YEA Lesson Library
Get Ready to Move!
About This Lesson
Using Abraham’s obedience and trust in God, this lesson teaches the student to be ready to obey God even when he doesn’t understand why. If God’s word says it, do it.
Scriptures
Genesis 12:1-20
Genesis 13:1-18
Psalm 37:4
Proverbs 3:5-6
Luke 1:72-74
Acts 3:25-26
Acts 7:2-3
Galatians 3:6-8
Hebrews 11:8
Words to Know
DELIGHT - to get pleasure from
DESIRES- things you want very much
IDOLS - statues carved to look like a god for worship
HERDSMEN - men who take care of a herd of cattle
The Lesson
How would you feel if one day your daddy said you were going to move? "Where?" you ask him. But Daddy said he's not sure. God will show him later.
You start packing. You pack all your toys. Mom packs the dishes and blankets and towels. Daddy packs the furniture and heavy things.Then Mom asks, "Where are we going?" But again daddy says he doesn't know for sure.
You load the moving truck and get in the car. Again you ask, "Do you know where we are moving, Daddy?" This time Daddy says he will drive until God tells him where to stop. Wouldn't that be a strange way to move? I'm sure Abram thought it was strange, too. But, he trusted God and obeyed Him.
Abram was a good man. He lived in the land of Ur. People in Ur worshiped idols. But, Abram worshiped the true God.
Abram was a rich man. He had lots of cows and sheep. He had gold and silver. And, Abram lived in a nice house. He had lots of people working for him.
One day God spoke to Abram and said, "I want you to leave this country. Leave your family and your house. I will bless you in a special way. I will make a great nation out of you. There is a new land I want to give you. Get Ready to Move!”
Abram and his wife packed up everything they had. They didn't have a moving truck. They loaded everything onto camels and donkeys. They had to leave a lot of nice things behind. But they loved God more than things. So, they did what God told them.
Abram left his own country with his wife, Sarai. He also took his nephew, Lot. He took all his servants and his animals. They went where God told them to go. They came to the land of Canaan. God said,"I will give this land to your children. Abram was thankful for God's promise. So, he built an altar and worshiped God.
Next, Abram went to a mountain near the town of Bethel. He didn't move into a house in Bethel. Abram and Lot set up tents out under the trees. This is where they lived for a while. Abram built another altar and prayed.
Abram and Lot had many cows and sheep. The land was getting crowded. The shepherds and herdsmen started fighting over the land. So, Abram took Lot up on a mountain. He said, "Look at all this land. There is plenty of room for all of us. Let's not fight about it."
Abram let Lot choose his place first. Lot chose a very nice place. There was plenty of water and grass for his animals. Abram left lots of space between them. They could live in peace.
After Lot moved away, God talked to Abram again. This time He made Abram another promise. He gave Abram all the land that was before him. God said He would give Abram many, many children. Now, Abram didn't have even one child yet. But he believed God. He even built another altar to thank God.
Abram gave up his nice home in Ur. He left all his family behind and lived in a tent. But, he obeyed God and God blessed him. God will bless you, too, if you love Him and obey Him. He will help you make good choices. He will show you how to live a good life.
God is making a place for you in His Kingdom. Follow God's Word like you are following a road map. When it tells you to do something, Get Ready to Move!
Student Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
I'm glad that Abram loved you and obeyed you. Thank you for your promise to bless him. And thank you for your promise to bless me.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Daily Devotions
Sunday - Genesis 12:1
Monday - Acts 7:2-3
Tuesday - Hebrews 11:8
Wednesday - Galatians 3:6-8
Thursday - Luke 1:72-74
Friday - Proverbs 3:5-6
Saturday - Acts 3:25-26
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, children will be able to:
1. Describe the kind of person Abram was.
2. Repeat God's instructions to Abram.
3. Tel what Abram built at each stop along his journey.
4. Recite God's promise to Abram.
Topics & Themes
Abraham
Children
God’s Leading/Guidance
God’s Promises
Lot
Obedience
Sarah
Trusting God
Worship God
Materials Needed
Bible, YEA Students' and Teacher's books, attendance and memory verse charts, stars or stickers, songbook, CD, music player, lunch-sized paper bags, old newspapers, tape, crayons, tag board, scissors, map
Preparation
Most children are anxious to please their parents, teachers, and other adults in their lives. They want to know how to make the right decisions. There is really only one way to do this, and today's lesson teaches it. It is a very practical lesson on following God's directions.
