Filter Content:

Moses and the Burning Bush

Reference: Exodus 3–4

Big Idea: God hears the cries of His people, and He gives us what we need to do what He asks us to do.

Teacher Quick Reference

⏱️
Lesson: Moses and the Burning Bush
Scripture: Exodus 3–4
Big Idea: God hears the cries of His people, and He gives us what we need to do what He asks us to do.
Three Main Points:
  1. God appeared to Moses in a bush that was on fire but didn't burn up.
  2. God told Moses He had heard the cries of the Israelite slaves.
  3. God revealed His holy name to Moses: 'I AM WHO I AM.'
  4. Moses made many excuses because he felt afraid and unqualified.
  5. God promised to be with Moses and to help him speak.
Activity: What's In Your Hand?
Memory Verse: Exodus 3:14
Take-Home Truth:
"God doesn't need me to be perfect to use me; He just asks me to trust Him."

Teacher Preparation

Before class:

  • Read Exodus 3 and 4 (BSB) to familiarize yourself with the dialogue between God and Moses.
  • Note how patiently God responds to each of Moses’ excuses until Moses simply refuses to go.
  • Gather the random everyday objects required for the What’s In Your Hand? activity.
  • Write the memory verse on the board.
  • Decide which age adaptation will work best for your classroom.

[!IMPORTANT] A note for the teacher Children often feel too small, too young, or too unqualified to do anything important for God. The beauty of this lesson is that Moses felt exactly the same way! Moses wasn’t chosen because he was brave or a great speaker; he was chosen because God’s power is made perfect in our weakness. Make sure the children walk away knowing that God’s presence is what makes them capable, not their own natural talents.

Opening Activity: Excuse Me!

Ask the children: “Have you ever tried to make an excuse to get out of doing something you didn’t want to do? Like cleaning your room or eating your vegetables?”

Let the children share some of their funniest or most common excuses (e.g., “I’m too tired,” “My brother did it,” “I don’t know how”).

Explain: “We usually make excuses when we don’t want to do something, or when we are afraid that it will be too hard. Today, we are going to read about a famous man in the Bible who gave God a whole list of excuses. But God didn’t let him get out of his job!”

The Bible Story

1. A Fire in the Desert

Moses had grown up as a prince in Egypt, but he ran away when he got in trouble. Now, forty years later, he was living in the desert as a shepherd. He was taking care of his father-in-law’s sheep near a mountain.

Suddenly, Moses saw something impossible.

“There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from within a bush. Moses saw the bush on fire, but it was not consumed.” (Exodus 3:2, BSB)

A bush was completely covered in flames, but the leaves weren’t turning black. The branches weren’t burning away. It was a holy fire. Moses decided to go over and look at this amazing sight.

2. God Hears His People

As Moses walked closer, a voice called out from the bush: “Moses, Moses!” Moses answered, “Here I am.”

God told Moses to take off his sandals because he was standing on holy ground. Then God said something very comforting:

“I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out… and I know their sufferings.” (Exodus 3:7, BSB)

The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt for hundreds of years. They were crying out for help. And God heard them. He had a plan to rescue them, and He told Moses: “I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring My people… out of Egypt.”

3. The Excuses Begin

If God told you to go rescue a million slaves from the most powerful king in the world, what would you say? Moses was terrified. He started making excuses.

Excuse 1: “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh…?” (Exodus 3:11, BSB) Moses felt like a nobody. But God didn’t say, “You’re a great guy, Moses!” Instead, God said, “I will be with you.” The most important thing wasn’t who Moses was; it was that God was with him.

Excuse 2: “What if they ask for Your name? What should I tell them?” God gave Moses a very special, holy name:

“God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:14, BSB)

This means God always has been and always will be. He doesn’t change.

4. What is in Your Hand?

Moses still wasn’t convinced. Excuse 3: “What if they do not believe me or listen to my voice…?” (Exodus 4:1, BSB)

God asked Moses, “What is that in your hand?” It was just a staff—a wooden stick used to herd sheep. But God told Moses to throw it on the ground. When he did, it turned into a snake! When Moses grabbed it by the tail, it turned back into a stick. God was showing Moses that He can use ordinary things to do extraordinary miracles.

Excuse 4: “Please, Lord… I have never been eloquent… I am slow of speech and tongue.” (Exodus 4:10, BSB) Moses was afraid because he wasn’t a good speaker. But God reminded Moses, “Who gave man his mouth?… Is it not I, the LORD?” God promised to help him speak.

5. No More Excuses

Finally, Moses ran out of excuses, so he just begged God to send someone else. God was angry with Moses for not trusting Him, but He agreed to send Moses’ brother, Aaron, to help him speak. Moses finally packed up his family, took his wooden staff, and headed back to Egypt to do exactly what God asked him to do.

