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nmoff 'The WoRM-i-nator'

Posted This is a compilation of previously submitted materials by the Presb. Church of Sunnyvale. This topic contains the following: Story Background Information Drama: Enact the story Video: “McGee and Me, Back to the Drawing Board” Bible Skills and Games - arm wrestling, water relay race, basic Bible skills practice Cooking: Lentil bean soup Art: Make marble rock paper weights to remind us of Jacob’s dream. Computer Workshop: Bibleland.com or the Amazing Bible Expedition ---------- The Story of Jacob and Esau - Background Information Isaac grew up quickly. Born to Sarah and Abraham, he was loved dearly. Every time Abraham looked at him, he remembered that Isaac was a promise from God. Also, God promised that through Isaac and his children’s children the whole world would be blessed. Isaac grew up to manhood and took on a wife. A servant found her walking towards a well. She offered him a drink of water and said her name was Rebekah. She was the granddaughter of Nahor. Nahor was Abraham’s brother. Rebekah gladly agreed to marry Isaac. For many years they had no children. Finally, Rebekah found that she had not one but two babies on the way. At that time, the eldest son inherited all the family rights and privileges. But before the babies were born, God told Rebekah that this time the younger one was to become the head of the family. Twin boys were born-first Esau, then Jacob. The boys grew. Rebekah loved Jacob best. He liked to stay in the tent while Esau hunted. One day, Esau arrived home really hungry. Esau demanded soup. Jacob was cooking some bean soup. Jacob realized this was the chance he had been waiting for. He would bargain with Esau the thing he wanted most. “Ill give you soup if you give me the rights that belong to the firstborn son. “All right” he agreed. “What do I care?” Jacob insist he promise and he did. Esau quickly forgot about his promise but Jacob thought about it often. Isaac was old by now and his eyesight very poor. He took to his bed because he thought he was going to die. Then he called to Esau. “You are my first born son. I must give you my blessing before I die. Go out and hunt deer, to make me the venison stew I love. When I have eaten it, I will bless you.” Esau took his bow and arrow and set off. Rebekah had overheard them. If Jacob was to be the head of the family, he should receive the special blessing. She told Jacob to go kill to goats and she would make stew. He would pretend to be Esau and take it to him, therefor getting the blessing. Jacob did as he was told and because of his father’s poor eyesight, received the blessing. Soon Esau arrived with the venison. When Isaac heard the real Esau’s voice he cried out in horror. He knew he had been tricked! Esau cried bitterly with disappointment. Then he grew angry. He vowed to kill Jacob. Rebekah heard his shouts and told Isaac she would send Jacob back to the country where she had come from to find a wife. Isaac agreed and Jacob left home. Jacob stayed away for a long time. He married and had 12 sons – one of whom was Joseph. Jacob was always sad that he tricked his brother and made him so angry. He finally decided to go back to his home and ask for Esau’s forgiveness. Jacob packed up his entire family and returned to his homeland. When he arrived, Esau forgave him and they made up. ---------- STAGES OF FAITH - Drama Workshop Stages of Faith will focus on Worship throughout the year. Lesson Objectives: The children will learn about Jacob and Esau, sons of Isaac, grandsons of Abraham. They will be able to retell the story at the end of class. Activity: Act out the play provided in the folder, "The Story of the Birthright". [Exchange Volunteer's note, July 13, 2004: the origin of this play is not known. The poster of this lesson set has been queried. If more info becomes available, this lesson will be updated.] Supplies: Worship Center and Candle Costumes and props, background scenery Preparation Needed: Set up Worship Center Get out costumes and set up exterior scene in corner of the room. Lesson Plan Worship Focus and Welcome: The focus in Stages of Faith is Worship. Assemble in God’s name. The first part of the order of worship helps us move from the world or ordinary time and place to the holy. As we gather we need a way to get ready to be with God, to move our attention from ourselves and our world to God. The Shepherd greets the children, have them wear their name tags located in the Shepherd’s tote. As they enter Stages of Faith, they are welcomed to Worship. They sit near an altar with a candle to be lit at the start of the lesson (table in the room). Greet the children with the formal greeting: “The Lord be with you,” teach the children to reply, “And also with you.” Attendance: The Shepherd will be responsible for this. Include the shepherd in the class, in discussion and prayer time. Opening Prayer, light candle and say – “Dear God, bless us as we learn about your plan for Isaac’s children Jacob and Esau. Thank you for your blessings to us, and be with us today. Amen” Good Morning Opening: Titus 3:15 Leader: Good