Psalm 105

Hi all! This psalm is a song that remembers all the great things God had done for His people. It’s a history of a lot of the things the Israelites had been through. As you read through this song, see which Bible stories YOU remember about God and His people!

Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
    make known among the nations what he has done.
Sing to him, sing praise to him;
    tell of all his wonderful acts.
Glory in his holy name;
    let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
Look to the Lord and his strength;
    seek his face always.

Remember the wonders he has done,
    his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,
you his servants, the descendants of Abraham,
    his chosen ones, the children of Jacob.

He is the Lord our God;
    his judgments are in all the earth.

He remembers his covenant forever,
    the promise he made, for a thousand generations,
the covenant he made with Abraham,
    the oath he swore to Isaac.

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10 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,
    to Israel as an everlasting covenant:
11 “To you I will give the land of Canaan
    as the portion you will inherit.”

12 When they were but few in number,
    few indeed, and strangers in it,
13 they wandered from nation to nation,
    from one kingdom to another.
14 He allowed no one to oppress them;
    for their sake he rebuked kings:
15 “Do not touch my anointed ones;
    do my prophets no harm.”

16 He called down famine on the land
    and destroyed all their supplies of food;
17 and he sent a man before them—
    Joseph, sold as a slave.

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18 They bruised his feet with shackles,
    his neck was put in irons,
19 till what he foretold came to pass,
    till the word of the Lord proved him true.
20 The king sent and released him,
    the ruler of peoples set him free.
21 He made him master of his household,
    ruler over all he possessed,
22 to instruct his princes as he pleased
    and teach his elders wisdom.

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23 Then Israel entered Egypt;
    Jacob resided as a foreigner in the land of Ham.
24 The Lord made his people very fruitful;
    he made them too numerous for their foes,
25 whose hearts he turned to hate his people,
    to conspire against his servants.
26 He sent Moses his servant,
    and Aaron, whom he had chosen.

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27 They performed his signs among them,
    his wonders in the land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness and made the land dark—
    for had they not rebelled against his words?
29 He turned their waters into blood,
    causing their fish to die.
30 Their land teemed with frogs,
    which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers.
31 He spoke, and there came swarms of flies,
    and gnats throughout their country.
32 He turned their rain into hail,
    with lightning throughout their land;
33 he struck down their vines and fig trees
    and shattered the trees of their country.
34 He spoke, and the locusts came,
    grasshoppers without number;
35 they ate up every green thing in their land,
    ate up the produce of their soil.
36 Then he struck down all the firstborn in their land,
    the firstfruits of all their manhood.
37 He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold,
    and from among their tribes no one faltered.

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38 Egypt was glad when they left,
    because dread of Israel had fallen on them.

39 He spread out a cloud as a covering,
    and a fire to give light at night.

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40 They asked, and he brought them quail;
    he fed them well with the bread of heaven.
41 He opened the rock, and water gushed out;
    it flowed like a river in the desert.

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42 For he remembered his holy promise
    given to his servant Abraham.
43 He brought out his people with rejoicing,
    his chosen ones with shouts of joy;
44 he gave them the lands of the nations,
    and they fell heir to what others had toiled for—
45 that they might keep his precepts
    and observe his laws.

Praise the Lord.

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David was remembering all the great things God had done for His people. If YOUR family wrote a song about what God had done, what kind of song would it be? Would you remember when each child was born? When you moved? When someone was sick and God made them better? What kinds of things do YOU remember God doing?

Thanks for joining us again! Love to you all!

Abraham’s Children

Hello again! As we wrap up the book of Genesis, I decided to add this related (but not chronological) lesson. We did do the story of Ephraim and Manasseh yesterday but didn’t change it from LAST YEAR’S LESSON.

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Today’s lesson is based on what I heard at church today and I thought it summed up Genesis so well it needed to be added here. This is from Romans 4. See also HERE.

