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1. Creation (Genesis 1:1-2:7)

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Main Point: God created the world and everything in it to make His glory known.


Key Verse:


Props: birdhouse, twigs and vines (or raffia)

Ask: Who knows what the first three words of the Bible are? In the beginning...


Say: Open your Bibles to Genesis 1:1. This is the first verse of the first book in the Bible. The word Genesis actually means “beginning.” Genesis tells us the beginning of our story. This is the beginning of the earth and of mankind. It is not the beginning of God! God has no beginning. He has always existed. This is hard for us to understand, because everything we can see has a beginning: babies are born, puppies are born, things are made. But God simply has always been.

Before you created the world and the mountains were made, from the beginning to the end you are God. - Psalm 90:2

One of the reasons God gave us the book of Genesis to tell us the story of how He created everything, because no man was alive to see the world come into being. He wanted us to know how and why He created the world.

Note to teacher: Genesis also reveals the beginning of His plan for the redemption of man starting with Abraham and fulfilled in Christ.

The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” - Galatians 3:8 NIV


Say: First, let’s look at how God created the earth.

Ask: If I asked you to create a bird house, what do you think you would need? Wood, nails, hammer, glue

But what if I asked you to make it without any wood or tools?

Say: Some of you might get really creative and go into the woods and find some sticks. You could break them into just the right size. You might find some vines and tie them together to make the walls and roof.

Teacher: Demonstrate with your twigs and vines.

Now, what if I asked you to make it out of nothing at all? Could any of you do that? No. No one can create something out of nothing—no one but God!

Genesis 1:1 starts, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”


The Hebrew word used for created is bara. This word is only used when God is doing the creating. It means to create with great power. God created all that we see out of what can not be seen (Hebrews 11:3).

The Bible tells us that God is all-powerful.

Lord, no one is like you. You are great. You are mighty and powerful. - Jeremiah 10:6

The voice of the Lord is powerful. The voice of the Lord is majestic. - Psalm 29:4

Even God’s voice is full of power. We will see what the power of His voice can do!


We can’t imagine exactly what this looked like, but we are told there was no light, and there was water, in some form. And, of course, God was there.

Day 1:


These verses are simple, and well-known to many, but they pack a lot of information. First, we see just how powerful God is! By His very words He spoke light into creation. We each take light for granted because we see it every day. But just think, there was a time when the light that we see did not exist. And, God was able to control the light. He separated it from the darkness. God had complete control over the things He created. Also, in these verses, we see that God called what He made good. This is a pattern that we will see over and over. Everything that God creates is good.

Day 2: The next day, God spoke and separated the waters and created the sky (Genesis 1:6-8). It seems the earth took form on this day, a sphere covered in water, suspended in the universe. Again, we see God’s power and control.

Day 3: On the third day, God contained the water and made dry ground appear. God called the dry ground “land,” and called the waters “oceans.” If you have ever tried to stand your ground while just one ocean wave knocked you over, you know it would take incredible power to contain an entire ocean! The Bible says God tells the sea how far it can go up on the shore (Job 38:11). Then God spoke plants into existence. Each kind of plant had its own kind of seed, so more plants could grow. Notice that God is a God of order. Ask: What three things do plants need in order to grow? Dirt, water, and sunlight Say: God had already created water and dirt. The sun is coming soon. The Bible tells us that God saw that what He had made was good. (Genesis 1:10, 1:11)

Day 4: On the fourth day, God spoke and made two great lights. One was to rule the day, and one was to rule the night. Ask: Who knows what these two lights are called? The sun and the moon. Say: Isn’t it interesting that there was light before the sun was created? The Bible says there will be no sun in heaven because God’s glory is so bright (Revelation 21:23). God said these two great lights would mark off the seasons and the days and the years. Just as God said, we still use the sun and moon to mark our days and seasons. God also made the stars and placed all the lights in just the right place in the sky. Did you know that the Bible says the angels saw God create the earth? Job 38:7 says the angels watched and shouted for joy. We can just imagine their oohs and ahhs as God tossed the stars into the sky - the most incredible fireworks show of all time! And God saw that it was good.

