Unit 2: Abraham OT2.1 God Calls Abraham Lesson€¦ · No doubt Abram asked the Lord to forgive him for not trusting God to take care of him. He had learned his lesson: when trouble

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OT2.1 God Calls Abraham ©Beverly Wilson 2016

Unit 2: Abraham OT2.1 God Calls Abraham Lesson

Scripture: Genesis 11:26 -13:4

Lesson Goal: Abraham is called "father Abraham" because he was the forefather of both the

Jews and the Arabs. He was also the father of the family in whom Jesus the Savior of the world would be born. In this lesson we learn how God called him to be His friend..

Introduction: This is the first lesson in Unit 2: Abraham. In this lesson we’re going to learn how God called Abraham to a new land and promised to bless him with many descendants. The lesson is found in the first book of the Bible called Genesis. The word "Genesis" means beginning. It tells about the beginning of the earth, Adam and Eve, the Garden of Eden, Noah and the Great Flood, the Tower of Babel and the man God called Abraham!

Attention Getter: Visiting a Distant Place

(Show pictures of famous places around the world.) Where is a place you have never been? Have you been to China? This is the Great Wall of China. Many people have gone to visit this famous place. What about England or France? This is a picture of Big Ben in London. How about a visiting an old English castle? Would you like to go to that place? This Bible lesson is about a man named Abraham who obeyed God and traveled a very long way to a place he had never been. Optional: (Show an overnight bag or duffel bag.) Say: When do people use a bag like this? We usually use a bag like this when we pack things for a trip. What kind of things do you pack when you are going on a trip? (Volunteers answer.) In this lesson we are going to hear about a man named Abraham who went on a long trip and packed all his belongings to take with him.

Opening Prayer: "Dear Father in heaven, Thank you for showing us how you cared for Abraham and his family. He trusted in you and followed you. Help us to follow you like Abraham did. Help us to trust in you every day for everything! Thank you most of all for giving us your Son Jesus who died on the cross for our sins so we can go to heaven. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Memory Verse: The memory verse is Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."

Lesson Video: https://youtu.be/JfLWNPs2T2g After the flood, the earth had a new beginning. Noah's three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, all had very large families. Soon the number of people on the earth grew and grew. However, the people forgot God. God had told them to scatter over the face of the earth, but they all stayed together. They lived in the plain of Shinar. They turned from believing in the true God to worshiping the sun, moon, and stars of heaven. Soon they began to build a very tall tower that would reach high into the heavens. God mixed up their languages so they would scatter all over the earth. Even though God had judged their sin, people generally ignored Him and continued to worship images of wood and stone. Only a few people really tried to love and obey God.

