The Bible Verse

CONTENTS

To the Leader ...... 6

1. God’s Presence ...... 8

2. God’s Plans ...... 18

3. Messages from God ...... 28

4. No Excuses ...... 38

5. Use Your Gifts ...... 46

6. Keep Loving God ...... 54

9781426775819IND001.indd 5 10/3/13 11:34 AM 1 God’s Presence Objectives Bible Story The children will Jacob’s Dream • hear Genesis 28:10-22. (Genesis 28:10-22) • learn how God spoke to Jacob through a dream. Bible Verse • discover that God is always with them. Lord, you have examined me. • explore what it means to live in God’s You know me. (Psalm 139:1) presence.

Focus for the Teacher the word (knowledge) is used an additional time. Jacob’s Dream Throughout the study, these verses will help us As we encounter Jacob in today’s Bible story, explore what it means to be known he is on the run. Having tricked by God. his father, Isaac, into giving him the blessing meant for his older brother, Esau, it is no longer safe God’s Presence for Jacob to remain at home. In When Jacob awakens from his order to escape Esau’s plan to God will always dream, he realizes its significance. kill him, Jacob leaves to go live Being on the run as he is, Jacob is with his mother’s family. Along be with us. likely afraid and uncertain of his the way Jacob stops for the night. future. God’s promise to be with While he is asleep, God appears him, now and always, changes to Jacob in his dream. God’s mes- everything. During the course of this sage to Jacob is a promise of land, study, the children in your class will many descendants, and protec- be encouraged to consider God’s tion. Jacob is also promised God’s presence, now plans for their lives. As children, they are still in and always. the process of discovering their gifts and talents and the ways they are called to live into God’s dreams for them. Regardless of what they are The Bible Verse called to be now and in the future, one thing is In each of the six sessions in this study, the Bible certain: God is with each one of them, just as God verse for the lesson is one verse from Psalm was with Jacob—now and always. 139, beginning with verse one and proceeding through the sixth verse. The keyword in Psalm 139 is know. In the first six verses of this psalm the word know appears three times, and a form of

8 Dare to Dream: Children’s Leader Guide

9781426775819IND001.indd 8 10/3/13 11:34 AM Explore Interest Groups Be sure that adult leaders are waiting when the first child arrives. Greet and welcome the children. Get the children involved in an activity that interests them and introduces the theme for the day’s activities.

Black-and-White Dreams Prepare 3 Provide black • Say: Usually when we think about drawing a black-and-white pic- construction paper and ture, we are referring to black writing on a white piece of paper. white crayons. Today you will use white crayon to draw on black paper. 3 Note: If the children • Invite each child to think about dreams he or she may have had. cannot remember a dream, encourage them to draw a • Encourage the children to draw a picture about a dream that they picture about a dream they remember. would like to have.

• Say: Our Bible story today is about a dream.

Stuck Together Prepare 3 Provide paper cut into • Ask: Can you link these two paper clips together without touching 11-inch by 1½-inch strips them? and paper clips. • Give each child a strip of paper. 3 Give each child two paper clips. • Have each child form the paper into a loose S-shape.

• Have each child use one paper clip to attach the top of the S to the center of the S about ½ to 1 inch from the end of the strip.

• Have each child use the other paper clip to attach the bottom of the S to the center of the S about ½ to 1 inch from the other end of the strip.

• Have each child hold one end of the paper strip in each hand and pull quickly to straighten out the paper strip.

• Ask: What happened to the paper clips?

• Say: These paper clips are now stuck together. Today we are going to be talking about God being stuck on us!

• Have the children experiment with trying to make a longer paper clip chain using this method.

God’s Presence 9

9781426775819IND001.indd 9 10/3/13 11:34 AM Prepare Staircase Relay 3 Use masking tape to designate a starting line • Divide the children into teams with an even number of players on and a finish line on oppo- each team. site sides of the room. • Have each child partner with another child on that team.

• Have the teams line up at the starting line with partners standing together.

• Instruct the children to sit down with their legs extending in front of them. Partners should be facing each other with their feet touching.

• Say: Your team has now formed a staircase. The children closest to the starting line form the top step. The children farthest from the starting line form the bottom step. Your job is to move your staircase across the room to the finish line. Here is how you will do that. When I say go, those of you who are forming the bottom step will jump up and run to the top of the staircase. You will sit back down right next to those forming the top step and when your feet are again touching you will say, “Move up!” When you say “Move up!” the new bottom step may move to the top. Continue moving in this way until the top rung of your ladder is on the finish line.

• Encourage children to play the game. If time permits, have the children move their staircases back to the starting line.

