The Twelve Spies
Numbers 13:1–14:38 Old Testament PrincipleFaith
Moses sent twelve spies into the land God promised. They all saw the same good land and the same giants. Ten spies said, "We can't!" Joshua and Caleb said, "The LORD is with us!" The people listened to fear instead of God. Faith means trusting what God says more than what we see.
God always keeps His promises and is bigger than anything we face. Faith means trusting what God has said, even when what we see looks scary.
- CreationGod made it
- FallWe broke it (this lesson)
- RedemptionJesus fixes it
- RestorationJesus makes it new
Memory verse
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
2 Corinthians 5:7 BSB
Christ Connection · Better than
Israel couldn't enter the land "because of their unbelief" (Hebrews 3:19). Joshua later led the next generation in, but Hebrews says Joshua didn't give God's people their final rest (4:8). Jesus, whose name is the same as Joshua's, is the faithful leader who brings us into God's true rest, and "the author and perfecter of our faith" (12:2).
Hebrews 3:16-19; Hebrews 4:8-10; Hebrews 12:2
The Big Story · Fall
Sin makes us trust our eyes and our fears instead of God. God kept His promise anyway, and He sent Jesus, whose name means "the LORD saves," to lead His people home.
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: How tall?
- Theo’s Workshop (build challenge): Carry the cluster
- A skit to act out the story
- Review game: Grape harvest
- Pronunciation help, tips for every age, song ideas and a note for parents
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Preschool (ages 3–5)
God is bigger than anything!
This version includes:
- An opening hook and a 4-minute Bible story written for this age
- 3 discussion questions
- 2 activities: Grasshoppers and giants, Color the grapes
- 5 “Dasch Digs Up” facts
- Real-life connections: at home, at church
- 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
Twelve spies saw God's good land and the giants who lived there. Ten spies were afraid and said, "We can't!" Joshua and Caleb had faith and said, "The LORD is with us!" Faith means trusting what God says more than what we see.
Start here
Ask, "Have you ever had to do something that looked way too big for you?" Let a few kids share. Say, "Today twelve men looked at something that seemed way too big. Ten said no. Two said yes. Let's see why."
Bible story 6 min
God had brought His people out of Egypt. Now they were close to the land He promised them.
Moses sent twelve spies to look at the land. They looked for forty days.
The land was so good! They cut one bunch of grapes. It was so big that two men carried it on a pole!
The rest of the story, discussion questions, songs, Live It and prayer are for members.
Try an activity
Act it out 10 min
You’ll need: A broom handle or long pole, Green and purple balloons
- Choose Moses, Joshua, Caleb and a group of ten spies. Everyone else is the people.
- Act out the skit. Joshua and Caleb carry the balloon "grapes" on the pole.
- Switch so more kids get a turn.
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3rd – 4th grade
All twelve spies saw the same good land and the same giants, but only Joshua and Caleb measured the problem against God's promise. The people chose fear over faith and missed out for forty years. Faith means trusting what God has said more than what we see.
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: Two reports, Grape harvest
- 5 “Dasch Digs Up” facts
- Real-life connections: at school, with friends, at church
- 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
The twelve spies agreed on the facts but disagreed on God. Ten let fear reinterpret reality and spread unbelief through the nation; Joshua and Caleb measured the giants against God's promise and presence. Unbelief kept a generation out of the land. Faith takes God at His word over what we see.
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: Facts, fear and faith, My giants, God's promises
- 5 “Dasch Digs Up” facts
- Real-life connections: online and on screens, with friends, in sports and games
- 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 Faith
The same principle in other Bible stories.
With Building BricksNoah and the Flood: FaithGenesis 6:9-9:17; Hebrews 11:7; 1 Peter 3:20-21God warned Noah about a flood no one could see yet. Noah believed God and built the ark just as God said, and God kept him and his family safe inside. Faith means trusting what God says before we see it.Old TestamentFaith
Jesus Turns Water into WineJohn 2:1-11; Isaiah 25:6At a wedding in Cana, the wine ran out. Jesus turned six huge jars of water into the very best wine. It was His first sign, and it showed His glory, so His disciples believed in Him.New TestamentFaith
Jesus the KingJesus Calls FishermenLuke 5:1-11After a night of catching nothing, Peter trusted Jesus' word and let down the nets, caught so many fish the nets began to break, and left everything to follow Jesus.New TestamentFaith
In the BeginningThe PassoverExodus 11:1-12:42God protected every home marked by the lamb's blood, and Jesus is our Passover Lamb whose death keeps us safe.Old TestamentFaith
In the BeginningGod Calls AbramGenesis 12:1-9; Genesis 15:1-6God called Abram to leave home and trust His promise, and Abram believed God.Old TestamentFaith
Jesus the KingAn Angel Visits MaryLuke 1:26-38; Luke 1:5-20The angel Gabriel told Mary she would be the mother of Jesus, God's Son, and Mary trusted God's word, because nothing is impossible with God.New TestamentFaith