Out Back Adventure

OUTBACKADVENTURE

LESSONS ON CREATIONAND THE FLOOD

[email protected]

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTER-NATIONAL VERSION. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Usedby permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

rbennettUnderline

How to Use Young Explorers ................................................................................4Setting the Stage: The Backdrop ........................................................................6Weekly Session Plan Sheet ......................................................................................7How to Lead a Child to Christ ............................................................................8A Word about Creation..........................................................................................9Outback Adventure: Unit Introduction......................................................-11

SESSION 1 Dreamtime / CREATION SPEAKS OF GOD ............................................12SESSION 2 The Southern Lights / GOD CREATED LIGHT AND AIR ..............20SESSION 3 The Land Down Under / GOD CREATED LAND AND PLANTS 28SESSION 4 The Southern Cross / GOD CREATED HEAVENLY BODIES ..........36SESSION 5 Great Barrier Reef / GOD CREATED SEAS AND FISH ....................44SESSION 6 Cockatoos & Kangaroos / GOD CREATED BIRDS & ANIMALS ..52SESSION 7 Aborigines & Yanks / GOD CREATED MAN ..................................60SESSION 8 GDay, Mate! / IT WAS VERY GOOD....................................................68SESSION 9 The Great Dividing Range / THE FALL ....................................76SESSION 10 Walkabout / THE ARK AND THE ANIMALS ..........................................84SESSION 11 The Big Wet / THE FLOOD..................................................................92SESSION 12 On the Wallaby Track / THE TOWER OF BABEL ......................100SESSION 13 Bushfire! / THE COMING JUDGMENT..................................................108

Resources ..................................................................................................................115SHEET MUSIC..........................................................................................................................115

SKITS ......................................................................................................................................123

OVERHEAD MASTERS/COPY MASTERS ..................................................................................131

Enlarged Answer Sheets ................................................................................153Activity Pages ........................................................................................................163

Table Of Contents

Table of Contents 3OUTBACK ADVENTURE (Lessons on Creation and the Flood) 2006 Gospel Publishing House, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, Missouri 65802. Permission to duplicate this page for classroom use only.

rbennettUnderline

How to Use Young ExplorersOUTBACK ADVENTURE (Lessons on Creation and the Flood)4

EnvironmentalSetting

Each Young Explorers unitis centered around an excit-ing theme and environmentthat helps the Bible lessonscome alive for the children.For help in creating thisunits environment, seeSetting the Stage.

Session GoalsThe session goals describe

what each child should learnduring the session. The fol-lowing symbol points outplaces in the lesson where thesession goals are emphasized:

Session StructureSessions are divided:

1. Explorer Orientation(opening activity, giving,and praise time)

2. Exploring SessionGoals (pre-Bible lessonactivities)

3. Exploring the Word(Bible lesson)

4. Responding to theWord (worship and prayer,memory verse activity)

5. Applying the Word(closing activities)

The activities in each sec-tion help children learn bib-lical truths by watching, lis-tening, and participating.

You dont need to use theactivities in order. You donteven need to use all theactivities described.Activities can be mixed-and-matched to fit theneeds of your group.

But use the Bible lesson,prayer time, and versereview every week.

Weekly SessionPlan Sheet

Use the Weekly SessionPlan Sheet to plan your les-sons. You also can copy andhand out the sheet to yourchildrens church workers.

Activity SheetsThe activity sheets in the

Resource section use puz-zles and activities to involvechildren in learning.

Each sheet is marked forlevel of difficulty: One Star () = easy Two Stars () = some-

what difficult Three Stars () = very

difficultFollowing are suggestions

for using the activity sheets. Choose activity sheets

with the right level of diffi-culty for each child.

Use the sheets aftereach session to reinforcesession goals.

Review the answersbefore the children leave.

HOWTOUSE

2006 Gospel Publishing House, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, Missouri 65802. Permission to duplicate this page for classroom use only.

rbennettUnderline

rbennettUnderline

rbennettUnderline

How to Use Young Explorers OUTBACK ADVENTURE (Lessons on Creation and the Flood) 5

Pass out extra copies ofthe sheets for the childrento take home, if there isntsufficient time to completethem during the session.

Send activity sheets toabsent children with a notesaying you missed them.

Young ExplorerResources

Use the Resources sectionof each Young Explorersunit to present the lessonsin a variety of learningstyles. Resources includetraining pages, music, copyand overhead masters, gameideas, announcement andoffering ideas, skits, soundeffects, and activity sheets.

IndividualAttendance Chart

Print an attendance chart(in the Resources section)for each child. Let the chil-dren color their attendance

charts. Give each child asticker to put on his atten-dance chart for each sessionhe attends.

Music and Sound EffectsMusic and Songs

Every Young Explorersunit comes with a Music CDcontaining several songswhich relate to biblical prin-ciples covered in the unit.Youll find suggestions ineach session for using theYoung Explorers songs andfor incorporating otherfamiliar songs into your chil-drens church time.

Sound EffectsAlong with the theme-

related music, each YoungExplorers Music CD containssound effects which can beused with the skits (see theResource section) or at anytime during the session tocapture interest or make apoint.

Bible LessonsAlong with the theme-

related music, use the fol-lowing suggestions to helpthe children understand andretain the Bible lesson bet-ter:

Use a puppet to tell theBible story.

Ask one of the skit char-acters to tell the story.

Gather children in a dif-ferent place in the room.

Have children ad lib roleplaying the Bible story asyou tell it.

Anything you can do tohelp the children focus onthe Bible lesson will helpthem understand and retainthe lesson better.

Copies For HelpersPrint and distribute copies

of the session plans andskits for your helpers eachweek.


rbennettUnderline

rbennettUnderline

rbennettUnderline

rbennettUnderline

rbennettUnderline

rbennettUnderline

rbennettUnderline

rbennettUnderline

rbennettUnderline

6 Setting the Stage: The BackdropOUTBACK ADVENTURE (Lessons on Creation and the Flood)

Settingthe

Stage:The

Backdrop

Add color and excitement to your Childrens Church by using a simple backdrop. Use theBackdrop from the Resources section to make a transparency or create a backdrop bypainting the scene on a white sheet or large white cloth.1Buy a white flat sheet. Do not prewash it. (If you use an older sheet, add sizing toit.) Iron the sheet.

2Attach the sheet to the wall. Using the Backdrop provided to make a transparen-cy, project the backdrop image onto the sheet. Trace the lines with a pencil.

3Lay the sheet flat on a plastic drop cloth. Use straight pins to pin the sheet to thedrop cloth. Paint with tempera or fabric paints, using foam and artist brushes.Maintain good, even coverage with the paints. If using fabric marking pens, testthem first. Let the painted backdrop dry flat for twenty-four hours.

4Add extras to the backdrop. Cowboy hats (akubras), stuffed kangaroos andkoalas, and long, hollow tubes (dijeridoos) to create a three-dimensional feel.5If you have a carpenter in your church, perhaps he could build a scale-model arkfor you. Use the picture on Overhead Master 16 as a pattern. The model ark canbe built as big or as small as desired. A 6-foot ark makes a big impression! Set themodel ark out for the children to observe during sessions in the Flood.


rbennettUnderline

Explor

er Ori

entatio

n: O

PEN

ING

ACTI

VITY

Mat

eria

ls ne

eded

Pers

on re

spon

sible

Tim

e (#

min

utes

)Ac

tivity

Mat

eria

ls ne

eded

Pers

on re

spon

sible

Tim

e (#

min

utes

)Ac

tivity

Mat

eria

ls ne

eded

Pers

on re

spon

sible

Tim

e (#

min

utes

)Ac

tivity

Mat

eria

ls ne

eded

Pers

on re

spon

sible

Tim

e (#

min

utes

)Ac

tivity

Mat

eria

ls ne

eded

Pers

on re

spon

sible

Tim

e (#

min

utes

)Ac

tivity

Mat

eria

ls ne

eded

Pers

on re

spon

sible

Tim

e (#

min

utes

)Ac

tivity

Explor

ing Se

ssion G

oals: P

RE-B

IBLE

LES

SON

ACT

IVIT

IES

Explor

ing th

e Word

: BIBL

E LE

SSO

N

Respo

nding

to th

e Word

: PRAY

ER A

ND

WO

RSHI

P

Apply

ing th

e Word

: CLO

SIN

G AC

TIVI

TIES

Weekly Session Plan SHEET Date______ Session Number______Session Title_____________________


8 OUTBACK ADVENTURE (Lessons on Creation and the Flood) How to Lead a Child to Christ

How to Lead a Child to Christalvation is a vital part ofChildrens Church. Asyou present the session

each week, make opportuni-ties to invite children toaccept Jesus as Savior.Following are basic steps touse when counseling chil-dren in this important area.Write the Scripture refer-ences on a card to keep inthe front of your Bible.