https://youtu.be/JfLWNPs2T2g

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All the way back in the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve first sinned, God had promised to send a Savior for the world. When God cursed the snake He said that one day Jesus would be born and He would destroy Satan and sin forever. Now God was going to keep His promise. He wanted to find a man who knew Him, worshiped Him, and obeyed Him. He needed a man who would teach his children the truth about the living God. so that his descendants would become a strong nation. This family would tell all men everywhere about God—a people called by God's own name. In Chaldea not far from Babel, there was a large city called Ur. Today this is in the modern day Iraq. The people in that city worshiped the moon-god, Ur, so they named their city in honor of their god. They made sacrifices to this god in their temples. Terah, an old shepherd-farmer, lived in Ur. He farmed and raised large flocks of sheep and herds of cattle. Terah, like most of the people of Ur was an idol worshiper. He had many wives and three grown sons named Abram, Nahor, and Haran. They were also shepherd-farmers. One of his sons named Haran died young, and he left a son named Lot. But his son, Abram, and Abram's wife, Sarai, were not like Abram's father. Abram believed in the true Jehovah God. He built altars and offered sacrifices and worshiped God just as Abel and Noah had done long years before. Abram's offerings pleased God very much, and God heard his prayers. One day, Abram heard a voice speaking to him: "Abram, Abram!" He knew at once that it was the voice of God; so he answered, "Yes, Lord?" God said, "I want you to leave your country, your people, and your father's household, and go to a land I will show you. If you obey Me and follow Me, I promise you I will make a great nation. I will bless you with many descendants. I will make your name famous, and I will cause the entire world to be blessed because of you." God then promised Abram he would bless those who blessed his descendants and curse those who cursed his descendents. Abram must have thought this was a wonderful promise because he and his wife Sarai had not yet had any children. To have a large family would be very special! But God wanted Abram to get out of that evil place and go to another land. Abram didn't even know where he was supposed to go. God hadn't told him. But Abram chose to obey God without question! Abram also must have wondered, "How can God bless the whole world through me?" Sarai and I do not have any children and besides I am already very old. Of course, God meant that He would bring Christ, the Savior, into the world through Abram's family or descendants, and He would bless the world by taking away their sins. Abram's father Terah was a very old man at this time and he probably was not happy about Abram's decision to follow God. Moving this family would be very difficult because they had lots of sheep and cattle and goats and many servants. Although God had told him to leave his family behind, Abram decided to take his father Terah on the trip, his wife Sarai and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. At last they stopped and stayed at a place they called Haran. Haran is located in Turkey about 10 miles west of the Persian Gulf and 200 miles southeast of Baghdad. This city was on a trade route where many travelers past through. The city was also known for their worship of Sin, the god of the moon. Here Abram and his family stopped for awhile. During this time his father Terah died.

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After Terah's death, God spoke again to Abram. He told Abram to continue his journey. God's promise to Abraham had not changed. So once again Abram obeyed and he packed all his belongings. He took his wife Sarai and their nephew Lot with them as they followed God. On and on they traveled south into the land of the Canaanites. But each day they got closer to the land God had promised. They went out by faith, and God directed their path. In Hebrews 11:8 the Bible says this about Abram: "He went out without knowing where he was going." This was real faith and dependence on God. At last they arrived at a great tree at Shechem and there they stopped. At this tree God appeared to Abram and said, "This is the land that I will give to you and your children. Abram was so happy to hear God's voice again! This land of promise was called Canaan because the Canaanite people lived in it. Once again Abram built an altar and offered a sacrifice, and they all worshiped God. What a wonderful way to celebrate their arrival in the promised land! From there Abram moved on toward the hills east of a place called Bethel, which means "House of God," Here Abram pitched his tent and he built another altar to God. Many years later this place would be where the city of Jerusalem would be built. At this place he and his wife Sarai worshipped God. Wherever Abram went, he built an altar, and this marked him as a man who worshiped the God of heaven; this made him different from all the heathen people among whom he lived. Abram and Sarai lived for many years in the land of Canaan. Later there came a famine in the land of Canaan. The brooks dried up, the crops wouldn't grow and food was scarce. People were starving. Many were going to Egypt because they had heard that there was plenty of food in that land. This famine was a test for Abram. Would Abram trust God or would he lean on his own wisdom? Abram too must have been afraid that he would run out of food, because he and Sarai started for Egypt, a rich country to the south. Abram had forgotten to pray and he failed to trust God to take care of them. He failed God's test. He leaned on his own wisdom and left the land of promise. When Abram was entering Egypt, he became worried. His wife Sarai was very beautiful. He was afraid that Pharaoh might kill him so he could take Sarai as his wife. So he told Sarai to pretend she was not his wife but his sister! Abram was being deceptive and this displeased God greatly. When the Pharaoh saw Sarai he did think she was beautiful! He asked, "Who is she?" When the Pharaoh's officials told him that Sarai was Abram's sister, the Pharaoh invited her to be one of his many wives in the palace. He gave Abram cattle, donkeys, servants and many gifts. But soon after Sarai went to the palace, God sent great plagues or diseases to the palace of Pharaoh. When the Pharaoh realized that Sarai was already married to Abram, he called for Abram and said, "Why didn't you tell me she was your wife?" he exclaimed. "Take her and go." The Pharaoh gave orders to his officials to send Abram, Sarai, and everyone with him out of Egypt--along with all their possessions. So Abraham went back to Canaan with the cattle, servants, and gifts that Pharaoh had given them. . They travelled back to Bethel and settled there to live. At Bethel Abram prayed to God calling on His name. No doubt Abram asked the Lord to forgive him for not trusting God to take care of him. He had learned his lesson: when trouble comes, you pray and seek God; you don't run away. Abram could now settle in the land of Canaan--the land that God had promised him and his descendants.

