Cutting the Ties (Kids Connect)

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The Covenant of Mizpah (Genesis 31)

Reading with your child.....
After Jacob told Laban that God had been watching out for him, giving him what Laban would have taken away, Laban said to Jacob, "These are my daughters and children. These are my flocks. Everything here is mine. So, let's make a covenant between us." So Jacob set up a rock as a pillar and directed his children to place several stones around it and they created a pile of stone.

After the pillar had been set up, Laban said, "May the Lord watch between you and me when we are away from each other. If you harm my daughters or take other wives, the Lord will see. And, let this pillar and heap which I have set up be a witness that I will not pass by it to hurt you and you will not pass by this pillar to hurt me. May the God of Abraham and Nahor judge between us." Jacob agreed to this and offered a sacrifice on the mountain and called his family to eat and they spent the night there.

Early the next day Laban got up, kissed his children and blessed them. Then he left and went back to his home.

Your child's insights.....
- Do you really think everything was Laban's or Jacob's?
- Who took credit for building the pillar?
- What actually built the pillar?
- Abraham had 2 brothers, Nahor and Terah. Laban was Nahor's grandson. Jacob was Nahor's great-grandson. Who did Laban say his god was?
- Why do you think that Laban wanted to make the promise he did with Jacob?

Ideas for prayer with your child.....
- Pray that your child will treat others justly even when others don't do the same to them.
- Pray that your child will always have God as their God and no others.
- Pray that your children will have peaceful relationships and be able to deal with conflict when it arises in relationships in their lives.

Your considerings......
- Wow! Laban is so very arrogant! He says that everything Jacob has is his, not acknowledging Jacob's service or need for payment! Then he goes on to take credit for building the pillar even though Jacob and his children built it! I know that sounds like a little thing, but can you imagine how aggravated Jacob must have been?
- You'd think that after having a dream in which God spoke to him, Laban would have acknowledged his need for only One God, not continuing in his polytheistic lifestyle. I guess not.
- What do you think of this incident?

Rachel Lies (Kids Connect)

Previous kids connect

Laban Pursues Jacob (Genesis 31)

Reading with your child.....
On the third day after Jacob and his family fled from Laban, Laban found out. Laban took his children with him and went after Jacob. During one of the nights when Laban was traveling the Lord spoke to Laban in a dream telling him not to speak to Jacob, good or bad. Laban continued in his journey and it took him 7 days to catch up with Jacob.

When Laban caught up to Jacob he went to him and said, "Why have you lied to me and taken my daughters away like captives? If I had known you were leaving I could have sent you away with a celebration. You didn't even allow me to kiss my daughters good-bye! It is completely within my power to hurt you, but your God spoke to me in a dream and told me to not speak to you, good or bad. Now, I know you left because you miss your father and home, but why did you steal my gods?"

And Jacob answered and said to Laban, "I left because I was afraid you would take your daughters away from me by force. And, if you find anyone here who has your gods will not live." Jacob did not realize that Rachel had taken them from her father. So Laban went through all the tents - through Jacob's, Leah's, the servants and finally Rachel's. But Rachel had hidden the idols in the saddle on her camel and sat on them and did not get off her camel to address her father, so Laban did not find them.

After watching Laban search through all their tents Jacob became angry with Laban and confronted him saying, "What have I done wrong here that you have come after me? I have been with you for 20 years and served you and if it was not for God you would have sent me away with nothing, even for all of that service! God has seen what you have done to me and allowed me to leave!"

Your child's insights.....
- What do you think God meant when He told Laban to say nothing to Jacob, good or bad?
- Why did Laban go ahead and talk to Jacob?
- Do you think Rachel really got away with taking the gods?
- Do you think God sees you when people treat you badly?

Ideas for prayer with your child.....
- Pray that they would trust in God even when they are treated unfairly.
- Pray that they would be open to hearing what God wants from them and to obey Him.
- Pray that they would act with integrity always.

Your considerings.....
- I don't get why Laban went right up to Jacob and started talking even though God told him to say nothing, good or bad!
- I felt like my heart fluttered a little for Leah in this passage because Jacob tells Laban he didn't want his wives to be taken from him. If he didn't care about Leah, he could have easily left her behind.
- What do you think of this passage?

And the Lies Just Keep Going, And Going, and Going....(Kids Connect)

Previous Kids Connect

Jacob Leaves with His Family (Genesis 31)

Reading with your child.....
Over the course of time Jacob continued to prosper along with his flocks while Laban's did not prosper. Laban and his sons saw all that Jacob had gathered from him and their attitude toward Jacob became unfriendly.

