The Burning Bush — God Calls Moses Preschool Lesson
Preschool lesson (ages 3–6, 20 minutes)
1. Welcome (3 min)
Sit in a circle, greet every child by name and show one thing from the story to touch.
2. The little story (5 min)
Teach the refrain first: “The bush burned, but it did not burn up.”
Moses took care of sheep in the wilderness, far away from Egypt. The wilderness is a wild, dry land with few people. The sheep belonged to Jethro, the father of Moses’ wife. Back in Egypt, God’s people were slaves. They had to work very hard, and they were not free.
One day Moses led his sheep far into the wilderness. He came to God’s mountain. Baa! Baa! Can you be one of Moses’ sheep?
There Moses saw something strange. A bush was on fire! The angel of the LORD was in the flame. Crackle, crackle went the fire. The bush burned, but it did not burn up. “I will go and see this great sight,” Moses said.
God called to him out of the bush, “Moses! Moses!” Moses said, “Here I am.” God said, “Don’t come close. Take off your sandals, for the place you are standing on is holy ground.” Holy means it belongs to God. Can you take off your shoes like Moses?
God said, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face. He was afraid to look at God. The bush burned, but it did not burn up.
The LORD said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people. I have come down to deliver them.” Affliction means hard times. God had heard his people cry. Deliver means to set them free.
God would bring them to a good, big land. He called it “a land flowing with milk and honey.” That means a land with lots of good food. Yum!
God said, “Come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh. Bring my people out of Egypt.” But Moses said, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh?” God said, “Certainly I will be with you.”
Then God gave Moses a sign. A sign is something God shows, so people will believe. “What is that in your hand?” God asked. “A rod,” said Moses. It was his shepherd’s stick. God said, “Throw it on the ground.” Moses threw it down, and it became a snake! Hiss! Can you hiss like a snake? Moses ran away from it.
God said, “Take it by the tail.” Moses took hold of it. And it became a rod in his hand again! The bush burned, but it did not burn up.
But Moses said, “I am slow of speech.” That means he did not talk easily. God said, “Who made man’s mouth? Isn’t it I, the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth.”
“Oh, Lord, please send someone else,” Moses said. So God sent Moses’ brother Aaron to help him speak. God said, “He is coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.”
Moses went home to Jethro. “Go in peace,” Jethro said. Moses put his wife and his sons on a donkey. He took God’s rod in his hand, and they went back toward Egypt.
On God’s mountain, Aaron came to meet Moses. He kissed him. Moses told Aaron everything God had said.
In Egypt, Aaron told God’s people all God’s words. He showed them the signs. The people believed. They heard that God had seen their hard times. And they bowed their heads and worshiped.
God saw his people, and God came to help them. The bush burned, but it did not burn up.
3. Talk together (3 min)
- What do you think Moses thought when he saw the bush on fire?
- Why do you think Moses wanted God to send someone else?
4. Move (3 min)
Refrain Freeze: move around the room; when you say the refrain, everyone freezes and says it together.
5. Make (4 min)
Draw a line to who said it.
6. Verse and prayer (2 min)
“Certainly I will be with you” — Exodus 3:12 (Certainly → nod your head; I will be with you → hug yourself tight)
Dear God, thank you that you see when people are sad. Thank you that you are with me. Amen.
Lesson for older kids (ages 6–10)
Big idea: God Is Always With You
Memory verse: “He said, "Certainly I will be with you."” — Exodus 3:12 · WEB
The Bible story
One ordinary day, a shepherd named Moses saw a desert bush blazing with fire that never burned up — and heard God call his name for a very big job.
Talk about it
- What was Moses' job out in the desert? — Looking after sheep
- What strange thing did Moses see near the mountain? — A bush on fire, not burning up
- Who was speaking to Moses from the bush? — God
- What did God tell Moses to take off? — His sandals
- How did God feel about His people in Egypt? — He heard their cries
- What big job did God give Moses? — To lead them out of Egypt
Where is Jesus in this story?
At the burning bush, God promised to rescue His people from slavery in Egypt. Long after Moses, God sent an even greater Rescuer — His own Son, Jesus. Just as God came down to save His people, Jesus came to save us from everything that hurts us and keeps us from God. When Jesus later said 'I AM', He was using God's own special name, showing that the same loving God who spoke to Moses had come to earth to bring us safely home. God's rescuing love never stops.
What God wants to tell us
When God called Moses, Moses felt far too small and too scared for such a big job. But God did not need Moses to be strong or perfect — He only needed Moses to trust Him. God promised to be with him, and He kept that promise every single day. God sees you too, and He loves you just the way you are. Whenever something feels too big, you can remember that God is close, ready to help, and He will never leave you on your own.
Prayer
Dear God, thank You for loving Moses and for calling him by name. When I feel small or scared, please help me remember that You are always right beside me. Thank You that You are my helper and my friend, and that You will never leave me. I want to trust You today. Amen.
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