YEA Lesson Library
Trust Me!
About This Lesson
This lesson teaches that God promised Abraham and Sarah many descendants. They didn’t trust God and took matters into their own hands.
Scriptures
Genesis 15
Genesis 16
Psalm 4:3-5
Psalm 25:1-6
Psalm 37:3
Psalm 37:3-7,22-29
Psalm 143:8-10
Proverbs 3:5-6
Hebrews 6:18
Words to Know
DESCENDANTS - offsprings; a person's children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, etc.
INHERIT - to receive money or property as an heir
OATH - a promise to God
PROGRESSED - moved ahead or forward
The Lesson
Roger's parents were going out for dinner to celebrate their anniversary. They decided that eleven-year-old Roger and his thirteen-year-old sister were old enough to stay home alone. Mother left a list of emergency numbers, and the number where they could be reached. Dad had left strict instructions as to what Roger and Becky could and couldn't do while their parents were gone. Dad told them that he was placing them on their honor to obey him. Both Roger and Becky said, “You can trust us, Dad!"
Mom told the kids there was frozen pizza and homemade cookies for them to eat, but she asked them to clean up the kitchen when they were finished. Becky put the pizza in the oven. While they waited for it to cook, the kids began flipping through TV channels looking for something to watch. Roger wanted to watch the animal channel - Becky wanted to watch a beauty pageant. When they couldn't agree on a program they went searching again.They turned to a movie channel and saw something that caught both their attention. It had a car chase and gun battle, but there was a love story woven into it.
Whoops, they almost forgot the pizza! When Becky opened the oven she saw that she had almost burned their dinner. It was also a little smokey in the kitchen. Roger and Becky grabbed paper plates, pizza, chips and cookies and hurried to the den, dropping chips and cookie crumbs on the way.
As the movie progressed, both Roger and Becky realized that this was not the kind of movie they should be watching. There was far too much violence and bloodshed. And, there was quite a lot of bad language and sexual scenes. But, the kids were hooked - they wanted to see how it ended.
Mom and Dad came home just about the time the movie was over. Mom checked the kitchen to see what was burning. Dad followed the trail of chips and crumbs to the den. There was a look of disappointment on his face when he saw what the kids were watching. "I thought you said that we could trust you," said Mom. "But, it seems that you ignored everything we asked you to do. You have shown us that you cannot be trusted!”
A person who can be trusted is someone who is reliable - you can count on him. He is responsible - he will do what is right. He is honest - doing exactly what he says he will do. Can you think of someone who fits that description?
Abraham was called a "friend of God." God told Abraham to leave his home town and his family. He promised to lead Abraham to a land that he would inherit. Now, Abraham had never seen this land, yet he was willing to go out into the unknown. Why? Because Abraham trusted God.
Abraham and his wife, Sarah, were getting very old, well passed the age of having babies. Yet another part of God's promise was that Abraham would have many descendants. One time God told Abraham that there would be more than the grains of sand on the shore. Another time He had Abraham look up in the sky. "Count the stars, if you can. . . . That is how many children you will have" (Genesis 15:5 NIrV). How could this be possible? Could Abraham trust God to keep His promise?
The name "Abraham" means the father of many. Can you imagine how he must have felt when people asked him, "How many children do you have, Abraham?" None, zero, zip, nada! So, one day Sarah decided they should help God out. She told Abraham to take her maid as a wife. Sarah hoped the maid would give Abraham a son. Since Sarah was his wife, she could raise this boy as Abraham's heir. But that was not what God had in mind. And, because Abraham and Sarah took matters in their own hands, there was big trouble! Sarah became jealous.
Let's think back now - can God be trusted? Does He do what He says He will do? Yes! The Bible says, "God also bound himself with an oath, so that those he promised to help would be perfectly sure and never need to wonder whether he might change his plans. He has given us both his promise and his oath, two things we can completely count on, for it is impossible for God to tell a lie" (Hebrews 6:18 TLB).
God doesn't need our help to accomplish His goals. After all, He created us and everything around us. And since He created Abraham and Sarah, He was well able to give them a son, even though they were getting old. All God needed was for Abraham and Sarah to obey Him and be patient!
We need to remember that God can be trusted. When He doesn't seem to be answering our prayers, it may just not be the right timing. God said in Isaiah 55:8, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways ..." He knows what is best for us. What He wants from us is obedience and trust!