So this month we read about God creating the heavens and the earth. We read about Adam, the first man, and Noah and Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. We read about how much God loved His creation….but the people did not always love God. A lot of people disobeyed and didn’t trust God.

But not everyone felt that way. Abraham DID trust God and God made a special promise to Abraham…that he would be the father of many many people. As many as the stars in the sky, as many as the sand on the beach. That’s a lot of people! And Abraham BELIEVED God. He had faith. And not only did he BELIEVE God, he OBEYED God too. When God told Abraham to move, he moved. When He told him to give back his son Isaac, he did. Abraham showed that he had faith in God. God loved Abraham and made a special promise to him…not because he was a great person, or because he always did the right thing…but because he TRUSTED God and when God told him to do something…he did it. He had faith.  (Rom 4:9-13)

Abraham did have children, and those children had children and we know Jacob had a LOT of children and those guys had a LOT LOT LOT of children…and all those people would become Israel. The people of Israel thought THEY were God’s special people because they came from Abraham. BUT…in the book of Romans, God tells us that ANYONE who BELIEVES and OBEYS God is a son of Abraham, a part of Abraham’s family. (Rom 4:16-17, 24-25)

If YOU love AND obey God, then YOU are one of Abraham’s children too. Abraham’s family did get pretty big…but that also includes all the people who choose God and love and obey Him.

When we love and obey God, we get adopted into God’s family. He adds us into the family. We don’t have to be born in Israel to be one of Abraham’s children…to be one of God’s children. We just need to trust God, love Him and obey Him. And some of the people IN Israel choose not to love and obey God…the Bible says they are NOT Abraham’s children. They are NOT God’s children. The real children of Abraham and the real children of God are those that have faith in Him. (Galatians 3:7)

So when we read the Bible, we aren’t just reading about THOSE people a long time ago…it’s about God’s story. His plan for ALL of us. God would send His son Jesus through Abraham’s family…but anyone and everyone who believes in God becomes His child and becomes part of Abraham’s family too. One of the stars in the sky.

We will start the next part of God’s story tomorrow, in the book of Exodus. And as we read through Exodus, let’s remember that WE are also God’s children…like the Israelites…their story is our story.

Thanks for joining us. Love to you all!

Jacob and Esau

Hello again! Today’s lesson is from Genesis 25 and 27. Our lesson from last year can be found HERE.

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Isaac and Rebekah had twin boys (born on the same day). Esau was born first and then Jacob was born holding onto Esau’s foot.

God had told Rebekah that the younger boy (Jacob) would be in charge of the older boy some day…even though that’s not how it was supposed to go. Back then, the oldest kid would get most of the dad’s money and stuff when he died. He would also get a special blessing (his dad would say some important words from God about him).

As the boys grew up, Esau, the oldest brother was big and hairy and liked hunting and being outside. Jacob was not so big or hairy and he liked being inside. One day Esau came home from working very hard and he was sooooooo hungry. He probably hadn’t eaten for days. And Jacob, the young brother had just made a big pot of stew.

“Please! Give me some of that!” said Esau.

“Ok,” said Jacob…”IF you give me dad’s stuff when he dies, then you can have some soup.”

Does that seem like a very good trade? It doesn’t. But Esau was so hungry he didn’t care. He traded. He traded all the money and servants and animals and cool toys….for one bowl of soup.

When Isaac, their dad, got very very old he couldn’t see very well anymore and he knew he was about to die…so he was ready to give Esau his special blessing.

Rebekah (the mommy) and Jacob thought up a sneaky plan. Now this wasn’t a very nice plan…but remember God knew all along this was going to happen. Jacob already had all his dad’s STUFF, but now he was going to sneak the blessing too!

He dressed up in a very hairy coat and pretended to be Esau…Isaac thought it really was Esau because he felt so hairy (remember he couldn’t see very well anymore) and he gave Jacob the blessing. He said, “God will give you all the food and drinks you need and even more than you need. He will make it rain so all your food grows well. Other people in all the other countries will work for you and you will be in charge of all your brothers. Anyone who says bad things about you will also have bad things come to them and anyone who says good things about you will have good things happen to them.”

