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God Created the World Concept Area: Creation

Session Title

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Memory Verse Life Application

God Created the World Genesis 1–2:3

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1

I can praise God, the Creator.

God created man. Genesis 1:27

I can learn God’s plan for me.

Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight. Deuteronomy 6:18

I can make good choices.

ch 14 God’s Plan

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Genesis 2:4-24

ch 21 Adam and Eve

Disobeyed God Genesis 3

Bill Emeott wrote the teaching plans to help you teach girls and boys about the creation. Bill teaches children at First Baptist Church in Nashville, Tennessee.

Levels of Biblical Learning resources may be purchased from LifeWay Christian Resources by calling 1 (800) 458-2772, by ordering online at www.lifeway.com, or by visiting your nearest LifeWay Christian Store. Quick Scene™ God’s Creation bulletin board set (005191582) Quick Scene™ Animals 2 by 2 bulletin board borders (005191573) Animal Lacing Shapes craft packs (005191534) God’s Creation stickers (005191555) Creation bookmarks (005191786) Caring for God’s World bookmarks (005191777)

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God Created the World Bible Passage Genesis 1–2:3 Level of Biblical Learning (Creation) God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh day. Bible Truth God created everything. Life Application I can praise God, the Creator. Memory Verse In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1

•  No matter what Bible version you use, almost all begin with these words: “In the beginning God … .” •  The word translated “formless” is the Hebrew tohu and means “formlessness, confusion, unreality, emptiness” and has been translated as chaos, confusion, desolation, meaningless, or futile things. •  God didn’t just create the world. He gave a cosmic object lesson of what He can do. •  On the surface, just reading the words of Genesis 1 is like surviving a hurricane and saying, “It was windy.” For just a moment, meditate on the enormity of what happened. •  Hold a blank sheet of paper in your hand. Now make something out of the paper. The possibilities could have me staring into space for hours. And to think, I started with something. God began with nothing. •  God spoke, and all the details came instantly to completion. At His command there were colors, textures, circulatory systems, brain functions, and planet rotations that are so set and predictable that their locations in the sky have served as GPS devices long before computers. •  God was not surprised by any of it. And each and every thing was declared “good!” by the One who created it.

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•  Now consider the orderliness of God’s well-constructed plan. Creation was built from the first rays of light to land foundations to a full-blown ecosystem. With each living element of creation, God designed and directed its purpose. •  Every “theory” that counters the biblical account of creation is just that—theory that cannot be proven by any scientific method. •  On the seventh day God rested. When I was a child, Sundays were predictable: Sunday School, worship, and lunch. And then Mom and Dad took a nap. (We had to play quietly.) •  Today Sunday looks more like just another day. The root of the word shabbat refers to a “cease and desist” type of rest. I think we are missing God’s message. •  God’s plan includes a day to “cease and desist” from the average, ordinary daily upkeep that is our life routine. God blessed and declared this day as set apart from the others. It is God’s invitation to stop what you’re doing and to concentrate on Him. •  The kids you teach may be coming from a variety of experiences. You have the opportunity to focus on the awesomeness of God and on the truth in His Word. Lead the children you teach to praise God the Creator and to celebrate His wonderful creation.

Session at a Glance 1) PREVIEW the Bible Study Use with children who arrive early. The children will play a game to name Bible books that start with specific letters and will name the Testaments in which the books are found.

2) POWER UP for Bible Study (5–10 minutes) Start at the time designated by your church for Sunday School to begin. The children will play a guessing game to discover things God made and things people made.

3) PLUG IN to Bible Study (25–30 minutes) Study the Bible content and worship. To help them praise God, the Creator, the children will hear the creation story, review, sing “So Good,” learn Genesis 1:1, use their Bibles, praise God for His creation, and pray. 4) PERSONALIZE the Bible Study (20–25 minutes) Each teacher leads a group of children to do one of the following activities. •  Choice 1: Night–Day Door Hangers •  Choice 2: Look What God Created Spinners •  Choice 3: “Thank You, God” Creation Tote Boxes

1 PREVIEW the Bible Study • Kids will take turns selecting letters from the “Begins With” bag and numbers from the “Points” bag. If the child can name a book of the Bible beginning with the letter selected, he (or his team) will receive the number of points selected. Give double points if the child can also name from memory the correct Testament. Encourage the kids to look at the list of books in the front of a Bible if they need help.

