Lesson 6 – The “C” of Christlikeness: Jacob and Esau
Sailing the 7 C’s Series
LESSON OVERVIEW
Key Point: Don’t get tricked—Follow Jesus!
Bible Story: Jacob and Esau
Bible Reference: Genesis 25:29-34
Challenge Verse: “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Psalm 119:11
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ITEMS NEEDED
1 of each of the following signs for each class: Jacob, Esau, Birthright
A paper sack with a container of donut holes inside.
Fish Cut out
Memory Verse Poster
BEFORE CLASS
– Put up the Bible Verse Poster for today.
– Set out any items you need for today’s lesson
– Pray for each student by name.
AS STUDENTS ENTER
– Greet each student by name as they enter.
– Give each student an attendance sticker for the attendance chart, and feel free to add guest names to the chart. This will give them a sense of belonging.
– Be sure to smile.
OPENING ACTIVITY/BIBLE LESSON
Control Tool
Anytime you say, “Don’t Get Tricked!” students should say back, “Follow Jesus!”
Leader: Don’t get tricked / Students: Follow Jesus!
KEY: Following Jesus means living like Jesus—being Christlike.
Show your class the paper sack (with the donut holes inside).
Ask the students—Can anyone guess what is inside the sack?
Let them smell the bag and then try to guess.
Whether they are right or wrong, show the class the donuts.
Have a couple of kids come forward to smell them.
Ask the students—Does smelling this make you hungry? What would you trade to have some of these? (Don’t give the donut holes out yet. This comes later in the lesson.)
SAY: Today we will learn about a man who was so hungry that he traded away his birthright or inheritance to his brother for a bowl of red stew.
Ask the students—What is an inheritance? (It’s what a person gets when someone dies.)
SAY: An inheritance would include the family house, the land it’s on, and everything else including any money. In Bible times a birthright was very important. It was given to the firstborn.
Ask the students—How many of you are the oldest child in your family?
SAY: In Bible times, because you were born first, you would have been given the birthright, which means that you would get twice as much inheritance as any of your brothers and sisters—that’s two times more than anyone else. That’s what the “birthright” gave you and it was very important.
Choose 2 volunteers—Give them the Esau and Jacob signs.
SAY: There were two twins. The oldest was named Esau and the second born was Jacob. Esau was born just before Jacob and they were born so close together that Jacob was born holding Esau’s heel. But because Esau was born first, he had the birthright. (Give Esau the Birthright sign.)
Tell the Story: Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from hunting in the open country and he was starving. He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that stew!” I’m starving!” (Have the Esau volunteer repeat after you.)
Ask the students—What do you think Jacob said? (He said, “First sell me your birthright.” Have the Jacob volunteer repeat after you.)
SAY: In other words, Jacob basically said, “I’ll give you a bowl of stew for the most important thing you have.”
Ask the students—What would you trade for one of these donut holes? Would you trade a $5 bill? Would you trade your shoes? Would you trade your house? Would you trade your most important possession?
SAY: But that’s what Esau did. He was so hungry he let Jacob trick him into selling his birthright for a bowl of stew.
Ask the students—How do you think Esau felt later? Have you ever done anything that you later regretted? What about when you do something wrong—do you regret it? How does it make you feel?
SAY: Continuing to do things we know are wrong is like trading a great treasure for a bowl of stew. There is nothing greater in life than what God has planned for you, but you trade it all away when you don’t follow Him.
Control Tool from Last Week
Leader: You should follow who? / Students: Follow God!
Control Tool
Leader: Don’t get tricked / Students: Follow Jesus!
SAY: Jesus doesn’t want you to get tricked by the things of this world. Some things in this life may seem great and some wrong things may even seem fun for a while but the truth is that there’s nothing this world has to offer that even begins to compare with what you get when you follow Jesus.
Ask the students—Why do you think some people are willing to choose sin, which we all know will only bring them hurt and pain, over following Jesus?
Control Tool
Leader: Don’t get tricked / Students: Follow Jesus!
LESSON ACTIVITY
Choose 1 volunteer—and choose a small object in your room. (This object can be anything you desire, but make sure it’s small—something about the size of a quarter.) Tell your volunteer that you are going to let him step outside for a minute and you are going to hide the object. Then you will bring him back in and let the class tell him where to look to see if he can find it. After your volunteer steps outside, find a good hiding place for the object. Then quietly assign only two people to reveal the object’s true location. Everyone else is going to try to trick the volunteer. Assign three or four different direction or objects for everyone else to point at (i.e., “It’s under the table.” Or, “It’s behind the poster,” etc.) Tell your students they can be loud and point but they have to stay in their chairs.
Bring the volunteer back in and see if he listens to the right people.
SAY: In this game the volunteer had to choose who he was going to listen to. In life you have to choose who you are going to listen as well. In life when you listen to and follow what God wants you to do, you’ll never go wrong and you’ll find everything you’ve been looking for in life—because real life only found in Christ.
Ask the students—What do you think that means—that real life is only found in Jesus?
Have your students take a deep breath.
SAY: Anybody can breath, feel, and exist, but real life is more than just breathing. Real life, the way God created it to be, involves His peace, love, and joy.
Control Tool
Leader: Don’t get tricked / Students: Follow Jesus!
