushing river, what can you do? Who can you trust to take care of you?
Prayer:
Dear God, thank You for being so powerful and so good. Help us always remember the wonderful things You have done for us, just like those twelve stones helped the Israelites remember. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
WORSHIP IN SONG 6:25-6:35
PRAYER 6:35-6:45
Transition children to the floor for prayer time. Invite kids to sit in a circle. Today we are going to pray and thank God for all the things He has done for us. Just like the Israelites built stones to remember, we are going to stop and tell God we remember what He has done. Encourage each child to share one thing they are thankful God has done before closing in prayer. Pray and thank God for His faithfulness to each child in the room, for their families, and for always being with us wherever we go.
BIBLE STORY GAME 6:45-6:55 | Find 12 Stones (Outdoors)
Items Needed:
- Outdoor area with rocks
If there is a field near your place of worship, take your children outside and have them find 12 stones. Bring them together and pile them up. Remind the students that Joshua had 12 men, 1 from each tribe, carry 12 stones to the place they were camping and piled them up as a reminder that God did a miracle when they crossed the Jordan River into the promised land. If you can, leave them there and encourage the students to take their parents out to that place and tell them what it means.
Note: If it rains, use 12 rocks hidden in various parts of a hallway. Have children find them together and build the place in your classroom. Have children tell their parents what it means at pickup time.
BIBLE CRAFT 6:55-7:10 | 12 Stones Lesson
Items Needed:
- 12 small oval stone shapes (pre-cut )
- Glue sticks
- Ziploc Bags (stuff each rock by type into a bag)
- Masking tape
Give each child a handout and a glue stick. Before class, tape the Ziploc bags with sets of each rock inside. Children will take turns picking a rock off the wall and handing it out to their friends. Then they will glue it onto their paper to make their own stone memorial. Discuss what each rock says as they hand them out.
Alternate: Children arrange and glue the twelve stone shapes onto their cardstock in a stacked pile formation. They write or have a leader write one thing God has done for them on one of the stones. They decorate the rest with stickers or drawings. Leaders walk around asking, “What would you want to remember about God?”
SNACK TIME & BIBLE STORY VIDEO 7:10-7:25
Pass out snacks and allow kids time to eat as they watch the Bible video.
BONUS ACTIVITY | Water Stopping Experiment I
Items Needed:
- A large clear plastic bin filled with water
- A small plastic divider or piece of cardboard
Let children pour water and watch it flow. Then place the divider in the bin and show how the water can be blocked. Ask the kids, “Who do you think was the only one powerful enough to stop a whole river?” Connect back to God stopping the Jordan River.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE
Joshua 3:14-17 (ESV): “So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho. Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.”
Joshua 4:6-7 (ESV): “that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.”
PARENT TAKE HOME SHEET
Today’s Key Takeaway: Remember God’s Faithfulness
What I Learned Today: Today we learned that God stopped a big, rushing river called the Jordan River so His people could walk across on dry ground. After they crossed, Joshua had twelve men each carry a stone to build a memorial pile so the people would always remember what God did. We learned that God wants us to remember the wonderful things He has done for us, and we can find ways to help us remember His goodness every day.
Questions to Ask Me:
Theological Questions:
- Who is Joshua and what did God ask him to do? (Joshua was the leader of God’s people, and God asked him to lead the Israelites across the Jordan River into the Promised Land.)
- What happened to the river when the priests stepped into the water? (The water stopped flowing and the riverbed became dry so the people could cross.)
- What did the Ark of the Covenant represent to God’s people? (It represented God’s presence with them. Wherever the Ark was, the people knew God was there.)
- Why did God tell Joshua to build a pile of twelve stones? (So the people and their children would always remember the miracle God did when He stopped the Jordan River.)
- What does it mean to remember what God has done? (It means to think back on the times God helped us, protected us, and was faithful to us, so we can trust Him in the future.)
Life Application Questions:
- What is something good that God has done for your family that you want to remember? (Answers will vary. Encourage children to think about blessings, answered prayers, or times they felt safe.)
- If you built a pile of stones to remember something God did, what would that something be? (Answers will vary.)
- When something feels scary or hard, how does it help to remember what God has already done? (It reminds us that God has been with us before and will be with us again. We can trust Him.)
- What is something in your house or room that reminds you of God or something God has done? (Answers will vary. Could be a Bible, a cross, a photograph, etc.)
- How can you help someone else remember what God has done? (By telling them the story, sharing what you learned, praying with them, or showing them a reminder like a stone or picture.)
Memory Verse: “Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually. Remember the wondrous works that he has done.” 1 Chronicles 16:11-12 (ESV)