Session 8 Abram Follows God s Direction Genesis 12:1-8 Worship Theme: God is our guide. Weaving Faith Into Life: Children will praise God for guiding them in their lives. Session Sequence What Children Will Do Supplies Let s Praise God! (up to 25 minutes) Sing Be Still and Know (Psalm 46:10) (track 15) Love the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) (track 9) Trust in the Lord (Proverbs 3:5-6) (track 12) He Remains Faithful (2 Timothy 2:13) (track 8) Praise Him (track 7) KidsOwn Worship Kit: Songs From FaithWeaver, KidsOwn Worship DVD: The Maze CD player, TV, DVD player, items that give instructions Session Sequence What Children Will Do Supplies Let s Learn the Point! (up to 25 minutes) * Guided to a Treasure Be guided to a treasure. Follow the Leader Play Follow the Leader, and learn how to follow God s guidance. Abram Follows God Participate in the story of how Abram followed God s guidance. 1 apple slice per child, caramel dip Bible 96 FaithWeaver Fall Quarter
Session Sequence What Children Will Do Supplies Let s Learn the Point! (up to 25 minutes) Following Instructions Do an experiment, and hear the story of Abram. * Which Way Do We Go? Write on and launch Tube-a-loons. * Surprise! Look at the properties of a Moebius strip. Piece of paper and pencil per child KidsOwn Worship Kit: Tube-a-loons 6 permanent markers, 6 rubber bands Bible; 15-inch piece of adding machine tape, masking tape, scissors, and pencil per child Session Sequence What Children Will Do Supplies The Offering Offer their gifts to God. Offering bowls Let s Pray! (up to 10 minutes) Quiet Before God Listen for God s guidance as they listen to and sing Be Still and Know (Psalm 46:10). God Is Our Guide Recite Psalm 48:14 as part of a prayer. KidsOwn Worship Kit: Songs From FaithWeaver: Be Still and Know (Psalm 46:10) (track 15) CD player Bible, newsprint, marker, tape * Starred activities can be used successfully with preschool and elementary children together. Customize your session to fit your needs. You can separate preschoolers and elementary children for Let s Learn the Point! Or, if you keep the children all together for the entire worship session, we suggest you choose from the starred activities. Session 8 KidsOwn Worship 97
Bible Background for Leaders Abram Follows God s Direction Genesis 12:1-8 Sell everything you can t carry with you, leave all your friends and extended family, get your wife and belongings in the car, and start driving. You ll probably never come back here again, but don t worry about that I ll show you where to go. If God were speaking to Abram today, that might be what he d say. Abram had not only the concerns of leaving the familiar behind, but also the worries of keeping the things he took with him. Abram was apparently a wealthy man, with a lot of sheep, cattle, and other livestock. In those days, traveling with herds in unknown territory was treacherous. Besides, Abram was 75 years old! He might have questioned if he d even be alive the next day! But he trusted and followed God. What helped Abram on his way was a trusting relationship with God and the promises of blessing that would benefit not only his household but all the peoples on earth! Even though those promises might have been hard to believe, they were all Abram needed. Lot, Abram s nephew, went along but probably not just for companionship or adventure. It was a disgrace in that culture to not have descendants, and Abram realized that he and his wife were getting too old to have children. Abram may have asked Lot to go because Abram had no offspring of his own to take charge if Abram died or became incapacitated. Or Lot may have seen this as an opportunity to inherit Abram s riches, knowing that his uncle was bound to die before long. Either way, Lot probably was expected to be Abram s heir. We are told nothing about the journey, but the trip from Haran to Bethel was approximately 500 miles, much of it over rough desert land. Water for all of Abram s flocks and entourage would have been a constant concern, and they probably took only food with them. Conflict with local residents was likely a daily occurrence, and the trip probably took several months. Finally Abram completed the journey in faith, and now, in Genesis 12:7, the Lord appeared to him. God had spoken to Abram earlier, but now God appeared and confirmed the promise he had made to Abram back at Haran: The fertile land before him would one day belong to his descendants. That meant he would still have descendants! The promises were beginning to come true! Abram built an altar to honor God through worship. Calling upon the name of the Lord meant worshipping him and acknowledging him as God. Abram knew that God had blessed him already and that many more blessings were still to come. Abram s trust in God was beginning to pay off! Devotion for Leaders Jesus taught us how to trust in God and proved that God won t let us down. May Jesus example inspire you to have the courage to trust as Abraham did! Weaving Faith Into Your Life: Think about an experience that challenged you to trust God. If you knew then what you know now, how would your trust level have been different? With that in mind, write your students individual notes, encouraging them to trust God for everything. As you do, pray for each person, asking God to strengthen and inspire your students to trust God. 98 FaithWeaver Fall Quarter
