2025-10-05 God Created the World to Show How Special He is
Introduction
The primary goal of this lesson is to teach that God created the world, not because He was lonely or needed anything, but because of His "overflowing happiness in His incomparable greatness and worth." The lesson uses the visual of an overflowing bowl of balloons, each representing an attribute of God, to illustrate that God is so special, He had to show it. Through reading portions of Genesis 1 and using Creation pictures (Sun, Water, Land, Plants, Animals), students learn that creation is a "show-and-tell" display of God's greatness and glory, allowing us to see, feel, touch, hear, and smell how special He is. The memory verse is Psalm 19:1 ("The heavens declare the glory of God"), reinforcing the core idea that all of creation reveals God's greatness, which should lead people to praise and trust Him.
Praise and Worship (15 mins)
Parents: The parent and child scheduled for this week will lead us in singing on Sunday. Please take time to practice the songs together at home, helping your child feel confident and joyful as they prepare to lead.
Prayer and Offering (5 mins)
Parents: Please encourage your children to bring an offering to church. You may help your child prepare by setting aside a coin for them to bring on Sunday. This is a great opportunity to teach them about giving to God with a thankful heart and trusting Him to provide.
What is Offering?
Offering is when we give something to God to show our love and thankfulness. In church, we often give money as an offering, but we can also give our time, talents, and kindness to God and others.
Why Do We Make an Offering?
1️⃣ To Thank God – Everything we have comes from God! Giving back is a way to say, “Thank You, God!”
The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 9:7,
2️⃣ To Trust Others – Offerings help the church teach about Jesus, help people in need, and share God’s love.
"God loves a cheerful giver!" That means God is happy when we give with a joyful heart!
Prayer for Offering
Dear God, thank You for giving us everything we need. We want to give back to You with joyful hearts. Please use our offering to help others and share Your love. Help us to always trust You. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
Review Verse from Last Week
Isaiah 46:9b —"I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me."
- I am (point to self)
- God, (God in American sign language: with your right hand, make a flat, open-handed shape and bring it to your forehead, then make a downward arc motion towards your chest- the arc movement signifies God’s presence or reign from above)
- and there is no other; (shake head and wag index finger sideways)
- I am (point to self)
- God, (with your right hand, make a flat, open-handed shape and bring it to your forehead, then make a downward arc motion towards your chest)
- and there is none like me. (for each hand, curve the fingers and thumb to form an “O” so there are two “O”s, move the two “O”s outwards)
Bible Story (10 min): GodGod's is VictoriousCreation
Introduction (1 min)
Props Needed:
- Empty Bowl
- Balls with Attributes on them
- Bag for the balls
Teacher:
“Last week we learned some words that tell us about God. Who remembers one of those words?”
(Take responses. As each child answers, hand them a balloon with that attribute written on it and let them put it in the bowl. Keep going until the bowl is overflowing and balloons spill out.)Teacher:
“Wow! Look at this—our bowl is so full it can’t even hold all the balloons! That reminds us of something very important about God. God is so wonderful, so full of greatness, that He is overflowing with goodness. There are so many ways the Bible tells us how special He is—more than we could ever count!”(Pause, point to balloons spilling over.)
Teacher:
“Now, we can’t really see words overflowing. But do you think God has a way to show us with real things—things we can see, touch, hear, and feel—just how great and special He is?”(Let children respond: “Yes!”)
Teacher:
“Yes! God shows us His greatness through what He made. The Bible tells us in the very first verse, Genesis 1:1: ‘In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.’ God made everything—sun, water, land, plants, animals—not because He needed to, but to show us His glory, how very special He is.”
Story Telling (5 min)
Scripture: Genesis 1:1-25; Psalm 19:1
Props / Visuals Suggested:
- Bible
(Hold up your Bible and open to Genesis 1:1. Point so the children can see you are reading from the Bible.)
Teacher:
“The Bible says, ‘In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.’ Before anything else existed, who was there?”(Wait for children: “God.”)
Teacher:
“That’s right! God was always there. He is eternal—He never had a beginning and He will never end. Then, God began to create. Let’s look at some of the wonderful things He made to show us how special He is.”
