YEA Lesson Library

Objectives

At the end of this lesson, the children will be able to:

I. State that we pass the Test of Love by obeying even when we don’t understand why.

2. Tell what God told Abraham to do with Isaac.

3. Tell what God sent to replace Isaac as a sacrifice for Abraham and Who God sent as our substitute offering.

Topics & Themes

Abraham
God’s Provision
Isaac
Loving God
Obedience
Sacrifice and Offerings to God
Trusting God

Materials Needed

Bible, YEA students' and teacher's books, attendance and memory verse chart, stars, songbook, music player and music tapes or CD, chalk board and chalk or newsprint pad and marker pen, pan of sand. needlepoint or embroidery piece, construction paper, crayons, glue, scissors, Cheerios, paper plates

Preparation

Stepping out and trusting God in everything is not easy. We need to remember that God sees our lives from the view of eternity. His promises can be trusted even when we don't understand them.

This lesson on trusting God even when we don't understand His ways may open up al kinds of questions from the children. Be prepared to help them with their reasoning processes. How you handle their questions will aid them in understanding the mysteries of God. Before you come to class, enlarge the patterns, found on the pattern page, for today's activity and copy on white construction paper.

How to Teach This Lesson

Begin this lesson by saying, "Who can I trust." Let the children offer their suggestions and write or draw a picture on the board. Help stimulate their thinking by starting with: Mom, Dad, policeman, etc. When you have a number of names or pictures on the board, ask the children to think about why they trust these people.

All of these people can be trusted most of the time, but sometimes they make mistakes. But there is Someone who can always be trusted - God! He always keeps His promises; He never forgets. He never makes a mistake. He always knows and does what is best for us.

God made a special promise to Abraham, and He kept that promise. Ask: What did God promise to give to Abraham? Isaac was the long-awaited son. God also promised to make a great nation from Abraham's descendants.There would be more people than there was sand on the seashore or stars in the sky. Place a small pan of sand on a sheet of plastic. Ask the children to try to count the grains of sand in the pan. They will find it nearly impossible. If they can't count the sand in the pan, imagine how hard it would be to try to count al the sand on a beach!

Abraham finally had a son. God's command to offer Isaac as a sacrifice must have come as quite a shock. He may have wondered how God's promise would come true if Isaac was sacrificed. Hebrews 11:19 states that Abraham knew God was even able to raise Isaac up from the dead, if necessary. So, Abraham proved his love by following God's instructions.

Isaac, proved that he trusted his father, Abraham, and his Heavenly Father by obeying them. He went with Abraham to the mountain. He believed that God would provide, even while he was being bound and placed on the altar.

Abraham and Isaac passed the Test of Love. They proved that they loved God by obeying Him even when they didn't understand God’s reason. They obeyed, even when obeying was difficult. Abraham was willing to give up his own son to please God. Isaac trusted his earthly father and his Heavenly Father. He would do what they said even when he didn’t understand.

When God saw that Abraham and Isaac loved and trusted Him, He stopped Abraham from killing Isaac. God sent another offering. There was a ram, a boy goat, caught in the bushes. This goat would be used as the sacrifice. God has sent another sacrifice to be offered for our sins - His Son, Jesus (Isaiah 53:7, John I:29).

There are times when we don't understand why things happen to us. Maybe a parent gets sick or even dies. Knowing that our great God sees the whole picture will help us trust Him. Use a needlepoint or embroidery piece to illustrate this point. When you look at the back, you see strings, the pattern is not very clear or pretty- things look confused. That is the way we see our life- we are looking at the back side. But, God sees it from above. He sees the whole picture!

God wants what is best for us. Obeying God will prove your love for Him. Will you pass the Test of Love?

Review Questions

Divide the class into two teams. Tell the children that you will read the following questions. If they know the answer, they should jump to their feet (not shouting out the answer) and wait for you to call on the first one who jumped up to answer the question. If their answer is correct, give that team a point. If they answer incorrectly, give the other team a chance to answer. Give the children on the winning team a sticker or other small prize.

1. What was God's promised gift to Abraham?

2. What did God ask Abraham to do with Isaac?

3. How did Abraham show God that he trusted Him?

4. What stopped Abraham from killing his son, Isaac?

5. What did God send for Abraham to offer on the altar?

Teacher-Directed Activity

Give each child a paper plate, 1⁄2 cup of Cheerios and a sheet with the pattern pieces on it (patterns for this activity can be found on the pattern page). Have them color Abraham, Isaac, and the goat. Next cut out the figures, folding the tab on Abraham and Isaac along the dotted line. Glue a small circle of Cheerios in the center of your paper plate adding rows to build an altar about 2 inches tall. Glue Abraham on the plate beside the altar. Have the children retell the story, first placing Isaac on the altar, then the goat.

