In the Beginning · Lesson 1

God Makes Everything

Genesis 1:1-2:3; Genesis 2:4-23 Old Testament PrincipleWorship

God made everything, and everything He made shows how great and good He is.

We worship God because He made everything, including us, and all He made shows how great and good He is.

CreationGod made it (this lesson)
FallWe broke it
RedemptionJesus fixes it
RestorationJesus makes it new

Memory verse

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

Christ Connection · God’s character

Jesus didn't begin in Bethlehem. He is the eternal Word, and everything was made through Him (John 1:3). That same Word entered His own creation as a baby, the Light of the world, not just to visit it but to save it.

John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16; John 8:12

The Big Story · Creation

This is where the Bible's big story begins. God made a good world and made people to know Him, love Him and take care of everything He made.

Printables

This lesson is free for everyone: the Teacher Guide, all four age versions and every handout. Print as many copies as you need.

Teacher Guide Preschool K–2nd 3rd–4th 5th–6th

Use it on your phone

Teacher Guide Preschool K–2nd 3rd–4th 5th–6th

Teacher Guide

God made everything, and everything He made shows how great and good He is.

Before class

Read Genesis 1:1-2:3 and Genesis 2:4-23. Read John 1:1-14 too.
Print one handout per child for their age group.
Bring something you made yourself (a drawing, a craft, a loaf of bread) for the object lesson.
Number seven paper plates 1 to 7 and tape them along one wall for the review game.
Check that the room can get dark for the "Let there be light" moment, and test your flashlight.

Supplies

Printed handouts (one per child)
Crayons
Pencils
Bibles (one per child in 3rd–6th grade)
A flashlight
Paper plates
Marker
Masking tape
Scrap paper
Something you made yourself (a drawing, craft or bread)
A clear glass of water
White paper

Class plan

Welcome and opening hook	5 min
Bible story	10 min
Talk about it	8 min
Activity or skit	12 min
Review game	5 min
Live It and prayer	5 min
Total	45 min

Background

Genesis 1 isn't trying to answer every science question. It answers bigger ones: Who made the world? Why is it here? Who are we? Christians who hold the Bible as God's true Word differ on how long the creation days were. This lesson doesn't settle that question. It keeps kids' eyes on what Genesis wants everyone to know: God made everything, on purpose, and it was good.

Notice the pattern. On days 1–3 God makes spaces (light and dark; sky and sea; dry land). On days 4–6 He fills them (sun, moon and stars; birds and fish; animals and people). Each day God speaks, it happens, and He sees that it is good.

People are different from everything else. God doesn't just say "Let there be"; He says "Let us make man in our image" (1:26). In chapter 2 we zoom in: God forms the man from dust with His own hands and breathes His own breath into him (2:7). He plants a garden, gives the man good work, and says the first "not good" in the Bible: "It is not good for the man to be alone" (2:18). So God makes the woman, and the man is overjoyed (2:23).

On the seventh day God rests. Not because He's tired (Isaiah 40:28), but because the work is finished and very good. Everything is the way it's supposed to be. Next week, in Genesis 3, that changes.

Bible Times

Not gods, just lamps

The nations around Israel worshiped the sun and moon as gods. Genesis doesn't even use their names. It calls them "the greater light" and "the lesser light," lamps that God hung in the sky to light the earth and mark the seasons (Genesis 1:14-16). The sun works for God. Only God deserves worship.

A garden fit for a king

In Bible times, kings planted beautiful gardens with trees, rivers and fruit. Genesis says God Himself planted a garden in Eden and put the man there "to cultivate and keep it" (Genesis 2:8, 15). Work was part of God's good world from the very start.

Dasch Digs Up: Did You Know?

In Genesis 1, the words "God said" appear ten times. God made the world by speaking!

Genesis 1:3-29

God looked at what He made and called it "good" seven times. The seventh time, He called it "very good." That was right after He made people.

Genesis 1:31

The Hebrew word for "create" in Genesis 1:1 is bara (bah-RAH). In the Old Testament, it's only ever used for what God does. People make things; only God creates like that.

Genesis 1:1

The name Adam sounds like the Hebrew word for ground, adamah. God formed the first man from the dust of the ground.

