Lesson 5 – The “C” of Calling: Abraham
Sailing the 7 C’s Series
LESSON OVERVIEW
Key Point: God’s got a call for us all—So follow God!
Bible Story: Abraham
Bible Reference: Genesis 12:1
Challenge Verse: “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers.” Ephesians 4:11
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ITEMS NEEDED
Enough paper sacks for each student to have one.
String (or yarn) and large paper clips to hang the piñata from the ceiling.
1 bandana
1 dal rod that is large enough to use for hitting a piñata. This will be in your room.
Fish cut-outs for each class.
Memory Verse Poster
IMPORTANT NOTE: Be sure to hang up the piñata that your class made last week. You can use the paper clips and string to hang this from the ceiling.
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
Control Tool #1
Anytime you say, “Who should you follow?” students should say back, “Follow God!”
Leader: Who should you follow? / Students: Follow God!
Corner Call
Choose one volunteer—to be your “Number Person.” Then point out six spots in the room. Tell your students that when you say go they can go to any of the six places you pointed out. Then you will call on your “Number Person” to give you a number between one and six. Before he does this, choose one of the spots in your mind. This is where you will begin counting. Begin counting from the spot you chose using the number he gave you. Whatever place the number falls on, everyone at that spot is out. When students are out, they need to come and sit in front of you. Then tell the students still in the game to “find a different spot.” Choose another place to begin counting so that you are not always beginning with the same spot. Have your “Number Person” give you another number. Keep playing until only one person is left.
Play the game again using the last person from the previous game as the “Number Person.” Then have everyone join you at the circle.
Ask the students— In the game how did it feel to have your spot chosen? (Sad; Disappointing; I was out, etc.)
Ask the students— How would you have felt if you won a special prize or some candy when your spot was chosen? (I would’ve wanted to be chosen.)
SAY: Today I want you to know that God has chosen you. He has chosen to love you and He has chosen great plans for each one of you, and what He has chosen you for is the greatest thing in the world.
Ask the students— Who did we learn about last week? (Noah)
Ask the students— Why did God choose Noah to save him and his family? (Because Noah was the only righteous person left.)
Ask the students— How did Noah go “against the flow” of what everyone else was doing? (He obeyed God when no one else would. He spent 120 years building the Ark in a place that probably wasn’t even near a large body of water and warned people during those years that destruction was coming, though apparently none believed him.)
SAY: Noah was committed and today we’re going to learn about a man who heard God’s call. His name was Abraham.
Control Tool
Leader: Who should you follow? / Students: Follow God!
BIBLE LESSON
Control Tool #2
Anytime you say, “God’s got a call” students should say back, “For us all!”
Leader: God’s got a call / Students: For us all!
Ask the students—Have you ever moved to a new town or school? Is it hard?
Bible Drill
Ready…Gensis 12:1…Go!
SAY: God told Abraham (also called Abram) to leave his country and the Lord didn’t even tell him where he was going. In other words, God was asking Abraham and his family to go somewhere that He wasn’t going to show him until later.
Ask the students—What do you think Abraham did? (He obeyed God even though the people he left behind probably didn’t understand why.)
Ask the students—What would you have done? Would you have obeyed? Complained? Asked for more information? (Faith says “yes” to God even before He tells you to do something.)
SAY: Someday God may call some of you to go somewhere—perhaps even outside our country to tell people about Jesus. God doesn’t call everyone to do this for a living, but every one of you will have the opportunity to be a part of missions in different parts of the world, if you want to. As you get older you will have the opportunity to go for a week or two or maybe even a month. But God also calls some people to different kinds of ministries such as missions.
Control Tool #2
Leader: God’s got a call / Students: For us all!
Control Tool #1
Leader: Who should you follow? / Students: Follow God!
SAY: The Lord has a special “call” for each one of you—special things that He created you to be and do, but you’ll miss out on everything great He has planned for you unless you follow Him.
TREASURE VERSE
Bible Drill
Ready…Ephesians 4:11-12…Go!
SAY: These verses talk about pastors and teachers and evangelists. Callings like these are very specific—that God has called you into a special ministry. Other callings are for everyone. For example, God has called all of you to live for Him. God has called everyone to tell others about Jesus. God has already given you these general callings, but as you grow in Christ, you’ll begin to see that there are some very specific things God has for your life too. God made each one of you for a special plan and whatever that design is…since you were built for it, you’ll naturally love doing it.
TREASURE VERSE ACTIVITY
Activity: Body Parts
Let each student find a partner. They and their partner will walk around the room in a circle but they have to stay on opposite sides of the room at the same time. When you call out two body parts, they will touch those body parts together as fast as they can without running each other over or hurting anyone. For example, if you called out “head to foot,” one of them would have to touch his head to his partner’s foot. In this game, no group is ever out. Instead, see which pair can be the first to get together the most often.
Play for a few minutes.
Discussion
Ask the students—Can your hand do the job of your knee? (No, they were created for different purposes.)
Ask the students—Can your nose be an eye? (No, they were created for different purposes.)
Ask the students—Does your ear not need your foot? (Of course not, they are connected even though they were created for different purposes.)
SAY: God has created each of you for a different purpose and He has a different calling for each of you. God calls some people to be missionaries, pastors, children’s ministers and even minister’s wives, but there are many other callings too—God uses people as teachers and cowboys and farmers and mechanics and even as a President of the United States. But just because you have different callings, doesn’t mean you don’t need each other. The Bible says that those who know Christ make up His body and even though they may have different functions, they are all still part of the same body.
Ask the students—If those who know Christ are compared to His body, who would be the head? (Jesus would.) Why? (Because your body always listens to and obeys what your head tells it to do. We should always listen to and obey Jesus.)
Control Tool
Leader: Who should you follow? / Students: Follow God!
KEY: God made each of you for a reason and that’s His special calling just for you. But you’ll miss out on it if you don’t follow Jesus every day.
SAY: After everything I say, say, “Follow God!”
– If God ever calls you to do something hard like what He called Noah or Abraham to do, what should you do? / Students: Follow God!
– If God ever calls you to be a missionary or a minister, what should you do? / Students: Follow God!
– Everyday God calls you to do what? / Students: Follow God!
– The next time your in a group of people who all want to do something wrong, what should you do? / Students: Follow God!
– Always do what? / Students: Follow God!
– Who should you follow? / Students: Follow God!
BREAK THE PINATA
Using a bandana, blindfold students one at a time, spin them around and give them one swing (using the wooden stick provided in your room) at the piñata your class made last week. Be careful that all the students are far from the person swinging. Beforehand tell the students that they all may not get a turn. You might even draw names to see who gets to go first. Tell your swingers to be sure NOT to let go of the stick they are swinging. Also, let the kids know in advance that you are going to equally distribute the candy after the piñata is broken, so there’s no need to rush headlong down for it.
After the piñata is broken, equally distribute the candy and let the kids eat it. While they eat, take prayer requests and pray. Then use the “fish” cut-outs, if you have time, to “cast” your cares into the fishing net. Be sure to remind your students of the significance of “casting your cares on God because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).
PRAYER TIME & WRAP UP
Pray today that your students will always follow God’s call and thank God that He made them all with special plans for each one.
List Prayer Requests Here
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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