God has laid out a plan for our lives that will both make us happy and prosperous and will also guide us along the path that pleases Him. Share times when you have asked for God’s direction in your own life. Encourage the children to share times when they need God’s help. Assure them that God is as close as a prayer and that He wants to guide them. The important step in this formula is that they follow His directions.
Before class, cut 81⁄2" ×11" tag board sheets in half. In the center of each half, draw a 4" × 31⁄2" rectangle (for viewing pictures). One inch from either side of the rectangle cut a 4 1⁄4 " slit. Cut enough 2" squares of construction paper for each child to have one.
How to Teach This Lesson
Background - Abram had been living with his family in the thriving land of Ur. He was a wealthy man, possessing many cattle, sheep, and servants ,and much gold and silver. He had a comfortable life.Yet when God called him, he was willing to move hundreds of miles away to a land he had never seen. Ask: How do you think you would feel if you had to move away from your home, your relatives, and all your friends? Find the land of Ur on a Bible map. As we see the places God led Abram, place a star beside each on your map.
Abram's first move - Abram moved from Ur to Haran (locate Haran on the map). He lived there until Abram's father died. Then the Lord told Abram to pack up and Get Ready to Move, but He didn't tell Abram where he was going. In Hebrews11:8 we read, “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed: and he went out, not knowing whither he went." Abraham loved and trusted God, even though he didn’t know where he was going (Have children stand in a line, one behind the other, with their hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them. Have them close their eyes until you say to open them. Take the first person in line by the hand and begin leading him slowly around the room. Weave in and out around chairs or tables, finally ending up at the front of the room.) Ask: Was it easy to follow when you didn’t know where you were going? Would it have been easier if you could see? Why did you follow me? (Allow them to give their reasons.) Did you follow me because you trusted me to lead you safely?
God's promises to Abram - Abram moved from Haran to the land of Shechem, to a place called Bethel, choosing to live in tents rather than in town. (Find Shechem and Bethel on the map.) Each time God spoke to Abram, He made him a promise. Ask: Who knows what that promise was? To bless Abram by: 1) Making him a great nation - giving him more children and grandchildren than anyone could even count! 2) To give him much land. Ask: What did Abram do to show God he was thankful? (Give children paper lunch bags and old newspapers. Fill the bags with crumpled up papers, fold the top down, and tape it closed. Now have them "build" an altar, using the bags as stones.)
Abraham the peacemaker - As God began to bless Abram, his flocks and herds grew. Soon there was not enough grass for all of Abram’s and Lot's cattle and sheep to eat. Their herdsmen began to fight. Abram decided it was time to put a stop to it! He took Lot up to a mountain where he could see very far and let him choose a place to live. Lot chose the best looking piece of land and moved away so that there would be plenty of room for everyone.
Delight and Desires - Your memory verse uses two “D” words. “Delight yourself in the Lord . . .” That means you are happy to do things that please Him. Abram didn’t argue with God; he just obeyed - gladly! Ask: If your mom told you to pick up your toys, how could you show her you are delighted? The second "D" word is"desires." God said He would give us the"desires" of our heart. If we obey God and serve Him gladly, He will give us good things. We cannot use God as a "genie in a bottle" to get three wishes, but He will supply us with good things. He will give us wisdom to make wise choices.
Abram gladly gave up his home to live in a tent because he loved God and wanted to obey Him. In return, God gave Abram a new land and promised Abram many, many children and grandchildren.
Even though you give up some things, such as ball games on Friday night, celebrating Christmas or Halloween, God gives you many more good things. He has given you special feasts to celebrate, the Feast of Tabernacles to enjoy with your friends and family, and a home in His Kingdom! God wants you to enjoy all of these blessings. So, when He tells you to do something, obey Him and Get Ready to Move!