Student Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
You are a Father who can be trusted. You always keep your promises. You know what is best for me and have given your Word as a guide for my life. Help me to obey your commands and to wait patiently for your answers to my prayers.
In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen
Daily Devotions
Sunday - Psalm 37:3-5
Monday - Proverbs 3:5-6
Tuesday - Psalm 37:26-29
Wednesday - Psalm 4:3-5
Thursday - Psalm 25: 1-6
Friday- Psalm 143:8-10
Saturday - Genesis 15:5-6
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, the students will be able to:
1. Name three characteristics of a trustworthy person.
2. Tell what the name "Abraham" means.
3. State that God can be trusted because He cannot lie.
4. Explain why sometimes it doesn't seem like God answers our prayers.
Topics & Themes
Abraham
Creator
Friend
God’s Promises
Obedience
Trustworthy
Trusting God
Materials Needed
Bible, YEA students' and teacher's book, attendance and memory verse chart, stars, songbook, cassette/CD player and music tape or CD, pennies
Preparation
Juniors have finally reached the age when they are beginning to understand symbolism. Object lessons make sense. They "may no longer display eye-popping amazement and enthusiasm, but the questions they ask indicate that they are thinking about spiritual matters." They "have the skills to learn through self- discovery" (Teaching on Target, Dr. Robert and Jane Choun).
Have enough pennies to give one to each child in class.
How to Teach This Lesson
Object Lesson - Give each child in class a penny. Ask them to carefully look at the penny. One at a time, have the students draw the penny on a sheet of newsprint (each student drawing one thing: circle, Lincoln's head, date, "LIBERTY", "IN GOD WE TRUST" - (back side); Lincoln Memorial building, "ONE CENT", "E-PLURIBUS UNUM", "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA").
Ask: Why do you think we have "In God we trust" printed on all of our money? (Allow them time to offer their ideas.) Explain that we cannot always trust our money to solve our problems, but we can trust God!
God is Reliable - Abraham and Sarah had been obedient to God. They left their home and family not knowing where they were headed. This surely was not an easy thing to do, but they trusted God. And He guided them every step of the way. There was not a day of their journey that God was not there. He could be counted on.
Now Abraham and Sarah's trust was facing another test. God showedAbraham al the land around him and promised to give it to Abraham and his descendants. The problem was that Abraham didn't have any! He didn't have even one child. Yet, God changed Abram's name to Abraham, which means "father of many." How could this be? Ask: Why did it seem impossible for Abraham and Sarah to have many children? They were both getting very old.
God is Responsible - God had promised Abraham a son, but years and year passed. Nothing happened. They were both getting old. So, she and Abraham decided to help God out. Sarah gave Abraham one of her servants for a wife. Sarah's hope was that the servant would have a child and Sarah and Abraham could raise it. Ask: Do you think God needed anyone's help to do what He promised? God is responsible - He will always do what is right. He had promised to give a son to Sarah and Abraham, not to the servant. Sarah and Abraham got impatient instead of waiting for God's timing. And, because of their impatience, there has been trouble even to this day, between the servant's son's descendants and Sarah's son's descendants.
God is Honest - God made two promises to Abraham: I) To give him a land, 2) To bless him with many descendants (Genesis 15:5). Whenever God makes a promise, you can count on Him to do what He says. God does not lie (Hebrews 6:18)!
We cannot see into the future, but God can. He knows exactly what is best for us. And, He knows exactly when we need it! When it seems like God is not answering our prayers, it's usually because His thoughts are far above our thoughts and ways (Isaiah 55:8). God knew where the land was and led Abraham to it. He knew the right time to give Abraham a son. And in His time God did keep His promise. He could be trusted!
God wants you and me to trust Him, too. We can trust Him to take care of us and supply what we need. We can trust Him to keep the promises He has made in His Word. We can trust Him to save us from the penalty for our sins (Romans 6:23). And we can trust Him to give us a place in His Kingdom (John 14:1-3).
Review Questions
1. If we say a person is reliable, what do we know about that person? If a person is responsible? If a person is honest?
2. What does the name "Abraham" mean?
3. How do we know that God will do everything He says He will do?
4 Why does it sometimes seem like God is not answering our prayers?
5. Name some things that you can trust God for.
Teacher-Directed Activity
Give each child a sheet of construction pa- per. Have them fold and cut it into thirds.
