Wild West Sunday School Lesson
Check out our FREE Wild West Sunday School Lesson! Teach kids to trust God to be their leader. By the end of this lesson, kids will learn that they can have confidence in going where God leads them. This lesson is great for every Children's Ministry, Kids Church, and Sunday School! Many people flocked to the Old West because it was a chance to start over in a place where there weren't many people. God called Abram to move to an unfamiliar place and promised to make a great nation from him. Abram trusted God and knew one day the promise would be fulfilled. God has a calling for each of us. He still calls some to leave everything behind and "Go West," like the men and women on the mission field, but for most of us, the calling happens right where we are. It may be scary. We may feel nervous about what God asks us to do. But Abram shows us we can have confidence that God will not lead us astray. God is faithful to lead us, faithful to protect us. We can trust God and follow Him wherever He leads. When God says, "Go," it’s time to pack up our bags and follow Him! Take a look at ourWild West Faith 8-Week Children's' Ministry Curriculum. And, if you like this lesson we have over 100 more free Sunday School Lessons for Kids!

Wild West Sunday School Lesson for Kids:

BOTTOM LINE:

Trust God to be your leader.

OBJECTIVE:

Kids will learn they can have confidence in going where God leads them.

KEY PASSAGE:

Genesis 12:1-8, God Calls Abram

MEMORY VERSE:

“The grass dries up. The flowers fall to the ground. But what our God says will stand forever.” Isaiah 40:8 (NIrV)

SUMMARY:

Many people flocked to the Old West because it was a chance to start over in a place where there weren't many people. God called Abram to move to an unfamiliar place and promised to make a great nation from him. Abram trusted God and knew one day the promise would be fulfilled.  

SIMPLE PRAYER:

Dear God,

Show us the way to follow you.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

 

MEMORY VERSE

“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” Isaiah 40:8 (NIV)

“The grass dries up. The flowers fall to the ground. But what our God says will stand forever.” Isaiah 40:8 (NIrV)

LARGE GROUP:

Have all the fifth/sixth graders (whatever the oldest age in the room may be) read the verse first. Then add the next grade down and repeat. Add the next grade down, and repeat. Keep repeating until everyone is reading together.

SMALL GROUP:

Give all the kids a Bible. Then after you read the verse, give them the reference and see who can find it first in their Bible.

 

SKIT

GO WEST, ABRAM

ITEMS NEEDED:

Wild West costumes for Frank and Abram

CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:

2 M

CHARACTERS:

Frank - A narrator

Abram - A man following God’s lead

Frank enters.

FRANK: Howdy, kids. Welcome to the Old Testament – or as we locals call it, the Old Test. I’m sure you kids have heard a lot of tall tales about the Old Test. Unlike your modern times with your computer watches and your fast food drive-thrus, this was a lawless time, a rugged time. You might as well call it the Wild Wild Test. There were a lot of dangerous men, desperadoes, and outlaws in the Old Test, but for every one of them, there were good men and women willing to brave new frontiers and serve the Lord. Like that feller over there.

Abram enters.

ABRAM: Howdy, Frank.

FRANK: Howdy, Abram. Got the wagon train all loaded?

ABRAM: Yes, sir.

FRANK: How far you and the Missus going?

ABRAM: I don’t rightly know, Frank. The Lord said to go to the land He will show me.

FRANK: Well, what does that mean?

ABRAM: Well, I reckon when we get there, He’ll say somethin’ like, "Here ya go."

FRANK: Abram and his family are headed out into the wilderness, leaving the city life behind, all because God said, "Go west, young man!"

ABRAM: That’s about right – all except the young man part. I ain’t been a young man in a dog’s age.

FRANK: It takes a lot of faith to do what you’re doing, partner. There are all kinda dangers out there. Outlaws.

ABRAM: God will protect us.

FRANK: Bandits.

ABRAM: God will protect us!

FRANK: Snakes.

ABRAM: I sure HOPE God will protect us!

FRANK: But here’s the thing. Abram knows God’s Word is good. If the Lord says go, Abram’s gonna go.

ABRAM: I’m a gettin’!

FRANK: If the Lord says He will get there safe, He will get there safe.

