Lesson 2 - God Created People
God has greatly blessed you by creating you in His own image. Take a moment to think about what makes you the person you are. The talents God has given you and how you relate to your friends and family members are part of what makes you a unique creation of God. Remember, God loves you and cares for you simply because He created you. He has created you in His image to do His work.
Now, take a moment to thank God for the gift of the children you are about to teach. Ask Him to guide your thoughts, words, and actions as you teach your students. As they enter the teaching space today, remind your children that they are valued, loved, and cherished.
Family Connection: Children are blessings, but it can be difficult for family members to focus on what they do well. Instead, family members may focus on disciplining their negative behaviours. Encourage families to tell their children 1 way they are blessed by them.
Reminder: All resources, including this Family Connection Card, are available for download at the end of this lesson.
LESSON TIME
1. Connecting: Be a mirror for someone else.
Greet the children as they come to class. Ask what they noticed this past week about creation that they had not noticed before.
Teacher Tip: Use the signal you created last week to get the children’s attention. Use the same signal at the end of each question or activity to refocus the children.
Signal the children and pause until they show they are listening to you.
That was a special signal. When I use the signal, I want you all to stop what you are doing, stop talking, and pay attention to me.
Let’s do an activity to help you see yourself the way God sees you. You will be a mirror for someone else.
Turn to the person next to you. This person is your partner. I will go around and make sure everyone has a partner. Say, “Hello” to your partner. You will answer the following questions with your partner.
Be sure that each child has a partner. If there are an odd number of children, you can partner with a child or make a group of 3 children. Pause after each question to allow the partners to answer.
- What shape are your partner’s eyes?
- What length of hair does your partner have?
- What marks does your partner have on his face?
Teacher Tip: Use your signal to get the children’s attention before continuing the lesson.
Now, talk to your partner about the things you like to do, your friends, and your family.
Give students 2 minutes to talk. Use your signal to get the children’s attention before continuing the lesson.
Answer the next question using what you and your partner discussed.
- What is something that makes your partner special? For example, I know that (child’s name) has a nice smile.
Give the children 2 minutes to respond. Walk around the room to make sure both partners in each pair are answering the question.
Use your signal again before continuing the lesson.
Optional: If a mirror is available, have the children look at themselves for 30 seconds. Then, have the students tell their partners something they notice about themselves when they look in the mirror.
Thank you for helping each other discover how special you are.
No matter what you look like, you are God’s special creation. God gave you life, and He loves you.
Teacher Tip: Some children might be uncomfortable when they hear they are special or they may not believe it, especially if they are going through difficult circumstances. Make sure to affirm that each student is loved and valued by God.
2. Teaching: Learn that God loves the people He made (Genesis 1:27; 2:7; Isaiah 64:8).
Look at your hands. Think for 1 minute about something you have made with your hands.
Give children examples of things they might make with their hands, such as drawings.
What have you made with your hands?
Allow 2–3 children to respond.
Did you know that God also made things with His hands? That is right. He did. What kinds of things do you think God made?
Possible answers could include a picture, a pot, bread, or anything else people can make with their hands. Answers could also include bigger things, such as mountains, rivers, wells, and plants. Remember, these are the thoughts of the children, so do not correct their answers unless they answer with something inappropriate.
God made everything—heaven, the earth, plants, and the water we drink. God also took the time to make us. Listen to what the Bible says:
Read the verses directly from your Bible.
So God created human beings in his own likeness. He created them to be like himself. He created them as male and female.
Genesis 1:27
Then the Lord God formed a man. He made him out of the dust of the ground. God breathed the breath of life into him. And the man became a living person.
Genesis 2:7
Teacher Tip: If necessary, explain that the word “man” means a person. In the story of creation, God made both a man and a woman.
We will try to imagine what it would be like to create a living being out of dirt. Close your eyes. Pretend to pick up a handful of dirt from the ground. Make something in your hand out of the dirt. This could be an animal, a tree, a shape, or anything else you can think of. Imagine your creation in your hand. It is not moving, though. Now, blow into your hands. It has come to life!