morning, God! Children: Bless us, O Lord! Leader: Thank you for bringing these children to BLAST Children: Bless us, O Lord! Leader: Let us enjoy our time together. Children: Bless us, O Lord! Leader: Help us to learn more about you. Children: Bless us, O Lord! Leader: Help us to remember that you love us. Children: Bless us, O Lord! Leader: Help us to be kind to other people. Children: Bless us, O Lord! All: BLESS US, O LORD! AMEN! Memory Verse: Numbers 6: 24-26 “May the Lord bless you and take care of you; May the Lord be kind and gracious to you, May the Lord look on you with favor and give you peace.” Sing the song, tape provided with player in the closet. Collect Offering. Extinguish the Candle Introduction: Today we will act out a play, the play is our Bible story. If this is the first week of the rotation, read the background information to the class so the children can familiarize themselves with an overview of the entire story. After covering the background information, review the timeline. Activity Instructions: Act out the play. The children can create roles without speaking lines. (I’ve experienced children wanting to play a tree.) Reflective questions: What was your favorite part of today’s story? What is a birthright? (The oldest son receives the greatest inheritance from his father) Why is a birthright important? (It gives one son more importance then the other) What is a blessing? (A sacred pledge that God will give prosperity and good fortune to you) Why did Esau forgive Jacob? Was Jacob surprised? Close: Pray a closing prayer, and release the class with a benediction: God go with you, Go in Peace.” ---------- BLAST Theater - Movie Theater Workshop Lesson Objectives: By viewing the movie “McGee and Me, Back to the Drawing Board” students will see what happens when one is jealous. They will learn that when we seek to please God we are able to be more thoughtful and generous towards others. Supplies: Video - “McGee and Me, Back to the Drawing Board” (30 minutes long; ISBN 0842341064), popcorn popper on cart from kitchen, popcorn bags in cabinet. Pitchers for water, cups are in the cabinet with napkins. Preparation Needed: Prepare popcorn according to directions inside the closet door. Cue movie. Lesson Plan Opening Welcome: Welcome the children and introduce yourself. Call the children by name. Have them wear their nametags. Nametags are located in the tote box and the Shepherds are responsible for giving them out. Attendance: The Shepherd will be responsible for this. Include the Shepherd in class, in discussion and prayer time. Introduction: This rotation we’ll be learning about jealousy from a Bible story and a more modern day story. Memory Verse: Review the memory verse for this rotation using one of the tips in your folder. May the Lord bless you and take care of you; May the Lord be kind and gracious to you; May the Lord look on you with favor and give you peace. Numbers 6: 24-26 Worship Time Light a candle: We will now enter into our Worship Time. This candle that I light represents the light of Christ who is always in our midst. This is a quiet time for us to focus on the Word of God. Opening Prayer: Dear God, sometimes we have feelings that are jealous. Help us to learn to love you first and let go of bad feelings. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Bible Passage/Story: If this is the first week of the rotation, read the background information to the class so the children can familiarize themselves with an overview of the entire story. After covering the background information, continue on with the part of the story assigned to this rotation. CB 24,25 and 26 Gen. 25: 19-34 Read the story of Jacob and Esau from Genesis 25: 19-34. The movie talks about jealousy from today’s perspective and reading the story explains some of the jealousy between Jacob and Esau. Collect Offering. Closing Prayer: Dear Lord, as we enter into our activity time, please keep our hearts and minds open to hear you speaking to us. Amen. Extinguish the candle Activity Time Instructions: Ask the students to watch the movie to find out why Nick is jealous, how that makes him feel and what Nick does about it. Reflective Questions: How did Nick feel when he saw Todd’s sketchpad? Uh-Oh Who is Jawbreaker? Todd’s robot What does Grandma suggest? Focus on what you and Todd have in common, not on your jealousy. Who won the poster contest? Derek the bully. How was Nick able to handle Derek’s winning? Nick had come to terms with his jealousy and had made positive overtures to Todd. When was a time you felt jealous? What were some of the problems caused by Nick’s jealousy? He felt miserable, he felt left out of the group. How does Nick’s jealousy compare to our Bible story about Jacob and Esau? Journaling: Ask children to journal about something they found meaningful, surprising or interesting in today’s class or pose a reflective question (listed above) as a journaling topic. ---------- Exploratorium - Bible Games & Skills Workshop This classroom will focus on developing Bible skills (Exploring God’s Word). Every rotation will include Hands-on Bible time, a memory verse/Bible story game and a short quiz at