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And so it is with us. We also need to trust God in times of trouble. Sometimes when our faith is weak, we must ask God for forgiveness, just as Abram did. As we look back now, we can see how God kept His promise to Abram to the letter. He gave him the promised land of Canaan, later called Palestine, and today called Israel. He made of Abram and his descendants a great nation—the Israelites or Jews. And through Abram's family God brought Jesus, the Messiah, Who is the Savior of all who receive Him into their hearts, the One through Whom God blesses the entire world. Abraham trusted God and believed in Him. God helped him travel to another country even though Abraham was not sure where he was going. Do you believe in God and trust Him? Would you follow God even though you were not sure where you would go? Our memory verse is Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Faith is another word for trust or depend. The word "trust" means that we depend or rely on God. Faith is the conviction that God is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do. Let's say our verse again. Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." God gave us a promise also. He promised us that He would send us His Son, Jesus, to make a way for us to get to Heaven. Jesus did that! He died on the cross and came back to life three days later. If you believe in Him and ask Him to come into your life, God will clear away all your wrongs and make a way for you to go to heaven, too. The Bible tells us that God loves and cares for us too. We can count on God's love and care in every situation every day. We can trust God! Let's have faith like father Abraham!

Review Questions: Penny Soccer (Grades K-5) Preparation: Cut the top and one side out of a small box (approximately 4" X 6") to form a soccer goal. Use another box to form a second goal. Say: "How do you score points in soccer? (Kick your ball into the other team's goal.) Today we are going to play a game of penny soccer. Divide the class into teams. Put one player from each of the teams on each side of a small table with a soccer goal taped to the table in front of them. Demonstrate how to "kick the ball" by "flicking a penny toward the goal. Procedure: First player puts his or her penny next to his or her goal. To get a chance to shoot the penny toward his or her partner's goal the student must answer one of the review questions below. Together as a class determine the rules of the game based on students' age concerning what to do if a student's penny goes off the table or how many times each player can shoot or flick the penny for each turn. Challenge the older students to keep score and play the game until one child scores four goals. Children can play the game several times, rotating partners from the team after a few tries.

1. Why did God choose to call Abraham? (He was a man who worshipped God and would obey Him by teaching his children about God.)

2. What was Abraham's father's name and what did he think about following God? (Abraham's father was Terah and he did not believe in God. He was an idol worshipper.)

3. What made Abram and Sarai different from their family? (They worshipped God and obeyed Him.)

4. What promise did God make to Abram? (If Abram obeyed Him, God would give him a land of his own, and many descendants. God would bless the world through him and people everywhere would know about Abraham.)

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5. What was God promising Abram when He said that "the world would be blessed through him"? (God was saying that He would send His son Jesus to be born in his family and through Jesus the whole world would have the opportunity to be saved and go to heaven.)

6. What happened to Abram's father on the first part of the journey when they arrived in the city of Haran? (Terah died.)

7. After Terah died, what happened to Abram? (God spoke to him again and told him to continue his journey to the promised land.)

8. What happened when Abram and Sarai arrived at the tree in Shechem? (God spoke to Abram and said that all the land he saw would be his and his descendants.)

9. What did Abram do after God spoke this promise to him? (Abram built an altar and worshipped God.)

10. After living many years in the Promised Land, how did God test Abram's faith? (A famine occurred and everyone was hungry. The test was to see if Abram would trust God or go to Egypt for food.)

