Lesson: Why Did God Create the World?

Explore the days of creation and then answer the big question: God created us because He wanted us! Includes a teaching guide and craft activity.

Needed: A large roll of paper or poster board and markers or crayons

Bible Lesson

Ask students, How many of you have ever drawn a picture?

Think of the best picture you’ve ever drawn. What was it of?

Why did you draw that picture?

(As the teacher, tell a story about a time when you made something artistic and explain how you felt about creating it. If you still have it, bring it in to show.)

Summarize Genesis 1 , with the following story, asking the included questions as you read.

In the beginning, God created everything in six days. How many days did it take God to create everything? (Six days.)

That’s pretty fast to create everything, isn’t it? But remember that God is really powerful and He can do anything as quick as can be.

Well at first, everything was dark, but on the first day, God created the light. He said, “Let there be light!” and suddenly everything was bright. Then, at nighttime, it got dark again.

On the second day, God made the sky.

The third day, He made the oceans and all the dry ground came up out of the oceans. Show me with your hands what it would look like for the ground to rise up out of the oceans.

Then, plants and trees started growing out of the ground and covering everything.

Then, on the fourth day, God made the sun and the moon and the stars. How many stars do you think there are in the sky?

Lots, right? There are more stars than we could ever count. And God made them all.

On day five, God made everything that lives in the water. What kinds of things can you think of that live in the water? (Fish, dolphins, whales, sharks, seals, seahorses, starfish, etc.)

Then, on that same day, God made all the different kinds of birds that fly in the sky. What are some of the different kinds of birds that you can name? (Pigeons, blue jays, robins, cardinals, eagles, hawks, crows, etc.)

On day six, God made all the animals that live on the land. What kinds of animals live on land or used to live on land? (Dinosaurs, bears, horses, dogs, pigs, lizards, lions, squirrels, etc.)

Then, after God made all those different kinds of animals, He made a man and a woman. The man was named Adam and the woman was named Eve. God put Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and let them live there.

The question I want to ask you today is, Why do you think God made all those things?

God wanted to make everything. Just like when you made your drawings that you told me about and I made mine, God made what He made – people and animals and the whole world – because He wanted to. He created everything so that He could be proud of it and so that He could love it. God loves the world. He loves the mountains and the lakes and the animals, and He loves you.

The Bible tells us that God even made you when you were still inside your mother’s womb. He made you in there because He loves you and He wanted to make you.

Children’s Prayer Moment

Father God, You created us and the whole world because You love us. Thank You for everything that You made. Help us to love You like You love us. Amen.

Closing Craft Activity

Have students work together on a large piece of roll paper or poster board, drawing a collage of all their favorite things that God has made.

This lesson is included in my book, Created: Children Sunday School Lessons for Genesis 1-11.