• Say: In our Bible story today, we will hear about someone who has a dream about a staircase.

10 Dare to Dream: Children’s Leader Guide

9781426775819IND001.indd 10 10/3/13 11:34 AM Large Group Bring all the children together to experience the Bible story. Use a bell to alert the children to the large-group time.

Jacob’s Dream Prepare 3 Photocopy the “Jacob’s • Say: Our Bible story today is found in the book of Genesis. Dream” handout at the end of this lesson for each child • Ask: Where do we find Genesis in the Bible? (In the Old Testament. to take home. Genesis is the first book of the Bible.) 3 On a marker board or a • Show the family tree you have drawn. piece of mural paper, draw a family tree for Jacob and • Say: You have probably heard stories about Abraham. Abraham and place it where it can easily Sarah had a son when they were both very old. Their son’s name be seen. At the top of the was Isaac. Isaac married Rebekah, and they had twin sons named tree, place Abraham and Jacob and Esau. Our story today is about Jacob. Sarah. Draw a line down from Abraham and Sarah Ask: What was the relationship between Jacob and Abraham? • to connect to their son, (Abraham was Jacob’s grandfather.) Isaac. Write Rebekah next to Isaac’s name. Draw two • Read the Bible story from the “Jacob’s Dream” handout, pausing to ask the children the questions in italicized print. Be affirming of the lines down from Isaac and children’s answers. There are no right or wrong answers to these Rebekah to connect to their questions. sons, Esau and Jacob.

• Say: God promised always to be with Jacob. God makes that same promise to us. God is always with us, no matter where we are or what we are doing. God is with us!

• Ask: How does it make you feel to know God is always with you?

God Knows You Prepare 3 Write the Bible verse on • Say: Not only do we know that God is always with us, but God also a marker board or a piece knows all about us. Our Bible verse for today is the first verse of of mural paper and place it Psalm 139. where it can be easily seen. (Lord, you have examined • Invite the children to read the Bible verse with you as you read it me. You know me. —Psalm aloud. 139:1) • Say: Now let’s put some actions to our Bible verse.

God’s Presence 11

9781426775819IND001.indd 11 10/3/13 11:34 AM • Teach the children the following actions:

o Lord, (Point up.) o you have examined me. (Make circles with both hands and hold them up to your eyes as if you are looking through binoculars. Look all over the room.) o You (Point up again.) o know me. (Point to yourself.)

• Encourage the children to say the Bible verse with you several times while doing the actions.

Prepare God Is With Us 3 On separate, small • Ask: pieces of paper, write the In Jacob’s dream, where did God promise to be? (With Jacob) following words: For how long? (Always) “at home,” “at school,” • Say: “on vacation,” “on the God promises to be with us, too. Always! We are going to say a playground,” “at the mall,” litany right now to remind us that God is with us. “at church,” “with friends,” “with family,” “alone,” • Ask the children with pieces of paper to stand up. “feeling happy,” “feel- Say: ing sad,” “discouraged,” • The people who are standing are going to take turns saying, “scared.” “When we are…” and then reading what is on the piece of paper I have given them. After each person reads, our response will be, 3 Give each piece of paper “God is with us!” to a child in your class who is comfortable reading • Have the class practice their response. aloud. • Have the children who are standing take turns saying, “When we are…” and reading their pieces of paper. Encourage the class to respond after each reading with the words “God is with us!”

• Finish the litany by saying, “No matter where we are, who we are with, or what we are feeling…” and encourage the class to respond, “God is with us!”

• Dismiss children to their small groups.

12 Dare to Dream: Children’s Leader Guide

9781426775819IND001.indd 12 10/3/13 11:34 AM Small Groups Divide the children into small groups. You may organize the groups around age levels or around readers and nonreaders. Keep the groups small, with a maximum of ten children in each group. You may need to have more than one group of each age level. Younger Children (Ages 5–7) Prepare 3 Provide paper, crayons, • Ask: In our Bible story today, how did Jacob know God was with craft sticks, scissors, mark- him? (God told him in a dream.) ers, and glue.

• Say: Many of us have not had Jacob’s experience of hearing God speak to us. Yet we know God is with each one of us.

• Ask: How do you know God is with you? Are there certain places where you feel closer to God? Are there people who help you feel God’s presence?

• Allow children time to share. Assure children that there are no right or wrong answers. Each of us experiences God’s presence in our own way.

• Give each child a piece of paper.

• Say: In Jacob’s dream he saw a staircase going from earth up to heaven. Some translations of the Bible use the word ladder instead of staircase. You may have heard the expression, “Jacob’s Ladder.”

