C O R E   S T O R I E S  

LESSON  3  
Keeping  Promises  
 
Genesis    22:1-­‐19

Introduction:
Review Many years have passed since Adam and Eve have disobeyed
God and had to leave the Garden of Eden. People still do not
• Were you able to tell the follow God and continue to rebel against Him. God chose a man
Creation or Fall story to named Abraham, who was married to Sarah, to be the start of a
anyone this past week? nation devoted to Himself. God promised them a son but they
• Who can tell us the Fall had to wait 25 years before he was born. They finally had Isaac
when Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90 years old. Our Bible
story?
story continues when Isaac is 13.

One day God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!”

Hook “Here I am!” Abraham replied.
Question: What’s most valuable TIP
to you that would be hard to give God said, “Take your son – your Don’t be afraid to bring
up? Do you remember a time only son, Isaac, whom you love, someone up and act
when you had to give something and go to the land of Moriah! out part of the story –
up that was very special to you? Offer him up there as a burnt just stick to the
What was that experience like? offering on one of the mountains scriptures and don’t
which I will show you.” add or exaggerate what
Retell Early the next morning Abraham
it already says.
Go through the story by using got up and saddled his donkey. He took two of his young
“What’s Next” questions, fill-ins servants with him, along with his son Isaac. When he had cut
and correcting wrong statements. the wood for the burnt offering, he started out for the place
God had spoken to him about.
Personal/Group
Retell: On the third day Abraham caught sight of the place in the
Give everyone a few moments to distance. So he said to his servants, “You two stay here with
journal or draw some thoughts the donkey while the boy and I go up there. We will worship
about this Bible story. and then return to you.”

  Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and put it on
his son Isaac. Then he took the fire and the knife in his hand,
and the two of them walked on together.

Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Here is the fire and the
wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
 
  
LESSON  3  |  KEEPING  PROMISES   CORE  STORIES  

  Story  continued  …  
Discover  Questions  
Listed below are some basic
questions that can be asked. You “God will provide for what he needs my son,” Abraham
may want to supplement these replied. The two of them continued on together.
questions with others that can be
found in your training manual. When they came to the place God had told him about,
Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood on it.
• What was the most important Next he tied up his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on
thing you learned from today’s top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand, took
story? What impacted you the the knife, and prepared to kill his son. But the Lord’s angel
most? called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”
• Was there anything that was
difficult or hard to understand? “Here I am!” Abraham answered.
• What choices did the people
make? What else could they “Do not harm the boy!” the angel said. “Now I know that you
have done? What happened fear God because you did not keep your only son from me.”
because of the choices they
made? Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in the bushes by
• Is there something in your life its horns. So he went over and got the ram and offered it up
right now where you need to as a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called
know or experience God like the name of that place Jehovah Jireh, which means, “The
this? Lord provides.”
• Something I learned about
God is …. What difference The Lord’s angel called to Abraham a second time from
will this make in your heaven and said, “‘By my own name,’ declares the Lord,
relationship with Him? ‘because you have done this and have not held back your
son, your only son, I will indeed bless you. I will greatly
multiply your children and their children after them so that
they will be as countless as the stars in the sky or the grains
Personal  Response   of sand on the seashore. Your family after you will take
Questions   possession of the cities of their enemies. Because you have
obeyed me, all the nations of the earth will be blessed
  because of your children.’”
• How can you put your new
discoveries and insights into Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set out
practice this week? together for where Abraham stayed.
• What I believe God (the Holy
Spirit) is saying to me is ...
• What is God inviting you to
through this story?
• Who can you share this story
with this week?

Closing  Blessing  
    Read Isaiah 26:4

Lord, thank you that you are the Rock on which we can stand. Our trust is in you. Bless
each person here with a greater confidence to follow you – to hear your voice and to
respond no matter what the cost. We trust in you.
 
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