God makes a promise to Abraham
key words
biblical reference
Genesis 12:1-7
lesson objective
To help the children to learn that Abraham believed in God’s promise and was obedient.
memory verse
“[Abraham was] fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised (Romans 4:21, NIV*).
prepare yourself to teach
Abraham was a man blessed by God, whom he loved and honored. He had many riches, and a good wife who loved him very much. He lived in Mesopotamia, an important region where the land was fertile and inhabited by many people.
When God told him to leave that place and go to another land, it was a very difficult decision for him. To fulfill the Lord’s command, he had to leave his relatives and the security of his home, to venture into a strange and unknown land.
However, this man decided to trust God and His promises. He left his parents, took his family and his belongings, and began his journey.
God had promised that He would always be by his side and that He would multiply his offspring as much as the stars of heaven. The Lord wanted to form a great nation through him and give him a special land for him and his descendants to live in.
This promise affected the future of the whole world. Through his trust and obedience, Abraham became an instrument of God to bless all nations. Like him, we have to decide whether we trust in God’s promises and obey Him, or we follow our own path.
Reflect on your life: Have you ever had to make a difficult decision to obey God? Do you trust the promises He has for you? How do your decisions affect your relationship with God?
We as teachers are also instruments of the Lord to bless the lives of the children. They are affected by our attitude towards life. Follow the example of Abraham by trusting in the absolute power of God.
The children in this class need to learn two fundamental truths through this lesson: the first is that God keeps His promises, and the second is that we must be obedient to Him. When we trust in the Lord’s promises and are obedient, we can find peace and well-being.
Preschoolers explored the concept of obedience through some previous lessons. Now they know that obedience and disobedience have different results and consequences.
Sometimes people choose the path of unrighteousness and suffer punishment. Through this study, the children will know the example of Abraham, a man of faith and obedience. Remember to apply biblical truth to the everyday context of your children, so that learning is more meaningful. Before beginning the class today, assure your children that they will have a playtime.
introduce the lesson
Exercise of trust
Place several objects, such as small balls, cotton, sponges and some candy in a paper bag or dark container. Caution: do not place any sharp objects that would hurt fingers in the bag. Place the bag on a chair or small table at the front of the class.
Ask the children to come to the front one-at-a-time and reach into the bag and touch what is inside. Tell them not to say aloud what they think is inside the bag until every child has done the activity. Then, let the students take turns telling what they think they felt in the bag. Then reveal the contents of the bag. Say, “You needed to trust me that it was a good thing inside the bag.”
Allow them to express how they felt when searching inside the bag without being able to see the contents. Explain that today’s Bible story is about a man who obeyed and trusted God to go to a new place, even though he did not know where that new place would be.
teach the lesson
How far is it?
Before class, use a map or computer to find the distance of two cities or villages near your home. Write the names of these in large letters on a piece of paper. Beside each name, write the number of kilometers between your meeting place and that city or village.
In class, ask the children if they have traveled to either of these places and name each one. Ask, “How long would it take your family to go to (name each place)?” (Remember that preschoolers have limited knowledge of time and space, but you can tell them the correct amount of time after they guess.) Ask, “Can you travel faster by walking, riding an animal, or riding in a vehicle such as a car or truck?” (Let the children respond.) Say, “There were no trucks or cars in the time of Abraham. We will find out in today’s story where Abraham would go.”Tell the children to sit down and ask them to pay close attention during the story. Mention that when they hear the name “Abraham,” they should move their heads up and down, nodding in agreement.
A big move
The story of Abraham happened a long time ago. He was a man who loved and obeyed God. His house was in a very distant place, Mesopotamia. He was very rich, had many animals, gold, silver and people who worked for him. He lived happily, close to all his relatives, and with his wife, Sarah.
One day, God told Abraham that he wanted Abraham to leave his parents and his homeland and to move to another place. God promised that he would never leave Abraham, and that he would make Abraham’s family into a great nation. God also told Abraham that he would bless Abraham greatly and that all the people of the world would be blessed through Abraham.
Abraham trusted God and obeyed what God had commanded him. He left all of his friends, packed his belongings and, along with his wife, his workers and his animals, began a long journey. Abraham wanted to do the will of God. Abraham trusted in the promises of the Lord, and he was sure that God would never leave him. So they travelled to a place called Canaan.
When they arrived, they thanked God and worshiped Him. Again, God spoke to Abraham and said, “I will give you all this land that you see for your children.” Abraham knew that this was true, because God always kept his promises.
connect the lesson
Fulfilled promises
Earlier in the class you assured your children that they would have a playtime. So, collect any materials and prepare to play their favorite game. Afterwards tell them: “I fulfilled the promise I made earlier in the class. We must keep the promises we make. God also keeps his promises. He loves us and wants the best for us.
God makes a promise to Abraham
Before class, prepare Student Activity Sheet #22-A and #22-B. Cut out some copies of the donkeys in Student Activity Sheet #22-B for the children to use in class.
Gather the children around you and review the story to the children while they color the figures of Abraham and Sarah. Then provide them with glue to place the donkey in the corresponding place.
Finally, have the children trace the Word of Faith (Promises) and write their name. Help any pre-schoolers who cannot write their name. Encourage the children to take home their activity sheets to share the lesson with their families and friends.
practice the memory verse
I am fully persuaded
Bring some cookies from home. If you have a large class, you can break the cookies into pieces so each child will have at least a part of a cookie.
In class, introduce the memory verse and its reference. Use this activity to explain “fully persuaded.” Say, “The words fully persuaded mean to totally believe, without a doubt to believe, or know the something is true.” Show a cookie. Ask, “Do you totally believe that this cookie is good to eat? Then, say with me, “I totally believe-- that this cookie--is good to eat.” Ask, “Is it true that this cookie is good to eat?” Then say with me, “It is true—that this cookie—is good to eat.” Ask, “Do you believe without a doubt that this cookie is good to eat?” Let the children respond: “I believe without a doubt—that this cookie—is good to eat.” Ask, “Are you fully persuaded that this cookie is good to eat?” Then say with me, “I am fully persuaded—that this cookie--is good to eat.”
Then say, “Since you are fully persuaded that these cookies are good to eat, I will give you a cookie to eat.” While the children eat the cookies, say the Bible verse one more time: “Abraham was fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised” (Romans 4:21, NIV).
wrap-up
Pray
Have a prayer time. Pray specifically for the requests the children mention. Thank God for always doing what He promised.
Encourage
Talk about Abraham obeying God even though he did not know everything God was asking him to do. Encourage the children to be obedient to parents, grandparents, and teachers this week.
Invite
Invite the children to come back for the next session to learn more about Abraham and his family. Suggest that they invite neighbors, relatives, and friends to come with them.
* Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™