Lesso 13 153 God Cares for Hagar ad Ishmael Geesis 21:8-21 Five- ad six-year-olds are begiig to catch o to the power foud i maers. Please becomes the key word that seems to deliver most of a child s desires. Childre at this age may have difficulty uderstadig that God does t always aswer our prayers i the way we wat them to be aswered, o matter how icely we ask. Eve so, use this lesso to teach childre that God always hears us whe we pray. LESSON WHAT CHILDREN DO SUPPLIES EASY PREP 1 Gettig Started about 10 mi. 2 Key Verse Activity about 10 mi. Welcomig Sog Sig or liste to sogs to welcome everyoe to church. God Listes Whisper through a door, ad have the door ope. Theo s News Fid out what headphoes have to do with the Bible. CD player Teacher Pack: CD Bible Surprise Box (ay box will do), Theo puppet, CD player, headphoes Teacher Pack: CD Ask aother adult to help durig this activity. Place the headphoes i the Surprise Box, ad hide the box where it s easily accessible. Bible Poit God hears us whe we pray. Key Verse So I say to you: Ask ad it will be give to you; seek ad you will fid; kock ad the door will be opeed to you (Luke 11:9). Weavig Faith Ito Life Childre will talk to God. 3 Bible Exploratio about 15 mi. Bible Time: Hagar ad Ishmael Fid out how Hagar leared that God hears us whe we pray. Bible, CD player, washable markers Teacher Pack: CD, God Provides poster (from the Big Bible Poster Pack) Bold text withi the lesso is spoke text. Pre-K & K/Ages 5 & 6 Lesso 13
154 LESSON WHAT CHILDREN DO SUPPLIES EASY PREP 4 Ceter 1: Hear Today Make desert scees to remid them that God heard Hagar ad God hears us. My Bible Playgroud, glue sticks, 1 sheet of sadpaper, 1 sheet of blue tissue paper, scissors Remove the Lesso 13 pages from each My Bible Playgroud studet book. Cut oe 1-ich square each of blue tissue paper ad sadpaper for each child. Weavig Faith Ito Life about 20 mi. (Choose 2 ceters.) Ceter 2: Please ad Thak You Have fu makig ad askig for food ad driks. Ceter 3: Say What? Liste to the soud of other childre s voices, ad guess who s talkig. puch bowl with flavored drik, ladle, carrot sticks, crackers, paper plates, cups, ad apkis Ceter 4: Draw to Prayer Draw a prayer to God. paper, washable markers, stickers Be a FaithWeaver Choose a Daily Challege to apply God s Word. My Bible Playgroud 5 Lastig Impressios about 10 mi. Thaks for Listeig Prayer Thak God for hearig ad aswerig their prayers. Weavig Faith at Home Talk about how to share what they leared with their families. Bold text withi the lesso is spoke text. Lesso 13 Pre-K & K/Ages 5 & 6
155 God Cares for Hagar ad Ishmael Geesis 21:8-21 BIBLe BACKGROUND FOR LEADERS Ishmael Mocks Isaac It was typical i Abraham s culture to have a celebratio whe a child was weaed, which was usually whe the child was aroud 2 or 3 years of age. The celebratio for Isaac was probably eve bigger tha most because he was somethig of a miracle child. Ufortuately the joyous occasio soo tured bitter. We do t kow if Ishmael s mockig of Isaac happeed o the day of the celebratio, but it must have occurred soo afterward. Ishmael had bee bor to Abraham through Hagar, Sarah s maidservat, after Sarah had decided to take thigs ito her ow hads ad had Abraham sleep with Hagar to build a family (Geesis 16:2). By the time Isaac was 2, Ishmael was about 16 (Geesis 16:16; 21:5). Sarah ad Hagar had bee at odds ever sice Hagar was pregat with Ishmael (Geesis 16:4-10). Abraham s decisio to sed Hagar ad Ishmael away had probably bee a log time i comig. Abraham Casts Out Hagar ad Ishmael God Respods to Hagar ad Ishmael s Sufferig Remember that Ishmael was at least 16 by this time. If Hagar had to put him uder a bush, he must have bee terribly weakeed by fluid deprivatio. He likely was t far from death, as Hagar estimated (Geesis 21:16). It seems odd that God respoded to Ishmael s cry but set a agel to speak to Hagar. It may be that Ishmael was simply too weak to eve get water for himself. It also is likely that the