the end to receive a special item from the treasure chest. The goal is for the students to learn about God’s word and have a lot of fun doing that. We will be using the Good News Bible in the classroom (which is the same version of the Bible they receive in 3rd grade). Please use the Good News Bible to read the chosen Bible story from. Using the Bible and learning to listen to the Bible is key to this classroom. The classroom also has a copy of the Children’s Bible for a different way to enhance the story time. The Children’s Bible provides the text in more of a condensed, story-telling method. Over the course of the Church School year, we want the students to learn about the importance of the Bible (it is God’s words and teachings to us), how the Bible can help us be better Christians (by following his directions), and about the different books in the Bible. For an outline of the Bible learning objectives by grade, please refer to the last page of this lesson plan. By understanding these objectives, it will allow you to tailor your lessons for the individual grades. Please share your own experience and habits about using the Bible with the class. Thank you for being part of sharing and teaching the Bible to the students. Lesson Overview: Bible Story: Genesis 25: 19-34 Memory Verse: Numbers 6:24-26 May the Lord bless you and take care of you: May the Lord be kind and gracious to you: May the Lord look on you with favor and give you peace. This rotation is focusing on the story of the relationship between the brothers Esau and Jacob. (Genesis 25:19-34, 28:10). Since this is a long story, different portions of the story will be covered in the different classrooms. The Exploratorium’s section will be Genesis 25: 19-34, about their birth order, parents favorites and Esau selling his birth rights. The memory verse ties in by talking about blessings and how the Lord favors each of us. A copy of this passage is included in this lesson folder, along with background information that provides an overview of the complete story. Lesson Objectives: (What you want the kids to learn) · To show that siblings and even friends disagree, but resolving their conflicts and working together they can achieve greater tasks. · For the students to be able to retell the major parts of the story. · For the students to learn the memory verse. · For the students to learn where Genesis is in the Bible. Lesson Activities: (Brief description of what will be done) · Hands on Bible time · Sibling jealousy discussion · Working together games · Memory verse game · Journaling · Class quiz Lesson Plan Opening Welcome: Welcome the children and introduce yourself. Call the children by name. Have them wear their nametags. Nametags are located in the tote box and the shepherds are responsible for giving them out. Attendance: The shepherd will be responsible for this. Include the shepherd in class, in discussion and prayer time. A good way to quickly involve the students the class is to have them think about a question that relates to the upcoming lesson, that they answer when their name is called during attendance taking. A question for this lesson could be: “How many are in your family?” Introduction: (What teacher says to class to frame the lesson) Welcome all the students back to the Exploratorium. This week’s story looks at a very real issue: how it feels when one person is favored and how you can become jealous of your siblings or friends. Sometimes it is very hard to say you’re sorry, but how you can accomplish more when you work together versus against each other. Worship Time Light a candle: We will now enter into our Worship Time. This candle that I light represents the light of Christ who is always in our midst. This is a quiet time for us to focus on the Word of God. Opening Prayer: Dear God, thank you for bringing us together to learn and discuss your word. Help us to learn how to say we are sorry when we disagree. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen. Collect Offering. Hands-on Bible time Make sure every student has Good News Bible to use for this exercise. 1st grade: Before you have the students open the Bible, talk about “Getting to know the Bible”. Explain how the Bible is broken into Old and New Testament sections (and the difference). Look at the Table of Contents at the front for a handy way to find the different books of the Bible. Listen to the Old Testament Books song on the Wee Sing Bible Songs CD to review the names. Have the students find where Genesis is in the Bible. Talk about how the books are broken into chapters and verses. Older grades: Quiz the students on the Bible (items listed above in “Getting to know the Bible”.) All grades: Talk about “What is the Bible?” – 4 reasons God put the Bible together. 