During the lesson, the information for you to know is written in regular type, and what we suggest speaking or reading aloud to children is in bold. All resources for this lesson, including the Teacher Guide and Student Page, can be downloaded in a ZIP file by clicking on the following link:
In some lessons you will find "resource articles." These are articles written by experts from around the world to help equip you for your work with children and adolescents. Share them with parents or guardians if you consider it appropriate.
For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.
Isaiah 41:13
You are on a journey. The path may feel long and hard. It may be filled with troubles and discouragement. You may not always know where it will take you. But be encouraged! God knew all of your days “before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:16). He knows every hill, turn, and bump in the path. He knows exactly where you are going. And He is with you!
As you prepare your heart to teach your children about following God’s guidance, reflect on your own life journey. If you have paper and a pencil, draw a map of your life. Include important moments and significant events. Describe ways God was present with you at each point, even if you were not aware of it at the time. If you do not have supplies, simply imagine your life as a map. Then, like Noah and Abram before you, spend time thanking God for what He has done for you. Praise Him for taking hold of your hand when you did not know where to step next. Praise Him for guiding you on a path that leads to life!
Let your students’ families know that they will be learning about following God’s guidance and path for their lives. Every person has his own unique life journey. Encourage the families to tell their child about 2–3 important events from their own lives. They can also explain why each one is significant to them.
Teacher Tip: If possible, email or text the Family Connection Card to the families of your students.
Start today’s class by playing a game of Captain, May I? Have all the children line up side by side against a wall or on the opposite side of your space, facing you. Explain that you are the Captain and they are your crew. One at a time, they will take turns asking if they can do a specific movement. They must start their request with the words, “Captain, may I ______________?” For example, a child might ask, “Captain, may I take 5 steps forward?” You can reply, “Yes, you may” or “No, you may not. But you may _____________ instead” and insert your own suggestion. The children will usually move closer to you with each movement, but you may lead them farther away as well. As the Captain, you want your crew to stay close together, with no child moving far ahead of the others. Children must always follow your instructions. The first child to reach you wins the game. If you have time, the winner becomes the Captain, and the class plays again.
Here are some of the instructions you might give if you say no to a child’s suggestion:
(Add others or repeat some of these.)
After the game, explain that today’s Bible story is about a man named Abram. Abram followed God’s directions and went on a journey.
In today’s lesson, you will take a journey around your teaching space. Before you start to teach, decide where the different locations will be. You can label each place with a sign if that is possible, or you can cue the children as you go. It would be fun if the locations were as far apart as possible so the children get the feeling of a long, long walk! You will move from one place to another as the journey starts and continues.
Explain to the children that as you tell the following story everyone will take a little trip, as if they were taking it with Abram. Start in the place you picked as Ur. Have the children gather close around you and sit down.
Place 1: Ur
Hundreds of years after last week’s story of Noah, Noah’s children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren had spread out over the known world. One of Noah’s descendants was Abram. He lived in a big city called Ur. His neighbors did not know God, but Abram did. The Bible does not tell us how Abram came to know God. One day Abram, his father Terah, his beautiful wife Sarai, and his nephew Lot moved out of Ur. They had meant to go to Canaan but stopped at Harran instead.
Have the children stand up and walk with little steps to the place you picked as Harran. Using little steps will make the journey seem longer. Have the children gather close to you and sit.
Place 2: Harran
Abram’s father chose to live in Harran. But God did not want Abram to settle there. God wanted Abram to go to Canaan. The Bible does not tell us why Abram’s father settled in Harran. Perhaps he was tired of traveling. Whatever the reason, Abram stayed in Harran until his father died. Let’s read from the Bible to hear about God’s plan for Abram’s life.
If possible, read Genesis 12:1–3 from your Bible.
Show the Action Bible image of Abram telling Sarai of God’s word to him.
The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
Genesis 12:1–3
God actually spoke these words to Abram while he still lived in Ur, which was in the region of Mesopotamia. We know this because a man named Stephen, in the New Testament, said this: “The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Harran. ‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the land I will show you’” (Acts 7:2–3).
After his father died, Abram remembered God’s call on his life. Let’s read what Abram did next.
Read Genesis 12:4–5.
So Abram left, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.
Genesis 12:4–5
Many years before, God had told Abram to leave Ur and travel to the place that He would show him. Once again, Abram trusted God and followed His instructions. God had also told Abram that He would make him into a great nation. This means God planned to give Abram a child. His grandchildren and great-grandchildren and those who came later would number more people than anyone could count. Abram and Sarai did not have any children, and they were getting old. This was an amazing promise that seemed impossible. But Abram chose to believe what God said. Abram took all of his possessions and set out for the place where God was leading him.
Have the children stand and pretend to pack their belongings. They can pretend to put items in boxes, bags, or other containers. Have them march in place as they pretend to carry heavy objects. The action represents Abram traveling. They can continue marching quietly in place as you tell more of the story.
Abram trusted God. So he followed God’s leading. Abram, Sarai, Lot, and their servants and animals travelled together. They all walked hundreds of kilometers until they came to Canaan.
Move with the children to the place you have picked as Canaan. They can gather close around you but continue standing.