InvitationThe purpose of the invita-

tion is not to coax or pleadwith the children, but togive them an opportunity toaccept Christ as their Saviorand Lord. After you presentthe gospel, ask the childrento bow their heads. Thenask if any child would liketo receive Jesus. Invite eachto come to the altar. Praywith each one who comes.

Presentation1. God loves everyone

and wants all to becomemembers of His family.

(John 3:16; 1 John 4:9)

2. Sin prevents us frombecoming members of Godsfamily. The Bible says all havesinned. (Ask the child if heknows he has sinned.) Helphim understand that all havesinned.

(Romans 3:23; James 4:17)

3. The punishment forsin is eternal separationfrom God and heaven. Thisis spiritual death.

(Romans 6:23)

4. Jesus took our punish-ment by dying on the Cross.

(Romans 5:8; 1 Peter 2:24)

5. Salvation is free, a gift;we cannot buy it.

(Ephesians 2:8,9)

6. We need to repent (betruly sorry for) and ask for-giveness for our sins. (Helpthe child pray, asking Godfor forgiveness of his sins.)

(Acts 3:19)

7. By believing in Jesusand His sacrifice for us, wereceive freely the gift of sal-vation. (Emphasize that weaccept salvation throughfaith, not through our feel-ings.) Then give thanks toGod for His gift.

(John 1:12; Acts 16:31)

8. Tell others you havereceived Jesus as your Savior.

(Romans 10:9)

Encourage thechild to growas a new Christian

through:

daily Bible readingdaily prayerregular church attendanceobedience to Gods

commands

Follow-upLeading a child to Christ

signals the beginning of thatchilds relationship with Jesus.However, just as any relation-ship requires work after theinitial introduction, a newChristian needs to develophis relationship with Christ.

In the weeks after thechild prays the sinnersprayer, talk with him aboutthe experience. Keep encour-aging him to be faithful topray, read his Bible, andattend church. Let him knowyou are available to help himas he grows in his relation-ship with Christ.

Use the following for ref-erence:

S

A Admit you havesinned and be sorry foryour sins (Romans 3:23; Acts 3:19).

B Believe Jesus is GodsSon who died for your sins(John 3:16).

C Confess your sins toJesus, repent and ask Him toforgive you (Romans 10:9).


OUTBACK ADVENTURE (Lessons on Creation and the Flood) 9

RA Word On Creation

by Lisa Lyons


The creation/evolution debate has exist-ed for centuries. Even in the days of Peter,men said, Ever since our fathers died,everything goes on as it has since the begin-ning (2 Peter 3:4). This is the basis of theevolutionists claimthat the origins of theworld can be determined simply by observ-ing what goes on today. Since we dont seesupernatural creation happening today, theyclaim it could not have happened in thepast. Since they reject the idea of a specialcreation in the beginning, they also rejectthe idea of judgment for sin in the end.

Peters response was, They deliberatelyforget that long ago by Gods word the heav-ens existed and the earth was formed.Does that sound familiar? Todays secularscientists and even many so-calledChristians have deliberately forgotten theGod of creation and instead bought into theconcept that the world and all that is in itcame about through natural processes.

The context of Peters comment on cre-ation was in regard to the coming judgment.The people of his day would not believe injudgment for the same reason that theywould not believe in special creationbecause there is no evidence of such a thingin the present. How tragic that after twomillennia peoples beliefs have not changedmuch in this regard.

Peter was attempting to convince hisreaders that judgment is sure to come, andhe based his argument on the historical

accounts of the creation and the Flood.Since God created the world but the worldturned away from Him, He brought judg-ment by water. And since the world contin-ues to turn away from God, He will onceagain judge it, this time by fire (2 Peter 3:2-15). Beginning with the creation story andending with the final judgment, Peter hopedto sway his readers toward living holy andgodly lives.

The apostle Paul also formed argumentsfor salvation around the creation account.When he encountered philosophers on MarsHillpeople who knew nothing about theJewish God and who had become confusedover a message about Jesus and the resurrec-tionhe laid a foundation for salvation bybeginning with the historical account of cre-ation (Acts 17:18-31). From that foundationhe built his argument of Gods future judg-ment against sin and the provision for salva-tion in Jesus Christ.

To the Romans, Paul wrote that just assin came into the world through one man,Adam, salvation came to the world throughone man, Jesus (Romans 5:12-21). AgainPaul based the salvation message on the cre-ation story.

Today the creation story is just as rele-vant to the salvation message. For if God didnot create the world (but instead the worldcame about by the natural process of timeand chance), then God would not be theAbsolute Authority over the world and there


10 OUTBACK ADVENTURE (Lessons on Creation and the Flood)

Rwould be no reason for people to live holyand godly lives. And since people would nothave to be holy, there would be no suchthing as sin. And if there was no sin, therewould be no need for a Savior and no rea-son for a future judgment from which weneed to be saved.

The Bible lessons in this unit will show anatural progression from Gods special cre-ation of everything that exists, to the daythat man chose to turn his back on God (theFall), to the judgment that God broughtbecause of mans sinfulness (the Flood), tothe reality of yet another judgment of sin(the White Throne Judgment), and the cul-mination of the promise of eternal life in anew world He is creating for those who puttheir trust in Him.

We will explore the biblical evidence forspecial creation and lay a firm foundation forchildren to believe that Gods testimony canbe trusted above all human reasoning. Fromthat foundation we will build the argumentfor a judgment yet to come against a worldthat has forgotten God, and the salvationand hope that God offers through His Son.

You will find that these thirteen sessionsdo not include references to evolution,except on the FAQ pages and infrequent ref-erences for older children. This is by design.Many children in the younger grades willnot have learned about evolution yet, and

we do not wish to place that idea in theirimpressionable minds.

Your older students may have questionsabout the creation/evolution issue, for theyhave been inundated with evolutionary the-ory in school, in books, and on televisionand have been told that evolution is aproven fact. For that reason, several sheetsof Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) aboutcreation and evolution are included. Youmay reproduce them and hand them out tothe children as a reference tool. If your chil-dren are interested, discuss the questions inclass.

The creation/evolution issue is too broadto cover in its entirety within this unit ofstudy. Your children may have questions youdont know the answers to or that werentcovered in these lessons. A number of refer-ence sources are cited below.

Enjoy these lessons on the past and maythey help you and your students build astrong foundation of faith and hope for thefuture.

Acts & FactsInstitute for Creation ResearchP.O. Box 2667El Cajon, CA 92021www.icr.org

Answers in GenesisP.O. Box 6330Florence, KY 41022www.AnswersInGenesis.org


he word genesis means beginnings, and so the first book of the Bible tells of the begin-ning of the world and of all created things. Yet the Book of Genesis also speaks of end-ingshow man, through sin, ended his intimate relation with God and no longer walkedwith Him in the Garden.

This study on creation and the flood will explore Godsmighty power through the act of creation and how mans dis-

obedience brought evil to Gods perfect world. As the holy Ruler andJudge over all the world, God was forced to punish all of His creationfor what man had done, thus He sent a worldwide flood. Yet Godshowed His great love and mercy by saving Noah and his family.

After the flood, man continued down the road of sin. For that rea-son, God will send another judgment in the future, this time by fire.Yet God continues to show mercy as He waits for more people to turnfrom sin and devote their lives to Him.

As you teach this unit, encourage your children to trust in Jesus for salvation so they mayescape the judgment that will yet befall the earth and enjoy another beginning in the NewHeavens and New Earth.