� Talk About Children need to know how to find Bible books and Bible verses. Learning where Bible books are located will help kids be able to use   their Bibles.

2 POWER UP for Bible Study

• Form a circle. Start “Power Up Music: Spring 2010” (track 1). The kids will begin to pass the bags around the circle. When the music stops, name a number. Without looking in the bag, the child holding the bag of the number called will reach in, touch the item, and guess what the item is. Then he will place the item in the middle of the circle. When all the items have been identified, ask what the objects have in common. Ask what makes some of them different.

� Talk About Some things are made by God, and others are made by people. God created the world from nothing. People can make things only by using what God has already   created. Today’s Bible story tells how God created the whole world from   nothing.

• On separate squares of paper, print letters representing the first letters of books of the Bible. Place the letter cards in a bag labeled Begins With. • On additional squares of paper, print the numbers 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50. Place the numbered cards in a bag labeled Points.

• CD (pack item 1) • Number several lunch bags. Collect and place in each bag an item found in nature or an item made by people. Use things like a leaf, a nut, a pinecone, a rock, a dried bean, fruit, dirt, a vegetable, a pencil, a crayon, a marker, a paper clip, scissors, a cell phone, or a toy. Be creative! Option Create a bulletin board for this study using the Quick Scene™ God’s Creation bulletin board set (005191582), the Quick Scene™ Animals 2 by 2 bulletin board borders (005191573), or both.

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3 PLUG IN to Bible Study • Display the title banner and memory verses (pack items 3 and 4).

1 Introduce the session. • Call attention to the title banner. Read aloud the March title.

� Talk About During the first three weeks of March, the kids will learn about God’s   creation of the world. Before God created the world, there was nothing.

2 Tell the Bible story. • Open your Bible to Genesis 1. Point to the display of Genesis 1:1, and read the verse aloud. Tell the Bible story in your own words.

God Created the World   In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Before creation, there was nothing; everything was dark and had no form. But on the first day God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. He called the light day and the darkness night. God saw that it was good.  On the second day God made the sky.  On the third day God said, “Let the water under the sky gather together to make seas and oceans, and let the dry land appear.” And it happened. Then God said, “Let the land produce plants and trees.” It happened just as God said, and He saw that it was good.  On the fourth day God said, “Let there be a light in the sky for the day and lights in the sky for night.” And it happened. God created the sun for day and moon and stars for night. And God saw that it was good.  On the fifth day God said, “Let the seas and oceans be filled with living creatures and let birds fly about the earth through the sky.” And it happened. God created every kind of fish, big and small, to live in the water and every kind of bird to fly in the sky. And God saw that it was good.  On the sixth day God said, “Let the earth be filled with living creatures.” And it happened. God made all kinds of animals that walk on the ground. And He saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let Us make man to be in charge of the fish, birds, and walking animals.” So God created people. God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.  On the seventh day God rested from His work of creation. —Genesis 1–2:3 • “Creation Pictures” (pack item 6) and teaching picture 1

3 Review the Bible story, and sing. • Show the teaching picture. Ask the boys and girls to name things God created that they heard in the Bible story. When the kids suggest something on a “Creation Picture,” place it on the floor near the memory verse.

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� Talk About Before God created the world, there was nothing. No one and nothing existed before God. God created everything.

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Teaching Tip The kids can make up their own hand motions, but suggestions for hand motions are also found on the CD-ROM.

• Guide the children to create a hand motion to represent each day of God’s creation.

� Talk About Everything that God created was so good.

• CD (pack item 1) and the “So Good” song chart (back of teaching picture 10)

• Sing “So Good” (track 2) using the hand motions the kids created.

4 Learn the memory verse, and use Bibles. • Form four groups. Assign each group a part of the memory verse: “In the beginning / God created / the heavens / and the earth.” Everyone will say the reference together. Guide the kids to repeat the verse several times in this fashion. If you like, trade assignments, and repeat the process. End by leading everyone to say the entire verse together. • Ask in which Testament the Book of Genesis is found. Guide the kids to find and read Genesis 1:1 in their Bibles.

5 Explore the life application, and pray. • Ask the children to name things God created that they see every day. Show the “Creation Pictures” one at a time. As you show each picture, lead the kids to say: “We praise You, God, for creating [whatever is illustrated on the picture you hold up].”