Ask them to design and decorate three different "coupons" to be given to parents, friends, teacher, etc. The "coupons" should state: You Can Trust Me To: (make my bed each morning, do my homework on time, share with you, not talk out of turn in class, feed the dog (cat), etc.) Allow the children to choose from the suggestions, or make their own promises. When the "coupons" are given away, the students should remember their promise and make every effort to keep it!
REACH Activity
Back to the Bible: Miraculous Births
Isaac’s miraculous birth was not the only one we find in the Bible. Can you think of any others? Check out these verses: Genesis 25:21; Genesis 29:31; Judges 13:2; 1 Samuel 1:1-20; Luke 1:5-25; Luke Luke 1:26-38. Write down the miraculous births. Share with family.
Journal Jot: Trusting
When someone tells you that they will do something, how long do you wait for them to fulfill their promise? Would you wait all day? All week? All month? A year? What if you had to wait 25 years for someone to do what they said they would do? Would you still trust them?
Aren’t you grateful that God put the story of His promise to Abraham and Sarah, that they would have a son, in the Bible?! It’s a great reminder that God’s timing is different than ours. His timing is always best. Our job is to remain faithful and trust Him.
What do you trust God for? How has God been faithful in your life? What has He already done for you? Write about this topic in your Bible notebook.
Word Study: bâtach
The word trust in Psalm 37:3 is the Hebrew word bâtach. “The basic idea is associated with firmness or solidity. The word expresses the sense of well-being which results from knowing that the ‘rug won’t be pulled out from under you’. . . This type of hope is a confident expectation, not a constant anxiety. We can truly relax when we know Who is in control.” (Quote from Zodhiates’ NAS Key Word Study Bible)
Do you trust God? Are you confident that He won’t pull the rug out from under you? Think about the trustworthiness of God. Then thank Him!
Just Toolin’ Around: Being Trustworthy
What kind of value does God put on being trustworthy? How important is it to Him that you do what you say you will? Use your concordance to look up trustworthiness, integrity, faithfulness. You can also look up these verses: Luke 16:10; Proverbs 28:6; Zechariah 8:16; Psalm 111:7; Proverbs 12:22; and Psalm 15:4. How important to God is it for you to be honest and trustworthy and reliable? Write about this in your Bible notebook. Try to include some of the verses you found (or the verses above) in your commentary.
Did you Know? Ancient Customs
According to the NIV Archaeological Study Bible, “The privilege of childbearing was appropriately viewed to be in God’s hands. Conversely, the inability to bear children was seen as his punishment. Ancient people often considered a barren woman accursed, and in some cases her condition served as grounds for divorce. Marriage contracts of the time were based on the Code of Hammurabi (an ancient Babylonian law code) and stipulated that an infertile wife should provide her husband with a surrogate child-bearer.”
Based on this quote, do you have a better understanding of why Sarah would have given Hagar to Abraham? It was part of the law of the land.
Stretch It Out: A Sign
Sometimes we need reminders of our promises. God put a sign in the sky to remind us that He promised He would not destroy the earth again completely with a flood. The wedding rings that your parents wear are a sign that they have entered into a covenant with God to be faithful to each other for the rest of their lives. Spend some time thinking about something you can make (a bookmark, a candle, a wreath, a picture, a paperweight, or a sign) to remind you of the importance of 1) trusting God always and 2) of being trustworthy. Put your creation somewhere you can see it often.
Music Notes: Only Trust Him
This hymn is on page 103 of the CEM Hymnal.
John Stockton, a Methodist pastor, wrote both the words and the music for this hymn. Its simple message was a powerful addition to the Moody evangelistic campaigns in the 1870s. People coming to the revival meetings wanted copies of the songs, so Moody published a small hymnal called Sacred Songs and Solos in 1873. It sold 80 million copies over the next 50 years, changing the sound of sacred music in England and the United States. (Source: Near to the Heart of God, Robert Morgan, 2010)
Read the words to this hymn. Then, in your Bible notebook, write down at least three promises that are cited in the text.
Questions?
Write down any questions you have in your Bible notebook so that you can remember to ask your parents or your pastor.
Song
"He's Got The Whole World In His Hands" is on page 54 of Kids Classics Collection.
Closing Prayer
Ask one of the children to lead in prayer, thanking God for His promises, and for keeping His promises.
Printable Pages
