Lesson Examples

Lesson One – God’s majesty seen on the Earth

Download Lesson example – God’s majesty seen on the Earth

Main focus
Creation shows us God’s majesty. God created so many plants and trees on the Earth. These plants and tress also manifest God’s majesty and splendour.

Level 3 Focus
God created some trees with strength and vitality on the Earth to declare His majesty and splendour.
By the end of this activity, children should be able to:

appreciate that God is the source of all plants and trees
share some ideas about how trees can tell us something about the characteristics of God.

Level: 3

Songs:
Some songs about creation – in coordination with the team (for opening time)

Verse:
Genesis 1:11 and God said, Let the earth sprout grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit.

Background information
Find out something about amazing trees: World’s 7 most amazing trees
http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/photos/worlds-7-most-amazing-trees/the-pillars-of-life

What do these trees say about God?

Giant sequoia: 2,300 – 2,700 years old and it towers above the ground. Shows God is very, very, old (ancient being) and He is above all the earthly things.
Quaking Aspen: Pando – Massive, the roots spread over 100 acres with trunks growing up from the root system all over the 100 acres. It’s the largest living organism on the planet. Shows that God is a massive source of life that, although can’t been seen (like the roots) He brings life (like the trunks/branches) wherever He goes. He is the largest living organism on the Earth.
Tule tree: Very old tree (2,000 years) – is broader than it is tall. Shows God is an ancient being and He is very broad (accepts us all).
Chandelier tree (redwood) – Among the largest trees on Earth. Majestic, huge. Shows God is large and majestic.
Tree of life – The only tree for hundreds of miles in a desert. Its roots go down hundreds of feet to water. Shows God as the tree of life in a barren land. The source of life is God (the living water) which can bring life to dry and barren people.
Wolleni pine: Oldest fossil goes back 200 million years – and the plant species continues to reproduce. Shows God continues from generation to generation – reproducing His (God) species.
Pirangi Cashew: Spreads over 2 acres (.8 hectares) of ground. When the branches of the tree touch the ground they put down roots and keep growing. Shows God’s spreading life. When He touches us, we put down roots into Him and He keeps on growing.

Most beautiful trees (showing the beauty and uniqueness of God)
http://www.boredpanda.com/most-beautiful-trees/

How do trees help people?

Give oxygenWood for building houses and other structures
Are homes for small animals (ecosystems)
Are aesthetic (awe inspiring/amazing/grand/peaceful/majestic to look at)Offer shelter
Give foodHelp prevent landslides and erosion
Wood for carving utensils and decorations

Thank you Lord for the trees!

What you need

Computer/projector
Picture of car being driven through a tunnel in a redwood tree (G306V)
Sketching pencils/paperBlack card

What to do

Write up focus and verse on whiteboard. Blu tac redwood picture to whiteboard.Read the focus together. Read the verse together.
Ask ‘What are we going to talk about today?’ ‘How did the trees come into being?’ (refer to verse).
Mindmap (‘trees’ in the middle). Why did God make trees for us? (see ideas in Background).
Look at 7 of the world’s most amazing trees (URL in Background information). For each tree – tell children one or two of the most interesting things about the tree and then ask them to share how that shows one or two characteristics of God.
If time allows, quickly show pictures of the most beautiful trees (depicting God’s beauty and uniqueness) (URL in Background information).
Tree sketching outside. Show children how to use sketching pencils/how to put the frame of the tree onto the paper and then fill in detail. Allow children to find their own tree to sketch (allow about 20 – 30 minutes).
Mount sketches onto black card. Display.

Lesson two – God’s beauty seen in creation

Download Lesson example – God’s beauty seen in creation

Main focus
Creation reveals God’s characteristic of beauty. God made all things and designed them to express His beauty.
[sub-points in terms of what the children will be able to do after the lesson]
By the end of this activity, children should be able to:

identify beauty in God’s creation
explain that creation shows God’s beauty

Age group: Level 2 (Years 4-6)

Songs:
1. God’s design
2. The wonderful works of your hands

Verse:
Matthew 6:28-29
Consider well the lilies of the field…not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these.

