bible passage: genesis 25:19–34; 27 (jacob and...

God Is Lord Over All of My Life

ScheduleAnticipate

5–10 minutes

Celebrate & RespondLarge Group

35–55 minutes

Respond & BlessSmall Group

20–25 minutes

Bible Passage: Genesis 25:19–34; 27 (Jacob and Esau)

REMEMBER VERSEThe Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down

in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.

Psalm 23:1–3

1.5date:

© 2013 David C Cook. T ruResources are developed in partnership with ROCKHARBOR Church and a national network of family and children’s ministry leaders. All rights reserved.

Environment: KNOWINGThis lesson highlights the environment of KNOWING in the sovereignty of God for the plans regarding the birth of Jacob and Esau and His plans for us to know Him too.

2

1.5

© 2013 David C Cook

Tori FunkhouserTruStory Team

InspireThe classic hymn “It Is Well with My Soul” came from a man who understood pain. Horatio Spafford had sent his wife and four daughters ahead of him to England on a family trip. Tragically, their ship collided with another and sank in just minutes. Spafford’s wife survived, but their daughters did not.

Shortly after, Horatio sailed to meet his wife. While floating past the place where his daughters died at sea, he wrote the famous hymn. The first stanza reads:

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,When sorrows like sea billows roll;Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,It is well, it is well with my soul.

In the midst of his darkest pain, Spafford acknowledged that he was at peace because of Christ. Though this first stanza addresses his grief, the others focus on Christ’s redemptive work on the cross. The third stanza reads:

My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought!My sin, not in part, but the whole,Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, o my soul!

God is surely the Comforter. But the even more exciting truth is that God is bigger than our situations. He is the Redeemer, the Savior, and the lover of our souls. In the midst of messy circumstances and painful relationships, even if we lose everything, God is still Lord over our lives.

N O T E S :

3

1.5


EquipGod is Lord over everything and everyone who has ever existed or will ever exist. And He was Lord over Jacob and Esau, the sons of Isaac and Rebekah. In the culture in which Jacob and Esau lived, the birthright and the blessing were special privileges bestowed upon the oldest son. The birthright gave the oldest son the privilege of a double portion of the inheritance as well as the title of priest, judge, and leader of the family.

The blessing, on the other hand, was intangible and spiritual. The patriarch could speak the blessing only once because the words could not be undone. Because Isaac had spoken his blessing over Jacob instead of Esau, he had no blessing left when Esau begged him “Bless me—me too!” (Genesis 27:34)

The Old Testament biblical blessing was a prayer and public declaration intended to bestow upon the older son favored status with God. It was a sign of special favor, which was to result in prosperity and success. Culturally, there was a great deal of importance placed upon blessings and curses in the Bible that modern readers may miss.

Rebekah seemed to understand the importance of the blessing. She said she would take a curse upon herself if Isaac found out her plan to give Jacob the blessing instead of Esau. Jacob may have also understood the spiritual significance of the blessing—more so than Esau, who in despising his birthright (Genesis 25:34) also despised his spiritual heritage.

As the story of Jacob unfolds in the following chapters of Genesis, we see a young man humbled and changed by a powerful personal encounter with God and by circumstances that force him to depend on God. Through it all, God is shaping Jacob into the kind of man He wants Jacob to be.

Environment of KNOWINGWe live in a world that denies absolute truth, and yet God’s Word offers just that. As we create an environment that upholds and displays God’s truth, we give children a foundation based on the knowledge of God, His Word, and a relationship with Him through Christ.

The 10 Environments guide us in creating a climate that puts God on display. Encourage your families to discover more about creating the environment of KNOWING in their homes by checking out HomeFront: A Spiritual Parenting Resource and Spiritual Parenting by Michelle Anthony.

4

1.5


SupportIn Romans 9, Paul adds an interesting perspective to the narrative of Jacob and Esau. In verses 11–16, Paul writes, “Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls—[Rebekah] was told, ‘The older will serve the younger.’ Just as it is written: ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.’ What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.”

Paul reminds us in these verses that God is sovereign. The situation with Jacob doesn’t make sense; some of us may be furious with Jacob for his deceit and his treachery, and we may wonder why God would allow this imperfect man to benefit from God’s blessings. But Paul reminds us in Romans that God is in control and that God calls whomever He wants to call. God is merciful, and He wants us to desire Him. And let’s face it: We really can’t judge Jacob too harshly. There is a little bit of Jacob in all of us.

As you lead the kids through this lesson, remind them that God is sovereign and good. God is Lord over everything, and He is Lord of our lives—even when situations are hard, when things don’t make sense, and when relationships are hurtful. Offer your children grace as you pray over the difficult situations in their lives. Encourage parents to pray through the trials in their families together with their children.