11

UNIT GOALSDuring this unit each child will

learn that God is the Creator, Ruler, and Judge over all the worldtrust Jesus for redemption from sin and from the consequences of sin: personal and

worldwide judgment

UNIT KEY VERSEFor since the creation of the world Gods invisible qualitieshis eternal power and divine

naturehave been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men arewithout excuse. Romans 1:20

T

Unit Introduction OUTBACK ADVENTURE (Lessons on Creation and the Flood)

THISSYMBOL

remindsyou to

emphasizethe session

goals

OUTBACKADVENTURE

OUTBACK ADVENTURELESSONS ON CREATION AND THE FLOOD


rbennettUnderline


Session 1: DreamtimeOUTBACK ADVENTURE (Lessons on Creation and the Flood)

Unit Key VerseFor since the creation of the world Gods invisible qualitieshis eternal power and divine naturehave

been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Romans 1:20

12

Bible TextGenesis 1:1,2; Job 38:4 to 41:34; Psalm 33:9; 90:2; 104:10-32; 147:8; Isaiah 40:28; Jeremiah

10:12; Romans 1:20,22,23,25; Hebrews 11:3; 2 Peter 3:5; Revelation 4:11

Session Key VerseYou are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all

things, and by your will they were created and have their being. Revelation 4:11

Session GoalsToday each child will

learn that only God knows the truth about the beginningtell how design in nature points to an intelligent Creator

Almost all cultures of the world have their own myths about the origins of the universe.Many of these myths contain threads that match the biblical account, indicating that theystem from the same storythat found in the Bible.The Australian natives known as Aborigines call their ancient past the Dreamtime. In their

account of Dreamtime, the universe began without form and void. The Supreme Being,Warramurrungundji, created man, then looked down on the man he had made and was sad forhim because he was alone. All the animals were sad for man because he was alone. SoWarramurrungundji created a woman for man. Warramurrungundji warned man not to eat thesweet honey from a special tree, but man did. So Warramurrungundji became angry and cursedthe world with death. And Warramurrungundji was unhappy with how creation was treating eachother, so he destroyed the world with a flood. Some Aborigines believe they are the descendantsof three sons who came down from a boat after the flood. Sound familiar?

The complete Dreamtime legend contains many fanciful imaginations, as do the creation mythsfrom other cultures, but the threads of the story that match the biblical account testify to the truthhaving been with the people once upon a time. Man has a tendency to take the truth given byGod and change it to fit his own desires and imaginings, but Godwho was the only witness tocreationset forth the truth in His Book. In fact, His -first words to us in the Bible are about cre-ation. He wants us to understand from the very start that He created everything!

SESSION 1

DreamtimeCREATION SPEAKS OF GOD1

THISSYMBOL

remindsyou to

emphasizethe session

goals


OUTBACK ADVENTURE (Lessons on Creation and the Flood)Session 1: Dreamtime

Items Needed Jigsaw puzzle

(500 to 1,000pieces in box)

Potted plant Plant with

partsseparated

Items Needed Young

Explorers CD

Items Needed Skit (found in

Session 1andResources)

Explorer OrientationOPENING ACTIVITY AND PRAISE

Muster(5 minutes)

Gday, mates! In Australia, people greet each other by saying, Gday, meaning goodday. The word mate means friend. Let the children practice saying Gday.

This activity is called muster. In Australia that means to round up or gather togeth-er. Were going to try to gather together a puzzle. (Show a jigsaw puzzle box of five hun-dred to one thousand pieces]). What is inside this box? (Allow the children to respond.) Hasanyone ever put together a puzzle this large? Ask a volunteer to try put the puzzle togetherby shaking the box. When the volunteer indicates it is impossible, have him explain why. Youdont think this puzzle can put itself together just by your shaking the box? Show a pottedplant and an identical plant with its parts separated: leaves, stem, flower, roots. Do you thinkthis plant was created simply by jumbling together all the right parts? Everything we needto make a plant is right here. (Point to the separate parts.) If we toss them together, will wemake a plant? What is necessary in order for a plant to be created? Encouragethe children to discuss the need for an intelligent Creator or Designer.

Giving Time(3 minutes)

Allow the children to participate in a time of giving to the Lord. You might want them togive an offering or participate individually in a special ministry.

Praise(10 minutes)

Use the following song from the Young Explorers CD: Gday, Mate! Add songs of yourown choosing for leading the children in a time of praise. Lead in prayer for this weeks study.

Exploring Session GoalsPRE-BIBLE LESSON ACTIVITIES

Announcements and Skit(5 minutes)

Give announcements and any guidelines you have for the children to follow during thistime. Use the optional skit titled What Kind Of Dog Is That? found on page 124.

1

13

rbennettUnderline



The Dinky-Di Story(10 minutes)

In Australia, the term dinky-di means real or authentic. See if you can come up with thedinky-di story for the following scene. A toy airplane is on the roof of your house. The air-plane doesnt belong to anyone who lives in your house. Your assignment is to create astory as to how the toy airplane got there.

Give the children some time to develop their stories, then let them share the stories withthe class. If you have a large class, divide the students into groups. Let each group create ascenario and choose one spokesperson to share the story with the class.

How do we know which story is the true one, or if any of these stories is true at all?(Allow responses.) What is the best way to learn the truth of how something happen-ed? (Allow responses.) The best way to know the truth of a story is to hear it from an

eyewitness. In the Bible, we have an eyewitness to what happened at the begin-ning of the world. Does anyone know who that eyewitness is? (God)

Exploring the WordBIBLE LESSON

(10 minutes)Genesis 1:1,2; Job 38:4-41:34; Psalm 33:9; 90:2; 104:10-32; 147:8; Isaiah 40:28; Jeremiah10:12; Romans 1:20,22,23,25; Hebrews 11:3; 2 Peter 3:5; Revelation 4:11

1. Only God Was ThereGods first words to us in the Bible are about creation. He wants us to understand from

the very beginning that He created everything. (Ask a child to read the first four words ofGenesis.) This first Scripture tells us that God existed in the beginning. No one else wasthere. That means He is the only One who can tell us what happened at the beginning.

When Job was questioning Gods allowing trouble into Jobs life, God gave Job a chal-lenge. (Ask a child to read Job 38:4.) God asked Job, Where were you when I laid theearths foundation? God was pointing out to Job that only He was present at the creationof the world, so only He knew what happened. (Ask for several volunteers to read Job38:8,9,12,16,18,19,24,25,29,32,35; 39:1,5,19,26. You can assign one verse to each child. Ifyou have a small class, let each child read more than one verse.) What is God doing in theseverses? He is asking Job who knows how creation happened. The point God is making isthat only He knows because He is the only one who was there. We should trustno ones word but His.

1

14

Items Needed Bibles Potted plant Australia map

transparencyor postermade usingthe trans-parency

Object madefrom clay

Unworkedclay

Transparency Master 1:Design

Overheadprojector

rbennettUnderline



People who dont believe God created the world think they know more than the Bible.They think they are wise. (Ask a child to read Romans 1:22.) They would rather believethings men say than what God says.

(Ask a child to read Romans 1:25.) What did people exchange the truth of God for?(Allow responses.) People preferred to believe a lie instead of believing the testimony ofthe One who was there at the time of creationGod. We need to believe the words of the

Bible, for it is the Word of God, and He has given us His testimony of the creationof the world.

2. Something From NothingHave you ever created anything? (Let the children name things they have made.) What

did you use to make it? (Allow responses.) Did you create those things? No, you had to usethings that were already made. You could not create (item created) from nothing.Whenever we create something, we have to use things that already exist.

Before creation, the world was formless and empty. God took that emptiness and filledit up. But He did not have to use anything that already existed. In fact, He couldnt becausethere was nothing to use! God created something from nothing! He spoke and thingsappeared. (Ask a child to read Psalm 33:9.)

All the things we see around us came into existence when God spoke. Before that, therewas nothing. There was only God. (Ask volunteers to read Psalm 90:2 and Hebrews 11:3.)

I am going to read some verses. I want you to listen carefully and tell me how God cre-ated. (Read Jeremiah 10:12 and 2 Peter 3:5. Pause after each verse to let the children namehow God created. Some answers will be: By His power, by His wisdom, by His understanding,by His word.) God did not need any physical thing to create all things; He used His wis-dom, His power, and His spoken word.