Background information[what we need to know to be able to teach this lesson – and a summary of how we will do this]

In creating the Earth, God did not just make a simple place for people to live. He didn’t make the Earth all flat and plain, but He made the Earth with mountains, valleys, caves, forests, meadows, deserts, islands, and polar regions. He created oceans, streams, waterfalls, rivers, and lakes. The Earth has different seasons, climates, and weather. We have national parks because we recognise the particular beauty in certain areas of God’s creation. If we take a look at all that God created, we can see the great beauty in God’s creation. If we consider the beauty, wonder, richness of life, and vastness of the Earth with the land and the water, it is truly awe-inspiring to realise that God created all these things. Our planet is the most beautiful of all the planets.

In this activity, children contrast the beauty of creation with man-made scenes. As they do this they are encouraged to consider the beauty in God’s creation. They also consider why this is so. The Creator makes that which is pleasing to Himself. In doing so He is expressed in His creation. The beauty of creation reflects the nature of the Creator. Hence God’s beauty can be seen in creation.

There are 16 cards. The cards that depict God’s creation show cats, frangipani flowers, Lake Matheson, Bee eater bird, horse in the surf, sunset, tropical fish and planet Earth as seen from space, The cards depicting man-made scenes show a city, a street with rubbish, rubbish in a harbour (the water is God-made – man often ruin’s His beauty), traffic jam, speed boat, playground, a large house and a stream in the process of eutrophication (because of excessive use of fertiliser).

Resources

Song sheets x2
Whiteboard/markers
1 lily
One set of the 16 cards [attached] per group of 2-3 children
2 Paintings – one by a preschool child and the other, an expertly painted scene

What to do

Sing the songs. Talk about what design means.
Have the verse visible to all children (e.g. in large letters on a whiteboard). Read the verse together.
Have a lily or picture of one. Ask children to describe it. Look at the richness of the colours, the shape, the fine detail. Ask ‘who was Solomon?’ Lead children to understand that he was a grand king who had many riches and was very famous. The Bible says Solomon’s clothing was not as fine, rich and detailed as this lily – made by God.
Divide the children into groups. Give each group a set of cards. Ask children to sort cards into 2 groups – God-made items/scenery and man-made items/scenes [Allow 1-2 minutes]. They should discuss their choices as they work (i.e. explain to each other why they are choosing this particular card for a specific pile)
Get children to spread out the cards so everyone can see them. Are there any differences between the groups of children? Discuss why that might be so. Were there any tricky ones? Talk about them.
Record responses on the whiteboard in 2 columns (God’s creation and man-made things). Differences should include aspects of beauty with God’s creation such as beautiful colours, many bright, vibrant colours, form, full of life, vastness, sense of awe, majestic, detail, etc. Talk about how this beauty corresponds with what we like and appreciate (because we are made in the image of God). In contrast the man-made items are often dull, can lead to pollution, none of it is living, etc. Talk about the man-made items being made from things from God’s creation (wood from trees, fibreglass from sand and limestone and other minerals, plastic from oil etc).
Show the child’s painting. Ask the children to tell us something about the painter (e.g., it was done by someone who is young/immature/not good at painting) Ask children how they know. Show the professional painting. Ask children to tell us something about the painter (Mature/expert at painting/loves colour/careful/fine/detailed etc.). Lead children to realise that you can learn something about a person by looking at what he/she creates. People express something of themselves when they create something. Ask what God’s creation tells us about God. Creation shows us the kind of person God is; it expresses the nature of God. Look at the lily and the God-made items on the cards again. What do these tell us about God? Make a list on the whiteboard of some of the characteristics of God.
Direct the children to the verse again. Read together. Ask children to tell us about the verse in light of the lesson (the beauty of the lily – its colour, fineness, form, etc., is an expression of the beauty of God).
Sing one of the songs again – if time allows.

Cards – God’s Beauty seen in creation