11. What did Abram do to provide food for his family? (He and Sarai and all their servants went to Egypt.)

12. What fear did Abram have about Pharaoh? (He was afraid that he would kill him and take Sarai as his wife because she was so beautiful.)

13. What deception did Abram want Sarai and all his servants to tell the Pharaoh? (He wanted them to tell the Pharaoh that Sarai was his sister.)

14. What did the Pharaoh want when he saw Sarai and what did he do? (He wanted Sarai as part of his many wives and he gave Abram many gifts to have her marry him.)

15. Did this deception work? Why or why not? (No, because when Sarai went to the palace, God cause a plague of diseases to come upon all the people in Pharaoh's house.)

16. When the Pharaoh found out that Abram had lied to him what did he do? (He told his servants to make Abram and Sarai leave the country along with all their possessions and servants.)

17. When Abram returned to the Promised Land at Bethel what did he do? (He worshipped God at the altar he had built there and called on the name of the Lord.)

18. What lesson did Abram learn about having faith in God? (He learned to trust God when he had trouble and to ask for forgiveness when his faith was weak.)

Bible Memory Verse Activity: Illustrated Class Book (Grades K-5) The memory verse is Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Have students look up the verse in scripture and repeat it together several times. Print "Obeying God is a step of faith when ...." on a sheet of paper and photocopy at least one paper for each child in your class. Read Hebrew 11:1 aloud. Say: "God wants us to trust Him. He loves and cares for us. What does this verse say that faith is? (Faith is another word for trust or depend. The word "trust" means that we depend or rely on God. Faith is the conviction that God is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do.) What has God promised to do for us? (Hear our prayers, provide our needs, give us strength to do what is right, etc.) What are some times that kids your age might need to have faith or trust in God?" (Let children respond with specific situations in their life.) Give each child the photocopied paper. Help the children complete the sentence on his or her paper. Have children use colored markers to illustrate his or her sentence. Collect all the students' pages when finished and assemble them in the form of a class book. Invite one or two children who finish illustrations early to decorate construction paper covers. Invite children to read the book aloud. Optional: After class photocopy the pages and assemble them to make a book for each child in your class. Distribute children's books during the next class session.

Obeying God

is a step of

faith when..

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Group Learning Activity: Following God (Grades K-3) Play a game of "Follow the Leader." Have children line up behind you and copy your actions (walking, stepping high over rocks, climbing mountains, wading through streams, etc) as you lead them on an imaginary trip around the room. Children can take turns leading the others on the imaginary trip. Talk about how Abraham followed God. Blindfold half the students and let the other half lead them around. Remind them that they will switch places in a couple of minutes. Talk about how it felt to be led and not know where you are going. Talk about how Abraham and Sarah must have felt, following God and not knowing where they were going. Emphasize the fact that Abraham listened to God. Talk to the students about how they can listen to God by reading the Bible and praying. Optional: Make a "treasure map" of your classroom or the building in which you are meeting. Have children use the map to find a prize that marks the spot. When students get to the spot, have them set up a tent. If you do not have a small tent then use bed sheets and drape them over a table. Have the students sit inside the "tent" and retell the story of God calling Abraham.

Group Learning Activity: Path Walking (Grades K-3) Materials: Masking tape (With masking tape create on the floor a zigzag or loopy path that starts from one side of the room and ends on the other side.) Procedure: Have children line up behind each other at the start of the path. Say: "In our Bible story God told Abraham to leave his home and go to a new land. Abraham did not know where he was going, but God said that He would show Abraham how to get there. Abraham obeyed God. Let's help show each other the way to the end of this path." First child in line walks on the path to its end and then runs back to take the hand of the next child in line to "show" him or her how to get to the end of the path, holding hands the whole time. The pair of students then runs back and take the hand of the next child in line and all three children walk the path together. Continue the activity until all the children are linked by hand and have walked the path together. (Begin a new round after five or so children have walked the path.) Remove the tape from the floor as soon as you finish to prevent damage to the floor.

