IN THE BEGINNING

by Sharilyn Adair

The Bible

Genesis 1:1-13

And God saw that it was good.

[TEXT UNREADABLE IN ORIGINAL SOURCE]

Supplies

white glue
green construction paper
crayons
markers
cotton swabs
small containers

Bible Story

Ssh! Lie down and close your eyes. Be very still. Let's pretend that we are lying like a big pool of water at the very beginning of the world. Everything is dork and quiet. We can't see anything or hear anything. Let's listen to how quiet it is. (Pause.)

At first we don't feel anything. But then God breathes fresh air over us. We don't peek because the world is still dark. And we can't see anything. (Pause.)

Now God has decided to make two different times—nighttime for sleeping and daytime for seeing things and running and playing. You may sit up and when I say "Night is day," open your eyes. When I say "Now it is night," close your eyes.

God wants the world to have a big blue sky over it. Stand up and reach high over your head. Pretend that your hands are the sky God sees that the sky is good.

God has decided to make land in the water. You might be a big tall mountain or a long flat beach full of sand. God likes the land and water.

God wants the land to be beautiful God makes plants and trees grow on the land. (Pretend to be plants.) God likes the plants and trees God has mode a beautiful world let's soy "hooray" for God's world.

Creative Fun

Pour a small amount of white glue into small containers. You will need one container for each pair of children. Make a copy of the tree on the following page for each child. Have the children color the tree trunk and the branches. Then tear construction paper in different shades of green into small thumb-size shapes. Have the children point the top of the tree with white glue using a cotton swab, then place the construction paper pieces on the tree to become leaves.

FILLING THE EARTH

by Sharilyn Adair

The Bible

Genesis 1:20-25

And God saw that it was good.

[TEXT UNREADABLE IN ORIGINAL SOURCE]

Supplies

scissors
envelopes

Bible Story

When God shaped the earth and planted the frees the skies still looked empty and so did the seas.

God know what to do, so God filled up the sky with all kinds of creatures that knew how to fly.

There were eagles and thrushes and whippoorwills, too.

There were blackbirds and red birds and buds that were blue.

There were crows and canaries and big birds called fowls.

And for flying at night God created the owls (Whooo.)

The sky was now filled and so was the sea, So God looked around to think what else could be.

So God made some cows and some pigs and some goats.

God made some lizards and 'gators and stoats.

God made the tigers and lions and bears.

God made the zebras and monkeys and hares.

God made mosquitoes and bees that would buzz.

God made caterpillars all covered with fuzz.

All of the creatures that now live in this land.

Were all a port of God's wonderful plan.

Creative Fun

Make two copies of the pictures of the animals on the following page. Cut them apart and put them in on envelope let the children try to match the different creatures.

IN GOD'S IMAGE

by Sharilyn Adair

The Bible

Genesis 1:26-27, 31

God made us and we belong to God

[TEXT UNREADABLE IN ORIGINAL SOURCE]

Supplies

glue
construction paper
yarn
trim
fabric
scissors

Bible story

In the beginning of everything, God mode a beautiful world God worked and worked to make it just right.

God mode the sky and filled it with shiny things, like the sun, moon, and stars. And all those things were good.

But still God was not through. God made water into oceans and caused land to be separated from the water. And those things were good.

But still God was not through God covered the land with green plants and trees and grasses. And all those things were good.

But still God was not through God filled the water with fishes and sea animals, and God filled the sky with birds. And all those things were good.

But still God was not through. God filled the land with all kinds of animals and creepy, crawly things. And all those things were good.

But still God was not through. "I have created a beautiful world," God said, "but something is missing. I need somebody to take care of my world, somebody who can plant seeds for more plants to grow and who can watch over my trees. I need somebody who can take core of the birds and the fish and the animals. I need somebody just like me."

So God made people. God made men and women to take care of the plants and animals and land. And then God was through making the world. And God saw everything that was made, especially the people who were made to be like God. And, indeed, everything God had made was very, very good.

Creative Fun

Make a copy of the figure on the following page. Provide a variety of decorating supplies, such as construction paper, yarn, trim, and fabric. Have the children create a figure that will represent themselves. Remind them that they were created in God's image.

THE VERY BIG BOAT

by Dapha Flegal

The Bible

Genesis...