What’s Different?
Pair up family members and ask them to stand back-to-back. Tell them to change one thing—take off glasses, put hair behind ear, put hat on backwards, etc. They are to turn and look at each other and try to spot what the other person changed. Do this several times and with different partners.
Ask:
Was it easy or hard to spot the changes?
God wants to make changes in us—not in how we look, but in the way we act.
What changes do you think God might want to make in us?
God could make Jacob the father of a great nation because of the changes in him. As we allow Him, God wants to change us to be more like Jesus, so He can do great things through us.
You’ve Changed!
Items Needed: Photo albums or photos on device, Bible
Look through the pictures and discuss the changes.
As you look, ask questions:
Do you see any changes?
How have you changed?
We see physical changes in pictures, but what are some other kinds of changes? (Change in character— more loving, kind, joyful, patient, etc.)
When we choose to follow God, He changes who we are and how we behave. Read Galatians 5:22–23 to see some of the qualities God wants us to have—love, joy, peace, patience, etc.
God is working inside us, through His Holy Spirit, to change us to be more like Jesus.
Amazing Metamorphosis
Item Needed: Device
Find and preview a video of the metamorphosis of a butterfly.
What does metamorphosis mean? (To change, such as the change from a caterpillar to a butterfly) When the caterpillar appears from the chrysalis, it doesn’t look anything like a caterpillar. Instead, it is a beautiful butterfly!
How did Jacob change from the time he ran away from his family to the time he was returning to meet his brother, Esau? (He was humble; he depended on God; he had lots of family and animals; etc.)
Jacob was a changed man when he returned to his father’s house. God even changed Jacob’s name to Israel, which means a prince with God. Jacob had 12 sons and they became the leaders of the 12 tribes of the nation of Israel. God was working on the inside of Jacob to transform (change) him into a better person—one who was more like God.