God helps Abraham follow him
Hospitality shown to three visitors. Isaac’s birth at last.
SCRIPTURE: Genesis 18 and 21

THEME: JESUS: OUR REDEEMER
POINT: God loves us and helps us make good choices.
MEMORY VERSE: “Do not forget to do good.” Hebrews 13:16a

SNACK: Fruit cocktail and lemonade.

SUPPLIES:

coloring sheets

big blocks

baby dolls, blankets, bottles, other baby care stuff

tube socks (one for each child) – child-sized okay.
Polyfill stuffing
string or rubber bands
Permanent markers (red and black)

Bible Quest Fall 2001 CD [recording of people laughing]
CD player

play doh
cutters and rolling pin

ARRIVAL:
Add prayers to the prayer wall.

ARRIVAL CENTERS:
Kitchen/housekeeping:

take care of baby dolls

Coloring sheets: Do an online search.

STORYTIME:
Show the children your Bible and explain that today’s story comes from the Bible, from the book of Genesis.
Share the story of The Visitors and Baby Isaac. (script below)

Why do you think Sarah laughed when the visitors said she would have a baby?

How do you think Abraham and Sarah felt when Baby Isaac was born?
Baby Isaac was a great surprise for Abraham and Sarah. Tell me about a time you got a good surprise that made you happy.
Sarah and Abraham welcomed their guests. They did a good thing. How can we do good?

Teach the memory verse:
“Do not forget to do good.” Hebrews 13:16a

DO NOT The hands are crossed and then move outward forcefully as if indicating that something should stop.

FORGET The hand wipes off the forehead to indicate that whatever was there is now gone (forgotten).

DO The bent 5 handshapes (both hands with all five fingers out, but bent) move back and forth to the sides of the body.

GOOD The hand moves forth from the mouth to the other hand (something has been tasted and judged as being good; it is therefore offered to others).

Review the previous memory verses.

CRAFT:
make baby Isaac dolls. [from Bible Quest.]
Give each child a tube sock and instruct the children to fill the socks half-full with stuffing.

After the sock is half stuffed, tie a string (or use a rubber band) around the sock to keep the stuffing in.

Tie another string more loosely around the sock about one-third of the way from the toe end – this will form the head at the toe of the sock.

Let the children use the permanent markers (supervise them carefully!) to add eyes and a mouth.

Pull the sock cuff back up over the body to serve as Isaac’s blanket.

Be sure to write each child’s name inside the cuff so they can take their own babies home.

While the children are working, discuss ways we care for babies and ways Abraham and Sarah probably cared for baby Isaac.

Also, review the story.

MUSIC:
“Jesus Loves Me”

“Never-ending Love”

[to the tune of “This Old Man;” from Hands-on-Bible-Curriculum]
God loves me,
Yes, it’s true.
And I love God, yes I do!
I know God’s love will never, never end!
God is my forever friend.

GAME:
Laughing Game [adapted from Bible Quest.]
Put on the CD from Bible Quest, track 11.
What do you hear? [recording of laughter]
Why might these people be laughing?

People usually laugh when they see or hear something funny.

Did Abraham and Sarah see or hear something funny to them?

What was it?

People also laugh when they are happy.

Were Abraham and Sarah happy about something?

Are there any good things that make you laugh?

People sometimes laugh when others are laughing.

Do you think others joined in with Sarah’s laughing when Isaac was born?

Let’s all think of some things that God has given us that make us so happy, we want to laugh.
Now, let’s laugh together!

ADDITIONAL LEARNING CENTERS AND ACTIVITIES:

ART:
Encourage the children to play with play doh. Make sure they are sharing cookie cutters and other supplies (practice making good choices and doing good).

SOURCES:
ASL Browser - with videos of the signs used for the memory verse: see first post resources

Group Publishing. Hands-on-Bible Curriculum: Preschool Ages 3 & 4 Fall 2001.

Bible Quest Publishers. Bible Quest: A Bible Story Curriculum for All Ages. Ages 3-4. Fall 2000. “God Gave Abraham and Sarah a Baby.”

Bible Quest Publishers. Bible Quest: A Bible Story Curriculum for All Ages. Grades K-1. Fall 2001. “Abraham and Sarah Laugh.”

Guests and a Baby, Too!
STORY SCRIPT

Do you remember Abraham and Sarah? What did God promise to them?

One, God said to Abram, “Remember the promise I made with you. Always remember it. You will have a son, and then you will become a grandfather with many grandchildren. That is the covenant I made with you. And because of my promise, I am going to change your name from Abram [which means important father] to Abraham [which means father of many].

And Sarai will have a different name too. You shall call her Sarah, which means princess. She will be the mother of many people.”

Abraham thought this was funny, for he and Sarah were very old. He was one hundred years old, and Sarah was ninety. Abraham started laughing and asked God, “Can two old people have a child?”

God answered, “Yes, Abraham. You and Sarah will have a son, and I will make a promise with him, too. A covenant that will last forever!”

Sometime later, they had three visitors. Sarah and Abraham did a good thing; they welcomed the strangers and fed them and treated them kindly. One messenger said, “Sarah will have a baby next year.”

Sarah was listening to the conversation from inside a tent. Sarah thought this was funny. Sarah thought, “I am much too old to have a baby.” She began to giggle. And then she laughed out loud.

And the messenger of God asked, “Sarah, why do you laugh?”

“I didn’t laugh.”

But the messenger continued, “Sarah, is anything too hard for God? Trust God’s promise. You will have a son. God will do what He has promised!

Then one day it happened. Sarah was pregnant! Even though she was very old, she had a baby. A baby boy - their first star! They gave their baby a special name. They called him Isaac, which means “laughter.”

God’ promise was coming true after all. Sarah and Abraham knew this as they smiled at the little baby in their arms. They would have many many grandchildren! Over the years, Abraham’s family grew and grew and grew. A great nation was formed. And Abraham’s descendants became too many to count. Just like the dust of the earth, or the stars in the sky, or the grains of sand on the beach.

And it all began with one tiny baby. Isn’t God awesome? We’re so lucky to have him watching over us. And because He loves us so much, we love Him back, and want to do the right thing. We want to do good, just like Abraham and Sarah did.