Review Questions
1. When God told Abram to leave his country and family, what kind of home did he leave?
2. Where was Abram going?
3. Who did Abram take with him?
4. What kind of home did Abram live in while he was following God?
5. What did Abram build when they stopped to camp for a while?
6. What happened between Abram's and Lot's herdsmen? Why?
7. What promise did God make to Abram?
8. What promise did God make to you in your memory verse?
Teacher-Directed Activity
Give each child a sheet of tag board (see Preparation), and a construction paper square. Have them color the activity sheet, drawing the tents in panel 3 and the many, many children in panel 6. Cut along the solid line and tape the strips together in sequence, numbering from right to left. Thread the strip through the slits in the tag board. Tape the construction paper square to the back of panel 1 to form a tab. As they pull the strip from left to right, the story of Abram can be seen. This can be used for review, or for telling at home.
REACH Activity
Special Materials Needed: Index cards, drawing paper
Activities
1. Make a list of things that delight or please you. Write a prayer thanking God for these blessings.
2. Write an acrostic poem for D-E-L-I-G-H-T. Write what you like best about God.
3. Write in your Bible notebook three things you know God wants you to do.
4. Moving away from a place that you like can be hard. A person who moves will miss friends, teachers, and familiar places. Ask: Have you ever had to move to a new house, city, or country? If not, would you like to move to some place new? Share your answers. Say: Remember that no matter where I am, God will be with me.
5. Write in your Bible notebook about a time you moved. How did it feel? What did you like about it? What did you dislike about it?
6. How is being a Christian like moving? What do you leave behind in this world?
7. Do a sword drill. Use the Daily Devotional Scriptures in the YEA book, Color My World. Read out the Scripture reference. Then start the timer. When the child has found the verse, stop the timer. Read the verse and talk about how it relates to the lesson. Challenge the child to see how quickly he/she can find each of the verses in the Bible. The sword drill works well as a competition game if you have more than one child.
8. Sing: “Wherever He Leads I’ll Go” on page 197 of the CEM Hymnal.
9. Sing: “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus” on page 23 of Kids Classics Collection.
10. Write the title from each YEA lesson on an index card. Mix them up. Put them in order.
11. Lesson matching: Write a sentence about each YEA lesson on ten index cards (one lesson per card). Then write the YEA lesson titles on ten more index cards. Match the cards or play concentration with a family member.
12. If you were moving, what five things would you be sure to pack? What five things would you leave behind? 13. Draw a 3D picture of Abram, Sarai, and Lot moving from Ur to Canaan. Think of a good title to write at the top or bottom of the picture.
14. Find Ur and Canaan on a Bible map. What is the distance between these two cities? How long do you think it would have taken Abram and his family to travel to Canaan by foot or by camel? How long would it take to travel today by car?
15. Sing: “If You’re Happy” on page 47 of Kids Classics Collection.
16. Sing: “Hallelu, Hallelu” on page 77 of Kids Classics Collection.
17. Find out what kind of materials are used to make tents. Would you like to live in a tent? Why or why not?
18. Ask: Can cattle and sheep share the same land? Find the answer by using an encyclopedia or an animal book. Make a Venn diagram that will show how they are different and how they are the same. Would you want to be a shepherd or a herdsman? Share your chart and your answer with family or friends.
Venn Diagram: A Venn diagram is two circles which intersect, or overlap, each other. The part that overlaps is used to show how two objects or persons are alike; the parts of the circles that don’t overlap are the places to write where the objects or people are different.
19. Abram taught us a lesson when he let his nephew Lot choose his place first. Letting someone else go first can sometimes be hard. Practice letting someone else go first in line or let them make a choice before you. Then share how you felt afterwards with family or friends. Was it hard or easy?
20. Memory verse practice: Use hand motions as you learn your verse: Delight—point to your mouth and smile; yourself—hug your body; Lord—hands open above your head; desires—hands open in front of you; heart—point to your heart.
Song
"Father Abraham"is on page 31 of the Kids Classics Collection.
Closing Prayer
Lead children in prayer, thanking God for Abram's example, and asking Him to teach them to "delight" in doing what He tells them to do.
Printable Pages
