TABLE OF CONTENTS. Lesson 1 September 2, 2018 Genesis 1:1-13 God Created the Heavens and Earth. Page 1

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2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Unit I God Created the World Lesson 1 September 2, 2018 Genesis 1:1-13 God Created the Heavens and Earth. Page 1 Lesson 2 September 9, 2018 Genesis 1:14-25 God Created Plants and Animals.. Page 2 Lesson 3 September 16, 2018 Genesis 1:26-2:7 God Created People..... Page 3 Lesson 4 September 23, 2018 Genesis 2:18-24; 4:1-2 God Created the Family.. Page 5 Lesson 5 September 30, 2018 Genesis 3:8-17, God Creates; Humans Sin... Page 6

3 Overview of Unit I God Is Just and Merciful Unit I, God Created the World, has five lessons. The first three lessons concentrate on God creating the universe, earth, and people and then declaring all things created good. Although God created and sustains all life, humankind is special to God and unique. Lesson Four explores how God established the institution of marriage and the process of reproduction in order to populate the earth. Lesson Five explains how humankind chose to do wrong and thus introduced sin into God s perfectly created world. Lesson 1 September 2, 2018 Genesis 1:1-13 God Created the Heavens and Earth Teach It! This is the first of several lessons in this unit that the students likely will find interesting. Creation interests both the young and the old. It goes without saying that your students appreciate the beauty of creation, enjoy the outdoors, and wonder about their origins, both as individuals and cultural or people-groups, and the origins of all created things. However, your students have heard conflicting ideas about creation and the origin of all that is. This lesson focuses upon the biblical, divine explanation of creation. Obviously, there is also a scientific, theoretical explanation of creation. As you teach, do your best to focus on the Genesis account of creation without discounting the scientific understanding of creation. The two viewpoints need not be mutually exclusive. In the Keepin It Current! section, entitled How Great Thou Art, the focus is a story about a college student and the moment she realizes that the beauty of creation is attributable to God. The Keepin It Real! section outlines several questions for discussion that will guide the students in a discussion about creation. After this discussion, consider having the students sing a few verses of the hymn How Great Thou Art, discussing the meaning of each line. Or, break the class into three smaller groups, assign each group a verse to discuss, and have them share the meaning of each verse to them. Of course, don t forget to discuss the refrain as well. Learn It! As you transition to the Keepin It Biblical! section of the lesson, begin with letting the students read the entire Genesis 1:1-13 Bible text. Consider finding a creative way to have the students read the text. For instance, assign verses to particular students to read, with all students saying in unison and it was good. Without delving too deep so as to confuse the students, consider sharing with the students that the Genesis 1 and 2 accounts of creation are attributed to different sources, as having come from various strands of oral histories (Yahwist, Elohist, Priestly). If you are not well-versed on these oral history sources, then omit sharing this information so as not to confuse the students. As it relates to the two creation narratives in Genesis 1 and 2, the account in Lesson 1 can be characterized as creation by speaking. Challenge the students to discuss what God s ability to create by speaking means as it relates to their life. The lesson has very interesting information that will illuminate the students understanding of the Lesson 1 biblical text. Lesson 1 and Genesis 1 boil down to the account of how God has structured creation in its ordered complexity. 1 P a g e

