Fundamental #1

Memory Scriptures 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. —John 1:1

For us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.
—1 Corinthians 8:6 

 

Summary Statement 

God has always existed and always will. That’s hard for us to understand because we had a beginning—the day of our birth—and people only have a limited time to live. But God is made of Spirit, and He will never die.

The Bible reveals that God is composed of two perfect Beings of love, power and great authority—God the Father and the Word, who became Jesus Christ. It was through the Word that God created all things that exist—including us. The whole universe! God the Father, through the Word, is the source of all life. He sustains (takes care of, supports) the entire universe with His power, which is the Holy Spirit. God is a family, and He wants us to be His children. 

 

Begin your study

Read the memory scriptures together with your children, then read through the summary statement (remember to simplify the statement, if necessary). Have your children cut and paste the summary statement from this page in their “Fundamentals Bible Study Journal” (as suggested in our Memorizing Scripture resource “The Fundamentals”). 

Have your child write the first scripture in his or her journal. Then discuss how the scripture connects to the Fundamental. Using a highlighter or colored pencil, have your child highlight “Word” and “God” from John 1:1  and use the same color to highlight the phrases “God the Father” and “the Word, who became Jesus Christ” in the summary statement. When writing the second scripture, highlight the phrases “God, the Father” and “Lord Jesus Christ” from 1 Corinthians 8:6.  

Discuss that, based on the Bible, there are currently two members of the God family: God the Father and the Word, who became Jesus Christ. Have your child choose a different color to highlight the phrase “His power, which is the Holy Spirit” from the summary statement, and discuss with your child how the Holy Spirit is the power of God. 

 

Digging Deeper Interaction #1

Read the memory scripture. Tell your child that today you are going to talk about who God is—His character. We want to be like God, so we need to know what He is like! 

Below are two options for this activity: 

1. Create a list of character traits. Ask your child, “What words come to your mind when you think of God?”

For younger children: Create a word web with the word God in the center. Have your children write out all of the words that come to mind when they think about God. Help your child to brainstorm several character traits that describe God. (You may find our Memorizing Scripture resource “Which Scriptures?” helpful, since it contains several relevant scriptures on the topic of God.)

For older children: Create a word web, as above, and add corresponding scriptures. Show your children how to look up a word in a concordance (or use an online Bible tool) to find a scripture that demonstrates certain character traits in their word web. Examples: God is love (1 John 4:8, 16); God is a God of truth (Deuteronomy 32:4); God is merciful (Exodus 34:6).

2. Highlight one character trait, such as “God is love.”  Discuss and read two or three scriptures that show that God is love. Discuss with your children that God loves them. Parents love their children, and God our Father loves us. We know this because the Bible tells us (John 3:16; 16:27) and because of all the ways that God has shown us love in our lives. 

Have your children create a list of all the ways God has shown them love in their lives by writing a list or drawing pictures in their journals. Model an example for your child first, such as, “God has shown me love by giving me my family.” Then ask your children the following questions to get them thinking about how love is shown: How do you know I love you? How do you show love to me? Does God show you love in any of these ways?

 

Digging Deeper Interaction #2

Begin the day by having your child say the memory scripture (you can see if they have it memorized yet, and they can see if you have memorized it as well!). Then tell your child that today you are going to focus on God as the Creator. 

Turn to Genesis 1:1. Have your child read the scripture and write it in his or her journal. Then turn to John 1 and read verses 1-4. Discuss with your child how all things that exist were created through the Word. Ask your children if they remember who the Word is (review the summary statement if they need a reminder). Then take them outside to take note of all the beautiful things that God has created! This could include sitting in your backyard together, taking a walk in your neighborhood, or going to a nearby park, zoo or nature museum. 

While exploring on your “field trip,” have your children document all they see by either having them bring their journals and drawing materials or by taking pictures. If your child takes photos, print them and have your child paste them in his or her journal to create a collage of God’s creation. 

 

Bible Story: Creation

Read through Genesis 1 with your child in the context of Fundamental #1. Emphasize how God is the Creator of all good things, how powerful God is, and how much He loves us! Then, to review the days of creation, you can use the “Days of Creation Mobile” or “Creation Pull and Find Board” from the Additional Resources section. 

 

Bonus Ideas

There are several scriptures in the Bible that reinforce this Fundamental. Challenge your children (and yourself!) to find another scripture and add it to their “Fundamentals Bible Study Journal.”

Find the “C for Creation” coloring page from the Additional Resources “A to Z Bible Coloring Pages.” Read the scripture at the bottom of the page with your child and then have him or her color in the picture.

Wrap-up Activity

Start a collection of “Scripture Posters” by having your child create a poster for John 1:1 and 1 Corinthians 8:6 (if you covered both scriptures). Let your children use their creativity to decorate the poster with fun markers or other arts and crafts materials. When completed, have your child choose a place in the house to display it.

To end your study, have your child recite the memory scripture for a small audience, perhaps over the phone to a grandparent or at the start of a family dinner.