well had bee there all the time but Hagar did t see it util God opeed her eyes God was actually there takig care of them ad providig the water they eeded, but they could t see it util they ackowledged their eed for God. The Jesus Coectio Pray about a challege you re facig right ow. You ca cry out to God. Because of Jesus, we ca trust that God always hears us. You ca write your prayer here. Abraham did t wat to sed Hagar ad Ishmael away. He kew it was wrog accordig to his culture ad accordig to ayoe s stadards of fatherhood. Whe God told Abraham to do what Sarah wated, God did t say it was right. But God did promise to take care of Ishmael, evetually makig a great atio of his descedats as well as Isaac s. The area where Abraham lived was desert, ad the ski of water ad the food Abraham gave them was probably as much as they could comfortably carry, but it would t have lasted very log. Pre-K & K/Ages 5 & 6 Lesso 13
156 GETTING STARTED Welcomig Sog Supplies CD player Teacher Pack CD: Learig ad Laughig (track 2), Rejoice i the Lord Always (Philippias 4:4) (track 29) Welcomig Sog Tip Cosistetly use the same sigal to aouce a trasitio to the ext activity. You could flip the lights off ad o, use a trai whistle, have a puppet rustlig iside a bag, or sig cleaup sogs. Keep it simple, cosistet, ad fu. As childre arrive, greet each child ad welcome him or her with a smile. Whe it s time to begi, use your sigal to brig the childre together i a circle. Lead the kids i doig the actios ad sigig Learig ad Laughig (track 2 o the CD) to the tue of Boom, Boom, Ai t It Great to Be Crazy? Boom, boom (throw a fist i the air for each boom ) It s great to be i church. (clap to the beat) Boom, boom (throw a fist i the air for each boom ) It s great to be i church. (clap to the beat) Learig ad laughig with all my frieds! (twist i place) Boom, boom (throw a fist i the air for each boom ) It s great to be i church. (clap to the beat) (Repeat 2x.) Say: Today we ll lear that GOD HEARS US WHEN WE PRAY. We ca be happy that we ca talk to God every day, everywhere. Let s sig a sog ad be happy because of God. Sig Rejoice i the Lord Always (Philippias 4:4) (track 29 o the CD). As you sig, have childre jump up with arms i the air for each rejoice. Rejoice! Rejoice! Ad agai I say rejoice! Rejoice! Rejoice! Agai I say rejoice! Rejoice i the Lord always. Ad agai I say rejoice! Rejoice i the Lord always. Ad agai I say rejoice! (Repeat from the begiig 2x.) Rejoice! Rejoice! Ad agai I say rejoice! Lesso 13 Pre-K & K/Ages 5 & 6
157 Rejoice! Rejoice! Ad agai I say rejoice! Ad agai I say rejoice! Ad agai I say rejoice! Say: I m so happy you re at church today ad I m so happy that GOD HEARS US WHEN WE PRAY! Let s lear more about the way God listes to us. 2 KEY VERSE ACTIVITY God Listes Have childre sit i a circle. Ope your Bible to Luke 11:9, ad show childre the words. Tell kids the Bible is God s special book. Say: Our Key Verse from the Bible, Luke 11:9, says, So I say to you: Ask ad it will be give to you; seek ad you will fid; kock ad the door will be opeed to you. That meas that we ca ask ad God will hear us. Let s say our Key Verse together. Lead the childre i repeatig the simplified Key Verse after you: Ask ad God will hear you (Luke 11:9). God Listes Supplies Bible God Listes Easy Prep Ask aother adult to help durig this activity. Say: Now let s have some fu discoverig what it s like whe God hears us. Have childre form two groups. Have oe group be the Talkers ad oe group the Listeers. Say: Oe at a time the Talkers will whisper through the door somethig they d like to say to God, ad the they will kock o the door. Have a adult voluteer take the Talkers outside your room ad tell the childre to form a lie. Stay with the Listeers o the other side of the door, ad have them also form a lie. Have the first child i lie put his or her ear to the door ad liste to the child o the other side. Say: Whe you hear the kock at the door, you ca ope the door. Each time the door is opeed, have the Talker repeat what he or she whispered through the door, but loudly this time so everyoe ca hear. Lead the Listeers i shoutig, Kock ad the door will be opeed to you! If time allows, let each child have a tur to talk ad liste. Talk With Kids Lead childre i this discussio. Ask: What did you like or ot like about tryig to hear a whisper through a door? What do you like about the way God ca hear you, o matter what? Pre-K & K/Ages 5 & 6 Lesso 13
