Think about the most beautiful piece of creation you’ve ever seen – the Grand Canyon, the Pacific Ocean, a night sky lit up with stars. Can you imagine the world as God created it, before it was marked by sin? This week, we’re focusing on the creation story. If it’s true that God is good and pure, so was everything He created!
PURITY: Being clean and free from the power of sin
MEMORY VERSE: “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." Psalm 51:10 (NIV)__
This Week’s Finish Line: God is pure and He created all things pure.
We can learn much about God from His Word. Leviticus 11:45 tells us God is holy, Deuteronomy 32:4 tells us God is perfect, and 1 John 3:3 tells us God is pure. God is pure, perfect and holy, and He created all things pure. Genesis 1 tells of when God created the heavens and the earth, and all that is in them, including man. God saw all He had created and called it “very good” (Genesis 1:31). No allergies, no need for organic produce or grass fed beef…everything was pure because God created it pure. This even included man. Adam and Eve were pure, not because of anything they had done, but because God created them pure. When we look around our world today, impurity is easy to spot, but it wasn’t always like this. Let’s focus this week on our pure, perfect, and holy God and His amazing creation.
Family Questions:
- Read Genesis 1. What did God say every day about what He created? ("It was good") Why was it so good? (It was good because God, who created it, is good, perfect, holy, and pure.)
- What was different about how God thought about His creation now? (After He created people, He knew it was VERY GOOD.)
- What made God’s creation pure? Did Adam and Eve do anything to make it pure? (It was pure because our pure and perfect God created it pure. He made it just how He wanted and planned it to be. Even Adam and Eve were pure when God created them. In the beginning, everything was clean and free from sin!)
- What do you think Adam and Eve’s relationship with God was like? What do you think it was like to walk in the perfect garden with God?
Bring it Home Conversations & Activities:
* Check out our vision for parents and how to use these activities each week.
Teacher: Meal Time
Read or summarize Genesis 1. God is pure and He created all things pure. When we look at ourselves and creation now, is it still pure like God created it? (No) Describe what you think the world was like when God first created it and how it might be different from today. Did God mess up? Is God still pure and perfect even if His creation is not anymore? (Always remember that God stays the same. He never changes, no matter what. He is always clean and pure even if something happened to make what He created impure.)
Friend: Drive Time
As you drive, try to spot things that were created by God (trees, squirrels, clouds, etc.). What do you think we can we learn about God by looking at what He created and how He created it? (EXAMPLES: Everything in nature points to God’s character. We can see the power of God in waterfalls & thunderstorms and His beauty in sunsets. The stars in the sky reflect His greatness while spring rains & cool breezes show how God refreshes & renews us. Insects and flowers show us that God cares about the small details too.)
Counselor: Bedtime
Thank God for being pure, perfect and holy and for never changing who He is. Ask Him to help you see His invisible qualities in the world around you every day. Don’t forget, praying scripture is a great way to talk to God, and Psalm 51:10 is a great verse to start with. Spend time praying this verse to God, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
Coach: Anytime
Looking for an Advent study to go through as a family? Check out our Watermark Family Advent Guide. There is a scripture reading and short devo every day you can read together. Also, at the end of the pdf, you’ll find pages of ornaments which you can decorate daily and hang on your tree or around your house to remind you of God’s great story of Christmas!
Prayer
Thank God that He is pure and created all things pure. Praise that that He made us and called us VERY GOOD. Thank Him for loving us, not because of anything we have done!
Looking Ahead
Next week, we will continue looking at December's character trait, PURITY. We will learn about how we are not pure because sin stains us.
Subscribe here to start getting our monthly email to stay in the know with everything going on with Watermark Kids!