Jon Jolly

Made In His Image

 

'Creative Independence' by nattu on Flickr

 

 

The following is a group session plan for young people to explore what it might mean to be made in the image of God. I have used it with young people aged 11-15, but it can be adapted for other ages. It is intended as an introduction to the subject, so doesn’t go into a lot of detail, but it would work well with follow-up sessions around self-esteem and value.

Made in His image

Key Point:

Even though we often want to change or improve ourselves, God created each one of us in His own likeness. That means we carry the characteristics of God in us!

Illustration: The Human Body

Read out some of these strange-but-true facts out to the group to illustrate how amazing our bodies are! These are taken from Factsnfacts.com.

  • The average human brain has about 100 billion nerve cells.
  • Nerve impulses to and from the brain travel as fast as 170 miles (274 km) per hour.
  • It’s impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.
  • Your stomach needs to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks or it would digest itself.
  • The average life of a taste bud is 10 days.
  • The average cough comes out of your mouth at 60 miles (96.5 km) per hour.
  • Relative to size, the strongest muscle in the body is the tongue.
  • When you sneeze, all your bodily functions stop even your heart.
  • Babies are born without knee caps. They don’t appear until the child reaches 2-6 years of age.
  • Right handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left-handed people do.
  • Children grow faster in the springtime.
  • Women blink nearly twice as much as men.
  • Blondes have more hair than dark-haired people do.
  • Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.
  • The length of the finger dictates how fast the fingernail grows. Therefore, the nail on your middle finger grows the fastest, and on average, your toenails grow twice as slow as your fingernails.
  • Your ears and nose continue to grow throughout your entire life.
  • The human body is comprised of 80% water.
  • The average human will shed 40 pounds of skin in a lifetime.
  • You were born with 300 bones. When you get to be an adult, you have 206.
  • Human thigh bones are stronger than concrete.

Read: Genesis 1:26-27

Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image and likeness. And let them rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the tame animals, over all the earth, and over all the small crawling animals on the earth.”

So God created human beings in his image. In the image of God he created them. He created them male and female.

Discuss:

  • What does it mean to be made “in the image of God?”
  • What characteristics does God have that we share?
  • Do you ever think that you are made like God? Why or why not?

Activity: Bargain Hunt

Show the following photos and ask the group to guess how much each of these items are worth. Add in your own if you prefer. They will get some right, but others will be worth much more than they think!

Early 20th Century Chess Set

An Antique Chess Set – on sale for £450

 

 

 

 

 

 

A used Rolex Daytona Cosmograph Watch

A used Rolex Daytona Cosmograph Watch – currently available for £30,755 (35,000)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crystal Palace Space Station in online game Planet Calypso

A virtual space station in online game ‘Planet Calypso’ – Erik Novak bought it in January 2010 as an “investment” for £218,000 (US$330,000)! It only exists in the game!

 

 

 

 

 

Explanation

Often we can see things and don’t think they are worth much – jut like in some of the photos you’ve just seen. If we are honest we might not think that WE are worth that much, but the Bible tells us that God places a high value on each of us…

Read: Psalm 139:13-16

You made my whole being; you formed me in my mother’s body. I praise you because you made me in an amazing and wonderful way. What you have done is wonderful. I know this very well. You saw my bones being formed as I took shape in my mother’s body. When I was put together there, you saw my body as it was formed. All the days planned for me were written in your book before I was one day old.

Discuss:

  • Did you know that God knows you intimately?
  • How does it make you feel? Why?
  • What would you want to say to God now you know how he created you and cares for you?

Pray:

That the group come to know how much God loves them.