The Lord gave Jacob a dream. In the dream the Lord said to Jacob, "Look up and see all the goats which I have given to you. I have seen all that Laban has done to you and I am your God. Now, get up and leave this land and return to the land of your birth."

After this dream, Jacob went to Rachel and Leah and told them of his dream. Both women responded in frustration saying, "Our father sold us and spent all of what he earned from those sales a long time ago. Surely all the wealth and everything we now have belongs to us and our children instead of our father. So yes, let's do what the Lord told you to do."

So Jacob got up, put his wives and children on camels and sent them along with all of his livestock to Canaan where his father Isaac lived. While he was doing this Laban was shearing his flock and Rachel went into her father's house and stole all of Laban's idols.

And Jacob, his entire family and all of his livestock left without telling Laban.

Your child's insights....
- Why did Laban start to be unfriendly with Jacob?
- Did Jacob do anything wrong in this story?
- What is an idol?
- Do you think Rachel will get away with taking the idols from her father?

Your considerings.....
- I'm not crazy about Jacob because of his deceitful he is. At the same time, Jacob has been deceived and manipulated throughout his life - a controlling and manipulative mother to say the least whose actions did end up blessing him with God's grace, but drove him out of his home and good graces with his father and his brother - a father-in-law who tricked him after 7 years of service and then manipulated him into 7 more - wives who manipulated him through sex games and fights all over the place. He comes by his deceitfulness naturally. And it doesn't stop. It just keeps cycling. Does it ever stop for him? Does this play itself out in my life?

Jacob Lies to Laban (Kids Connect)

Previous Kids Connect

Jacob Prospers (Genesis 30)

Reading with your child.....
Jacob had many children. After his 11th child, Joseph went to Laban and said, "Sned me away so I may go to my own place and my own country. You know I have served you well, so let my family and I leave." But Laban asked Jacob to continue to stay and asked him what he would need to give Jacob in order to have him remain with him. Jacob told him, "You know you have prospered because of me. You now have more cattle than you dreamed of having before, but I don't have anything to call my own." So Laban agreed to let Jacob pick whatever cows and goats he wanted from Laban's flocks. Jacob seperated himself from Laban by three days distance and took care of Laban's flocks of animals as well as his own. When he found animals that were strong, he kept them, but when he found animals that were weak or sick he gave them to Laban. Because of this, Jacob ended up with very large flocks of strong animals and he deceived Laban.

Your child's insights......
- What did Jacob lie about?
- Why didn't Laban want Jacob to lie?
- What do you think of Jacob in this story?

Ideas for prayer with your child.....
- Pray that your child might succeed in life in honest ways.
- Pray that your child would trust in God when it seems like they aren't succeeding.

Your considerings......
- I didn't realize until I did a study on Genesis how sneaky Jacob was? It's a testament to God's grace and mercy despite our sinfulness and stubbornness.

Lies of the Father (Kids Connect)

Previous Kids Connect

Laban Lies (Genesis 29:21-30)

Reading with your child....
After the 7 years were over Jacob went to Laban and said, "I have done what we agreed to and served you for seven years. Now it is time for you to give me my wife." So Laban threw a big party and held a huge dinner in celebration. In the evening, he gave Leah to Jacob instead of Rachel, but Jacob did not know that. When he woke up in the morning he saw Leah instead of Rachel and knew that Laban had tricked him. He became furious and went to Laban in anger and said to him, "What have you done to me?? I worked 7 years for Rachel and here is Leah - my wife!" Laban simply replied to Jacob, "It is our custom to marry our firstborn daughters first. Keep Leah and next week you can marry Rachel, but only if you work another seven years for her." Jacob agreed to that and the next week he married Rachel. He was obvious to all that he loved Rachel more than Leah and he worked for Laban for another 7 years.

Your child's insights.....
- Explain the difference in marriages at the culture at that time and what we know as marriage today.
- Why do you think Laban lied to Jacob?
- How do you think this whole situation made Leah feel? How about Rachel? Jacob? What about Laban?
- Do you think the second 7 years went as fast as the first 7?

Ideas for prayer with your child.....
- Pray that your child's marriage someday would be filled with faithfulness.
- Pray that your child would marry someone they truly love and who truly loves them.
- Pray that your child will have the wisdom to deal with people who deceive them in their life.
- Pray for perseverance in your child's marriage.
- Pray that your child would not allow deceitfulness into their life.