3. All Creation Points To A Creator(Read the first half of Isaiah 40:28.) There are many people who dont know that God

created the world. But God has tried to show everyone that He is the Creator. He showsthem by the wonderful things He has made. (Show the children a potted plant.) The earth isfilled with plants and animals of amazing complexity. These things had to have been creat-ed by a very wise Being. When we look at them, we can know for certain that God createdthem because of their design. (Ask a child to read Romans 1:20. Display the Australia map. Ifyou have created a poster of the map, keep it up throughout the unit.) God himself says inHis Word that the things He created give testimony to Him.

Show the children something you have created from clay. Also show an unworked piece ofclay. Which of these things did I create? (Allow responses.) How did you know that I

made it? (Answers should include: It has a design; it has order; it has a recognizableform; it is more complicated than the unworked piece of clay.)

1

15



Show Transparency Master 1: Design. Which of these looks like it was created by some-one intelligent? Why? (Allow discussion.) We can tell that people have carved boomerangsout of wood and people created the Sydney Opera House because of their complex design.But Ayers Rock (the most famous national wonder in Australia) looks the way it doesbecause of the natural processes of erosion on stone. Water has carved deep gorges on thesurface and caves on the inside. (An interesting note: Ayers Rock, called Uluru in Aborigine,is taller than a skyscraper and six miles around the base.)

We can know that Someone created plants and animals because they have a complexdesign. The beauty and design of creation indicate the existence of an Intelligent

Creator.

Responding to the WordPRAYER AND WORSHIP

Prayer(10 minutes)

Sing a few worship choruses to begin this part of the session. When Job questioned why God did the things He did, God challenged Job to see if Job

knew as much as God knew or had the same power as God. Of course, Job did not. Butdespite how big and powerful God is, He cares about everything that He has created. Heprovides the things His creation needs. He also cares about you and provides the thingsyou need. (Have the children mention prayer requests and let volunteers pray for therequests.)

Since God is the Creator, He has the right to tell us what is right and what is wrong. Hedid this when He gave us His law in the Bible. But then God did more than that. He knewthat we would need a Savior to save us from the punishment of sin. So He sent His ownSon to die in our place. You can know the Creator in a personal way if you accept the giftof Gods Son by asking forgiveness for your sins and asking Jesus to be the Lord of yourlife. (Pray with those who desire salvation. See How to Lead a Child to Christ.)

Head Off To The Footy(5 minutes)

When an Australian heads off to the footy, he is going to a football game. Australianfootball, called Aussie Rules, is different from American football. The players try to kickthe ball between four vertical goalposts. If the ball goes between the inner two posts, theteam gets six points (a goal). If the ball goes between two outer posts, the team scoresone point (a behind).

1

16

Items Needed How to Lead

a Child toChrist inResources



Draw four vertical lines on the board. Let each child say the key verse. If he says it correct-ly, give him a Nerf ball and let him toss it at the board. Keep track of each childs score.Repeat the activity as long as time allows, letting each child accumulate points by tossing theball each time he says the verse.

NOTE: Aussie is pronounced Ozzie in Australia. Thus Australians refer to their countryas the Land of Oz.

Applying the WordCLOSING ACTIVITIES

Reckon! Or Yarn(10 minutes)

In Australia, Reckon! is like saying, You bet! A yarn is a tall tale or a story that isnot true. I am going to make some true or false statements. If what I say is true, you say,Reckon! If what I say is false, you say, Yarn.

1. The best way to learn about the past is from an eyewitness. (Reckon!)2. God was the only one present at the beginning. (Reckon!)3. Any man can tell you what happened at the beginning. (yarn)4. Some people choose not to believe God but to believe a lie. (Reckon!)5. The Bible tells us what really happened in the beginning. (Reckon!)6. Anything can be created just by taking the ingredients and tossing them together. (yarn)7. The design in nature shows that Someone intelligent created it. (Reckon!)8. God provides food for all the animals. (Reckon!)9. God is too big and powerful to care about you. (yarn)10. God can create something from nothing. (Reckon!)

Who Was There?(10 minutes)

To demonstrate that an eyewitness is the only one who can tell the truth of what hap-pened, do the following activity. Have all the children close their eyes. Choose one child(Child A) ahead of time to keep his eyes open, but do not let the others know who it is. I amgoing to choose one of you to do something. You can do whatever you want. Then the restof you will try to tell me who was chosen and what that person did. Quietly tap anotherchild (Child B) on the shoulder. That child should perform any activity, then sit back downand close his eyes.

Everyone open your eyes. Who wants to guess who it was that was chosen and whatthat person did? Its OK to give any wild guesses you can think of. Allow the children to

1

17

Items Needed Chalkboard

and chalk Nerf ball



give their guesses, including the child who kept his eyes open (Child A), who can truthfullysay what happened. But do not reveal that he was an eyewitness yet. Some of the childrenmight guess correctly, but most of them will get it wrong. Did anyone actually see what hap-pened? Allow the eyewitness to say that he saw it. See if anyone believes that he saw it andthat he said exactly what happened. Discuss the fact that only God saw what happened at the

beginning and told us about it in His Word, but not everyone believes Him.

Dob In(5 minutes)

In Australia, to dob in means to tell on someone. Im going to have each of you say thekey verse. If you hear someone say something incorrect, you should call out Dob in! andthen help the child to say the verse correctly by saying it with him. Be sure to emphasizethat this activity is not meant to make anyone feel bad by making a mistake, but to help eachperson learn to say the verse correctly.

Thingo(10-12 minutes)

In Australia, the people often shorten words by adding O. For instance, they say milkofor milkman, garbo for garbage collector, this arvo for this afternoon, and thingo for thinga-majig. I am going to name some things that are created. Either they were created by Godout of nothing or they were created by people who used things that God had already creat-ed. If I name something that was created by God out of nothing, you are to say, Nothing.If I name something that was created by people who used things that God had already cre-ated, say Thingo!

1. The Snowy Mountains (a range in Australias Great Divide) (nothing)2. The Sydney Opera House (thingo) (Point to the picture of the Sydney Opera House on

the Australia map poster.)3. Boomers* (kangaroos) (nothing)4. Akubra hat (cowboy hat) (thingo) (Point to the hat on the Aborigine on the Australia

map poster.)5. Eucalyptus trees (nothing)6. Cut lunch (sandwich) (thingo)7. The Pacific Ocean (nothing)8. A sailboat (thingo)*This unit will make frequent use of Australian slang, called Strine. Thats short for

stralian. Definitions will be provided with each phrase.

1

18



Items Needed Copies of

Activity Sheets1-1 to 1-3

Pencils

Lollies(10 minutes)

In Australia, lollies are sweets or candy. Were going to make some lollies today. (Showthe recipe for Peanut Butter Balls on Overhead Master 2: Recipe.) What do I need to makethis candy? (Let the children name some of the items on the recipe.) Well, I didnt bring anyof those things, so Ill just have to make the candy out of nothing. Think I can do it? (Afterthe children respond, have them read the recipe step by step. Act out each step as though youare creating the candy with nothing.) There, were done! What do I have? (Allow responses.)

Youre right, I have nothing. Thats because I started with nothing. Whenever we want tocreate something, we have to start with something thats already created. (Reveal all theingredients you need to make the treats and work the recipe again, this time using the ingre-dients. Let the children help by reading the instructions to you as you work.) Now what do Ihave? When I used things that were already created, I could make something. But God ismore powerful than that. He created everything we see from nothing at all.

Activity Sheets(10 minutes)

See page 4 for suggestions on how to use Activity Sheets 1-1 to 1-3.

1

19

Creation Clues Things Created FAQ Sheet 1Session 1, Sheet 1 Session 1, Sheet 2 Session 1, Sheet 3

Items Needed Overhead

Master 2:

Recipe Overhead

projector Ingredients

mentioned inrecipe

Bowl andspoon formixing

Waxed paper Napkins

Larger copies of the answer pages are provided on page 156.

rbennettUnderline

rbennettUnderline

rbennettUnderline

rbennettUnderline

rbennettUnderline

rbennettUnderline

rbennettUnderline

rbennettUnderline


Session 2: The Southern Lights

Bible TextGenesis 1:1-8; Isaiah 45:7,18; Job 12:10; Acts 17:25; Revelation 21:23

Session Key VerseAnd God said, Let there be light, and there was light. God saw that the light was good,

and he separated the light from the darkness. Genesis 1:3,4


learn that God created light and airexplain why light and air are so important for life

Let there be light. Those words are so well known, yethave you ever stopped to think about them? Before Godspoke those words, there was no light except thatwhich comes from Him. Its hard to imagine a place wherethere is no light.

