Jacob's Dream of the Ladder

Has any one of you ever had a dream? What did you dream about? Was it scary? Was it adventurous? Was it a beautiful dream? (Let the kids tell some of their dreams.)

Our story for today is also about a person who had a dream. Do you remember Jacob? In our last lesson, we learned that after Jacob Got Isaac's Blessings, his brother, Esau, was so angry and wanted to kill him. So Jacob, as advised by his mother, Rebecca, decided to go away from their home in Beersheba to Haran.

When he reached a certain place, he was so tired. He just took a stone as his pillow and fell asleep. Then, he had a dream. He dreamed that there was a ladder from the ground that reaches to heaven. Then he saw angels going up and down the stairs.  Above it, he saw the Lord who said "I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and Isaac. I will give and your offspring this land. Your offspring will be like the dust of the earth and all peoples of the earth will be blessed through you and your people. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised."

Jacob woke up and said "Surely the Lord is in this place. How awesome is this place!" Early in the morning, Jacob took his stone pillow and set it up as a pillar. Then he called the place Bethel which means house of God.

This story is found in Genesis 28:10-22

KIDS DISCUSSION:
1. Who is Jacob? What happened to him on his to Haran?
2. What was his dream about? What did God tell him in his dream?
3. Is God also with you and watches over you just like He did to Jacob?
4. If He is watching over us, how should we feel? (safe, protected, not afraid).
5. What are God's promises to Jacob? What is God's promises to you?
6. Do you think God can help you fulfill your dream? Pray to Him about it.

MEMORY VERSE: Genesis 28:15
I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go.

KIDS ACTIVITIES
1. Coloring pages: Jacob's ladder

2. Role playing: Pretend that you and the kids are like Jacob on a journey. Then, you get a small piece of crumpled paper (the children would love to crumple the paper by themselves and use scratch paper) and use it as your pillow.  Then, let someone pretend as angels and the Lord who spoke that "I am the Lord of Abraham and Isaac. I will increase your descendant. I will be with you and watch over you wherever you go." After hearing this, let all the children wake up and say together "Surely, the Lord is in this place."

3. Kids Draw. Let the children draw about their dream or what is their dream in life like having a beautiful house, or becoming a doctor or a teacher. Then, let the children write on their drawing, God can help me fulfill my dream.