Lewinsville Presbyterian church-”Bringing home the mess”

A Wife for Isaac (Genesis 24:34-38; 42-49; 58-67)

God promised Abraham a big family, but he and his wife, Sarah, had only one

son, Isaac. When Isaac grew up, Abraham sent a servant to find Isaac a wife.

The servant traveled a long way To a town where people believed in God. He

asked God for a sign to help him know God’s Plan, and then went to the town

well to wait. The sign from God came! A woman named Rebekah offered the

servant water. And offered to pour water for his camels. She would Be

Isaac’s wife.

Joseph lived a life filled with dramatic highs and disheartening lows. The

favored son of Jacob, Joseph sported an elaborate robe and had prophetic

dreams. These dreams, however, made him hugely unpopular with his already

jealous brothers. Filled with hatred, Joseph’s brothers threw him in a well,

then sold him to a caravan of Ishmaelite traders who were headed to Egypt.

As a slave in Egypt, Joseph gained favor and prosperity with his master…..for

a while. Then he was wrongly accused and shipped off to Pharaoh’s prison.

Even in the hopeless depths of an Egyptian prison, things started looking up

for Joseph. The warden put him in charge, and “the Lord was with Joseph

and gave him success in whatever he did” (Gen. 39:23). When two prisoners

had strange dreams, Joseph offered to tell them

what the dreams meant. All he asked was this:

“Please remember me and do me a favor when

things go well for you. Mention me to

Pharaoh, so he might let me out of this

place,”

But Joseph sat forgotten in the

prison for two long years.

A lesson about Joseph and his coat of many colors. with a deeper lesson

the story teaches: that life deals us all kinds of things, both good and bad,

yet there can be peace in all of it.

Supply List

Card stock

Six colors of construction paper

Liquid glue or a glue sticks

Permanent markers

Scissors

Directions

1. Enlarge this t-shirt image and print it on card stock quality paper.

2. Draw horizontal lines across each shirt and use a razor blade to slit them open.

3. Cut 1-inch wide strips of six different colors of construction paper.

4. Have the children weave the strips through the shirt, gluing them at the top. (trim the strips at the bottom however

you like.)

5. write the words from John 16:33 on their woven shirts. "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here

on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart because I have overcome the world."

Egypt Unwrapped Make Sure Your Name is on That! The ancient Egyptians believed if you did not have

your name written down somewhere, that after your death, you would disappear. Everyone

made sure their name was written somewhere, including inside their tombs and graves.

The pharaohs ordered monuments built so they would be remembered. These monuments

provided places to write their name down in a very public way.

Weighing of the Heart The ancient Egyptians believed if you did something bad, your

heart would be heavy, and the god Ammut might suddenly appear and eat you up!

After you died, the ancient Egyptians believed your heart had to be weighed. It had to be

lighter than a feather. To find out if your heart qualified for the trip to the afterlife, your spirit

had to enter the Hall of Maat. If your heart was light, you passed the test and entered your

afterlife. BUT, if your heart was heavy because your deeds were dreadful, the god Ammut

would suddenly appear… and eat you up!

One good WHACK deserves Another Temples were the heart of the community.

Kids went to school at the temple. The temples acted as hotels for important visitors from

other towns.

People prayed to the temple gods for whatever they needed. If their request was not granted,

they might give the temple statue a whack with a sturdy reed to let the temple god know how

they felt about it.

How much is that Crocodile in the window? The one with the Waggy

tail? Rich nobles in Ancient Egypt kept crocodiles as pets in pools as ornamental additions

to their homes. Temple priests kept crocodiles in the temples. They were dressed in jewels,

and roamed freely. They were not caged. It must have been quite dangerous, but the croco-

dile was special to the ancient Egyptians.

Watch Cats Cats were special! Nearly all ancient Egyptian homes had a cat. But cats

were not pets. The ancient Egyptians believed that cats had magical powers. They believed

cats protected their homes and children from danger. They kept a cat for protection.

You were in big trouble if you hurt a cat in ancient Egypt. Your punishment could be death!

