Heroes of the Bible · Lesson 3
Joshua
Joshua 6
After forty years of wandering, Israel finally stood at the edge of the Promised Land — with one enormous, walled city standing directly in their way. Joshua had watched Moses lead for decades, and now it was his turn. This lesson follows what happened at Jericho, and what it looked like to trust God's plan even when it made absolutely no military sense
Main Focus
God's plan for taking Jericho made no sense to a soldier — march around the walls, don't attack, just walk. No battering ram, no siege, just obedience and trust. Joshua didn't need to understand the strategy. He just needed to trust the One who gave it. That's what this lesson is about: trusting God's plan, even when it looks nothing like what we'd choose ourselves.
Memory Verse
Big Movement Game
Split the children into 2 or 3 teams. Give each team five minutes to build their own wall or tower using giant building blocks, cardboard boxes, or similar. Once time's up, teams take turns throwing beanbags at the other team's wall — just like the walls of Jericho, these walls are about to come down! After the assault, whichever team's structure is still standing tallest wins.
Discussion Questions
- Is there a time God might be asking you to trust Him, even if His way doesn't make sense to you right now?
- Have you ever had to keep doing something even though it didn't seem to be working yet? What was that like?
- For six days, nothing happened — the walls just stayed standing. How do you think the Israelites felt marching around and around with no results yet?
- God told Joshua to march around the walls instead of attacking them. Why do you think He gave instructions that didn't seem like a normal battle plan?
Object Lesson
Fill a sandwich bag with water and seal it tightly. Ask for a volunteer to sit underneath while you hold the bag above them, then ask: do you trust me to push this pencil straight through the bag without any water spilling on you? Most children won't! Then do it — push a sharp pencil straight through the sealed bag. Because of how the plastic seals around the pencil, the water stays in and nothing spills. Talk about how, just like it looked impossible for that pencil to go through without a mess, God's plan at Jericho looked impossible too — but trusting Him, even when it doesn't make sense, is exactly what this lesson is about.
Craft & Activity
This printable trumpet craft ties straight into the story — just like the priests sounded their trumpets before the walls came down, the children get to make and 'sound' their own. Colour in the musical instrument design, cut around the outline, and fold it into shape to make your own paper trumpet. A fun, hands-on way to bring the sound of Jericho's walls falling into your own room.
Prayer
Dear God, thank You for Joshua's example of trusting Your plan, even when it looked nothing like what anyone would have chosen. Help us to trust You too — even when Your way doesn't make sense to us, even when we have to wait, even when it feels strange. Just like the walls of Jericho came down in Your timing, help us believe that You are always working, even when we can't see it yet. Amen.
Leader Prep & Tips
Safety first: for the water bag object lesson, use a sharp pencil and a firm, confident motion — a hesitant push is more likely to tear the bag messily than a quick, clean one. Practice the technique yourself beforehand so you're confident doing it in front of the group, and choose a volunteer who's happy to sit still and trust you! Have your building materials, beanbags, and trumpet craft supplies ready ahead of time so the session flows smoothly between activities. As you close the lesson, come back to the heart of it: God's plan for Jericho made no sense by normal standards, yet it worked perfectly because it was His plan. Encourage the children that trusting God doesn't mean everything will make sense right away — it means believing He's still trustworthy even when we can't see the full picture.