GOD CREATED THE WORLD LIFE POINT: People can praise God for creating the world. LEADER BIBLE STUDY CREATION THEME God created the world from nothing. BIBLE PASSAGE Genesis 1:1 2:3 UNIT VERSE In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 Have you ever stood on a beach on a clear night and looked up at the sky? It s aweinspiring to see billions of stars spread out across the heavens. Anyone could ask, Where did it all come from? A new generation of aggressive atheists maintain that time, space, matter, and energy that is, everything that exists in the physical universe was the result of a gigantic cosmic accident. The problem is, however, their argument violates the most basic concept of logic. Genesis gives the only reasonable answer as to how the universe came into being: God created the heavens and the earth. The Hebrew word translated created is bara, which means specially created from nothing. It is used only one other time (v. 27). By the infinite power of His Word, the Lord called everything into existence. Genesis 1 2 outlines the six-day progression God followed to create everything. On day one God called forth light, establishing days and nights. On day two He made the sky. The third day he called the land earth and the waters seas. Plants and trees also appeared. On day four God made the sun, the moon, and the stars. On the fifth day He filled the seas with life and the land with birds, each reproducing their kind. On day six God made other animals and specially created (again bara) mankind in His image. He said man and woman would rule over the animals and the earth and declared it all very good. Finally, by day seven, God had completed His work, and He rested. Why do you think atheists are so adamant to deny the existence of a Creator? Why does it matter that we are made in God s image? SUGGESTED DATE: 8 Unit 1, Session 1
PRACTICE BIBLE SKILLS Books of the Bible Poster (Pack Item 4), Bible Golf 1. As kids arrive, refer to the books of Law on the Books of the Bible Poster. Guide kids to read through the five book names in that division. 2. Allow a kid to use the foam noodle like a golf club to drive a table tennis ball from the Start line into the cup labeled Law. 3. When she has gotten the ball into the Law cup, instruct her to remove the ball and place it in front of the cup. From that spot, she should drive the ball to the Genesis cup then continue to the other four cups, in chronological order. 4. Direct the player to name the Bible book when a ball makes it into a cup. Celebrate any hole in one occurrences, but guard against excessive competitiveness. 5. More than one kid can play at a time, but some may need to wait for a turn to keep the playing area from getting too congested. 6. Encourage kids who are waiting for a turn to practice saying the books of Law or to cheer others to the Finish line. Option: God Created the World Coloring Page (CD) INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY I Will Rise Up (CD, track 1), Imagine an Animal 1. Give each kid some dough and make the tools accessible to all. 2. Explain that kids will use their imaginations to think of an animal or creature they have never heard about or seen. 3. Guide kids to shape their imaginary creatures from the dough. Some may have horns and some may have only one eye. Encourage kids to be creative. 4. If kids have trouble getting started, suggest they combine some features from different real animals. Perhaps elephant-size ears on a snake with a curly pig s tail. 5. As kids work, inquire what they would name their creatures. Talk about the exaggerated characteristics they have added and let them tell you in what ways their creatures are special. Although they may include superpowers, don t let kids dwell on that feature alone. 6. Play I Will Rise Up (track 1) while kids work. 7. Praise their work and applaud their creativity. 8. Mention to kids that today they will hear about the very beginning when nothing had been created yet. 9. Show the God Created the World: Introduction video. Pack Item 4 Display the poster where kids can see it. foam noodles, table tennis balls, marker, 6 large plastic cups Write 1 of the following on each cup: Law, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. Scatter the cups randomly on the floor, turned on their sides. masking tape Tape a Start line on one side of the room and a Finish line on the other side. DVD CD play dough and tools or plastic knives, forks, and spoons Teaching Tip Use your class roll to address and file birthday greetings for each kid on your roll. Arrange postcards in calendar order. It may be helpful to use sticky notes on each card to remind you when to mail them. DISCIPLEKIDS 3r d & 4t h GRADE 9
