Today, we’re looking at the story of Balaam and how one animal in particular can help us bring it to life for kids.
Welcome to the “Meet an Amazing Animal” series.
God has done some remarkable things through his furry, fuzzy, and funny creations. A talking donkey? A fish carrying around a tax payment in its mouth? A rooster reminder that brought a grown man to his knees?
In this series we’re exploring how God has used animals to make himself and his purposes known. Get all twelve free lessons.
You’ll help your kids experience powerful transformation as they link Bible truths they need with the animals they love.
Let’s get started!
Bible Story: Balaam (Numbers 22:21–34)
Animal: Donkey
Lesson Theme: God Uses Us
Activity: Tongue Twisters
[icon name=”clock”] Time: about 5 minutes
[icon name=”list-alt”] Supplies: slips of paper, pencil, stopwatch
Before kids arrive, print each of these tongue twisters on a separate slip of paper:
- Sally sells seashells by the seashore.
- Leslie’s lovely lemon liniment lingers.
- Rubber baby buggy bumpers.
- Double bubble gum bubbles double.
- Chad cheerily cheers cheesy cheese.
Ask kids to stand, and then lead them in doing a few jumping jacks, plus a
stretch or two. Explain that, now that you’re warmed up, you’ll all give a workout to a muscle that’s often overlooked in workouts: your tongues.
The goal: for each child to read one of the tongue twisters aloud three
times in a row—once at a slow speed, then a normal speed, then at super-deluxe-zoomer speed. You’ll time all three efforts and see if kids can speak
faster without making more mistakes.
You’ll go first. Your stumbles will help kids relax if they can’t quite master a
terribly twisty tongue twister too. (Read that five times fast!)
Once everyone has had a turn, ask kids to join you in a circle and do this:
Tell about a time that something you said got you into trouble.
Start by sharing your own age-appropriate story. After several kids have shared, SAY: Today we’ll hear how what someone said got him into trouble—but God used his words to save someone’s life. Which is amazing because that person had never spoken before. And he wasn’t really a person—he was a donkey.
Teaching Time
Share the story from Numbers 22:21–34. Use the following questions during Bible story time:
- Why do you think God had the donkey talk?
- Where or when in your life might you have the chance to speak up for God? Might that be to tell someone about Jesus? Might it be to just step in and help people get along?
- How does it feel when you know God is using you to help others?
- Why do you think you feel the way you feel?
Love these lesson ideas? Get 13 lessons filled with activity and teaching ideas in 13 Very Amazing Animals and How God Used Them.
