Gideon — The Fleece and the Call 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 LORD was with Gideon.”
God’s people were in trouble. They had turned away from God. Now enemies called the Midianites came again and again, for seven years. They took the food and the animals. There were so many of them, like a cloud of grasshoppers! The people hid in caves. They cried to the LORD.
Gideon was hiding too. He was beating out his wheat in a winepress. That is a hidden pit, where the enemies would not see him. Thump, thump, thump!
The LORD’s angel came and sat under a big oak tree. He said to Gideon, “The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!” Valor means being brave. But Gideon did not think he was brave at all. The LORD was with Gideon.
Gideon asked a question. “If the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us?” Gideon remembered the stories about Egypt. Where were God’s wonders now?
The LORD said, “Go in this your might, and save Israel. Haven’t I sent you?” Gideon said, “O Lord, how shall I save Israel? My family is the poorest, and I am the least in my father’s house.” The least means the smallest one. The LORD said, “Surely I will be with you.”
Gideon brought food for his visitor. He brought meat and flat bread. The angel touched it with the tip of his stick. Whoosh! Fire came up out of the rock and burned it all up! Then the angel was gone.
Gideon was afraid. But the LORD said, “Peace be to you! Don’t be afraid.” So Gideon built an altar there. He called it “The LORD is Peace.” The LORD was with Gideon.
Later the enemies came again. The Spirit of the LORD came on Gideon. He blew a trumpet. Toot! Can you blow a trumpet? Many men came to follow him. They came from four tribes – four big family groups of God’s people. The LORD was with Gideon.
But Gideon wanted to be sure. He put a fleece of wool on the ground. A fleece is the woolly coat of a sheep. Then he asked God for a sign. In the morning, let the fleece be wet with dew. But let the ground be all dry. Dew is wet drops on the ground in the morning.
The next morning, Gideon got up early. The fleece was wet! He squeezed it. Squeeze! A whole bowl full of water came out. But the ground was dry. Can you squeeze a fleece like Gideon?
Gideon asked God once more. He asked very politely. “Don’t let your anger be kindled against me,” he said. That means: please don’t be angry with me. This time, let the fleece be dry, and the ground all wet with dew.
That night God did it. In the morning the fleece was dry. But the ground all around was wet! Wet, wet, wet – and one dry fleece in the middle.
God was patient with Gideon. God answered him, both times. The LORD was with Gideon.
3. Talk together (3 min)
- Why do you think Gideon did not feel brave?
- What do you think Gideon said when he found the fleece dry the second time?
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)
“The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!” — Judges 6:12 (The LORD is with you → point up, then point to a friend; mighty man of valor → make strong arms)
Dear God, thank you that you are with me when I feel small. Thank you that you answer when I pray. Amen.
Lesson for older kids (ages 6–10)
Big idea: God is patient with our questions
Memory verse: “The LORD said to him, "Surely I will be with you."” — Judges 6:16 · WEB
The Bible story
Gideon felt too small to be a hero, so he laid a woolly fleece on the ground and asked God for a sign — and God answered him with gentle, patient love.
Talk about it
- Why were God's people hiding at the start of the story? — The Midianites stole their crops
- What was Gideon doing when the story begins? — Threshing wheat in a winepress
- Who came and sat under the oak tree? — An angel of the Lord
- What did the angel call Gideon? — Mighty warrior
- How did Gideon feel about himself at first? — Weak and unsure
- What did God promise Gideon? — "I will be with you"
Where is Jesus in this story?
Gideon said his clan was the weakest and he was the least in his family (Judges 6:15), yet God chose him. Jesus told Paul something similar: “My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Jesus Himself came as a tiny baby and died on a cross, which looked weak, but it was God's mighty plan to save us.
What God wants to tell us
God did not laugh at Gideon for asking to be sure. He kindly answered him twice, showing that He is patient and gentle with our worries. When we feel too small or too afraid, we can bring our questions to God. He promises to be with us, and His love can make even the most timid heart brave.
Prayer
Dear Lord, thank You for being patient with me when I am scared or unsure. Thank You that You are always close, just like You were with Gideon. Please help me to be brave and to trust You every single day. Amen.
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