STUDY THE BIBLE Pack Items 1, 2 Pack Item 3 Option: Russia Map (CD) Teaching Picture 1 DVD CD Bible, plastic cup, 5 wide craft sticks, marker Write each of the following phrases on separate craft sticks: Stand on one foot, Do jumping jacks, Twirl around, Hop from foot to foot, Clap hands. Place the sticks in the plastic cup. Option: Print and glue Review Sticks (CD) strips to craft sticks. permanent black marker, 3 large toy hoops, 3 gift bags, 3 foam noodles in different colors, sharp knife Use the knife to cut the noodles into 2-inch slices. Write 1 word of the Unit Verse on the outside of each slice, including the reference. Put each set in a different gift bag. Note: Keep the noodle pieces and bags for use in the next session. INTRODUCE THE BIBLE STORY From the Start Title Banner (Pack Item 1), Teaching Picture 1 Commend kids for their creativity in making new creatures during the Introductory Activity. Inquire if they found it difficult to think of new ideas. Show the title banner and explain that today s story relates to God s creativity. Although kids had dough to work with, God made His creation from nothing. Point out the Teaching Picture and remark that not only is this the start of creation, it is also the beginning of God s plan for Jesus as Savior. Open your Bible to Genesis 1 and tell the story in your own words or use the one on the back of the Teaching Picture. Tell the Bible Story: God Created the World In the very beginning, the earth had no shape or form. It was empty. Darkness covered the deep waters and God hovered over them. Then He spoke, Let there be light. And there was light. God knew it was good. Next, He separated the light and the darkness and called them day and night. This made the very first day, ever! God spoke again. Let Me separate the water, He said. So He created a great expanse with water above and water below. He called it sky. And He saw that it was good. This was the second day. On the third day, God spoke again. He pulled together all the water under the sky and called it seas. The dry land He called earth. And He saw that it was good. He made plants and trees, each with seeds to produce more of their own kind. Again, He saw that it was good. The next day, God spoke again and made two great lights to mark days, months, and years. He also created stars. And He saw that it was good. This was the fourth day. God said, Let the waters be full of living creatures and let the birds fly in the sky. He saw that it was good, so He blessed them and made them multiply and fill the waters and the earth. This was the fifth day. On the sixth day, God made animals. He made livestock, wild animals, and crawling creatures. He saw that it was good. I will make man to rule all the creatures of the earth, He said. And He did. God made man similar to Himself. He made male and female and told them to fill the earth. Rule the fish, birds, and every creature that crawls on the earth, He said. I have given all the plants and wildlife as food for you 10 Unit 1, Session 1
LIFE POINT People can praise God for creating the world. everything with the breath of life in it and also every green plant. And when He looked, He knew that it was good. The heavens, the earth, and everything in them were finished. From nothing to all creation was done in six days. God rested on the seventh day and declared it holy. REVIEW BASED ON GENESIS 1:1 2:3 Invite a kid to choose a craft stick from the cup. Read a Review Question (page 90). Direct him to answer while doing the action on the stick. Continue with other kids until everyone has a turn and all questions have been answered correctly. Reuse questions as needed. Show the God Created the World: Life Action video. Remind kids that we can praise God for creating the world from nothing. LEARN THE UNIT VERSE Genesis 1:1 Unit Verse (Pack Item 2) Lead kids to read aloud the Unit Verse. Form three teams. Give each team a gift bag with the prepared foam noodle pieces and lay a toy hoop in front of each team. Instruct the first kid in each team to choose a noodle piece and place it on the floor inside the hoop. Direct a second kid from each team to choose a noodle piece from the bag then place it before or after the first one, according to where it comes in the verse. Continue until all the words are in the correct order around the hoop. The first team to correctly complete its verse is the winner. MISSIONS EMPHASIS Unit 1 Missions Map (Pack Item 3) Point out Russia on the Unit 1 Missions Map and explain that in this unit kids will hear how missionaries in Russia are telling others about Jesus. PRAY Pray, thanking God for creating the world for us to enjoy. Dismiss kids to their Live It Out groups. DISCIPLEKIDS 3r d & 4t h GRADE 11
LIVE IT OUT CHOICE 1 Pack Item 5 Make multiple copies. Cut the templates apart. Tape a template to a paper plate then cover with waxed paper. Tape the waxed paper in place. Make 1 plate set for each kid. Kids Activity Pages pencils, puffy craft paint, waxed paper, tape, small paper plates, gallon-size ziplock bags CHOICE 2 Pack Item 6 Separate the cards and mix them up. Kids Activity Pages pencils CHOICE 1 Puffy Paint Templates (Pack Item 5), Everything from Nothing (Kids Activity Page), Window Clings 1. Encourage kids to complete Everything from Nothing on the Kids Activity Page. If necessary, kids may work together to find the words. 2. Offer a plate with a Puffy Paint Template to each kid. 3. Direct kids to use the puffy paint to fill in the template. Be sure kids don t use too much paint, as it will take longer to dry. 4. While kids are working, talk about the story. Guide kids to name the many things God made. 5. Emphasize that God began with nothing and created all the earth. 