CF Kids - 1st - 3rd Curriculum | Champion Forest | A Church for Northwest Houston

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1st - 3rd Curriculum

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LIFE POINT:

Family members can love and care for one another.

LEVEL OF BIBLICAL LEARNING:

God’s plan is for all family members to work together so that God is honored by their family.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE:

Genesis 37, 42–43, 45–46, 50

BIBLE VERSE:

“Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:4

UNIT VERSE:

“I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well.” Psalm 139:14

FOR THE WEEK OF:

August 30

LEADER BIBLE STUDY

CONTEXT AND COMMENTARY FOR PERSONAL STUDY AND PREPARATION

(For age-appropriate language, use the Bible story on the following pages.)

Joseph came from an incredibly dysfunctional family. His father, Jacob, had multiple wives, and these women bore him many children through a rivalry filled with spite and insecurities (Genesis 29:31–35; Genesis 30:1–24; Genesis 35:16–20). Because Jacob loved one wife more than the others, he also loved certain children more than the others. Joseph was the favored child, which caused resentment and anger among his brothers. All of these factors eventually led to them selling Joseph into slavery when they got the chance.

Dysfunctional, indeed.

Many years later, after Joseph had risen to power in Egypt, he came face to face with his brothers, the people who had completely destroyed the life he knew, and he had a choice to make. Would he forgive or get his revenge?

When someone in your family hurts or injures you, you face the same decision. It is tempting to dwell on various ways you can make that person pay for how he hurt you — the silent treatment, spread lies about him, share his dirty secrets. The options are endless for getting revenge! But is this the way of Jesus?

The apostle Peter taught Christians to respond differently. He implored Christians to be loving and compassionate, and they should not pay “back evil for evil or insult for insult” (1 Peter 3:9). Peter calls us to follow the way of Jesus. Jesus never paid evil back with evil, nor did He ever take revenge on those who hurt or disappointed Him. Peter knew this firsthand after Jesus forgave him for denying that he even knew Him (Luke 22:54–62; John 21:15–19).

Jesus wants to forgive people when they repent and turn back from their wrong behavior. Do you?

Joseph forgave his brothers. Jesus offers forgiveness to everyone. Are you willing to forgive your family members? As you pray this week, thank God for the family He gave you. Ask Him to fill you with a desire to forgive quickly when your family members sin against you.

💡 INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY

Before class, write each of the following words on a separate piece of paper: FORGIVE, PROVIDE, CARE. Cut the letters apart individually and mix them up into a pile.
Divide kids into teams and give each team a scrambled set of letters. Challenge them to unscramble the words as fast as they can.
Once the words are revealed, ask kids what all three words have in common. Guide them toward the idea that all three describe how family members can treat one another.
Tell kids that today’s Bible story is about a man named Joseph who did all three things — he forgave, provided for, and cared for his family, even after they had been very unkind to him.
Open your Bible to Genesis 37 and prepare to tell the Bible story.

💬 TELL THE STORY

GETTING TO THE POINT

Tell the kids they are going to hear a Bible story they may already know. Ask if anyone has heard of Joseph and his coat of many colors.
Remind kids that today they will see how God can use even terrible situations to bring about something good — and how family members can love and care for one another even when it is really hard.
Pray, then open your Bible to Genesis 37 and tell the Bible story.

BIBLE STORY: JOSEPH LOVED HIS BROTHERS

Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other sons and gave him a beautiful coat of many colors. This made Joseph’s brothers very jealous. They began to hate Joseph and could not even speak kindly to him.

One day Jacob sent Joseph out to check on his brothers. When the brothers saw Joseph coming, they made a plan to get rid of him. They were going to kill him, but one brother, Reuben, convinced them not to. Instead, they threw Joseph into a pit. Then, when a group of traders came by on their way to Egypt, the brothers pulled Joseph out and sold him to the traders for twenty pieces of silver. Then they took Joseph’s coat, dipped it in goat’s blood, and brought it back to their father Jacob. Jacob believed Joseph had been killed by a wild animal, and he was heartbroken.

Meanwhile, Joseph was taken to Egypt. Even in Egypt, God was with Joseph. Joseph eventually came to work for Pharaoh and was put in charge of storing up grain because God showed Joseph that a famine was coming. For seven years Joseph collected and stored grain. When the famine came, people from all the surrounding lands came to Egypt to buy grain.