Group Learning Activity: Foot Prints on the Path (Grades K-3) Materials: Bibles, butcher paper, colored markers Procedure: Divide the class into pairs. Roll out the butcher paper to form a path across the floor of the classroom. Children will take turns standing on the paper and tracing around their shoes to make a path down the roll of butcher paper. As the children trace their footprints, read the memory verse aloud with the children. Say" We can trust God to take care of us. Where does God take care of you? (at home, school, church, playground, store) When might you need God's care in your neighborhood? During recess at school, why might kids our age feel worried or afraid?" Have each child choose a specific location mentioned in your discussion (home, school, neighborhood, mall, bus, library, sports field, etc.) and then he or she is to draw pictures of that place near his or her foot prints on the path. Tip: If you have a large group of children have children draw pictures on separate pieces of paper and then glue the pictures onto the path. If possible have the children use sidewalk chalk to draw footprints and pictures on the sidewalk.

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Group Learning Activity: Living or Dead Faith (Grades 3-5) Purpose: To help students to see how they can practice their faith in God like Abraham did. Say: "In this lesson we learned that Abram had faith in God and he showed that faith by obeying Him. In James 2:17 it says “If faith does nothing, then that faith is dead.” Some people might say that they have faith in God but be too afraid or disobedient to obey him. That kind of faith is like a dead faith. But Abram had a living faith. He trusted in God and was willing to do what he said. We are going to act out some different situations to show what we would do if we had living faith or dead faith." Preparation: Write situations on index cards for students to act out. Put the situation cards in a basket for students to draw out to act. The leader or the student is to read the situation aloud to the other students before they act out their response. The students can choose to have a "dead" faith or "living faith" as they act out the situation. The other children can guess which kind of faith the child has. Examples of situation cards: (Write other situations that would apply to the students in your class.)

1. "Tim says that he has faith in God. God says to help people. Tim's neighbor is sick and cannot collect the mail You are to choose to act out the situation showing either faith (collecting the mail) or dead faith (doing nothing for the neighbor.)

2. "Susie learned that God wants us to read His Word. Susie gets up early in the morning to get dressed for school. She thinks about what God has commanded. What will she do?" You are to choose to act out the situation showing either faith (reading the Bible) or dead faith (dressing and running out the door.)

3. "Jim has a test tomorrow in math. He has studied very hard on how to work the problems. God says to ask Him for help and strength to face difficult situations. What will Jim do?" You are to choose to act out the situation showing either faith (praying to God) or dead faith (going to bed without praying.)

4. "Sally has a new student in her class. No one has spoken to him since he arrived. It is almost time for lunch. God wants us to be kind to others. What will she do?" You are to choose to act out the situation showing either faith (asking the new student to eat with her) or dead faith (ignoring the new student.)

5. Bill is playing a soccer game. His team is tied with their opponents. The official makes a call against Bill's team. God says that we are not to be angry and bitter. What will Bill do? You are to choose to act out the situation showing either faith (being patient and calm) or dead faith (getting angry and acting mean toward the official.)

6. Isabel has a friend who said mean things about her to others. God says to forgive others. What will she do? You are to choose to act out the situation showing either faith (forgiving the friend and being kind to her) or dead faith (getting in a fight with her or planning something against her in revenge.)

7. Juan would like a new game for his video station. He saw a game for sale at the video store. God says that we are not to steal from others. What will he do? You are to choose to act out the situation showing either faith (earning money and saving it for a new game) or dead faith (stealing the video game from the store.)

8. Shawn’s brother plays baseball very well. In fact he is the star player of the team. God says that we are not to be jealous of others. How will Shawn act toward his brother? You are to choose to act out the situation showing either faith (cheering his brother) or dead faith (trying to damage his brother’s ball glove so he cannot play).

