Moses and the Burning Bush: Sunday School Lesson for Ages 6-10
Ages 6-10 · 45 minutes · free lesson plan · Exodus 3:1-15
Elementary children hear how God spoke to Moses from the burning bush, learn that God sees and is with His people, and discover God's name, I AM. They play a verse game, make a burning bush craft and learn Exodus 3:14.
Memory verse
And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. (Exodus 3:14, KJV)
Lesson objectives
- Retell how God spoke to Moses from the burning bush, in order.
- Explain that God sees His people's troubles and promises to be with those He calls.
- Say Exodus 3:14 from memory and name God as "I AM."
The full lesson plan
Welcome: Here Am I! (5 min)
Setup: Use masking tape to mark a large square on the floor. Leave it empty.
Say: "Good morning! Today we meet a man who was just doing his everyday work when something amazing happened."
Game (2 min):
1. Have everyone walk in place like a shepherd walking with sheep.
2. When you call "Moses, Moses!", everyone freezes and says "Here am I!"
3. Repeat three or four times. Call it in different voices: whisper, deep, silly.
Say: "When God called Moses by name, Moses answered, 'Here am I.' Let's find out what happened."
Transition: "Sit down and let's hear the story."
Bible Story: The Burning Bush (8 min)
Read or tell Exodus 3:1-15 from the KJV or a children's retelling. Use the actions below. Keep to the text.
Say: "Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro, his father in law. He led them to the mountain of God, called Horeb." (Action: walk fingers like sheep.)
Say: "The angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush. The bush burned, but it was not burned up!" (Action: wiggle fingers like flames.)
Say: "Moses said, 'I will turn aside and see.' God called, 'Moses, Moses!' Moses said, 'Here am I.'" (Action: cup hand to ear.)
Say: "God said, 'Take your shoes off. The place where you stand is holy ground.' Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God." (Action: cover eyes.)
Say: "God said, 'I have seen the trouble of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cry. I will deliver them, and I am sending you.'"
Say: "Moses asked, 'Who am I?' God answered, 'Certainly I will be with thee.' Moses asked God's name. God said, 'I AM THAT I AM.'"
Transition: "Now let's think about that special name."
Teaching: God Is I AM (7 min)
Say: "Moses asked, 'Who am I?' God didn't tell Moses how great he was. God told Moses who God is."
Hold up four fingers. Teach four truths from the passage:
1. God SEES. He saw His people's trouble.
2. God HEARS. He heard their cry.
3. God KNOWS. He knew their sorrows.
4. God COMES. He said, "I am come down to deliver them."
Say: "God told Moses, 'I will be with you.' Moses didn't have to be strong enough. God was with him."
Say: "God's name, I AM, tells us He is always here and always God. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow."
Gentle link to Jesus: Many years later, Jesus said "I am" about Himself. He said, "I am the good shepherd" (John 10:11). Jesus is God with us.
Ask: "When have you felt too small for a big job?" Take two or three quick answers.
Say: "God is with us in big jobs, too."
Transition: "Let's learn God's words to Moses by heart."
Game: Verse Order Walk (6 min)
Setup: Write the verse in five phrases on two sets of five index cards: (1) And God said unto Moses, (2) I AM THAT I AM: (3) and he said, (4) Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, (5) I AM hath sent me unto you. Scatter each set face up at opposite ends of the room.
Steps:
1. Teach Exodus 3:14 with actions. Point up for "I AM," and cup hands to mouth for "said." Say it together three times.
2. Make two teams. Each team stands in a line.
3. On "Go," one child WALKS to the team's cards, picks up one, and walks back. No running.
4. The team puts the cards in order on the floor. Children may help each other.
5. Read the verse together. Then shuffle and play again, getting faster each time.
Say: "Great teamwork! God's words are worth remembering."
Transition: "Now we'll make something to help us remember the story."
Craft: Burning Bush Picture (8 min)
Setup: Cut brown paper into strips for branches. Cut tissue paper into flame shapes or strips for each child.
Safety: Supervise scissors and glue. Tissue scraps are small pieces, so keep them away from children under 3. Ask about allergies or sensitivities before using any materials.
Steps:
1. Give each child a sheet of green or brown paper as the background.
2. Glue brown strips on the paper to make a bush with branches.
3. Glue red, orange and yellow tissue flames among the branches. Leave the branches showing, since the bush was not burned up.
4. Write "I AM" at the top with a crayon.
5. Write "Exodus 3:14" at the bottom, or "God is with me."
Say: "The bush burned, but it was not burned up. God showed Moses something no one had seen before."
Have children share their pictures with a partner while you tidy.
Transition: "Let's sit together and talk about what we learned."
Talk It Over (5 min)
Ask these questions. Sample answers are in parentheses.
1. What did Moses notice about the bush? (It was burning, but it was not burned up.)
2. What did God tell Moses about His people in Egypt? (He had seen their trouble, heard their cry and knew their sorrows.)
3. Moses asked, "Who am I?" What did God promise? ("Certainly I will be with thee.")
4. What does God's name, I AM, tell us about Him? (He is always here. He is God forever.)
5. How can knowing God is with you help when something feels scary or hard? (I can pray. I'm not alone. God can help me do what He asks.)
Say: "Thank you for sharing. God loves to hear what is on your heart."
Transition: "Let's talk to God now."
Closing and Prayer (6 min)
Review: Say the memory verse together once with actions.
Say: "God called Moses by name. God knows your name, too."
Say: "Moses was not alone, and neither are you. God is with us."
Prayer (children repeat each line after you):
- "Dear God, you are I AM. Thank you that you are always here."
- "Thank you that you see us, hear us and know us."
- "When we feel small or scared, help us remember that you are with us."
- "Help us listen when you call, and say, 'Here am I.'"
- "In Jesus' name, amen."
Offer optional short prayers: "Is there something you would like to thank God for?"
Send home the craft and the parent page.
Say: "This week, remember that God says, 'I am with you.' See you next time!"
Materials
- Bible (KJV)
- Masking tape
- Index cards (10), with the verse phrases written on them
- Brown and green construction paper
- Red, orange and yellow tissue paper
- Glue sticks
- Safety scissors
- Crayons or markers
Teacher notes
- Craft safety: supervise scissors and glue, and watch small tissue pieces with any younger siblings. Check for allergies or sensitivities before using materials, and ask parents first if unsure.
- Adaptation: for children with special needs or a mixed-age group, use picture cards of the story, pair younger children with a buddy, and offer a quiet seat for the walking games. Do not pressure anyone to take off shoes or cover their eyes.
- Keep to the text. The Bible does not say how large the bush was, what Moses felt, or how long the conversation lasted. Say so if children ask.
- Timing check: 5 + 8 + 7 + 6 + 8 + 5 + 6 = 45 minutes. If the story runs long, shorten the craft decorations.
Send it home with parents
Today we studied Exodus 3:1-15. God spoke to Moses from a burning bush that was not burned up. God said He had seen His people's trouble and heard their cry. He sent Moses to help them and promised, "Certainly I will be with thee." God told Moses His name: I AM. Children learned that God sees, hears, knows and is always with us.
- God told Moses, "I will be with you." When do you most need to remember that?
- What do you think it would feel like to hear God call your name?
- What is one thing God sees and cares about in our family this week?
Put the burning bush picture where the family can see it. At dinner, practice Exodus 3:14 together. Each person then finishes this sentence: "God is with me when..."
Each morning this week, say "Here am I, Lord" and ask God to help you with the day. When something feels hard, quietly say, "God, you are with me."
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