Genesis 2:7

On a clear, dark night you can see a few thousand stars with just your eyes. Scientists think there are billions and billions more, and God knows every one by name!

Psalm 147:4

Two of the rivers named near the Garden of Eden, the Tigris and the Euphrates, still flow today in the country of Iraq.

Genesis 2:14

The word Sabbath comes from a Hebrew word that means "to stop." On the seventh day, God stopped His work. He wasn't tired; He was finished!

Genesis 2:2-3

Christ Connection: God’s character

John's Gospel begins with the first words of Genesis: "In the beginning" (John 1:1). John tells us that the Word, who was with God and was God, is the One through whom "all things were made" (1:3). That Word "became flesh" (1:14). He is Jesus. Paul says the same: "all things were created through Him and for Him" (Colossians 1:16).

So Jesus isn't only in the Christmas story. He was there in the beginning, making the world. Later He came into His own world as a baby, as "the light of the world" (John 8:12), to rescue it from the darkness sin would bring. Help kids hear that the Creator and the Rescuer are the same Person.

Words to know

Create: To make something new. Only God can make something out of nothing.
Image of God: Made to be like God in special ways, so we can know Him, love Him and show what He is like.
Eden: The beautiful garden God planted for the first people.
Sabbath: A day to stop working and rest. It comes from a word that means 'to stop.'
Worship: Showing God that He is the greatest and best, with our words, songs and lives.
Formless: Without any shape. At first the earth was empty and dark.

Say it right

Eden: EE-dun
Euphrates: yoo-FRAY-teez
Tigris: TIE-gris
bara: bah-RAH
adamah: ah-dah-MAH

Object lesson

What does this tell you about me? 5 min

You’ll need: Something you made yourself (a drawing, craft or bread)

Hold up the thing you made. Ask, "Did this just appear by itself?" (No! Someone made it.)
Ask, "What can you tell about the person who made it?" (They like colors, they're patient, they can cook…) Let kids guess.
Say, "Everything that's made tells us something about its maker. The sky, the ocean, a puppy, YOU… Everything God made tells us something about Him."
Read Psalm 19:1 – "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands."

The point: Creation is like God's signature. When we look at what He made, we see how great, wise and kind He is, and that makes us want to worship Him.

Ellie’s Lab

Science experiment

Hidden colors in the light 8 min

You’ll need: A clear glass of water, A flashlight, White paper

Fill the clear glass almost to the top with water and set it on a table near a sunny window (or in a dim room).
Lay a sheet of white paper on the floor or table beside the glass.
Shine the flashlight (or let sunlight shine) through the glass at a low angle. Move the light, the glass or the paper slowly until a small rainbow appears on the paper.
Ask, "Where did those colors come from? We didn't add any paint!"

Why it works: Plain white light is really all the colors mixed together. When light passes from air into water and back out, it bends. Each color bends a slightly different amount, so the colors spread apart and you can see them. Raindrops do the same thing in the sky, which is how a rainbow forms.

The point: On the very first day God said, "Let there be light," and His light was full of colors we usually can't see. Creation is packed with wonders hidden in plain sight, and every one shows how wise and creative God is (Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:20).

Safety: Never look straight at the sun. Wipe up spills so no one slips.

Act it out

Creation countdown 10 min

Parts: Narrator, Light crew, Sky and sea, Plants, Sun moon and stars, Birds and fish, Animals

Props: A flashlight

NarratorIn the beginning, there was nothing but darkness. (Lights off. Everyone crouches with eyes closed.)

NarratorThen God said, "Let there be light!" (Click on the flashlight.)

Light crew(Jump up, wiggle fingers like sparkles.) Light!

NarratorGod said, "Let there be sky and sea!"

Sky and sea(Arms wave like waves.) Whoosh!

NarratorGod said, "Let the land grow plants!"

Plants(Grow slowly from the floor, arms up like branches.)

NarratorGod said, "Let there be lights in the sky!"

Sun moon and stars(Make big circles with arms, then twinkle.)

NarratorGod said, "Let the sea and sky be full of life!"

Birds and fish(Flap and swim around the room.)

NarratorGod said, "Let the land be full of animals!" (Animals roar, hop and gallop.)