ADAM & EVE

SUSEJ

OUR FUTURE WITH JESUS

YOU & ME

NOAH

ABRAHAM

ISAACJACOB

MOSESJOSEPH

JOSHUA

SOLOMON

JOHN THE BAPTIST

CENTURIONNICODEMUSPETERLAZARUS

PAUL

JOSEPHMARY

DAVID

TIMELINE

400Y

EA

RS

OF

WA

I TING

5

1.5


Navigating This LessonBelow you’ll find descriptions of terms you may encounter throughout the lessons.

Leader Tip: Suggestions for programming and classroom management.

Programming Note: Suggestions for modifying or adjusting programming to best fit your service schedule.

Partner Church Comments: Insightful comments, suggestions, and variations offered for activities and programming provided by our national network of children’s and family ministry leaders.

Optional: Suggestions of ways you can adapt the activities and games to best fit your own church and group of kids.

Host: The Host offers the same spirit of hospitality, generosity, and inclusiveness to the kids that the host of a party would offer to the guests at her home or gathering.

Small Group Leader: The Small Group Leader shepherds the kids through questions about the portion of The Big God Story and biblical truths, engages them in community-building activities, helps them create a remembrance of their experience, and blesses them before they leave. Ideally, Small Group Leaders work week after week with the same group of kids, giving them the opportunity to develop lasting relationships with each child.

Worship Leader: The Worship Leader facilitates individual and corporate worship by listening to the direction of the Holy Spirit and inviting others into the worship experience.

Storyteller: After active involvement with the Scriptures and the lesson, the Storyteller recounts the Bible passage for the kids in an engaging way. He leads out of an overflow of his own life, telling personal stories as prompted and guiding the kids into a time of natural worship response.

AV Technician: This person facilitates the “behind-the-scenes” aspects of programming, including sound, lighting, slides, etc. The AV Technician makes sure things run smoothly and is willing to help with anything—including stepping into any of the other leader roles.

Programming NoteAlways feel free to adjust the lesson to fit your service schedule. If you run out of time, consider cutting an activity. To fill time, consider adding a game to CONNECT or adding more worship time to large group RESPOND.

If you need to end the lesson early, consider skipping to the BLESS section to send out the kids with a sense of peace so they can be a blessing to others.

6

1.5


Lesson Overview

N O T E S :

Experience Time Summary Supplies/Prepare (Master Supply List at tru.davidccook.com)

Anticipate//Small Group Check-In

5–10 min.

Encourages interaction among kids, leaders, and parents; engages the kids in curiosity and anticipation of the lesson; and creates an inviting atmosphere.

OPTION 1: Pass It Down (for Younger Kids)• small, soft ball

OPTION 2: What Is It? (for Older Kids)• objects with various textures (cotton balls, shells,

rocks, burlap, plastic shopping bags, feathers, etc.)• paper lunch bags (1 per object)• optional: small boxes (1 per object), scissors, and

materials to decorate the boxes; paper (1 sheet per box) and pens, stopwatch or timer

Celebrate//Large Group

20–35 min.

Establishes community andtells stories both personaland biblical in a fun andengaging way.

Traditions• mementos for your church Traditions

(rocks, marbles, gumballs, etc.)• Remember Verse cards, slide, and animation

(see tru.davidccook.com)

Connect Question• Connect Question slide (see tru.davidccook.com)

Connect Activity: Get in Order• Connect Activity slide (see tru.davidccook.com)• optional: upbeat music (suggestion: “Jesus Saves,”

TruWorship Sincerely Yours)

The Big God Story • Bibles (1 per child)• Timeline slide and animation (see tru.davidccook.com)• nametags (4)• marker• chair• faux fur (clothing or piece of fabric)• man’s flannel shirt• slides of words describing God

(see tru.davidccook.com)

Respond//Large Group

15–20min.

Creates space for childrento respond to the Holy Spiritin worship and communityas a large group.

• quiet worship music (suggestion: “I Am Listening to You,” TruWorship Sincerely Yours)

• response template (see tru.davidccook.com)• pencils or pens

*To make metric conversions, search the Internet for a metric conversion chart or calculator.

N O T E S :

7

1.5


Lesson Overview

N O T E S :

Experience Time Summary Supplies/Prepare (Master Supply List at tru.davidccook.com)

Respond//Small Group

15–20min.

Discusses truth, reflectson the lesson, engages inrelationships, and createsa project or a piece of artindividually or together.

Reflect: God Is Lord Over All of My Life• Bibles (1 per child)

Create: Sticky Note Praise• Bibles (1 per child)• poster board (1 sheet)• sticky notes (1 pad per 2–3 children)• pens or pencils

Bless//Small Group

5 min. Sends the kids out with a sense of peace and blessing so they can be a blessing to their families and others.

