Forever
WELCOME TO WEEK 3
How long do you wait for your pizza to cook? Does it sometimes feel like it is taking forever? When your mom promises you a treat for making good grades, do you always get the reward right away? Does it seem to take forever? God promises are not always immediate, but He never forgets them. God will always keep His promises even if it seems like we are waiting a long time. This week we will see how Abram had faith and waited patiently for God to keep all his promises.
BIBLE STORY
What are some things you need to have now, and what are some things you can wait to have later. Listen to the list of things and decide if it is an immediate need or something that can wait for awhile
Going to college
Eating a meal
Playing with a friend
Going swimming
Reading God’s word
Going to the next grade level at school
Learning to play an instrument
Cleaning your room
Going on a dream vacation
Some things we have to wait for and some things we get right away. It is sometimes hard to patiently wait for a blessing we know we will receive. Abram was told by God that he would be blessed. Some of the blessing he received right away and some of the blessing didn’t come until later. God sent Abraham on a trip to an unknown place, but he obeyed and trusted God would keep His promises.Let’s read and listen to the promises God made with Abram and intended to keep right then and in the future.
Read or listen Abrams story in Genesis 12:1-3, 15:1-6
Where did God send Abram? (To the land God would show him)
What did Abram leave behind as he followed God? (His country, father and people)What promise did God make to Abram? (He would make him into a great nation and bless him)
What did Abram say he needed for God’s blessing? (Children of his own)
Who did God say would be Abrams heir? (His own son, of his own flesh)
How many offspring did God promise to Abram? (As many stars that were in the sky)
What was Abrams response to God’s promise? (He believed God)
BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY
Abram had faith that God would keep His covenant with him and God did. Even though Abram didn’t receive all of his blessings right then, he had faith that God would keep his promise throughout the generations that followed him. God gives us promises now that might not be fulfilled until much later, but we can have faith that God will always keep his promises, even when it feels like we are waiting a long time.
Activity
Play this version of “Slap Jack”. Print and cut the following cards distribute as evenly as possible among the players, to remain face down. Participants sit in a circle, one player flips their top card over in the center of the circle to reveal the picture on their card. Each player takes their turn flipping over their top card onto the deck. The object of the game is to slap the “Star” card. The first player to slap the card with a star on it, picks it up as well as all the cards underneath it and adds them to their own pile face down. The player with the most cards at the end of the game wins. It was hard to wait patiently for a star card to appear and then try and slap it first. Sometimes we have to wait for the things we want. Abram waited for the blessings God promised him, but God did not forget his promise. He not only blessed Abram but he also blessed his family in the future.
Materials: printed slap jack cards
Alternate
Complete this fill in the blank activity sheet describing the plans God has for you. God promised to bless Abram now and in the future and Abram had faith to believe God’s promises. God promises to bless us as well. That doesn’t mean nothing will ever go wrong, but that God has a plan for our future. We can learn to wait on Him, trust His plan, and have faith that He will keep His promises to us.
Materials: printed activity sheet, pencil
Independent activity:
Use various household and craft items to build constellation diagrams. Use various crafting items such as wiki sticks, craft sticks, toothpicks, mini marshmallows, cotton balls, star stickers, or pipe cleaners. Print the following sheet as a guide of some constellations we see in the night sky. If desired, glue your constellations onto a white sheet of paper. God created the stars in the sky and told Abram to look at the night sky to see if he could count the number of stars there. Of course there are too many stars in the sky to count, but God told Abram that’s how many descendants he would have. God planned to bless Abram’s family greatly. Although Abram would not see that many descendants in his lifetime, he had faith that God would keep his promise. Abram received some of God’s blessings right then and some he would receive later, but God kept His covenant.
Materials: various craft items:wiki sticks, craft sticks, toothpicks, mini marshmallows, cotton balls, star stickers, or pipe cleaners. printed sheet or device to view it
ARTS & CAFTS
CRAFT 1
Coloring page
Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons
Craft 2
Coloring page
Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons
FOLLOW-UP
Read or listen to Psalm 67
What a wonderful song about God’s blessings. God promised Abram that he would make him into a great nation and bless his family. God also told Abram that he would bless those who blessed him and curse those who cursed him. God intended to take care of Abram. Abram believed in God’s promises and from it came a nation of people who were God’s people. God continued to bless Abrams family and descendants. Through Abrams descendants others would see what a great God they served and want to serve Him as well. God’s blessing was not just for Abram but all who believe in Him and want to be a part of God’s family. God’s promise of blessing may have started with Abram, but his faith allowed God’s blessings to extend far beyond one person but to all who believe in Him.
How did Abrams faith extend God’s blessing to many people who came after him?
What are 3 ways Abram showed faith in God’s words?
How do we show our faith in what God calls us to do?
Would it be hard to leave your family and parents to move to an unknown place God called you to?
Do you think Abram had an easy journey to this unknown land?
Do you think you would ever want to give up and go back when things got hard?
How can we keep our doubts from making us change our minds about the path God sends us on?
Practical Application at Home
God’s blessings to Abraham did not stop with him but was passed down through generations. The people of Israel were in Abrahams family and God’s chosen people. We see in the bible that God did not just choose to bless the people of Israel, but anyone who believed in the God of Abraham was accepted into God’s family. There are several stories in the Bible of people who became part of the people of Israel not by birth but by choice. We are a part of God’s people because our belief and acceptance of Jesus Christ. We are also heirs in God’s family, accepted and redeemed.
Ruth, Rahab and Naaman are a few examples of people who came to faith in God because they witnessed the blessings of Israel. What can you do to share God’s blessings with other people? Make a list of your blessings from God. When you are tempted to complain or grumble this week, read and say your blessing instead of your grumble.
See if you can change these complaints into statements of blessing:
I can’t play outside because of the rain….We are blessed to receive rain for our garden
My friend can’t come over to play today…I am blessed to have a great family to play with
We can’t go to the store and buy a new toy…
My favorite outfit is still in the dirty clothes hamper…
Summer is almost over…
I didn’t get to go on vacation this year…
My mom didn’t buy my favorite cereal this week…
My shoes are not the latest style…
I don’t have my own cell phone…
Additional Resources
Outings to Reinforce Lesson
Donate to a local food shelter or toy drive this Christmas season. As a family, volunteer together or pick out toys you think another child your age might enjoy.