NarratorThen God made people in His own image, to know Him and love Him. (Everyone stands and looks up.)

NarratorGod looked at everything He had made…

EveryoneAnd it was VERY GOOD!

Review game

Day by day 5 min

You’ll need: Paper plates, Marker, Masking tape

Tape the seven numbered plates along a wall.
Call out something God made ("Fish!" "The moon!" "People!" "Rest!"). Kids race to stand by the right day.
Each time, everyone says together, "God made it, and it was good!"

Snack idea: Seeds inside

Serve apple slices cut across the middle so kids can see the star of seeds. Read Genesis 1:11-12 (plants with seeds inside them) and thank God together before eating. Check for allergies first.

Tips by age

Preschool: Make every day of creation a motion and repeat "God made it!" a lot. Repetition is the lesson.
K–2nd: The lights-off moment is unforgettable at this age. Build up to it, then click on the flashlight on "Let there be light!"
3rd–4th: Kids this age love patterns. Draw the two columns (spaces and fillers) on a board and let them discover the match.
5th–6th: Some may have heard that science and the Bible are enemies. Keep it calm. Genesis tells us who made the world and why; science studies how it works. Studying creation is a way to see God's wisdom.

Song ideas

He's Got the Whole World in His HandsPreschool · Traditional; point to the sky, the ground and yourself
All Things Bright and BeautifulPreschool, K–2nd · Hymn
My God Is So BigK–2nd · Traditional; big motions
How Great Is Our God3rd–4th, 5th–6th · Modern worship song
This Is My Father's World3rd–4th · Hymn
Indescribable5th–6th · Modern worship song

Song titles only. Use any recording or songbook your church has permission to use.

Note for parents

Today we learned that God made everything, and everything He made shows how great and good He is. God made people in His own image, and He made them on purpose.

Ask at dinner: What's your favorite thing God made? What does it tell you about Him?

Memory verse: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1)

Going deeper

Psalm 8; Psalm 19:1-6; Psalm 139:13-16; Revelation 4:11

Preschool (ages 3–5)

God made everything!

Start here

Hold up a ball of play dough or a lump of paper. Ask, "Can I make something from this?" Squish it into a shape. Then whisper, "Today we'll hear about Someone who made EVERYTHING, and He didn't need any dough at all!"

Day five: birds fill the sky and fish and whales fill the sea.

Bible story 4 min

A long, long time ago, before there were any people, any trees or even any sky, there was only God. God has always been there.

God said, "Let there be light!" And there was light!

Say it togetherGod made it!

God made the big blue sky and the splashing sea. He made trees and flowers and yummy fruit. He made the sun for the day, and the moon and stars for the night.

Say it togetherGod made it!

God made birds to fly and fish to swim. He made lions that roar and lambs that say "baa." He made bunnies that hop and giraffes with long, long necks!

Say it togetherGod made it!

Then God made something extra special. He made a man and a woman. God made the animals just by talking. But He made the man with His own hands, and He breathed His own breath into him!

God looked at everything He made. It was very, very good! Then God rested.

Say it togetherGod made everything!

Talk about it

Who made the sun and the stars?
Answer help
God did!
What animals did God make?
Answer help
Let kids name lots of them.
God made YOU! What can you say to God?
Answer help
Thank You, God! You are great!

Activities

Creation motions 5 min

Teach one motion for each day – light (open hands wide), sky and sea (wave arms), plants (grow up from the floor), sun and stars (big circle, then twinkle fingers), birds and fish (flap, then swim), animals and people (roar, then hug yourself), rest (lie down).
Say the days in order and do the motions together. Each time, everyone shouts, "God made it!"

Color God's animals 10 min

You’ll need: Printed handouts, Crayons

Give each child the coloring page of animals.
While they color, ask, "Who made the lion? Who made the lamb? Who made you?"

Ellie’s Lab · Science experiment

Hidden colors in the light 8 min

You’ll need: A clear glass of water, A flashlight, White paper

Fill the clear glass almost to the top with water and set it on a table near a sunny window (or in a dim room).
Lay a sheet of white paper on the floor or table beside the glass.
Shine the flashlight (or let sunlight shine) through the glass at a low angle. Move the light, the glass or the paper slowly until a small rainbow appears on the paper.
Ask, "Where did those colors come from? We didn't add any paint!"