• Encourage the children to use the craft sticks to make a ladder or staircase on their paper, gluing the sticks to the paper. The craft stick may be cut or broken into smaller pieces.

• Have the children use the markers to write on their ladders the words “God is always with me.”

• Encourage the children to use crayons and markers to decorate their pictures.

• Say: Your picture can help remind you of Jacob’s dream and of God’s presence with you always.

• Pray: Loving God, thank you for being with us. Help us to feel your presence and remember we are never alone. Amen.

God’s Presence 13

9781426775819IND001.indd 13 10/3/13 11:34 AM Prepare Older Children (Ages 8–11) 3 Photocopy the “Dreams in the Bible” handout at the • Ask: In our Bible story today, how did Jacob know God was with end of this lesson for each him? (God told him in a dream.) child. • Say: Jacob is not the only person who received a message from God 3 Provide Bibles, paper, in a dream. pencils, colored pencils, scissors, tape, and chenille • Give each child a copy of the “Dreams in the Bible” handout and a stems. pencil.

• Together as a group, look up the Bible stories and complete the worksheet.

• Ask: Have you ever heard God talking to you in a dream?

• Say: Many of us have not had Jacob’s experience of hearing God speak to us. Yet we know God is with each one of us.

• Ask: How do you know God is with you? Are there certain places where you feel closer to God? Are there people who help you feel God’s presence? Have there been times when you felt far from God?

• Allow children time to share. Assure children that there are no right or wrong answers. Each of us experiences God’s presence in our own way.

• Say: In Jacob’s dream he saw a staircase going from earth up to heaven. Some translations of the Bible use the word ladder instead of staircase. You may have heard the expression “Jacob’s Ladder.”

• Encourage each child to use the chenille stems to make a ladder or a staircase.

• Have each child cut a small pennant or banner shape from a piece of paper and write on it the words “God is always with me.”

• Have the children tape their banner to the ladder or staircase.

• Say: When you take your ladders and staircases home, they can help you remember Jacob’s dream and God’s promise to be with you always.

• Pray: God, thank you for loving us. Thank you for your promise to be with us always. Help us to remember your promise and to be aware of your presence. Amen.

14 Dare to Dream: Children’s Leader Guide

9781426775819IND001.indd 14 10/3/13 11:34 AM Jacob’s Dream

Based on Genesis 28:10-22

Jacob’s brother, Esau, was mad at him. Esau was so furious that Jacob feared for his life. Jacob and Esau’s mother decided it would be a good idea for Jacob to go away for a while until Esau calmed down. So Jacob left home.

How do you think Jacob was feeling?

Jacob had a long journey ahead of him. He was going to stay with his mother’s family where he would be safe. After traveling all day, Jacob stopped to rest. When the sun went down, Jacob got ready to go to sleep. He found a big stone and used it for a pillow.

Have you ever used a rock for a pillow? How would it feel?

Jacob dreamed that there was a big staircase extending from earth up to the sky. God’s messengers were going up and down the staircase. Suddenly God was in Jacob’s dream, standing at the top of the ladder.

Have you ever dreamed about God or heaven or angels?

In Jacob’s dream, God said, “I am the God of your grandfather, Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. I am with you now. I will protect you everywhere you go and I will bring you back to this land. I will give you and your descendants the land you are lying on. I will never leave you.”

How do you think Jacob felt when he woke up?

When Jacob woke up, he thought to himself, “I didn’t realize it, but now I know that God is here!” Jacob took the stone that he had slept on, set it upright, and poured oil on the top of it. Jacob did these things to mark the place as special. Jacob named the place “Bethel,” which means God’s house.

Why do you think Jacob chose the name God’s house? Is God only found at the place where Jacob slept?

Jacob said, “God has promised to be with me and protect me on this trip. I have set this stone as a sacred pillar and a reminder of God’s message to me on this spot.”

How do you think it made Jacob feel to know that God would always be with him? How did Jacob’s feelings change through this story?

9781426775819IND001.indd 15 10/3/13 11:34 AM Dreams in the Bible

The Bible contains many stories of God sending messages through dreams. Use your Bible to look up each story listed below in the right column. Draw a line connecting each story to the person in the left column who received a message from God in a dream.

Pharaoh Matthew 1:18-24

Jacob 1 Kings 3:5-14

Joseph Genesis 28:10-17

Solomon Matthew 2:1-12

Magi (wise men) Genesis 41:1-7, 15-16, 25-30

9781426775819IND001.indd 16 10/3/13 11:34 AM