DURING THE WEEK If youre using this resource in a weekly small-group setting, encourage participants to increase the impact

of each story in their lives by doing some exercises and activities between sessions. One of the best ways to reinforce the message is to retell the story to others family, friends, and anyone else you can think of. Even people you think arent interested may be willing to let you practice on them. The retelling process not only helps you get Gods truth into your heart, it might open theirs as well. You can also dramatize the story with family or friends, make up a song with the memory verse or the storys theme, draw a scene from the story in order to help you retain a visual memory of it, or come up with any other experiential activity you can think of. Feel free to be creative. God has given us five senses and a variety of learning styles, and the more of them we use, the more we learn. In a small-group setting, these activities could be collaborative and of the moment, assigned as homework to bring back to the class in the next meeting, or simply suggested for each participant to use as he or she chooses. During the week is a good time to practice any verses youve chosen to memorize. You can write the verses on index cards or type them into a handheld device and carry them with you wherever you go. Thats a great way to maximize downtime that would otherwise be lost standing in line or waiting for appointments. Review your verses as often as possible; even a brief look can help establish them in your memory. Another great way to dive deep into a biblical story is to look at that story from a variety of different angles. Put on a specific set of lenses through which you will view the weeks story each day, and you will be amazed at how many insights and applications open up to you. You can use the suggested patterns below or come up with one of your own. Look Upward How does this story apply to your relationship with God? What does it teach you about Him His will and His heart? What aspect of His character is He inviting you to experience and enjoy? How will you benefit by applying the truths of this story in your relationship with God? How will God benefit? What practical steps can you take to live out these truths in your relationship with God? Look Inward How does this story apply to your heart and your own spiritual growth? What does it teach you about yourself, your needs, or your goals in life? In what aspects of your personal life is God inviting you to grow and mature? How will you benefit by applying the truths of this story inwardly? How will those around you benefit? What practical steps can you take to allow these truths to help you grow spiritually? Look Around How does this story apply to your relationship with others? What does it teach you about how to see others and relate to them? What is God inviting you to do differently in your relationships? How will you benefit by applying the truths of this story in your relationships? How will others benefit? What practical steps can you take to live out these truths in your relationships? Look Forward

How does this story apply to your future, both in this age and in eternity? What does it teach you about Gods plan for your life, now and forever? What aspect of eternity is God inviting you to participate in? How will you benefit in the future by applying these truths now? How will Gods kingdom benefit? What practical steps can you take to impact eternity now with these truths? CREATION In the Beginning THEME God creates everything, and it is good. PASSAGE/REFERENCE Genesis 12 BACKGROUND From ancient times to today, people have asked lifes big questions: How did this world begin? What is the meaning of life? Where is it all headed? Why am I here? While plenty of answers for these questions have been suggested by scientists, philosophers, and anyone else with a sense of curiosity, most human beings still consider these questions a mystery. PREPRE-STORY DIALOGUE Today we want to talk about the answers given by the One who was there at the beginning. We want to talk about Creation where everything carne frorn and how our world began. Before we start, think about some of the answers people give for these big questions. What are some of the ideas people have about how the world began? What do they say is the meaning of life? Who are considered the experts on this topic? Now as you listen to the story, think about the following questions: What was there in the beginning? Where did everything that was made come from? Where do human beings fit into the story of Creation? TELL THE STORY In the very beginning, God made the heavens and the earth. The earth was shapeless and empty and dark, but Gods Spirit hovered over the waters. When God said, Let there be light, there was light. (Thats how He created everything by speaking. He would say, Let there be .1 and then it was there.) He separated light from darkness and called it day and night. That was the first day of creation. Then on the second day, God stretched out an expanse above the waters and called it the heavens, or sky. Then on the third day, He separated the waters by creating dry land, and He called the land earth and the waters seas. He looked at all He had made and said it was good. God said, Let the earth bring forth plants, and plants began to grow grass and trees and all kinds of seed bearing vegetation so the plants could reproduce themselves. On the fourth day, He made the sun and moon and stars to give light during the day and the night. He set the sun and moon in the sky and planned their times and seasons to give us days, months, and years. On the fifth and sixth days, He began creating animal life the same way He had created everything else, just by speaking them into existence: first creatures of the sea and birds in the air, then land animals of all kinds. He blessed them all to be fruitful and multiply, and they all reproduced according to their own kind.

