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GOD CREATED THE WORLD
LEVEL OF BIBLICAL LEARNING God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh.
LEADER BIBLE STUDY Have you ever stood on a beach on a clear night and looked up at the sky? It is awe-inspiring to see billions of stars spread
LIFE POINT
out across the heavens. Anyone could ask, “Where did it all come from?” A new generation of aggressive atheists
BIBLE PASSAGE
maintain that time, space, matter, and energy—that is,
Genesis 1:1–2:3
everything that exists in the physical universe—was the
WEEKLY VERSE
result of a gigantic cosmic accident. The problem is, however,
In the beginning God made the world. Genesis 1:1
their argument violates the basic concept of logic.
God made the world.
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 one other time (Genesis 1:27). 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 appered. 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? ���������������������������������������������������������������� How does it matter that we are made in God’s image?����������������������
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G O D ’ S M O S T I M P O R TA N T C R E AT I O N
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GROUP TIME ►Move together. Form a circle while the preschoolers hold hands. Ask preschoolers
CHOOSE Your Own
pretend to be an ocean by leading preschoolers to wave their arms up and down
like water. For mountains, place hands straight up and together; for hills, place arms halfway up; for birds, flap your arms. Demonstrate as you call out the things God made.
►Tell the Bible story. Open your Bible to Genesis and tell the children that Genesis
SCHEDULE Decide when to have group time; then select learning activities to use before and/ or after group time.
is the first book in the Bible. Display the Teaching Picture. Tell the Bible story in your own words.
GOD CREATED THE WORLD —Based on Genesis 1:1–2:3 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. He named the light day and the darkness night. That was the first day. On the second day, God put the water in one place and the sky above it. Then God gathered the water into one place so that land would appear. He called the land earth and the water seas. God made plants and trees to grow on the land. That was the third day. On the fourth day, God made the sun, moon, and stars. Then God filled the water with many kinds of living things, and He filled the air with birds. That was the fifth day. On the sixth day, God said, “Let the earth have all kinds of animals, large and small,” and it was done. Finally, God made a man and a woman. God looked at everything He had made and saw that it was very good. That was the sixth day. On the seventh day, God rested.
►Review the Bible story. Pass the numbered cards to seven children. As you review
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Teaching Picture 1 Tape; yellow, blue, green, and brown construction paper; index cards; paper strip; marker
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Tape the different colors of construction paper to different walls at a preschooler’s height.
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Use a paper strip to mark the Weekly Verse in the Bible. Print the numbers 1–7 on index cards, one number per card.
each day of creation, instruct the child with the corresponding number to hold up the number card. Point to the four papers on the wall. Assist the children in
identifying each color. Then say a thing God created such as sky, sun, grass, deer, sunflower, water, tree, bear. Direct the children to move to the colored paper that matches the item. Pray, thanking God for all the things He created.
►Learn the Bible Verse. Introduce the Weekly Verse; then lead the children to say it with you. Ask children to repeat it.
►Wrap it up. Hold the Teaching Picture and talk about the different things God made. Pray, thanking God for His wonderful world.
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PRESCHOOL
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BIBLE-LEARNING ACTIVITIES NAME CREATED OBJECTS
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Kids Activity Page Pictures of things God created cut from old magazines, index cards, glue stick, gift bag
Glue the pictures on index cards. Place the cards in a gift bag. ••Help each child complete a Kids Activity Page. ••Direct a child to reach in the bag and pull out a card. Assist the child in naming the object God created by repeating, “God said let there be _____.” ••Remind the children that God made everything in six days. On the seventh day He was finished creating and rested. ••Talk about each child’s favorite thing God created. (Dramatic Play)
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Bible, paper strip, play dough Mark the Weekly Verse in the Bible with the paper strip.
BUILD OBJECTS GOD CREATED ••Review the days of creation. ••Open the Bible to the Weekly Verse and read it aloud. Lead children to repeat the verse with you. ••Challenge the children to use play dough to create items from the Bible story. Talk with children about their favorite animals, flowers, trees, and so forth. ••To extend the play, suggest they make their own creations and name them. (Art)
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Teaching Picture 1
PAINT WITH NATURE ITEMS
Paint; paper; marker; nature items such as twigs, leaves, and rocks
Dry moisture off of nature items before the session. Post the allergy alert.