Yet there are still many places where there is no lighthearts that have not yielded to God. In those hearts is a dark-ness that can be dispelled only when sins are repented fromand a life is given over to the service of the Creator. Instillwithin your children a desire to be filled with Gods light.

SESSION 2

The Southern LightsGOD CREATED LIGHT AND AIR

OUTBACK ADVENTURE (Lessons on Creation and the Flood)

Unit Key VerseFor since the creation of the world Gods invisible qualitieshis eternal power and divinenaturehave been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men arewithout excuse. Romans 1:20

20

2


OUTBACK ADVENTURE (Lessons on Creation and the Flood)Session 2: The Southern Lights

Items Needed Young

Explorers CD


The Southern Lights(5 minutes)

Gday, mates! Has anyone ever seen an aurora borealis? (Allow responses.) This is alsoknown as the Northern Lights (in the northern half of the earth) and the Southern Lights(in the southern half of the earth). When conditions are right, people in Australia can seethe Southern Lights. These lights are usually green, but sometimes they are red and pur-ple. They can look like streamers, streaks, clouds, or arches, and they appear to moveacross the sky.

The light comes from tiny, electrically charged particles that collide with molecules inthe upper atmosphere. The collision causes them to release energy, which is seen in theform of light.

Light is something that is necessary for life on earth. What are some ways that we uselight? (Allow responses.)

Turn out the lights in the room. Make the room as dark as possible. Ask a volunteer to tryto find his way to you. Make sure there is nothing in the way that he might hurt himself on.Then turn on a flashlight and light his path. Have the class discuss the importance of havinglight.

Besides helping us to see, light also provides us with heat. (Turn on a light bulb and letthe children hold their hands near enough to feel the heat.) Light also enables us to seecolor. (Shine a light through a prism to show the many colors that are contained within white

light.) Today we will learn about God creating light.



Praise(10 minutes)

Use the following suggested song from the Young Explorers CD: Creation Review Song.Add songs of your own choosing for leading the children in a time of praise. Lead in prayerfor this weeks study.

2

21

Items Needed Flashlight Light bulb in

portable lamp

Prism


Session 2: The Southern LightsOUTBACK ADVENTURE (Lessons on Creation and the Flood)


Announcements And Skit(5 minutes)

Give announcements and any guidelines you have for the children to follow during thistime. Use the optional skit titled Afraid Of The Dark? found on page 124.

Basic Life Necessities(5 minutes)

What are some things you need for life? (Allow responses.) Today we are going to talkabout two things that are very necessary for life. We already mentioned light. Air is anothernecessity. (Call two volunteers to come to the front of the room. Ask them to hold theirbreath, and time them.)

A person cant hold his breath very long. Why? (Allow responses.) People need air inorder to live. Without air, our bodies cant get the oxygen that is needed to give us energy.

Why do you think God created light and air before creating life on earth?(Allow responses.)


(10 minutes)Genesis 1:1-8; Isaiah 45:7,18; Job 12:10; Acts 17:25; Revelation 21:23

You will be using Overhead Master 3: Days for several sessions. You can make one trans-parency from the master and cover the pictures that you are not using, or you can choose toenlarge each picture and make separate transparencies from each one.

1. God Created LightOn the first day of creation darkness was over the surface of the deep. And God said,

Let there be light, and there was light. (Show Day 1 of Overhead Master 3:Days.) God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.How awesome! Wouldnt you have loved to be there and watch it happen? You know thatGod created the light, but did you know that He also created darkness? (Have a child read

2

22

Items Needed Bible Transparency

(or trans-parencies)made fromOverheadMaster 3:Days

Overheadprojector

Globe

Items Needed Two

volunteers Watch with a

second hand

rbennettUnderline

rbennettUnderline



the first part of Isaiah 45:7.) What did God call the light that He had created? (day) Whatdid God call the dark that He had created? (night)

The creation of day and night took place on the first day. But the sun and moon had notyet been created! For the first three days of creation the earth was lit by a different source,and as the earth rotated it experienced night and day. We dont know where the light camefrom, but we do know that there was light on the first day because God told us so in HisWord. We also know that in the New Jerusalem there will be no need for a sun, for Godhimself will be our light (Revelation 21:23). Thus we know that God does not need the sunin order to give light to the earth.

Because there was evening and morning, we know that the first act of creation tookexactly one day. (Have a child read Genesis 1:5.) How can there be evening and morningwithout the sun? (Allow responses.) We dont know exactly how it happened since no per-son was there to see it, but we do know that the earth rotates on its axis. (Demonstratewith a globe.) As each section of the earth turned away from the source of light, whateverthat source was, there would be evening and nighttime.

2. God Created AirOn the second day of creation, God created an expanse that He called sky. (Show

Day 2 of Overhead Master 3.) He separated the waters below from the waters above andput the sky between them. The waters below are the seas. No one is certain what thewaters above are, but many believe they are the clouds, since the clouds hold water thatsometimes comes down as rain. Clouds not only give us rain, but they give us shade fromthe sun.

What color is the sky? (Allow responses.) The sky is usually blue, but it can be all thecolors of the rainbow. Early in the morning and late in the evening the sky turns red, yel-low, orange, purple, and green. The clouds reflect the colors that are in the sky. God madea beautiful sky for us to enjoy.

The expanse that God created between the waters above and the watersbelow includes something else that is very important for life. Can anyone guess what it is?(Allow responses.) Its air. Without air, life cannot survive. Air is also used for other things.What are some ways that we use air? (Allow responses. Encourage the children to be cre-ative in their answers.) Air is not only necessary for life, but we use it for many otherthings, such as hair dryers, hot air balloons, and vacuum cleaners.

3. Gods Special CareBy creating air and light, God was beginning to make the earth ready for the life that He

would soon create. People and animals would need air to breathe and oxygen to fuel theirbodies. They need light in order to see. Plants would need carbon dioxide and light to

2

23



make the food that they need to grow. And people would need the plants for food to eat.The earth is the only planet that has life. God took special care of the earth, making it

different from all the other planets. God planned from the very beginning to put life on theearth, so He prepared the earth to support all the different life forms that He would create.Gods care for the earth shows us how much He loves us and cares for us. Just as He pro-vided everything the earth needed, so He can provide everything that you need.


Prayer(10 minutes)

Sing a few worship choruses to begin this part of the session.God did not put life on earth without first providing everything that life needed to sur-

vive. In the same way, God did not create you without providing everything you need. AndHe did not call you to serve Him without providing everything you need to do so.Whenever you have a need, you can go to God and ask Him for it. He is able to providewhatever you need.

Take prayer requests and pray for each need. Or assign some children to pray for others. Ifyou dont know God yet, you can have a personal relationship with Him starting today.Pray for those who desire salvation. See page 8 for guidance.

Light Review(5 minutes)

Write the key verse on the board, dividing it as follows: And God said, / Let there be light,/ and there was light. / God saw / that the light was good, / and he separated the light / fromthe darkness, / Genesis 1:3,4. Choose eight children to come forward and stand in a line fac-ing the board. Assign to each child one section of the verse. Give the first child a flashlight.

I am going to turn out the lights. Each of you is to say one section of the verse by firstturning on the flashlight and shining it on the board. Say your section of the verse, thenturn off the flashlight and hand it to the next person. While they are doing this activity, Iwant the rest of you to think about how they are using air. When the first eight childrenhave completed the verse, allow another group of children to come forward and repeat theactivity.

We used light to see the words on the board. We also used air. How? (Allow responses.)We use air whenever we talk. Light and air are necessary for us to live. God

showed His great care and design when He created light and air.

2

24

Items NeededChalkboard

and chalk Flashlight




Separating The Light(5 minutes)

God separated the light from the darkness. What did He call the light? (day)What did He call the darkness? (night) We dont know how God separated light from dark-ness, but we do know that we can separate light into many different colors. In this experi-ment we will separate the blue color out of light.

Place a clear drinking glass filled with water on an overhead projector. Turn on the projec-tor to see the light passing through the water and onto a screen (or wall). Then put severaldrops of milk in the water. (You may need to try this ahead of time to learn how much milk isneeded.) The blue color in the light will be absorbed by the water, which will turn a shade ofblue-gray. Since the blue color is absorbed, it will not show on the screen. The light willappear a brown-orange color.