158 Say: God hears us whe we pray, ad he kows the best way to aswer our prayers. Remember that you ca ask ad God will hear you! Lead the kids i sayig the simplified Key Verse oe more time: Ask ad God will hear you (Luke 11:9). 3 BIBLE EXPLORATION Theo s News Supplies Surprise Box (ay box will do) Theo puppet CD player headphoes Teacher Pack CD: Here, Theo (track 5) Theo s News Easy Prep Place the headphoes i the Surprise Box, ad hide the box where it s easily accessible. Theo s News Say: Frieds, it s time for Theo s News! Have childre sit i a circle. The begi Here, Theo (track 5 o the CD). Whe the CD segmet eds, brig out the Surprise Box, ad put Theophilus the FaithRetriever puppet o your had. The follow alog with the script. Theo: Hi, everybody! Teacher: Hello, Theo! Tell us what iterestig ews you ve dug up about the Bible today. Theo: I hid it i the Surprise Box. Teacher: Let s look iside to see what Theo dug up for us today. (Ivite a child to ope the Surprise Box, ad have the kids pass the headphoes aroud the circle so everyoe ca see them up close. Give kids time to guess what they ll lear from the Bible today.) Teacher: Frieds, what ca we use headphoes for? (Pause for kids to aswer your questio.) Teacher: Theo, why did you hide these headphoes i the Surprise Box? Theo: Well, we ca use headphoes to liste to thigs like music, eve whe it s oisy aroud us. Teacher: That s right, Theo! It ca be hard to hear whe we live i such a oisy world. Theo: Yes it ca eve for dogs, ad we have some of the best ears aroud! Teacher: You re right agai, Theo. But o oe ca hear quite like God ca. No matter what, we ca always kow that GOD HEARS US WHEN WE PRAY. Frieds, let s read the Bible ad fid out how God heard Hagar whe she cried out to him. Theo: Have fu, boys ad girls! Teacher: Frieds, say goodbye to Theo. Ecourage childre to wave or say goodbye to Theo. The put Theo away i a safe place for ext week s use. Lesso 13 Pre-K & K/Ages 5 & 6
159 Bible Time: Hagar ad Ishmael Ope your Bible to Geesis 21, ad show childre the words. Tell kids the Bible is God s special book. Say: Today the Bible tells us that GOD HEARS US WHEN WE PRAY. Oe day, a ma amed Abraham decided to have a big party for his so Isaac. Let s preted that we re at Isaac s party as we liste to the CD. First, thik about some thigs you d like to say to God. You ll get a chace to say them as we liste to the CD. Help kids decide what they d like to say. Every time you hear God loves to hear us talk to him ad the music o the CD, I ll call o a few of you to share what you wat to talk to God about. Play God Cares for Hagar ad Ishmael (track 28 o the CD). Pause the CD each time you hear music, ad call o childre to tell what they d like to say to God. Stop the CD at the ed of the track. Bible Time: Hagar ad Ishmael Supplies Bible CD player washable markers Teacher Pack CD: God Cares for Hagar ad Ishmael (track 28) God Provides poster (from the Big Bible Poster Pack) Ask: What s amazig about the way God heard Hagar ad Ishmael s cries? What s amazig about the way God could hear each of you whe you talked? Set out the God Provides poster, ad say: Everyoe take a marker ad draw oe of the thigs you said durig the sog. Allow time. Now everyoe poit to what you drew o the poster while we pray about our drawigs. Take a miute to pray with each child for what he or she drew o the poster. Close the prayer with I Jesus ame, ame. The say: God heard our prayers just ow! Talk With Kids Lead childre i this discussio. Ask: What made Hagar ad Ishmael s prayers differet from ours? Why do you thik prayers do t always have to be said out loud with words? What do you thik about what God did to aswer Hagar ad Ishmael s prayers? Say: Just as God heard Abraham, Hagar, ad Ishmael, GOD HEARS US WHEN WE PRAY. God is always listeig to us, o matter where we are or what we re doig. God loves to hear us ad aswer our prayers. Pre-K & K/Ages 5 & 6 Lesso 13