4 Consider these teaching strategies. Using banner paper, create a mural of the things created as described in today s text (to be continued in future sessions). Invite participants to use their imaginations and create a world. At some point, discuss the different questions science addresses with its theories about creation from those the Genesis narrative addresses with its stories. Remember, the goal is not to discount science, but to allow both views of creation to co-exist or amplify one another. Live It! In the Keepin It Together! section of the lesson, there is an opportunity for further discussion among the students. God s relationship with God s creation mirrors God s relationship with us. Affirm, as a starting point with the students, that nothing exists apart from the will and power of God. Discuss with the students the intersection between worshiping God by protecting God s creation and the current environmental agenda. The ithink! section is self-explanatory. The Kurt Carr song recommended in the lesson is a great way to end the lesson. The other suggested activity is a great long-term project. Lesson 2 September 9, 2018 Genesis 1:14-25 God Created Plants and Animals Teach It! Today s lesson continues our study of God s Creation as recorded in Genesis 1. This week, we focus on God s creation of land animals and sea creatures. As in Lesson 1, this lesson should also be interesting to your students. The same challenge exists this week as existed last week to explore God s creation from a biblical perspective without negating the scientific theories relating to God s creation. So, this week, recognize that your students appreciate the interconnections between all living things and the earth as part of the universe and further keep in mind that the students will likely be concerned about the sustainability of the earth s resources. The Keepin It Current! present-day illustration provides some interesting facts about land animals and sea creatures. Consider finding additional facts about land animals and sea creatures and having the students participate in a Jeopardy-like game using teams of three to four people. The Keepin It Real! section of the lesson encourages the class to review the trailer for the movie Planet Earth II. Consider having your class view the entire movie on the Saturday prior to teaching the lesson or on Sunday afternoon following the day s worship service. (If you do so, make sure popcorn, other snacks, and drinks are provided!) Learn It! As you transition to the Keepin It Biblical! section of the lesson, let the students read the entire Genesis 1:14-25 Bible text. Consider finding a creative way to have the students read the text. For instance, assign verses to particular students to read, with all students saying in unison And God said or and it was good. In today s text, God orders the world with the heavenly lights, providing day/night, months, years, and seasons. What will probably be more interesting to the students is God s creative activity as it relates to land animals and sea creatures. Relate back to those verses in Lesson 1 that focus upon the plants that will serve as a source of nourishment for the land animals (and humans later). Consider having each student identify their favorite land animal and sea creature and explain what they find interesting about 2 P a g e

5 each creature. Additionally, have the students add lights, land animals and sea creatures to the mural the class began last week. Live It! In the Keepin It Together! section, consider opening Pandora s Box by having the students share their perspectives about the intersection between the Genesis 1 account of Creation and the scientific view of Creation. At the end of the day, reinforce that we accept by faith the biblical account of Creation, which is enhanced by scientific discoveries. As the teacher, carefully control this conversation. In the ithink! section of the lesson, there are a number of exercises/activities from which to choose. Lesson 3 September 16, 2018 Genesis 1:26-2:7 God Created People Teach It In today s lesson, we continue our study of God s Creation as recorded in Genesis 1 and 2. Our focus, this week, is on God s creation of humans. As in Lessons 1 and 2, this lesson should be interesting to your students. Over the past two weeks, the challenge has been to explore God s creation from a biblical perspective without negating the scientific theories relating to God s creation. That challenge continues as it relates to today s lesson that focuses on God s creation of people. This week, recognize that your students may be awed by the complexity of the human body from a scientific perspective and will appreciate the diversity of people. The Keepin It Current! present-day illustration provides some interesting information about the state of God s creation, of which the environment is a part. Again, this week, consider finding additional facts about that state of our environment. You may want to divide the information in terms of the state of the air, sea, and land, and possibly the environmental effects on humans. In a creative way, you can have each group share their information with the other groups in the class. Gauge the extent to which your students believe that people have a responsibility, if at all, to care for God s creation/the environment. Do they see this as a mandate from God, just the right thing to do, or both? It may be interesting to find out the extent to which your students are already environmentally engaged. The Keepin It Real! section of the lesson encourages the class to watch a video relating to the environment and then to discuss what actions they are willing to take to be good stewards of the environment. Have the students share their concerns about the future of the environment. Learn It! Today s Bible text is found in both Genesis 1 and 2. As is mentioned in Lesson 1, the Genesis 1 and 2 accounts of creation are attributed to different sources. These two chapters and perspectives about creation come from various strands of oral histories (Yahwist, Elohist, Priestly). Again, familiarize yourself with these traditions in the event your students raise questions about why there are different creation perspectives between Genesis 1 and 2. Make sure that you do not confuse the students. Be prepared to discuss with the students the emphasis at the beginning of today s text about humanity being created in God s image. What does that mean? Also, the students may want to discuss the creation texts emphasis on maleness and femaleness. Be sensitive to the issues surrounding gender, especially given the clear divine principle that all humans were created in the image of God. 3 P a g e

