Following Instructions

252 GroupsAugust 2016, Week 3

Small Group, 4-5

Following Instructions

Bible Story: Following Instructions (Abraham follows God) • Genesis 12:1-5, 13:2-18, 15:1-6

Bottom Line: I should trust and obey even if I don’t know how it will all work out.

Memory Verse: “Trust in your leaders. Put yourselves under their authority. Do this, because they keep watch over you.” Hebrews 13:17a, NIrV

Life App: Obedience—trusting those who lead you by doing what you’re asked to do.

Basic Truth: I can trust God no matter what.

1. Starry, Starry Night(application activity / review the Bible story)

What You Need: Bibles

What You Do:

Review the story using the following to ask a few discussion questions and lead kids in a conversation about the story.
#1: “God asked Abram to leave his home and his country.Have any of you had to move, leave your school, family or friends?Do you think moving was a hard thing to for Abram to do?Why or why not?”
#2: “God made a promise to Abram.What was God’s promise? (Read Genesis 12:2-3, if necessary.) Did Abram know all the details of God’s promise?Did he know how he would become a great nation? Or how he would be a blessing to all people on earth?”
#3: “Abram obeyed and went.If you were Abram, do you think you would have some questions you would have wanted to ask God before moving?What would they be?Abram trusted and obeyed, even though he didn’t know all the details or how it would all work out.”
#4: “God continued to bless Abram while he traveled.What success did God bless Abram with? Though Abram was blessed with livestock, silver and gold, what was Abram still waiting for?”
#5: “How much offspring Did God promise Abram?
After discussing the story, divide the group into two teams. Allow each team 10 mins to put together a skit about the bible story and allow them to share.

* 2. Crazy Dot-to-Dot

What You Need:“Dot-to-Dot Puzzle” Activity Page; 1 for each kid, pencils

What You Do:

Give each kid a puzzle and a pencil.
Read them the directions below before they start.
Instructions: Find number 1 and connect the dots in order. Whenever you come to a star (*), stop, pick up your pencil, and begin again at the next number.
As kids work on it, ask them if they know what the picture is. If they get frustrated or annoyed, just encourage them to keep going so they can find out what the image is. Remind them it’ll all make sense before they’re completely finished.

What You Say:

“How many of you have ever done a dot-to-dot puzzle before?Have any of you ever done a dot-to-dot puzzle that had special instructions when you hit a star?There are a lot of things I know how to do and there are times I don’t think I need any directions because I have already done it.But just like with the directions to this puzzle, sometimes there’s a twist to the directions.

“One way to show obedience and to trust those who lead you is to listen to ALL their directions and then do what they ask you to do.Before you started to connect the dots, you weren’t really sure how the puzzle would turn out; and even while doing the puzzle, you had several ideas what it would be in the picture.Basically, you had to trust that if you obeyed the directions given to you and if you connected the numbers correctly it would all work out.This week, you will have several opportunities to show obedience, so remember:[Bottom Line]I should trust and obey even if I don’t know how it will all work out.”

Pray and Dismiss

What You Need: No supplies needed

What You Do:

Pray with the kids, letting a few volunteers pray aloud for the group if there is interest.
Focus on trusting God no matter what and asking God’s guidance to trust the leaders He has put in our lives.
Pray for help in obeying those who lead us even when we don’t know how it will work out.

Give each child a GodTime card.

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