• Bible• Psalm 47 Call-and-Response (see tru.davidccook.com)• HomeFront Weekly (1 per child; tru.davidccook.com)• HomeFront: A Spiritual Parenting Resource

(1 per family; tru.davidccook.com or HomeFrontMag.com)

*To make metric conversions, search the Internet for a metric conversion chart or calculator.

N O T E S :

http://HomeFrontMag.com

8

1.5


ANTICIPATE | CELEBRATE | RESPOND | BLESS

Anticipate// 5–10 min.

An energizing time for parents and kids to start engaging with the material that will be presented in the lesson.

It is intentionally designed to spark curiosity and cultivate a sense of awe and wonder about God.

Encourage parents to participate in this time with their kids.

Small Group Leaders

SMALL GROuPS E C T I O N

Isaac’s twin sons, Jacob and Esau, were very different. They even looked different. Esau was hairy, but Jacob’s skin was smooth. Each of us has unique and sometimes quirky traits we share with our families (even if we’re adopted!). From our senses of humor to our eye color to the types of things we like to do in our free time—there’s no mistaking that we’re a part of our families!

Option 1: Pass It Down (for Younger Kids)SUPPLIES• small, soft ball

ENGAGE(Invite children to join you in forming a circle.) What are some things that people in your family have passed down to you? For example, maybe you’re very good at math like your dad or have green eyes like your grandma. What about you and your family? (Interact with kids’ responses.) We’re going to play a game during which we get to pass a ball around the circle in some unique, quirky ways, just like each of us has unique family characteristics.

Start a game that involves passing a small, soft ball around the circle. During the first round, have each child pass it to the next child any way she chooses. For each round after that, direct your kids to pass around the ball in unusual ways—over the head, behind the back, under the leg, with right hand only, etc. After a couple of rounds, mix it up by allowing kids to pass the ball to anyone in the circle, not just the person next to them. Play as many rounds as you want, changing the directions each time

Option 2: What Is It? (for Older Kids)SUPPLIES• objects with various textures (cotton balls, shells, rocks, burlap, plastic shopping bags,

feathers, etc.)• paper lunch bags (1 per object)• optional: small boxes (1 per object), scissors, and materials to decorate the boxes; paper

(1 sheet per box) and pens, stopwatch or timer

SET UPPut each object in a paper lunch bag and roll the top closed. Optional: Put each object in a small box and cut a hole in the side, big enough for a child’s hand to reach inside. Decorate the box if you wish. Put a sheet of paper and a pen next to each box.

ENGAGEThough Esau and Jacob were twins, they were very different. In order for Jacob to make his father believe he was Esau, he put on goat skins so his father would think he was his hairier son, Esau.

9

1.5


With this activity, lead the children in feeling various objects and guessing what they are without seeing them. Have the children gather in a circle and pass around the bags. Allow kids to feel inside each bag—but no peeking! Once everyone gets a chance to feel all of the objects, reveal the contents of each bag.

Optional: If you’re using boxes instead of bags, let the kids visit each box and try to determine what’s inside by feeling it. Then let them write their guesses on a sheet of paper. To make this more energetic, give the kids 60 seconds to visit as many objects as possible.

N O T E S :


Programming NoteThe activity option in ANTICIPATE is designed to take place during your check-in time. Your time frame may range from five to ten minutes, depending on your church’s facility and service-time setup. You can choose the option above or add an idea of your own.

This section is also created to be flexible according to your facility. If it works best to direct kids and their parents to individual small group rooms for this time, set up activities in each room. And if you check kids directly into your large group space, arrange your ANTICIPATE activities accordingly.

Encourage parents to join their children in the activity. This helps with transition, introduces parents to the lesson, and supports parents as the primary nurturers of their children’s faith.

17

1.5


Reflect: God Is Lord Over All of My LifeThough Jacob tricked Isaac into blessing him instead of Esau, God is still God. And God had a plan for Jacob and Esau in His story. In the same way, God is Lord in our lives too, and He has a plan for us in His story. (Encourage the kids to open their Bibles and read the suggested passages.)

Questions for Younger Kids• What do you think God meant when He said while Rebekah was still pregnant

that “the older will serve the younger”? (Genesis 25:23)• Why was the blessing so important? (Genesis 27:28–29)• What is a blessing?• Why did Isaac bless Jacob instead of Esau? (Genesis 27:19–24)• Did Esau want the blessing? (Genesis 27:34)

Questions for Older Kids• What was so special about being the firstborn son?• What is a blessing?• Why was the blessing so important? (Genesis 27:28–29)• What did God tell Rebekah while she was still pregnant? What do you think His

words mean? (Genesis 25:22–23)• How do we know that the promise God made to Abraham also applied to Isaac?

(Genesis 26:3–5)• One of the promises God made to Abraham was that through his descendants,

the whole world would be blessed. Which one of Abraham’s descendants was that referring to? How do you and I benefit from this blessing?

