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10/13/21 7th/8th gr. Axis Guide Sheet: Genesis – God, Creation, Science, and Us

7th/8th gr. Axis Guide Sheet: Genesis – God, Creation, Science, and Us                           10/13/21

Hi Guides & families  Here is tonight’s flow. Activity ideas are on the back. Remember Highs & Lows & prayers!

 

Large Group (6:30-7:00)

 

Small Group (7:00-7:30)

 

Takeaways (share these to start & end)

1)      God created you, God loves you, & God is at work in your life.

2)      Science & faith/religion can coexist & actually help one another.

 

Discussion starters:

-          What stuck out to you from large group? What raised questions for you?

 

-          Questions are an important part of our growth as Christians. When you have questions who/what are the things you go to for answers?

 

-          What is your response to this quote, “We are closer to God when we are asking questions than when we think we have the answers.”?

 

-          How can we know when to trust the Bible & when to trust science? Is it either/or? Can it be both?

 

-          What are the relationships like in the creation story? (God-humans, humans-each other, God-creation, humans-creation?)

 

-          What does it mean to you personally to be created in God’s image?

 

-          What responsibilities did humans have in the creation story? Why do you think God gave humans (us) responsibilities?

 

-          What do you notice about God in the story?

 

-          Why do you think creation/origin stories are important? (Every culture has them & has passed them down.)

 

-          What are some things you have created in your life? Why did you make them?

 

-          What do you think our creation story has to say about identity?

 

-          Why do you think humans were created with limitations?

 

-          What was God risking by giving humans the ability to make choices? What was there to gain?

 

-          Why do you think that some knowledge was/is only intended for God?

 

Bible talk:

-          Find Genesis 1:27 in your Bibles. Someone please read this for us. Talk about it:

o   What does it mean when God says, “Let us make humankind in our image?”

o   How are we made “in the image of God”? What characteristics of human beings are like God?

o   How can we improve at learning about other people and appreciating their uniqueness?

-          Have a different volunteer read Genesis 1:26-2:4. Talk about it:

o   How do you interact with nature?

o   If God has given us the world, what are our responsibilities?

o   How have humans used their dominion (vs 1:28) over the earth? If God made it good, have we done a good job or a bad job of taking care of it?

 

 

Activity ideas:

 

Grow your imagination – How did you picture the world, or garden, as God created in the story? Draw it!

Take it Outside – If the weather’s cooperative, head outside. Look at creation. Invite your kids to talk about things you see & hear & feel. What does nature tell us about God? What does it tell us about ourselves?

            *If it’s not great out, bust out the phones pull up Instagram & check out @usinterior, @natgeo, or @rei for some great feeds of the great outdoors & discuss the questions above.

 

God Still Loves – Divide a piece of paper in two. On one half, write down the names of people who have shown you they love you even when you’ve made a mistake…On the other half, write down the names of people you’ve kept loving even when they’ve made a mistake.

Share with the group - As humans, we aren’t perfect are we?! In fact, you may recall from the story of Noah that the world got so bad that God wanted to start all over & so he did with Noah’s family. These lists show us the kind of love that God has for us & allows us to have for others!

 

 

#creatorGod – This week, try to make an extra effort to notice creation. When something catches your eye, take a pic & post it with the tag, #creatorGod. Don’t forget, you, are a part of God’s good creation too!

 

Creation Care – How can you care for the natural world in your daily life? Pick up litter, conserve water, plant something. Be creative! If you have an idea for something that you’d like to share with the whole group, let us know next week! – PS-This Sunday is a highway clean up Sunday. Join others after worship to clean up litter along our stretch of 81!

 

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