Single lesson

Abraham: Following God's Call

Genesis 11:27–12:9

Abram’s story shows a real journey that began with Yahweh’s call. Children will hear what God said, trace where Abram went, and describe how Abram answered by going and worshipping.

6–10 years30 minutes

Before you teach

The passage first names Terah’s family, including Abram, Sarai, Haran, Nahor and Lot. It notes the family’s move from Ur towards Canaan, then their settling in Haran. After Terah’s death there, Yahweh speaks to Abram, who leaves Haran and enters Canaan.

Learning aim

Students will be able to describe Abram’s response to God’s call by stating what God told him and naming the actions Abram took.

Welcome: Meet Abram’s family

5 min

Read the opening names together: Terah, Abram, Nahor, Haran, Lot and Sarai. Note that Sarai had no child. Explain that the passage begins with Abram’s family and their situation before God’s call. Ask children to listen for which family members travel with Abram later in the story.

Genesis 11:27, Genesis 11:29, Genesis 11:30

Read and explain: Yahweh’s call and promise

7 min

Read Yahweh’s words slowly. Abram is told to leave his country, relatives and father’s house, and go to a land God will show him. Yahweh also says, “I will” several times: make a great nation, bless Abram, make his name great, and bring blessing to all families of the earth through him.

Genesis 12:1, Genesis 12:2, Genesis 12:3

Discuss: Abram went

6 min

Read Abram’s response in the text itself. Abram went as Yahweh had told him. Lot went with him. Abram left Haran at seventy-five years old, taking Sarai, Lot, possessions and people gathered in Haran. They went into Canaan. Point out that Abram answered God’s call with action.

Genesis 12:4, Genesis 12:5

Make and respond: Journey map

8 min

Children draw a simple path and label the places named in the passage: Ur, Haran, Canaan, Shechem, Bethel, Ai and the South. As they work, explain that Abram passed through the land, and Yahweh said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” Mark the places where Abram built altars to Yahweh.

Genesis 11:31, Genesis 12:6, Genesis 12:7, Genesis 12:8, Genesis 12:9

Closing: Worship on the journey

4 min

Finish by noticing that Abram did more than travel. At Shechem he built an altar to Yahweh. Near Bethel and Ai he built another altar and called on Yahweh’s name. Review by asking children to name one thing God said and one thing Abram did.

Genesis 12:7, Genesis 12:8

Questions to explore

What did Yahweh tell Abram to leave, and what was he told to do?

Look for the three things Abram was to leave and the land God would show him.

Genesis 12:1

Which promises did God speak to Abram before Abram went?

Listen for the repeated “I will” statements in God’s words to Abram.

Genesis 12:2, Genesis 12:3

How does the passage show that Abram responded to God’s call?

Name the actions the text gives, including going into Canaan and building altars to Yahweh.

Genesis 12:4, Genesis 12:5, Genesis 12:7, Genesis 12:8, Genesis 12:9

Make, think or respond

Abram’s Journey Map

What you’ll need

plain paper
pencils
coloured pencils or crayons
Bible passage

Try it together

Draw a path and label these places from the passage: Ur, Haran, Canaan, Shechem, Bethel, Ai and the South.
Add Abram, Sarai and Lot travelling together.
Write one short promise from God near the path.
Mark the two places where Abram built altars to Yahweh.

This map helps children trace Abram’s response to God’s call in the order the passage gives it.

Adapt for your group

For younger children, draw the path first and let them add labels and travellers while repeating, “Abram went.”
For older children, divide details into two lists: “What God said” and “What Abram did”.

An optional closing prayer

You may pray: “God, thank you for speaking to Abram. Please help us listen carefully to your word and remember Abram’s faithful response. Amen.”

Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic

Genesis 11

²⁷ Now this is the history of the generations of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran became the father of Lot.

²⁸ Haran died in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldees, while his father Terah was still alive.

²⁹ Abram and Nahor married wives. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah, the daughter of Haran, who was also the father of Iscah.

³⁰ Sarai was barren. She had no child.

³¹ Terah took Abram his son, Lot the son of Haran, his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife. They went from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan. They came to Haran and lived there.

³² The days of Terah were two hundred five years. Terah died in Haran.

Genesis 12

¹ Now Yahweh said to Abram, “Leave your country, and your relatives, and your father’s house, and go to the land that I will show you.

² I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing.

³ I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who treats you with contempt. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you.”

⁴ So Abram went, as Yahweh had told him. Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

⁵ Abram took Sarai his wife, Lot his brother’s son, all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they went to go into the land of Canaan. They entered into the land of Canaan.

⁶ Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time, Canaanites were in the land.

⁷ Yahweh appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” He built an altar there to Yahweh, who had appeared to him.

⁸ He left from there to go to the mountain on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to Yahweh and called on Yahweh’s name.

⁹ Abram traveled, still going on toward the South.

World English Bible Classic. Public domain.