1. his autobiography (explain it to the 1st graders) 2. his plan 3. a love letter 4. an instruction manual Bible Story Time: With their Bibles open to Genesis, have them find the story: Genesis chapter 25: 19-34 (Good News Bible) Children’s Bible 24-26 (reference) For the younger grades, read them the story. The older students can read the story to themselves. Closing Prayer: Dear Lord, as we enter into our activity time, please keep our hearts and minds open to hear you speaking to us. Amen. Extinguish the candle Activity Time You can accomplish more by working together: Listed below are a few games to emphasize how working together versus against each other can accomplish more. 1. Arm Wrestling (might not work with 1st graders) Have two students arm wrestle (everyone will get a turn, can set up a couple of stations). If they hit one side of the table they receive a piece of candy, if they hit the other side they also get a piece of candy. They will have 30 seconds to compete. If they actually wrestle against each other, they may only get one piece of candy. However, if they work together and just move their arms from one side to another, they will receive more candy. The objective is to see if they figure out on their own that it is more beneficial to work together than to oppose each other. 2. Water relay race Break the class into two teams (or more if needed). Have the two teams line up behind a line, with a bucket of water for each team. The first time you do the race, have one person from each team, scoop some water from the bucket with a cup and run to the other end and pour into the empty bucket. They then run back to the line and hand the cup to the next person. This will continue down the line. Put a time limit on the game (around 3 minutes), but make sure that every student gets at least one turn. Note how much water has been put in the bucket at the end. Pour the water back into the original buckets behind the line and this time have the team spread out so that they can pass cups down the line (will need more cups for this part). The person at the end of the line will receive the cup, pour the water into the bucket and run back to end of the line to scoop up again. At the end of the time limit, compare how much water is in the end pails. Memory Verse: Numbers 6:24-26 May the Lord bless you and take care of you: May the Lord be kind and gracious to you: May the Lord look on you with favor and give you peace. Have the students find where the book of Numbers is located in the Bible. They can either use the table of contents in the Bible or have them look at the “Books of the Bible” poster. 1st grade: Red Light, Green Light and Giant Steps Memory Verse Review (on page 37 in The Big Book of Bible Games Gospel Light, 1996. ISBN: 0830718214) Older grades: Verse Commercials Memory Verse Game (on page 164 in book mentioned above). If you do not have time to plan a memory verse game, bring out the Church School memory verse tape and review the verse with the song. Journaling Ask the students to journal about something they found meaningful, surprising or interesting in today’s class or pose a reflective question as a journaling topic. (Journals are kept in the shepherd’s box.) Reflective Questions: · How do you feel when you get jealous? · Do you ever feel like one of your parents likes one of your siblings better? How does that make you feel? · Is it hard saying you are sorry? · How does it make you feel that God looks upon you with favor? Class quiz: To review with the class some of the major points they learned, have the class answer the questions listed below. This will be the last activity before the students leave the classroom. After they have answered the questions, have each student pick an item from the treasure chest. · Who can recite the memory verse? · Where is the memory verse found in the Bible? · Tell me about the story. · Where is today’s story found in the Bible? · Where is Genesis found in the Bible? In closing, express how you enjoyed being with their class today and you hope they can come back to BLAST next week. Additional Activities: · reading books (in the Church School cabinet) · games/puzzles (in the Church School cabinet) · activity sheets (in the shepherd’s box) · plan a game of hang man with words from lesson Preparation for Class Supplies provided and located in room: (What teacher needs for lesson) · Good News Bible for students · treasure chest (actually just a basket) Preparation needed: (What teacher needs to do before class begins) · Bring out a Good News Bible for every student for the Hands-on Bible time (from the Church School cabinet in the room). · Bring out the Treasure Chest (basket from the Church School cabinet in the room), so the students can choose an item after the short class quiz, right before the end of the class. · Review the instructions for the different games and determine the appropriate ones for the grade level. Collect the needed items for the games. - candy for the arm wrestling - stop watch for both the arm wrestling and water race relay - four buckets and 20 small cups (or could be yogurt or butter dishes) for the water race relays - make stop and go signs for red light/green light game · Available in the Church School cabinet are the Wee Sing Bible Songs vol. 1 CD, song number 21 and 22, “The Books of the Bible” and the Church School songs tape which includes the memory verse song for this rotation. ---------- Loaves & Fishes Cafe - Cooking Workshop Lesson Objectives: Our focus is about jealousy, and what can happen