Jacob s Ladder Bible Verse The Lord bless you and keep you. (Numbers 6:24) Did You Know? As we encounter Jacob in today s Bible story, he is on the run. Having tricked his father, Isaac, into giving him the blessing meant for his older brother, Esau, it was no longer safe for Jacob to remain at home. In order to escape Esau s plan to kill him, Jacob leaves to go live with his mother s family. Today s Bible story is the first story about Jacob by himself, without his twin brother. Whether he should have or not, Jacob has received the blessing from Isaac. This story marks the transition in Genesis from Isaac s story to Jacob s story As Jacob is headed for Haran, he stops along the way for the night. While he is asleep, God appears to Jacob in his dream. God s message to Jacob is a promise. Like God did for his grandfather, Abraham, God promises Jacob land, many descendants, and protection. Jacob is also promised God s presence, now and always. When Jacob awakened from his dream, he realized its significance. Being on the run as he was, Jacob was likely afraid and uncertain of his future. God s promise to be with him always changed everything. Young children learn about promises kept and promises broken from adults. Make every effort to keep the promises you give the children you teach. For more Bible background information, go to: www. deepbluekids.com. SESSION 12 November 22 Bible Story Genesis 28:10-22 Anchor Point God blesses us. Your Lesson q Welcome q Dream Center q Puzzle Center q Kids Stuff Center q Move to the Bible Story q See the Bible Story q Interact With the Bible Story q Say the Bible Verse q Jacob s Ladder q Count Your Blessings q Gathering Time Exploration Points God promised Jacob that God would always be with him. God keeps promises. God is always with us. Leader s Guide Bible Stories & Stickers Kids Stuff Class Stuff DVD CD-ROM DeepBlueKids.com Requires preparation. Fall 2015 Session 12 DeepBlueKids.com 73
Jump In! The following activities may be done in learning centers as the children arrive or may be done with the entire group. WELCOME Supplies: Class Stuff pp. 2 and 31, Stickers, CD-ROM, CD player, offering basket, Blessing Bags collection box made in Session 9 (p. 58) Display the Attendance Chart (pp. 2 and 31) at eye level. Place the Blessing Bags collection box near the Attendance Chart. Play, Blessings and Birthrights, as you welcome each parent and child. Show the children where to place their offerings. Give each child a Sticker of Jacob s stairway to put on the Attendance Chart. DREAM CENTER Supplies: Leader s Guide p. 78; dark blue, purple, and light blue watercolor paints; small containers of water; brushes; smocks; table covering, table Photocopy and cut out Jacob s Dream (p. 78). Each child will need one half page. Cover the table with paper or plastic. Have the children wear paint smocks. SAY: In our Bible story, Jacob has an important dream. Let s paint a night sky background for Jacob s dream. TIP Thank any children who remembered to bring toothbrushes and toothpaste for the Blessing Bags. Let the children place the items in the Blessing Bags box. Give each child a copy of Jacob s Dream. Let the children use the watercolor paints to paint all over the half sheets of paper. They might paint stripes, swirls, or dots. Place the papers flat to dry until after the Bible story. PUZZLE CENTER Supplies: Bible Stories & Stickers Session 12, p. 4; crayons Have each child do the Find the Differences activity (Session 12, p. 4). KIDS STUFF CENTER Supplies: Kids Stuff p. 25, crayons, stapler & staples, tape, tissues or cotton balls Punch out the rock piece for each child (p. 25). Help the children follow the directions to make the rocks. Dive Deeper MOVE TO THE BIBLE STORY Supplies: rocks made in previous activity Have the children hold their rocks and line up behind you. 74 Deep Blue Early Elementary Leader s Guide November 22
Lead the children around the room as you sing the song, Do You Know God Blesses Us?, to the tune of Do You Know the Muffin Man? The words are printed in the column on the right. Have the children sit down in story area. Have the children place their rocks under their chairs or on the floor behind them. SEE THE BIBLE STORY Supplies: DVD, DVD player, television Play the theme song, Let s Go Deep Blue. Watch the Deep Blue Bible Adventure, Jacob s Ladder, with the children. Play the song, Blessings and Birthrights. Encourage the children to dance with the kids on the DVD. INTERACT WITH THE BIBLE STORY Supplies: Bible; Bible Stories & Stickers Session 12, pp. 2 3; Class Stuff p. 25; blocks or craft sticks; tape; paper rocks made earlier (p. 74) Punch out the Jacob as a man figure, the Esau as a man figure, and the Jacob s stairway figure (Class Stuff p. 25). Tape the figures to blocks or craft sticks. Have the children hold their rocks and move to an open area of the room. Have the children stand, holding their rocks. Say the directions printed in the column on the right and have the children move their rocks as suggested. ASK: Do you remember any of your dreams? What were they about? Do You Know God Blesses Us? (Tune: Do You Know the Muffin Man?) Do you know God blesses us, God blesses us, God blesses us? Do you know God blesses us and cares for us each day? Hold your rock above your head. Put your rock on the floor. Hop in a circle around your rock. Jump over your rock. Lie down and place your head on your rock. SAY: Jacob dreamed an important dream in today s Bible story. This Bible story is found in the first book of the Bible, Genesis. Show the children the Bible open to Genesis 28. Read, Jacob s Ladder (Bible Stories & Stickers Session 12, pp. 2 3), to the children. Hold up the figures as suggested. When you say, He laid down on the ground and put his head on a rock, have the children lie down with their heads on their paper rocks. PRAY: Thank you, God, for blessing us and caring for us. Amen. SAY THE BIBLE VERSE Supplies: Class Stuff p. 21, Leader s Guide p. 93 Hold up the Bible Verse Poster (Class Stuff p. 21). Say the Bible verse for the children: The Lord bless you and keep you (Numbers 6:24). Have the children repeat the Bible verse. Review the signs from American Sign Language for the Bible verse (Leader s Guide p. 93). Have the children sign and say the Bible verse. Fall 2015 Session 12 DeepBlueKids.com 75
