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Family Blueprint
by Julianne Bell
(Pennies and ketchup teach us along with Abraham and Isaac that God blesses obedience.)
The Lord gave us the blueprint of His Word to architect our family on Jesus Christ.
Going through the Bible with your family…
Weekly Scripture:
Genesis 22
Story:
"The Sacrifice of Isaac"
Application:
Obedience to God brings blessings.
Summary:
The Lord tested Abraham many times, but the most difficult was likely when Isaac was a young man. God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son as a burnt offering. Abraham loved his son dearly, but he put God’s will above his own. Abraham took his son, Isaac, two servants, and some wood for a burnt offering on a three day journey to a mountain. He told the servants to wait while he and Isaac went to worship. Isaac asked where the animal was for the offering and his father said God would provide.
Abraham built the altar, put wood on it and tied up Isaac. He was ready to plunge the knife into Isaac when God called his name and said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, for I know you fear God since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me." Abraham and Isaac then saw a ram caught in the thicket and substituted this as the sacrifice. Because of Abraham and Isaac’s obedience God blessed them.
Focus:
Sometimes God will require obedience to us that seems strange, but obedience will bring about God’s blessings.
Finding Christ:
Abraham represents the Father and Isaac is a type of Christ, as the father offers up his son, his only son, on Mount Moriah , where Jesus is sacrificed on our behalf years later.
Live the Lesson:
Take some dirty pennies and put them into bowls or on plates (paper plates will work too) and set them on the dinner table. Sit a container of Ketchup in the middle of the table and set the table as usual for a meal. Call your family to the table. They should each sit down with a puzzled look as to why there are pennies in their bowls/plates.
Ask each member to look carefully at their pennies and then pour ketchup on them. After adding ketchup be sure to request each member rub the ketchup on their pennies very well. Now let them know you don’t expect them to eat them. But thanks for following directions, even though this seems strange. Now go rinse the pennies and you will find the pennies to look shiny and new.
Explain to them that sometimes God may ask us to follow instructions that seem strange to us, but if we will give God complete obedience, then He will be pleased and His will shall be accomplished with us in the center of it. Who would want to miss out on the incredible things of God because they fail to obey? Abraham no doubt thought God’s request seemed strange, but He obeyed and was blessed for it. Isaac complied with complete obedience to his father’s strange request and was in the middle of the blessing too.
Memory Verse:
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart." Proverbs 3:5
Prayer:
Dear Lord, please help us to choose to obey You in all areas of our lives. Help us to know Your voice that we be confident to follow instructions that may seem strange to us, but that are pleasing to You.
Living the Life:
This week give your children examples of times you had to obey in difficult circumstances and the blessings that came after.
Family Blueprint has come to fruition as a complimentary service for those seeking creative ways to 'teach them (the words of the Lord) diligently to your children...' Deuteronomy 6:7
Julianne Bell is also a consultant for Once Upon A Family at www.familyblueprint.org/once_upon_a_family.htm This allows her to work from home while homeschooling her children and keeping her ministry website resources free.
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