160 4 WEAVING FAITH INTO LIFE Choose at least two of the learig ceters to help reiforce today s Bible lesso. Gather the eeded materials, ad put the supplies i a out-of-sight area util you re ready for them. Allow the childre to choose which ceter they d like to explore first. The circulate amog the childre as they create ad explore. Ecourage them to make coectios betwee their activities ad the Bible by askig them the questios icluded with each ceter s descriptio. Ceter 1: Hear Today Supplies My Bible Playgroud glue sticks 1 sheet of sadpaper 1 sheet of blue tissue paper scissors Ceter 1: Hear Today Easy Prep Remove the Lesso 13 pages from each My Bible Playgroud studet book. Cut oe 1-ich square each of blue tissue paper ad sadpaper for each child. Ceter 2: Please ad Thak You Supplies puch bowl with flavored drik ladle carrot sticks crackers paper plates cups apkis! ALLERGY ALERT CENTER 1: Hear Today Help kids write their ames o their My Bible Playgroud pages. The have childre form pairs. Say: Work with your parters to each glue the square of sadpaper to the desert o your page. As you ad your parter work, talk about how Hagar ad Ishmael prayed. Allow time. Now glue the square of blue tissue paper to the well ad talk about what happeed after Hagar ad Ishmael prayed to God. Talk With Kids Lead childre i this discussio. Ask: Touch the sadpaper o your page ad tell about somethig that gave you a hard time this week. Touch the blue paper o your page ad tell about somethig woderful that happeed this week. What do you like about the way God wats us to talk to him about everythig? Say: God heard Hagar whe she cried out to him i the desert. She was scared beig all aloe i the desert ad without ay water. God loved hearig Hagar ad Ishmael s prayers, just as he loves hearig yours ad mie. God wats us to talk to him about everythig, ad GOD HEARS US WHEN WE PRAY. CENTER 2: Please ad Thak You Have childre clea their hads. Say: Let s practice askig ad receivig! Have kids form pairs. Ivite oe child i each pair to go first. Ask your parter for somethig to Lesso 13 Pre-K & K/Ages 5 & 6
161 eat. Help the parter make a special sack for the child with the carrot sticks ad crackers ad deliver it to his or her fried. Tur back to the first child. Now you may ask for somethig to drik. Let the parter use the ladle to get a drik i a cup, ad the brig it back to the child. Have kids switch roles util everyoe has a sack. Say: God hears you whe you ask for thigs i prayer. God hears you whe you pray just as clearly as you heard your parter ask for a sack. It does t matter where we are, what we re doig, or how busy it is aroud us GOD HEARS US WHEN WE PRAY. Pray: God, thak you for hearig what we ask for whe we pray ad thak you for our sack. I Jesus ame, ame. Talk With Kids As childre eat, lead them i this discussio. Ask: What do you thik about the way God ca always hear us whe we talk to him? What are some questios you would like to ask God? Say: It was fu to practice askig ad receivig at sack time! Let s always remember that we ca ask God about aythig, ad that GOD HEARS US WHEN WE PRAY. CENTER 3: Say What? Have childre sit i a large circle facig outward. Istruct childre to close their eyes as you stad i the middle of the circle. Say: I ll walk aroud the iside of the circle ad tap someoe getly o the top of the head. Whe I tap you, you ca say a prayer to God. The everyoe else will try to guess who spoke. Raise your hads whe you have a guess. Whoever guesses correctly ca take a tur i the middle of the circle ad choose someoe ew to say a prayer. Talk With Kids Lead childre i this discussio. Ask: What was hard about tryig to guess your frieds voices? What was easy? What are some differeces i our voices? Pre-K & K/Ages 5 & 6 Lesso 13