The Deeper Meaning

God’s name, “I AM,” is incredibly important. When someone asks you who you are, you might say, “I am a student,” or “I am tall,” or “I am a brother.” We describe ourselves by what we do or how we look. But God’s name means He just IS. He doesn’t depend on anyone or anything to exist. He is the Creator of everything.

When Jesus came to earth, He used this exact same name for Himself. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life,” “I am the good shepherd,” and in John 8:58, Jesus said, “Before Abraham was born, I am!” Jesus was telling people that He is the very same God who spoke to Moses from the burning bush. The God who heard the cries of the slaves in Egypt is the same Jesus who hears our cries and saves us from our sins.

Three Things to Remember

1. God Hears Us

The Israelites were slaves for hundreds of years. It might have felt like God was deaf. But God saw them, heard them, and had a plan to save them. God hears your prayers, too. Teacher Question: How does it make you feel to know that the Creator of the universe listens to your voice?

2. We Don’t Need to Make Excuses

Moses spent a lot of time telling God all the reasons he wasn’t good enough for the job. But God doesn’t call people because they are perfect; He calls people who are willing to trust Him. Teacher Question: What is an excuse you use when you are afraid to try something new for God?

3. God Will Give You What You Need

God gave Moses miracles (the staff), words to speak, and a helper (Aaron). When God asks you to do something hard—like standing up to a bully or telling the truth—He will give you the courage you need. Teacher Question: What is one ordinary thing you have (like Moses’ staff) that God could use to help someone?

Age Adaptations

Preschool (Ages 3-5)

Younger Children

For younger children (ages 5–7), focus on the amazing sight of the burning bush and the truth that God is with us.

Simplified concepts:

  • Moses saw a bush that was on fire, but it didn’t burn up into ashes!
  • God spoke to Moses out of the bush.
  • God told Moses to go tell the mean king (Pharaoh) to let God’s people go.
  • Moses was scared and said he couldn’t do it.
  • God told Moses, “I will be with you.”

Developmentally appropriate questions:

  • If you saw a bush on fire that wasn’t burning up, what would you do?
  • Was Moses brave right away, or was he scared? (He was scared).
  • Does God get mad when we are scared? (No, He promises to be with us).
Upper Elementary (Grades 4-6)

Older Children

For older children (ages 8–11), focus on God’s holy name and the problem of feeling inadequate.

Deeper discussion: Pre-teens are incredibly self-conscious. Like Moses, they are hyper-aware of what they can’t do (e.g., “I’m not popular, I’m not a good speaker, I’m not brave”).

Discussion Scenarios:

  • Scenario 1: You know you should invite the lonely new kid to sit with you, but you start making excuses in your head (“I don’t know what to say, my friends will think it’s weird”). How is that like Moses at the burning bush?
  • Concept: Notice that God didn’t argue with Moses’ excuses. When Moses said “I’m nobody,” God didn’t say, “Yes you are!” God said, “I will be with you.” Our confidence shouldn’t come from how awesome we are; it comes from how awesome God is.

Discussion Questions

Understanding

  1. Where was Moses when he saw the burning bush?
  2. What was strange about the burning bush?
  3. What did God tell Moses to do with his sandals, and why?
  4. What special name did God tell Moses to use for Him?
  5. What happened to Moses’ wooden staff when he threw it on the ground?

Thinking

  1. Why do you think God chose a shepherd hiding in the desert to rescue His people?
  2. Did any of Moses’ excuses work on God? Why or why not?
  3. When Moses said he wasn’t a good speaker, what did God remind him of?
  4. Why is the name “I AM WHO I AM” so important?

Personal Application

  1. Have you ever felt like you weren’t good enough or smart enough to do something important?
  2. When God asks us to do something (like forgiving someone or telling the truth), do we have to do it alone?
  3. What is an ordinary thing in your life that God could use to do something great?

Activity Time

Activity Resource: What's In Your Hand? View Standalone →

Type: Interactive Object Lesson / Discussion
Time: 10 minutes
Group Size: Any
Materials:

  • A small bag or box containing several ordinary, everyday objects (e.g., a pencil, a shoe, a paperclip, a spoon, a small stick).

Purpose

To help children realize that God doesn’t require us to have “superpowers” to do His work. He can use the ordinary things we already have when we surrender them to Him.

Setup

Place all the objects out of sight in the bag or box before class begins.

Exact Instructions

  1. Tell the children: “When God gives people an important job, we usually think they need special tools. If God wanted someone to save a whole country, what do you think He would give them? A sword? A crown? A million dollars?”
  2. Pull the small stick out of your bag.
  3. Say: “When God called Moses to lead millions of people to freedom, Moses was scared. He didn’t feel special. So God asked him a very simple question: ‘What is that in your hand?’ Moses was holding an ordinary shepherd’s staff. It was just a stick. But God said He was going to use that stick to do miracles.”
  4. Pull out another ordinary object (like a pencil) and hold it up.
  5. Ask: “What is in my hand? Just a pencil. How could God use this ordinary pencil to help someone or show them His love?” (Answers: Write an encouraging note, draw a picture for someone who is sad, do homework honestly).
  6. Continue pulling out the other objects one by one (a spoon, a shoe, a paperclip) and brainstorm with the children how God could use them for good.

