Free Bible lesson for kids · Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
God Calls Abram
The LORD told Abram to leave his country, his kindred and his father’s house and go to a land He would show him. God promised to make him a great nation and to bless all the families of the earth through him, a promise that came true in Jesus (Galatians 3:8, 16). Abram obeyed, travelled with Sarai and Lot into the land of Canaan, and built altars to the LORD along the way.
- Bible passage
- Genesis 12:1–9
- Big idea
- When God calls, we can trust Him and go.
- Memory verse
By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
Hebrews 11:8 (KJV)- Ages
- Preschool to preteen (3 to 12), with tips for each age
- Time
- About 45 minutes
- Included, free
- Animated story film, coloring page, class sheet, teacher guide, questions and answers, a game
The story
The LORD said to Abram, “Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee” (Genesis 12:1). God promised to make him a great nation and to bless him, and “in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:2–3). That promise came true in Jesus Christ, Abraham’s seed (Galatians 3:8, 16).
So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken, at seventy-five years old (Genesis 12:4). He took Sarai his wife, his nephew Lot and all they had into the land of Canaan (Genesis 12:5). There the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “Unto thy seed will I give this land,” and Abram built an altar unto the LORD (Genesis 12:7). Near Bethel he built another altar and called upon the name of the LORD (Genesis 12:8).
Read it in the Bible: Genesis 12:1–9 (KJV)
1Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 2And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. 4So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. 5And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came. 6And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land. 7And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him. 8And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD. 9And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.
Questions to ask
What did God tell Abram to do?
Get out of his country, from his kindred and from his father’s house, unto a land God would shew him (Genesis 12:1).
What did God promise Abram?
To make of him a great nation and bless him, and that in him all families of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 12:2–3).
What did Abram build in the new land?
An altar unto the LORD, where he called upon the name of the LORD (Genesis 12:7–8).
What this story teaches
- God speaks, and He calls people to follow Him (Genesis 12:1).
- God planned to bless all the families of the earth (Genesis 12:3).
- Abram did just as the LORD had told him (Genesis 12:4).
- Faith obeys God even before seeing where He leads (Hebrews 11:8).
- Wherever we go, we can worship and call on God (Genesis 12:8).
Jesus Brings God’s Blessing
God promised that all families of the earth would be blessed through Abram. That blessing comes to people of every nation through Jesus Christ, by faith.
Galatians 3:14
A 45-minute lesson plan
| 5 min | Welcome and pray. Greet each child by name and pray: Ask God to help us follow Him wherever He leads. |
|---|---|
| 10 min | The story. Play the story film: each verse appears on screen in the King James Version while the scene plays. Pause to ask what happens next. |
| 10 min | Talk about it. Ask the three questions below. Then ask: “When God calls, we can trust Him and go.” What does that mean for us? |
| 5 min | Memory verse. Say Hebrews 11:8 together, covering one word at a time until the children can say it alone. |
| 10 min | Activity. Younger children color the coloring page while you retell the story; older children do the class sheet (memory-verse fill-in, word search and questions). |
| 5 min | Pray and send home. Pray together and send the sheet home so families can talk about the first question this week. |
- Preschool: keep it short and physical. Act out the story, use a simple prop, and repeat the big idea in one sentence.
- Elementary: let children find the passage in their own Bibles. Ask “who, what, where” questions first, then “why.”
- Preteens: read the verses before and after the passage, and ask how this story fits the whole story of the Bible.
Game time
For kids · game · indoors · about 10 minutes
Pack Up and Go
You need: A pile of play items, a bag for each team, blocks
- Teams race to pack five things for a long trip into their bag.
- On “Go to the land I will show thee!”, they carry the bag to “Canaan” across the room.
- When they arrive, they stack blocks to build an altar and thank God.
God told Abram to go, and Abram obeyed, even though he didn’t know where he was going.
For youth group · activity · outdoors · about 90 minutes
Mystery Trip
You need: A planned outing with a secret destination, permission slips
- Tell everyone what to wear and bring, but not where you are going.
- On the way, read Hebrews 11:8.
- At the destination, talk: what was it like to trust the leaders without knowing?
Abram “went out, not knowing whither he went.” Faith follows God one step at a time.
Pray
Ask God to help us follow Him wherever He leads.