The ancient Egyptian word for cat was “miu” or “miw.” Try pronouncing the word and see if

you can figure out why that was the word for cat.

Take two mice and call me in the morning! If an ancient Egyptian had trouble

with his eyes, the doctor would grind up the eye of a pig with a few other bits and pieces and

stick it in the patient’s ear! If the patient had a toothache-the cure was fried mice!

Egypt Unwrapped Many of today’s household objects were invented or used by the ancient Egyptians, including

the lock and keys, combs, scissors, wigs, makeup, deodorants, toothbrush and toothpaste.

Other interesting facts about Ancient Egypt and their feats: • Egyptians were among the very first people to invent writing along with ink and paper.

• The 365 days calendar and the 24-hour division of the day are Egyptian inventions.

• Egyptians invented the art of painting on plaster

• Cement was first invented by the Egyptians

• Egyptian workers organized the first known labor strike

• Egypt was first to create glass

• Egypt had the world’s first bakeries….around 2000 B.C.

Ancient Egypt Trivia

1. What did the ancient Egyptians call the star grouping we call the Big Dipper?

The Hippopotamus 2. Where did ancient Egyptian women place or wear perfume?

In wax cones on their heads 3. Used to make bread and beer, what was the major crop of ancient Egypt?

Barley 4. When the ancient Egyptians held a party, what did they call it?

A house of beer 5. What breed of dog was used as a hunting dog in ancient Egypt?

The greyhound 6. Name the only wind instrument in ancient Egypt.

The flute 7. The Christian cross was developed from what ancient Egyptian symbol.?

Ankh

Looking more closely at the story of Joseph, you can’t help but notice the fact that Joseph used

his special ability to interpret dreams wherever he could. Whether in prison or in

Pharaoh’s court, Joseph faithfully did what God enabled him to do. Today, God still gives

each person unique abilities that enable us to serve him.

God Gives Us Special Abilities-A Family Devotion

Gimme a “G”! 1. Read aloud the following passage: “In his grace, God has given us different gifts

for doing certain things well” (Romans 12:6).

2. Talk about this question: * Why do you thin God gave us different gifts?

3. Choose the person whose birthday is closest to today to be first. Say each

letter of that person’s first name. Let other family members come up with

a word (or words) that starts with that letter which describes the person.

For example, when it’s Amy’s turn, people might say “A -artist, M-musical,

Y-young.” Be sure each person in the family has a turn!

4. When everyone has had a turn, pray together. Thank God for the unique abilities

he’s given each family member.

Collecting Grain in Egypt

After Joseph told Pharaoh what his dreams meant, Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of

collecting grain in Egypt. During the seven years of good crops Joseph led the Egyp-

tians in collecting 1/5 the of the crop for the following seven years of famine.

Game supplies:

• Tall cardboard boxes (granaries)

• Balloons or toys (Grain)

• (Optional) Timer

Play this game to collect the “grain” in Egypt. Choose someone to be

“Joseph” to direct the other players (the Egyptians) that they have 7

years to gather the grain and to do a countdown or start a timer.

After "Joseph" gave the orders, he went over to the granaries (tall

boxes) and the Egyptians got to work. scattered the balloons or items

all over your playing area. When "Joseph" says “go”, the Egyptians go to

work collecting the grain (balloons) and taking them to Joseph at

the granaries.

At first Joseph’s brothers had no idea that their little brother was the

handsome Egyptian in front of them. Powerful men in Egypt dressed in

a very stylish way. They shaved their beards and wore elegant

headdresses and jewelry. These Egyptians also did something an

Israelite man would never think to do—they wore make-up. No

wonder the brothers didn’t recognize Joseph!

What you will need:

• Nine-inch or Larger Paper Plates

• Scissors

• Markers (Highlighter Markers Work Well)

• Sequins or gems (Optional)

• Glue

How to make:

1. cut a 4 1/2 circle at the top of a paper plate one

inch from the top.

2. look up online pictures of authentic

Egyptian collars and then color and decorate the paper

plates with markers and highlighters. Sequins and gems.