when we become jealous. Activity: Cooking Bean Soup Preparation Needed: 45 minutes before class cover lentils in 10 cups of water for 45 minutes. These will be ready when you add balance of ingredients. Lesson Plan Opening Welcome the children and introduce yourself. Call the children by name. Have them wear their nametags. Nametags are located in the tote box and the shepherds are responsible for giving them out. Attendance: The Shepherd will be responsible for this. Include the Shepherd in class, in discussion and prayer time. Introduction: Always begin this rotation with cooking first. That way, if you are putting something in the oven you will have plenty of time to bake. Move to kitchen. Activity Time Instructions: On the butcher block table have: 2 onions 4 stalks celery 2 cans tomatoes 2 green peppers 2 cans beef broth 2-3 tablespoons of Oil Be sure and have your lentils already cooking in hot water. Have all of your ingredients on the butcher block table. Teach the children how to cut the vegetables. To be done by an adult: In a frying pan add the oil to medium heat. Add all vegetables and cook until soft, about 6 minutes. Transfer all ingredients to the pot of lentils. Add the tomatoes and beef broth to lentils. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve in small bowls. Worship Time Light a candle and tell the children that the class is now entering a time of worship. This is a quiet time for the class to focus on the Word of God. Opening Prayer: Dear God, We will be learning about the story of Jacob and Esau. Please help us to learn that jealousy is not good. Help us to open our hearts and our minds to Your Word. Amen. Memory Verse: Numbers 6:24-26 May the Lord bless and take care of you; May the Lord be kind and gracious to you; May the Lord look on you with favor and give you peace.” Bible Passage/Story Children’s Bible Story #24 “Jacob’s Bargain”, or Genesis 25. If this is the first week of the rotation, read the background information to the class so the children can familiarize themselves with an overview of the entire story. After covering the background information, review the timeline and note that we are focusing on Jacob’s bargain with Esau today. For this rotation, different workshops are hearing different parts of the story, so take time with the story. It is not repeated in the other workshops. Collect Offering. Closing Prayer: Dear Lord, May we use these gifts to Your glory. Amen. Reflective Questions: 1. How did Rebekah and Jacob trick Isaac? 2. Did Rebekah favor Jacob? Why? 3. Do you think Jacob was greedy? 4. How did Esau feel when he came back and saw Jacob with Isaac? 5. Do you think Jacob was jealous? 6. Name a time when you have been jealous? 7. How did if feel? 8. Have you ever made anyone feel jealous? 9. Do you think it’s unfair that the first born gets all of the family fortune? 10. Why do people get jealous? 11. Does God think it’s a good idea we are jealous? Journaling: Ask children to journal about something they found meaningful, surprising or interesting in today’s class. They can also write the memory verse. ---------- Creative Expressions - Art & Crafts Workshop Activity: Make marble rock paper weights to remind us of Jacob’s story. Lesson Objectives: After completing this lesson, the students will be able to: ¨ Retell the story in their own words ¨ Know that today’s story is found in the Old Testament Book of Genesis ¨ Know the family relationship between Abraham, Isaac and Jacob ¨ Know what Jacob’s dream was and how he responded to it. Supplies provided: crayons, crayon sharpeners, newspaper, potholders or oven mitts, smooth rocks, cookie trays Preparation Needed: wash off rocks, place on cookie sheet covered with foil. Heat rocks in 200 degree oven for 1 hour. (put them in the oven and ask the shepherds to bring the rocks when you will be ready for the craft portion of class – maybe around 9:15 – 9:20). Cover tables with layers of newspapers. Set out crayons and sharpeners. Lesson Plan Opening Welcome the children and introduce yourself. Call the children by name. Have them wear their nametags. Nametags are located in the tote box and the shepherds are responsible for giving them out. Attendance: The Shepherd will be responsible for this. Include the shepherd in class, in discussion and prayer time. Introduction: Today we will be hearing part of the story of Jacob. Who can tell me who Jacob’s father was? (Isaac, son of Abraham). We learned about Abraham, Sarah and Isaac in our last rotation. Memory Verse: Review the memory verse for this rotation using one of the tips in your folder. Numbers 6:24-26 May the Lord bless and take care of you; May the Lord be kind and gracious to you; May the Lord look on you with favor and give you peace. Worship Time Light a candle: We will now enter into our Worship Time. This candle that I light represents the light of Christ who is always in our midst. This is a quiet time for us to focus on the Word of God. Opening Prayer: God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, God of us all: Please help us to really hear today’s story and understand what you are saying to us through these Bible