During the day we see the sky as blue. (Point to the color of the liquid in the glass.) Butin the evening we see the other colors that are present in light, such as red and orange.(Point to the colors on the screen.)

If you do not have an overhead projector, you can shine a flashlight through a glass ofwater to which several drops of milk have been added.

Coober Pedy Mines(5 minutes)

If you have an opal or know someone who has one, bring it to class to show the children.When God created light, He also created color. The white light from the sun is

actually made up of all the colors of the rainbow. You can see some of those colors in theway light is reflected in an opal.

Australia produces most of the worlds opals. The largest opal mine in Australia is in atown called Coober Pedy. An opal is a remarkable gemstone. White light enters the stoneand is reflected off tiny particles inside. Those reflections return in many different colors.

If you do not have an opal, use a prism to show the colors present in white light. If a prismis not available, use the following method: Set a small mirror at an angle in a bowl. Shine aflashlight on the mirror and observe the reflected white light. Then add water to the bowl andshine the flashlight on the mirror again and see what happens. Have the children discusswhat made the difference. Let them give some reasons why they are glad for the light and thecolors God has given us.

2

25

Items Needed Overhead

projector (or

flashlight) Glass of water Several drops

of milk

Items Needed Opal (if

available) orprism

Flashlight Bowl Water



The Power Of Air(5 minutes)

We cant see the air that God created, but we can feel it as wind. (Turn on ahair dryer and let the children feel the wind.) We can also see what air does, like when wesee leaves blowing. How else can we see what air does? (Allow responses. Answers canrange from watching airplanes fly to watching a pinwheel spin in the breeze.)

Air flows in currents, or streams. These streams of air can support things, or hold thingsup and keep them in place. To demonstrate, turn on the hair dryer and hold it so that itblows upward. Then place a balloon in the air stream. The balloon will bounce around, but itwill remain suspended above the hair dryer.

Try this experiment with other objects, such as a Ping Pong ball or a wad of paper. With apowerful hair dryer, heavier objects can perform in the same manner. Try it with a screwdriv-er, for instance.

Air In Your Lungs(10 minutes)

All animals and people need air to live. We breathe air into our lungs (inhale), then webreathe the unused portion of air back out (exhale). Lets do an experiment to see howmuch air our lungs can hold.

Fill a large, clear plastic or glass jar with water until it is full. Color the water with food col-oring. Put a lid on the jar. Then fill a plastic dishpan half full of water. Turn the jar upsidedown and place it in the dishpan. Carefully remove the lid so as not to spill any of the coloredwater.

Provide a length of clean tubing, about three-feet long. Carefully place one end in the jarwithout letting any air into the jar. Then ask a volunteer to blow into the other end of thetube. He should take a deep breath and blow out as much air as he can.

The air will displace the water in the jar, forcing the colored water into the dishpan. Markon the jar where the water level is after the child has blown out all the air that he can. Cleanthe end of the tube and repeat with another volunteer to see who holds more air in his lungs.

When God created the world, He created air for us to breathe. Later, whenGod created man, He gave man lungs that were perfectly designed to breathe the air thatHe created. Even something as simple as air shows Gods intelligent design of the world.

Option: To make this activity into a review activity, have each child earn a chance to blowinto the tube by answering a review question.

Light, Air, & Weather(5 minutes)

Write the words light and air on the board vertically, leaving plenty of space after each letter.

26

Items Needed Hair dryer Balloon Several other

objects ofvariousweights

Items Needed Large clear jar

full of water Food coloring Lid for jar Dishpan Three feet of

clean tubing Marker

2


Air is important to the earth because it determines the kind of weather we have. Air isalmost always moving. Large currents of air are called wind. Sometimes the air is very dry.At other times the air is full of moisture and feels sticky. We call this humidity. The amountof dry or humid air, and the speed at which the air is moving, affects the kind of weatheran area will have. Another way to tell how much moisture is in the air is by the presenceof clouds. Clouds are full of water vapor. When the clouds get too full, the water falls tothe earth as rain.

Another thing that affects weather is air pressure. Air is heavier than you think! (Showthe children an empty wastebasket.) This wastebasket is full of air. (Hold six nickels in yourhand.) These six nickels weigh the same as the air in the wastebasket. In some areas ofthe earth, such as on top of mountains, the air is lighter. In other areas the air is heavier.We call this air pressure.

Light works together with air to affect the weather. The light from the sun warms theair. Warm air is lighter than cool air, so it rises up while cool air falls to earth. This createswind.

I want you to think of ways that light is important to the earth. Each thing you think ofshould start with one letter of the word light. Then think of ways that air is important tothe earth. Each thing should start with one letter of the word air. (Write the childrens

responses next to each appropriate letter.) God showed His great design for theearth when He created light and air.


See page 4 for suggestions on how to use Activity Sheets pages 2-1 to 2-3.



ActivitySheets 2-1 to2-3

Pencils

2

27

In Order Days One And Two FAQ Sheet 2Session 2, Sheet 1 Session 2, Sheet 2 Session 2, Sheet 3

Items Needed Chalkboard

and chalk Empty

wastebasket Six nickels


rbennettUnderline

rbennettUnderline

rbennettUnderline

rbennettUnderline

rbennettUnderline

rbennettUnderline

rbennettUnderline


Session 3: The Land Down Under

Bible TextGenesis 1:9-13,29,30; Psalm 24:1,2

Session Key VerseThe sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Psalm 95:5


learn that God created land and plantsexplain how design in nature points to a Creator

Land and plants are such a basic part of our lives that we tend to give them little thought.Yet when the world was new, there was no land. There were no plants. God had themin mind, however, and He orchestrated their creation with a masterful hand. Not onlydid He provide plants for food, but He made them beautiful. Flowerscome in all the colors of the rainbow. Fruits and vegetables come in avast array of shapes, textures, and flavors. God did not make a boringworld!

The next time you wander through the produce section of a grocerystore, take note of the colors and shapes you see. Try a fruit or veg-etable that you have never had before. Make it an unusual one, such asstar fruita citrus fruit in the shape of a five-pointed star. Share it withyour family, giving thanks to God for providing food in so many flavors!

SESSION 3

The Land Down UnderGOD CREATED LAND AND PLANTS

OUTBACK ADVENTURE (Lessons on Creation and the Flood)

Unit Key VerseFor since the creation of the world Gods invisible qualitieshis eternal power and divinenaturehave been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men arewithout excuse. Romans 1:20

28

3


OUTBACK ADVENTURE (Lessons on Creation and the Flood)Session 3: The Land Down Under

Items Needed Young

Explorers CD


South Land(5 minutes)

Gday, mates! Does anyone know what the word Australia means? (Allow responses.) Itmeans south land. The land of Australia is found south of the equator. (Show the equatorand Australia on a globe.) Thats why its known as the land down under.

Most of Australia is covered with deserts and dry grasslands, but the land is home tomany plants and animals that arent found anywhere else. Australia is mostly desertinfact, it is the driest continent on earth. The Australian deserts are called the outback.The countryside is called the bush.

Australia is one of the seven continents of the world. (Let volunteers come forward andpoint out the other six continents: Asia, Europe, Africa, North America, South America, andAntarctica.) Today we will be learning about God separating the land from the water andcreating continents like Australia, then creating plants like those grown in the bush.



Praise(10 minutes)

Use the following suggested song from the Young Explorers CD: Gday, Mate! Add songsof your own choosing for leading the children in a time of praise. Lead in prayer for thisweeks study.



Give announcements and any guidelines you have for the children to follow during thistime. Use the optional skit titled Stop And Smell The Roses, found on page 125.

3

29

Items Needed Globe

rbennettUnderline


Session 3: The Land Down UnderOUTBACK ADVENTURE (Lessons on Creation and the Flood)

Separating The Land(5 minutes)

Before class, place several kinds of soil in a glass jar. Be sure to use some potting soil, somesand, some clay-based soil, and different sizes of stones to represent stony soil. Then fill thejar with water to about three-fourths full. Before showing the jar to the students, shake it upso that the water appears cloudy and the soils are all mixed together.

