📖

The Complaining Starts

Grumbling in the Wilderness

Day 56of 180
Week 12of 36
25Minutes
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🖨️ Download Worksheet (PDF)

Learning Objectives

1

Understand that the Israelites complained after being rescued from Egypt

2

Recognize that God provides for His people even when they are ungrateful

3

Learn to be thankful instead of complaining

Exodus 16:2-3

The whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron in the wilderness; and the children of Israel said to them, 'We wish that we had died by the hand of Yahweh in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots, when we ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.'

Exodus 16:2-3 (WEB)

Shows how quickly people can forget God's blessings and complain

📦 Materials Needed

  • Bible (World English Bible)
  • Paper plates
  • Crayons
  • BibleMouse Printables Library complaining/thankful cards
  • Manna pictures from BibleMouse Resource Guide

Lesson Plan

1Opening (3 min)

Welcome to today's BibleMouse adventure! Let's remember how God rescued the Israelites from Egypt.

💭 Review Question: What amazing things did God do to help the Israelites escape?
2Teaching (8 min)

Even after God did amazing miracles, the people started to complain. They forgot how God saved them!

📌 Key Talking Points:
  • God led them out of Egypt
  • They were safe and free
  • But they started to complain about food
💬 Discussion Questions:
  • Have you ever complained when things weren't perfect?
  • How can we be thankful instead?
3Activity: Thankful vs. Complaining Plates (10 min)
craft

Create two paper plates - one showing complaining faces, one showing thankful faces

📝 Instructions:
  1. Draw a sad, grumpy face on one side of a plate
  2. Draw a happy, thankful face on the other side
  3. Use BibleMouse complaining/thankful cards for inspiration
🔄 Variations:

Simpler: Parent helps draw faces

Challenge: Write simple words about thankfulness

4Closing (3 min)

Review our BibleMouse lesson about being thankful

📝 Review Questions:
  • What did the Israelites do wrong?
  • How can we choose to be thankful?
🙏 Prayer:

Dear God, help us be thankful for all You do for us

Coming up: Tomorrow we'll learn about the amazing bread God sent from heaven!

Deuteronomy 6:5

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

Deuteronomy 6:5 (WEB)

🎯 Activity: Thankful Heart Motions: Touch heart (love), spread arms wide (all), flex muscles (strength)

Teaching Notes

📚 Background:

Israelites struggled to trust God after leaving Egypt, often forgetting His miracles

💡 Teaching Tips:
  • Use gentle language when discussing complaining
  • Emphasize God's love and provision
  • Connect lesson to child's daily experiences
🤔 Common Struggles:

Young children often complain when things don't go their way

👀 Signs of Understanding:

Child showing understanding of gratitude and trust in God

Extension Activities

  • Sing a thankfulness song from BibleMouse Song Collection
  • Create a 'Thankful Journal' with daily blessings

Ready for Tomorrow?

Great job completing today's lesson!

Continue to Day 57Back to Bible