6. If kids mention alternative theories about the beginning of the world, gently remind them that the Bible is true, and this is what the Bible says. 7. Suggest kids leave the template on the plate until it is completely dry. 8. Wrap up by emphasizing that people can praise God for creating the world. Give each kid a ziplock bag. Instruct them to place their creations and plates inside the bags. CHOICE 2 Praise Him Game Cards (Pack Item 6), Everything from Nothing (Kids Activity Page), Praise Him Game 1. Encourage kids to complete Everything from Nothing on the Kids Activity Page. If necessary, kids may work together to find the words. 2. Form four teams. Call up one kid from each team to play at a table. 3. Randomly distribute four Praise Him Game Cards to each player. Players should arrange the cards so they can see each one, without the other players seeing. 4. Choose one player to begin. The card-holder turns to the player on his right and draws one card from her hand. If it matches one of his own, he places them both on the table. If it does not match, he places it in his hand. Either way, his turn ends. 5. The player on his left now draws a card from his hand and play continues around the table. 6. When each player has had a turn, switch players for each team. 7. Continue until one team has no cards left. The winning team is the one who holds the Praise Him card. Second place is the team with the most cards on the table. 12 Unit 1, Session 1
LIFE POINT People can praise God for creating the world. 8. Wrap up by emphasizing that people can praise God for creating the world. CHOICE 3 Everything from Nothing (Kids Activity Page), Flowers and Seeds 1. Encourage kids to complete Everything from Nothing on the Kids Activity Page. If necessary, kids may work together to find the words. 2. Allow kids to take turns arranging the flowers, cutting stems occasionally as needed. 3. Meanwhile, direct the other kids to put a small amount of soil in a cup and add a little water. The soil should be moist, not saturated. 4. Guide kids to place one or two seeds on top of the soil and gently tap it into the soil. The seed should only be slightly covered. 5. Cover each cup with plastic wrap and secure with a rubber band. 6. Instruct kids to place their cups in a sunny spot at home. Explain that moisture will form on the inside of the wrap. The seed will not need more water until the moisture stops forming. 7. Suggest kids check the seeds every day. It will take a couple of weeks for the seeds to sprout. When they do, the cover should be removed. Kids should watch the cups for dry soil and add water as needed. 8. Remind kids that God planned for trees and plants to create more trees and plants. That s why the seeds will grow if they are given the right conditions such as plenty of sunlight and water. 9. Wrap up by emphasizing that people can praise God for creating the world. WRAP UP Show the God Created the World: Wrap Up video. Allow kids time to share what activities they did. Reflect on the wonderful world God made and pray, praising Him for creation. Remind kids to give their DisciplePoints pages to their parents. CHOICE 3 Kids Activity Pages pencils, fresh flowers, vase or vases, scissors, flower seed packet, small cups, soil, plastic spoons, water, plastic wrap, rubber bands WRAP UP DVD DISCIPLEKIDS 3r d & 4t h GRADE 13
The word gospel means good news. It is the message about Christ, the kingdom of God, and salvation. Use the following guide to share the gospel with kids. Sharing the Gospel with kids GOD RULES. The Bible tells us God created everything, including you and me, and He is in charge of everything. Invite a volunteer to recite Genesis 1:1 from memory or read it from his Bible. Read Revelation 4:11 and Colossians 1:16-17. JESUS GIVES. Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again. Because Jesus gave up His life for us, we can be welcomed into God s family for eternity. This is the best gift ever! Read Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; or 1 Peter 3:18. WE SINNED. Since the time of Adam and Eve, everyone has chosen to disobey God (Romans 3:23). The Bible calls this sin. Because God is holy, God cannot be around sin. Sin separates us from God and deserves God s punishment of death (Romans 6:23). WE RESPOND. We can respond to Jesus. The ABCs of Becoming a Christian is a simple tool that helps us remember how to respond when prompted by the Holy Spirit to the gift Jesus offers. GOD PROVIDED. Read John 3:16 aloud. God sent His Son Jesus, the perfect solution to our sin problem, to rescue us from the punishment we deserve. It s something we, as sinners, could never earn on our own. Jesus alone saves us. Read Ephesians 2:8-9. ADMIT Admit to God that you are a sinner. The first people God created chose to sin and disobey God. Ever since then, all people have chosen to sin and disobey (Romans 3:23). Tell God you messed up and you are sorry for doing your own thing and turning away from Him through your thoughts, words, and actions. Repent, turn away from your sin. (Acts 3:19; 1 John 