Sounds pretty great huh?

Just then, Jacob left and Esau came in…ready to get his blessing. But…his father had already given it to Jacob. Esau was MAAAAAADDDDD. Jacob decided to run away because Esau was so mad he was probably going to try to kill Jacob. (Next time we’ll learn what happens as Jacob ran away.)

Stealing those words might not seem like a big deal, but the blessing Isaac gave Jacob was from God. Jacob WOULD always have good food and lots of rain to help the food grow. He would be in charge of all the people.

Jacob took all of the money and things and servants and animals AND the good things from God…he took all of that from Esau.

Does this sound like another story we learned? Like Cain and Abel? Abel the younger brother was accepted by God when Cain wasn’t. This time God chose Jacob instead of Esau. Sometimes God chooses unexpected people–not the fanciest, or richest or most important people. Sometimes God choose just regular people.

One day Jesus would be one of Jacob’s descendants (great great great etc grandchildren) and God always planned it that way. BUT Jacob got there by being sneaky and because he did it his own way, he had to run away and hide for a LONG time.

When we trust in God, He will lead us where we should go. God loves you and has big plans for you and you can trust that He knows what is best. When we do things God’s way, it is always the best way.

Thanks again for joining us. Love to you all.

Isaac and Rebekah

Welcome! This lesson is from Genesis 24.

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Image from Wesleyan Kids

 

So our friend Abraham was getting really old and he was faithful to God and followed Him. God had given Abraham lots of money and people working for him. He was a pretty famous guy and God blessed him in every way.

Abraham knew it was time for Isaac to get married. Back then, people didn’t always go on lots of dates and date a lot of people before getting married. Sometimes they would pick someone and CHOOSE to love that person forever. (As my daughter said, you could line the boys up and do eeny-meeny-miney-mo to pick! Haha)

When you get married it’s forever…and sometimes you feel lovey and sometimes you feel sad or angry…but you always work together to take care of each other and show love.

Abraham called his servant and said “I want you to go back to where we came from…to our family…to the people who love God…and find a wife for Isaac. The servant was nervous! How would he know who to pick?!

When he got to the right place he prayed and asked God for some help. He went to a well (a place to get water…because you couldn’t just get water in your house like you can now) and said, “God, please send a woman out here and when I ask for a drink of water, the girl who says ‘Of course! And here’s some water for your camels too!’ Let that be the girl you have picked for Isaac.”

Before he had even finished talking to God, a girl named Rebekah came out. He asked her for some water and she said “Of course! And here’s some water for your camels too!”

The servant knew that was the right girl. He told her and her family all about Abraham and Isaac and how God had led him to her and then he asked if she would come to marry Isaac. She said she would!

So the servant brought her back and Isaac was in the field. He saw her and said “WHO is THAT?!” *wink wink*

And she saw him and said “WHO is THAT?!” *wink wink*

They got married and next time we will learn about their kids.

 

Did you notice in that story before the servant had even finished praying God was answering his prayer? God knows what we need before we even ask Him! And God even knows if you’ll get married someday and who that will be. (My older boy and girl insisted they are marrying each other haha).You can already pray to God for the person you will marry that they will love Him and do a good job taking care of you. And you can pray that you will do a good job taking care of them too! Mostly, you can pray and thank God that He had good plans for your life whether you get married or not. You can trust God’s plan and be sure when you talk to Him that He is listening.

 

Thanks for joining us, love to you all!

God provides another way

Hi all. Today’s lesson is from Genesis 21 and 22. Last year’s lessons can be found HERE and HERE.

Abraham and Sarah were very old but God had promised them many many children! And Sarah did have a baby boy, and she named him Isaac which means “he laughs.” Sarah had laughed when the angels told her she would have a baby and now she knew everyone else would laugh too when they heard someone SO old had had a baby!