Your considerings.....
- It is interesting for me to wonder how the second seven years went for Jacob. A lot happens in seven years. Things become commonplace. You would think expectations would be sky high after waiting for 7 years to marry the person you loved. I wonder if those expectations were met for Rachel and Jacob. Personally I doubt they were because they never expected Leah to be a part of that.
- I wonder if Jacob stopped to consider the deceit he had engaged in with Esau after he was deceived.
- I wonder if Rachel was the one posed as the bride throughout the day of the wedding celebration and then was switched to Leah at the end of the night.
- Again, my heart breaks for Leah in this situation. Imagine the hurt she must have felt and experienced knowing she wasn't even wanted in that marriage. I'm sure she couldn't resist what her father told her to do. Imagine how she must have felt when she saw the look of horror on Jacob's face when he realized it was her and not her sister. I wonder why she didn't tell him before it was "too late."
- Talk about dysfunction!

Waiting for Rachel (Kids Connect)

Previous Kids Connect

Jacob And Rachel (Genesis 29)

Reading with your child......
After Jacob had been living with Laban and his family for a month Laban asked Jacob, "Hey, I know you are helping to take care of things around here. You shouldn't work for free! What can I pay you?"

It turned out that Jacob was in love with Rachel, one of Laban's daughters. Laban had two daughters, Leah and Rachel. Rachel was very beautiful and Jacob wanted to marry her. So he told Laban, "I will work seven years for you if you will give Rachel to me as my wife."

Laban agreed to this, so Jacob worked seven years for Laban, but it only seemed like a few days to him because he loved Rachel so much.

Questions to tap into your child's insights.....
- Is there anything you have wanted enough that you could imagine working seven years to pay off?
- Tell your child your story with your spouse and how long you were engaged before you got married.

Ideas for prayer with and for your child.....
- Pray for your child to be patient for the right spouse for them.
- Pray for the time when your child is engaged to their future spouse that it would be a time of discovery and thorough preparation.

Your considerings....
I just always feel terrible for Leah when I read this passage. What does "her eyes were weak" mean anyway? I think I relate to her more - the average girl, not necessarily desired by men, just average with her share of weaknesses. There is a huge part of me that wishes Jacob would have been in love with her. But hey, I'm not the Creator of the universe.

The other thing that strikes me is that the time seemed like only a few days to Jacob. I can remember my engagement with my husband feeling like it lasted an eternity right up until the very end because I was so excited to marry him. Can you relate to Jacob here?

A Long Lost Relative (Kids Connect)

Jacob Meets Rachel (Genesis 29)

Reading with your child.....
Jacob continued to travel east and after a long time found a well in a field with three flocks of sheep lying beside it. In those days wells had large stones on top of them so nothing would fall down them. When it was time to water the flocks, the stone would be rolled away, they would water the sheep and then put the stone back in its place. When Jacob went to this particular well, there were several men beside it along with the sheep. Jacob called out to them and said, "My brothers, where are you from?" Jacob didn't know where he was exactly! The men told them they were from Haran. Jacob said, "Do you know Laban, the son of Nahor?" "Yes!", they replied. "Is he alright?" Jacob asked. And they answered, "Yes, he is well. As a matter of fact, here comes his daughter Rachel now with the sheep." Jacob said to them "Its about noon. It isn't time for the livestock to be gathered. Water the sheep and then put them in the field." But the men told him they weren't able to do that because the flocks were not all gathered and the stone had not been rolled away yet.

While Jacob was still talking with them, Rachel approached with her father's sheep because she was taking care of them. When Jacob saw her, he went up to the well, unrolled the stone and watered the sheep himself. Then he kissed Rachel and cried because he was so happy to see her. He told her that he was a relative of hers, in fact her father's nephew since Laban and Rebekah were brother and sister. Rachel ran and told her father and he ran to Jacob and hugged and kissed him. He welcomed Jacob and Jacob stayed with them for a month.

Your child's insights.....
- Have you ever gone some where and not known where you were when you got there? How did that feel? How did that change once you knew where you were and that it was someplace exciting?
- Have you ever been so excited to see someone you didn't know what to do with yourself?
- Have you ever met a relative that you had never met before? What did it feel like?
- Do you think Jacob was bossy with the men he met? Why or why not?

Ideas for prayer with your child......
- Pray that they would be able to meet relatives that live at a distance and enjoy relationships with them.
- Pray for strong connections with your children if they ever are at a long distance from you.
- Talk to your child about a relative who lives far away from you and how it would feel to meet them again. Perhaps relate this to meeting loved ones in heaven.