Teaching Tip The Bible is available in many different translations and versions. Affirm the children for bringing their Bibles. Assure them that whichever translation they bring, bringing their Bibles and learning to use them are good things.

� Talk About Kids can praise God for what He has created. God created everything. Explain that one way to praise God is through prayer.

• Distribute the “Creation Pictures” among the children. Lead the group to pray silently as you pray aloud. At the appropriate time, allow each child holding a picture to praise God for that specific creation.

6 Form Personalize groups. • Describe the learning activities you and other teachers have prepared. Guide each child to select an activity that will help her learn more about praising God, the Creator.

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4 PERSONALIZE the Bible Study Choice 1: Night–Day Door Hangers Choice 1 • Door hanger shapes cut from yellow and blue construction paper (use the patterns on pack item 7), glue sticks, scissors, pencils, and markers

Options • Some first and second graders will be able to cut their own door hanger shapes. • Use chalk to draw on the blue side of the door hangers. Spray the finished drawings with hair spray or art fixative. • Provide sun, moon, and star stickers for kids to use.

Children who participate in this activity will make two-sided door hangers that remind the kids to praise God both night and day. • Learner guide pages 5–6: Complete “Hidden Pictures” and “Memory Verse Decoder.” • Guide the kids to carefully align and glue a yellow door hanger shape on top of a blue door hanger shape to make a single door hanger. The kids can use markers to draw the sun on the yellow side. They can cut yellow scraps into moon and star shapes to glue on the blue side. Lead the kids to print on both sides I will praise God!

� Talk About Ask the kids to name things that God created. God created everything. God is worthy of our praise. Praise means “to glorify and honor God through worship.” Praise   includes telling God good things about Him.

• Explain that the kids can place their door hangers on their bedroom doorknobs or on other doorknobs. At night the children can turn the hangers to the blue side and praise God for His creation. In the morning the boys and girls can turn the hangers to the yellow side and praise God for His creation. *  Apply the Bible truth all week.

Choice 2: Look What God Created Spinners Choice 2 • Paper plates; brad paper fasteners; pencils; and markers, crayons, or colored pencils • Remove a ¼ wedge from some of the paper plates. Draw two intersecting lines dividing the full plates into quarter sections.

Children who participate in this activity will draw pictures of things God created, place a view finder on top, and praise Him for being the Creator. •  Learner guide pages 5–6: Complete “Hidden Pictures” and “Memory Verse Decoder.” •  Give each child a paper plate on which you have drawn lines to create quarter sections. Instruct the children to draw in each section a picture of something God has created. On a plate with a quarter wedge removed, each child should print Look What God Created. Help each child attach her two plates with a brad paper fastener as in the illustration. Demonstrate how to turn the upper plate to reveal one picture at a time. The kids can use their spinners to show pictures of things that God made. � Talk About God created everything. God is worthy of our praise. Praise means “to glorify and honor God through worship.” Praise   includes telling God good things about Him. *  Apply the Bible truth all week.

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Choice 3: “Thank You, God” Creation Tote Boxes Children who participate in this activity will make tote boxes decorated with pictures of things God created and for which they can praise Him. • Learner guide pages 5–6: Complete “Hidden Pictures” and “Memory Verse Decoder.”

Choice 3 • Scissors, glue or glue sticks, pencils, and child-friendly magazines with various pictures of things God created • Prepare cereal boxes according to the illustration.

• Give each child a prepared box. Make magazines and scissors available. Lead the children to search for pictures of things God created, to cut them out, and to attach them to the boxes with glue or glue sticks. Suggest that this week the boys and girls find things God created and store them in their totes. • Guide the kids to praise God. They will take turns holding up their finished totes; pointing to something on their totes; saying, “God is great! God made the _________”; and completing the sentence by naming the thing to which they pointed.

� Talk About God has made some beautiful things. The kids can collect some of God’s creation in their tote boxes. God created everything. God is worthy of our praise. Praise means “to glorify and honor God through worship.” Praise   includes telling God good things about Him.

*  Apply the Bible truth all week.

Option Replace or supplement any of the Personalize Choices by guiding the kids to lace animal shapes using the Animal Lacing Shapes craft pack (005191534).

*Apply the Bible truth all week.

✓ Encourage the boys and girls to share with friends this week what they learned. Ask each child to name a favorite thing God created for which he will praise God this week. Pray sentence prayers praising God, the Creator.

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