Why We Worship for Leaders Where would we be without God s guidance? As Christians we know that God has plans for us. We know also that God has a master plan and that each one of us fits into it. And our God is infinitely capable of guiding us. At all times, God is aware of all the events of the past, present, and future. God plans our lives with the knowledge of how things will turn out. This knowledge gives us a sense of security and trust. We can know that even though things don t always make sense and even though we don t always have the answers, God is leading us every day. Use this worship session to lead kids in praising a God who cares for them enough to plan their lives and lead them through one step at a time. Easy Prep for Leaders Let s Praise God! Set up a TV and DVD player. Prepare the KidsOwn Worship DVD to play The Maze (7). You ll want to watch the clip at least once before the children arrive. Which Way Do We Go? Check each Tube-a-loon from the KidsOwn Worship Kit. If one end is not sealed, tie a knot in one end. The other end should be open. Surprise! You ll need the following: For groups of 25 or fewer, one 12- to 15-inch piece of adding machine tape; a piece of adhesive or masking tape long enough to connect the ends of the adding machine tape; a pencil, pen, marker, or crayon; and a pair of scissors for each child. For larger groups, set up workstations around the perimeter of the room with one piece of adding machine tape, adhesive or masking tape, pencil, and scissors at each station. God Is Our Guide Write the words of Psalm 48:14 on newsprint, and tape it to the wall. Preschool Activities Refer to the preschool pages for preparations. Web Help Get bonus leader tips and ideas at kidsownworship.com. Let s Praise God! Play Songs From FaithWeaver, Fall 2011 as children arrive. Set out several items that give instructions or directions a map, cookbook, how-to book, instruction sheet for putting together furniture, and the list of directions on how to play a game, for example. As the children arrive, invite them to look at the items and think about how all the items are alike. When all the children have arrived, have them all take their seats. Hello! Welcome to children s church. As you all arrived, I asked you to look at these items and think about how they re all alike. What makes these items similar? (They all give you directions; they help you do things.) Session 8 KidsOwn Worship 99
All these items give us instructions or directions. They show us how to do something or how to get somewhere. What would happen if you were on a trip and didn t have a map? if you wanted to make a cake but didn t have a recipe? (I d get lost; I could end up somewhere I don t want to be; I might end up burning something.) Without good directions, we d be lost or we d wind up with a mess instead of a cake. That s why we need maps and cookbooks; they give us good instructions. Today we re going to talk about how we find the directions and instructions we need to live our lives and make good decisions. We find those directions by listening to God. God is our guide. When we remember that he is God and he s in charge, we can trust him to guide us. Sing Be Still and Know (Psalm 46:10). You ll find all the song lyrics at the back of this book. Track 15 What does it mean to seek God? (To put him first; when we seek God, we re finding him for our lives.) How do we go about seeking God? (We can read the Bible; we can talk to him; we can get to know him better.) God s Word, the Bible, promises that when we seek God, he will lead us and give us the things we need. Our job is to seek and love God with all our hearts. Let s sing Love the Lord. Sing Love the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). Why is it good to love God with all our hearts? (Because he wants to be our friend; God loves us; we need to put God first.) Track 9 What happens when you don t love God with all your heart? (Our lives might get messed up; other things get in the way of our love for God.) God promises to be our guide through life. The Bible says to trust in God, our guide, with all our heart and to lean not on our own understanding of how things should work. The Bible says we should acknowledge God s guidance and wisdom all the time. In return God will help us know what to do. Think about a time you were lost or couldn t find your way somewhere. Let s watch a fun video about this. Show the KidsOwn Worship DVD clip titled The Maze. (7) It shows kids trying to find their way through a maze. These kids couldn t find their way through the maze. In what ways is your life like a maze? (Sometimes I don t know what I m doing or where I m going; I need help to figure out what to do in life; I might get lost.) 100 FaithWeaver Fall Quarter