Print an allergy alert listing the items used for painting.
••Demonstrate dipping a rock in the paint then dragging it across the paper.
••Hold the Teaching Picture and recall the Bible story. ••Encourage the children to paint with the various nature items by dragging, rolling, or imprinting on the paper. ••Print the Weekly Verse on each child’s paper. Say the verse together. ••Lead a child in prayer thanking God for specific things God created. (Art)
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Index cards, marker, paper clips
COUNT TO SEVEN Print the numbers 1–7 on individual index cards. Make several sets. ••Assist children in identifying each number. Then help them put the number cards in order from left to right. ••Challenge children to attach the number of paper clips that match each number. ••Ask what the number 7 had to do with the Bible story. ••Comment that God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh day. God created everything by His words. (Puzzles)
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G O D ’ S M O S T I M P O R TA N T C R E AT I O N
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IDENTIFY AND SORT SEEDS Place the four different seeds in one tray. Tape the empty seed envelopes to the other trays and place one sample seed on top of the envelopes. ••Remind the preschoolers about today’s Bible story. Open the Bible to Genesis 1. Ask
Bible, pumpkin, apple, corn, and green bean seeds; plastic tweezers (optional); 5 foam trays
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Note: Use whatever seeds are readily available.
preschoolers who created the plants. ••Point to the seed trays and challenge children to identify each of the seeds. ••Direct the children to use their fingers or the tweezers to move the seeds from the mixed tray to the appropriately labeled tray. ••Talk about which food the children like the most. Thank God for creating plants and good food to eat. (Nature)
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Large bin filled with sand, plastic animals (if available)
FIND ANIMALS Hide the plastic animals in the sand. ••Instruct the children to find animals in the sand. Remind children that God made all the land animals on Day 6. ••Ask them to name what else God made on Day 6 (people). ••Lead children to talk about their favorite animals and any pets they may have. ••Thank God for His wonderful creation.
MAKE ANIMAL PRINTS ••Provide a lump of play dough and some animal figures for the child to make tracks or
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Play dough, plastic animal figures
imprints on the play dough. ••Children can also make animals from the play dough. ••Ask children to name the day God created the land animals (Day 6), the birds, and the water animals (Day 5). ••Lead children to thank God for their favorite animals.
CLEAN UP Encourage the children to help put away supplies and toys. As the children near the end of cleanup, count down slowly from seven so they know to finish on time.
© 2017 LifeWay
PRESCHOOL
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SESSION 1
God Created the World
WEEKLY VERSE
Draw and Color
In the beginning God made the world. — G E N E S I S 1:1
Image Credit: shutterstock
One of the animals God made is the sea turtle. A sea turtle can weigh anywhere from 100 to over 1,000 pounds and average around 2–4 feet wide. They have flippers that help the female dig a hole in the sand to fill with eggs. In about 50–60 days the eggs will hatch, and the baby sea turtles will use the flippers to move to the ocean. Aren’t God’s creations amazing? Finish drawing the sea turtle below; then color when you are finished.
Go or look outside at night. What things do you see and hear that God made?
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Go or look outside in the morning. What do you see and hear that God made? B I B L E S T U D I E S F O R L I F E 3s– P R E - K
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God's most important creation
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FAMILY
TALK TIME
LEVEL OF BIBLICAL LEARNING God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh.
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE Parents, today your child heard about the creation of the world. God created the world from nothing. What a wonderful gift God gave us!!
LIVE IT OUT Young children have a hard time distinguishing the things God made from things that are man-made. Take time to point out plants, animals, rocks, and other things God made. Thank God for His beautiful world.
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
God Created the World GENESIS 1:1–2:3 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. God said, “Let there be light ,” and there was light. He named the light day and the darkness night. That was the first day. On the second day, God put the water in one place and the sky above it. Then God gathered the water into one plac e so that land would appear. He called the land earth and the water seas. God mad e plants and trees to grow on the land. That was the third day. On the fourth day, God made the sun, moo n, and stars. Then God filled the water with many kind s of living things, and He filled the air with birds. That was the fifth day. On the sixth day, God said, “Let the earth have all kinds of animals, large and small,” and it was done. Finally, God made a man and a woman. God looked at everything He had made and saw that it was very good. That was the sixth day. On the seventh day, God rested. LIFE POINT: God made the world.
2017 LifeWay
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