Some thoughts for your consideration......
- Jacob is a pretty arrogant person in my mind. He shows up, invited, and starts ordering the other men around then he does exactly what they say it isn't time to do yet by watering the sheep. He had to make a tremendous effort to go against them and move an incredibly heavy stone just to impress Rachel. I wonder what she thought....
- As parents, I don't think it is ever too early to start praying about our children when they are grown. I think stories such as this are good reminders to do that - to pray for a time when we might be at a distance from our children, in any sense, and seek God for strength, wisdom and loving interactions with them for whenever that time comes.
- It is so joyful meeting loved ones after not seeing them for an extended time. There is something very sweet about a reunion that has been longed for, especially for one that you didn't imagine you would have. I just went to a reunion a few weeks ago and it was incredible seeing the children of my friends and family I had either never met before or hadn't seen in a very long time. There is just something incredible about seeing a child who has grown and changed into a responsible and self sufficient person. I wonder what it will be like to reunite with loved ones in heaven surrounded by joy and seeing the wonder of perfection in one another.

Dreams From God (Kids Connect)

Jacob's Dream (Genesis 28)

Reading with your child......
Jacob left and started walking toward Haran. As the sun set and evening approched Jacob found a place to camp for the night and used a stone for a pillow. While he was sleeping he had a dream. A ladder was on the ground and reached up toward heaven and angels were going up and down the ladder. The Lord stood at the top of the ladder and said to Jacob, "I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and your descendants. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth and you will spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your children all the families of the earth will be blessed. I am with you and will keep you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land;f or I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." Jacob woke up and was afraid because he realized God had been talking to him. He said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God and this is the gate of heaven." Then he took the stone he had been sleeping on and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on its top and he called the name of the place Bethel (which means the house of God). Then Jacob made a promise saying, "If God will be with me and will keep me on this journey that I will take and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear and I return to my father's house safely, then the Lord will be my God. This stone, which I have set up as a pillar will be God's house and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You."

Your child's insights.....
- What kinds of dreams do you have?
- Can you imagine sleeping with a rock as a pillow?
- What do you think God meant when he said he would keep Jacob?
- Why do you think Jacob was afraid when he woke up?
- Why do you think Jacob set up a pillar?
- Are there ways we set up pillars to remember things and to honor God?
- Talk to your children about tithing.

Ideas for prayer with your child.....
- Pray that they would know that God keeps them.
- Pray that they would remember when God is faithful to them.
- Pray that they would be able to give back to God in joy and faithfulness.

An activity to do with your child......
- Find a place in your home where you can set something up as a reminder of God and His faithfulness to your family.

Some thoughts for your consideration.....
- How long do you think you may have stayed in that place knowing that it was indeed the gate of heaven and knowing that God had spoken to you there? Do you think you would stay in reverance? Or would you leave in excitement to start heading toward the goal God had promised?
- Is there a particular place you go to remember God's faithfulness and promises to you?
- I am taken aback at Jacob's response to the dream. It made sense to me until Jacob made his promise. He basically said, "If God holds up His end, then I'll hold up mine." I don't know anything about the Hebrew used in this passage but I wish I did. Was Jacob not "claiming" God until He fulfilled the promise or not? What do you think?

Previous Kids Connect - Can you imagine this anger?

Kids Connect - Can You Imagine This Anger?

Jacob Sent Away (Genesis 27)

Reading with your child......
After Jacob tricked Esau and took the blessings that should have belonged to him, Esau became very angry - angry enough that he wanted to kill his brother, Jacob. Rebekah knew that Esau was angry, so in order to protect Jacob, she called him. "Jacob!", she said, "You must leave here because Esau is so angry with you that he wants to kill you. Go to my brother's house in Haran and stay there until I call you to return after your brother is no longer angry and has forgotten what you did to him." So Isaac blessed Jacob and agreed with his wife Rebekah and told Jacob to go live with her brother Laban. He told him to not marry a woman from Canaan because they did not follow God, but to marry someone from Laban's house instead. After this blessing, Jacob left and went to Laban's home and stayed there.

Esau heard that Jacob had left and what his parents had told him. He knew that Isaac and Rebekah wanted Esau and Jacob to marry women who worshipped God and were within their community, so Esau went to Ishmael and married his daughter because he knew that this would make Isaac, his father, angry.

Your child's insights......
- Do you remember why Esau was so angry with Jacob?
- Why did Rebekah want Jacob to leave?
- Do you think Jacob was afraid?
- What else did Esau do in his anger?
- Why did Isaac and Rebekah not want their sons to marry women who did not worship God?
- Who did Esau marry?
- Why do you think he did that?
- What are some things you do when you're angry?

Ideas for prayer with your child......
- Pray that your child would go to God in their anger.
- Pray for a spouse for your child that follows God.