Sun (Genesis 1:16–17)
(Hold up the Sun picture.)
Teacher:
“Here is the sun. Is the sun just a word, or is it real?”
(Children answer: “Real!”)“Can you see the sun in the sky? What do you feel on your skin when the sun shines?”
(Children: “Warmth.”)Teacher:
“Yes! God made the sun to give us light and warmth. It shows us His power and care. Genesis says: ‘God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day… And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth.’ God created the sun to show how powerful and special He is.”
Water (Genesis 1:9–10)
(Show the Water picture.)
Teacher:
“Now look at water. Where do you see water every day?”
(Children respond: sinks, rivers, oceans, rain.)“Can you touch and splash it? Can we live without water?”
(Children: “No!”)Teacher:
“Exactly. The Bible says: ‘And God said, Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together… And God called the dry land Earth, and the waters He called Seas.’ God made water to give us life and to remind us He provides everything we need.”
Land (Genesis 1:9–10)
(Show the Land picture.)
Teacher:
“God made the land—mountains, deserts, fields. What kinds of things do we find on land?”
(Children respond: houses, trees, animals, people.)“Imagine if there was no land—where would we live?”
(Children: “Nowhere!”)Teacher:
“Right! God made the land so people, plants, and animals would have a place to live. Land shows us God’s wisdom and goodness.”
Plants (Genesis 1:11–12)
(Show the Plants picture.)
Teacher:
“Look at these plants. What are some of your favorite plants or foods that grow from plants?”
(Children respond: apples, flowers, bananas, corn, etc.)“Why do you think God made plants to give food?”
(Children: “So we can eat!”)Teacher:
“Yes! The Bible says: ‘And God said, Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit.’ God made plants to feed us and to show His kindness. He even made flowers just to show beauty and make us smile!”
Animals (Genesis 1:20–25)
(Show the Animals picture.)
Teacher:
“God made animals too—big and small. What’s your favorite animal?”
(Let children share.)“Think about how amazing animals are. Huge whales in the sea, tiny ants on the ground, fast cheetahs, colorful birds. What do these animals show us about God?”
(Children: He is creative, powerful, wise.)Teacher:
“Yes! The Bible says: ‘And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds… and God saw that it was good.’ Animals remind us of God’s strength, wisdom, and creativity.”Psalm 19:1 (Creation Proclaims God’s Glory)
(Hold up your Bible again.)
Teacher:
“The Bible also tells us something amazing in Psalm 19:1: ‘The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.’”(Point upward or gesture to the sky.)
“Do the skies use words to tell us about God?”
(Children: “No.”)Teacher:
“That’s right—they show us with pictures: stars, clouds, rainbows, birds, and sunsets. Everyone in the whole world can ‘hear’ the message of the sky. Creation is like God’s giant show-and-tell, reminding us every day that He is the most special of all.”
Wrap-up & Discussion (4 min)
Teacher:
“Wow, boys and girls—we just learned that God made the sun, water, land, plants, and animals. And He made all of these to show us how special He is. Let’s think about what this means for us.”
Discussion Questions
Question 1 – Favorite Creation
Teacher:
“What is your favorite thing that God made?”
(Let children share—accept multiple answers. Encourage excitement and wonder.)
Teacher:
“Every one of those things points us back to God, the Creator.”
Question 2 – Seeing God’s Greatness
Teacher:
“When you see a mountain, a flower, or even a little puppy, what does that show you about God?”
(Children: He is strong, kind, creative, wise.)
Teacher:
“Yes! Creation is like a big picture that tells us about God.”
Question 3 – Our Response
Teacher:
“What should we do when we see something beautiful that God made? Should we just say, ‘That’s nice,’ and walk away?”
(Children: “No! Praise God!”)
Teacher:
“That’s right—we should thank Him, praise Him, and tell others about Him.”
Question 4 – Help from God
Teacher:
“Sometimes we forget to see God’s greatness when we look at creation. Who can help us understand how special God is?”
(Children: “God can! Through the Bible and His Spirit.”)
Teacher:
“Yes! God Himself helps us see His glory.”