Safety: Never look straight at the sun. Wipe up spills so no one slips.

Student handout

Copy one for each child. The front is a coloring page. The back is a take-home page for families, with questions to ask, the week’s challenge and a cut-out memory verse card.

Download the handout

Included with the lesson: it never costs an extra download. Print front and back. It’s also at the end of the full Preschool (ages 3–5) PDF. Answers are in the Teacher Guide.

Real life today with Theo

On vacation

At the beach or the park, point to something and say, "God made that!" Then thank Him for it.

At home

At bath time, look at your hands and feet. God made them! Wiggle them and say, "Thank You, God!"

Sing and move

He's Got the Whole World in His HandsTraditional; point to the sky, the ground and yourself
All Things Bright and BeautifulHymn

Our chant: Who made it?

Who made the sun? (make a big circle)
God made the sun!
Who made the sea? (wave your arms)
God made the sea!
Who made me? (point to yourself)
God made ME! (jump!)

Live It

Every day this week, find one thing God made and say, "Thank You, God! You are great!" That's worship!

Pray together

Dear God, You made everything! You made me too. You are so great. We love You. Amen.

Kindergarten – 2nd grade

God made everything, and He made me too.

Start here

Turn off the lights (or close the blinds) so the room is as dark as you can make it. Whisper, "Before the very first day, the world was dark. Really dark. No sun. No moon. Nothing." Wait a moment. Then click on a flashlight and say loudly, "And then God spoke!"

Bible story 6 min

In the very beginning, there was no sky, no ground and no people. It was dark and empty. But God was there. God has always been there.

Then God spoke. "Let there be light!" And light burst out of the dark. God saw that the light was good.

God kept speaking, and everything He said happened. He made the sky up high and the oceans down low. He made dry land. He filled the land with grass, trees and fruit.

He hung the sun in the sky to make the day bright. He made the moon and the stars to shine at night.

God filled the sea with fish and whales. He filled the sky with birds. He filled the land with animals. There were cows and bears, ants and elephants.

Then God did something new. He said, "Let us make people in our image." God made the first man, Adam, from the dust of the ground. Then God breathed His own breath into Adam, and Adam came to life!

God planted a beautiful garden called Eden and gave Adam a job: take care of it. Adam named all the animals. But there was no one like him. So God made a woman, Eve, and Adam was so happy!

God looked at everything He had made. It was very good! On the seventh day, God rested.

Say it togetherIn the beginning God created the heavens and the earth!

Talk about it

How did God make the light?
Answer help
He spoke! He said, 'Let there be light.'
How was making people different from making animals?
Answer help
God formed Adam with His hands and breathed His breath into him. People are made in God's image.
What does the world God made tell us about Him?
Answer help
He is powerful, creative, wise and kind.
What is one way you can worship God, the One who made you, this week?

Activities

Seven days in order 10 min

You’ll need: Printed handouts, Pencils, Crayons

On the activity page, kids number the days of creation from 1 to 7 (they are printed mixed up).
Then they draw the day they like best and tell a friend why.

Let there be light! 8 min

You’ll need: A flashlight

Darken the room. Kids freeze in the dark like the empty world.
Click on the flashlight and shine it on one child. That child says one thing God made ("Elephants!") and gets the flashlight.
Keep passing it. After each answer, everyone says, "God made it, and it was good!"

Creation countdown 10 min

Parts: Narrator, Light crew, Sky and sea, Plants, Sun moon and stars, Birds and fish, Animals

Props: A flashlight

NarratorIn the beginning, there was nothing but darkness. (Lights off. Everyone crouches with eyes closed.)

NarratorThen God said, "Let there be light!" (Click on the flashlight.)

Light crew(Jump up, wiggle fingers like sparkles.) Light!

NarratorGod said, "Let there be sky and sea!"

Sky and sea(Arms wave like waves.) Whoosh!

NarratorGod said, "Let the land grow plants!"

Plants(Grow slowly from the floor, arms up like branches.)

NarratorGod said, "Let there be lights in the sky!"

