Preparation:
- Scripture readings from: Genesis 1, John 1
- Spend some time in prayer for the lesson and each student—that God will open their hearts and minds and teach them from His Word.
Introduction:
There are certain biblical truths that are so essential that it is necessary to study each one individually in order to lay the foundation for all other beliefs. That is what we will be doing with this first element. During this first session we will be looking briefly at creation. This is not meant to incite an argument on the merits of evolution verses creation or anything like that. This is simply a chance for the students to look at what the Bible says about this topic. God is a big God and could have used any method He wanted to use, but the point is: When God speaks, things happen! Use this session as a chance to get to know a different perspective of God—the powerful creator God!
Activity:
Divide your group into 2. Ask for a very brave volunteer out of each group. Don't tell them what they're volunteering for. Set the 2 volunteers up at a table top, and give them a paper plate. Give the rest of the groups the bubble gum, and tell them to chew as quickly as possible. Have them chew it only until it is soft, and then give it to the volunteers in their group, and start chewing the next piece. As the group is chewing, the volunteers need to be working on their sculpture. Set a time limit, say 10 minutes, and have them sculpt something that God created in the creation story—such as a tree, monkey, turtle, etc., but it has to be something rather difficult. When the gum chewers are through, have them step back and watch, they're in favor of neither group and will be the judges. You can give a prize of some sort to each of the volunteers, since they were so brave! Make sure to get plenty of gum so there is enough!!
Discuss:
- Ask the “sculptors”: how did it feel to be creative and make something brand new?
- How would it feel if you could have made something from absolutely nothing?
- Have any of you read the book of Genesis?
- What about the creation story?
- Even if you haven’t read it in the Bible, how many of you know the story of creation?
- What do you think of when you hear about the story of creation?
Digging Deeper (taken from the Life Application Study Bible):
Say: Begin….start….commence…open….. There’s something refreshing and optimistic about these words, whether they refer to the dawn of a new day, the birth of a child, the prelude to a symphony, or the first miles of a family vacation. Free of problems and full of promise, beginnings stir hope and imaginative visions of the future. Genesis means “beginnings” or “origin,” and it unfolds the record of the beginning of the world, of human history, of family of civilization, of salvation. It is the story of God’s purpose and plan for his creation. As the book of beginnings, Genesis sets the stage for the entire Bible. It reveals the person and nature of God (Creator, Sustainer, Judge, Redeemer); the value and dignity of human beings (made in God’s image, saved by grace, used by God in the world); the tragedy and consequences of sin (the fall, separation from God, judgment); and the promise and assurance of salvation (covenant, forgiveness, promised Messiah).
God. That is where Genesis begins. All at once we see him creating the world in a majestic display of power and purpose, culminating with a man and woman made like Himself.
As you read the first chapter of Genesis, be encouraged! There is hope! No matter how dark the world situation seems, God has a plan. No matter how insignificant or useless you feel, God loves you and wants to use you in his plan. No matter how sinful and separated from God you are, his salvation is available.
Read: Genesis 1
Discuss:
- Have you read this story recently (as in since you heard as a kid in Sunday School)?
- What kind of perspective does this story give you of God? (his power, desire for companionship—which is why He created humans, etc)
- Is this a different perspective than you have had before?
Read: John 1:1-5
Discuss:
- What does John mean when he says the Word? Have them go to John 1:14 for a clearer answer. (He is talking about Jesus—the Word became flesh)
- What do these verses reveal to you about God?
- How does it make you feel to put your faith in a God who is so powerful?
Application:
Take some time to write down some things that you learned about God through the story of creation—it can be something you learned today or just in general. What does God’s creation of humans say about His desire to have a relationship with YOU? What is your relationship with God like—do you even have one at this point? What would you like to change about it if you could—would you like to start one?
Say: God loves each one of you more than you can comprehend. He wants each person to come to Him and have a relationship with Him. Even though He is so incredibly powerful, He is also very personal. (professors: depending on the students in your group, this part of the lesson could be a good time to talk about how each of us can have a relationship with God if we don’t already and to invite the students to talk with you more about if they feel they don’t have that personal relationship.)
If you feel that it would help solidify some of the things they have learned you can have them divide into groups of two or three and share with each other something that they have learned or you can just discuss it as a group.
Close it out:
Say: Creation is one of the things that our human minds have a hard time understanding. The good news is that we don’t have to understand it. God is all powerful and could have used any method that He wanted to create this vast universe out of absolutely nothing. We can appreciate the fact that we can’t understand it all. God is greater than our minds can comprehend and we can trust that He did what He said He did and will do what He says He will do.
Pray together and for each other!
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