Finally, but still on the sixth day, God made human beings in His own image designed to be just like Himself. He made both male and female and blessed them to be fruitful and multiply, just as He had blessed the animals. He formed the man out of dust, but the man was alone so God made the woman out of the man. He united them together and said they were one flesh. He made man to have authority over all the other creatures and over the earth itself, and He gave the man and woman a command to fill the earth and subdue it. He gave them a beautiful place to live: a garden they would work in and take care of. Every step of the way, God looked at what He had made and said it was good. But after He made human beings, when He had finished everything, He looked at it all and said it was very good. Then on the seventh day God rested, and He blessed that seventh day and set it apart for rest. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS What existed in the beginning? In this story, does the world seem to be an accident or a well-planned design? What evidence is Why do you think the Spirit hovered over the waters? What was He doing? Do you think creation is still good? How do you think it is different now than it was when God In what ways are human beings made in Gods image? How are we different than everything else He created? Why do you think He designed us to be like Him? What does this say about our value to God? How does that make you feel? What does it mean for human beings to subdue the earth or have dominion over it? In what ways do you think we could abuse this assignment? How can we carry it out responsibly? What does this story tell us about Gods design for marriage? What does this story tell us about God? What is He like? How powerful is He? What is valuable to Him? What characteristics of His do we see in this story? How does it affect our lives if we believe that God made everything we can see?

there in the story for your answer?

first made it?

QUESTIONS FOR FAMILIES/CHILDREN Who made everything? Did God do a good job when He made the world? How do ive know? In what ways did He show how creative He is? How do you think we should treat the world God made? How did God make us different from the animals? Why do you think God made each of us able to know Him and talk with Him? How does this story show us that each of us is extremely special to God? What do we know about God from this story? What do we know about ourselves?

MEMORY VERSES

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 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. Genesis 1:31
KEY KEY APPLICATION - We are to value all the people and things God has created.

CONTENTS 1. Creation: In the Beginning 2. Fall: Paradise Lost 3. Flood: Regrets and a Rescue 4. Nations: The Tower of Babel 5. Abraham: A Promised Blessing 6. Isaac: A Promise Fulfilled 7. Jacob: Encounters with God 8. Joseph: A Painful Providence 9. Moses: A Momentous Mission 10. Passover: A Dramatic Deliverance 11. Red Sea: Escape Through the Waters 12. Ten Commandments: The Making of a Covenant 13. Twelve Spies: Faith Versus Unbelief 14. Joshua: Into the Promise 15. Gideon: Oppression, Fear, and a Mighty Warrior 16. Ruth: Restored and Redeemed 17. Saul: A Kings Compromise 18. David: Wholehearted Love and Faith 19. Solomon: A Dwelling Place for God 20. Job: Pain, Prayers, and Patience 21. Elijah: A Spiritual Showdown 22. Jonah: The Reluctant Prophet 23. Isaiah: Visions of Things to Come 24. Daniel: No Compromise 25. Esther: Fear and Faith in a Crisis 26. Nehemiah: Tenacious Faith 27. Jesus Birth: Promises and Prophecies Fulfilled 28. Jesus Baptism: A Heavenly Endorsement 29. Jesus Temptation: The Truth Is Tested 30. Jesus Calls the Disciples: Becoming a Follower 31. Jesus Heals the Paralytic: Authority to Forgive and Restore 32. Nicodemuss Second Birth: Looking to Jesus in Faith 33. Woman at the Well: A Different Kind of Drink 34. Storm Stilled: Fear, Faith, and the Power of Jesus 35. Crowd Filled: The Bread That Satisfies 36. Lazarus Raised: Victory over Our Worst Enemy 37. Zacchaeus Praised: A Life-Changing Encounter 38. Demoniac Delivered: The Good News of Freedom 39. Learning to Pray: Priorities, Promises, and Persistence 40. Seeking the Lost: An Unexpected Mission 41. Revealing the Kingdom: Gods Reign Now and Forever 42. Declaring the King: A Foundation for the Church 43. Heaven or Hell: The Great Divide 44. Washing Their Feet: Greatness Through Serving 45. Last Supper: Celebrating a Greater Deliverance 46. Prayed, Betrayed: The Moment of Crisis 47. Tried, Crucified: The Ultimate Sacrifice 48. Resurrected: The Beginning of the New Creation 49. Restored to Serve: After Denials and Doubts 50. Reach the World: A God-Sized Mission 51. Jesus Ascends: Awaiting His Return 52. Spirit Descends: Promised Power from Above