Place 3: Canaan
When they came to the land of Canaan, they stopped by a famous tree. Let’s read the Bible to hear what God said to Abram at this place.
Read Genesis 12:7.
The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
Genesis 12:7
Have the children pretend to look out over the land of Canaan. They can place a hand above their eyes as if shielding their eyes from the sun. Join them in pretending to look out in every direction.
Canaan was a beautiful land! It was the land God promised to give to Abram’s family.
Walk together to the place you have picked as Bethel and remain standing for now.
Place 4: Bethel
Read the next part of the story, Genesis 12:8:
From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.
Genesis 12:8
Have the children pretend to set up a tent. Then have them pretend to build an altar made of rocks. Tell them to children sit down.
Abram built an altar to the Lord at both of these places.
Last week children learned that Noah built an altar to God.
To thank Him for His care and guidance.
Abram knew God had led Him on this journey. Abram also knew that God would keep His promises. So Abram built altars to God as a way of thanking Him for everything He had done. It was also how Abram acknowledged that the land belonged to the Lord.
Have the children remain seated as you continue telling the story.
Many years passed. Still Abram and Sarai had no child. God had promised them a son. Would He keep His promise?
Later, God did something special for Abram. No, not a baby, not yet! That would have to wait until God’s timing was right. The special thing God did was to change Abram and Sarai’s names. Abram was renamed Abraham and Sarai was renamed Sarah. Abraham means “father of many.” Sarah means “princess.” Great names! But they still did not have any children, so how could Abraham be the father of many? They had to continue trusting God and following His directions.
I will tell you a secret that will be no surprise to most of you. Eventually God kept His promise and Sarah and Abraham had a baby boy. The baby was a miracle! When Sarah had her baby, she was 90 years old and Abraham was 100.
Allow the children to use their imaginations.
Perhaps it is so we learn to trust Him and rely on His guidance.
God spoke to Abram and told him where to go. Abram followed God’s directions. God speaks to us today, but we do not usually hear His audible voice. The Bible is God’s Word. Therefore, what we hear from God always agrees with the Bible.
Answers might include: through praying and reading the Bible; through what is learned in this class; through parents, pastors, and other Christian adults.
“Father of many.”
Today’s Bible verse is easy to remember. However, it takes wisdom to remember it when things get difficult.
Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.
Psalm 25:5
This is a prayer to God. When we say this verse, we invite God to lead us anywhere He wants us to go. God does not say that where He guides us will always be easy. Sometimes He guides us into difficult, or exciting, or even scary places. However, He will always be with us.
Abram, later called Abraham, followed God’s guidance. God would eventually keep every promise He made to Abraham, but Abraham had to wait. While he waited, he had to continue to trust and follow God. Wow! That must have been hard. Maybe there were days when he wanted to say, “God, please do not make me wait any longer. I want a baby now. I just cannot wait.” But he continued to wait for God’s perfect timing.
We do not know why God made him wait so long. Maybe God was teaching Abraham to be patient. Maybe God was teaching him that He is not a good-luck charm that some people think will magically grant their wishes. Maybe God was giving Abraham lots of years to grow in his faith. Maybe God had some other reason.
Tell the children that they are going to imagine their life as a map. It begins when they were born. It has curves and turns, which are the important events of their lives—both good and hard. For example, they might think of a happy event, such as a special visit from a favorite relative. Or they may think of a sad event, such as when they were hurt. They should think of 3 events for their life map.
Give the children a couple of minutes to quietly think of their life map events. Then have them think of 1 way God was with them in each event.
Remind your children of the promise they learned last week: God always keeps His promises, and He is trustworthy. God was with them on every part of their journey just as He was with Abram. Gently remind the children that God loves them. He is both strong and gentle. He is powerful and loves them personally.
Optional Supplies:
Give each child a piece of paper and a pencil. They will draw their life maps instead of just imagining them. They should draw at least 3 important events in their lives. Have the children draw a picture of God next to 1 or more of the important events on their map.
If you are using Student Pages, allow the children to fill in the answers to the questions about following God.
End of Option
Now that the children have their life maps in their minds or on paper, have them line up shoulder to shoulder on a side of your meeting space. They should think of 1 event on their life map. When you say, “Walk,” they will walk forward slowly as though they are following that life map. This is not a game or a race. They should imagine they are following their maps. When you say, “Stop,” have the children repeat this phrase, filling in the blank with the event they are thinking about:
“God was with me when ________________________.”
Do this 2 more times and then ask the children to sit down and be very quiet.
Explain that you will walk around to each child and say a blessing over them for their life journey. If the child is comfortable, put a hand on his shoulder while you pray. Tell the children that if they do not want you to touch them when you pray, they can cross their arms with a hand on each shoulder. You will then reach out your hand toward them, but you will not touch them.
Here are several suggestions of prayers you might use. It is okay to use the same one several times. Always use the child’s name. Remind the class to listen quietly as others are blessed so they can remind that child of what was prayed over her when life gets hard.
Lead the children in singing this quarter’s song if possible.
Life on Life ©2020 David C Cook. Reproducible for home or classroom use only. All other uses require written permission from David C Cook [email protected]. All rights reserved.