Sun moon and stars(Make big circles with arms, then twinkle.)

NarratorGod said, "Let the sea and sky be full of life!"

Birds and fish(Flap and swim around the room.)

NarratorGod said, "Let the land be full of animals!" (Animals roar, hop and gallop.)

NarratorThen God made people in His own image, to know Him and love Him. (Everyone stands and looks up.)

NarratorGod looked at everything He had made…

EveryoneAnd it was VERY GOOD!

Ellie’s Lab · Science experiment

Hidden colors in the light 8 min

You’ll need: A clear glass of water, A flashlight, White paper

Fill the clear glass almost to the top with water and set it on a table near a sunny window (or in a dim room).
Lay a sheet of white paper on the floor or table beside the glass.
Shine the flashlight (or let sunlight shine) through the glass at a low angle. Move the light, the glass or the paper slowly until a small rainbow appears on the paper.
Ask, "Where did those colors come from? We didn't add any paint!"

Safety: Never look straight at the sun. Wipe up spills so no one slips.

Student handout

Copy one for each child. The front is a one-page activity sheet with puzzles, Dasch’s facts and the memory verse. The back is a take-home page for families, with questions to ask, the week’s challenge and a cut-out memory verse card. After that come the activity pages for this lesson’s printed activities.

Download the handout

Included with the lesson: it never costs an extra download. Print front and back. It’s also at the end of the full Kindergarten – 2nd grade PDF. Answers are in the Teacher Guide.

Real life today with Theo

At school

At recess, look up at the sky or down at a bug. God made it! You can worship God on the playground by saying, "Wow, God, You made that!"

With brothers and sisters

Your brother or sister is made in God's image too, even when they're annoying! Treat them like someone God made on purpose.

On vacation

Seeing mountains, an ocean or a starry sky on a trip? That's God's art. Stop and thank Him together.

Sing and move

All Things Bright and BeautifulHymn
My God Is So BigTraditional; big motions

Our chant: Spoken into being

God said, "Light!" and the dark ran away, (hands open wide)
God said, "Sky!" and the sea and the land! (wave, then stomp)
God made stars and the fish and the birds, (twinkle, swim, flap)
And He made ME with His own hand! (hug yourself)

Live It

When you see something beautiful this week, stop and worship. Say, "God, You made that, and You are great!"

Pray together

God, You made everything, and You made me too. Thank You for making me in Your image. Help me worship You every day. Amen.

More to explore

Dasch Digs Up: Did You Know?

God looked at what He made and called it "good" seven times. The seventh time, He called it "very good." That was right after He made people. Genesis 1:31
The Hebrew word for "create" in Genesis 1:1 is bara (bah-RAH). In the Old Testament, it's only ever used for what God does. People make things; only God creates like that. Genesis 1:1
Two of the rivers named near the Garden of Eden, the Tigris and the Euphrates, still flow today in the country of Iraq. Genesis 2:14
The word Sabbath comes from a Hebrew word that means "to stop." On the seventh day, God stopped His work. He wasn't tired; He was finished! Genesis 2:2-3

Not gods, just lamps

A garden fit for a king

Words to know

Create: To make something new. Only God can make something out of nothing.
Image of God: Made to be like God in special ways, so we can know Him, love Him and show what He is like.
Eden: The beautiful garden God planted for the first people.
Sabbath: A day to stop working and rest. It comes from a word that means 'to stop.'
Worship: Showing God that He is the greatest and best, with our words, songs and lives.
Formless: Without any shape. At first the earth was empty and dark.

3rd – 4th grade

God made everything good, so He deserves our worship.

Start here

Ask, "If you could make anything at all, just by saying it, what would you make?" Let a few kids answer. Then say, "Today we're going to read about the only One who has ever done that. And He didn't make one thing. He made everything."

Bible story 8 min

The Bible's very first words are huge: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Before anything else existed, God was there. Nobody made God. He has always been.

At first the earth was formless and empty, covered in deep, dark water. Then God spoke: "Let there be light!" And there was light. God separated the light from the dark and called them day and night. That was the first day.

On the second day, God made the sky. On the third day, He gathered the waters into seas so dry land appeared, and He filled the land with plants and trees full of seeds and fruit.

