Kids Activity

You will need some paper, scissors and colouring tools.

Once Israel was freed from Egypt they find themselves in the wilderness. God’s presence is inside of a big tent called the Tabernacle. Isn’t that awesome kids? God likes to camp just like you do! On the day the tent (Tabernacle) was set up a cloud covered it by day and the appearance of fire by night. When the cloud lifted the people knew it was time to pack up and move to the next place God was leading. When it stopped and settled they knew it was time to pitch the tent (Tabernacle) and stay a while! You can read all about this in Numbers 9:15-23)

We want you to draw and colour and cutout your take on the Tabernacle. It should be quite small. No bigger than 1/4 of a piece of paper.

If you have grey (for the day cloud) or red (for the fire cloud at night) this is ideal for what will cover the Tabernacle. Take a sheet and cut it into quarters. Draw a cloud shape on the top one and cut all 4 (or do multiple pages if you want the game to be harder) together so they should be identical.

Now you should have 1 Tabernacle and at least 3-4 clouds that are larger and completely cover the Tabernacle.

The game is to place the Tabernacle under a cloud (maybe tape it to the bottom). Have one person move around all the clouds until 15 seconds have passed. Move them vigorously! Get crazy! When the time is up the ones watching guess under which cloud is the Tabernacle hiding. Take turns and have fun!

The people had to keep their eyes open for when God wanted them to stay and when God wanted them to move on. We are the same. This game helps us remember this!

Call to Worship from Psalm 114

If you are meeting with others, read the following call to worship responsively – one person reading the plain print and another reading the bold print.

When the Israelites escaped from Egypt—
    when the family of Jacob left that foreign land—
the land of Judah became God’s sanctuary,
    and Israel became his kingdom.
The Red Sea saw them coming and hurried out of their way!
    The water of the Jordan River turned away.
The mountains skipped like rams,
    the hills like lambs!
What’s wrong, Red Sea, that made you hurry out of their way?
    What happened, Jordan River, that you turned away?
Why, mountains, did you skip like rams?
    Why, hills, like lambs?
Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
    at the presence of the God of Jacob.

Songs of Worship – “Strength Will Rise” and “My Hope is Built on Nothing Else”

Strength Will Rise
Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord
Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord

Our God, You reign forever
Our hope, our Strong Deliverer

You are the everlasting God
The everlasting God
You do not faint
You won’t grow weary
You’re the defender of the weak
You comfort those in need
You lift us up on wings like eagles

Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord
Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord

Our God, You reign forever
Our hope, our Strong Deliverer

You are the everlasting God
The everlasting God
You do not faint
You won’t grow weary
You’re the defender of the weak
You comfort those in need
You lift us up on wings like eagles

My Hope is Built on Nothing Less
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name

On Christ the solid rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand

When darkness veils his lovely face
I rest on His unchanging grace
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil

On Christ the solid rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand

His oath, his covenant, his blood
Supports me in the ‘whelming flood
When all around my soul gives way
He then is all my hope and stay

On Christ the solid rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand

When He shall come with trumpet sound
Oh may I then in Him be found
Dressed in his righteousness alone
Faultless to stand before the throne

On Christ the solid rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand

Confession of Sins and Assurance of Pardon

Jesus says to the Pharisees and the disciples in John 10:

Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:7b-10)

In order to enter through the gate, we must confess our sins. Jesus is the gate by which we enter God’s presence. In confessing our sin, we claim the grace of Jesus and our place in the sheepfold of God. Take a few moments to confess your sins to God and ask for his gracious forgiveness. Jesus goes on to say in John 10 that he is the Good Shepherd:

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. (John 10:11-12)

We have a Good Shepherd who lays down his own life that we might live. He forgives you. He welcomes you as one he knows and loves.

Sermon

Offering

Toward the end of Numbers 10, Moses invites one of his in-laws to join the rest of Israel as God is leading them on a journey to the land of promise. He makes his pitch this way (Numbers 10:29 NRSV):

“We are setting out for the place of which the Lord said, ‘I will give it to you’; come with us, and we will treat you well; for the Lord has promised good…”

We invite you to participate in your offering today in this three-fold spirit:

• it is God who has promised good for us and we simply respond in trust
• the journey is one of invitation where we journey as a community in responding together to what God has planned
• this journey of responding to God’s leading and promises should also be good for others in our world (“we will treat you well”)

Guiding God,

You have called us to a journey of new life in your Son Jesus by his Holy Spirit that has been sent to us as a gift. Teach us to seek your Spirit as we respond to your grace and partner together in Good News. Accept our offering as a tangible sign of trust that you have indeed “promised good”. Amen.

Song of Response – “‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus”

‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word
Just to rest upon His promise,
Just to know, “Thus saith the Lord!”

Oh, how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to trust His cleansing blood
Just in simple faith to plunge me
‘Neath the healing, cleansing flood!

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
Oh, for grace to trust Him more!

Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
Oh, for grace to trust Him more!

I’m so glad I learned to trust Him,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend
And I know that You are with me,
Will be with me to the end

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
Oh, for grace to trust Him more!

Benediction