On the third day of creation, God separated the land from the water. God said,Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.Godcalled the dry ground land, and the gathered waters he called seas (Genesis 1:9,10).(Show the children the jar of soil and water all mixed together. Set the jar on a table and donot disturb it so that the soils will begin to separate from the water.) Here we have someland and water mixed together. But if we let it sit, we will see the land being separatedfrom the water.

When the soil has settled, let the children observe what has happened. The heavier soilsfell to the bottom, while the lighter soils settled above them. The water above the soils shouldbe clean because the land has been separated from it.


(10 minutes)Genesis 1:9-13,29,30; Psalm 24:1,2

1. God Created LandWho can tell me what God created on the first day? (light) What was created on the

second day? (air or sky) On the first and second days, the earth was still covered withwater. (Have a child read Psalm 24:1,2.) On the third day of creation, God created

land. (Have a child read Genesis 1:9,10. Show Day 3 of Overhead Master 3: Days.)The new land rose up from the sea in the form of continents. Australia is one of the

seven continents that exist today. The large area of dry land in Australia is known as theoutback. God created the land of the outback to hold many metals and precious gems,such as gold, silver, copper, iron, opals, and diamonds. In fact, Australia has the worldslargest diamond mine and also provides most of the worlds opals. (Show the childrenobjects made from as many of these minerals as you can find.)

God created different kinds of land with the ability to support different kinds of plantlife. Deserts contain cactus and other beautiful flowering plants. The rich soil of temperateregions grows apples, oranges, dates, figs, olives, and many other fruits and vegetables.

3

30

Items Needed Glass jar

with lid Several kinds

of soil Water

Items Needed Bible Objects made

from severaldifferentmineralsand/or metals

Pictures ofseed-bearingplants

Several sizesof stones(continued onpage 31)



Even rocky areas are home to many different kinds of plants. God knew that plants wouldneed food, so He prepared the soil with the nutrients they required.

2. God Created PlantsAfter the dry ground appeared, God created plants according to their kinds.

That means that He created all the many different kinds of plants. (Show the children pic-tures of different seed-bearing plants. Provide a few potted plants as well, preferably somewith seeds. Also show a transparency made from Overhead Master 4: Plants.) He commandedthat the plants should reproduce according to their kinds. That means that eucalyptustrees will make seeds that produce only eucalyptus trees. Orchids will make seeds thatproduce only orchids. No plant could make seeds that would produce a different plant.This shows Gods great design in nature, for plants today still behave according to Godsplanthey reproduce according to their kinds and never turn into any other plant.

What are some things that plants need to live and grow? (Responses should include soil,water, light, and warmth.) Plants need light to grow, but God had not yet created the sun.Was there light for the plants? (Allow responses.) Yes, God had created light on the firstday. But he also knew that plants would need the warmth of the sun. How long would theplants have to wait before the sun would be created? (only one day)

God created plants to be used as food for people and animals. (Have a child read Genesis1:29,30.) Which plants were to be used for food? (every seed-bearing plant and every treewith fruit with seed in it) Who was supposed to eat only plants? (all the beasts of the earthand all the birds of the air)

According to this verse, what were the people supposed to eat? (plants) What were thelions supposed to eat? (plants) What were the vultures supposed to eat? (plants) What werethe dinosaurs supposed to eat? (plants)

God provided food for all animals in the form of plants. When God created His perfectworld, He did not intend for death to be there. At the beginning of the world, no one wassupposed to eat meat, not even wild animals. It was not until after the Flood that God gavepermission to eat meat. But even the meat-eating animals are still dependent on the plantsthat God created. (Show Overhead Master 5: Food Chain.) A dingo (Australian wild dog)eats a woolly rock (sheep in Strine), which ate the grass. Without the grass, there wouldbe no food for the dingo.

God designed the plants of the earth to live in their special environments. The eucalyp-tus trees of Australia were designed to live in the harsh conditions of the outback. Thegum trees and pine trees of Australia were designed to live in the fertile lands of the east-ern coast. This kind of design in nature points to an intelligent Designer.

3. Intelligent Design(Show the children a flowering plant.) All of Gods creation has incredible

design. The beauty in flowers is just one way to see the design in Gods creation. (Show

3

31

(continued from

page 30)

Transpar-enciesmade fromOverheadMaster 3:Days,OverheadMaster 4:Plants, andOverheadMaster 5:Food Chain

Overheadprojector

A few pottedplants

Paint droppedon paper

Knife Apple Orange Star fruitNapkins (one

for each child)

rbennettUnderline

rbennettUnderline

rbennettUnderline



the children a painting of a flower that you made by just dropping paint onto a piece ofpaper and letting chance make the design.) This picture was designed by chance. You cantell that it took no intelligence to make a flower look like this because there is no designto it. (Point to the flowers on Overhead Master 4.) However, these flowers show beautifuldesign and prove that Someone intelligent designed them.

(Cut an apple in half along the width.) Im cutting this across instead of up and down soyou can see the special design in the fruit. (Show the children the star pattern in the center.)Do you think this fruit just happened to be like this, or did someone design it? (Do thesame with an orange and a star fruit.) How do you think these fruits got their design?(Allow responses.) Even the fruit we eat shows the mark of a DesignerGod. (Give eachchild a small piece of fruit as a snack.)

Design like this could not happen all by itself. Compare the design in plants to your bed-room, for example. Do you have any pictures hanging on the wall? Is there a dresser anda closet for you to keep your clothes in? These things are designed and made by people.You can tell by looking at them that someone with intelligence has created them. Is yourbed made? If so, you can tell by looking at it that someone with intelligence has worked tomake the bed. When you do not apply intelligent design to your bedroom, what happens?It gets messy, doesnt it? If you just throw your clothes and toys any place, they do not nat-urally go to the places where they belong, do they? Its the same with nature. When left toitself, it does not create itself into something better, it only dies and decays. But when

Someone intelligent designs it, nature becomes something beautiful.


Prayer(10 minutes)

Sing a few worship choruses to begin this part of the session.It is wonderful to know that the God who is the Creator is also your Friend. He loves

you and cares about you. He wants you to know Himto know that He is mighty and pow-erful and can meet all your needs. (Take prayer requests and encourage the children to prayfor one another. Emphasize trusting God to provide over and above what we ask for.)

God spent the first days of creation preparing the world for the people that He knew Hewould soon make. He made the world perfect and beautiful to show His love for us. Hehas also shown His love for us by sending His Son to die on the cross for our sins. If youhave not yet accepted Gods gift of forgiveness, you can do so right now. (Invite those whohave not received salvation to do so now. See page 8 for instructions.)

3

32



3

33

Secret Message(10 minutes)

Write the key verse on the board. Give each child a piece of paper and a fine paintbrush.Provide a bowl of lemon juice, orange juice, grapefruit juice, or apple juice. These juices aremade from the plants that God created. We can use the juices as invisible ink. Let eachchild write the key verse on his paper using the juice and a paintbrush. When the juice is dryit will be invisible.

Erase the verse from the board. Let each child come forward and hold his paper near awarm light bulb. Supervise carefully! The warmth should make the message appear. Anotherway to make the message appear is to warm the paper with a warm iron. Have each studentread his message when it becomes visible.


Old Or Young?(5 minutes)

How long do you think it took God to create the land? (Allow responses.) How longdoes the Bible say that it took God to create the land? (Have a child read Genesis1:9,10,13.) According to the Bible, it took only one day. Evening and morning refer tothe rotation of the earth from the light (day) to the darkness (night), so we know the earthrotated only once during each day of creation.

Show the picture of Ayers Rock from Overhead Master 1: Design. This is called AyersRock and it is made from sandstone. It is the largest rock in the world and is a touristattraction in Australia. The native Aborigines call it Uluru. Uluru testifies to Gods creativeaction because it shows evidence of being created very quickly by water. If the formationof Uluru had taken a long time, the grains of sand in the sandstone would be smooth, butthey are jagged. This tells scientists that the stone is still rather young and was formedquickly.

Take a stack of paper (approximately 500 sheets) made up of several colors in layers, suchas a red layer, a blue layer, a yellow layer, and a green layer. Fold the stack in half and showthe children a view from the side, so they can see the layers forming an arch.

