Ever ask your children what they learned when they came home from school? Ever done that with Sunday School? Here’s your chance to bring Sunday School into the home. Below is a lesson outline for the next week(s) for our 4th to 8th grade Sunday School program.
June 3: Genesis 48 (Jacob’s blessings of Ephraim and Mannasseh) – God has a different idea of who’s important than we do.
- Our Social Order
- It really does change from time to time
- But there’s always some people on top
- Sometimes they get there by hard work or natural giftedness
- Other times it’s unfair
- God’s Social Order
- It’s different than ours
- And it’s often surprising
- Of course we have to work hard too.
- But ultimately it’s God’s work that matters the most
- We’ve seen that this whole book
- And we can take hope that we are important in God’s eyes.
Questions:
- What are some of the ways that people get popular or important at your school?
- What about disabled or disadvantaged people? How do you treat them and why?
- What are the kind of things that you think God is looking for? Can we even know?
May 20: Gen 47:1-12 (Joseph gets the family to Egypt) – Sometimes it just takes patience, but God will take care of us.
- Waiting . . .
- The Bible is full of tough times leading to good things.
- And people waiting for God to make good on his promises.
- Even now all of us are still in the same boat.
- It is worth the wait?
- A lot of things aren’t so special once we get them.
- But God’s promises are worth it.
- Because they are about so much more than getting things.
Questions:
- Was it fair for Jacob and the family to have to go through all that? Could there have been another way? What do you think?
- Do you consider yourself to be patient? Why or why not?
- What are some of the things you want right now but aren’t getting?
May 13: Gen 44-45 (His brothers pass the test) – God can bring good out of any situation, but we need to take a step of faith.
- Taking the step to do the right thing
- Judah was willing to sacrifice himself for his brother Benjamin.
- Whatever else he did wrong it shows that people can still change.
- But it can take a lot of sacrifice to apologize
- And to do the right thing
- But it can be worth it all
- God brought good out of all the bad the brothers did
- And God rewarded them for being sorry for what they did
- Joseph’s whole family got saved from trouble
- Bad things may happen, but God can bring a lot of good out of it.
Questions:
- Do you agree with what Judah did here? Why or why not?
- Are there any risks you face in your schools right now? What are they?
- Ever been glad something bad happened because something even better came out of it? Describe that time.
April 15: Gen 42, 43 (Joseph tests his brothers) – Maybe God has a reason for why we go through bad times.
- Joseph’s brothers have a hard time
- Joseph’s brothers wonder why things are going so wrong for them.
- Sometimes we have to come out and admit something was our fault.
- It’s called repentance, and it’s something that every believer in God has to do at one time or another.
- But they change along the way
- Joseph’s brothers realize they know they need to start thinking about helping others
- Not hurting them like they did Joseph
- God sometimes puts us through hard times so we can change
Questions:
- Do you think Joseph is trying to help or punish his brothers here? Explain.
- Do his brothers deserve what they’re getting here?
- Share a time you were sorry for something. Did it happen right away or not? Describe it.
- What’s the whole point behind punishment anyway? Share your thoughts.
April 1: Gen 41 (Joseph rises to power) – God knows what He’s doing; it just takes wisdom and faith to see it.
- Things going right for us.
- God will take care of us in his way
- But it takes faith
- Joseph never gave up
- Making things go right for others.
- Joseph made things better for the people of Egypt.
- And for his own family
- For us as Christians, it’s all about being a blessing to others.
Questions:
- Do you think God always works things out? Why or why not?
- What does it mean for God to bless people? How has God blessed you?
- How could we bless others?
March 11: Gen 37, 39, 40 (Joseph keeps his head up) – God is always looking out for us, even in the hard times
- Getting More than We Bargained For
- Joseph did a little bit of tattling
- And he was the favorite
- But he didn’t deserve what came to him
- We may be wrong, but that doesn’t mean we deserve it.
- But God still gave him a way out of the pit that his brothers put him into.
- Getting Punished for Doing the Right Thing
- Joseph didn’t do anything wrong
- But he ended in prison anyway.