passages. AMEN. Bible Passage/Story: Story #27 from the Children’s Bible in 365 Stories, “Jacob’s Ladder” from the Children’s Illustrated Bible or Genesis 28:10-22. The Children’s Illustrated Bible and the Good News Bible are probably the best choices for this rotation as they have clear references to the stone which is our craft focus today. Pick the version of the story that you feel most comfortable with and feel is easiest to discuss with your students. If this is the first week of the rotation, read the background information to the class so the children can familiarize themselves with an overview of the entire story. After covering the background information, review the timeline and note that we are focusing on Jacob’s dream today. For this rotation, different workshops are hearing different parts of the story, so take time with the story. It is not repeated in the other workshops. If you choose to read the story from the Bible, distribute Bibles to the students and have them locate the story in the Bible and follow along as you read. Collect Offering. Closing Prayer: Dear Lord, as we enter into our activity time, please keep our hearts and minds open to hear you speaking to us. Amen. Extinguish the candle Activity Time Instructions: ¨ Stress to the children that the rock are hot. ¨ Have students press a crayon into the hot rock, just enough to melt. Have the students color the part of the rock that they can see. Don’t tip the rock over to do the bottom. The crayon wax will form a flat bottom for the rock, so that it will sit nicely on a desk as a paper weight. ¨ Sprinkle crayon shavings The colors will swirl down the rock. They can add colors as long as the rock is hot and the crayon wax is runny. Bright colors seem to work best for this step. ¨ The rocks should be cool enough to take home. Get paper bowls or plates from the CS Office if the rocks seem to hot to carry. ¨ The rocks can be polished with a soft rag to make them shine and glow when they are completely cooled. Closing Time Reflective Questions: ¨ How would you react if you had a dream that God was speaking to you? Would you immediately believe it? (You can note that not only did Jacob immediately believe that God spoke to him, but he built an alter to mark the location as holy. Jacob was also afraid, but this did not stop him from praising God and making a commitment to God to worship only Him.) ¨ Jacob spoke (In the Good News version) of giving God a tenth of all he had. How does this relate to us today? (This was Jacob’s offering to God – just like our offering that we bring to church each week. It was Jacob’s way of giving thanks to God for all that God has provided. Giving a full tenth of your income is called “Tithing”.) Journaling: Ask children to journal about something they found meaningful, surprising or interesting in today’s class. If you have a younger class, you should provide them with guidance regarding what they could journal about. If there is time, you could brainstorm with the class one or two important things you learned about today and write those on the board. You could choose to write the memory verse on the board (including reference) or you could write one or two partial sentences on the board for the children to finish. Remember that first graders are just learning to write sentences and you could also give them an idea of a picture to draw. For example for younger grades (1st – 2nd), ¨ Copy down the memory verse ¨ Draw a picture of what you think Jacob’s dream looked like - or – ¨ Create an idea of your own. For older grades (3rd – 6th), ¨ Use one of the reflective questions. – or - ¨ Create an idea of your own. ---------- Blast.com - Computer Rotation Activity: Create Abraham’s Family Tree using The Amazing Bible Expedition CD Bibleland.com CD Lesson Objectives: At the end of the session, the children will be able to: · Locate Genesis and identify it as the first book in the Bible · Identify Jacob and Esau as the son of Isaac and the grandson of Abraham and Sarah using a family tree worksheet. · Understand the idea of “birth right” and “blessings.” Supplies provided: CD’s Preparation Needed: Preview software at home. Arrive early and turn on all computers. Get software out of the closet and load onto computers. Turn on printer if you plan to use it. Make copies of the worksheet provided in this folder. (pasted after this lesson plan) Lesson Plan Opening Welcome the children and introduce yourself. Call the children by name. Have them wear their nametags. Nametags are located in the tote box and the shepherds are responsible for giving them out. Attendance: The Shepherd will be responsible for this. Include the shepherd in class, in discussion and prayer time. Introduction: Today our story is about Jacob and Esau. This story has many parts and you will be hearing different parts of it in all the different workshops. We are going to focus on the family tree of Abraham. Today we will find out how Jacob and Esau are related to Abraham. Before we get into our story, let’s learn/review our memory verse. Memory Verse: Review the memory verse for this rotation using one of the tips in your folder. There is also