God reached His hands down, touched the earth, and created Adam, the first man. While God did not make the rest of us this way, He loves people so much that He made us special above all the rest of His creation. We are precious to Him and He loves us unconditionally. To love unconditionally means that God loves us not only when we obey and honour Him but also when we do not. His Word says that God loves us even when we do something that is wrong. His love is amazing!
Take a moment to think about how much God loves you. With your arms, show me how much you think God loves you.
Stretch your arms out as far as they will go in either direction and tell students God loves them much more than you can show with your own arms. Form a circle with students’ arms outstretched and explain that your circle represents God’s love for each person in the circle. Tell them God loves everyone more than we could ever possibly show!
Teacher Tip: If your students are ready, explain to them that God created us to have a close relationship with Him. God showed His unconditional love by sending His Son to save us from our sins.
Listen to what this verse tells us about how God made us.
Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay. You are the potter. Your hands made all of us.
Isaiah 64:8
We know from these verses that God made us in His image. We do not know what God looks like. The Bible tells us that God does not have a body like us, but He is instead a spirit. He is a person who knows and sees everything, has all power, and is everywhere all the time. We are made in His image because He gave us the ability to think, make choices about right and wrong, and love Him. Only people are made in God’s image.
God created each one of us just the way we are. He thought of every detail. He made your eyes, hair, and ears. He also made you smart, caring, and funny. God made each of you unique. You are special to Him, and He loves you.
3. Responding: Make a model of a person out of clay.
We are God’s creation. To help us remember that God made us each special, we will mould clay into the shapes of people. When I give you some clay, you may begin creating.
Optional: If you do not have clay available, have students sculpt models of people out of thick mud. Use the same instructions to help guide the models they make.
Guide the children through the process of sculpting a person. Pause after each instruction to allow the children to make that part before moving on to another instruction.
First, make a head.
Then, make a body.
Next, make arms and hands.
You will need something to stand on, so make legs and feet.
Now, let us add a few details. Remember to make eyes and ears.
Now add some hair.
Pause to allow students to finish. Then, have children wash their hands with water and dry them with the towels.
Optional: If you are using Student Pages, have children draw themselves. Encourage them to draw what they saw when they looked in the mirror.
Reminder: All resources, including this Student Page, are available for download at the end of this lesson.
Each of you has been created with great thought and love. Remember that you are precious to God.
Memory Verse
Show the Memory Verse poster if you are able to print it. Have the children stand to review the memory verse. Read the verse aloud and see if any children remember the actions for the first sentence. Then review the first sentence and the actions that go with it. Then, add the second sentence with the following actions.
Reminder: All resources, including this memory verse poster, are available for download at the end of this lesson.
Listen to our memory verse:
Everything God created is good. You shouldn’t turn anything down. Instead, you should thank God for it.
1 Timothy 4:4
Teacher Tip: If you changed these actions, make sure to use the ones you noted from Lesson 1. Note any additional changes you make to the actions this week.
Note the new actions so that you can use the same ones each week of this unit.
Everything—Move your hands from your stomach in a curve out toward each side.
God—Point to the sky with your hand.
Created—Cup your hands as though an imaginary ball is between them. Rotate the imaginary ball in your hands.
Good—Smile.
You—Point to everyone else.
Shouldn’t—Motion no.
Turn anything down—Make a rejecting motion. Push your hands away from you with palms out.
Repeat the verse and actions for the first 2 sentences 3 times. Then end class by speaking this blessing, based on Genesis 2:7, over the children.
Blessing: As you go through this week, may you remember that God made you. May you remember His love for you and know that you are His precious creation.
If you have time, share this song with your children to celebrate how great God is! Use this as your worship theme this quarter.
"How Great Is Our God" – https://youtu.be/vg5qDljEw7Q