Discussion

Ask: “Do you have to be a superhero, a king, or a grown-up for God to use you?” (No). “What is something ‘in your hand’ right now? Maybe it’s not a stick—maybe it’s a talent, like singing, or just the ability to be a good listener. Can God use that?” (Yes).

Connection Back to the Bible Story

Remind the children that Moses had a lot of excuses. He told God he wasn’t a good speaker and that nobody would listen to him. But God didn’t ask Moses to be perfect. God just asked Moses to trust Him and use the ordinary staff he already had. When we give our ordinary things to God, He can do extraordinary things with them.

Craft Time

Activity Resource: Burning Bush Tissue Craft View Standalone →

Materials:

  • Brown paper lunch bags (one per child)
  • Red, orange, and yellow tissue paper
  • Liquid glue
  • Scissors

Purpose

To create a 3D model of the burning bush that doesn’t burn up, helping children visualize the holy moment when God called Moses.

Setup

Finished Burning Bush

  1. Cut the red, orange, and yellow tissue paper into squares (about 2x2 inches).
  2. For younger children, you can pre-cut the top of the paper bags into strips.

Instructions

  1. The Bush: Have the children open their brown paper bag so it stands up like a cylinder.
  2. Tell them to cut straight down from the top of the bag to about halfway down, making strips all the way around the opening. These are the branches!
  3. Have them grab the middle of the bag (right below where the cuts stop) and carefully twist it a few times. This creates the “trunk” of the bush, and makes the cut strips fan out like branches.
  4. The Fire: Have the children crumple the tissue paper squares into little balls of “fire.”
  5. Let them dip the tissue paper balls in glue and stick them all over the twisted paper bag branches.
  6. When they are finished, they will have a 3D bush that looks like it is covered in bright flames!

Discussion While Crafting

  • “When Moses saw the burning bush, what was so strange about it?” (It was on fire, but the leaves weren’t burning up!).
  • “What did God tell Moses to do with his shoes?” (Take them off, because he was standing on holy ground).
  • “Moses made a lot of excuses because he was afraid. But did God leave him alone, or did God promise to go with him?” (God promised to be with him and give him exactly what he needed).

Memory Verse

Exodus 3:14 (BSB)
“God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

Practical Way to Teach:

  • Teach this verse using a “Call and Response” method.
  • Teacher: “God said to Moses!”
  • Children: “‘I AM WHO I AM.’”
  • Teacher: “This is what you are to say to the Israelites:”
  • Children: “‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
  • Switch roles. Have the children shout the first part, and you respond with the “I AM” statements.

Knowledge Check

Knowledge Check

Question 1 of 5

Loading...

Application

When you face something scary or hard this week—like a big test, standing up to a bully, or trying something you aren’t good at yet—don’t make excuses like Moses did. Instead, take a deep breath and remind yourself: “I don’t have to be perfect. God is with me, and He will help me.”

Take-Home Challenge

Find an ordinary object in your house (like a spoon or a sock) and put it on your nightstand. Whenever you look at it this week, remember that God can use ordinary things and ordinary people to do extraordinary things for Him.

Closing Thought

God didn’t choose Moses because Moses was the bravest, smartest, or best speaker in the world. He chose Moses because Moses was available. God doesn’t need your superpowers. He just needs you to say “Yes” to Him. The God who spoke from the burning bush is the same God who loves you today, and He will always give you exactly what you need to do what He asks you to do.

Closing Prayer

“Lord God, You are the great ‘I AM.’ Thank You that You see us and hear us when we pray. Forgive us for the times when we make excuses and don’t want to obey You. Help us to remember that we don’t have to be perfect, because You promise to be with us. Give us the courage to use the ordinary things we have to show Your love to the world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

One-Minute Teacher Quick Reference

MOSES AND THE BURNING BUSH
Exodus 3–4

Big Idea

God hears the cries of His people, and He gives us what we need to do what He asks us to do.

Memory Verse

“God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” — Exodus 3:14 (BSB)

Three Points

  1. God Hears Us
  2. We Don’t Need to Make Excuses
  3. God Will Give You What You Need

Opening

Excuse Me! (Discussion about the excuses we make when we don’t want to do something).

Activity

What’s In Your Hand? (Object lesson using random items to show God uses ordinary things).

Take-Home Truth

God doesn’t need me to be perfect to use me; He just asks me to trust Him.

Closing

Pray for the courage to stop making excuses and start trusting that God will provide what we need to obey Him.