Helping children understand how the world came to be In The Beginning and about the current roles of Faither, Son and Holy Spirit.
"In The Beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1
"In The Beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God In The Beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothering was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men." John 1:1-4
Overview
Through this unit the children will learn how everything there is began at the purpose and intention of God himself. Some of the most familiar words in the Bible, In The Beginning, are both the first three words in the Old Testament, as well as the first three words in the New Testament Gospel of John. Both refer to how all things came to be and John speaks specifically to Jesus’ role In The Beginning as the giver of life and how all things were created through him. Colossians goes further and states that all things were created by him and for him (1:16). These Scriptures teach us that not only was Jesus present with God In The Beginning, but that he was actively participating in a lead role. His role then was, and now still is, that of life giver. The Bible also equates God and Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3,4) and presents Holy Spirit as a living and ever-present helper, teacher & counselor (Jn 14,15,16). This six lesson unit begins with a explanation of the three-in-one Godhead (Gen 1:26; Rom 1:20; Col 2:9), then follows the six day chronology of creation, highlighting the strong desire of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to give life even in the midst of temptation and sin, and ends with a overview of God’s redemptive plan through history showing God’s pursuit to bring his creation back into fellowship with him.
Unit at a Glance.
Lesson #1 — “God-Father, Son & Spirit”
"I understand that God is Father, Son & Spirit” - Gen. 1:1-2; Jn 1:1
The eternal God is three-in-one. All things came into being In The Beginning through the creative act and nature of this Godhead - the Father, Son & Spirit. The universe, world, and everything in it (including people), are not accidents, they were made by God.
Lesson #2 — “Creation - Part One”
"God created everything on purpose, and it is good" - Gen 1:3-25
All that is was created by God In The Beginning in just six days. God had a purpose and plan for everything and everything he made was good just the way he made it. God’s goodness, greatness, and power can be clearly seen and understood by looking around at all of his creation and how he is continuing to create as those things reproduce.
Lesson #3 — “Creation - Part Two”
"God created me in his image and it is VERY good" - Gen 1:26-31; 2:4-25
On the sixth day In The Beginning God created people and gave them life so they could live together with him. He made them in his very own image, put them in a perfect garden, gave them specific commands to follow, and gave them authority over all of creation. These people, Adam & Eve, were very good just the way he made them.
Lesson #4 — “Rest and The Fall”
"When I disobey God I sin" - Gen 2:1-3; 3:1-15
On the seventh day In The Beginning God rested from all his work of creation. Some time after this the people disobeyed God, and their actions affected all of God’s creation by bringing sin and death into the world. From now on all people would have to deal with sin and troubles in their life and God would have to help them time and time again, eventually even sending his own Son to save them from their sins.
Lesson #5 — “Garden Exit”
"When I sin it brings struggles into my life" - Gen 3:16-4:26
Because of their sin the people that God made In The Beginning had to leave the perfect garden he put them in and go where life was sometimes hard. Their sin brought pain, disease, and eventually death. Adam and Eve saw how the sin they had committed even affected their two sons when one (Cain) killed his brother (Abel). And this sin in the world affected everyone from now on.
Lesson #6 — “God's Plan Continues”
"I have life through Jesus and power to live through the Holy Spirit" - Scriptures
Ever since Adam and Eve first sinned In The Beginning God has been working his plan to bring people back into a VERY GOOD relationship with himself. All throughout history he has sent men and women of God to point people back to himself in order they might have life. Finally he sent Jesus to die on the cross to get rid of the sin once for all and now fills his people all over the earth with his Holy Spirit as they share this simple message of life through Jesus.
This product was added to our catalog on Thursday 15 November, 2007.