6 Next, you will need to focus upon the fact that Genesis 1 establishes a hierarchy of authority. Humanity is divinely commissioned to govern other creatures on God s behalf, the ultimate purpose being that the whole earth should become the temple of God, the place of God s presence, and should display God s glory. The nuanced meaning of have dominion is one of caregiving and nurturing. To subdue carries the connotation of continuing God s creative work by cultivating and developing it into something productive. Please explain this carefully and tie it to humanity s environmental responsibilities. [Teacher s note: The students may find it interesting that in the language of verse 27 is a play on words in Hebrew: adam, a man, is made from dust, adamah. Humanity from dust imagery reminds us of our frailty and the fragility of life. Also the students may find it interesting that, the word for God in the Genesis 1 creation narrative is the more generic Elohim, but in chapter 2 both Elohim and Yahweh (the name God discloses to Moses) are used.] Moving to the second perspective on creation in today s text, some find it to be simpler narrative than the first narrative. Notwithstanding its source origins, what is important is that it still points to God as the key actor, humanity as partner, interdependence, and so on. Note that in verse 5, we see the earth is unproductive because God needs to do something (produce rain) and humans need to do something (cultivate), again pointing to the cooperative nature of creation. And, in this perspective of creation, God breathes life physical, mental, and spiritual into the one created to bear God s image, a living being. While human beings have much in common with other living beings, God gives humans alone a royal and priestly status and makes them alone in his own image. (See Paul s quotation of this passage in 1 Corinthians 15:45.) In teaching this lesson, consider having the students to add humans to the ongoing mural. If you did create a mural, add an inset or the equivalent of a text box at the bottom of your mural that depicts that the Genesis 2:4-7 perspective about creation. If you have not been creating a mural, consider giving participants clay and invite them to form their own creations, working with the clay until the creations emerge. Live It! In the Keepin It Together! section of the lesson invites the students to consider their importance to God s creation. This provides a wonderful opportunity to affirm each student as an important part of God s creation. Encourage each student to verbally state and expound upon one way that they are important to God s creation. Tie this exercise to the interdependence of each aspect of creation (light, celestial bodies, plants, insects, sea creatures, land animals and human beings.) The ithink! section includes activities that allow the students to reflect upon instances when they and God did something to create or re-create in something that both you and God see as being good, as well as way the students can positively impact God s creation going forward. 4 P a g e

7 Lesson 4 September 23, 2018 Genesis 2:18-24; 4:1-2 God Created the Family Teach It! As we continue with lessons relating to creation, today s lesson centers around God s creation of the family. [Teacher s Note: Family can be a sensitive subject. As the teacher, you should be sensitive to the reality that you may have students who are adopted and/or living in dysfunctional families. The Keepin It Current! focus has the potential to make students who do not know much about their family feel uncomfortable. Be aware of this possibility.] With the aforementioned cautions, the Keepin It Current present-day illustration explores how much the students know and/or have thought about the family heritage. The Keepin It Real! section of the lesson also prompts the students to discuss how much they know about their family heritage, as well as asks for their viewpoints about the importance of knowing about one s family heritage. Consider shifting the focus of the lesson by emphasizing that no family is perfect because families are made up of imperfect people. Emphasize that notwithstanding the perfect families often portrayed on television, perfect families rarely, if ever, exist. In fact, there is biblical evidence that even Jesus experienced stress as it related to His family s expectations/understanding of Him. 46 While he was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers were standing outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you. 48 But to the one who had told him this, Jesus replied, Who is my mother, and who are my brothers? 49 And pointing to his disciples, he said, Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother. (Matthew 12:46-50) Next, consider having the students share the benefits they see in being a part of a family and having their own family in the future. Doing so, will allow students to affirm the benefits associated with the family even if their family is not ideal. Ensure that the students understand the difference between being a part of a spiritual chosen family versus a biological family. Learn It! [Teacher s Note: While it is unlikely that same-sex relationships will be raised by any student in connection with today s lesson, please be prepared for this possibility. The lesson focuses upon the covenant relationship between a man and a woman. Should a student raise the issue of same-sex relationships, it is recommended that you acknowledge the issue raised, but defer the discussion for a later time when the pastor or a ministry designee is available and the students parents have consented to their child(ren) engaging in such a discussion.] Today s Bible lesson found in the Keepin It Biblical! section focuses on God s creation of the woman, the relationship between the man and the woman, and the birth of children in the first family recorded in the Bible. Discuss with the students the need of the first human for an appropriate companion and for assistance in caring for God s creation. Share that the woman being called helper doesn t refer to her status. For example, God is called the helper of humanity using the same Hebrew word. In this case, helper is not meant to imply a subordinate relationship with the man. 5 P a g e