Question 5 – God’s Glory
Teacher:
“Why did God make everything? Was it because He was lonely?”
(Children: “No!”)
Teacher:
“Exactly! God was already perfectly happy. He made everything to show His glory—that means to show how very special and great He is.”
Closing Thought & Prayer
Teacher:
“So, boys and girls, whenever you see the sun shining, water splashing, flowers blooming, or animals running, remember: God made it all to show us His greatness. Creation is God’s way of saying, ‘Look how wonderful I am!’”
(Pause, fold hands for prayer.)
Prayer:
“Dear God, thank You for making the world so beautiful. Thank You for the sun, the land, the water, the plants, and the animals. Most of all, thank You for showing us how special You are through everything You made. Help us to always see Your greatness and praise You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Memorizing Verse: Psalm 19:1
Psalm 19:1
"The heavens declare the glory of God;
the sky above proclaims his handiwork"
Teacher: We've spent time seeing that God is so wonderfully great, He overflowed into creation to show us how special He is. Now, let’s look at a verse from the Bible that sums up this entire idea perfectly. This is our memory verse for the week, Psalm 19, verse 1:
"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork."
That's a powerful verse, but it uses some words we might not use every day. If we understand these three words—declare, proclaim, and handiwork—we'll grasp the heart of this lesson.
1. Defining "Glory"
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Teacher: Let’s start with the most important word in the verse: Glory. In this context, when we talk about God's glory, we mean God is very special—He is great, important, and has immense, visible worth. Think back to the overflowing bowl of balloons: His glory is all of those wonderful attributes—His power, His wisdom, His goodness—all shining out for everyone to see. Everything God creates is a window into His specialness.
2. Defining "Declare" and "Proclaim"
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Teacher: The verse says the heavens declare and the sky proclaims God's glory. What does it mean to declare something?
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(Wait for a few student responses, like 'announce' or 'tell loudly'.)
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Teacher: Exactly. To declare means to make known publicly, clearly, and loudly. To proclaim is very similar; it means to announce something important to everyone.
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Teacher: Since the skies don't have a mouth, how do they declare God’s glory? They do it by their very existence! The sheer size of the sun, the perfect cycle of the tides, the vastness of the stars —they are shouting, without words, "God is mighty! God is brilliant! God is special!"
3. Defining "Handiwork"
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Teacher: Finally, the verse says the sky proclaims God's handiwork. What is handiwork?
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(Wait for responses, like 'something made by hand' or 'craftsmanship'.)
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Teacher: Handiwork is simply something made by a person, showing off their skill, effort, and design. If you see a beautiful, intricate quilt, you say, "Wow, that's incredible handiwork."
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Teacher: So, when the verse says the sky above proclaims God’s handiwork, it means everything up there—the clouds, the air we breathe, the moon—is a masterpiece made by God. The design and complexity of nature prove the Master Designer exists and show off His incredible skill.
Summary
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Teacher: Let's put it all together. Psalm 19:1 means: Everything in creation is loudly announcing the specialness, greatness, and unmatched skill of the God who made it. Let’s say the memory verse one more time together, keeping those definitions in mind.
Psalm 19:1
"The heavens declare the glory of God;
the sky above proclaims his handiwork"
Craft & Game (10 mins)
Game: Charades
Have the children take turns coming to the front to act out something that God has made. Children can act out animals or objects such as an elephant, alligator, lion, bird, fish, dog, pig, tree, flower, etc. Have the teacher indicate to the child what to pretend to be, so that the teacher can give the other students hints, if necessary, in order to guess correctly. When the children have guessed correctly, ask them: “And why did God create (name of animal or object)?” Children respond: “To show how special He is!”
Response Song
Closing Prayer & Snack Time (10 mins)
"Dear Jesus, thank You for being victorious over sin and death. Thank You for rising from the dead and showing us that nothing can stop You. Help us to remember that when we trust in You, we're on the winning side. We love You! Amen."
Now, let us thank You for the snack we’re about to enjoy.
We fold our hands.
We bow our heads.
We thank You, God,
for this daily bread.
Amen.