ABRAM: Sure ‘nuff!

FRANK: If the Lord says Abram will have a son at age 100, He will.

ABRAM: Don’t let the wife hear you say that. She’ll laugh at ya.

FRANK: It’s true.

ABRAM: Sure shootin’ it is! We can always trust God to keep His word.

FRANK: Well, partner, we’ll miss you around these parts. Good luck in Parts Unknown!

ABRAM: I’d send you a postcard, but there ain’t a post office out there for a couple thousand years. Adios!

FRANK: Adio, partner! And happy trails!

 

OBJECT LESSON

ITEMS NEEDED:

A cowboy hat, bandana, and boots

 

It’s easy to spot a cowboy. Cowboys are known for their signature wardrobe – Stetson hats, bandanas, and boots. But these iconic accessories are no mere fashion statement. They all reflect how dangerous the Old West could be. The hat protected a cowboy’s face from the harsh light and heat of the sun. The bandana kept harmful trail dust from getting into a cowboy’s lungs. And those boots were made to keep a cowboy’s feet dry and protect them from thorns, brambles, and deadly snake bites!

 

Our world today may not be the wild, wild west, but it’s a world fraught with its own kind of danger. But just as the frontier men and women answered the call to go west, God has a calling for each one of us. He will equip us for the journey with spiritual gifts, wisdom, and friends, and He will lead us where He wants us to go. We can trust the Lord to lead us, just as He led Abram to his new home, because God always keeps His Word.

 

Have you asked God for your calling? Did you know He even had a calling for you? Time to saddle up, and see where the Lord wants you to ride!

 

LARGE GROUP GAME

PIN THE TAIL ON OL’ BESSY

ITEMS NEEDED:

A pin the tail on the donkey game

Bandanas

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

This is a straightforward game of pin the tail on the donkey game – except in this case, the donkey has a name, Ol’ Bessy, and you need to pin the tail on her so she can pull the wagons on your way into the West. Strap a bandana over each player’s eyes, give them a few spins, then send them Ol’ Bessy’s way. Closest to the tail wins.

 

VARIATION:

Spin the older kids an extra time and a half – and aim them at the wall away from Ol’ Bessy. Make sure you aim them all at the same wrong spot to keep it fair!

 

WHAT’S THE POINT?  

We can trust God, even when we don’t know where He’s leading us!

 

 

LARGE GROUP LESSON

BOTTOM LINE:

Trust God to be your leader.

OBJECTIVE:

Kids will learn they can have confidence in going where God leads them.

KEY PASSAGE:

Genesis 12:1-8, God Calls Abram

INTRO:

If you were to look at a map of North America before the Civil War, you’d see a lot of states on the right side of the map and very little on the left. Although the United States owned much of the land from the Atlantic to the Pacific, not much land had been settled beyond the Mississippi River in those days. Many men believed it was the duty of Americans to go into this uncharted territory and settle it.

 

Some people say the cry to "Go west, young man!" began with newspaper writer John Babstone Lane Soule in Terre Haute, Indiana, as early as 1851, but it was Horace Greeley’s call to "Go west, young man," in the New York Tribune on July 13, 1865 that got the wagon trains moving. Men and women began packing up everything they had, leaving the comforts of the East behind, to seek a new life in the West.

 

People went west for many reasons. Some people who had experienced hard times or misfortune were seeking a fresh start. Some who had experienced persecution were looking for freedom. Some people simply loved the idea of a challenge and were seeking new thrills and opportunities. Some heard rumor of gold in "them their hills" and went west hoping to get rich. And some folks, well, some were just up to no good! All of them answered the call to go west in their own way, and it’s because of their courage our United States now stretches from sea to shining sea!

 

Today we’re beginning a trail through the Old Testament, the first half of the Bible. This was an era much like that of the Old West, a time of lawlessness and danger, but as wild as things appeared to be, God was always in control. God had a plan, to let the world know He is real and that He loves us, and even in the wildest days of the Old Testament, God was in control.

 

Today’s journey begins with a man who received a call much like the men and women who responded to Horace Greeley. His name is Abram, and though he wasn’t a young man, God called him to go on a great adventure.