162 Say: God kows each of our voices, ad he kows exactly what we eed before we eve ask. Is t that great? You ca sped some time this week lettig God hear your voice ad remember that GOD HEARS US WHEN WE PRAY! Ceter 4: Draw to Prayer Supplies paper washable markers stickers CENTER 4: Draw to Prayer Say: We ca pray for ourselves ad we ca also pray for others. God hears all of our prayers, o matter what they re about. Use the markers ad stickers to make a picture of a prayer you d like to tell God about someoe you kow maybe a prayer for oe of your family members or frieds. Allow kids time to create their prayer pictures, ad the say: Tur to a parter ad tell about the prayer you drew. Allow kids to share. Talk With Kids Lead childre i this discussio. Ask: What s good about prayig for someoe else? What do you like or ot like about drawig a picture as a way to pray? What s your favorite way to pray? Say: God hears our prayers o matter how we pray or what our prayers are about. God heard Ishmael s prayers through his cryig, ad Hagar s cries for Ishmael. GOD HEARS US WHEN WE PRAY whether we say our prayers for ourselves or for others, ad whether we use words or say our prayers i other ways. 5 LASTING IMPRESSIONS Daily Challeges Supplies My Bible Playgroud Daily Challeges After the childre have cleaed up the ceters, brig everyoe back to the circle area o the floor. Review the lesso activities ad the Bible Poit, ad the ecourage the childre to share what they remember about what they leared from the Bible today. Also use this time to challege kids i their faith. Ecourage them to choose a Daily Challege for applyig today s lesso to their lives this week. Use this challege for ecouragig your childre s growig relatioships with Jesus. Lesso 13 Pre-K & K/Ages 5 & 6
163 Talk With Kids Say: Today we leared that GOD HEARS US WHEN WE PRAY. I d like each of you to choose a way to talk to God this week. Read these three ideas for childre to choose from: Ask your mom or dad to help you record your voice as you pray. Play the recordig back ad liste God heard your prayer, just like you hear it o the recordig! Whisper a prayer really quietly, ad the shout a prayer really loudly! Remember that God hears you o matter how quiet or how loud you are. Draw a prayer you have for a family member, ad the give him or her your picture. The tell your family member you re prayig for him or her. Have kids each whisper i your ear or tell you which idea they ve chose, ad the circle it o each child s My Bible Playgroud page. Make sure you choose a challege as well ad tell kids which challege you chose. Your commitmet will ispire childre ad will give them a opportuity to see God at work i your life as well as theirs! Thaks for Listeig Prayer Say: Bow your heads ad thik of somethig or someoe to pray for. God will hear your prayers, eve if you choose to ot say them out loud. Ivite each child to complete the setece i the followig prayer. Pray: Dear God, we re so thakful that you hear us whe we pray. Thak you for beig so good to us ad aswerig our prayers. I pray for Ivite those who would like to share to say the thigs or people they wat to pray for. Help us remember to talk to you every day. We love you, God! I Jesus ame, ame. Weavig Faith at Home Have childre take home their My Bible Playgroud pages whether they worked o them or ot. Have the childre tell their parets the challege they committed to i the Daily Challeges activity. Ecourage the parets to help their kids fulfill this commitmet durig the week. By workig together ad focusig o the same goals, you ad parets ca help childre weave faith ito their lives! Talk to your Director about emailig the FREE FamilyCoect to all your church s families. Available at group.com/digital. Pre-K & K/Ages 5 & 6 Lesso 13
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