ELEMENTARY KIDS & FAMILIES date
1.1
The Creator is intimately involved in his creation … and i am His beloved creation too. Inspire (for parents) As parents, we have the unique privilege of being the first to introduce the wonder of God’s creation to our children. Each day with my kids was a new adventure of discovery and awe. I remember how excited my daughter would get to touch the antennae of a snail and watch it recoil, or the glee my son felt the first time he played in the snow.
he brought my attention to how God made the giraffe, the zebra, and the leopard with their spots and stripes so they could hide from aggressors in the jungles and plains. He told me how the ocean was salty so it wouldn’t completely freeze, and how it used the salt to purify itself. In all of these ways, my parents revealed God as Creator. To me, the Creator is intimately involved in His creation … and I am His beloved creation too.
When I was a child, my parents did a great job of intentionally creating environments for by Michelle Anthony me to know God in meaningful ways through nature. My mother has a love for the splendor of creation. She reacted to things in nature as if it were the first time she was seeing it. Her awe of God’s handiwork made my eyes more attentive to the God behind the canvas of life. To this day, whenever the sun sets, I run out and watch it because my ) is 1—3 (Creation mother cued me to view it as God Scripture: Genes en Be ys wa Has Al painting the sky differently every Main Point: God ur family to ned to allow yo single day! sig de is ce ur so This re your children d’s Word before Go in e tim ve My dad is especially interested ha n is for parents Because God’s pla attend church. in insects, rocks, and vegetation. children’s faith, l nurturers of their to be the spiritua , your children lly He would say, “Look at the u grow spiritua yo as at th ow we kn intricacies of this insect. Isn’t it lly as well. will grow spiritua amazing how God did that?” Or
Getting Started
Equip (for parents) The writers of the Old Testament used many names for God. The first chapter of Genesis describes God as Elohim, which means “powerful” in Hebrew … the one who created the cosmic universe and our earth out of nothing, only through His infinite power. The second chapter describes God as Yahweh (I AM WHO I AM), who breathed into Adam’s nostrils and formed him from the dust, like a potter forms a pot from clay. As parents, names are important. We take great care in naming our children. We want their name to “fit” who they are and we know that they will be identified by it. We sometimes forget the care that we took to name our children, and their names can simply become familiar ways to refer to them. In the same way, it is easy to just think of God by a name and forget there are many names by which He chose to describe Himself, and intimately identify His character. When we take time to pause to understand His names, we better understand why He chooses to interact with His creation.
RE
MEM “Bef BER ore ver y sE o wor ld a u creat n e d th wer em e m d the a o d beg inni e, from untains n t are God g to the he .” Psa end lm 9 you 0:2 (NIr
V)
Support
(for parents & kids) Sometime this week read through the biblical account of God’s creation in Genesis 1—3. At the end of each chapter, think of a question that reviews what you just read such as, “What was your favorite day/part of creation and why?” or “Why do you think God rested on the seventh day?” Before you begin to read the account, pray together as a family and ask God to show you something about Himself you have never noticed before. Just for fun, we suggest reading this passage to your children sitting in a darkened room, lit by a single candle or flashlight. When you read the part where God said, “Let there be light” … ask one of your children turn on the lights. Next, as you read each part of creation in chapter one, encourage your children to act out what is being created. If your children can read aloud, have them take turns reading sections of chapters two and three. When you are finished, let them know what they just heard is a part of The Big God Story in the Bible and that they will hear it in church. Remind them that the Bible is true and is God’s very special book to tell us about who He is.
© 2010 David C Cook. TruResources are developed in partnership with ROCKHARBOR Church and a national network of family and children’s ministry leaders. All rights reserved.