Sunday School Lesson Directions
Have children sit outside the "wall of Jericho." Open your Bible
to Joshua 6, and show children the words.
SAY: Today's Bible story tells us that God is powerful.
The Israelites had been traveling through the desert for a long,
long time. Then God told them they were ready to move into the land
he'd promised them. But look! What's this? Point to the
boxes representing the wall of Jericho. There's a great
big, huge wall all around the city called Jericho. How could the
Israelites possibly get into the city with a great big wall around
it? They couldn't go over the wall. They couldn't go under the
wall. And they sure couldn't go through the wall. God told the
Israelites to march around the wall once a day for six days. Let's
sing a song while we march around the wall.
Have children stand in a circle around the wall. Lead them in
singing "The Israelites Go Marching" to the tune of "The Ants Go
Marching."
SAY: The Israelites marched
'round and 'round. (March around the wall.)
Hurrah! Hurrah! (Raise your arms over your head
and shake your hands.) The Israelites marched 'round and
'round. (March around the wall.) Hurrah!
Hurrah! (Raise your arms over your head and shake your
hands.) The Israelites marched 'round and 'round
(march around the wall) Because God said he'd knock the
wall down (stomp with the rhythm) If they just
kept marching 'round and 'round and 'round and 'round.
(March around the wall.)
Have children gather around you again.
SAY: On the seventh day, God
told the Israelites to march around Jericho seven times. The first
six times they marched around, they blew trumpets. On the seventh
time around, they blew trumpets and shouted. Let's march around the
wall seven times just like the Israelites did.
Distribute noisemakers.
Lead the children in walking around the wall. Count each circle
you make, and remind kids to make noise with the noisemakers each
time. The seventh time around, have kids use the noisemakers and
shout. Then gently knock down the boxes to represent the wall of
Jericho falling.
SAY: The walls of Jericho came
tumbling to the ground, so the Israelites were able to go into the
city. God is powerful!
ASK: • What did God use to
knock down the great big wall?
• How do you think the Israelites felt when God knocked
the wall down?
SAY: God cared about the
Israelites, so he used his power to help them. God is powerful, and
he uses his power to help you, too. Jesus used his power here on
earth to heal the sick. When we are sick, we can ask Jesus to use
his power to make us feel better. Jesus is powerful and cares for
us.
Crafts
Trumpets of God
SAY: In our Bible story, we
learned that God gave the city of Jericho to the Israelites in an
awesome way. God told Joshua and his men to walk around the city
once a day for six days. Then on the seventh, God told the priests
to blow their trumpets and the people to shout. The Israelites had
to remember that God is powerful and believe that God would do as
he said. On the seventh day, the people obeyed God, and the walls
of Jericho came tumbling down. Let's make pretend trumpets to
remind us that God is powerful.
Give each child a sugar ice-cream cone and one sheet of
construction paper. Have children roll their construction paper,
short side to short side. Once their papers are rolled into tubes,
help the children fit the "handle" part of each cone into one end
of the paper, adjusting the paper to fit tightly. Use masking tape
to secure the edge of the construction paper. Also use masking tape
to attach the cone to the edge of the paper.
Re-enact the Bible story, using the trumpets children made.
ASK: • How did God show that he
is powerful?
• What mighty things can God do for you?
SAY: Let's remember that God is
powerful.
Leaning Tower of Pasta
Set out a bowl of wagon-wheel pasta on a table. Give each child
one of the cardboard squares you prepared before the lesson, and
show the children how to thread the end of the string through the
center of a piece of pasta. Give each child a chance to thread
several pieces of pasta onto his or her string. Make sure kids
leave several inches of string free on top of their stacks of
pasta. Tie a large knot on the end of the string so the pasta can't
come off.
Show the children how to make the walls of Jericho by holding
the cardboard base on the floor and pulling the string straight up.
Then have them knock the tower over with their fingers. Show them
how to rebuild the walls by holding the string straight up
again.
ASK: • How did God show his
people that he was powerful?
• What other powerful things can God do?
• How can God help you with his power?
SAY: God is powerful, and God
showed that power by knocking down the walls of Jericho. God can
show power in your life, too, by helping you when you need
him.
Games
Jericho's Walls, Walls, Fall
Clear the game area of any obstacles. Have everyone stand in a
circle. Choose one child to be "Joshua." Instruct him or her to
walk around the outside of the circle, touching each child's
shoulder while saying "wall." Let the children know that when you
make a loud noise with the drum and say the word "fall," everyone
except Joshua and the person tagged must sit down quickly. Joshua
and the other child then race around Jericho, trying to get to the
opening in the wall first. If Joshua is tagged, the other child
becomes Joshua. If Joshua is not tagged before getting back to the
spot where he or she started, he or she remains Joshua when
everyone stands to play again. If someone has been playing Joshua
for more than two turns, allow him or her to pick a Joshua
replacement to give others a turn, too.
ASK: • Why couldn't Joshua get
into the city?
• Who knocked down the walls of Jericho?
SAY: Joshua needed God's help
to get into Jericho. No wall can stand up against God, and no wall
can keep God out. Because God is powerful, Joshua was able to walk
into Jericho without doing anything to the walls
himself.
God Powered
Let the children use the straws, paper fan, and turkey baster to
experiment with moving the table tennis balls with air.
ASK: • Can you see the power
that's moving the balls?
• How do we know that the power of air is at
work?
• Even though we can't always see God's power, how do we
know that God's power is at work?
SAY: We don't see the air
itself, but we see how the air moves the balls. In the same way, we
don't see God, but we can see what his power does in our world. God
is powerful, and he helps people feel brave, love each other, and
do the right things. God also made our whole world-including you
and me.
Prayers
Powerful Prayer
Have children form a circle. Allow children the opportunity to
flex their muscles and pray one at a time, "Dear God, thank you for
being so powerful. In Jesus' name, amen."
Snacks
Jericho's Walls
Have kids wash their hands before beginning. Spread about 1/2
inch of whipped cream cheese on small plates. Pass out the plates,
along with graham crackers, to the children. Have kids stand the
crackers up in the cream cheese on the long sides to build the
walls of Jericho. First have kids try to knock over the treats by
shouting at them. Then have kids try to blow them down. Remind them
that God is the one who is powerful enough to make anything fall
down.
ASK: • Why do you think there
were walls around the city of Jericho?
• Could the Israelites knock down the walls around
Jericho by themselves? Why or why not?
SAY: God is powerful, and God
cared for the Israelites just like he cares for you.