Group Learning Activity: Backpack Relay (Grades 3-5) Preparation: Two backpacks; loose fitting clothes and accessories (hats or gloves or socks); masking or duct tape Say: “In this lesson God called Abram to trust Him by moving to a new land. God promised that if Abram would obey that He would give him a new country called Canaan land. God would bless him with many descendants and that his name would be famous. God would cause the entire world to be blessed

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because of him because in Abraham’s family would be born the Messiah or Promised One who would bring salvation to all. God then promised Abram he would bless those who blessed his descendants and curse those who cursed his descendents. Abram had to have faith to obey God. It would be a big challenge to move all his herds of animals, servants, and wife to the new land. Moving to a new place is a big job. We are going to play a game about seeing how fast we could pack and unpack a backpack in moving! This will help us to remember how Abram obeyed God by moving to a new land.” Procedure: Divide the class into two teams. Place strips of masking or duct tape at the starting points for each team’s relay line. Place the backpacks at the ending point of the relay. Instruct the students at your signal to send one person from each team to the backpacks. Say:”When you reach the backpacks, put on all of the contents that you find inside the backpack. Then take the clothes and accessories off, place them in the backpack, and run back to your team. We will continue playing until one team wins by having everyone complete the relay.

Group Learning Activity: Suitcase of Promises (Grades 3-5) Preparation: Assemble the following materials: file folders, markers, colorful tape, stickers, heavyweight paper, scissors, envelopes, stick glue, stapler, whiteboard, dry erase marker. Cut the file folders to make all of the edges even. Write the following “Promise Verses” on the whiteboard: 2 Peter 1:4; Jeremiah 29:11; Matthew 11:28-29; Isaiah 40:29-31; Philippians 4:19; Romans 10:9; Romans 6:23. Procedure: Say: “Our lesson was about Abram obeying God by leaving his home and moving to a land God showed Him. Because of Abram’s faith and obedience, God kept His promise to bless Abram and his descendants. There are many Bible verses that contain promises from God. A few of those are listed on the board. We are going to make a suitcase that contains promises from God to encourage us!” Instruct the students to use their Bibles to write at least four of the Promise Verses on the index cards with markers. Then guide them to glue an envelope inside the folder (turning the folder and envelope horizontal) and put the promises inside the envelope. Then encourage students to creatively decorate the outside of their suitcase with the colorful tape and stickers. Finally have them cut handles out of the heavyweight paper and staple them to each side of the top of the folder (suitcase). Say: “Keep your suitcase of Promises in a handy spot such as by your bed or in your locker at school. Read through these promises when you are discouraged, doubting, or scared. Add more verses as you discover them in your Bible reading.”

2 Peter 1:4 Promises to help us escape the corruption of the world.

Jeremiah 29:11 Promises have a plan for our lives that is for our good, to prosper us, to give us a hope and a future.

Matthew 11:28-29 Promises to give rest when we are weary and burdened; He will treat us with gentleness and humbly

Isaiah 40:29-31 Promises to give strength to the weary; He will renew strength so we can run and not grow weary and walk and not be faint

Philippians 4:19 Promises to meet our needs

Romans 10:9 Promises to save us if we believe in him as our Savior

Romans 6:23 Promises to give us the free gift of God which is eternal life if we believe in Him.

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Group Learning Activity: Map It (Grades 3-5) Preparation: Materials needed are copies of the map of Abram’s Journey below (one for each child), Bible dictionaries, whiteboard, dry erase marker, pens, or pencils. Write the names of the cities from Abram’s Journey on the whiteboard. These are Ur, Shechem, Bethel. Gather Bible dictionaries for students to use as a reference. Procedure: Have students look up the places listed on the board that made up Abram’s Journey. Instruct them to label their maps with the cities. Then students are to write a description of the city around the edges or on the back of the map. Have students share their maps and what they learned about these places. Say: “Maps can be very helpful to understanding the places where Abram traveled. It is easy to ignore these city names when reading the Bible stories but learning about them helps us understand God’s Word even better.”