Engage: Sticky Note PraiseSUPPLIES• Bibles (1 per child)• poster board (1 sheet)• sticky notes (1 pad per 2–3 children)• pens or pencils

ENGAGEHave the children sit in a circle and place the poster board in the middle. Give each child several sticky notes. Then tell them they have a few minutes to brainstorm characteristics of God—things they know about Him. They can list things that God has the power to do, words that describe God, things God did in Scripture, etc. The children can use their Bibles and their imaginations. They should write each word or phrase on a separate sticky note and place it on the poster board as quickly as possible.


A time to engage in relationship, reflect on the lesson with spiritual conversation, and/or create a meaningful project or piece of art.

Respond// 15–20 min. Small Group Leaders


N O T E S :

Resource Tip“Science Experiments” activities are available for this lesson. Premium, Unlimited, and Combo users may access this resource at tru.davidccook.com.

18

1.5



N O T E S : After a few minutes, have the kids look at the poster board and count how many sticky notes they added. Take some time to read all the notes on the board, even the duplicates.

Pause for a moment or two and allow everyone to soak in the truth of who God is from all the things mentioned. Encourage your kids to share what it means to them that God is God over all in their lives.

How have you seen some of these things about God displayed in your own life? What sticky note about God might be most helpful to remember this week? How can you trust God with everything in your life?

If possible, keep the poster board and display it at next week’s REMEMBER & CELEBRATE lesson.

19

1.5



Bless// 5 min. Small Group Leaders


A blessing can be a prayer of commission, a portion of Scripture, or words of encouragement or guidance.

Blessings can be offered in order to ask God’s Spirit to overflow from the child’s life to bless others or prayed over a child for the purpose of declaring God’s protection, joy, or wisdom.

Leader TipEvery lesson ends with a blessing. This is a time for parents and leaders to speak truth over children’s lives. The idea of the blessing is to transition the child from being blessed to being a blessing to others.

The blessing can be done in many ways, but the more intentional you are about it, the more powerful it will be. Depending on whether parents are able to join this time, you may want them to put their hands on their child’s head or kneel and look him in the eye as they bless him. Leaders, be sure to model how you envision the blessing working in your church so your volunteers and parents become comfortable with it.

SUPPLIES• Bible• Psalm 47 Call-and-Response (see tru.davidccook.com)

SET UPPrint a copy of the Psalm 47 Call-and-Response for each child.

ENGAGEAs kids are blessed, tell them they have the opportunity to also be a blessing to others. Encourage them to freely share with others the joy and love they’ve received from God.

Encourage the children to hold their hands in front of them, palms up. This posture is meant to symbolize a willingness of heart to respond to God’s Holy Spirit and receive what God has for them. Invite them to remain in this posture as you bless them. Encourage parents to come early in order to read the blessing over their child.

Today your children will have the opportunity to participate in the time of blessing by reading lines of response after the leader. Pass out the papers, and encourage the children to follow along so they know when it’s their turn to say a line.

Open a Bible and lead the kids in the following call-and-response reading of Psalm 47:

Leader: Clap your hands, all you nations;Children: Shout to God with cries of joy.

Leader: For the Lord Most High is awesome,Children: The great King over all the earth.

Programming NoteDepending on the structure of your end-of-service pick-up time, you might give this formal blessing at the end of small group, or you might move it to the end of large group RESPOND. If parents typically arrive to pick up their children at about the same time, involve them in the blessing. However, if parents tend to pick up their kids at staggered intervals, you might have each Small Group Leader bless her group before transitioning into the small group room.

20

1.5


Leader: He subdued nations under us, peoples under our feet. Children: He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom he loved.

Leader: God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.Children: Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises.

Leader: For God is the King of all the earth; Children: Sing to him a psalm of praise.

Leader: God reigns over the nations; Children: God is seated on his holy throne.

Leader: The nobles of the nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham, Children: For the kings of the earth belong to God;

Everyone together: [God] is greatly exalted.

Close your time by blessing the kids. Encourage them to hold their hands in front of them, palms up. This posture is meant to symbolize a willingness of heart to respond to God’s Holy Spirit and receive what God has for them.

N O T E S :


HomeFront: A Spiritual Parenting Resource: This magazine gives families ideas for creating fun, spiritually forming times in their homes—setting aside a sacred space for family in the midst of their active, everyday lives! As the new issues become available each month, you may choose to print them for families or encourage them to visit HomeFrontMag.com to subscribe to have the magazine sent directly to their inbox. HomeFront is also available as an app for your iPhone, iPad, or Android device.

HomeFront Weekly: Be sure to send home the HomeFront Weekly for next week’s lesson! This preteaching tool for parents encourages families to spend time in God’s Word together before children arrive at church.

http://HomeFrontMag.com

bible passage: genesis 25:19–34; 27 (jacob and...

Documents