How did the people in the video find their way through the maze? (They kept trying until they got it right; they kept going the wrong way.) What do you do to find your way through life? (I ask for help; I talk to God; I just keep trying to get things right.) The Bible verse says God will make our paths straight. What do you think that means? (God will help us know where to go; God has plans for our lives; God will guide us.) No matter what situations we face in our lives, no matter how hard it is to find our way through the maze, God promises to be our guide if we trust him. Our problems won t go away, and it might still be hard to make decisions, but God will help us know what to do. God will lead us through the tough times. Let s sing Trust in the Lord (Proverbs 3:5-6). Sing Trust in the Lord (Proverbs 3:5-6). Track 12 Trusting in God can be tough. We get used to trusting ourselves. We want to decide by ourselves what we want to do. But God sees the whole picture. God knows what happened yesterday, what s happening today, and what will happen tomorrow. God knows so much more than we do. In the video, you saw that the people inside the maze couldn t see over the fence it was tough for them to decide what to do. People on a platform could have seen which way to go. That s like God; he can see which way we should go. And God is faithful. We can depend on our God to guide us with wisdom and knowledge because God is always true to his character. God is wise and knowledgeable, and God never changes. That s what our next song is about. It says that no matter what, God won t change. Let s sing He Remains Faithful (2 Timothy 2:13). Sing He Remains Faithful (2 Timothy 2:13). Track 8 Isn t it great to know that our God doesn t change, that he ll always work for our best, and that he ll always guide us into what s best for us? Think about a situation in which you need God s guidance. (Pause.) Now to show that you want to follow God s guidance, do this motion with me. Point the first two fingers of one hand down so you can make a walking motion with your two fingers. Demonstrate this motion. Now do the same thing with your other hand, but put your second hand behind your first hand. Demonstrate this motion. Now move both your hands in front of you so it looks like the hand in front is guiding and the hand in back is following. Demonstrate this motion. Tell God about how you trust him to be your guide while we do this motion together. Lead the children in doing the motion several times. Session 8 KidsOwn Worship 101
We can praise our God, who will always be our perfect guide. It s amazing to think about how God can guide each one of us perfectly. We all have different situations and different needs, yet God knows what s best for each of us. That s worthy of our praise. We can praise God for guiding us in the morning, in the afternoon, and in the evening. Let s Praise Him. Sing Praise Him. Track 7 God, you are wise and knowledgeable. You are perfect in all your ways. The Bible tells us you ve promised to be our guide when we trust in you and acknowledge you in all our ways. God, that s what we want. Be our guide. Help us now to learn how to trust in you as our guide. God, please teach us about yourself so we can love you and serve you more. In Jesus name, amen. Let s Learn the Point! Preschool Activities, pages 103-104 Worship Leader Tip You may want to prepare a poster before class that shows the double of each number from 1 to 10 (1+1=2; 2+2=4; 3+3=6; 4+4=8; 5+5=10; 6+6=12; 7+7=14; 8+8=16; 9+9=18; 10+10=20). Prepare a second poster that shows the even numbers from 12 to 30 divided by 2 (12 2=6; 14 2=7; 16 2=8; 18 2=9; 20 2=10; 22 2=11; 24 2=12; 26 2=13; 28 2=14; 30 2=15). If your children are very young elementary children or are unfamiliar with division, direct them to think of a number between 1 and 10 or 1 and 5. At this time, have the preschool leader invite the preschoolers to go to their own room for this section of activities. Tear out the Preschool Activities page, and give it to the preschool leader. Have the preschool leader bring the preschoolers back to participate in Let s Pray! with the older children. If you prefer to keep all the children together, do the starred (*) activities. They will work well with both elementary and preschool children. Elementary Activities Following Instructions Have the children form pairs. Make sure older children are paired with younger children. Abram traveled with his wife, his father, and his nephew from their home in Ur to a city called Haran. When his family settled in Haran, Abram thought he would live there all his life. But one day, when Abram was 75 years old, God told Abram to leave the city he called home and leave his family that had settled there with him. God told Abram that he would show Abram a new land. So Abram packed all his belongings and started traveling without knowing where God was leading him. What would you think if your family just got in the car and started to move to someplace new but no one in your family knew where you d end up? (I d think my dad had lost his mind; I d be afraid of what would happen; I d know we d be OK, because God takes care of my family.) 102 FaithWeaver Fall Quarter (continued on page 105)