- But something good came out of it
- Not Getting Rewarded for Doing the Right Thing
- It’s not about what we can get out of it.
- And just like Jesus, we can do something good and not be appreciated for it.
- But in the next story something good does happen
- Joseph isn’t the main character in this story, it’s God.
- And God’s the one who gives us hope.
Questions:
- Describe a situation where it was hard to do the right thing. Are you still glad that you did what you did it?
- Why do you do the right thing? Is for others who are watching? For God? For some other reason? Explain.
- Do you think that God is always there, even in the hard times? What do you think?
March 4: Gen 32, 33 (Jacob and Esau, Part 2) – Explore the importance of forgiving, especially when unexpected people do it.
- Not Really Being Sorry
- The big deal with Jacob is he’s scared, he doesn’t apologize
- Because he doesn’t think Esau will forgive him
- And he still doesn’t really believe it even after Esau forgives him
- He tries to pay him off.
- But Being Forgiven
- Last time we saw Esau he was mad, but he got over it.
- Holding onto anger never helps.
- God is the ultimate forgiver
- We can’t pay Him off
- We just have to believe He is forgiving.
- And He is forgiving because of the cross.
Questions:
- Should you still forgive someone even if they don’t apologize? What do you think?
- Describe a time you were forgiven. How did it feel to have someone forgive you?
- Does God forgive automatically or do we have to do something? What do you think?
February 26: Gen. 32:24-31 (Jacob’s relationship with God) – Ever wanted to fight with God, or even thought that was a good idea?
- Is Wrestling with God a Good Idea?
- Jacob wanted some things from God
- And thought he could take it.
- But God doesn’t get forced into anything.
- And Jacob needed to know that God will give us what we need
- How About Trusting God?
- God’s like a parent, you have to trust that He knows what’s best for you.
- Just as you would with your parents you need to be honest with how your feeling
- But remember that God sees and knows more than you.
Questions:
- Why do you think God came and wrestled Jacob like that?
- Ever prayed to God for anything, why or why not? And if you have, please describe it.
- Do you really think that God is all-powerful and knows better than us? Be honest and explain why you think that.
February 19: Gen. 28:10-22 (Jacob’s ladder) – God’s dreams and our dreams
- Whose Dreams Should We Follow?
- With all the TV shows and all the opportunities to be famous out there we think that’s as good as it gets
- But God is bigger than our wildest dreams.
- And his dreams are for everyone, to help the whole world
- How Do These Dreams Come True
- By God’s grace, not by what we do
- Even if Jacob didn’t get that.
- Because God has amazing dream for Jacob here
- And great plans for us, even if we don’t know them
- Trust in God to know what’s best for us.
- And best for everyone else
Questions:
- Why do we have the dreams we do when we’re sleeping? What do you think?
- Did you ever dream of doing or being something that you don’t have anymore? Why don’t you want to do/do that anymore?
- Can being super famous actually help other people? Why or why not?
February 12: Gen. 25-27 (Isaac and Rebecca and their kids Esau and Jacob)
- Kids Behaving Badly!
- Name the wrong behaviors you see in this story.
- Do any of these sound familiar?
- Not much has changed. We misbehave like Jacob and Esau do.
- God is the Ultimate Parent!
- Ever had a parent just let something go? God does it all the time.
- God will use everything, even the bad things we’ve done.
- And He makes everything all work out in the end
- God is forgiving and all powerful.
Questions:
- Describe a problem you had with a family member. How did it start?
- Describe a time when you were really grateful for your family. Why?
- Do our parents love us only when we’re being good, or when we’re bad too, what do you think? How about God then?
January 29: Gen. 22 (Sacrifice of Isaac) – What’s God up to?
- Does God gives tests?
- A lot of people out there have to go through something like this.
- We’re the lucky ones because our lives are so easy.
- This isn’t to scare us, but remind us to be there for other people.
- Does God know what he’s doing?
- Would God every mess up his own plan?
- Are they times that it looks like God is making things hard for you?
- We have to have faith, even if it looks like things are going to go badly.
Questions:
- Do you think Abraham was right to almost go through with it? Why or why not?