Back in Canaan, Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt and sent his sons — all except his youngest son, Benjamin — to buy some. When the brothers arrived, they bowed down before Joseph, but they did not recognize him. Joseph recognized his brothers right away, but he did not tell them who he was yet. He accused them of being spies. The brothers explained that they were honest men, twelve brothers from Canaan — one was gone, and the youngest was at home. Joseph gave them grain but sent them home to bring back their youngest brother.

The brothers returned home and found that the money they had paid was secretly put back in their grain sacks. They were confused and frightened. When the food ran out, Jacob had no choice but to send his sons back to Egypt — this time with Benjamin. When they arrived in Egypt, Joseph held a feast for them. Then he had his silver cup secretly placed in Benjamin’s sack of grain.

When Joseph revealed that the cup had been found with Benjamin and that Benjamin must stay as a slave, Judah stepped forward. He begged Joseph to let him take Benjamin’s punishment. He said their father could not survive losing Benjamin too.

Joseph could not hold back any longer. He sent everyone else out of the room and wept so loudly that the whole household could hear. Then he said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” His brothers were so shocked they could not speak. But Joseph said, “Come close to me. I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt. Do not be angry with yourselves, because God sent me ahead of you to save lives.”

Joseph embraced his brothers and wept over them. He sent them back to bring their father Jacob and the entire family to live in Egypt so he could take care of them during the remaining years of famine.

Later, after Jacob died, the brothers feared that Joseph would now take his revenge. But Joseph said, “Don’t be afraid. What you intended for evil, God planned for good — to save the lives of many people.”

REVIEW QUESTIONS

How did Joseph first come to Egypt? (His brothers sold him to traders.)
Why did Jacob’s sons go to Egypt? (To buy grain during the famine.)
Why did the brothers need to go back to Egypt a second time? (They had used all their grain.)
Whom did they have to bring with them the second time? (Benjamin, their youngest brother.)
What did Joseph secretly put in the brothers’ sacks of grain? (Money the first time; then his silver cup in Benjamin’s sack.)
Joseph told his brothers not to worry because ___. (God had sent him ahead of them to save lives.)
Where did Joseph want his whole family to live? (In Egypt, so he could care for them.)

💡

BIBLE LEARNING ACTIVITIES

STATION 1. FAMILY TREE

Provide large paper and markers. Help kids draw Joseph’s family tree, including Jacob, Joseph, and his eleven brothers. Encourage them to look in the Bible (Genesis 35:23–26) to find all the names. Then invite kids to share something about their own family. Say, “God places us in families. Even when families have problems, God can use them for good — just like He did with Joseph’s family.”

STATION 2. THROW AWAY RELAY

Set up a large rubbish bin or laundry basket to represent the pit. Divide kids into teams of two. Give each pair a towel (or small blanket) and a ball. Teams must use only the towel to toss the ball into the bin — no hands! After the relay, say, “Joseph’s brothers threw him into a pit. But instead of staying there, God had a plan to lift Joseph up. Even when things look hopeless, God is always at work.”

STATION 3. SCAVENGER HUNT

Hide pictures of Joseph around the Kids Building (coat, pit, grain, brothers bowing, Joseph in Egypt). Give kids a list and let them search for all the pictures. When they return, let kids use the pictures to retell the story in order. Say, “Each of these pictures shows a part of Joseph’s story. God had a plan through every part of it!”

STATION 4. JOSEPH’S COAT

Cut a large paper grocery sack into a simple coat shape (cut arm holes and a neck opening). Let kids decorate their coat using paint, markers, tissue paper, and fabric scraps to make it colorful. While they create, discuss: “Joseph’s father gave him a special coat because he loved him. How do people in your family show that they love you? How can you show love to your family?”

STATION 5. WAGONS TO EGYPT

Provide paper, crayons, and blocks. Let kids draw or build wagons that Jacob’s family would have used to travel to Egypt. While they work say, “When Joseph revealed himself, he sent wagons to bring his whole family to Egypt. Joseph cared for his family even after they had been unkind to him. Family members can love and care for one another.”

STATION 6. CARE FOR MY FAMILY

Use a paper bag filled with crumpled paper (a “grain sack”) and play hot potato — pass it around the circle while music plays. When the music stops, whoever holds the sack shares one way they can help or care for someone in their family this week. Say, “Joseph provided food for his whole family. We can show love to our families too! Family members can love and care for one another.”