LESSON OVERVIEW FOR ADULTS
In Exodus 13:17-15:21, God’s people finally leave Egypt after 430 years of slavery. The Lord doesn’t leave them to wander aimlessly but provides supernatural guidance through a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night, ensuring they never lose their way. When the Israelites reach the Red Sea, they find themselves in what appears to be an impossible situation. Pharaoh has changed his mind again and pursues them with his entire army, all his chariots, horsemen, and troops. The people are terrified, trapped between the advancing Egyptian forces and the vast waters before them.
But this impossible moment becomes the stage for God to display His incredible power. At His command, Moses stretches his staff over the water, and the Lord sends a strong wind that parts the sea, creating walls of water on both sides with dry ground in the middle. Approximately two million Israelites cross safely while the pillar of cloud moves to protect them from the Egyptian army. When the Egyptians foolishly follow, God causes their chariot wheels to fall off and brings confusion upon them. After all of God’s people reach safety, the waters return and the entire Egyptian army drowns. The people witness firsthand that their God is stronger than the most powerful army in the world, and they celebrate with singing and dancing, praising the Lord for His mighty deliverance.
OPENING ACTIVITY 6:00-6:15 | Popsicle Stick Staff Craft
Items Needed:
- Popsicle Sticks (pre glued together)
- Hot Glue, Glue Gun
- Paint Markers
As children arrive, invite them to decorate their own “Moses staff” using paint markers. Explain that Moses used a special staff (a big stick) that God told him to hold over the water. “When Moses held up his staff, God did something AMAZING! The water moved! Today you get to make your own special staff to remember that God is so powerful!” Let children color and decorate their staffs. They’ll use these later during the Bible story to act out Moses parting the Red Sea. This hands-on craft helps children connect to the story before it’s even told and gives them a tangible reminder of God’s power.
BIBLE STORY 6:15-6:25
Question 1: Where is this found in the Bible? Exodus
Question 2: Is this in the Old Testament or New Testament? Old Testament
Who remembers what happened to God’s people in Egypt? [Wait for responses] That’s right! They were slaves for a LONG time. But guess what? God helped them leave Egypt!
God’s people packed everything they had. Can you pretend to pack a suitcase? [Make packing motions with children] Pack, pack, pack! And then they started walking!
There were SO many people. Over a MILLION! Can you count to a million? [Let kids try] That’s a LOT of people!
Now, God gave them a very special guide. During the day, God put a BIG, TALL cloud in the sky! Can you point up high to the cloud? [Point up] It looked like a giant pillar—like a tower made of clouds! Can you say “pillar of cloud”? [Wait for response]
And at nighttime, what do you think God gave them? A pillar of FIRE! Can you wiggle your fingers up high like fire? [Wiggle fingers like flames] Whoooosh! The fire gave them light so they could see at night.
God’s people followed the cloud during the day and followed the fire at night until they came to a HUGE body of water called the Red Sea.
While God’s people were camping by the Red Sea, something happened back in Egypt. The king, Pharaoh, was thinking. Can you put your finger on your chin like you’re thinking? [Thinking pose] Pharaoh thought, “Wait! If all those people leave, who’s going to do all the work?”
Pharaoh said, “Get the army! Get ALL the horses! Get ALL the chariots! We’re going to chase them and bring them back!”
The Egyptian army started chasing God’s people!
God’s people looked behind them and saw the army coming! They were scared! Can you make a scared face? [Make scared faces together] They looked in front of them at the big water. They were trapped! Army behind them, water in front of them!
Some people started complaining. Can you make a whiny voice? “Why did Moses bring us here? We should have stayed in Egypt!” [Wait for kids to try whiny voices]
But Moses said, “Don’t be afraid!” Can you say that with me? [Together] “DON’T BE AFRAID!” He said, “God will save us! Just watch!” Can you make big, wide eyes like you’re watching something amazing? [Make wide eyes]
Then the most AMAZING things started happening!
Remember that cloud pillar we talked about? It MOVED behind God’s people to hide them from the Egyptian army. The army couldn’t see them anymore! Can you cover your eyes like you can’t see? [Cover eyes]
But the cloud gave LIGHT to God’s people so they could see everything! Can you uncover your eyes and look around? [Uncover eyes and look around]
Then God told Moses to hold up his big walking stick over the water. Can you pretend to hold a big stick up high? [Hold up pretend staff] Moses held it up just like this!
And you know what happened? [Lean in like telling a secret] God sent a BIG, STRONG WIND! Can you blow like the wind? [Everyone blows] WHOOOOOOSH! The wind blew and blew and blew! Keep blowing! [Blow together]
And the water started to move! The water went up, up, UP on this side [raise left hand] and up, up, UP on this side [raise right hand] like two GIANT walls! Can you make walls with your hands? [Hold hands up on both sides]
And in the middle, guess what was there? [Wait] DRY GROUND! No water! Just a path right through the sea! Can you believe it? God made a road right through the water!