- Describe a time you had to make a really hard decision. Did you learn anything from it?
- Now if we have it easy, what can we do to help people out there to have to make hard decisions all the time?
January 22: Gen. 18:21-33 (Abram tries to make a deal with God) – Ever try to make a deal with your parent? It’s like that for Abram here.
- Negotiating
- It’s all about getting our own way.
- Adults do it all the time.
- But would it work with God?
- Praying
- It’s just talking with God.
- What do you think about the way we pray in church?
- God wants us talking with him, whatever our problem or request his.
- That’s what makes it a relationship.
Questions:
- Describe a time you tried to make a deal with your parent/teacher/sibling/etc.
- Do you think God always has his mind made up about things? Why or why not?
- Do you pray for other people? What do you hope to accomplish by doing that?
January 15: Gen. 18:1-19 (Sarah’s laughter) – Ever got tired of waiting for something? Why?
- Impatience
- It’s usually when we’re waiting for something we really need.
- And it’s usually when we think we’re going to get it
- And we don’t get it as soon as we think we should.
- Laughing
- Ever had someone laugh at you.
- It was because they didn’t respect you.
- Sometimes we laugh at God
- It’s like we’ve given up and don’t believe God anymore.
- Believing
- Even if it doesn’t look like He will, God will keep his promises.
- And that can take a lot of patience, and even more faith.
- And believing that God knows what he’s doing.
Questions:
- What are some of the promises God has made us?
- Are they easy to believe in? Why or why not?
- Why would God make us wait for a long time before we get something? What do you think?
January 8: Gen 12:1-9 (Abram gets scared in Egypt) – Even we believe in God, there’s still times where we get scared and mess up. Communion Sunday (There will still be Sunday School)
- Looking out for Numero Uno
- For Abram here, he was only worried about himself.
- It’s that way for us too, we usually just want to look out for ourself.
- And it’ll usually cause problems for other people when we act like that.
- God Finds Us a New Numero Uno
- Abram still ended giving testimony of God here.
- And we learn that making God number 1
- Means we make everyone else number 1
- Because of Jesus’ own example
Questions:
- Do you know someone who seems to be all about themselves? How would you describe them?
- Now think of time where you were all about yourself. Be honest.
- What are some practical ways at home, school, church, etc that we can put others before us?
December 11: Gen 12 and 15:6 (Choosing of Abram, the idea of faith, and God’s decisions) – Believing in God can be complicated, but it’s the best way.
- What About God do You Believe in?
- It’s not just about God existing.
- It’s about believing that God will do something.
- God has a plan for every single person out there. We just happen to be learning about Abraham here.
- Do you think God wants to do things for you?
- Do You Think that God’s Way is the Best?
- Because there are lot of other ways to go.
- In your schools you have to make choices every day.
- There are times where the right choice actually looks the hardest.
- And sometimes it’s not always easy to figure out God’s way.
- And God could use us for big things, just like with Abraham
Questions:
- Why is Abraham the one God chose, what do you think?
- Is God always around or does He just let us do our thing sometimes, what do you think?
- How can we hear from God now? What are some ways He communicates with us?
- What are some of the things you would want from God now? Be honest.
December 4: Gen 11 (Tower of Babel) – Why do you get together with friends?
- Who are your friends?
- Everyone at the Tower of Babel wanted to stay together, stay with the people they knew best – their friends.
- Friends are good, obviously
- God created Adam and Eve to be together, to be friends
- And God can use friends a lot in our lives
- Is there such a thing as bad friends?
- Yes, because we can gang up on other people with our friends
- Or we can have a group of friends and not let other people in
- Should we be friends with those who are a bad influence?
- That’s why He scattered the Tower of Babel People
- But at the church we should be a good influence and a place where Jesus’ love is practiced
- That’s the kind of group we can let people into, that they’ll want to be a part
Questions:
- Do you know what a clique is? Do you think you’re a part of one (or more)? Why or why not?
- Have you ever seen peer pressure at your school/church/extracurricular/etc? How about from your friends?
- Have you ever lost a friend? Describe it and how it made you feel.