Preschool Activities Abram Follows God s Direction Session 8 Genesis 12:1-8 Worship Theme: God is our guide. Easy Prep for Leaders Guided to a Treasure Hide a treasure such as apple slices and caramel dip. If you use apple slices, be sure to sprinkle lemon juice on them so they don t turn brown. If you have young preschoolers, peel the apples. Apple peels can be a choking hazard for young children. Using Theo Consider using Theophilus the FaithRetriever puppet today in these ways: Have Theo lead the preschoolers from the main worship area to the preschool room. Have Theo give the children the directions during the Guided to a Treasure activity. Theo can also lead the children during the Follow the Leader activity. See the KidsOwn Worship Kit for a puppet skit written for today s worship session. * Guided to a Treasure Today we re talking about how God guides us by giving us good instructions. Let s have fun following instructions that will help us find a treasure. Are you ready to follow directions? Let s go. ALLERGY ALERT Be aware that some children have food allergies that can be dangerous. Know your children, and consult with parents about allergies their children may have. Also be sure to read food labels carefully as hidden ingredients can cause allergy-related problems. Guide the children to the snack by giving directions such as Turn around three times, Walk to the door, Walk to the window, and Walk to the plant. After a few minutes of fun, give the children one final direction that will lead them to the snack. Pass out the snack for the children to enjoy. One of the ways God guides us is by giving us good instructions in the Bible. What kinds of things does the Bible tell us to do? What kinds of things does the Bible tell us not to do? God knows what s best for us. He loves us so much that he wants to guide us into good things. That s why God gives us directions in the Bible. Talk with the children about what happens when we don t do the things the Bible tells us to do and what happens when we do things the Bible tells us not to do. Use the examples the children mentioned as answers to the two previous questions. For example, if the children say that the Bible tells us to be nice to others, discuss what would happen if they weren t nice to others. God wants good things for us. He gives us good instructions to obey. All we have to do is follow his instructions. When you followed my instructions, you found this good treat. In the same way, when we follow God s instructions, good things happen. Let s practice following instructions. Session 8 KidsOwn Worship 103
Preschool Activities Follow the Leader Have the children sit in a circle. Lead the children in a game of Follow the Leader. Start by rubbing your nose or patting your knees. Include actions of kindness to others such as patting your neighbor s knee or scratching your neighbor s back. Let several of the children take turns being the leader. Play for several minutes. What s easy about following the leader? What s hard about following the leader? What do you need to do to be able to follow the leader? Abram Follows God Open your Bible to Genesis 12, and show the passage to the children. One day God told Abram to pack up all his belongings and move to a new place. God didn t tell Abram where he was going to move to, but that was OK. Abram knew that his job was to trust his guide, so Abram packed up everything. What do you think Abram took with him when he moved? God wants us to follow him like we followed the leader in our game. God is our guide. He guides us just as the leader guided us in what to do. When we want to follow the leader, it s important for us to watch and pay attention to the leader so we know what to do. Let s learn about a man named Abram who paid attention to his guide, God. Abram and his wife packed up their clothes and their furniture. They gathered their animals. And they asked Abram s nephew Lot to come along. Then they started traveling. Let s act out Abram s trip with our fingers. Abram and his wife and his nephew walked and walked on their trip. Have the children walk their fingers along their arms and legs and on the floor to represent Abram s trip. They kept going for many days until finally they were in the place God was guiding them to. Finally they were at their new home. Abram trusted God to guide him to a new home. We can trust God to guide us, too. 104 FaithWeaver Fall Quarter
