Count the Stars — God’s Covenant with Abram Preschool Lesson
Preschool lesson (ages 3–6, 20 minutes)
1. Welcome (3 min)
Sit in a circle, greet every child by name and show one thing from the story to touch.
2. The little story (5 min)
Teach the refrain first: “Abram believed in the LORD.”
Abram and his wife Sarai were getting old. God had promised them a big family. But they still did not have a baby. Not even one.
One night the LORD spoke to Abram in a vision. A vision is like a dream God gives. God said, “Don’t be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” A shield keeps you safe. A reward is a wonderful gift. Can you hold up your arm like a shield?
Abram said, “Lord GOD, what will you give me? You have given no children to me.” A man in Abram’s house named Eliezer would get everything one day. Eliezer came from a city called Damascus. There was no son to have it.
But God said, “This man will not be your heir.” An heir is the one who gets everything you have. God said Abram would have a son of his very own.
Then the LORD brought Abram outside. It was dark. The sky was full of stars. God said, “Look now toward the sky, and count the stars. If you are able to count them.” Let’s try! One, two, three, four, five, six… a hundred… a thousand… So many! Abram could never count them all.
God said, “So your offspring will be.” Offspring means children, and grandchildren, and their children too. Abram’s family would be as many as the stars!
Abram did not see a baby. He only saw the stars. But he trusted God. Abram believed in the LORD. And God counted Abram’s trust as right and good.
Then God said, “I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur.” Ur was the city where Abram’s family had lived long ago. God had led Abram all the way from there.
Abram asked, “Lord GOD, how will I know?” So God told Abram to bring some animals for an offering. An offering is a gift for God. Abram did what God said.
Then big birds came flying down. But Abram chased them away. Can you wave your arms and say, “Shoo! Shoo!”?
Abram waited all day. When the sun was going down, Abram fell into a deep sleep. Then it was dark, very dark.
And look! A smoking furnace and a flaming torch passed by in the dark. A furnace is a big, hot oven. A torch is a stick with fire on top. This was God’s sign for Abram. It was God’s way of saying: I promise.
That day the LORD made a covenant with Abram. A covenant is a very big promise. God said, “I have given this land to your offspring. From the river of Egypt to the great river.” What a big land! Abram believed in the LORD.
Abram still did not have a baby. He had to wait. But God had promised. Abram believed in the LORD.
The stars still shine at night, so many that no one can count them. And God always keeps his promises, even when we have to wait. Abram believed in the LORD.
3. Talk together (3 min)
- How many stars do you think Abram saw that night?
- What do you think Abram said to Sarai the next morning?
4. Move (3 min)
Refrain Freeze: move around the room; when you say the refrain, everyone freezes and says it together.
5. Make (4 min)
Count and color the stars in Abram’s night sky.
6. Verse and prayer (2 min)
“Count the stars, if you are able to count them” — Genesis 15:5 (count the stars → point up and count with your finger; if you are able → shrug your shoulders: so many!)
Dear God, thank you that you keep your promises. Thank you that you are my shield. Amen.
Lesson for older kids (ages 6–10)
Big idea: God Keeps His Promises
Memory verse: “Don't be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” — Genesis 15:1 · WEB
The Bible story
On a quiet, starry night, a worried old man named Abram looks up and hears God make a wonderful promise as big and bright as all the stars in the sky.
Talk about it
- How was Abram feeling at the start of the story? — Sad that he had no child
- What did Abram and Sarai NOT have? — Any children
- What did God tell Abram first? — Do not be afraid
- God told Abram, "I am your..." what? — Shield
- What did Abram say he still did not have? — A child of his own
- Where did God take Abram? — Outside under the sky
Where is Jesus in this story?
Abram simply believed God's promise, and God counted his faith as righteousness, being right with Him (Genesis 15:6). Paul says those words weren't written only for Abram but for us too: God counts us right with Him when we trust in the God who raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 4:23–25). Like Abram, you can't earn it, only trust it.
What God wants to tell us
God did not give Abram every answer straight away, but He gave him something even better: a promise He would always keep. When Abram looked up at the countless stars, he learned that God's love and God's plans are far bigger than any of our worries. We can trust God even when we cannot see how things will work out, because He is faithful and He never, ever forgets His children.
Prayer
Dear God, thank You for the bright stars You made and for Your big promises that never break. When I feel worried, help me to trust You just like Abram did. Thank You that I can be part of Your great family. Amen.
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