Made in God’s Image

BIG IDEA: God made us in His image.

This free Bible lesson, In God’s Image, will teach preschool and elementary students about how humans are created in God’s image as described in Genesis 1:26-2:25. We are given God’s character of love, morality, and compassion.

FOCUS BIBLE PASSAGE: Genesis 1:26-2:25

All of the printable activities and digital slides needed for the lesson, as well as a full printable lesson plan for both elementary and preschool are available.

Below is the outline of the free elementary Bible lesson.

PREP & SUPPLIES

• printed “Detective Notes” for each student
• Bibles for students
• pencils
• printed “God’s Image” for each student
• coloring supplies

LESSON HOOK ACTIVITY

We are going to start today by reading some short stories about plants and animals. I want you to listen very closely so you can answer the questions that I ask you at the end of each story.

LEADER NOTE: Each of the stories is provided for you to read directly off of the slides, but they are also included on the next page as well.

(SLIDE) Story 1 (Wilma Watermelon & Ozzie Oak Tree)

Is this a story that could really happen? (no) Why not? (allow responses)

This story is not real and couldn’t be real because watermelon is a plant and plants don’t have emotions or friendships.

(SLIDE) Story 2 (Bernard and Brenda the Bears)

Is this a story that could really happen? (no) Why not? (allow responses)

This story is not real and couldn’t be real because bears, and other animals, do not have emotions or the ability to reason when they make decisions. They do things based on instinct, but they don’t have a “reason” for doing things.

(SLIDE) Story 3 (Chester the Chihuahua and Donnie the Dachshund)

Is this a story that could really happen? (no) Why not? (allow responses)

This story is not real and couldn’t be real because dogs, and other animals, do not have the ability to show compassion or kindness to someone who is struggling with a problem, or the ability to understand someone’s struggles.

What do you notice about the characters in all three of these stories? (allow responses and discussion)

What kind of character should have been in each of these stories rather than a plant or an animal? (a human; a person)

Today’s lesson from the Bible is going to teach us why humans are so much different than all of the other parts of God’s creation.

LEADER NOTE: Each of the stories is provided for you to read directly off of the slides, but they are also included on this page as well.

The point of these stories is to get students to realize the difference in how animals and plants were created in contrast to humans and our character.

Story 1:

Wilma Watermelon was so excited because her friend Ozzie Oak Tree was coming to visit her. Wilma got ready and waited and waited for Ozzie to come visit. After she had waited for an hour, her phone rang. It was Ozzie calling to let her know that he could not come to visit her because he was not able to break free of his roots. Wilma was very sad, but she told Ozzie that she understood and that she will see him some other time.

Story 2:

Bernard the Bear has been nervous about an upcoming decision that he needs to make. He needs to decide if he will hibernate in the cave on the east side of the forest or the one on the west side of the forest. He decides to seek some advice from his sister Brenda. Brenda thinks about the decision and gives her brother the best advice she can think of.

“You should hibernate in the cave on the west side of the forest because the morning sun will not wake you up like it would on the east side and the wind that comes in from the west will be sure to keep your cave nice and cool for your slumber.” Brenda says.

Story 3:

Chester the Chihuahua and Donnie the Dachshund are best friends. Lately it is hard for Donnie because Chester is so selfish with his toys. Chester will often take a bone and go hide under the couch where Donnie cannot reach him. Donnie just has to sit there and watch Chester chew on his bone. Donnie doesn’t get upset though because he knows that the reason Chester is acting that way is because he is upset about having to spend so much time with the veterinarian. Donnie understands because last year he spent two nights with the veterinarian and it was a tough time in his life.

BIBLE LESSON

(SLIDE) Last week we learned from the Bible how God created EVERYTHING.

OPTIONAL REVIEW:

How many days did God take to create everything? (6)

How do we know that God created everything? (we read about the creation in the Bible)

What did God create on Day 6? (land animals and humans)

On Day 6, God created all of the land animals and He saw that it was GOOD. In Genesis 1:26 we can start reading about the later part of Day 6.

(SLIDE) Genesis 1:26-28

[Then God said, “Let us make human beings so that they are like us. Let them rule over the fish in the seas and the birds in the sky. Let them rule over the livestock and all the wild animals. And let them rule over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created human beings in his own likeness. He created them to be like himself. He created them as male and female. God blessed them. He said to them, “Have children so that there will be many of you. Fill the earth and bring it under your control. Rule over the fish in the seas and the birds in the sky. Rule over every living creature that moves along the ground.”]

If students question the text because it says “Let us“, you can briefly discuss that this is the first obvious mention of the Trinity in the Bible (the Trinity is present in Gen. 1:1). Our God is 3 Persons in 1. There is only ONE God. Each Person of the Trinity is fully God. The three Persons work together as one.