a song tape with the memory verse on it. This can be picked up in the Church School Workroom. May the Lord bless and take care of you; May the Lord be kind and gracious to you; May the Lord look on you with favor and give you peace. Numbers 6:24-26 Worship Time Light a candle: We will now enter into our Worship Time. This candle that I light represents the light of Christ who is always in our midst. This is a quiet time for us to focus on the Word of God. Opening Prayer: Gracious God, Be with us today as we learn about Jacob and Esau. Help us to listen well and be respectful. Thank you for being an awesome God. Amen Bible Passage/Story: Genesis 25:19-34, Genesis 27:1-45, Genesis 28:10-22, Genesis 33:1-4, Children’s Bible Story #24-27, 30 (This is a lot of scripture. Please read it for your own background info, but use the following story to help tell the story. You could also copy it off and give different parts to different students to read.) Sample Story [feel free to shorten or tell from 1st person point of view]: The story of Jacob is among the first told in the Bible…Here it is in the book of Genesis (show children book)… It’s the story of two brothers who were fighting with each other even before they were born! It led to much trouble and unhappiness - but then, fighting always does…. There was once a couple named Isaac and Rebekah, as they were getting up in their years God told them that they would soon be having twins. But before they were even born, Rebekah could feel them kicking and fighting inside her. “Why is this happening?” she called out. And God answered her, “The two children inside you will become the fathers of two nations. Just like the two are fighting with each other now, the two nations will struggle with each other. One will be stronger than the other. and the older will serve the younger.” Soon it came time for the children to be born. The first baby born was a boy. He was all red and covered with hair, and so Isaac and Rebekah named him Esau, which sounded like their word for “red.” The second baby was also a boy, and he came grabbing onto Esau’s heel. So they named him Jacob, which sounded like their word for “heel.” The boys grew up. Esau became a strong and skillful hunter who loved the outdoors. Jacob was a quiet man, who preferred to stay home. Isaac like Esau because he liked to eat the wild game Esau brought home from hunting. But Rebekah liked Jacob because he learned to cook and to do other things to help her around the home. One day Esau went out for another one of his hunting trips. He must have been gone for a few days, and the hunting must not have been very good, because when he came back, he was starving for something good to eat. It just so happened that when Esau came home, Jacob had just made a great big pot of hot, steaming, stew. The mouth-watering smell filled the air. “Give me some of that red stuff - I am starving!” Esau demanded. Jacob was a schemer, and so he said, “Sure! I’ll give you some stew - IF you will give me your Birthright.” The Birthright was a very important thing. It went to Esau because he was born first. When Isaac died, Esau’s Birthright would make him the head of the household, and he would get twice as much of Isaac’s wealth as Jacob would. But here is where Esau made his mistake. He was hungry NOW. He didn’t care about tomorrow. All that Birthright stuff wouldn’t happen for a long time. But Jacob was wiser. He knew one day tomorrow would come. If he had the Birthright, one day he would become the head of the household. “Give me your Birthright, and I will give you some stew,” Jacob said again, as he slurped on a steaming spoonful himself. “All right! All right!” Esau said, “You can have my Birthright. What good will it be to me if I starve to death!” Not that he would have starved to death. He was just hungry. “Do you promise?” Jacob said. “I promise!” Esau snapped. “All right then,” Jacob said, and he gave Esau what he wanted. And so Esau gave away his Birthright for a bowl of soup and few pieces of bread. That wasn’t too smart. After some time their father Isaac was getting very old. He was bent over. The hair he had left on his head had turned white. And he could no longer see. He knew he would die soon. And so he called his son Esau. “Here I am,” Esau answered. “My son, go hunting and cook the meat you have caught. Make one of your delicious meals, the kind I like so much, and bring it to me. And then I will bless you.” As soon as Esau left, Rebekah took Jacob by the arm and said to him, “Your father has sent Esau away to hunt. When Esau gets back, he is going to fix your father’s favorite dinner, and your father is going to give him his blessing. “Quick! Do what I say! Go out into the fields and bring me two young goats, and I will make your father’s favorite dinner from them. Bring it to him, and your father will think you are Esau, and he will bless you instead.” But Jacob said, “Esau is all hairy, and I am not! If my father feels me, he will know I am trying to trick him, and he will curse me instead of blessing me!” “Let the curse be on me,” Jacob’s mother said, “Just do what I say.” And so Jacob did. When Jacob