Random thoughts for your consideration.....
1. I'm not a big fan of Rebekah. She's just too dramatic for me. Every time we hear a story about her she's saying, "Why should I go on living?!? - these babies inside me are fighting - I don't like the women who live around me!" I bet she was fun to live with. Just goes to show you that no matter how godly we all are or want to be, we all have our flaws.
2. What made Rebekah think that Esau would just forget about the blessing Jacob stole from him? Taking his blessing was a tremendous offense!
3. What do you think Isaac must have been thinking as this whole thing panned out?
4. I did not realize that Esau married Ishmael's daughter!! He must have thought about the one person who would displease his parents the most, found her and married her. Marrying the daughter of the half brother of Isaac - the one who made fun of him and was told to leave his presence - the one who would compete with the house of Israel forever. Unbelievable!

Any thoughts you want to share? Please do.

Previous kids connect - In between stories
Next kids connect - Dreams from God

Kids Connect - In Between Stories

Our last kids connect ended with Hagar and Ishmael in the wilderness after Isaac's birth. The following stories are ones that are most commonly in kid's Bibles, so I won't be redundant and do them all again here. If you'd like to hear a particular one, please let me know and I'll do a kids connect for you! Here are the stories in between.

• The Offering of Isaac
• Isaac marries Rebekah
  
• Jacob and Esau
• Jacob takes Esau's blessing

Previous Kids Connect - Hagar and Ishmael are sent away

Next Kids Connect - Jacob is sent away

Kids Connect - God Hears

Sarah Turns Against Hagar (Genesis 21)

Reading with your child.....
One of the people that lived with Abraham and Sarah was Hagar. Hagar and Abraham had a son named Ishmael. One day Ishmael was making fun of Isaac and this made Sarah very angry. It made her angry enough that she went to Abraham and told him to make Hagar and Ishmael leave and never come back. Abraham was very upset about this and didn't know what to do. God told Abraham to listen to Sarah and have Hagar leave because God had promised Abraham would become a great nation through Isaac. God also told Abraham that Ishmael too would become a great nation one day. Abraham listened to God and the next morning and prepared a meal and water for Hagar and Ishmael and sent them out of the camp. Hagar didn't know where to go so after she left she wondered around in the wilderness of Beersheba. When all their water was gone, Hagar set Ishmael under a tree and went across from him and knelt down beside a different rock because she thought he was dying and she couldn't stand to watch him die.

Both Hagar and Ishmael were crying when God spoke to Hagar from heaven. He told her to not be afraid because He had heard Ishmael crying. He told her to get up and take Ishmael's hand because He would make Ishmael into a great nation. Then He opened Hagar's eyes to see a well of water and she went with Ishmael, filled up the water canvas and gave him a drink. God was with Ishmael after that and Ishmael grew to be an archer and the father of a great nation.

Your child's insights......
- Do you think that Sarah was right to say that Hagar had to leave?
- How do you think Abraham felt when he asked Hagar to leave?
- Why do you think Hagar and Ishmael were crying?
- Explain the potential life Hagar and Ishmael had had in the camp with Abraham compared to the potential life in the wilderness.
- What do you think of what God said to everyone?

Ideas for prayer with your child.....
- Pray that they would be comforted when they are in the wilderness of life.
- Pray that they would turn to God when they don't know what to do.
- Pray that they would be patient when it seems like nothing can become right again.

Random thoughts for your consideration.....
This story is heartbreaking. Adultery is a nasty thing. I know that in that time period, men had multiple wives, but I don't remember God ever saying that was the way it should be or endorsing it in any way. I can't imagine living with your husband's mistress and resulting son, even at the hands of your own direction. And then seeing that child making fun of your son would be extremely anger provoking. Sarah just decides Abraham needs to throw them out. Her temper and impulsiveness in action.

Abraham's passivity is interesting. He just does as she directs him almost all the time. To his credit, I guess, he didn't just do it this time, but was torn about what to do.

God shows up relieving Abraham's turmoil and telling him to go ahead and ask Hagar to leave and he promises Abraham that Ishmael will be protected and become great as well. Can you imagine? Hagar had more than likely NEVER been on her own. She is thrown out into the wilderness on foot!, to fend for herself and her child. They would have had no idea how to exist or provide for themselves in the wilderness. But God shows up and comforts her. God keeps His promises. He takes the sin that we all create and redeems it. Abraham never saw Ishmael again that we know of. Ishmael lacked a father and a means to survive. God protected him. God showed up.

Previous kids connect - Isaac is Born

Next kids connect - In between Stories

Kids Connect - Isaac is Born

Isaac is Born (Genesis 21)

Reading with Your Kids.....
At the time God had promised, Sarah gave birth to a baby boy and Abraham named him Isaac, which means laughter. Sarah was so excited that she and all of her friends laughed with joy that Isaac had been born. Isaac grew and become older and Abraham had a great feast to celebrate him.