Day 5: On the fifth day, God spoke to create sea creatures in the oceans and birds in the sky. Ask: Who can name some sea creatures? Fish, sharks, whales, jellyfish, stingrays Ask: Who can name some birds of the sky? Eagles, sparrows, crows, vultures, robins Say: There are so many different species. God is so creative! The Bible says that the creatures were made “according to their kind.” (Genesis 1:21 NIV) Each creature was distinctly different from the other creatures. God saw that it was good. Now, listen to what God spoke next:

God blessed them. He said, “Have little ones and increase your numbers. Fill the water in the oceans. Let there be more and more birds on the earth.” - Genesis 1:22

God spoke blessings over the creatures. And He commanded them to have offspring to fill the earth.

Day 6: On the sixth day, God spoke all the land animals into existence.


Ask: What animals live on land? Cows, lions, tigers, dogs, hippos, lizards, bears Say: Again, we see that God’s creativity is endless.

Then God created one final thing. This would be the crowning jewel of God’s creation, for this being would be created in the image of God. God created man. God formed the man from the dust of the ground. Then God did something He did not do with any of the other creatures He created. “He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils.” (Genesis 2:7) Man is the only part of creation that God physically interacted with. Scripture tells us that ONLY God can give life (Acts 17:25). Again, notice that God is a God of order. All the things needed for man’s survival had already been created—water, air, dry land, and plants for food. God blessed the man and woman, and also gave them a command.

So God created man in His own likeness. He created him in the likeness of God. He created them as male and female. God blessed them. He said to them, “Have children and increase your numbers. Fill the earth and bring it under your control.” - Genesis 1:27-28a

God created man in the likeness, or image, of God. Often, image means the way something looks. We see our image when we look in a mirror. And we say, “That girl is the spitting image of her mother.” But God is Spirit and no one knows what He looks like. The word used for likeness (demuwth) can mean similar in nature or character. Therefore, part of what being created in the likeness of God means is that we have a mind, emotions, and a will. We can think, we can feel, and we have the ability to choose what we want to do and believe. (mind, Colossians 3:10; emotions, John 13:34, 17:13b; will, Deuteronomy 30:19)

Day 7: After the sixth day, God’s work was finished. On the seventh day, God rested. God blessed the seventh day and made it holy (Genesis 2:2).

Say: Everything in God’s awesome creation points to the One who made it. In addition to being eternal, powerful, and holy, the Bible also tells us that God is good (Mark 10:18). Everything that He created was a reflection of His goodness. Everything God made was good, pleasant, and right.

Application: The Biblical account of creation was given by God thousands of years ago - back when there was almost no study of science. The account is simple and direct, and is completely accurate. Every day, new methods of studying science are being developed. Yet, nothing in the account of Genesis can be disproved by scientists. Some people try to argue about how the earth came to be, but the Creator is the final authority! You can trust His word.


God is all mighty. He is above all things and He does not need anything in order to survive (Acts 17:24). He does not need air, water, plants, or animals. So why would God create the world? This is a very large question, but the Bible tells us the answer.

For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. - Romans 1:20 NLT

It is clear in Scripture that God created the world so that man would know Him. God wants man to know He exists and that He is all-powerful. But, why would God create man?

I created them to bring glory to Me. I formed them and made them. - Isaiah 43:7b

God created men, women, and children to praise, honor, and worship Him. It is our highest calling. He is worthy of all praise and honor. That means He DESERVES it.

“You are worthy, our Lord and God! You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power. You are worthy because you created all things.” - Revelation 4:11a

Let’s look at some of the greatest creations of mankind. There are the pyramids of Egypt, the skyscrapers of New York City, and the Taj Mahal in India. When we stand beside these structures, we feel very small. These are amazing feats of human engineering. People come from all over the world to see these incredible creations. But back up, way up, and guess what? From outer space, these things cannot even be seen. Compared to what God created (out of NOTHING) the things men have made are insignificant. Isaiah 40:12 tells us that God measures the oceans in the palm of His hand, and He uses the width of His hand to measure the sky.

Application: It has been said that we are often “overwhelmed by the under-whelming.” That means we think too highly of things that really are not very important. Look around at the things God has made. From the tiniest delicate seashell to the vast breathtaking sunsets, God has created it all. The God who can speak the galaxy into being and breathe life into all people is worthy of our praise and worship!

The heavens were made when the Lord commanded it to happen. All of the stars were created by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea together. He puts the oceans in their places. Let the whole earth have respect for the Lord. Let all of the people in the world honor Him. He spoke, and the world came into being. He commanded, and it stood firm. - Psalm 33:6-9

Whenever you meet someone who does not know God, pray that the Holy Spirit would open their eyes and heart to the truth that God is the all-powerful Creator.




