Youth Lesson Plan: Exodus 1–6

THE OPENER (2–3 minutes)

Object lesson: Bring a sticky note (or a piece of tape) and put it on your scriptures or phone. Tell the class: “This sticky note is my ‘don’t forget’ reminder.” Then ask: “What’s something you’ve set a reminder for because you really didn’t want to forget it?” (tests, birthdays, a streak, a practice, etc.). Let a few share.

Then pivot: “Exodus opens with a scary question Israel might have felt deep in their bones: Did God forget us? And it also shows what happens when a society forgets goodness—because a new pharaoh shows up who ‘knew not Joseph’ (Exodus 1:8). Today we’re going to watch what the Lord does when His people feel buried under life.”

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SCRIPTURE DEEP DIVE (12–15 minutes)

Invite students to open to Exodus 2:23–25. Before anyone reads, ask: “What do you notice just from the verbs—what Israel does, and what God does?” Then read aloud and let them call out what they heard.

“And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.
And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.” (Exodus 2:23–25)

Ask: “Which line hits hardest if you’re having a rough week?” Then: “What does it mean that God ‘remembered his covenant’?” (Let them wrestle. Don’t rush it.)

Now go to Exodus 3:7–8. Ask: “What do you notice about how personal this is?” Read:

“And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians…” (Exodus 3:7–8)

Pause and ask: “Circle the ‘sense words’—seen, heard, know. What does that teach you about God?” Then connect it back: Exodus 2 says God heard, remembered, looked, had respect—and Exodus 3 expands it: He knows their sorrows and says, “I am come down to deliver” (Exodus 3:7–8).

Third passage: Exodus 3:1–6 (burning bush). Ask: “What details feel ‘holy’ here?” Read the key moment:

“And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.” (Exodus 3:5)

Let students talk with a partner for 30 seconds: “Why would taking off shoes matter? What is God teaching Moses before He gives him a job to do?” Gather a few responses. (If they say “respect,” “focus,” “not casual,” you’re right where you want to be.)

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THE BIG IDEA (8–10 minutes)

Principle 1: God does not forget His covenant people—especially when they feel forgotten. Exodus doesn’t pretend life is easy. Israel is in “bondage” (Exodus 2:23). But the text is clear about the Lord’s attention: “God heard… God remembered… God looked… God had respect” (Exodus 2:24–25). Ask: “Why do you think the Lord repeats ‘God’ four times like that?” (Possible discovery: to make it unmistakable who is acting, even when nothing looks different yet.)

Principle 2: Deliverance is real, but it often starts with God seeing and calling—not instantly removing. The Lord says, “I have surely seen… heard… I know… I am come down to deliver” (Exodus 3:7–8). Then He begins by calling Moses. Ask: “Why might God’s deliverance sometimes look like a calling, a conversation, a next step—before it looks like a miracle?” Let them connect it to their lives: help with anxiety, family stress, temptation, loneliness—sometimes the first ‘deliverance’ is that God gets you moving with help.

Principle 3: Reverence protects spiritual power. Before Moses gets instructions, he’s taught how to stand on holy ground: “put off thy shoes… holy ground” (Exodus 3:5). Ask: “What are places or moments in your life that should feel like ‘holy ground’—even if they aren’t a chapel?” (Scripture study, sacrament, prayer, a blessing, a quiet moment when you feel prompted.)

If conversation turns toward temple specifics, keep it gentle and safe: This is sacred and personal—please speak with your bishop or refer to the temple recommend questions.

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MIX IT UP – ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY (5–8 minutes)

Case study (whole class): Put this scenario in your own words:

“Aaron is trying to do better—praying again, trying to stop a habit, trying to be kinder at home. But nothing gets easier. In fact, the week he tries, school gets worse, friends get dramatic, and he feels more stressed. He thinks, ‘Maybe God isn’t listening. Maybe I’m doing this wrong.’”

Ask the class to answer using only phrases from the scriptures we read (they can paraphrase, but anchor to the text). Prompt them with questions like:

• “What would you say from Exodus 2:23–25?” (God heard, remembered, looked, had respect.)
• “What would you say from Exodus 3:7–8?” (God knows sorrows; He comes down to deliver.)
• “What would you say from Exodus 3:5?” (Treat holy things as holy—don’t get casual.)

Let a few students “coach” Aaron with those verses. Keep it real, not preachy.

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THE LANDING (3–4 minutes)

Read the Lord’s promise from the Come, Follow Me introduction:

“I will redeem you with a stretched out arm,” He declares. “I am the Lord your God, which bringeth you out from under [your] burdens” (Exodus 6:6–7).

Then ask one final question that lingers: “What if the first evidence that God is working in your life isn’t that everything changes—but that He’s aware, He’s speaking, and He’s inviting you onto ‘holy ground’?” (Exodus 2:24–25; Exodus 3:5, 7–8)

Invite them—very simply—to choose one moment this week to treat as “holy ground”: sacrament, a sincere prayer, five minutes with scriptures, or choosing not to mock what’s sacred. The Lord who said, “I have surely seen… and have heard… for I know their sorrows” (Exodus 3:7) is not distant. I trust Him when He says He sees, hears, and knows—and I’ve learned from these verses that covenant love is not fragile or forgetful.