Sarah and Abraham LOVED Isaac. He was their very favorite thing in the whole world …they loved nothing more…except for God. God said that Abraham would have as many children and grandchildren and great children as all the stars in the sky…and they would come from Isaac.

One day God asked Abraham to give Isaac back to Him. Isaac would have to die and live in heaven with God, away from Abraham. How do you think that made Abraham feel?

Sad? Scared? Confused?

Do you think Abraham obeyed?

He did. He trusted God. Even though it sounded like a CRAZY thing to do and even though Abraham loved Isaac so so so so much…he trusted God’s plan.

So Abraham took Isaac up a mountain and they were going to give Isaac to God as a sacrifice. A sacrifice is like a present of your best thing. Usually back when Abraham lived, people would kill and give God their best sheep. It was hard for them to give up their best sheep. That sheep would give them lots of money to buy the things they needed…but the people had to trust God most and give up their best to let GOD take care of them.

So instead of a sheep, Abraham was asked to give up HIS best….Isaac.

As they were walking Isaac said, “Dad…where is the sheep for the sacrifice?”

Abraham answered, “God will provide.”

When it came time to give Isaac back to God…God said, “Stop. You don’t have to give Isaac back to Me. I will provide another way.” And then they saw a ram (a boy sheep) and they sacrificed that to God.

God was very happy that Abraham was going to obey Him no matter what…even if it mean giving up his only son. God provided another way.

And do you know that WE are supposed to die forever for our bad choices and sin…but God has provided another way for us? God provided His own son, Jesus. Jesus is sometimes called “the Lamb of God” because HE became the sacrifice for us. (When He died on the cross and took our sin and punishment instead of us having to have the consequence of forever death.)

God has provided another way for us but He had not yet provided a way for Abraham and Isaac but Abraham still trusted Him. We can be sure that a God who loves us enough to send His own son to die in our place, is a God worth trusting and loving.

God’s plan is always best…even if it seems crazy at the time…we can ALWAYS trust Him and know that He loves us no matter what.

 

For our craft today we took paper plates (you could use plain paper) and we drew Abraham and Isaac. Then we glued on toothpicks to be the sacrificial altar (the place the sacrifice was made) and then we glued on a white pom pom to be the sheep.

Our text reads: God provides another way! Genesis 22

THIS is an old-school song by Don Moen called “God will make a way.”

THIS video is a recap from LC LifeKids.

Thanks again for joining us. Love to you all!

Jacob and Esau

Hello again!

Today’s story is from Genesis 25:19-34 and Genesis 27.

As Isaac grew up, he got married to a woman named Rebekah and they had two boys, Esau and Jacob. God told Isaac and Rebekah that the older boy would serve the younger boy. The babies were born at the same time, but Esau came out first and then Jacob. That made Esau the oldest.

If you remember from the story of Cain and Abel, the oldest boy was supposed to get all the honor and all the land, and money and STUFF when the daddy died. He would be in charge and be the most important. He would also get a special blessing from his father…his dad would ask God for special things for him.

As the two boys grew up, they were very different. Esau (the big brother) was very manly and covered in hair. He liked to hunt animals and work outside. Jacob, was very smooth, shiny, clean and he like to be inside.

One day, after hunting, Esau came home and he was SUUUUPER hungry. Jacob had just made some stew (like soup). Esau was not patient and he didn’t appreciate what a big honor it was to be the biggest. So he BEGGED Jacob for some stew. Jacob was kinda sneaky and he said, “ok…you can have some stew…if i can have your birthright (the land and stuff and to be in charge.)” And you know what? Esau said ok!? That’s like giving up ALL your toys for one piece of candy.

Later, when Isaac was very old and about to die, he called Esau into his tent and asked for some food so he could give him the extra special blessing. But Isaac couldn’t see very well.

The mommy, Rebekah, remembered that God had said the younger brother would be blessed, so she told Jacob that HE should sneak in and get the blessing. Esau went out to hunt some food, but Jacob got some goats and the mommy cooked them. Then Jacob put some animal fur on his arms so he would feel and smell like Esau.