had brought the two goats, Rebekah prepared a delicious meal. Then she took some of Esau’s clothes and had Jacob put them on. She took the skins from the goats and put them on Jacob’s arms and the back of his neck so that he would be hairy like his brother. Wearing the disguise his mother had made, Jacob took the steaming hot meal in to his father. “Who is there?” his father asked. “It is your first born son Esau,” Jacob said. “I have brought your favorite dinner, just like you asked.” “How did you do it so quickly?” his father asked. “Your God was with me, and he gave me success,” Jacob answered. “Eat, and then you can give me your blessing.” “You don’t sound like Esau,” Isaac said. “You sound like your brother Jacob. Come here. Let me touch you.” Isaac felt the fur on Jacob’s neck and arms. And then he said, “The voice is Jacob’s, but the arms are Esau’s.” He was about to give his blessing when he asked again, “Are you really my son Esau?” “Yes, I am,” Jacob lied. And so Isaac ate the meal he thought Esau had brought him. When he was finished he said, “Come here, my son, and kiss me, and then I will give you my blessing.” And so Isaac gave Jacob his blessing. But he thought it was Esau. Jacob had barely left when his brother Esau came in from his hunting. Esau fell to his knees when he found out what Jacob had done. “Is there nothing left for me?” he cried out. Then his father said to him, “You will not have the richness of the earth, The dew from heaven won’t be given to you. You will have to live by taking, and you will serve your brother. But one day you will break free.” From that day on Esau hated his brother Jacob and he threatened to kill him. Esau’s words got back to Rebekah, and so she sent her son Jacob to run for his life. “I can’t lose both my sons in one day,” she said. What a mess we make when we lie and cheat. Jacob did lie, and he cheated his brother. But, still, God didn't leave him. God knows our weakness, and he is forgiving. He accomplishes his good and wonderful plans through us, even when we mess things up. Jacob left his home and went off to many adventures. He dreamt about a ladder with angels that went up and down to heaven, he was tricked into marrying not one but two women, he was tricked into being a shepherd for 20 years, he got into a real wrestling match with God, and lastly, after many years, he finally met back up again with Esau to tell him how sorry he was for stealing the birthright. Collect Offering. Closing Prayer: Dear Lord, as we enter into our activity time, please keep our hearts and minds open to hear you speaking to us. Amen. Extinguish the candle Activity Time Instructions: In our last rotation, we learned about Abraham and Isaac. Today, we are going to make a family tree to see how Jacob and Esau are related to Abraham and also to see how Joseph (this is the Joseph that had dreams and was sold by his brothers, not the Joseph from the New Testament) is related as well. We are going to use a program called Bibleland.com to find out this information and to fill in the family tree. You can also use the Amazing Bible Expedition to gather information. Before you start your family tree, go to the Homepage of Esau in the Bibleland.com CD and hear the story from his point of view. Filling in the family tree may prove to be an easy or difficult thing for the students to do, depending on their age and their Bible knowledge. You may have them all start on the Bible Expedition at the Abraham story. Have everyone listen to that part of the story. Then have them fill in the first square at the bottom. Then continue on through the story as a group. It is up to you as a teacher to decide how you would like to progress through the CD. The names that they will need to fill in are Abraham, Isaac, Esau, Jacob and Joseph. If you have more than 10 students, ask them to pair up before they head to the computers. Remind them that if they are not able to work together (if they become disruptive or do not stay on task) they will be separated. Dismiss them to the computers in an orderly fashion. Allow students to access the Bibleland.com CD. During the computer time, stay close at hand to answer questions and to see that students are staying on task. Reflective Questions: Come back together to review the family tree and to help those who were not able to fill in all of the spots. Journaling: : Ask children to journal about something they found meaningful, surprising or interesting in today’s class or pose a reflective question (listed above) as a journaling topic. For children who have trouble thinking of something to write, put two or three sentences on the board for them to copy into their journal. They can also copy down the memory verse. Example: Today in Blast.com we learned all about a family using the computers. My favorite part of the CD was… ---------- Exchange Volunteer modified title of post for clarity, added game and video information, and has improved readability of this lesson material. This message has been edited. Last edited by: Amy Crane,

Posts: 58 | Location: Sunnyvale, CA | Registered:: March 19, 2002

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