Your Child's Insights.....
1. If you gave your child their name for a particular reason, share that with them.
2. Share with them the story of your name.
3. Talk to them about how God fulfilled the promise to Sarah even though she doubted.
4. Talk to them about how you celebrate you child's birth and how you have in the past.
5. Do you ever feel like God's promises might not happen? Do you think it is okay with God to question Him?
6. Have you ever been so excited that all you could do was laugh?

Ideas for Prayer with Your Child.....
- Pray that they would keep going to God even when they doubt.
- Pray that they would have lots of times in their lives that they are so excited they can only laugh.

Random Thoughts For Your Consideration.....
I find it interesting that Sarah "bookended" her pregnancy by laughing. Laughing with disbelief at the announcement that she would become pregnant and then laughing with joy when her pregnancy came to its fulfillment. I also love that even though Sarah doubted God, He still kept His promise to her.

At times in the past, I have doubted a lot. I can't say those times are all over because they aren't. Faith and trust are not easy and relying on Someone You can't see to take control over Your life and the lives of your loved ones is pretty scary when you think about it. When hard things happen and they don't make sense....doubt. When things aren't happening as quickly as we think they should....doubt. When it seems as though we're hearing nothing from God....doubt. I truly think that God is okay with doubting. I know He wants us to trust in Him, but I think He's okay with the questions. I think asking those questions to Him draws us nearer to Him. I read something though that helped clarify this issue for me. I think Philip Yancey is the one who said it....It's okay to question God as long as there is a stopping point when you realize that there is only trust left. We can't answer all the questions. As long as we stop the doubting long enough to acknowledge His power, strength and wisdom and that He has a good plan for us, the questions are okay.

What are your thoughts?

Previous kids connect - Sodom and Gomorrah

Next kids connect - Sarah turns Hagar away

Kids Connect - Sodom and Gomorrah

The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18 and 19)

Reading to Your Kids
As soon as the Lord finished talking to Abraham and Sarah, Abraham walked with Him and the two men He was with as they prepared to leave. From where they were, the were able to look out over the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah. The Lord told Abraham that the cries from the people of those towns were so great and their sin was so great that He was considering destroying both of the towns. The two men with the Lord went to visit Sodom after the Lord said this, leaving the Lord and Abraham alone.

Abraham came close to God and said, "Lord, would you destroy both the good and the bad? If there are 50 people there who do what is right would you please not destroy it? You are so right and holy that You would be too just to do something like that!"

The Lord answered Abraham and said, "If I find 50 people in Sodom who are right then I will not destroy it."

Then Abraham said, "I know I am made out of dust in talking with You Lord, but if there are 45 would you please not destroy it?" And God assured him that He would not destroy it if there were 45.

So Abraham said, "What if there are only 40? Would you please not destroy it if there are only 40?" The Lord again assured him He would not.

Again Abraham spoke. "What if there are only 30? Would you please not destroy it?" God agreed to this as well.

And again Abraham asked, "What if only 20 are right who are there?" God agreed to 20.

One final time Abraham says, "Lord, please don't destroy it if there are only 10!" And God replied to Abraham, "I will not destroy it if only 10 are found there who are right before Me." After that Abraham went back to his tent and the Lord left.

While this was happening the two men who were with the Lord and Abraham went to visit Lot, Abraham's nephew, who lived in Sodom. Lot invited them to his home and prepared a big feast for them. While they were visiting, many people surrounded Lot's house and demanded he send out the visitors so that they might hurt them. Lot told them no but the people outside were so determined that they tried to force their way into his house. The angels inside rescued Lot from the angry crowd, brought him back inside the house and shut the door and caused the men outside to be blind so they could not force their way into Lot's home. They then told Lot to get all of his family together and leave Sodom because the Lord was going to destroy it.

Lot got his family together and when the angels told him it was time to go he waited because he didn't want to leave, so the angels grabbed his hand, his wife's hand the hands of his 2 daughters and made him leave. Then the Lord caused fire and stone to fall on Sodom and Gomorrah and everything in those towns was destroyed, but the Lord remembered His promise to Abraham and saved the only righteous people who were in those towns.

Your Child's Insights....
1. Why do you think Abraham asked God so many times to save the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah?
2. What do you think of how God answered Abraham all those times?
3. What do you think the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah were like?
4. What do you think it was like for Lot and his family to live there?
5. Why did God have to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah?
6. How did God fulfill His promise to Abraham?

