Unit 3 Session 1 The Stolen Blessing

Transcription

1 Lessons // Videos // 2-Month Roster // Leader Contact Info // Leader FB Group // Old Lessons Unit 3 Session 1 The Stolen Blessing BIBLE PASSAGE: Genesis 25:27-34; 27:1-45 MAIN POINT: Jacob stole Esau s blessing. KEY PASSAGE: Genesis 26:24 BIG PICTURE QUESTION: What can stop God s plan? Nothing can stop God s perfect plan. PREPARING FOR THE LESSON 1) PRAY. 2) READ THE VERSES: Genesis 25:27-34; 27:1-45 NOTES: (in last week s story) A birthright was an honor given to the firstborn, bestowing head of household status and the right to inherit his father s estate. The son with the birthright would receive a double portion of whatever was passed down (see Deuteronomy 21:17). Yet, even before the twins were born, the Lord predicted that Esau would serve Jacob (Genesis 25:23). A blessing could be given regardless of birthright. However, a greater blessing was usually given to the one who held the birthright. Receiving a blessing from one s father was a high honor. An Old Testament blessing of a father to his sons included words of encouragement, details regarding each son s inheritance, and prophetic words concerning the future. Genesis 26:24 That night the Lord appeared to him and said, I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham. Share with kids that nothing can stop God s perfect plan. Before Jacob and Esau were even born, God planned to bless Jacob s family. God kept His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to make their descendants as numerous as the stars. From their family would come the promised One God s Son, Jesus.

2 3) WATCH THE VIDEO Bible story video: Discussion Starter video: 4) READ/FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THE OPENING ACTIVITY ACTIVITY: Obstacle Course LOWER PRIMARY NOTE: I will try and set up course before each class Set up multiple obstacles around the room. These obstacles may include things to jump over, crawl under, weave between, or walk across. Ask kids to line up so that they may walk through the obstacle course one at a time. Demonstrate how kids should maneuver through the course before allowing kids to participate. Help each child through the course, spotting her for safety. Discuss: What can stop God s plan? Nothing can stop God s perfect plan. No obstacle could stand in the way of God accomplishing what He planned to accomplish. God continued the promise that He made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Even when Jacob ran away, God s plan was still in action. One day, God would send Jesus through Jacob s family, which would be the best blessing the world would ever experience. ACTIVITY: Feel and see UPPER PRIMARY (Lower primary will do later) Collect several classroom or household objects (tissue box, unsharpened pencil, book, and so forth) and put them in a box or bag. 1. Choose a volunteer to come to the front of the room and stand, facing the group. 2. Hold up an object so the rest of the kids can see it, and then instruct the volunteer to place her hands behind her back. 3. Put the object in the volunteer s hands. Encourage her to feel the object s shape, size, weight, and texture. Can she guess what the object is? Choose a new volunteer and give him another object. ALTERNATIVE: put the object under a towel and have them put their hands under the towel to feel the object. If they don t get it, invite another volunteer to guess the same object. Discuss: In today s Bible story, someone who couldn t see well used his hands to try to identify another person. 5) READ/FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THE AFTER-STORY ACTIVITIES ACTIVITY: Key passage Divide the key passage into 3-6 sections. Write each section out and attach it to a bucket. Place the buckets out of order. Divide the class into teams. Using ping pong balls or crumpled paper balls, have each team try and toss the ping pong balls into the buckets in order of the key passage. They must hit each bucket in the correct order. Depending on your group you can have each child toss multiple times to get in all buckets in order, or make each child hit one bucket, then have the next in line toss to the next bucket in order of the verse. Discuss: There was a lot of trickery going on in today s story. But nothing can stop God s perfect plan! He will even use sin to His good purpose. ACTIVITY: Steal the blessing Form two teams. Guide teams to sit on the floor, forming a large circle. Players from team 1 will form half of the circle, and players from team 2 will form the other half. Number players on each team. For example, team 1 s players are numbered 1 to 8, and team 2 s players are numbered 1 to 8. If you have an odd number of players, assign one player two numbers so each player has an assigned opponent. Play Steal the Blessing :