1:9) Repent doesn t just mean turning from doing bad things to doing good things. It means turning from sin and even from your own good works and turning to Jesus, trusting only in Him to save you. BELIEVE Believe that Jesus is God s Son and accept God s gift of forgiveness from sin. You must believe that only Jesus can save you and you cannot save yourself from your sin problem not even by praying to God, going to church, or reading your Bible. Your faith or your trust is only in Jesus and what He did for you through His life, death, and resurrection. (Acts 16:31; Acts 4:12; John 14:6; Ephesians 2:8-9) CONFESS Confess your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Tell God and tell others what you believe. If Jesus is your Savior, you are trusting only in Him to save you. Jesus is also Lord, which means He is in charge and calling the shots in your life. You can start following Him and doing what He says in the Bible. You are born again into a new life and look forward to being with God forever. (Romans 10:9-10,13) If you sense that children are under conviction from the Holy Spirit and would like to respond to the good news, spend some time counseling and praying with them individually. If you sense that a child is not ready to pray and respond in faith and repentance, continue to prayerfully teach him about Christ during the week. 94
REVIEW QUESTIONS UNIT 1 SESSION 1 What did God use to make His creation? (Nothing. He spoke.) How many days did it take God to make the earth? (six) What did God do on the seventh day? (He rested.) What did God say as He finished different parts of His creation? ( It is good. ) What did God tell man to do? (to rule over all the creatures of the earth) Name part of God s creation that you really enjoy. (Answers will vary.) SESSION 2 What plan did God have for the man He created? (to take care of the world) Where did God place the man He created? (in the garden in Eden) What did God tell the man to eat for food? (He could eat anything in the garden except for one tree.) What did God plan so the man would have a helper? (He created a woman to be the man s helper.) What did the man call the helper God made for him? (woman) Name a way you can help take care of God s world. (Answers will vary.) SESSION 3 Why did God want to destroy the world? (The people were all wicked.) Why was God willing to spare Noah and his family? (Noah was a good man who found favor with God.) Why do you think Noah found favor with God? (Noah was obedient to God and made the right choices.) How did God save Noah s family and the animals? (God told Noah to build a large boat or an ark that would hold his family and the animals.) How did Noah know they could leave the ark? (Noah released a bird but the bird didn t come back, which meant it had found land. God told Noah to take his family off the boat.) In what ways did Noah obey God in this story? (Answers will vary, but should include that he built the ark, he took his family and animals on board, and he left the boat when God told him to.) SESSION 4 With whom was Abram traveling? (his wife and Lot) Who was having an argument? (Lot and Abram s herdsmen) Why was there a problem between Abram and Lot? (They each had so many riches that the land was not big enough for them both.) What solution did Abram offer? (He allowed Lot to choose the land he wanted first, then Abram would go in the other direction.) What choice did Lot make? (Lot chose the best land because it had a lot of water available.) What did God promise Abram? (He would have many descendants and all the land he could see in all directions would be theirs.) 90
UNIT 2 SESSION 1 What were Saul and his servant looking for? (donkeys) What did Samuel tell Saul after anointing him? (Samuel told Saul that God had chosen Saul to be king of Israel.) What happened when Saul went to fight the Philistines? (The Israelite army hid.) What did the people think about Saul as king? (They were impressed with his height and good looks.) Why did God reject Saul as king? (He did not obey God.) After God rejected Saul, what did Saul do? (reached out to grab Samuel s robe and it tore) SESSION 2 How did Samuel know who would be king? (God told him.) Why didn t God choose one of Jesse s other sons? (God was looking at the heart, not the outside of a person.) Where was David when Samuel came to Jesse s house? (He was in the field keeping sheep.) What happened to David after he was anointed by Samuel? (God was with David from that day forward.) What was wrong with King Saul? (God s spirit left him.) How did David help King Saul? (He played music to make him feel better.) SESSION 3 Why did David come to the army camp? (His father asked him to take food to his brothers.) How did Goliath challenge the Israelite army? (He said if one man would fight him, the losing army would be a servant to the others.) How did David convince Saul to let him fight? (He said God helped him fight a bear and a lion while he was caring for his father s sheep and He would help him now, too.) What weapons did David use to fight Goliath? (a sling and 5 smooth stones) What did David say to Goliath? ( God will deliver you into my hand. ) How