New Zealand is an island near Australia. (Show New Zealand on the Australia map poster.)New Zealand has many land formations that also show a quick creation. In some places youcan see that the layers of rock appear to have been folded. They look very much like thisstack of paper. This shows that the rock was still full of liquid (sea water) when it wasformed and then dried very quickly. If it had taken a long time to form, the rock would have

Items Needed Paper Fine

paintbrushes(one for eachchild)

Fruit juice Light bulb in

portable lamp(or iron)

Items Needed Transparency

made fromOverheadMaster 1:Design

Overheadprojector

Layers ofpaper (variouscolors)

Bible Australia map

poster

rbennettUnderline



dried out and cracked as it was being formed and would not show folded layers. In theseways and many others, the land gives testimony to Gods special creation.

Design Points To A Designer(10 minutes)

Provide several different kinds of leaves. Lay them on a table and let the children studythem. Encourage discussion by asking the following questions. How are these leaves thesame? How are they different? Are leaves simple or complex? Do you think someone intel-ligent created these leaves?

Provide paper and crayons. Let the children create crayon rubbings of the leaves by laying asheet of paper over a leaf and rubbing the flat side of a crayon over it. I want you to be creativein making your designs. You can use as many colors and as many leaves as you want. Olderchildren might think this activity is too childish, but they can use their intelligence to create amore complex picture. By doing so, they will help demonstrate the point of this activity.

When the children have finished, let them show off their artwork. You know that thesedesigns werent created simply by the crayons and the paper being in the right place by acci-dent. (To demonstrate the designs happening by accident, place several leaves, some crayons,and a piece of paper in a box and shake it up. Open the box to see if a beautiful design hap-pened by accident.) Someone intelligent had to make the beautiful designs you see in

nature. And just as the design on each paper shows that someone intelligent creat-ed it, so the design in the leaves tells us that Someone created the things we see in nature.

A Nuclear Blast(5 minutes)

God made plants for food, and He commanded that all living creatures should eat onlyplants. But how do plants create food for us? They do it by a process called photosynthesis,where they take the energy from the sunlight and use it to convert nutrients from the airand soil into food. Animals and people cannot do this. We cannot eat dirt and sit in the sunto gain energy.

Scientists (people who study the world) dont know exactly how plants are able to do thisbecause the process is very complex. Plants are able to take a molecule of air, or a moleculeof water, or a molecule of dirt, and break it apart into atoms. Then the plants recombine theatoms to form new molecules. (To demonstrate, provide several different marbles to representatoms. Place the marbles in groups of two or three to represent molecules. Then separate theatoms in each molecule and recombine them with other atoms.) The new moleculesbecome food that we can eat.

Plants use energy from sunlight to break apart the molecules. But it takes such a big blastof energy to break a molecule that the plant should destroy itself in the process. Here is anexample of what a blast of energy can do to a plant. (Hold a leaf up for the children to see.Light a match under the leaf and let the children watch the leaf burn. Drop the leaf into a tin

3

34

Items Needed Various kinds

of leaves Table Paper Crayons

Items Needed Tin pie plate Several leaves Several

marbles Match




Activity Sheets 3-1to 3-3

Pencils

pie plate before you burn your fingers!) Scientists can break apart molecules, but whenthey do it causes a nuclear reaction. How are plants able to do it and not destroy

themselves? This is evidence of an intelligent Designer.

According To Their Kinds(7 minutes)

Show the children a variety of flower, fruit, and vegetable seed packets and the full grownplants. Open the packets and pour each different kind of seed in a separate bowl. Let the

children observe the differences in the seeds. God created plants to reproduceaccording to their kinds. Carrot seeds will only become carrots. No matter how many timesyou plant carrot seeds, all you will ever get from them is carrots. What do you get if youplant watermelon seeds? (Allow responses.) If you plant lots and lots of watermelon seeds,will you ever grow anything besides watermelon? (Allow responses.) This is what it meansto reproduce according to their kinds.

Remove the packets from the table so the children cannot see which seeds belong to whichplants. Have them try to match each kind of seed to the flower, fruit, or vegetable that youhave brought. After several attempts, cut open the fruits and vegetables that have seeds inthem so the children can see the seeds inside.

Whenever we plant seeds in our gardens, we know exactly what kind of plants we willgrow. Thats a good thing! What would it be like to plant a pumpkin seed and not know

what kind of fruit or vegetable you might get? (Allow responses.) Gods specialdesign in His creation was to have every plant reproduce according to its kind.


See page 4 for suggestions on how to use Activity Sheets 3-1 to 3-3.

3

35

Plants Were Created Flower Power FAQ Sheet 3Session 3, Sheet 1 Session 3, Sheet 2 Session 3, Sheet 3

Items Needed Packets of

seeds Bowls (one

for eachpacket)

Fruits orvegetablesgrown fromeach kind ofseed

Table


rbennettUnderline

rbennettUnderline

rbennettUnderline

rbennettUnderline

rbennettUnderline

rbennettUnderline

rbennettUnderline


Session 4: The Southern Cross

Bible TextGenesis 1:14-19; Psalm 33:6; 102:25; 104:19; 147:4; Isaiah 40:26-31; 1 Corinthians

15:40,41

Session Key VerseThe heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm

19:1


learn that God created the sun, moon, stars, and planetsexplain how the heavenly bodies help tell time

Have you ever looked at the stars in the night sky and marveled atthe vastness of Gods creation? Stars are a testimony to Hismajesty and magnificence. They seem numberless, yet God knowseach one by name! How much more does God know every man,woman, and child on earth in a personal way.

On the next clear night, take a moment to observe the heavens andspend some personal time with God. Let the stars speak to you, remind-ing you that God knows you by name and loves you.

SESSION 4

The Southern CrossGOD CREATED HEAVENLY BODIES

OUTBACK ADVENTURE (Lessons on Creation and the Flood)36

4

Unit Key VerseFor since the creation of the world Gods invisible qualitieshis eternal power and divine

naturehave been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men arewithout excuse. Romans 1:20


OUTBACK ADVENTURE (Lessons on Creation and the Flood)Session 4: The Southern Cross

Items Needed Young

Explorers CD


Southern Cross(5 minutes)

Gday, mates! This lesson is called The Southern Cross. Does anyone know what theSouthern Cross is? (Allow responses.) It is a constellation in the southern hemisphere.(Show the southern hemisphere on a globe.) In the northern hemisphere our most popularconstellation is the Big Dipper. People use the Big Dipper to help them find the North Star.The North Star helps people, especially sailors, to find their way at night. In the southernhemisphere people cannot see the Big Dipper or the North Star. They use the SouthernCross as their main guiding constellation. The Southern Cross is found on the Australianflag. Display the poster of Australia and point out the constellation depicted on the right halfof the flag.

As Christians we use a different kind of guide to point the direction for us. That guide isthe cross. Just as the Southern Cross shows the way for sailors and other travelers at night,so the cross of Jesus shows the way to heaven.



Praise(10 minutes)

Use the following suggested song from the Young Explorers CD: Creation Review Song.Add songs of your own choosing for leading the children in a time of praise. Lead in prayerfor this weeks study.



Give announcements and any guidelines you have for the children to follow during thistime. Use the optional skit titled My Stars, found on page 126.

4

37

Items Needed Globe Australia map

poster

rbennettUnderline


Session 4: The Southern CrossOUTBACK ADVENTURE (Lessons on Creation and the Flood)

Points Of Light(10 minutes)

Give each child a small candle with a cardboard skirt to catch drips. Turn off the lightand make the room as dark as possible. Today we will be studying Gods creation

of stars, the sun, and the moon.Light a large candle and set it at the front of the room. Let the children closest to the large

candle light their smaller candles from it. They should then use their candles to help the chil-dren next to them light theirs. Continue until all the candles are lit. This activity should beclosely supervised.

Picture the stars being created, one by one, until the entire sky was filled with points oflight. Thats how we should shine our lights as Christians. First one person is saved andfilled with Gods light. Then he tells a few people who also get saved. They use the lightGod has given them to spread the good news to yet others. Soon many people can shinethe light of God throughout the world.


(10 minutes)Genesis 1:14-19; Psalm 33:6; 102:25; 104:19; 147:4; Isaiah 40:26-31; 1 Corinthians15:40,41

1.The Sun And MoonDo you remember which day it was that God created night and day? (Allow responses.)

It was the very first day of creation, when God created light. But the sun had not yet beencreated! For three entire days the

Documents

Out Back Adventure