Bible Passage: Genesis 16:1-16, 17:15-22, 21:1-7

Big Idea: God is faith-FULL, even when we are faith-less.

On Sunday we heard how God kept His covenant to Abraham by blessing him with a son – even in his old age. It was a very long time before God gave Sarah and Abraham their son, Isaac. So long, in fact, that Abraham and Sarah thought that God had forgotten about them, and decided to take matters into their own hands. Abraham had a son with Sarah's slave girl, Hagar. But God had chosen Abraham and Sarah to have a child – and God always keeps His promises – so even after Sarah and Abraham had tried to 'help' God with His plan, He was still faithful to Abraham and Sarah, and gave them their son, Isaac. Our God never forgets about His children, or His promises, even when we forget about Him. He loves us no matter what we do, and is always faithful to what He says He will do. We can trust God, even if it doesn't seem to make sense, because God's plans are far greater than ours- and His plans are better than what our human minds can comprehend.

We asked the kids, "Will you have a birthday this year?". When they responded that they knew they would have a birthday, we asked them if they could prove it. "Can you show me that you will have a birthday?" We can't prove our birthdays will come, but we know that they do each year. This is the kind of faith God asks us to have in Him. Hebrews 11:1 says "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for, and assurance about what we do not see." We can trust God even when we can't see, because He is a good God who always keeps His promises.

Family Activity

Play this game as a family. Place an eyemask on one member of the family and arrange an obstacle course around your yard or living room. Guide your family member through the course by directing them with your words. Celebrate together when your family member reaches the end of the course without knocking any items down. Tell children, "We can trust God even when we can't see His plan ahead, because He is faithful and promises to take care of us always."