3 1. Position two Bibles in the center of the circle. Designate one Bible per team. 2. Call out a number at random. The two players assigned to that number will race to the center of the circle, grab their team s assigned Bible, and race back to their seats. 3. Award a point to the first team whose player sits back down. Play several rounds. For a more challenging game, test kids with basic Bible skills. Call out Five! Book of Galatians! The first player assigned the number 5 to turn to the Book of Galatians in the Bible earns a point for her team. Or for younger payers, have them retrieve the bible and then do a set of actions (5 start jumps, 3 pushups, run around the circle, etc) if they aren t able to read confidently yet. Discuss: In our Bible story today, someone stole something. Who can tell me what happened? Yes, Jacob stole Esau s blessing. Nothing can stop God s perfect plan. Before Jacob and Esau were born, God planned to bless Jacob s family. God kept His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to make their descendants as numerous as the stars. From their family would come the promised One God s Son, Jesus. ACTIVITY: Discussion Starter Watch the video. What just happened? Will created a contraption to take Nell s sandwich. What would you have done in this situation if you were Nell? if you were Will? How would you feel if someone else got a better meal, or in Jacob and Esau s case, a better blessing than you? What are some things that we can be jealous of? Even when Jacob stole the blessing that was rightfully Esau s, God continued His perfect plan and kept His promise to Abraham s family. What can stop God s plan? Nothing can stop God s perfect plan. ACTIVITY: Brother Comparison Write Jacob on one side of the board and Esau on the other. Help kids find Genesis 25 in their Bibles. Have the kids take turns offering information on Jacob and Esau that show how they are the same or different. For youngers, they can remember from the story. For more challenging, have them give you the chapter and verse as well while looking in the bible. Examples: 1. Esau was a hunter and Jacob worked at home (Gen 25:27) 2. Esau was his father s favorite son, Jacob was his mother s favorite son. Genesis 25:28) 3. Esau was born very hairy, Jacob was not (Gen 25:25) 4. Esau was born first, Jacob was born second (Gen 25:25) 5. Esau was the older son who should receive the birthright, Jacob was not to receive the birthright. (Gen 25:25) 6. Esau didn t value his birthright, Jacob tricked Esau into selling him his birthright. (Gen 25:29-35) 7. Jesus came from Jacob s line, not Esau s (Gen 28:14) 8. Canaan was promised to Jacob, not Esau (Gen 28:13) 9. Jacob slept on a stone, Esau didn t (Gen 28:11) Discuss: Jacob stole Esau s blessing. He sinned, but Jacob s sin did not keep God from keeping His promise to Jacob s family. God can take sin and use it for His purpose. One day, Jesus would come from Jacob s family and all the world would be blessed! ACTIVITY: Feel and see LOWER PRIMARY Collect several classroom or household objects (tissue box, unsharpened pencil, book, and so forth) and put them in a box or bag. 1. Choose a volunteer to come to the front of the room and stand, facing the group. 2. Hold up an object so the rest of the kids can see it, and then instruct the volunteer to place her hands behind her back. 3. Put the object in the volunteer s hands.

4 Encourage her to feel the object s shape, size, weight, and texture. Can she guess what the object is? Choose a new volunteer and give him another object. ALTERNATIVE: put the object under a towel and have them put their hands under the towel to feel the object. If they don t get it, invite another volunteer to guess the same object. Discuss: In today s Bible story, someone who couldn t see well used his hands to try to identify another person. ACTIVITY: Activity Page Lower Primary What s Different? INSTRUCTIONS: Find the ten differences in the two pictures below. DO TGP WN LO FAMI AD TH LY AP E P KEY PASSAGE: Genesis 26:24 BIG PICTURE QUESTION: What can stop God s plan? Nothing can stop God s perfect plan. BIBLE STORY: THE STOLEN BLESSING Jacob and Esau were brothers. Esau was older, which meant he was to receive a greater birthright and blessing. Esau traded his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew. Jacob tricked his father into giving him Esau s blessing. FAMILY DISCUSSION STARTERS: Jacob and Esau both wanted the wrong thing or tried to get good things the wrong way. Have you ever done the same? How did God make His plan happen? (Esau gave his birthright to Jacob.) FAMILY ACTIVITY: Talk about a time when it was hard to trust that God was working out His perfect plan. Go further: Make a card of the big picture question and answer. Tape it to your mirror as a daily reminder. Younger Kids Activity Pages Unit 3, Session 1 19 ================================================================= _FALL15_Yng_ActivityPgs_CC.indd 19 3/17/15 6:39 PM RUNNING THE LESSON ON THE DAY RUNNING SHEET 1) Hello! Welcome back! etc 2) Opening Activity: Tongue Twisters 3) Review Abraham s son Isaac had twins. God told Rebekah that the older, Esau, would serve the younger, Jacob. They were even fighting before they were born. Jacob and Esau didn t have a great relationship between them. Jacob took advantage of Esau and took his birthright. In today s story, Jacob will take something else from Esau, something of great value to Esau. It might seem that Jacob s many mistakes would mean he wouldn t be used by God, but God s plan was still in effect. What can stop God s plan? Nothing can stop God s perfect plan. 4) Pray 5) Watch the video 6) Discuss the story God promised Abraham that his family would be as numerous as the stars and that all the world would be blessed through his family. God kept this promise, and gave it to Abraham s son, Isaac, as well as Isaac s son, Jacob. What can stop God s plan? Nothing can stop God s perfect plan. Even when Jacob sinned and stole Esau s blessing, God s perfect plan continued. Jacob reminds us why we need a Savior. Jacob lied and tricked Isaac so that he could get Esau s blessing that he didn t deserve. God has given us a blessing through Jesus that we don t deserve, but we don t have to trick anyone to get it. God gives us this blessing through grace. It is something we do not deserve but is a free gift from God. God sent Jesus to pay for sin by dying on the cross and rising again three days later. Jesus came from Abraham s family, and God did bless all the world through Jesus. All who trust Jesus as Savior receive God s blessing of salvation and eternal life.

5 7) Activities (in no particular order) Key Passage Steal the Blessing Discussion Starter Brother Comparison Obstacle Course Lower Primary Activity Page Lower Primary