17I will indeed bless you, and I will make your off-spring as numerous as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of their enemies, 18and by your offspring shall all the nations of the earth gain blessing for themselves, because you have obeyed my voice.’

Begin: Guide reads the background, scripture & prays for the class

Unwrap-Opening Activity 10:00-10:10

Set the Altar 10:10-10:15

Investigate: Tell & Wonder about the Story 10:15-10:30

Learn By Doing & Snack 10:30-10:45

Music (check weekly Sunday School Email for Times)

Dismiss: Review the Cornerstone & Closing Prayer

Introduce Abraham and Sarah and how they trusted God as they journeyed to a new land.

2

The journey of Abraham and Sarah resonates with children as most of them are familiar with taking trips, are fascinated by stars and sand, and understand about making and keeping promises.

Abraham hears God’s call to leave his country and he faithfully says “yes” to God. When God calls Abraham, he also invites him to join in a covenant (promise) with God. God promises to make Abraham into a great nation and to bless him. The members of the great family will be as many as there are stars in the sky and grains of sand in the desert.

When Abraham heard God’s call, Abraham and Sarah are quite old so having a family seemed impossible to them. They weren’t quite sure what God meant but that didn’t stop them from trusting in God. Despite various trials and adventures, Abraham keeps his promise and so does God.

We are the proof that God kept the promise to Abraham. We are God’s children living thousands of years and on the other side of the globe from Abraham and there are lots of us. We are as many as the stars in the sky. We can count on God to keep other promises too.

Draw one star on the chalk board for each child in the class. Have them come up to write their name underneath a star as a reminder that they are EACH part of God’s family, and are proof of the promise that God made to Abraham.

3

Pick up a Bible and show the class where Genesis is.

* Explain that the bBble has two main parts: OLD TESTAMENT and NEW TESTAMENT. Show where each is located, then point out that Genesis is the very first chapter in the bible.

Read Genesis 22:17-18 aloud.

SENSORY SAND – Set out small bowl/bin of

sand on each table (set on a tray to catch

spills?) for the children to feel and run their

fingers through (we have these supplies at the

church).

Use the sand to discuss the story’s

message. Talk about how small the

grains of sand are, and how many

there are… even just in one scoop of

sand. Help them grasp what a big

number God was talking about when

he told Abraham that his descendants

would be as many as the grains of sand

and the stars in the sky.

Does anyone think they can count every

sand grain in the bin? Maybe even just

a handful? Imagine counting all of the

sand grains in the whole world… think

of all the beaches, rivers, lakes with

sand, and all of the sand under the

ocean that we cannot even see. That’s

A LOT of sand grains!

Now, I wonder if you have ever been out in

the country, or at the beach or in the

mountains… far from the city lights

where you can really see the stars in

the sky well? They just go on, and on,

and on FOREVER.

I wonder how Abraham’s family could go

on and on like the stars do?

When Abraham’s children had children,

and those children had children, then

after thousands of years your

grandparents would have children, and

when then one day YOU were born. I

wonder if that means that you are also

a part of this same family?

4

MAGIC STARS CRAFT Materials: rainbow “scratch off” paper and pointed dowels (we have these at the church)

Instructions: Have the children draw star shapes on the black waxy surface with their dowel and watch as their stars are revealed in brilliant colors.

SENSORY SAND – Set out small bowl/bin of sand on each table (set on a tray

to catch spills?) for the children to feel and run their fingers through (we have

these supplies at the church).

Say: Today we learned how Abraham and Sarah trusted God and went to a new

place.

Call: The Lord be with you.

Response: And Also with you.

Let us pray:

Thank you God for calling Abraham and Sarah. Help me to put my trust in you! Amen