CHILDREN’S SUNDAY SCHOOL MANUAL,
ASSEMBLIES OF GOD CHURCH, NIGERIA.
LESSON 8
JANUARY – JUNE, 2024.
SUNDAY, 25TH FEBRUARY, 2024.
TOPIC: ABRAHAM OBEYS GOD
BIBLE TEXT: Genesis 12:1-9
MEMORY VERSE:
Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness (Romans 4:3,NIV).
TARGET:
To help the child realise that Gods blessings come to those who believe and obey Christ, those who have answered His call.
OBJECTIVES:
During and after the lesson, each child will show that he or she understands the lesson by:
1. Saying what God told Abraham to do and why.
2. Mentioning the blessings God promised Abraham.
3. Responding positively to an altar call for the salvation of their souls.
OUTLINE:
1. God Calls Abraham – Gen 12:1
2. God Blesses Abraham – Gen 12:2,3
3. Abraham Obeys God – Gen 12:4-9
INTRODUCTION:
God has called the world to come and receive the salvation that is in His Son, Christ Jesus. John 3:16 tell us that God loved this world so much that He gave ,His only begotten Son so that anyone that believes in Him would not perish but have eternal life. God will bless those that answer this call of salvation
God may also want to call some to become preachers (pastors, evangelists, missionaries).He will be happy if such people obey Him. And He will bless them greatly.
LESSON COMMENTARY
1. God Calls Abraham – Gen 12:1
There was a man, who like Noah believed and obeyed God for something he did not understand. His name was Abraham. After God had confused the language of the people and scattered them, they began to worship idols. They prayed to gods of wood and stone. And God wanted to raise a great nation that will know Him and teach the rest of the world how to know God. So He called Abraham to be part of this special plan of His.
Abraham was born in the land of Ur. He loved God just as Noah did. God told him to leave his people who were idol worshippers. He wanted him to go to a land He will show him and settle there. God wanted him to be different from his people and friends. Anybody that will be a friend of Jesus must leave his bad friends and bad habits to follow Him.
2. God Blesses Abraham – Gen 12:2,3
God promised to bless Abraham and make him a great nation. Heal so promised to make Abraham’s name great. Those who bless Abraham, will be blessed and those who curse him, will be cursed. Abraham would be a blessing to other people and through him all the families of the world would be blessed. Today, God promises to bless all who would obey Him with the blessings of Abraham. Abraham had faith in God and so all who will have faith in God will be Abraham’s children.
3. Abraham Obeys God – Gen 12:4-9
Abraham decided to obey God. So he immediately set out from Haran with his wife Sarah, his brother’s son Lot, his servants and animals and set out on a long journey.
They all travelled many miles and for over forty days. One day, Abraham looked into the distance and saw a beautiful country. This country was Canaan (the Promised Land). When he got to this country Canaan, God told him to stop. He told him that this was the land He would give Abraham and his children. Abraham believed that God would keep His promise. Although he did not have any child yet, or seen any great nation, he knew God would do what He promised.
But the people of Canaan were already living in this land God had promised Abraham. So Abraham lived there as a stranger. God is the Owner of all the Earth. And He would drive away the Canaanites for the children of Abraham to occupy. Abraham built an altar there and worshipped the Lord.
Later, the Lord led Abraham to move from one part of the land to another. He was looking for pasture(food) for his animals. First, he settled in a town called Shechem. Later he went to Bethel. And there he built an altar and worshipped the Lord. The people of the land were idol worshippers. But Abraham invited all of them (friends and neighbours) and told them about the one True God. He did not hide from the people that he was serving the living God. Rather Abraham became a preacher and prince among the people.
Remember, Abraham built an altar and talked to God as was their custom in those days. Although we don’t build such altars these days, yet we still worship God by talking to Him in prayer.
APPLICATION:
Her to be involved in full time work for Him. Then she married a minister of God and thought that she had done God’s will. But that was not so.
For many years, after her education, Joy taught in public schools. She also helped with the work of God a great deal. But she was not happy since she knew that she had not done the will of God like Abraham did. Joy still stayed on in the very place God wanted her to leave. The result was that she had no peace of mind for many years.
During these years, God still spoke to Joy’s heart to give up her job and answer the call. So she made up her mind and said yes to the Lord. She then left her good job.
When Joy told people about her decision, some felt and even said that she was out of her mind. But Joy knew that was not the case. It was then that she began to be happy and to have great peace of mind. Joy and the members of her family and even some friends knew that she had obeyed God. God began to bless her very much. God blesses those who obey Him.
QUESTIONS:
1. According to today’s lesson, who are those God will bless?
(A) Those who reject the call of salvation
(B) those who run away from God
(C) those who refuse to repent
(D) those who answer the call
of salvation.
2. There was a man, who like Noah believed and obeyed God for something he did not understand. His name was ________
(A) Cain
(B) Michael
(C) Abraham
(D) Esau.
3. The land of Ur was where _______ was bborn
(A)DDavid
(B)Abraham
(C)Saul
(D)Israel.
4. Who were the people living in the Promised Land that God had promised Abraham?
(A) The people of Canaan
(B) the people of Ur
(C)the people of Israel
(D) the people of Nigeria.
DAIY BIBLE DOSE:
Mon: God Tells Abraham to Leave His Country – Genesis 12:1
Tues: Abraham Obeys God – Genesis 12:4
Weds: The Lord Appears to Abraham – Genesis 12:7
Thurs: Abraham Builds an Altar – Genesis 12:8
Fri: God Is Merciful – Deut 4:30,31
Sat: Obey God Rather Than Man – Acts 5:29