Good morning! I’m so glad you’re all here! Connect Question: What is something you believe in or know to be true? Have kids ask a neighbor, and then call on a few to share answers with the group.

Let’s read our Remember Verse together a few times. If they want to brag, they should brag that they understand and know me. They should brag that the L ORD acts out of love, righteousness, and justice. This kind of bragging pleases the L ORD. -Jeremiah 9:24

Before you begin today’s storytelling time, invite kids to play a quick game of Follow the Leader. Tech: Cue upbeat worship music. Invite one child to come up front while everyone follows their dance moves at the front for 30 seconds. After 30 seconds, choose another child to be the leader.

We just played a fun game of Follow the Leader. We’re going to talk about when the Israelites followed the leader God chose for them into the Promised Land. This leader’s name…was Joshua! First, let’s invite God to teach us today. Lead the children in a Prayer of Release. Tech: After Prayer, Cue Timeline Video

Where have the Israelites been recently in The Big God Story? Where are they going? Allow responses. Yes, the Israelites left Egypt and traveled through the wilderness for 40 years on their way to the Promised Land. Invite children to stand up and march in place.

We heard about how they sent spies ahead to see the land (invite kids to pretend to use binoculars or a telescope to see), and these spies reported that the land was great! But lots of big, strong people lived there. Have children make a muscle pose. The Israelites became afraid. Have kids show scared faces.

They didn’t want to face these huge men, even though God promised to be with them. Because the Israelites didn’t trust God, He didn’t allow that generation to enter the Promised Land. But God is always faithful to His promises. Have children sit down.

What does it mean to be “faithful”? Encourage kids to answer. To be faithful means you do what you say you will do. You keep your promises. God is faithful to us. He always keeps His promises. What promises did God make to His people after they left Egypt? Allow responses. Yes, He promised to lead the people and be with them and bring them into a new land.

God’s people were in the wilderness for 40 years. As they wandered, the older, unfaithful generation died, including their leader, Moses. Read Joshua 1:1–3 aloud. (Tech: Cue Slide) Moses, the servant of the L ORD, died. After that, the L ORD spoke to Joshua. Joshua was Moses’ helper. The L ORD said to Joshua, “I want you and all these people to get ready to go across the Jordan River. I want all of you to go into the land I am about to give to the Israelites, just as I promised Moses.

Then, when the time came, God led the new generation into the Promised Land through a man named Joshua. God spoke to Joshua and told him to get the people ready to cross the Jordan River and enter the Promised Land. Read Joshua 1:6. (Tech: Cue Slide) “Be strong and courageous. You will lead these people. They will take the land as their very own. It is the land I promised to give their people of long ago.”

Invite eight volunteers to come up to act out the next part. The Israelites gathered all of their things and got ready to cross the river. Have volunteers pretend to gather items. At this time of year, the Jordan River was at its flood stage, meaning the water was very, very high, maybe even a mile wide! Just as God parted the Red Sea years before, He was faithful to part the water of the Jordan River so the people could cross it safely.

The priests were the first to enter the river. Select two children to be the priests. They carried the ark of the covenant. Tech: Cue Ark of the Covenant slide. The ark of the covenant was the symbol of God’s presence with them. Have the priests pretend to carry the ark.

As the priests carried the ark into the river, the water the water parted, creating a wall of water the people walked past. Tech: Cue Parted Jordan River slide. About a million Israelites crossed the river into the Promised Land that day! Have the rest of the group follow the priests.

The Israelites had crossed the river and reached the Promised Land! Have everyone cheer and the volunteers return to their seats. But there was still more to be done. God told His people He would help them defeat those living in the land. And the first city God told them to defeat was Jericho—a very strong city with a wall that wrapped all the way around it. Tech: Cue Jericho slide.

But God is faithful. This mighty city would not stop Him. He is faithful. Read Joshua 6:2 aloud. (Tech: Cue Slide) “Then the L ORD said to Joshua, ‘I have handed Jericho over to you. I have also handed over to you its king and its fighting men.’” In this verse, we can see that God would win the battle for His people.

God gave the people specific instructions about how they would defeat the city. Read Joshua 6:3–5 (Tech: Cue Slide) “March around the city once with all your fighting men. In fact, do it for six days. Have seven priests get trumpets made out of rams’ horns. They must carry them in front of the ark.”…

… “On the seventh day, march around the city seven times. Tell the priests to blow their trumpets as you march. When they do, tell the whole army to give a loud shout. The wall of the city will fall down. Then the whole army will march straight into the city.” This sounds like a crazy way to fight a battle, right?!

Let’s imagine what this would be like. Tech: Cue Marching Music. Everybody STAND UP! Invite the group to follow you as you march around the chairs! They can make trumpet noises as they march. Return to seats, but remain standing…

After the Israelites had marched around the city seven times on the seventh day, they all gave a great shout! Have the kids shout as loud as they can. Then guess what happened? The walls all came down, and the army marched straight into Jericho. God had been faithful! God had defeated the city for His people! Encourage the kids to cheer again.

God fulfilled the promise He had made to the Israelites’ ancestors—to bring the people into the Promised Land. God is always faithful. He loves all of His children very much. Next time we’re together, we’re going to hear more about the Israelites and God delivering His people even further. I hope you’re here!

Tech: Cue RESPONSE Slide The new generation of Israelites entered the Promised Land and received what God had promised them. God gave it to them because He is faithful. He knew this new generation would be faithful and trust Him with their whole hearts.

All of us have things that make us afraid— things that can get in the way of our ability to trust in God’s faithfulness. We’ve set up stations around the room with labels and markers. If you want, take a label or two and write what God is telling you is getting in the way of trusting Him. It could be fear, worry, hard situations in life, etc.

Once you write those down, stick each one to a cup. Bring your cup or cups to the front of the room, and help each other stack them to build a wall. Release children to Response Stations. Once they’ve all built their wall, speak what’s on the next slide

This represents the wall that’s blocking our faith. On the count of three, just like the Israelites did in Jericho, we’re going to knock the wall down and shout as loud as we can. Just as God defeated Jericho, God can defeat anything that keeps us from trusting Him! Lead the kids in knocking down the wall on the count of three, and then close in prayer, thanking God for being powerful enough to knock down anything in our lives that holds us back from trusting in His faithfulness.

After you pray, dismiss groups by grade to go back downstairs!