Ur: A city of ancient Sumer in southern Mesopotamia on a site in present-day southeast Iraq. One of the oldest cities in Mesopotamia, it was an important center of Sumerian culture after c. 3000 bc and is mentioned in the Bible as the birthplace of Abraham. The city declined after the sixth century bc. Shechem: Shechem first appears in the Hebrew Bible in Genesis 12:6-8, which records how Abraham reached the "great tree of Moreh" at Shechem and offered sacrifice nearby. Genesis, Deuteronomy, Joshua and Judges hallow Shechem over all other cities of the land of Israel.[6] At Shechem, Abram "built an altar to the Lord who had appeared to him ... and had given that land to his descendants" (Gen 12:6-7). The old city of Shechem dates back to about an estimated four thousand years. Shechem is mentioned in the third-millennium Ebla tablets found at Tell Mardikh in the context of a city of which Rasap (Resheph) is the patron deity. Shechem was a commercial center due to its position in the middle of vital trade routes through the region. It traded in local grapes, olives, wheat, livestock and pottery between the middle Bronze Age and the late Hellenic Period (1900-100 BC). Bethel: meaning "House of El" or "House of God" Bethel is mentioned several times in Genesis. It is first mentioned in Genesis 12 and 13,[4] as a place near where Abram stayed and built an altar on his way to Egypt and on his return. It is said to be close to Hai (Ai) and just to the west of it. More famously it is mentioned again in Genesis 28,[5] when Jacob, fleeing from the wrath of his brother Esau, falls asleep on a stone and dreams of a ladder stretching between Heaven and Earth and thronged with angels;

Craft Learning Activity: Sand Painting (Grades K-5) Say: "When God called Abram to go to the Promised Land he and his family and servants had to cross a great distance of desert. Although the desert is very hot and dry, its colors can be very beautiful in the sunlight. Today we are going to make sand painting to help us think about Abram's journey across the desert to the Promised Land." Materials: Paint (acrylics work well but you can use any type of paint except oils and water); Sand, Paper (try to use a heavier paper since this paint has some weight to it); Dish Soap; Container(s) for paint (old muffin tin pans work well) ; Paint Brushes (one for each color) Procedure: Decide on the colors of paint that you would like to use and pour a little paint into separate containers or the small containers of the muffin tin. Make sure that you only fill between a quarter of the way to half way full since the sand will increase the volume quickly. Pour a few drops of dish soap into each

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container of paint. (This make it a bit easier to clean off of things and it will cause the paint to adhere better to the surface.) Once you have the paint in the containers add about 2 teaspoons of sand to every 3-4 tablespoons of paint to each of the containers. Repeat with all the colors of paint. Stir the sand into the paint until it is well blended. You will want to have a paint that has texture to it but is still wet and easily applied to the paper so add more sand if necessary. Repeat with all the colors of paint using a different paint brush with each paint color. Students are now ready to paint. Let students paint whatever they would like but encourage them to really play with the paint. The paint will have a bumpy texture and will clump at some parts but don't try to remove the clumps. This is the whole reason behind the sand painting. Allow the art piece to dry completely on a flat surface before you hang it up. This is important since the paint is heavier than others and it can ruin the picture if you hang it before it is completely dry.

Craft Learning Activity: Grocery Bag Backpack (Grades K-3) Purpose: Students will make a backpack from a grocery bag to help them remember how Abram listened to god and was given many blessings when he obeyed God by moving to the Promised Land. Procedure: Each child will need a brown paper grocery bag, 1 inch wide ribbon (any color), old paper maps, construction paper (any color), glue and scissors. Fold the top of the paper bag over about 3.4". Cover both sides of the paper bag with construction paper up to the fold. Make four slits in the back of the bag for the ribbon straps: two will be 5" from the top and two will be 3" from the bottom. Cut two strands of ribbon about 3-4 feet long. String the ribbon through the back to make straps. Tie the straps inside of the bag so they can be adjusted. Cut out shapes using the maps and glue them onto the back pack or just draw maps on the back pack. Let students wear their finished backpack home after class.