What You will need:

• Cardboard tube (toilet paper roll or paper towel roll)

• Duck Tape (Wide) in Gold or Silver

• Fun Foam pieces or sequins

• Scissors and glue

How To Make:

1. Cover your cardboard tube in duck tape so it is entirely covered

with gold. You will need to cut about three strips of tape to do

this.

2. With the scissors, cut a spiral all the way down the tube. Round

off the two ends.

3. Glue your mosaic pieces all the way down the spiral from top to bottom. When it

is dry, try it on!

WRITE YOUR NAME IN

HIEROGLYPHS

My brothers—the ones who threw me in a well and sold me into slavery—

have come to Egypt. They came to me for food, but they don’t know I’m their

brother! What should I do? I’m so mad at them for what they did to

me...but they’re my family. I’d love to see my father again...to let him know I’m

alive. I’m not sure I can forgive them, but maybe God can help me….

Go Fish

A fun family card game reminds us to ask God for wisdom

1. Get out a deck of cards, and play a round or two of the old

favorite, Go Fish. After a couple rounds, put the cards away.

2. Talk about the following questions:

• What would this game be like if you played it by yourself?

• Would you be very successful at Go Fish if you never asked anyone for a card? Explain.

3. Say: You needed to ask other people for the cards you didn’t have. Let’s look at a

Scripture that’s kind of like that. Read aloud: “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should

ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to

him” (James 1:5).

4. Discuss these questions:

• Why don’t we ask God for wisdom? * How successful are we when we rely on our

own wisdom? Why?

5. Close in prayer, thanking God for how generously he gives his wisdom. Ask God to help

your family turn to him daily for every need...including wisdom!

Disappearing sins

Watch “sins” vanish, and discuss how God forgives our every wrongdoing

1. Say: The Bible tells us that everyone has sinned—or done wrong things. That means

each one of us.

2. Bring out a coffee filter and a highlighter. Let each person write his or her name (or

make a mark) on the filter. Ask family members to silently thin of a wrong thing they’ve

done.

3. Read: “But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry,

and rich in unfailing love” (Nehemiah 9:17).

4. Say: If we confess our sins to God and tell him we’re sorry—and mean it—he’ll forgive

us. We still have to deal with the consequences of our sins, but when

God forgives a sin, it’s gone!

5. Put a few drops of lemon juice on the writings, and watch as they

disappear!

6. Discuss: Why is it such a big deal that God forgives our sins? * How

can you thank God for his forgiveness?

7. Take turns pouring lemon juice on the writings and praying, “God,

thank you for forgiving me.”

Joseph Tests His Brothers To see if his brothers have changed, joseph orders their grain sacks to be filled with gifts

of honey, nuts, and perfume. Joseph fills their sacks with more grain but slips a silver cup

into Benjamin’s sack and sends guards to retrieve the “stolen” cup. Would the brothers

give up their youngest brother or have they changed?

The brothers begged for mercy for their little brother. Joseph witnessed the love and

transformation in his brothers.

“I am Joseph, Your brother! It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your

lives” (Genesis 45:5).

Did you know…

The silver cup Joseph placed in

Benjamin’s grain sack was

traditionally used for divination

-or telling the future.

Joseph tests his brothers

Joseph’s Coat of Many Colors Snack #1

Ingredients:

• Gingerbread men

• Icing

• Colored mini m&m’s or jelly beans

The gingerbread men were bought ready to

decorate with icing and mini M&M’s. We even had

some special gluten-free men and jelly beans for a

couple of kids that need the gluten-free option.

Joseph’s Coat of Many Colors Snack #2

Ingredients:

• graham crackers,

• frosting,

• fruit strips,

• plastic knife, paper plate

Place the graham cracker on the paper plate. Cut

two smaller rectangles from another graham

cracker for sleeves. Put these on either side of the

larger rectangle making a coat shape. Frost the

coat. Use the fruit strips to make an ornamental

coat like Jacob gave Joseph.