(continued from page 102) Distribute paper and pencils. Let s do an activity that ll help us see what Abram might have felt. Think of a number, and write it down. Leave plenty of room under the number. Now double the number you chose by adding the same number to it. For example, if you picked two, add two to two. If you picked seven, add seven to seven. (Pause.) Now add ten to your answer. (Pause.) Divide that answer by two. (Pause.) Subtract the number you started with from that answer. (Pause.) Now I ll tell each one of you what number you ended up with if you ve done the math correctly. Tell each child that the answer is five. Every person will end up with five no matter what number you begin with. I knew exactly what your answer would be; as you did the math, you probably didn t unless you have done this exercise before. How did you feel as we began this experience? (I didn t know what was going on; I was afraid I d have to do something weird with my number.) What did you think about all the instructions I gave you? (I thought they were hard; you gave too many instructions; I had no idea what we were doing.) How were your feelings similar to Abram s feelings? (He didn t know why he was moving, just like I didn t know why I was doing this; he probably thought it was too hard, too; neither of us knew what was going on.) How was this exercise like or unlike being led by God? (God might tell us something weird to do; we might not know why we re doing what God wants us to do, but he has a good reason; if we follow God, we ll always get the right answer.) All of you ended up with the same answer when you followed these directions even though you didn t all pick the same number. How is this like or unlike what happens to Christians all over the world when they follow God s directions? (We might be from different places, but we ll always end up with God; when we follow God, we may go down different paths, but we re still following the same guide.) You had to trust me to guide you through each step to get to the correct answer. God knew exactly where he was leading Abram as he left the city of Haran even if Abram didn t know. God knows exactly where he is leading each one of us. Just as Abram did, we can trust God because he knows the answers while we re still working on the problems. Session 8 KidsOwn Worship 105
* Which Way Do We Go? When Abram moved, he didn t have a map. He left his home in Haran to go to a place the Lord said he would show Abram. Abram didn t know where that place was or how to get there, but he trusted God to be his guide. God s directions are always trustworthy. They re never incorrect. Let s explore how God guides us. Have children form six groups. Make sure younger kids are grouped with older kids. Give each group at least one permanent marker and a Tube-a-loon from the KidsOwn Worship Kit. All of us need God s guidance. Think about a situation in which you d like to have God s guidance. Then think of one word that can represent that situation. For example, if you d like God s guidance in making friends, you might choose the word friends. If you d rather, you can come up with a simple picture instead of a word. Take turns writing your word or drawing your picture on the Tube-a-loon. Make sure everyone in your group gets to write something on the Tube-a-loon. Give the children time to write or draw. Then have them inflate each Tubea-loon by blowing it up and wrapping a rubber band tightly around one end. Offer assistance as needed. It s easiest to inflate the Tube-a-loons by cupping a hand lightly around the tube, holding it about 6 inches away from your face, and blowing into it. Now we ll explore what happens when God guides us. Take turns in your group launching the Tube-a-loon across the room. Take note of where the Tube-a-loon lands each time. Give the children a few minutes to launch the Tube-a-loons across the room. Make sure each child has a chance to throw a Tube-a-loon. Then retrieve the Tube-a-loons, and put them aside. Have the children return to their seats. What happened when you launched the Tube-a-loons? Where did they land? (It went a long way; it went a different direction than I thought it would go; it landed on the other side of the room.) How is this like how God guides us? Why might God send us in a different direction than we expect? (God can take us a long way if we follow him; God might send us a different direction; God knows what s best for us, so his direction is always better than ours.) Every one of us is different. We have different circumstances, different families, and different talents. But God cares for each one of us. And God would like to be each person s special guide. God might guide us to do things that we don t expect, but God is the best guide because he knows everything that s ever happened to us and everything that ever will happen to us. God is the best one to guide us through life. It s our job to trust God and follow his leading no matter where he takes us. 106 FaithWeaver Fall Quarter