Ideas for Prayer with Your Child.....
- Pray that your child would go to God as many times as he/she wants.
- Pray that they would have the strength to be separate from the evil in this world.
- Pray that they would never get used to the evil in this world.
- Pray that they would remember that God always keeps His promises.

Random Thoughts for Your Consideration......
As this story is being introduced in Genesis the Lord says to the 2 men, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed? For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about it." God answers His own question and explains to us the answer.

I find it difficult to read stories to my kids about the crucifixion and things like this because they are brutal, horrifying in their reality. Its important that they know these things in an age appropriate way though. I'm not going to discuss in detail exactly how brutal these events were, but that they happened. In prayerful consideration, that is why I included this kids connect. Our children need to understand the reality of God's word and we teach them stories such as this one so that they may command their children and their households some day to keep the way of the Lord and do righteousness and justice. This is the only way toward blessing them and in turn helping them to bless others.

What do you think?

Previous kids connect - The promise of Isaac

Next kids connect - Isaac is born

Kids Connect - God Keeps His Promises

The Promise of Isaac (Genesis 18)

Reading to Your Kids
Soon after God changed Abram's name, He came to visit him again. This time He brought 2 angels with Him. God brought great joy and heartache to this visit to Abraham. We'll learn about the joyful part today. Let's see what happens.

One day Abraham was sitting outside his tent when he happened to see 3 men standing across from him. When he saw them, he jumped up, ran and bowed to them and said, "Please don't go past your servant! Please stay and have some water, let me wash your feet, rest under this tree and let me serve you bread before you go." The men accepted so Abraham ran back to the tent and said, "Sarah, make some bread!!" and he ran to his herd of cows, picked out the best one and gave it to his servant to prepare it for the men. After everything was ready, he gave all the food to the men and stood beside them as they ate.

As they were eating they asked him, "Where is Sarah?" and he told them that she was in the tent. Then the Lord, one of the 3 men, said to Abraham, "This time next year I will come back to you and Sarah will have a son." Sarah was listening through the tent door behind them and laughed to herself because she was so old and didn't believe his words. So God said, "Why did Sarah laugh? Is anything too hard for the Lord? This time next year I will come back and Sarah will have a son." Sarah argued with God and said, "I didn't laugh" and God said back "Yes you did."

Your Child's Insights......
1. Do you think Abraham knew one of the men was God?
2. When else has God shown up as a person?
3. How old do you think women are when they have babies?
4. Why do you think Sarah laughed?
5. Did Sarah laugh out loud?
6. What did God say when He knew she laughed?
7. What did Sarah say back?
8. What do you think about Sarah arguing with God?

Ideas for Prayer with Your Child.....
- Pray that God would help them to have the faith to do things in life that might look impossible.
- Pray that they would accept your and God's authority without arguing.

Random Thoughts for Your Consideration.....
- This passage always makes laugh. I can just see the swirling thoughts of Abraham as God asks him why Sarah is laughing as she argues with God. Can you imagine what he must be thinking? Here some men show up and Abraham literally jumps up, runs to them and bows, no easy task for a 99 year old! He goes out of his way to serve them and even stands while they are eating. God reveals that the time has come for His promise to be fulfilled through Abraham and his wife laughs! Having a husband, I can imagine he becomes frustrated with Sarah for 2 reasons....1. She laughs to herself saying, "After I have become old, shall I have pleaseure, my lord being old also?" She laughs because she can't believe they are going to have sex! According to her words, who knows how long it has been! I bet any man would appreciate that. 2. In addition to that, she laughs to herself. Abraham never even heard her laugh, it sounds like. He has gone completely out of his way and offered his best to these men, one of which is God! and all of a sudden, after God tells him the long awaited promise of an heir is finally going to come true, out of the blue to Abraham God says, "Why did Sarah laugh?" Can you imagine what he was thinking? What??? I didn't even know she laughed! Don't ruin this for me lady!!
- I always shake my head at Sarah when it talks about her arguing with God. Not out of judgment but because I know what's going to happen! Let me explain. When I was a teenager, my mom and I went to the grocery store. It had rained earlier in the day and there were huge puddles in the parking lot. For some reason, she decided to walk right through one. Facing it head on she must not have seen how deep it was, but standing off to the side I knew it was at least 6 inches deep. I'll never forget her walking straight through that puddle, so confidently, as she soaked not only herself but the bags of groceries as well! A head shaking moment. You can just see the future! Anyway, I don't know if Sarah initially knew that this was God she was actually dealing with since the passage says 3 men appeared, but she had to have known when one of them knew she was laughing to herself and what she was thinking. I have a feeling she knew simply because she laughed to herself and not out loud. I can imagine someone saying to my grandmother who, if she was alive would be close to 99 right now, "Hi, you're going to have a baby." She'd laugh out loud and tell them they were crazy, at least! Anyway, when God calls her on her laughing doubt, she argues with Him and then He argues back! I don't see God as much of an arguer. Usually what He says pretty much goes and when people question Him He either has a solution or that's just the way it is. Sarah must have needed a pride check or something because He argues back with her and then supposedly that's the end of the conversation. I know God doesn't work this way, but I wonder how bad her morning sickness and back labor were after that!
What do you think of this passage of Scripture?