[Stand up] Let’s stand up and walk through the sea! [Begin walking in place] Step, step, step! There’s a water wall on this side [point left] and a water wall on that side [point right] but we’re walking on dry ground! Keep walking! [Continue walking in place]
All million people walked safely across! Step, step, step!
[Sit back down] We made it to the other side! We’re safe!
But look! [Point behind] The Egyptian army saw the dry path and they decided to follow! Can you gallop like their horses? [Gallop in place while sitting] Here they come!
But God was protecting His people. The chariot wheels started falling OFF! The chariots couldn’t move! The soldiers got confused. They said, “God is fighting against us! We need to get out of here!”
But it was too late. God told Moses to hold up that staff again. Can you hold up your pretend staff? [Hold up staff] And the water came CRASHING down! Can you crash your hands together? [Clap/crash hands] SPLASH! All that water came down and the whole Egyptian army went underwater and they all drowned.
[Make amazed face] God’s people were safe! The army was gone!
The people were SO happy! They knew God had saved them! God was stronger than Pharaoh! God was stronger than the whole army! God was stronger than ANYTHING!
God showed His people that day that He is stronger than anything! He is stronger than armies! He is stronger than big water! He is stronger than mean kings! There is NOTHING God cannot do!
Theological Questions:
- How did God show the Israelites where to go? (He gave them a cloud pillar in the day and a fire pillar at night)
- What did God do to the water so His people could cross? (He made the wind blow it into two walls so they could walk through on dry ground)
Life Application Questions:
- When you’re scared, who can you ask to help you? (God, my parents, my teacher)
- Is God stronger than anything that scares you? (Yes!)
Closing Prayer:
Dear God, thank You for being so strong and powerful. Thank You for protecting Your people at the Red Sea. Help us remember that You are stronger than anything. Amen!
WORSHIP IN SONG 6:25-6:35
PRAYER 6:35-6:45
Transition kids to the floor for prayer time. Pray for God’s protection and strength when we feel scared or trapped, just like He protected the Israelites.
BIBLE STORY GAME 6:45-6:55 | Blow the Sea Apart
Items Needed:
- Blue tissue paper strips (about 20-30 pieces)
- Painter’s tape
- Floor space
Tape blue tissue paper strips to the floor in a cluster to represent the Red Sea. Have children get on their hands and knees and blow the tissue paper to move it aside, creating a path through the middle. This represents the strong wind God sent to part the waters. Let them take turns or work together. When they succeed in making a path, have them march through it celebrating that God is stronger than anything!
BIBLE CRAFT 6:55-7:10 | Parted Red Sea Painting
Items Needed
- Moses Parts the Read Sea Painting (Printed on Cardstock)
- Paint bruches
- Water paint
- Cups of water
- Paper Towels
- Smocks
- Glue
- Cotton Balls
Give each child a page to paint. Have them paint the water blue and the ground brown. Then give them cotton balls to glue on for the clouds. Remind them of today’s Bible story.
SNACK TIME & BIBLE STORY VIDEO 7:10-7:25
Items Needed: Coloring Page, Crayons, Snack
Description: Pass out snacks and allow kids time to eat their snacks. A coloring sheet will be available for kids to color while they eat their snack.
BONUS ACTIVITY | Wind Power Experiment
Items Needed:
- Plastic bin filled with water
- Blue food coloring
- Straws (one per child)
- Small plastic people or cork pieces
Fill a bin with blue-tinted water. Float small objects (people figures or corks) on the water. Children use straws to blow air across the water surface, creating “wind” that moves the water and objects. Discuss how God used His powerful wind to move the entire Red Sea! This shows wind’s power on a smaller scale and helps them understand the miracle.
PARENT TAKE HOME SHEET
TODAY’S KEY TAKEAWAY
God is Powerful
WHAT I LEARNED TODAY
Today we learned about how God’s people, the Israelites, were finally free from being slaves in Egypt. When they got to the Red Sea, the Egyptian army was chasing them and they were trapped with water in front and the army behind them. But God is so powerful that He made the wind blow the water into two big walls so His people could walk through on dry ground, and then He protected them by stopping the Egyptian army.
QUESTIONS TO ASK ME
Theological Questions:
- What led the Israelites out of Egypt during the day? (A big tall pillar of cloud)
- What led the Israelites at night? (A big tall pillar of fire)
- What did God do to the Red Sea so the people could cross? (He made the wind blow the water into two walls with dry ground in the middle)
- Can anything stop God from helping His people? (No, God is more powerful than anything)
- How did the Israelites celebrate after God saved them? (They sang songs and danced with tambourines)
Life Application Questions:
- When you feel scared like the Israelites did, who can you ask for help? (God, because He is powerful and loves me)
- What are some things that seem really big or scary to you? (Answers will vary – remind them God is bigger and more powerful than anything)
- How can you thank God for being so powerful and taking care of you? (Pray to Him, sing to Him, tell Him thank you)
- If you have a problem that seems too big to fix, who is strong enough to help you? (God is always strong enough to help)
- What is one way you saw God help you this week? (Answers will vary – kept me safe, gave me food, helped my family, etc.)