Lesson 5: The Big Test

Distribute name tags and snacks. Choose one of the following activities to do together while children eat their snack.

Collect prayer requests from the students. The leader or a student can pray for the entire group, or a leader can pair up students and invite them to pray for one another.

• “Have you ever had to trust someone without knowing exactly what would happen?”
• “What made it hard or easy to trust them?”
• “What helps you decide if you can trust someone?”
• “Is it easier to trust people you know really well?”

“Trusting someone—especially when things feel confusing or hard—can be a big deal. In today’s story, Abraham had to trust God with something really big. But first, let’s play a game where you’ll have to make some hard choices and decide what you’d do…”

Purpose: To help kids think about what it means to trust, especially when the choices are hard or uncomfortable—just like Abraham had to make a hard choice when God asked him to do something difficult.

Instructions: Have kids stand up and create two sides of the room (left = option A, right = option B).

Read a series of “Would You Rather” questions. After each one, kids walk to the side that matches their choice. Once they move, ask 1–2 children to explain their choice.

1. “Would you rather climb a tall playground structure because your teacher says it’s safe, or stay off because it looks scary, even if it means missing out?”
2. “Would you rather move somewhere new and exciting, or stay home where it’s safe?”
3. “Would you rather give away your favorite toy to help someone, or keep it just for yourself?”
4. “Would you rather let a friend choose your lunch, or pick it yourself without knowing what’s there?”
5. “Would you rather go on a surprise trip with someone you trust, or only go if you know all the details?”
6. “Would you rather walk across a wobbly bridge holding a leader’s hand, or take the long, safe path alone?”
7. “Would you rather be blindfolded and guided by a friend, or try to find your own way, even if you get lost?”
8. “Would you rather carry something heavy to help someone, or stay comfortable and not help?”
9. “Would you rather get a small gift now, or wait for a surprise that might be better?”
10. “Would you rather follow a map made by someone you trust, or make your own path even if you might get lost?”

Ask:

• “Were some of those choices hard?”
• “Would it be easier to choose if you knew the plan ahead of time?”
• “What helps you trust someone when you’re not sure what will happen?”

“Sometimes trusting someone—like a parent, a coach, or even God—means doing something that feels uncomfortable or confusing. In our story today, Abraham had to trust God with something very hard. Let’s see what happened…”

Welcome the students to Crossroads and tell them you are glad they came this week.

Review the 3 R’s of Respect to help remind students of club expectations:

“Here at Crossroads, we have an awesome schedule planned for every week, and I want to give you a sneak peek of what to expect! Each time we meet, we will go through four fun parts: Small Group, Large Group, Games, and we will finish club with another Small Group.

Every part of the club is designed to help us grow in friendship, faith, and fun!”

(Thank God for something he made in creation—a cool animal, a beautiful tree, or even yourself!)

“Welcome to Crossroads! I’m so glad you’re here today. We’re going to hear a story that’s big, intense, and full of trust. It’s about a man named Abraham and his son Isaac—and how Abraham showed huge faith in God, even when things didn’t make sense.”

Ask:

• “Have you ever had to do something that felt really hard, but you did it because someone you trust asked you to?” (Allow a few responses.)
• “That’s what we’re going to learn about today—trusting God, even when it’s hard.”

“In our story, Abraham is tested by God. He had to make a choice: Will I trust God, even when I don’t understand what God is doing?”

Before we read the story, let’s learn a few motions to help us remember the important parts.

Teach motions below and have the kids practice them with you.

• Abraham – Put one hand above your eyes like you’re looking into the distance (as Abraham looked up and saw the place).
• Son – Pretend to cradle a baby in your arms.
• God – Point both hands up toward the sky.
• Sacrifice/Offering – Hold hands together and extend them forward like you’re presenting a gift.

Say: “Great job! Keep those motions ready—we’ll use them while we read the story from the Bible. Let’s listen closely to see how Abraham responded and what God did next.”

Read Genesis 22:1-18 aloud, guiding students to perform the motions at the appropriate times as you read.

Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called.

“Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.”

“Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”

The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. “Stay here with the donkey,” Abraham told the servants. “The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back.”

So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac’s shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them walked on together, Isaac turned to Abraham and said, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“We have the fire and the wood,” the boy said, “but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?”

“God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham answered. And they both walked on together.

When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice.

At that moment the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!”

“Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.”

Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the Lord will provide”). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

Then the angel of the Lord called again to Abraham from heaven. “This is what the Lord says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me.”