Craft Learning Activity: Finger Puppets (Grades K-3) Purpose: Students will make simple paper finger puppets to retell the story of God Calling Abraham. Materials: Paper; Scissors, Tape, Crayons, markers or colored pencils if you wish to color the puppets; Puppet patterns if desired are below. Procedure: List the Bible characters in this lesson. (Abram, Sarai, Lot, Terah, Pharaoh, servants, etc.) It is best to keep the list of characters small. Draw faces or simple characters on small pieces of paper and cut out leaving space to the right and left of the character. Roll the paper like a small tube around your finger and attach it to the back of your finger with tape to make a finger puppet. Move the characters around as you retell the story so that the characters are acting out the story like a play. Optional: Attach the puppet to the back of a plastic spoon or craft stick or pencil instead of making a finger puppet. Make the characters as elaborate as you want. You can add scenery like sand to walk on, or a tree (Shechem).

Life Application Challenge: Foot Prints Preparation: Print the following template of footprints below--one for each student. Say:" I am giving each of you a set of footprints. On the footprints you are to write different ways that you can obey God this week." Have students color the foot prints with colored markers and cut out the footprints. These footprints can be displayed on the bulletin board or taken home as reminder of the lesson.

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God Calls Abraham

Genesis 12:1-2 The Lord said to Abram: Go out from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house

to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.

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God's Promise To Abraham Genesis 22:15-19 NIV

Because Abraham demonstrated complete

trust in God the LORD restated his promise

to Abraham. Complete the math problems to

decode what God said to Abraham in Genesis

22:17,18.

A = 1, B = 2, C = 3, D = 4, E = 5, F = 6, G = 7, H = 8, I = 9, J = 10, K = 11, L = 12, M = 13, N = 14, O = 15, P = 16, Q = 17, R = 18, S = 19, T = 20, U = 21, V = 22, W = 23,X = 24. Y = 25, Z = 26

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Finger Puppets

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"Tim says that he has faith in God. God says to help people. Tim's neighbor is sick and cannot collect the mail You are to choose to act out the situation showing either faith (collecting the mail) or dead faith (doing nothing for the neighbor.)

"Susie learned that God wants us to read His Word. Susie gets up early in the morning to get dressed for school. She thinks about what God has commanded. What will she do?" You are to choose to act out the situation showing either faith (reading the Bible) or dead faith (dressing and running out the door.)

"Jim has a test tomorrow in math. He has studied very hard on how to work the problems. God says to ask Him for help and strength to face difficult situations. What will Jim do?" You are to choose to act out the situation showing either faith (praying to God) or dead faith (going to bed without praying.)

"Sally has a new student in her class. No one has spoken to him since he arrived. It is almost time for lunch. God wants us to be kind to others. What will she do?" You are to choose to act out the situation showing either faith (asking the new student to eat with her) or dead faith (ignoring the new student.)

Bill is playing a soccer game. His team is tied with their opponents. The official makes a call against Bill's team. God says that we are not to be angry and bitter. What will Bill do? You are to choose to act out the situation showing either faith (being patient and calm) or dead faith (getting angry and acting mean toward the official.)

Isabel has a friend who said mean things about her to others. God says to forgive others. What will she do? You are to choose to act out the situation showing either faith (forgiving the friend and being kind to her) or dead faith (getting in a fight with her or planning something against her in revenge.)

Juan would like a new game for his video station. He saw a game for sale at the video store. God says that we are not to steal from others. What will he do? You are to choose to act out the situation showing either faith (earning money and saving it for a new game) or dead faith (stealing the video game from the store.)

Shawn’s brother plays baseball very well. In fact he is the star player of the team. God says that we are not to be jealous of others. How will Shawn act toward his brother? You are to choose to act out the situation showing either faith (cheering his brother) or dead faith (trying to damage his brother’s ball glove so he cannot play).

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Documents

Unit 2: Abraham OT2.1 God Calls Abraham Lesson€¦ · No doubt Abram asked the Lord to forgive him for not trusting God to take care of him. He had learned his lesson: when trouble