many stones did it take for David to kill Goliath? (only one) SESSION 4 Name one thing Jonathan gave David because he loved him. (robe, military tunic, sword, bow, belt) How was Jonathan related to King Saul? (Jonathan was Saul s son.) What did David think Saul wanted to do to him? (kill him) How did David and Jonathan plan to test Saul s intentions? (David did not attend a special dinner.) How did Jonathan warn David? (He shot an arrow past the servant.) What did David and Jonathan promise each other? (to be faithful friends) SESSION 5 How old was David when he became king of Israel? (30 years old) What did David do when the Philistines came for battle? (He asked God what to do and obeyed God s instructions.) What happened when Uzzah touched the ark? (He was struck dead.) How did David celebrate the ark s arrival in Jerusalem? (He danced with great joy.) What did David want to build for God? (a temple) What did God promise to David? (That his kingdom would go on forever.) DISCIPLEKIDS 3r d & 4t h GRADE 91
UNIT 3 SESSION 1 Where did God tell Elijah to go? (to Zarephath) What did God tell Elijah He would do? (provide for him through a woman) What did Elijah ask the woman for? (water and bread) What promise did God give the woman? (The flour and oil would not run out until the drought was over.) What happened to the woman s son? (He became sick and died.) What did Elijah do for the woman s son? (He prayed for the boy and God returned his life to him.) SESSION 2 What message did Jezebel send to Elijah? (She was going to kill him.) Why was Jezebel angry with Elijah? (He had killed all the prophets of Baal.) What was Elijah s response to Jezebel s anger? (He became afraid and fled to Beer-sheba.) What did Elijah say to God? (to take his life) What did God do for Elijah? (sent an angel of the Lord to provide food and water) What did Elijah do after he woke up the second time? (traveled to Horeb) SESSION 3 What was the woman s problem? (Her husband had died and creditors were going to take her sons to be slaves.) What was Elisha s response to the woman s problem? (He asked her what he could do for her and what she had in her home.) What did the woman say she had? (only a jar of oil) What did Elisha tell her to do? (to collect as many containers as she could and fill the containers by pouring oil from the jar) What happened after the woman collected the containers? (Once all the containers were full, the oil stopped.) What did Elisha tell her to do with the oil? (to sell it, pay off her debts, and live off the rest) SESSION 4 What did the woman do for Elisha? (fed him and provided a place for him to rest) What did Elisha ask the woman? (what she needed) What did the woman say when Elisha asked what she wanted? (She said she didn t need anything.) What did God do for the woman? (gave her a son) What happened to the woman s son? (He died.) What did Elisha do after the son died? (prayed for the boy and revived him) 92
UNIT 1. SESSION 1 God Created the World Everything From Nothing UNIT VERSE In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. GENESIS 1:1 God created all of the earth from nothing. Can you find all the creation words? Word Bank heavens light land seas male female creatures fish birds trees DISCIPLEKIDS 3r d & 4t h GRADE 3
- follow up God Created the World CREATION THEME God created the world from nothing. GENESIS 1:1 2:3 DISCIPLEHOME: Parents, today your child studied the creation of the world. God spoke every created thing into existence, except people. God formed the first man and woman with His own hands and breathed life into them. We are truly made in God s image! LIVE IT OUT: Help your child praise God for His creation. Read together Psalm 104, David s psalm of praise to God for His creation. Help your child write his own praise for God s creation. DAILY BIBLE READING: Sunday: Genesis 1:1 Monday: Luke 4:18 Tuesday: Genesis 1:27 Wednesday: Genesis 2:3 Thursday: John 12:8 Friday: Genesis 2:22 Saturday: Psalm 29:11 In the very beginning, the earth had no shape or form. Darkness covered the deep waters and God hovered over them. Then He spoke, Let there be light. And there was light. God knew it was good. Next, He separated the light and the darkness and called them day and night. This made the very first day, ever! God spoke again. He created a great expanse with water above and water below. He called it sky. This was the second day. On the third day, God spoke again. He pulled together all the water under the sky and called it seas. The dry land He called earth. He made plants and trees. He saw that it was good. The next day, God spoke again and made the sun, moon, and stars. And He saw that it was good. This was the fourth day. God said, Let the waters be full of living creatures and let the birds fly in the sky. He saw that it was good. This was the fifth day. On the sixth day, God made animals and man. He made male and female and told them to fill the earth. God saw all He had made and it was very good. From nothing to all creation was done in six days. God rested on the seventh day and declared it holy. DISCIPLEFOCUS: Genesis 1:1 DISCIPLEPOINT: People can praise God for creating the world. 4