Previous kids connect - Becoming Abraham

Next kids connect - Sodom and Gomorrah

Kids Connect - Becoming Abraham

Abram becomes Abraham (Genesis 17)

Reading to Your Kids......
The last time we talked about Abram he was 86 years old. God had promised him that he would have a son and have many descendants - as many stars as are in the sky. Well, the next time we hear about God talking to Abram was when he was 99 years old! That's a long time to wait and have nothing happen that God promised! When Abram was 99 years old, God appeared and said to him, "I am God Almighty; walk before Me and be blameless. I will make a promise to you and I will multiply you exceedingly." Abram fell down the the ground and hid his face when God was talking to him. God said, "You will the the father of many nations. No longer will your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham for I will make you the father of many nations. Kings will come forth from you. I will make an everlasting promise with you to be your God. As for Sarai your wife, you should not call her Sarai anymore, but Sarah will be her name."

Your Child's Insights....
1. Do you think it was hard for Abram to have not heard from God for 13 years?
2. Do you think Abram might have felt like God forgot about him?
3. Do you ever feel like God has forgotten about you?

Ideas for Prayer with Your Child.....
- Pray that your child would have the patience to wait when it feels like God isn't close.
- Pray that your child would have patience when it feels like God isn't keeping His promises.
- Thank God that He keeps promises in ways that show that He is in charge.

Random Thoughts for Your Consideration.....
- I wonder why God didn't say anything about the fact that Ishmael had even been born and the interactions between Sarai and Haggar and Abram's passivity in that.

Previous kids connect - Abram

Next kids connect - The Promise of Isaac

Kids Connect - Abram

Abram (Genesis 12)

Reading to Your Kids.....
Once upon a time, there was a man named Abram and he followed God. One day, God told Abram to leave his home and relatives to go to a new place far away. God promised Abram that he would have many children and his family would become a great and blessed nation in this new place.

Abram obeyed God. He took his wife, Sarai and his nephew Lot and all their belongings with them.

One day, after traveling a long ways, Abram and Lot stopped. They both owned so many things by that time, that they could not live in the same place. The people who served Abram and the people who served Lot were fighting. Abram went to Lot. Abram told Lot that he did not want there to be any fighting between them. Abram told Lot that they should live in different places, so Abram and Lot looked at the land. Abram told Lot to pick either the right or left side of the land. Lot saw how beautiful one side was so he chose that side. Lot left Abram that day to live in his new land. After Lot left, God talked to Abram again. He told Abram to look up - to the north, south, east and west. He promised Abram that all the land he saw would one day belong to his children and grandchildren.

Your Child's Insights.....
1. How do you think it would feel to leave everything you knew to go to a place that God asked you to go - a place you had never seen before?
2. What did Abram do when God asked him to leave?
3. What did Abram do when his servants and Lot's servants were fighting?
4. What did Abram say would be the best thing to do to stop the fighting between them?
5. What do you think of how Lot chose his land?
6. How do you think it must have felt to Abram to be able to hear God speak?

Ideas for Prayer with and for Your Child.......
- Pray that your children might know when God is asking them to do something.
- Pray that your children would have the courage to do what God asks of them.
- Pray that your children would have mercy towards others when they don't understand other's actions. (Lot taking the good land.)

Previous kids connect - The Beginning Stories

Next kids connect - Becoming Abraham

Kids Connect - The Beginning Stories

The purpose of "kids connect" is to give you a simple, easy way to connect your kids to God and you with them. The more common stories that are already in their Bibles, I'm not covering because I don't want to be redundant for you. If there is a particular story you'd like to have a "kids connect" on, please let me know and I'll do one for you! I'm not a biblical scholar by any means, just a mom with a Bible.

Here are some of the beginning stories that are usually covered in kids Bibles.

• The Creation
• The Creation of Adam and Eve
• Adam and Eve eat the apple and are cursed
• Cain and Abel
• Noah and the Flood
• Tower of Babel

For the first in the series of kids connect, please click here.