8 Note the scripture s emphasis on the closeness to be shared between this man and this woman as bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. Encourage the students to share what this means to them. Adam and Eve are intimately interconnected, not just sexually, but in every way, they are one flesh. Genesis 2:23 introduces two new Hebrew terms: ishshah, which means woman or wife, and ish, which means man or husband. These two terms link the woman and man together biologically and socially. The Hebrew play on words emphasizes their likeness and compatibility. Ask the students whether Genesis 2:23 impacts the way they see their dating experiences if they are looking to have a family in the future. Note that the marriage of man and woman, both as a physical and psychological unit that is organized as a separate kinship group, is substantiated in Genesis 2:24. Verse 24 is the first prophecy in the Bible, establishing the institution of marriage as having priority over the parent/child relationship. The phrase clings to his wife is used elsewhere for practicing covenant faithfulness (see Deuteronomy 10:20; see how Paul brings these texts together in 1 Corinthians 6:16-17); thus, other Bible texts can call marriage a covenant (see Proverbs 2:17). Paul s teaching on marriage in Ephesians 5 is founded on this text. Lastly, discuss with the students that, as is recorded in the opening verses of Genesis 4, the physical union of the first man and woman produced children who became part of the first family. Live It! The Keepin It Together! section faces head on the reality that no family is perfect. Ensure a safe space for your students to address the reality of their current family system. This discussion is important so that healing can begin where family hurts exist, so that these hurts do not impact upon your students in the future. As the lesson notes, further discussion with the pastor or a member of the ministerial staff may be in order for students who are in difficult or unsafe families, or the pastor may need to make a referral with the consent of a student s parent or guardian. These discussions probably are best left to one-onone discussions between groups of students. Finally, in the ithink! aspect of the lesson, the students share one positive influence, if any, a person in their family has had in their life. Lesson 5 September 30, 2018 Genesis 3:8-17, God Creates; Humans Sin Teach It! Today s lesson, the final one in this Unit, focuses upon human nature, human sin. The students should be able to see truth about human nature in this story human beings want what we are told we cannot have. It will be important to emphasize that choices have consequences. Also explore that human beings, but especially youth, are sometimes rebellious. Allow the students to discuss how they sometimes disregard established rules and provide examples of the consequences of rebellion. Further, have the students delve into the reasons why they sometimes question authority. The Keepin It Current! section of the lesson is focused upon the propensity of humans to shift blame. Consider showing a brief clip or cartoon about one of the most iconic blame-deniers/shifters Pinocchio. Ask the students if they can relate to Pinocchio, and if so why? The Keepin It Real! section of the lesson consists of questions that probe the students about their own propensity for blame-shifting. 6 P a g e

9 Learn It! Today s Bible lesson is important as it will have a life-long impact on the students understanding of sin, disobedience and personal responsibility. In the Keepin It Biblical! section, the scriptures focus on Adam and Eve s attempt to hide their sinful actions from God, as well as the consequences of their sin. The serpent is an important character in today s lesson. Serpent in Hebrew is a play on words described as more crafty, which in Hebrew is close to the word for naked or exposed. While the serpent is never identified in this text as Satan, many Bible students take Paul s reference in Romans 16:20 (crushing Satan under your feet) and John s reference to that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan (Revelation 12:9) to so identify it. The serpent s question is designed to trick or entrap with its layer of truth and is addressed to the plural you, implying that Adam is right there with Eve, if silent in this interchange. Discuss with the students how serpents in the students lives try and trick them to disobey God. As the Bible text goes on, Adam and Eve try and hide the evidence of their sin from God. In God s questioning, God seeks confession. In God s sentencing, we see the effects on every created relationship. God s creating clothing for the woman and man is symbolic of continuing care and protection. God told the man and woman they would die if they ate from the forbidden tree (Genesis 2:17). The death is not immediate. God s denying them access to the life-giving tree (Genesis 3:22) was an act of grace since an eternal life of the punishments prescribed would be unbearable. Discuss these realities with the students. Lastly, discuss with the students that, as is recorded in the opening verses of Genesis 4, the physical union of the first man and woman produced children who became part of the first family. Live It! In addition to what is included in the Keepin It Together! help the students navigate being restored after experiencing the consequences of sin. The students should discuss the reality of sin and the impact it has on their relationships with others and with God. Help the students to begin to understand that forgiveness and consequences can be concurrent. However, to experience forgiveness, the students must understand the importance of accepting responsibility for their sin to reconcile with God through confession and repentance. Everyone, including the students, desire to mend broken relationships caused by sin and to reconcile with God and God s creation. The students should understand that restoration will require them to submit to God by choosing to follow God s ways rather than practicing uninformed obedience. Finally, in the ithink! section, if you chose to have the class retell today s Bible story using contemporary language, The Message translation of the Bible may be useful to use. 7 P a g e

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