SuperVerse

Our SuperVerse, Genesis 32:28 says:

The Man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob. You have wrestled with God and with men, and you have won. That’s why your name will be Israel.″ 

Stand in a circle with the children. Say the verse together, looking at the SuperVerse on the board.

The Man in this verse is God in the form of a human being. Jacob actually called the place where they wrestled, Peniel. The word means “Face of God.″ When Jacob told the Man what his name was, the Man changed Jacob’s name to Israel, which is formed from the Hebrew words for “wrestle″ and “God.″ Israel also means “Prince with God.″ The name Jacob represented the old Jacob who took things by trickery. The name Israel represented the new Jacob who had committed his life to serving God and valued God’s blessing enough to fight for it and keep it!

Explain that you will throw the ball to a child, who will then say the first word of the verse. That child will then throw the ball to another child, who will say the next word of the verse. Each child should throw the ball to a different child until everyone has had a chance to say at least one word. Continue the process until the whole verse has been said, and repeat as time permits. Children may look at the board as they say their words. Close by asking everyone to recite the verse together from memory.

Note: Younger children may not be able to memorize the entire SuperVerse. They may simply repeat it several times, while older children may memorize part or all of it. Be sure all children understand its meaning.