On the fourth day, God made the sun, the moon and the stars. He set them in the sky to light the earth and mark the days, years and seasons.

On the fifth day, God filled the seas with fish and huge sea creatures, and the sky with birds. On the sixth day, He filled the land with animals of every kind.

Then God made people. "Let us make man in our image," God said. He formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed life into him. God planted a garden in Eden and gave the man good work to do. Then God said something surprising: "It is not good for the man to be alone."

So God made a woman. The man was overjoyed. God made people to know Him, to love each other and to take care of His world.

God saw everything He had made, and it was very good. On the seventh day, God rested from His work. Everything was just the way it should be.

Talk about it

What did God make on day one? On day four?
Answer help
Light on day one; the sun, moon and stars on day four.
What was the only thing God called 'not good' before sin came into the world?
Answer help
The man being alone (2:18). God made us for each other.
Why do you think the people around Israel worshiped the sun? Why didn't Israel need to?
Answer help
The sun seemed powerful. But Genesis shows it's just a light God made. Only God deserves worship.
What is one way you could worship God with your words or your actions this week?

Ellie Asks: Think It Through

If God made every person in His image, how should that change the way you treat a kid nobody likes?
Answer help
Every person matters to God and deserves kindness, because they are made in His image.

Activities

Spaces and fillers 15 min

You’ll need: Bibles, Pencils, Printed handouts

In pairs, read Genesis 1:1-31.
On the handout chart, write what God made on days 1, 2 and 3 in the left column, and days 4, 5 and 6 in the right column.
Look across each row – each "space" sits beside what "fills" it (light and dark → sun, moon and stars).
Ask, "What does this pattern tell you about God?" (He plans, He's orderly, nothing is random.)

Signature hunt 8 min

You’ll need: Scrap paper, Pencils

Give each child a sheet of scrap paper. In 3 minutes, list (or spot out the window) as many things God made as possible.
For each, write one word about what it shows about God (a mountain → strong; a ladybug → creative).
Share the best ones. Close by reading Romans 1:20 together.

Creation countdown 10 min

Parts: Narrator, Light crew, Sky and sea, Plants, Sun moon and stars, Birds and fish, Animals

Props: A flashlight

NarratorIn the beginning, there was nothing but darkness. (Lights off. Everyone crouches with eyes closed.)

NarratorThen God said, "Let there be light!" (Click on the flashlight.)

Light crew(Jump up, wiggle fingers like sparkles.) Light!

NarratorGod said, "Let there be sky and sea!"

Sky and sea(Arms wave like waves.) Whoosh!

NarratorGod said, "Let the land grow plants!"

Plants(Grow slowly from the floor, arms up like branches.)

NarratorGod said, "Let there be lights in the sky!"

Sun moon and stars(Make big circles with arms, then twinkle.)

NarratorGod said, "Let the sea and sky be full of life!"

Birds and fish(Flap and swim around the room.)

NarratorGod said, "Let the land be full of animals!" (Animals roar, hop and gallop.)

NarratorThen God made people in His own image, to know Him and love Him. (Everyone stands and looks up.)

NarratorGod looked at everything He had made…

EveryoneAnd it was VERY GOOD!

Ellie’s Lab · Science experiment

Hidden colors in the light 8 min

You’ll need: A clear glass of water, A flashlight, White paper

Fill the clear glass almost to the top with water and set it on a table near a sunny window (or in a dim room).
Lay a sheet of white paper on the floor or table beside the glass.
Shine the flashlight (or let sunlight shine) through the glass at a low angle. Move the light, the glass or the paper slowly until a small rainbow appears on the paper.
Ask, "Where did those colors come from? We didn't add any paint!"

Safety: Never look straight at the sun. Wipe up spills so no one slips.

Student handout

Download the handout

Included with the lesson: it never costs an extra download. Print front and back. It’s also at the end of the full 3rd – 4th grade PDF. Answers are in the Teacher Guide.

Real life today with Theo

Online and on screens

People made your games and apps, and they're fun. But nothing on a screen is as amazing as a real sunset. This week, trade 15 minutes of screen time for time outside noticing what God made.

