In Sunday School, we opened our theme of GRIT with an object lesson. The children were challenged to open tightly sealed jars. When they weren't able to open the jars, they experimented with using lotion, water, a towel, and rubber gloves. They discovered that making things smoother and easier actually didn't help in this situation. Sticky and grippy worked to help them get the best grip. We then headed to our Bible story to learn about keeping our grip when life gets tough. While constructing a mountain out of clay, we learned that Joseph had been through a lot of ups and downs. There were moments when he felt like he was on top of the mountain and moments when he felt like he was at the bottom of the mountain but God was with him through it all. We made special hand print paintings to remind us...whatever is happening in our lives - whatever our mountain range looks like - we can hold on because God is with us!

In Sunday School, the children participated in an activity where they were directed to follow specific instructions to draw a mountain scene. When later comparing pictures, they discovered that although they all used the same materials and followed the same instructions, their pictures were all very different. They may have had questions about details along the way such as how large the mountain should be or what color to use but they did what they could with what they already knew. We talked about how in life we don't always know everything but we can hold on and do what we do know - follow the instructions God gives us - love others, show kindness, forgive, and treat others the way we want to be treated. Later, we heard the story of Baby Moses and how his mother and sister saved him by putting him in a basket in the Nile River. They may have wondered if it was a wise decision but they were determined to save him and trusted God. Then the children were given various materials and challenged to design a basket that floats. Finally, they had the opportunity to test out their unique designs!

In virtual Sunday School, we talked about feeling stuck sometimes. It happens throughout life...even while playing fun games. We looked at an example of a game where we had to climb up and down a mountain by spinning the correct number in sequence. After 5 minutes and lots of spins,  we couldn't even get past number 2! We learned that the Israelites in our Bible story felt stuck too. They were just waiting for the day when God would set them free! We learned that God did indeed have a plan and it started with a miraculous event - Moses and the burning bush. Later, we did a pretty cool science experiment. We made lava lamps using household ingredients.  It was fun to see this exciting reaction take place and the colors we used resembled fire making this a great reminder of the burning bush story and what it means for us today. Like Moses and the Israelites, we can hang on during hard times because God knows everything about our situation and is with us through it all. 

In Sunday School, we opened our lesson and introduced this week's Bible story with an ocean sensory bag activity. In our Bible story, Moses and the Israelites faced an impossible choice - turn toward and face the army coming at them or walk into the sea. They must have felt pure panic and fear. Moses told them to be still and trust God. When they did, something miraculous happened - God parted the Red Sea. We did an interesting science experiment and discovered that rubbing alcohol actually has the ability to part water. Some people try to explain God's miracles with science. Science is pretty cool but what we did is in no way a miracle. Parting a vast sea takes a miracle - something only God is capable of. When things feel out of our control, we must remember what God is capable of and trust Him!