The students will be able to tell what God created in the universe. They can explain that it declares the glory of God and reveals His power.
Introduction: Bring to class a Viewmaster and a reel or two of scenic pictures. Let the students take turns looking at the pictures and selecting their favorites. Ask them to explain why they like that particular picture so well. Lead into your lesson by explaining that today your lesson is about how God created places like this to enjoy.
Climax: God created the universe to declare the glory of God and to reveal His power.
Conclusion: When we look at the wonders God has created, we should consider the greatness of His power.
Response: The students should be able to tell what God created in the universe and that these were all created to declare the glory of God and reveal His power.
The theory of evolution has permeated every area of thought in our culture—science, psychology, philosophy, sociology, ethics and even religion. In textbooks and in the media it is accepted as scientific fact, and one who questions the validity of evolution is considered naive or uninformed. The question of the origin of the universe is, however, outside the realm of science. Science is based on observation, experimentation, and repeatability. Obviously the origin of the universe cannot be observed, experimented on, or repeated. Therefore, what one believes about its origin is not based on acceptance or rejection of scientific fact, but is based on faith. This faith is either in a purposeful, omnipotent Creator who made all things out of nothing or faith in some blind force that somehow transformed a mass of random energy into the incredibly complex, interdependent universe in which we live. The origin of the universe and life is not so much a scientific question, but is largely a moral question; "Do I want to be under the authority of a Creator God or free of any moral obligations?" Because so many have rejected God and embraced evolution, believing we are the product of blind chance, life for many has become purposeless. However, the foundational truth of the Scripture is that God is the Creator of all that is, and because of this we are obligated to honor and obey Him, and in so doing we find our purpose for existence. "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men" (John 1:3-4).
Special Instructions for Unit 25: Give each child a mobile spiral and his first symbols moon, stars, and sun—as described in the unit material under the heading Unit Projects.
Give each child his Wonder Watcher creation assignment, as described in the unit material under the heading Unit Projects.
Use the In-Class Activity creating something to eat. Explain how good it tastes and how much you enjoy it. Then compare this to what God created and how much He enjoys His creation. Emphasize the fact that God's creation came into being by God's spoken word. Our creations start with something God has already given us.
Review God's creation of the world by playing the game, Statue Maker. You be the statue maker. Let the students come to the front of the group one at a time. You mold each student into something God made, and let the rest of the group guess what you are making. For example, you could move a student's hands to cover her eyes to show darkness. Then you could remove her hands and have her look up at the light to show light. You might have a student stand very straight with his legs together, with his hands curved in a circle over his head as a tree. Or a student could flap her arms as a bird, or fold her hands together and swing them in front as an elephant. As each of these items is guessed, have your students tell whether this was a part of the heavenly bodies or one of the things which lives on earth.
Bring a number of objects to show your assembled group, illustrating that what God made in our universe is special and much better than what we can make. Hold up a paper star, and ask why God's real star is better than this. (It twinkles, gives real light.) Show a plastic banana. (We can't peel or eat it.) Show a Styrofoam snowball. (We can't build a snowman with it, or make snow ice cream.)