“Wow—what a story! Abraham trusted God, even when it was really hard. But God didn’t leave him alone. At just the right time, God provided what was needed—a ram to take Isaac’s place.

• Let’s remember these three important things from today:
• Abraham trusted God, even when it didn’t make sense.
• God tested Abraham’s faith, and Abraham obeyed.
• God provided what was needed, right on time.”

Ask:

• “What do you think helped Abraham trust God?”
• “Can you think of a time when God helped you with something hard?”

“Just like Abraham, we can trust God. Even when life is confusing or scary, we can believe that God has a plan—and he will give us what we need at just the right time.

Let’s pray and thank God for being faithful and for always providing.”

“God, thank you for loving us and always keeping your promises. Help us to trust you, even when things feel hard. Thank you for providing what we need, just like you did for Abraham. We love you. Amen.”

How to Play:

• Play a modified version of Simon Says, but call it “Obedience Says.”
• If the leader says “Obedience says…” before a command, kids must do it.
• If the leader doesn’t say it, they must stay still.

Mix in motions from the story:

• Walk like you’re traveling a long journey (Abraham’s journey)
• Pretend to chop wood (Abraham preparing for the offering)
• Hold up your hands to the sky (trusting God)
• Look for a ram in the bushes (God’s provision)

Connection: Tie it back to the lesson: Abraham obeyed God fully, even when it was hard. When we obey, we show our trust in God too!

How to Play:

• Scatter stars across the classroom floor.
• Have kids take turns tossing stars into the blessing buckets.
• Afterward, read Genesis 22:17 (“I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky…”).

Connection: God promised Abraham blessings for his obedience, just like he blesses us when we trust and follow him.

How to Play:

• Hide the “ram” in a pile of paper/yarn (the thicket) at one end of the room.
• Divide the group into two teams.
• One player from each team runs to the thicket, digs through it, finds the ram, and brings it back.
• The team that finds the ram the fastest wins.

Connection: Just like God provided the ram for Abraham, he provides for us today—and ultimately, he provided Jesus as the sacrifice for our sins.

How to Play:

• Divide kids into two teams. Each team gets a “wood bundle” to carry.
• One player at a time runs the journey path, carrying the wood, and tags the next teammate.
• The last player carries the ram (representing God’s provision) to the finish line.
• The first team to complete the journey wins!

Connection: How do you think Abraham felt on that long journey? How do we trust God when things take time?

How to Play:

• Play music while kids move around the room in a fun way (jumping, walking, crawling, dancing).
• Every time the music stops, call out a trust-related action (e.g., “Trust God like Abraham! Close your eyes and take three steps forward.”). The challenge: They must follow the command without knowing exactly where it will lead them.
  Repeat with different actions (e.g., “Sit down where you are,” “Reach your arms up and freeze,” “Spin around 3 times and stop”).

Connection: Abraham didn’t know how things would turn out, but he trusted God completely! How can we trust God even when we don’t see the whole picture?

Give each child a piece of paper. Have them draw or color a picture of Abraham, Isaac, and the ram God provided.

Write “God Always Provides” on the page.

While kids draw ask:

• “How did Abraham show that he trusted God?”
• “What do you think Isaac was feeling during this story?”
• “What did God provide for Abraham instead of Isaac?”
• “What does this story teach us about who God is?”
• “Can you think of a time when God helped you or provided something you needed?”
• “What would you have done if you were in Abraham’s place?”
• “What can we do when trusting God feels hard?”

“Abraham chose to trust God, even when it was really hard. He didn’t know how everything would work out, but he believed that God had a plan. And just at the right time, God provided a ram so Isaac didn’t have to be sacrificed.

That helps us remember three important things:

• We can trust God, even when we don’t understand everything.
• God sees our faith and is pleased when we obey.
• God will always provide what we need, just like he did for Abraham.

God doesn’t always give us what we want, but he always gives us what we need at the right time.

Let’s remember: God is faithful, God is trustworthy, and God always provides.”

Instructions:
Have kids sort the cards into what they think would be easy or hard to give up.

Ask:

• “Why would this be hard to give up?”
• “What does it feel like when God asks us to do something hard?”

“Abraham gave up what he loved most, but he trusted God—and God gave it back in a way only he could.”

“How does trusting God help us grow in our faith?”
“Have you ever been in a situation where you needed to trust God with something difficult? What happened?”
“Abraham trusted God even though he didn’t have all the answers. How can we trust God when life doesn’t make sense?”

Have them draw or share one way they can trust God this week.

Challenge them to write down something they need to trust God with and pray about it this week.