TREASURE VERSE
SAY: Let’s see what the Bible has to say about not getting tricked by sin
SAY: Everybody get your Bibles and get ready for a Bible Drill. I’m going to tell you a book of the Bible and I want you to try to find it. When I say, “Ready,” hold the Bible between both hands, but you cannot open it. Then I will say a book of the Bible and a chapter and “Go.” If you open your Bible before I say, “Go,” you will be out. Once you find the book I ask for, raise your hand.
(NOTE: Remember that most of your kindergartners cannot yet read. Show them what the word Psalm looks like. They will need some patient help with this section.)
Ask the students— What is the easiest way to find the Book of Psalms in your Bible? (Turn to the middle)
Ready…The book of Psalms / Chapter 119–Go!
Psalm 119
(Be sure to help students who are new. We don’t want anyone to feel left out or awkward.)
SAY: Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible. Now look at verse 11.
SAY: Let’s find it again…
Bible Drill
Ready…Psalm 119:11…Go!
Have your students REPEAT today’s verse after you.
SAY: This verse might seem familiar to you because we’ve had it before, but it’s an important verse because it tells you how to guard your heart from sin. Let’s take a look at what Jesus did when he was tempted to sin…
Ask the students— Where would a person look in the Bible to find a story about Jesus? (In the Gospels—You might want to show them the different sections of the Bible on the Bible Book Chart.)
Ask the students— What books are the Gospels? (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John)
Ask the students— What is the easiest way to find the Gospels in your Bible? (Turn to the middle—that’s probably Psalms, and then turn to the middle of the half to your right. That will usually put you in the Gospels.)
Bible Drill
Ready…Matthew 4:3-4…Go!
SAY: When Jesus was tempted instead of getting tricked, He quoted the Bible. God’s Word will guard you heart. That’s the reason we want you to know what the Bible says, so you’ll know how to follow Jesus and keep away from sin.
Direct your students to the Verse Poster and have them REPEAT today’s verse after you again.
SNACK
Eat the donut holes and discuss what the Bible means in Matthew 4:4, that “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Ask the students what they think this means.
Emphasize that God’s word will guard their heart but that God’s word also gives life. Bread, stew, and even donut holes only take care of you for a little while. Eventually you’re going to need more food. God’s word and the life that comes through Christ lasts forever. So why would anyone want to trade something that doesn’t last long at all—such as the pleasures of sin or a bowl of stew, for something that is more valuable than the greatest treasure on earth.
CANDY HEARTS
Give each student a Valentine candy heart that has a word or message on it. (NOTE: If you have more than one heart per student, give them only one now and the rest at the end of the lesson.)
SAY: This week is Valentine’s Day and you’re probably going to see some of these candy hearts. Each one of them has a special message on it. Let’s go around the circle and take turns telling us the special message that you have.
Ask the students—How would you feel if you had to do whatever is on your candy heart?
Ask the students—If God were to send you a special message, what do you think it would say?
SAY: The Bible is God’s special message to us. It tells us how to live and what to do in everything we will ever face in life. It is our guide.
SAY: Tell me what the Bible says about what to do in the following situations:
(1) Your dad goes on a trip and is gone for several days. You’re worried about him and him getting home safely. What does the Bible say to do when you’re worried? When you’re worried, the Bible says to not to worry, but to pray with thanksgiving and make your requests known to God (Phil. 4:6).
(2) A bully at school keeps teasing you. What does the Bible say to do when you’re mistreated? When you’re mistreated, the Bible says to pray for those who treat you badly and to look for ways to do good to them (Matthew 5:44).
(3) You saw something scary on TV and now when you lay in bed, you’re afraid. What does the Bible say to do when you’re scared? When you’re scared, the Bible says turn your mind to trust God. When you realize how great God is and that He is in control and that your life belongs to Him, what is there to be afraid of? (Psalm 56:3).
(4) Your dad lost his job and you don’t know how your family is going to have money, how are your parents going to pay the bills or even buy food to eat? When you’re concerned about something, the Bible says to cast your cares on God because He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).
SAY: The Bible tells us how to live…just like our story today. If you are going to follow Jesus and be Christlike (which means to be like Jesus), you are going to have to be careful to make right choices. Did Esau make a wise choice? No, and you can learn from his story and not “get tricked” in your own life.
PRAYER TIME & WRAP UP
Cast Your Cares
Bible Drill
Ready…1 Peter 5:7…Go!
Ask the students—Why should we cast our cares on God? (Because He tells us to; because He loves us; because we can trust Him, etc.)
Ask the students—Why should we pray? (Because prayer makes a difference and God always answers prayer—sometimes He answers yes, sometimes no, and sometimes later, but He always listens and He always answers.)
Briefly re-explain to students what 1 Peter 5:7 means. Then let each student write their “cares” or prayer requests on a fish cut-out. You can write them in the space provided below. Then let them take turns throwing (or “casting”) them into the fish net. Then pray for their requests.
Pray today that your students would not get tricked but that they will always follow Jesus.
List Prayer Requests Here
Be sure to pray specifically for each request above.
EXTRA TIME
Use any extra time to:
– Help your students memorize the verse for today
– Practice extra Bible Drills by looking up the Challenge Verse for previous weeks.
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