Creativity - Made In God's Image
August 2020 • Week 3
Today's Bible story: This Is Me (Esther) • Esther
Monthly memory verse: "Lord, you are great. You are really worthy of praise. No one can completely understand how great you are." Psalm 145:3
Memory Verse for 2's - Pre-K : "Lord, you are great Psalm 145:3a NiRV
Life Application: Creativity-Imagining what you could do because you're made in God's image
Praise & Pray: Sing along with the provided worship videos and pray. Access songs here
What you might pray: "Dear God, thank you for loving us so much you want to share your good, good qualities with us. Today, please help us to think about how you created each one of us to be special and unique. Help us to see that you created us in your image for a purpose."
Read God's Word together: Esther 1-10 (Note: Up-to-date versions of the Beginner's Bible have a condensed version of this story)
(Need a kid-friendly Bible? Check out our suggestions.)
Family Devotional & Discussion
What you do: Watch the complementary video together as a family and discuss today's question.
What you discuss: "What do you think your purpose could be?"
What you need: A variety of objects in a opaque bag or pillowcase
What you do: If you choose to do the object lesson, gather the objects and place them in your bag/pillowcase
- One at a time have family members pull an object from the bag.
- Identify the objects and say what they're made to do.
- Ask, "Can you think of anything else you might use it for?"
- Encourage kids to pantomime their responses.
What you say: "Each of these objects was created for a purpose. Potato mashers were created to mash potatoes. Blocks were created to build. Spoons were created to mix or help you eat cereal. God created you and me for a special purpose too!"
Pray and bless your family
What you need: Hand mirror, dry erase marker
What you do: Gather your family members in a circle
- Write on a mirror with a dry erase marker, "Created for a Purpose."
- Pass the mirror around the circle.
- Instruct family members to look in the mirror and say, "God, You created me for a purpose. Thank You for making me (fill in the blank with a skill, talent, or something they enjoy)."
- When the mirror returns to you, close in prayer.
What you might pray: "God, You are great! You made us in Your image, and You created us for a purpose. Thank You for the many gifts and talents You have given each of us. Help us see opportunities to use what You have given us to help and serve others. We ask for your protection and blessing for each member or our family. Thank You, most of all, for Jesus who came to make a way for us to be with You, now and forever. Amen."
Additional Activities
What You Need: "Verse Sentence Cards" (Download Activity Page) on plates, Bibles, masking / painters tape, prepared 3×3 grid
What You Do: Print the 2 Verse sentence cards and cut apart on the dotted lines.
- Glue each strip to a paper plate. You will need 2 sets.
- Color the paper plate or mark each set with a different color somehow so each team knows which set is theirs.
- Give kids a Bible and together look up and read Psalm 145:3 a few times.
- Make a 3×3 grid with whatever you have on hand. You could use painters tape, hula hoops, towels, etc.
- Divide the group into two teams.
- Place a piece of masking/painters tape on the floor to mark a starting line about 15 feet away from the 3×3 grid.
- Tell teams to line up behind the starting line. Give each team a set of the verse plates/discs.
- When you say, "Go," the first person from each team will race down to the grid and place their team's first disc.
- They will then run back and tag the second person in their line, who will do the same with the second disc.
- After the first three kids or family members from each team have placed their discs, if no team has three verse discs in a row (so the verse can be read), teams continue to send one person at a time down to the grid. Each player changes the location of one disc to a different spot on the grid until a team achieves three in a row, in verse order.
- Make it clear that a player can only move his own team's discs and can only move one disc each turn (or switch the position of two discs from their team).
- To see a demonstration of the game being played, click here!
What You Need: 1 paper plate per person, crayons or markers, stickers, paint, scissors, Optional: buttons
What You Do: Fold the paper plate in half and cut a straight line leaving about 1 ½ inches uncut before you reach the edge of the paper.
- Repeat making two more cuts at an angle as the picture shows.
- Creativity decorate your crown. You can glue buttons on the top as jewels if you wish.
- Fold up the cut triangles.
- Enjoy wearing your crown!
What You Say: "How do you think Esther felt when she went to see King Xerxes [zerk-zees]? (Scared, nervous) Even though Esther was probably scared, she had the courage to go to the king and ask Him to keep her people safe. She had courage because she knew God, and she knew that God had created her for a purpose.
(Make it Personal - Tell a kid-appropriate story about a time when you did something hard because you trusted God and trusted that He had a purpose for you. For example, perhaps you had to stand up for someone who was being bullied. Talk about how you felt and how God worked in the situation. Were you scared? Brave? Did God see you through?)
"God created you for a purpose, too. You'll probably never be a king or a queen, but every day you can do what God wants you to do. You can be kind to other kids at school. You can speak up when someone is being mean to someone else. You can encourage your friends when they're sad. And You can tell others about Jesus. Just like God created Esther for a purpose, God created you for a purpose."