* Surprise! When Abram left his home and followed God without knowing exactly where he was going or what would happen, he probably didn t realize how many surprises were ahead of him. Abram didn t know what to expect, but he knew that God was leading. He knew that no matter what happened, he and his family would be in God s care. Sometimes we think we know what will happen in our lives, and we re surprised when something altogether different happens. Sometimes we re like Abram and don t know what s ahead. Direct the students (or groups of students) to the materials or workstations you set up before the worship session. Each child (or one child from each group) should hold the adding machine tape so it forms a circle with the cut ends just touching. Demonstrate, and have each child holding the tape turn one end of the circle 180 degrees so the ring now has one twist in it. Tape the ends together. Worship Leader Tip You may want to have the Moebius strips already assembled before the children arrive so they begin by cutting the strips. Turn one end once and tape. You have just created what is known as a Moebius strip. It s a very special model. Put the model on a flat surface. Put the pencil on the strip and draw a line down the middle of the strip. Don t lift the pencil and keep drawing the line down the middle of the paper until the ends of the line meet. What happened? (We went around both sides of the strip; the line never stopped.) The Moebius strip is a special model because it only has one side. If you look carefully, you will see that your line can be seen on any section of the strip you look at even though you never lifted your pencil. What do you think will happen if you cut the strip along the line you ve just drawn? (It will be two pieces; it will come apart; it will be one long strip.) Cut along the line to find out if you are right. Give the children a minute to cut the strips. What happened? Was your prediction correct? (It made one big circle; I thought it would come apart, but it made a big loop.) What do you think will happen if you cut this new strip in half lengthwise like you did the last one? Do you think it will get larger again, or will something else happen? (It will make another big loop; it will get larger; this time it will come apart.) Try it and find out. Give the children time to cut the strip again. See the margin illustration to see how to cut the strip. What happened? Were you correct this time? (I didn t get it right again; it surprised me because it made two different loops; the loops were linked together.) Direct the children to set the materials down and return to their seats. Session 8 KidsOwn Worship 107
How was this experience like allowing God to guide you? (I didn t know what would happen, but it was cool in the end; I had to follow your instructions to get it right; sometimes God surprises us, just as this activity surprised us.) Listen to what God says in the Bible. Read aloud Psalm 32:8. What makes God a good guide? (He watches over us; he knows where we should go; he knows everything.) God has more knowledge than we do. Even when things turn out different from what we expect, we know we can trust God to guide us. God has knowledge and wisdom that we don t have. We can trust God to teach us and lead us. And we can know that God is forever watching over us. Let s worship God with our gifts and our prayers. Let s Pray! The Offering Set offering bowls on a table. Have the children move the chairs aside, if possible, and stand on the opposite side of the room from the offering bowls. As part of our offering today, follow my instructions. I ll guide you all toward the offering bowls. While you re following my instructions, think about how you ll follow God s instructions. Guide all the children to the offering bowls by giving instructions such as Walk three steps to your right and Turn around once and walk five paces forward. Encourage children who haven t brought a monetary gift to pray about something they can give to God. Quiet Before God Abram was willing to follow God s guidance. Abram listened carefully to God s instructions. God doesn t often speak to us with a voice we can hear. How do you know you re hearing God s instructions to you? (He speaks to us through others; God tells us in different ways; God makes it so I know for sure it s the right thing to do.) Sometimes God speaks to us by nudging our conscience. Sometimes God speaks to us by giving us a strong feeling about something we should do. Listen to this song and listen for God. Play Be Still and Know (Psalm 46:10). Lyrics are at the back of this book. Track 15 Have the children be quiet before God. Then play the song again and lead the children in singing along with the CD. 108 FaithWeaver Fall Quarter
God Is Our Guide The Bible verse we sang earlier says, In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. We ve just acknowledged God by being aware of his presence here with us and by listening for what God wants to say to us. The next step is to do what God is guiding us to do. Let s pray about that now. Direct kids attention to the newsprint with Psalm 48:14 that you prepared before the session. I ll start. Every time I pause, all of you will read the words that are on the wall as a prayer. God, we thank you for being our guide. Thank you for your knowledge and your wisdom. Thank you for caring about us enough to guide us. Help us to listen to you. (Pause.) Help us to recognize your guidance. (Pause.) Help us to follow the example of Abram. (Pause.) Help us to do what you ask us to do. (Pause.) In Jesus name, amen. Session 8 KidsOwn Worship 109