Pattern Page

NEED!!!

REACH Activity

1. Have children write a song to the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” or “Jesus Loves Me” that includes the information from paragraph two of the YEA lesson in the verses.

2. Kids can paint a half picture of Abraham and Isaac taking care of sheep and/or hunting together. On the other half they should paint themselves and their father doing something together. Put the date in the bottom right corner, frame it, and hang.

3. Tell kids to design and create a thank you card for someone who has taught them about God’s love. If they can, they should give it to that person or send it in the mail.

4. Fill several jars: jar #1- something easy to count; jar #2 - something a little harder to count; jar #3 - something harder; jar #4 - sand. Use these to show how God blessed Isaac with so many children and grandchildren that he wouldn’t ever be able to count them. No one would! It would be like trying to count the grains of sand in jar #4.

5. Ask: What does it mean to trust and obey your parents? Why is it important that you learn to trust them and to obey always?

6. Find the words to the song “Trust and Obey.” Who wrote the song, and why? Help children to learn the song, then let them sing it and explain what it means to a friend or relative.

7. Write an acrostic poem for T-R-U-S-T on trusting God to keep His promises.

Note: Acrostic poem: Each letter of a word begins a line of the poem; i.e., in a “P-R-O-M-I-S-E” acrostic poem, “P” starts the first line, “R” starts the second line, “O” the third, etc.

8. When children learn what Abraham and Isaac did on the day they went to the mountain, have them write the events on index cards—only on one side. They should then turn them over, and practice putting them in order. When they know the sequence, let them challenge someone else to sequence the story.

9. Say: Now you know the story of Abraham and Isaac from the lesson. On a large piece of cardstock or poster board, let kids draw what happened. They should use pencil first, then markers or colored pencils. Tell them they will be creating a puzzle so they should fill in all of the paper space. When they are finished, decide on how many pieces, how/where to cut, the shape of the cut-outs, and then cut. Let them share the puzzle with friends and family. Store in a plastic bag and write the story name on the outside of the bag to remember what is in the bag.

10. Role play: Abraham taking Isaac to sacrifice.

11. Trust Pull: Have the kids hold hands with someone. Each should put their feet together and lean back. Ask: How far can you lean back? What would happen if one let go? People will let you down. God never will.

12. Lap Sit: Get a group of kids together in a circle and explain the following: Everyone turn right. Put your left foot inside the circle, the right one out. Take a step in with your left. Keep moving in until you are very close together. Put your hands on the shoulders of the person in front of you; sit on the lap behind you. Explain that when we depend on each other, together we can do great things. But you can’t do it if you don’t trust.

13. Kids can list seven things they trust God for. (Writing them down will help them remember to trust God—especially when they start to worry and try to work it out themselves.)

14. Give kids the following instructions to make a trust book: Fold an 81/2 x 11 paper three times. Cut the edges to make the book. Fold in half and staple the center fold. Draw and write things God has done for you to remind you to trust Him. 


Other Ideas:
The biography cards can be used in so many ways. They can eventually be kept in a file of Who’s Who in the Bible. Store in a plastic card file box. The cards can be separated by men and women of the Bible; people of the Old and New Testament; prophets; kings, etc. Cards can be used to record information on Bible foods, animals, and places. Cards come in different sizes and colors!

The biography cards can also be used as “note cards” for a future book about that person. Books come in all shapes and sizes, and are a very creative way for a young person to express themselves. Be sure to make an author’s page.

Cartography (making and drawing maps) is very interesting and fun for young children. Paper towel rolls will help keep the storage issue under control for small paper maps. For the study of one specific area, a floor map would be fun. Use a shower curtain instead of paper. Fold and store in a plastic zipper bag.

Dramatic play is an area children usually love. Save old shirts and belts, hats and scarves, and let them play dress up. Acting out a story makes it easier to remember as well as making a lesson more relevant to them.

Song

"He's Got The Whole World In His Hands" is on page 54 of Kids Classics Collection. For verse 2, sing "He's got Abraham and Isaac in His hands."

Closing Prayer

Lead the children in a prayer asking God to help us to obey Him.