Fundamental #3

Memory Scriptures 

So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. —Genesis 1:27

 

Summary Statement 

Humans are living, thinking beings created by God in His image (we look like Him!) and with the potential to become part of His family. Human life is physical—temporary—and is not meant to last forever. But God offers us a gift if we will accept it and live by His rules: we can live forever in spirit form!

Adam and Eve were the first people created by God. He made them male and female. They were the first people offered this gift of living forever. It required being obedient to God. Sadly, they disobeyed which brought sin into the world (sin is the breaking of God’s laws). As a result, death and suffering became a normal part of human life. Every human being since Adam and Eve has sinned. (The only One who has lived a sinless life as a human being was Jesus Christ who actually was—and is—the Son of God.)

 

Begin your study

Read the memory scripture 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 the Memorizing Scripture resource "The Fundamentals"). 

Next have your child write the memory scripture, Genesis 1:27, in his or her journal. Ask your child to think about the word image. What is an image? An image can be a reflection, a created object, a picture, and so on. On the surface of a lake on a still day, we see the image of the sky in the water. In a mirror, we see our own image reflecting back. We might even use the word image to describe someone’s character or reputation.

Think about, then, what it means to be made in God’s image. That makes us very unique and very special! Remind your child that God wants every human who has ever lived to eventually be a part of His family. Right now, we are physical human beings and do not yet have eternal life as a spirit being. But we can still choose to reflect God, our Creator, by living His way of life now in preparation for eternal life.

 

Digging Deeper Interaction #1

Talk with your children about what they notice about the world today. What are some good things? What are some not-so-good things?

Here are some questions that might prompt discussion:

Do you think how things are in the world today is how God wants people to live?

Do all people in the world today live how God tells us to live?

What are some things we do that are not what God tells us to do?

Have your child create and cut out five pieces of fruit with construction paper. Tell your child that today you are going to think of five words or behaviors that come to mind to describe the wrong attitudes all people (including us!) have in the world today. If your child needs some assistance even after the guiding questions, give your child a couple of examples, such as greedy, angry, selfish, and so on. Once your child has chosen five words or behaviors, write each one on a different piece of fruit. Save these for the Bible story activity.

 

Digging Deeper Interaction #2

Begin by reminding your child of the previous discussion, focusing on how all of humanity today does not live how God says to live. Ask your child to imagine when Christ will return and will be King and all will live the way God wants us to live. Then have your child write down five words or attitudes that describe what it will be like when everyone is a part of God’s family and living exactly how He tells us to live. If your child needs some assistance, give a couple of examples, such as loving, kind, peaceful, and so on. Have your child cut out five more pieces of fruit from construction paper and write down one of these five words or attitudes on each. Save them for the Bible story activity.

 

Bible Story: Adam and Eve

Read through the story of Adam and Eve in Genesis 2-3. Ask some of the following questions of your child after you have read the story together:

Why did God create human beings?

What kind of life did God offer Adam and Eve?

What kind of life did Adam and Eve have when they listened to Satan?

What kind of life does God want us to have now? What does He want for our future?

Which choice is the better choice? Listening to God or listening to Satan? Why?

What do we have to do to be in God’s family forever?

When finished with the story and discussion, create two posters of trees—label one the tree of life and the other the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Have your child glue or tape the “fruit” from the two interaction activities onto the appropriate tree.

 

Bonus Ideas

Proverbs 27:19 says, “As in water face reflects face, so a man’s heart reveals the man.” Reinforce what you discussed as you began this study about being made in God’s image. What are some qualities of God that we should reflect? Can your children find any scriptures about those godly qualities in the Bible? Have them add them to their “Fundamentals Bible Study Journal.”

Locate the “Flip the Flap Tree of Life” resource from the EEI Additional Resources section. As you assemble the resource together, learn important Bible facts about the tree of life.

Wrap-up Activity

To make this Fundamental’s scripture poster, trace your child’s body on a large piece of paper and have him or her cut it out. Then have your child write Genesis 1:27 on the cut-out and decorate. Have your child hang the poster somewhere in the house.

To end your study, have your child recite the memory scripture for a small audience, perhaps for a church friend or your local pastor.