JACOB S LADDER Supplies: Stickers, Dream Center paintings made earlier (p. 74), glue, craft sticks, dark blue construction paper, scissors Cut dark blue construction paper in half lengthwise. Each child will need one half. Give each child his or her Dream Center painting. Let the child glue the painting onto the blue construction paper. Turn the paintings vertically. Show each child how to glue craft sticks in the shape of a ladder going up the paintings. Give the children the angel Stickers. Let the children place the Stickers up and down the craft stick ladders. ASK: What did God promise Jacob in the dream? (God would always be with him.) Grow Stronger COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS Supplies: Blessing Bags collection box Show the children the items in the Blessing Bags collection box. SAY: We re still collecting items to make Blessing Bags. We ll put the bags together next week. The bags are for people who are homeless or in need of some help. Have the children count the toothbrushes and toothpaste already collected. Talk with the children about how toothbrushes and toothpaste might help a person who is homeless. SAY: Next week remember to bring baby wipes for our Blessing Bags. Worship GATHERING TIME Supplies: Class Stuff pp. 14 and 19, 28; tape Post the Bible Story Mural on a wall (pp. 14 and 19). Gather the children around the Bible Story Mural. Choose a child to put the Jacob s stairway star (p. 28) on the mural. Invite the children to form a Prayer Circle. Sing, The Lord Bless and Keep You, to the tune of The Farmer in the Dell. The words are printed in the column on the right. Have the children bow their heads and fold their hands in prayer on the line, I ll bow my head and say this prayer. ASK: Is there someone you want to pray for? The Lord Bless and Keep You (Tune: The Farmer in the Dell) The Lord bless and keep you. The Lord bless and keep you. I ll bow my head and say this prayer, The Lord bless and keep you. PRAY: Dear God, thank you for (name of child). Be with (people the children named). Thank you for blessing us. Amen. Send Bible Stories & Stickers for Session 12 home with each child. 76 Deep Blue Early Elementary Leader s Guide November 22
Go Deeper With the Bible Story Use one or more of the following activities with your children if you want to add different learning styles to your session. FIZZY ROCKS (SCIENCE) Supplies: vinegar, glass, small piece of limestone rock, two or three other kinds of rocks (small sizes) Note: Limestone rocks can be purchased at a hobby shop or garden center, or online at: hometrainingtools.com/limestonefossiliferous/p/rm-limesto/. Pour half a cup vinegar into a glass. Add the limestone rock. ASK: What s happening? (The rock will start to fizz.) Try the same test with other kinds of rocks. Do they fizz? SAY: In our Bible story today, Jacob was running away from his brother, Esau. When night came, he laid down on the ground to sleep. He used a rock for his pillow. ASK: How would you like to sleep on a rock? SAY: While he was sleeping, Jacob dreamed an important dream. In the dream, God told Jacob that he would always be with him. God is always with us. REVIEW CENTER Supplies: Class Stuff pp. 5, 8, 25; blocks or craft sticks; tape; box lid or plastic tub; sand; rocks Punch out the Storytelling Figures (pp. 5, 8, 25). Partially fill a box lid or plastic tub with sand. Add a few rocks. Encourage the children to place the figures in the sand and tell you the Bible stories from October and November. Remind the children that Abraham and Sarah were Isaac s parents. Isaac and Rebekah were Jacob and Esau s parents. Abraham and Sarah were Jacob and Esau s grandparents. THANKSGIVING MIX (COOKING) Supplies: paper grocery bag and tape/stapler & staples OR large resealable plastic bag, Bugles snacks, pretzels, dried fruit, sunflower seeds, candy corn, scoop, napkins, handwashing supplies Be sure to check for allergies before handling or serving food with your children. Have the children wash their hands. Pour Bugles, pretzels, dried fruit, sunflower seeds, and candy corn into a paper grocery bag or large resealable plastic bag. Fold over the grocery bag and staple or tape the top shut. Or seal the plastic bag. Have the children stand in a circle. ASK: What is a blessing? SAY: Sometimes we call the thank-you words we say before we eat a blessing. Sometimes we call nice things that happen to us blessings. We might say, It s a blessing that Luke has a new baby brother. A blessing can also be a special prayer where you use words to tell someone that God loves him or her and God wants to take care of him or her. This week is Thanksgiving. It s a time when we thank God for blessing us. I m going to pass this bag filled with snack mix around the circle. When you get the bag, shake it three times and then tells us something you are thankful for. Help the children pass the bag around the circle and say a thank-you prayer. After each child has had a turn shaking the bag, have the children sit on the floor or at a table. Choose a child to hand out napkins and another child to hand out paper cups. Scoop some of the Thanksgiving Mix into each child s cup. Enjoy eating the snack together. PRAY: Thank you, God, for blessings. Fall 2015 Session 12 DeepBlueKids.com 77
Jacob s Dream 78 Deep Blue Early Elementary Leader s Guide November 22