READ GENESIS 12:1-8

MAIN POINT:

Abram was, in the language of the Old West, a "city slicker." He probably came from a wealthy family, and he lived in the city of Ur. He had the good life – a happy marriage and a successful business. But God had big plans for Abram. God was going to build a nation of people who would help bring about His plan to save the world, and he chose Abram to start that family.

God asked Abram to give up the city life for the wilderness. He moved Abram from the creature comforts of Ur to the creature-filled emptiness that his descendants would call the Promised Land. God separated Abram from the world to become the father of a mighty nation. Abram was a man of great faith, and he did just as the Lord commanded. Although Abram never lived to see it, God fulfilled His promises.

 

Abram’s story teaches us that we can trust God to lead us. When God calls, we can have the confidence to follow Him!

DRIVE IT HOME:

We said earlier that many people went West to start over in a new place. They wanted to escape the crowded cities of the East. They wanted room. More than anything, they wanted a fresh start.

 

In many ways Abram’s journey was about a fresh start. God’s Creation had been marred when the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, sinned against God. God didn’t want to start over completely, but He knew He needed to find a way to give us a fresh start. God sent Abram into the wilderness to begin that fresh start. Abram’s descendants became the nation of Israel, and through Israel, God sent His Son Jesus to give us all a fresh start and set us free from sin!

 

It took incredible faith for Abram to follow God’s call. God didn’t say where Abram was going, and Abram knew he’d never live to see this mighty nation God had planned. Abram had good reason to doubt he would ever even be a father. He was an old man, and his wife Sarai was far past the age for having children. God proved He is faithful by delivering Abram and Sarai to the Promised Land. He proved His faithfulness by giving them a son named Isaac. If you read on through the Old Testament, and New, you’ll see that God’s faithfulness never ceases!

 

God has a calling for each of us. He still calls some to leave everything behind and "Go West," like the men and women on the mission field, but for most of us, the calling happens right where we are. It may be scary. We may feel nervous about what God asks us to do. But Abram shows us we can have confidence that God will not lead us astray.

 

God is faithful to lead us, faithful to protect us. We can trust God and follow Him wherever He leads. When God says, "Go," it’s time to pack up our bags and follow Him!

CLOSE WITH A SIMPLE PRAYER:

Dear God,

Show us the way to follow you.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (K-2ND)

ICEBREAKER:

Have you and your family ever traveled to any of the famous western towns?

MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY:

Isaiah 40:8

Give all the kids a Bible. Then after you read the verse, give them the reference and see who can find it first in their Bible.

SMALL GROUP GAME/ACTIVITY:

Cowboys had a very distinctive walk, with their legs spread apart, from riding horses all day. Have everyone get up and walk around a circle like cowboys to stretch their legs.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

Read Genesis 12:1-8

Who was Abram?

Where did Abram live?

Where did God tell Abram to go?

Why did Abram follow God?

Why does God want us to follow Him?

SIMPLE PRAYER:

Dear God,

Help us to learn how we can follow You!

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

 

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (3RD-5TH)

ICEBREAKER:

Have you and your family ever traveled to any of the famous western towns?

MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY:

Isaiah 40:8

Give all the kids a Bible. Then after you read the verse, give them the reference and see who can find it first in their Bible.

SMALL GROUP GAME/ACTIVITY:

Cowboys had a very distinctive walk, with their legs spread apart, from riding horses all day. Have everyone get up and walk around a circle like cowboys to stretch their legs.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

Read Genesis 12:1-8

Why do you think God chose Abram to be His servant?

Why did Abram follow God?

Why does God want us to follow Him?

How do we know that we can trust God to lead us?

What can we do so that we are able to hear God’s direction?

SIMPLE PRAYER:

Dear God,

Help us to learn how we can follow You!

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

 

For your convenience, you can also download the entire PDF version of this Wild West Children's Ministry Lesson (just click the link). 

Take a look at the links below for other ideas for teaching a Wild West Sunday School Lesson: 

 

FREE VBS Curriculum "Outlaws for God
Wild West Adventure"

 

 

Free Western Themed VBS Program! "Wanted by God"

 

 

Wanted! Children after God's Own Heart! Home Page

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