Key Thought : Our understanding of God’s design in creation helps us in our view of God and how we relate to Him..

[Teaching Plan for Creation: Forming the World January 7, 2013]

1. Have a volunteer read Genesis 1:3-5.

A. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
B. Was the Universe in existence before God created the earth and its atmosphere (heaven)?
C. Personal Application: What are your favorite aspects of the daylight hours? What about the moonlit hours? Share.
D. Case Study: One of your relatives states, “God gave light to a darkened place in the universe. But what kind of light was it, since the sun and moon weren’t created until the fourth day?” How would you respond to your relative?

2. Have a volunteer read Genesis 1:6-8.

A. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
B. What “firmament” is being described here?
(Note: See Genesis 1:20, and Genesis 1:14)
C. Personal Application: Why do you think God started the day with the darkness first and then the light? Share your thoughts.
D. Case Study: One of your friends states, “How can the firmament be dividing waters from waters? Is this talking about fresh water and salt water, or is this referring to the cycle of evaporation and condensation?” How would you respond to your friend?

3. Have a volunteer read Genesis 1:9-13.

A. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
B. What is the importance of grass, fruit trees, and herbs in the creation of the earth?
C. Personal Application: Of the varieties of fruits that God has created for our consumption; which ones do you want to see on the tree of life? Share.
D. Case Study: One of your neighbors states, “Did God divide the earth and seas the way it is now, or did the flood cause a different division of earth and seas?.” How would you respond to your neighbor?

4. Have a volunteer read Isaiah 45:18.

A. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
B. How important is the idea of design in our understanding of Creation?
C. Personal Application: Does God have specific intentions for each individual life that inhabits earth? Share.
D. Case Study: Think of one person who needs to hear a message from this week’s lesson. Tell the class what you plan to do this week to share with them.

(Note: “Truth that is not lived, that is not imparted, loses its life-giving power, its healing virtue. Its blessings can be retained only as it is shared.” MH p. 149)

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