Then he went to see his daddy Isaac and it worked. It tricked Isaac and he gave Jacob his blessing. He prayed to God and asked that Jacob would always have lots of land and food and that all the other people would bow down and serve him.

Just then, Esau came in and asked for his blessing, but it was too late. And he was MAD. He wanted to kill Jacob! (like Cain had done when his blessing was given to Abel).

So Rebekah told Jacob how mad Esau was and told him to RUN away and he did, he hid for a long time.

Once again, God chose not the most important person, but the “lesser” person. God has chosen us too! Even though we are “lesser” and don’t deserve God’s love…He loves us anyway. And He chose to give His son, Jesus for us.

God had always meant for Jesus to be one of Jacob’s descendants, but Jacob got there by being sneaky and because he did it his own way, he had to run away and hide for a LONG time.

When we trust in God, He will lead us where we should go. God loves you has big plans for you and you can trust that He knows what is best.

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For our craft, we drew red, hairy Esau and a smaller, smooth Jacob. We drew Esau drinking the stew and Jacob covered in animal fur.

We also found this video posted by Crossroads Kids’ Club.

Thanks for joining us today. Love to you all!

Abraham Tested/God Provides

Hello again!

Today’s story is from Genesis 22.

So God had kept His promise and given Abraham and Sarah a son, named Isaac.

Isaac grew up…and one day God asked Abraham to give Isaac back to Him. Isaac would have to die and live with God in heaven.

This made Abraham very sad. But he loved God. He trusted and obeyed. He took Isaac up a mountain to make an offering and worship God and Isaac said, “Dad, where is the sheep for the offering?”

Abraham told him “God will provide.”

As Abraham was going to give Isaac as a sacrifice to God, God said “Stop! Don’t hurt Isaac. I know you really love and obey Me. And because you have loved Me, all of your descendants (children, grandchildren, their children and grandchildren) will ALL be blessed. And through your family line ALL people will be blessed.”

(Later God would send HIS son, Jesus (one of Abraham’s descendants to die for all of US!)

Abraham then saw a ram (a daddy sheep) and he sacrificed that to God as an offering. God provided. He provided a son to Abraham, He provided a ram, and He provided Jesus, His son, as a sacrifice for us.

The funny thing about this story is that God already knows everything. He knows what is in our hearts and He knew Abraham loved and trusted Him. BUT, Abraham’s obedience was a way for God to show Isaac and US that even if God asks us to do something scary, we can trust Him to take care of us. Even if things are scary or sad, we can know that God is in control and He has a great plan.

We found this little video from saddleback kids on YouTube:

Watch here

Thanks for joining us today! Love to you all!

Isaac is born!

Hello again, friends.

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Todays story is from Genesis 21.

Do you remember when God told Abraham and Sarah they would have a baby? And the. The visitors told them they would return in one year and by then the baby would be born!

And soon, Abraham and Sarah had a baby boy and they named him Isaac (which means “he laughs”) because Sarah laughed and she knew everyone else would too when they found out that two people who were Sooooo old had a baby!

God had kept His promise. A promise is when you say you will DEFINITELY do something…like your mommy and daddy PROMISE to always love you no matter what. It won’t change! It will FOR SURE happen.

God promised He would look after Adam and Eve (and He did). God promised that it would flood, but that Noah and his family would be safe (it did and they were!) God promised a baby for Abraham and Sarah (and they had one!) and God promised a savior for us, for our sins…and He sent one.

God ALWAYS keeps His promises. He he has lots of promises in the Bible. We will learn more of them as we read through. But you can be sure, if God promises it, it WILL happen.

For our craft today, I traced a silhouette of the family and the kids cut it out and we talked about keeping promises and how God is always faithful. (Pardon the excessive glue :0) and they didn’t like that the people had no faces so they drew those on too).

Thanks all! More tomorrow, love to you all!