November 20: Gen 9 (Noah messed up) – Even though people mess up, God’s story keeps on going.
- Getting to First Place
- Noah felt good about where he was.
- But he forgot who got him there.
- Staying in First Place
- We are forgiven.
- We keep being forgiven.
- Just like Noah was.
Questions:
- Have you had someone say they were sorry and then do it again? Describe the time.
- Did you want to forgive them again? What do you think you should in that situation?
- Do you think God should keep forgiving people, or should He draw the line somewhere?
November 13: Gen 6-8 (Noah and the flood) – A familiar Bible story can be about a lot of things, but it’s always about grace.
- What do You Know about this Story?
- Did You Know Just How Good the Ending is?
Questions:
- Describe a time you really got into trouble? Did it work out eventually? Why or why not?
- Do you think any decision would be really hard for God? Why or why not?
- What have you heard about natural disasters and stuff like that? Is that something you care about, and why or why not?
October 30: Gen 5 (Even the begats actually mean something) – The story is going somewhere; the list of names doesn’t have to be boring.
- What Makes a Good Story/Movie/Video game/Whatever?
- Is a Story Supposed to Go Somewhere?
Questions:
- What can make the Bible boring at times? Be honest.
- Now describe a story/movie/video game etc that you thought was boring. Why? (Get them thinking about the idea of a story going somewhere, like how the story of Genesis is actually going somewhere.)
- What about your own story? Where do you want that to go?
October 16: Gen 4 (Cain & Abel and the aftermath) – Wrongdoing is something that happens in relationships; that’s why this story is in here.
- What makes you angry?
- Does it ever help?
Questions:
- What are the sort of things that get you mad. Why?
- Describe a time when you angry and regretted it later. Why did you regret it?
- How often have you seen killing or murder in the news, in a movie, TV show, video games etc? What do you think about when you watch it?
October 9: Gen 3 (The Fall) – Do you want better things? Are you ever happy?
- Me, myself, and I
- Or is there something more important than that?
Questions:
- What are the times when you’re looking out just for yourself? Like getting a good spot in line, getting the last slice of pizza, playing a game or watching a show that you want but others don’t, etc. Describe them.
- Describe a time when you got what you really wanted, was it enough or did you want something else? Why or why not?
- Now describe a time when you did the opposite – gave up something for someone else? How did you feel about it?
- Has there been a time where you realized your parents were right and you were wrong? Describe it.
October 2: Genesis 1 and 2 – We are supposed to be gardeners and the Garden of Eden itself is a picture of heaven.
- Is it our environment? What is an environment anyway?
- We have a pretty good reason to care.
Questions:
- What’s the point in having a garden anyway? What do you think?
- Who do you think is more important? The people or our planet? Explain why.
- What are some things we can do to take care of what God’s given us?
September 25: Genesis 2 – God creates us in his image
- What does God look like? Maybe it should be what He acts like . .
- When we are acting like God acts, that’s when we are in the image of God, when we look like Him.
- Adam and Eve were there for each other – it’s all about how people need each other.
- What about everything else on this planet?
- It’s for us, and something for us to take care of
- This whole world is a gift to us from God.
Questions:
- When you’re mad at someone, what do you think of them as being? Another human being, or someone else? Explain.
- Do you need to be around other people? Why or why not?
- Ever had a favorite pet, describe why you liked/loved that pet so much?
September 18: Gen. 1:1-2:3 – the Genesis creation story over other creation stories
- God is better.
- God loves what He made; it didn’t happen by accident.
- In the other stories there are monsters that the gods fought. The God of Genesis has power over them; he created them, not fought with them.
- We are better.
- In the other stories their gods were like the celebrities. But in our story we’re the special ones, more special than any other celebrity. That’s what it means to be created in the image of God.
- In the other stories, the gods didn’t care about people, they were created by accident, but the God of Genesis cares about us — He created us.
Questions:
- Have you ever wanted to be like a star or a professional athlete or some other celebrity? Why?
- Does the Genesis story seem like an exciting story for you? What makes a good story?
- If God created us does that mean He’ll always care about us no matter what? Why or why not?
