Weird Science

August 28th, 2016 .:. .:. Room 301

Pathways Kids Weekend Small Groups

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This curriculum is for the 4th, 5th and 6th graders.

This Weeks Scope

The Test
Bible Story: The Test (Abraham and Isaac) Genesis 18, 21, 22 (Supporting: Genesis 15)
Bottom Line: I should trust and obey because theres a bigger plan.
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: Obediencetrusting those who lead you by doing what youre asked to do.
Basic Truth: I can trust God no matter what.

Welcome Time
Welcome kids and spend time engaging in conversation and catching up. Get ready to experience
todays story.
Before kids arrive, pray for each regular attendee by name. Pray for those who might visit your group
for the first time. Ask God to help kids understand that He has a bigger plan for their lives, and
sometimes that involves obeying those in charge. Pray for kids to begin to understand the connection
between obeying their leaders and honoring God and the plan He has for them.
Bible Story: I shortened it to select verses. Please or add or remove what you feel is necessary.
The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to
his tent in the heat of the day. Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw
them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground. While they
ate, he stood near them under a tree. Where is your wife Sarah? they asked him. There, in the tent,
he said. Then one of them said, I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your
wife will have a son. Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind
him. Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. So Sarah
laughed to herself as she thought, After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this
pleasure? Then the LORD said to Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh and say, Will I really have a child,
now that I am old? Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next
year, and Sarah will have a son. Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, I did not laugh. But he said,
Yes, you did laugh. Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah
what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very
time God had promised him. Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him. Then God said,

Take your son, your only son, whom you loveIsaacand go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him
there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you. Early the next morning Abraham got up and
loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough
wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham
looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, Stay here with the donkey while I
and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you. When they reached the
place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his
son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the
knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, Abraham! Abraham!
Here I am, he replied. Do not lay a hand on the boy, he said. Do not do anything to him. Now I know
that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son. Abraham looked
up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and
sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide.
And to this day it is said, On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided. The angel of the LORD called
to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because
you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make
your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your
descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on
earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.

Remind kids of this story throughout small group.

Activity #1
What You Need: paper, scissors, markers
What You Do:
Tell kids theyll be creating a wall hanging to remind them they are a piece of Gods story and
part of His bigger plan.
Instruct kids to cut out a piece of cardstock in the shape of a heart or a cross.
What You Say:
Each story in the Bible is like a piece of a puzzle, and when all the pieces are put together, you have
Gods big story. Gods story started with creation, Noah and Abraham entered Gods story, and most
importantly Jesus entered Gods story to show us Gods love for us. God loved us so much He sent
Jesus to die for us so we could be with Him now and forever. And Gods story doesnt end with the last
book in the Bible; our lives are part of Gods story too. We may not know all the details yet, but God has
a bigger plan for each of usa plan so we can live with Him now and forever. Put your cross or heart

somewhere to remind you that you are part of Gods story and that [Bottom Line] you should trust
and obey because there is a bigger plan.
If you lead mostly older kids, consider asking these discussion questions:
Think of some things your parents or aunts or uncles ask you to do that you dont like to do.
Why do you think they ask you to do those things? Could there be a bigger plan and, if so, what
could it be?
Who are some of the leaders God has put in your life? How does obeying and trusting our
leaders show how we trust God?
What kinds of leaders do you like to follow? What characteristics do they have? Some people
might like to follow soft-spoken leaders; some people like to follow more direct people. Why is it
important to recognize what kinds of leaders it might be more difficult for you to follow? (So that
you are aware and can work extra hard at showing respect and doing the right thing anyway.)
How can learning to trust and obey leaders help you trust and obey God?

Activity #2
What You Need: Bibles
What You Do:
Help your kids look up the verse Hebrews 13:17a and then read the verse aloud together a few
times.
Unpack the verse, emphasizing what it means to put yourself under the authority of a leader.
Ask a couple volunteers to put the verse into their own wordsto tell the group what it means to
them specifically.
Guide kids to sit in a circle. Choose one child to be the guesser and have her turn her back to
the other kids. (No peeking!)
Silently choose a child to be the leader. Guide the leader to begin a motion for the other kids to
follow. For example, he may pat his head.
Guide the guesser to turn around.
Slowly say the memory verse aloud, encouraging the kids to say it with you.
As you say each word or couple of words, the leader changes motions and the other kids must
follow.
The guessers job is to figure out who is leading the group. When she has an idea, she points to
that child.
When shes correct, she joins the circle and the leader becomes the new guesser.
What You Say:
God wants us to trust our leaders and put ourselves under their authority. What do you think it means
to put yourself under their authority? (to respect them, to obey them, to do what they say)
Did Abraham put himself under Gods authority? How? (He obeyed God even when it didnt make
sense.) Why do you think Abraham trusted and obeyed God? (He loved God; he knew God wouldnt
trick him; he trusted that God had a bigger plan.)
[Make It Personal] (Share a child-appropriate story about a time when you chose to put yourself
under the authority of a leader, especially if the leader asked you to do something that didnt

make sense. Tell how your relationship with God grew as a result.) So remember: [Bottom Line]
I should trust and obey because theres a bigger plan.

Prayer
Opposites

Time

What You Need: No supplies needed

What You Do:
Pray with the kids.
Acknowledge that we can [Basic Truth] trust God no matter what. God has a plan for each of
us and it is bigger than any of us can ever imagine.
Thank God for loving us so much He sent Jesus so we can be with God now and forever.
Thank God for putting people in our lives to help lead us, to watch over us, and to teach us.
Ask for His help to trust and obey because there is a bigger plan.
After prayer, lead your kids to large group.