Make a list of questions such as, "How old was Abraham when Isaac was born?", "Name the region where Abraham took Isaac for sacrifice" or "How did Jacob trick Isaac into giving him Esau's blessing?" Set up a game show-style format for quizzing youths, letting them take turns answering questions. Award points for every correct answer.
Select key words from the story of Isaac such as, "promised child," "chosen heir," "sacrifice," "redemption," "fulfillment," "trick," "deceive," "Rebekah" or "Jacob and Esau." Write each word or phrase on a card and let the youths draw from the stack. You may choose to have them act it out as a charade or draw pictures or describe the word orally without using the word itself. The person who guesses the correct answer gets to draw the next card.
Identify some themes that show up in the stories of Isaac such as sibling rivalry, romance, parental favoritism, the consequences of deception and parent-child relationships. Give youths five minutes to identify a film that addresses the same themes. Discuss how each issue turned out in the films compared to the Bible story of Isaac. Ask the youths how these themes relate to their own lives and relationships.
Read the descriptions of Isaac's sons, Jacob and Esau, in Genesis 25. Ask the youths to write a short paragraph describing the personalities and character traits of Jacob and Esau in modern terms as if they were telling someone about a friend of theirs. Read some of the descriptions aloud and discuss why Isaac favored Esau but Rebekah favored Jacob. Make a group chart of traits that they look for when choosing their friends. Discuss why they prefer friends with these characteristics and how their choices affect others who are not chosen.