With friends

The kid who looks different, talks different or sits alone at lunch was made in God's image, just like you. Sitting with them is a way to honor the God who made them.

At school

In science class, every cool fact about animals, plants or planets tells you something about the God who made them. Learning can be worship.

Sing and move

How Great Is Our GodModern worship song
This Is My Father's WorldHymn

Our chant: Call and response

Leader: Who made the heavens and the earth?
Kids: God made everything!
Leader: And what did He say about it?
Kids: It was very good!
Leader: So who deserves our worship?
Kids: Only God!

Live It

Each night this week, name three things God made that you saw that day, and praise Him for one thing each shows about Him.

Pray together

God, You made everything, and it was very good. Thank You for making me in Your image. Help me worship You with my words and my life, and treat everyone like someone You made. Amen.

More to explore

Dasch Digs Up: Did You Know?

In Genesis 1, the words "God said" appear ten times. God made the world by speaking! Genesis 1:3-29
The name Adam sounds like the Hebrew word for ground, adamah. God formed the first man from the dust of the ground. Genesis 2:7
On a clear, dark night you can see a few thousand stars with just your eyes. Scientists think there are billions and billions more, and God knows every one by name! Psalm 147:4
Two of the rivers named near the Garden of Eden, the Tigris and the Euphrates, still flow today in the country of Iraq. Genesis 2:14

A garden fit for a king

Words to know

Create: To make something new. Only God can make something out of nothing.
Image of God: Made to be like God in special ways, so we can know Him, love Him and show what He is like.
Eden: The beautiful garden God planted for the first people.
Sabbath: A day to stop working and rest. It comes from a word that means 'to stop.'
Worship: Showing God that He is the greatest and best, with our words, songs and lives.
Formless: Without any shape. At first the earth was empty and dark.

5th – 6th grade

Everything was made through Jesus and for Him, so all of life can be worship.

Start here

Hold up a book (any book). Ask, "Can you tell anything about an author just from the first sentence of their book?" Then read Genesis 1:1 aloud and ask, "If this is the first sentence of the whole Bible, what does God want us to know first?"

Bible story 10 min

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." The Bible doesn't start by arguing that God exists. It starts with God already there, before time, before space, before anything.

The earth was "formless and void," dark and covered in water, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. Then God spoke, and the darkness heard Him: "Let there be light!"

Light burst into being. Day by day, God kept speaking, and everything He spoke came to be. He separated light from darkness, the sky from the seas, and the seas from the dry land. He covered the land with plants that carry their own seeds.

Then He filled what He had made. He hung the sun, moon and stars in the sky, not as gods to be worshiped (as the nations around Israel believed), but as lamps to serve His world.

He packed the seas with living creatures and the sky with birds. He filled the land with animals, each "according to its kind."

On the sixth day God did something different. Instead of "Let there be," He said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." Male and female, He made them to reflect who He is, to rule over the earth like good stewards, and to know Him.

Genesis 2 zooms in on that moment. God formed the man from dust and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. He planted a garden in Eden, a royal garden, and placed the man there to work it and keep it.

Then God said the first "not good" in the Bible: "It is not good for the man to be alone." So God made the woman, and the man burst into the Bible's first poem: "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh!"

God saw all that He had made, "and it was very good." On the seventh day He rested. Not because He was tired. The work was finished, and the world was exactly as it should be.

Talk about it

What's different about how God made people compared to everything else?
Answer help
God said 'Let us make man in our image,' formed the man by hand and breathed life into him (1:26-27; 2:7).
Why do you think Genesis calls the sun and moon 'the greater light' and 'the lesser light' instead of using their names?
Answer help
Other nations worshiped them as gods. Genesis shows they're just lamps God made.
Colossians 1:16 says all things were made through Jesus 'and for Him.' What would it look like to do your schoolwork, chores or sports 'for Him'?

Ellie Asks: Think It Through

Who is God? Who am I? Answer both questions using only Genesis 1–2.
Answer help
God is the eternal, powerful, good Creator. I am made in His image, made on purpose, made for relationship with Him and others, and given good work.
Some people say humans are just an accident, no more valuable than anything else. How does Genesis 1:27 answer that?
Answer help
People are made in God's image on purpose. Every person has dignity and worth.