(SLIDE) Genesis 1:31

[God saw everything he had made. And it was very good.]

God created all of the land animals and then He created human beings to rule over all of the other creatures. He described His creation as “good” until AFTER humans were created. Then he described His creation as “very good”.

Just a few verses before this one we learn about the WAY human beings were created.

(SLIDE) Genesis 1:27

[So God created human beings in his own likeness. He created them to be like himself. He created them as male and female.]

We were created IN GOD’S IMAGE, in His likeness, to be like Him. What do you think that means? (allow responses and discussion)

Being created in God’s image means that we are given God’s nature and character. We are given His love, His creativity, His compassion, and His goodness.

God has always had, and will always have, a special connection with humanity. He created us so that we could have a relationship and friendship with Him.

(SLIDE) Big Idea: God made us in His image.

We are going to have an “Image Investigation” to find out what it means to be created “In God’s Image”.

The Bible Story Lesson & Large Group Activity are combined for this part of the lesson.

For the “Image Investigation”, you will each get a Bible (if possible), a pencil, and “Detective Notes”. You can work with a partner or a small group (no more than 4 students) if you would like.

What does it mean to “investigate”? (to study something very carefully and closely)

What does it mean to make an “observation”? (to notice something about what you have been looking at carefully and closely)

On your paper, you will see a list of Bible passage references. Your job as a “detective” is to “investigate” each Bible passage by looking it up and reading it and then writing your observations about how it applies to today’s lesson of how humans are created in God’s image.

HANDOUT: Each student should get a copy of “Detective Notes”, a Bible, and a pencil.

Leaders may need to help younger students search for Bible passages and/or read/comprehend the passages.

Leader’s Guide for this activity is on the next page. You should plan to spend some time discussing the Truths found in the Bible passages after students have had time to investigate the passages for themselves.

(SLIDE) Genesis 1:26

[Then God said…”Let them rule over the fish in the seas and the birds in the sky. Let them rule over the livestock and all the wild animals. And let them rule over all the creatures that move along the ground.”]

(SLIDE) Psalm 8:6-8

[You made human beings rule over everything your hands created. You put everything under their control. They rule over all flocks and herds and over the wild animals. They rule over the birds in the sky and over the fish in the ocean. They rule over everything that swims in the oceans.]

“To rule over” or “to have dominion over” means that God gave authority to humans to take care of His Creation. This was a job that was only given to humans.

What does it mean to have “authority”? (allow responses)

When someone has “authority” it means that they are “in charge”. To have authority means that someone has the right and responsibility to care for something/someone and keep it safe.

(SLIDE) The teacher in your classroom has authority over the decisions that happen in the classroom. He or she has the right and responsibility to keep the students safe and to make good decisions that help the students learn and grow.

You may want to discuss all of the positions of authority shown in the picture (law officers parents, presidents, teachers).

(SLIDE) God gave humans this authority BECAUSE we are made in His image.

God gave humans this authority over all of the rest of Creation. When God gave humans the authority to rule over creation, He made us above the rest of creation. He gave us the job of taking care of His Creation.

(SLIDE) Genesis 2:7

[Then the LORD God formed a man. He made him out of the dust of the ground. God breathed the breath of life into him. And the man became a living person.]

We see two things in this verse that God did when He created human beings that He didn’t do for any other part of His Creation. What are the two differences? (allow responses)

(1) God formed man, and (2) God breathed life into the man.

(SLIDE) God brought Adam to life in a special way by breathing life into him. He did not do this for any other part of His Creation. He CREATED all other life, but the Bible does not say that he BREATHED life into the animals and plants. He BREATHED life into Adam.

(SLIDE) God gave us His breath of life BECAUSE we are made in His image.

(SLIDE) Genesis 2:18-23

[The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”…So the LORD God caused him to fall into a deep sleep. While the man was sleeping, the LORD God took out one of the man’s ribs. Then the LORD God closed the opening in the man’s side. Then the LORD God made a woman. He made her from the rib he had taken out of the man.]

What did God say is “not good”? (allow responses)

God said it is not good for man to be alone.

So what did He do? (allow responses)

God created woman to be a helper to the man.

(SLIDE) This was the very beginning of relationships between people, and it was also a model of the relationship that God wants to have with us. Friendships are part of God’s design, and God wants to be in a friendship with us.

(SLIDE) God gave us relationships BECAUSE we are made in His image.

(SLIDE) 1 Corinthians 6:19

[Don’t you know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit? The Spirit is in you, and you have received the Spirit from God. You do not belong to yourselves.]

