Memory Verse
"All things have been created through him and for him.  He is before all things and in him all things hold together."  Colossians 1:16b-17

Lesson
Your children and you are about to embark on an exciting discovery of God’s big story: God’s plan to send His Son, Jesus, into the world to save sinners. What better way to begin a story than the beginning of everything?

In the beginning, God created everything. God created the universe ex nihilo, or “out of nothing.” All of creation began with a word. When God spoke, it happened: light, land, sky, stars, plants, and animals. God made them all, and they were good. Creation was perfect, just as God intended.

The first story—in fact, every story in the Bible—is a small piece of a much bigger story: God’s redemptive story. Sin would enter the world and affect everything, but God already knew. He already had a plan to show His grace to people through His Son (2 Tim. 1:9), to rescue and restore.

The Bible says that God’s plan existed before He created the world. (Eph. 1:4-6) The Bible tells the story of how a great God redeemed rebellious people by sending His Son, Jesus, to be the perfect sacrifice for sin.

The story of Jesus does not begin in a manger. Jesus is Lord over all of creation. The Son has always existed. The Bible says everything was created by Him and for Him, and He holds everything together. All of creation exists to bring God glory. Through creation, we see and understand God’s eternal power and divine nature. (Rom. 1:20)

As you talk to your kids this week, help them discover who God is. Remind boys and girls that God created everything with a purpose: to bring Him glory. Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse proclaims the work of his hands.” The Book of Genesis is the beginning of the greatest story ever told. It is a true story, and at the center of it all is the true hero: our Savior, Jesus Christ. This story changes everything.

Family Discussion Starters
Describe what part of the creation story is surprising to you.
Why did God create everything?
Talk about a time you saw goodness in creation.  How did you react or respond?