Isaac and the Wells: Genesis 26:12-33
We believe that spiritual development happens in the home as well as at church. We hope that these ideas will help you engage as a family. It’s designed to help you connect with your child about the lesson they had this past week. Use all the ideas one night, or spread them out throughout the week. Enjoy!
- ACTIVITY Items Needed: Snack Sized Candy
Purchase a large bag of snack-size individually wrapped candy or snack food. Hide the pieces in hard-to-find places throughout your house. Tell the kids how many different packages you hid and ask them to find them all. Don’t give any hints! If the kids want to give up, keep encouraging them until they have completed the task. Then talk about how this activity required perseverance!
- What was the reward for your perseverance?
- How are we rewarded for our perseverance in life?
- GAME Items Needed: Dice
Get a number cube or die. Go outside and line up across the yard. This will be kind of like playing a game of Mother May I, except you’re going to use the number cube to help determine how many steps you’ll take and what direction you’ll go. The goal is for the players to make it to the other side of the yard. Roll the cube and if the number is odd (1, 3, 5) the players will go backward that number of steps. If the number on the cube is even (2, 4, 6) the players will go forward that number of steps. The game is over when someone reaches a designated point.
- How did it feel when you had to go backwards?
- How was perseverance required in this game?
- How did you feel when you finally got to the end?
- What would have helped you keep a better attitude throughout?
- What helps you persevere? Words of encouragement? Knowing someone is with you? Picturing in your mind the finish line?
- How does knowing God’s promises help you persevere?
- KNOW YOUR BIBLE items needed: Bibles
Look up each of the following verses and identify what the promise of God is in that verse. How does knowing this promise help you to persevere?
- 1 Corinthians 10:13
- Nahum 1:7
- Philippians 4:13
- Romans 8:37-39
- Deuteronomy 31:8
- Jeremiah 33:3
What other promises has God made to us in His Word? How can you pray with these promises in mind?
- SCIENCE items needed: ice cubes frozen with pebble inside, washcloths
Assign kids to small groups. Today we’re going to test your perseverance. What have we said perseverance is? It’s staying with the task and not giving up … no matter what happens. Your going to get an ice cube that has a small pebble frozen inside. Your job is to work together to melt the ice cube and get the pebble. You cannot use your mouth or anything to break it apart. You must melt it. You’ll want to pass it from warm hand to warm hand.
- How did it take perseverance to melt the ice cube to get the pebble?
- Did you ever feel like quitting?
- Why do you think people quit?
- What are the promises God made to Isaac? (I will be your God. I will go with you. I will give you strength. I will bless you.)
- How does believing God’s promises help you persevere?
- SNACK items needed: sugar, half-n-half, vanilla extract, rock salt, ice cubes, pint size zipper bags, gallon size zipper bags, cups and spoons
Isaac showed a lot of perseverance. He could have given up and pouted when the going got tough, but he didn’t. He continued to dig wells and do what was right for his family. When he persevered, he was rewarded for his efforts. We’re going to make some homemade ice cream, and you’ll be rewarded for your efforts if you persevere. Your hands will get cold and your arms will be tired, but you’ll have to keep on or you won’t end up with ice cream in the end.
For each small group you will need: 2 T. sugar, ½ t. vanilla extract, 1 cup half-and-half, ½ c. rock salt, ice cubes, a pint-size zipper bag, and a gallon-size zipper bag. Mix all the ingredients together in the pint size bag. Make sure you have sealed it tightly. Place that bag inside a gallon size bag. Put the ice cubes and salt in the gallon bag around the smaller bag. Seal the larger bag; then, shake the bags until the mixture hardens (about 5 minutes). Feel the bag to determine when it’s done. Take the smaller bag out of the larger one. Scoop out a small serving for each child.
- Scripture Memory
Proverbs 3:5 (NLT)
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.“
- Thought For The Week
WE CAN ALWAYS TRUST GOD’S PROMISES AS WE PERSEVERE!