What does it mean to be a Christian? (allow responses)

To be a Christian means that a person has believed in Jesus and asked Him to save them from their sins.

Does anyone know what it means that a Christian’s body is a “temple”? (allow responses)

A temple is a “dwelling place”. To “dwell” means to exist and live somewhere.

(SLIDE) When a person believes in Jesus and asks Him to be their Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of that person.

The body of a Christian is God’s temple. It is where His Spirit lives.

(SLIDE) God’s Spirit can live inside of us BECAUSE we are made in His image.

Being made in God’s image means that we were created to BEHAVE like God.

We have the ability to think, love, create, have relationships, be compassionate, have patience, be forgiving, be kind, make decisions, show emotions, and know right from wrong.

These are all character traits that God gave to humans that are LIKE Him.

We should always remember that God loves us so much and He wants to have a relationship with us. Since we were all born sinners, we are separated from God.

But, the great news is that Jesus died on the cross and rose back to life to take the punishment for our sins so that we don’t have to be separated from God anymore.

The only way that we can have a relationship with God is by believing in Jesus and asking Him to save us from our sins.

This is a good time to pause and ask students if they have any questions. Leaders should be available to lead students in understanding how they can have a relationship with Jesus.

Dear God,

Thank You for giving us the special gift of being created in Your image. Please help us to continue to learn more about You from the Bible and help us to be bold enough to ask questions when we don’t understand something that we read or hear.

We love you and we pray all of these things in Jesus’ sweet name, Amen.

SMALL GROUP ACTIVITY

Today, you are going to create a drawing of yourself (a self-portrait) but instead of focusing only on what you LOOK like, I want you to focus on the traits that you have that are LIKE GOD. Each person will get a paper. First, I want you to draw a picture of yourself, and then I want you to write some words or draw some pictures around your portrait that show how you were created in God’s image.

Leader Note: You may need to prompt students with some ideas of character traits (loving, compassionate, creative, patient, kind, faithful, forgiving, moral, ability to make decisions/reason, showing emotions/personality, relationships, etc.)

BREAK INTO SMALL GROUPS TO COMPLETE THE ACTIVITY.

Discussion Prompts for Leaders:

• What does it mean to be made in God’s image? (we are made to behave like God; we can think, love, create, have relationships, be compassionate, have patience, be forgiving, be kind, make decisions, show emotions, know right from wrong, etc.)
• How did God describe His Creation BEFORE humans were created? (good)
• How did God describe His Creation AFTER humans were created? (very good)
• What does the Bible say about how God created man differently than the rest of the living things on earth? (He breathed the breath of life into Adam; He gave humans authority to rule over Creation; He formed Adam – He created all other living things)
• Think back to the stories that we read at the beginning of the lesson (Wilma Watermelon, Bernard & Brenda Bear, and Chester the Chihuahua and Donnie the Dachshund). How are humans different than the animal characters in the stories? (humans have the ability to show emotion, compassion, kindness, etc.; humans have the ability to show sympathy or empathy – understand someone’s struggles; humans can make decisions and reason with their thinking; humans have relationships)
• What does it mean to be a Christian? (a Christian is someone who believes in Jesus and has asked Him to save them from their sins)
• Why are we all separated from God when we are born? (we are born sinners because of the sin that was brought into the world when Adam and Eve disobeyed God)
• What did Jesus do so that we don’t have to be separated from God anymore? (lived a sinless life, died on the cross to take our punishment, and rose back to life)
• How can we have a relationship with God? (believe in Jesus and ask Him to be our Savior/to save us from our sins)
• What does it mean that our bodies are temples? (the Holy Spirit lives inside of Christians; a temple is a dwelling place; God’s Spirit lives inside of believers)
• What are some things you can do to show others that you were created in God’s image?
• Does anyone have any questions about today’s lesson?
• Use any extra time to discuss the lesson and/or the memory verse.

CLOSING REFLECTION

We learned that humans are created in God’s image, which means that we were created to BEHAVE like God. We have the ability to think, love, create, have relationships, be compassionate, have patience, be forgiving, be kind, make decisions, show emotions, and know right from wrong. God gave life to Adam in a special way by breathing life into him and then God gave humanity the special authority to rule over all of Creation. God wants to have a relationship with us, but because of sin we are separated from God. The great news is that Jesus died on the cross and rose back to life to take the punishment for our sins so that we don’t have to be separated from God anymore. We can have a relationship with God by believing in Jesus and asking Him to save us from our sins.

Reflection Questions:

• What does it mean to be made in God’s image?
• What are some things that you can do to show others that you were created in God’s image?
• Does anyone have any questions about today’s lesson?

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