Activities

Two beginnings 15 min

You’ll need: Bibles, Pencils, Printed handouts

Read Genesis 1:1-5, then John 1:1-5 and 1:14.
On the handout, list every word or idea that shows up in both passages (beginning, God, light, darkness, made, life).
Answer – According to John, who was there making everything? What did He do later (1:14)?

Worship journal 7 min

You’ll need: Pencils, Printed handouts

Write down three things God made that amaze you.
Next to each, write what it shows about God (Romans 1:20).
Finish with a one-sentence prayer of praise.

Creation countdown 10 min

Parts: Narrator, Light crew, Sky and sea, Plants, Sun moon and stars, Birds and fish, Animals

Props: A flashlight

NarratorIn the beginning, there was nothing but darkness. (Lights off. Everyone crouches with eyes closed.)

NarratorThen God said, "Let there be light!" (Click on the flashlight.)

Light crew(Jump up, wiggle fingers like sparkles.) Light!

NarratorGod said, "Let there be sky and sea!"

Sky and sea(Arms wave like waves.) Whoosh!

NarratorGod said, "Let the land grow plants!"

Plants(Grow slowly from the floor, arms up like branches.)

NarratorGod said, "Let there be lights in the sky!"

Sun moon and stars(Make big circles with arms, then twinkle.)

NarratorGod said, "Let the sea and sky be full of life!"

Birds and fish(Flap and swim around the room.)

NarratorGod said, "Let the land be full of animals!" (Animals roar, hop and gallop.)

NarratorThen God made people in His own image, to know Him and love Him. (Everyone stands and looks up.)

NarratorGod looked at everything He had made…

EveryoneAnd it was VERY GOOD!

Ellie’s Lab · Science experiment

Hidden colors in the light 8 min

You’ll need: A clear glass of water, A flashlight, White paper

Fill the clear glass almost to the top with water and set it on a table near a sunny window (or in a dim room).
Lay a sheet of white paper on the floor or table beside the glass.
Shine the flashlight (or let sunlight shine) through the glass at a low angle. Move the light, the glass or the paper slowly until a small rainbow appears on the paper.
Ask, "Where did those colors come from? We didn't add any paint!"

Safety: Never look straight at the sun. Wipe up spills so no one slips.

Student handout

Download the handout

Included with the lesson: it never costs an extra download. Print front and back. It’s also at the end of the full 5th – 6th grade PDF. Answers are in the Teacher Guide.

Real life today with Theo

At school

When a lesson or a classmate says the world is just an accident, you don't have to argue or get angry. You can ask good questions, be kind, and quietly trust that the world has a Maker, because it does.

Online and on screens

Online, you'll see a hundred messages a day about how your body or face should look. God made you in His image and called His work "very good." His opinion is the one that counts.

At home

God gave Adam work before anything went wrong. Chores aren't a punishment; they're a small way to care for the world God made. Do one without being asked this week, as worship.

Sing and move

IndescribableModern worship song
How Great Is Our GodModern worship song

Live It

This week, pick one ordinary thing you have to do (homework, practice, a chore) and do it "for Him," on purpose, as worship (Colossians 1:16; 3:23).

Pray together

Lord Jesus, everything was made through You and for You, including me. Thank You for coming into the world You made to rescue us. Help me worship You in everything I do this week. Amen.

More to explore

Dasch Digs Up: Did You Know?

In Genesis 1, the words "God said" appear ten times. God made the world by speaking! Genesis 1:3-29
God looked at what He made and called it "good" seven times. The seventh time, He called it "very good." That was right after He made people. Genesis 1:31
The name Adam sounds like the Hebrew word for ground, adamah. God formed the first man from the dust of the ground. Genesis 2:7
On a clear, dark night you can see a few thousand stars with just your eyes. Scientists think there are billions and billions more, and God knows every one by name! Psalm 147:4
Two of the rivers named near the Garden of Eden, the Tigris and the Euphrates, still flow today in the country of Iraq. Genesis 2:14
The word Sabbath comes from a Hebrew word that means "to stop." On the seventh day, God stopped His work. He wasn't tired; He was finished! Genesis 2:2-3