Teach Them Jesus with Building Bricks
More Than Enough: Building the Tabernacle
Exodus 35:4-36:7; Exodus 25:1-9; Exodus 40:33-38; Exodus 12:35-36; John 1:14 Old Testament PrincipleGenerosity
God rescued His people from Egypt, and He wanted to live right in the middle of their camp. He asked everyone whose heart was willing to bring gifts to build the tabernacle, a holy tent where He would dwell. The people brought gold, silver, cloth, wood and jewels – so much that the builders said, "The people are bringing more than enough!" and Moses had to tell them to stop. When the tabernacle was finished, God's glory filled it. We give gladly, because God gave to us first and wants to be with us.
Generosity is giving gladly from a willing heart. We can give generously because God gave to us first, rescuing us and coming to live with us.
- CreationGod made it
- FallWe broke it
- RedemptionJesus fixes it (this lesson)
- RestorationJesus makes it new
Memory verse
“Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not out of regret or compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver.”
2 Corinthians 9:7 BSB
Christ Connection · Picture
The tabernacle was God's tent in the middle of His people. John says that in Jesus, "the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us" – literally, He "pitched His tent" with us (John 1:14). Jesus is God with us in person.
John 1:14; Hebrews 8:5; Hebrews 9:11-12
The Big Story · Redemption
Sin separated people from God, but God planned to live with His people again. The tabernacle was a picture of that plan, and Jesus came to make His dwelling among us.
Teacher Guide
This version includes:
- Background and context for the passage
- Hidden in Plain Sight: the detail most people miss
- The Christ Connection: how this story points to Jesus
- A 45-minute class plan and prep checklist
- Object lesson: The freewill offering
- Theo’s Workshop (build challenge): Build it to scale
- A skit to act out the story
- Review game: Gold brick
- Pronunciation help, tips for every age, song ideas and a note for parents
Every lesson, every age, from $25 a month. · Log in
Preschool (ages 3–5)
I give to God gladly!
This version includes:
- An opening hook and a 4-minute Bible story written for this age
- 3 discussion questions
- 2 activities: Gift parade, Color the gifts
- 5 “Dasch Digs Up” facts
- Real-life connections: at church, with brothers and sisters
- Song ideas, Live It, a prayer, and a printable student handout (preview below)
Every lesson, every age, from $25 a month. · Log in
Free preview · Kindergarten – 2nd grade
God saved His people from Egypt and wanted to live with them. He asked everyone with a willing heart to bring gifts to build His holy tent, the tabernacle. They gave so much that Moses had to say, "Stop!" Then God's glory filled the tent. God gave to us first, so we give with a happy heart.
Memory verse
“Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give. For God loves a cheerful giver.”
Adapted from 2 Corinthians 9:7
Start here
Do "The freewill offering" with cups of bricks. Ask, "Did anyone make you give your bricks?" Say, "Today's story is about people who gave so much, they had to be told to stop!"
Bible story 6 min
God had saved His people from Egypt. On the night they left, God made the people of Egypt give them gold, silver and nice clothes.
Now God's people were camped by a big mountain. God told Moses, "Have them build a holy tent for Me. Then I will live with them."
God said, "Take gifts from all whose hearts want to give." So Moses told the people. And they came! They brought gold rings and bracelets. They brought blue, purple and red cloth. They brought wood, oil and jewels.
The rest of the story, discussion questions, songs, Live It and prayer are for members.
Try an activity
Build God's tent 10 min
You’ll need: A tub of building bricks, Baseplates, Cotton balls
- Pairs build a small tent with a fence around it on a baseplate. Leave a gate on one end.
- Add a "gold" yellow brick inside the tent and a brown brick altar in the yard.
- Put a cotton-ball cloud on top and say, "God's glory filled the tent!"
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3rd – 4th grade
After God rescued Israel from Egypt, He said, "Make a sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell among them." He asked for an offering from everyone whose heart was willing. The people brought gold, silver, cloth, wood and jewels – many of them gifts God had given them as they left Egypt – until the builders said, "The people are bringing more than enough," and Moses told them to stop. When the tabernacle was finished, God's glory filled it. We give cheerfully because God gave to us first.
This version includes:
- An opening hook and a 8-minute Bible story written for this age, with a Hidden in Plain Sight moment
- 5 discussion questions
- 2 activities: What God gave, what they gave, Build it to scale
- 5 “Dasch Digs Up” facts
- Real-life connections: at church, with friends, at home
- Song ideas, Live It, a prayer, and a printable student handout (preview below)
Every lesson, every age, from $25 a month. · Log in
5th – 6th grade
Having rescued Israel, God declared, "Make a sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell among them," and asked for a freewill offering from every willing heart. The people gave gold, silver, yarn, linen, wood and gems – largely the very wealth God had given them as they left Egypt – until the craftsmen reported "more than enough" and Moses restrained them. When the tabernacle was finished, God's glory filled it. The tabernacle pictured God with us, fulfilled when the Word "made His dwelling among us" in Jesus. We give cheerfully because God gave first.
This version includes:
- An opening hook and a 10-minute Bible story written for this age, with a Hidden in Plain Sight moment
- 6 discussion questions
- 2 activities: God gives first, My freewill offering
- 5 “Dasch Digs Up” facts
- Real-life connections: at church, with friends, online and on screens
- Song ideas, Live It, a prayer, and a printable student handout (preview below)
Every lesson, every age, from $25 a month. · Log in
More lessons on Generosity
The same principle in other Bible stories.
A Beautiful Gift: Mary Anoints JesusJohn 12:1-8; Mark 14:3-9Six days before the Passover, Jesus' friends in Bethany gave a dinner for Him. Martha served, and Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead, sat at the table. Then Mary brought a jar of very expensive perfume worth about a year's pay. She poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped them with her hair, and the whole house was filled with the fragrance. Judas complained that it was a waste. But Jesus said, "Leave her alone. She has done a beautiful deed to Me." Jesus is worth our very best.New TestamentGenerosity
The Widow’s OfferingMark 12:38-44; Luke 21:1-4At the temple, Jesus watched people put money into the offering box. Rich people gave lots of money. Then a poor widow gave two tiny coins. Jesus said she gave more than all of them, because she gave everything she had. God sees our hearts, and He loves when we give with love.New TestamentGenerosity
You Choose First: Abram and LotGenesis 13:1-18; Genesis 12:7; Philippians 2:3-8; Galatians 3:16Abram and his nephew Lot had so many sheep, goats and cattle that the land couldn't hold them both, and their herdsmen started fighting. Abram, the older man God had made a promise to, could have taken the best land. Instead he said, "Let there be no fighting between us. You choose first." Lot looked out, saw the green, well-watered Jordan plain and took it for himself. Then God told Abram to look north, south, east and west – "All the land that you see, I will give to you." We can be generous and let others go first, because God has promised to take care of us.Old TestamentGenerosity
Jesus the KingJesus Feeds 5,000John 6:1-14; 2 Kings 4:42-44When a huge, hungry crowd followed Jesus, a boy shared five small loaves and two fish, and Jesus gave thanks and fed everyone, with twelve baskets left over.New TestamentGenerosity
The Church BeginsThe Church SharesActs 2:42-47; Acts 4:32-37The first Christians loved each other so much that they shared everything they had. They ate together, prayed together and made sure no one was in need. Barnabas even sold a field and gave the money to help.New TestamentGenerosity