Allow 10 minutes1. DISTRIBUTE

Hand out the paper towel tubes, plates, and string to each child. Place the glue, scissors, and hole punch within easy reach.

2. CREATEFollow these steps to create a bird feeder:

• Cut a ½-inch hole in the middle of one of the paper plates.

• Punch two holes about 1 inch from the edge of that plate, on opposite sides of the plate.

• Thread the string through the smaller holes and then tie it so it makes a hanging loop. (This will be the top of the bird feeder.)

• Punch three or four holes around one end of the paper towel roll.

• Glue the hole-punched end of the paper towel roll to the solid plate.

• Glue the other end of the paper towel roll to the middle of the top of the bird feeder. The plate’s hole is over the opening of the tube.

• Reinforce the glue with clear tape.

• Show children how to pour birdseed into the paper towel tube through the hole in the middle of the plate.

3. DISCUSS • How does your birdfeeder take care of God’s creation?

• What are other ways you can take care of God’s creation?

4. MAKE THE CONNECTIONSay: If you’ve ever taken a walk in the woods or smelled a beautiful fl ower or watched a bird fl ying high above, then you’ve seen and experienced God’s beautiful creation. God asks us to take care of the things he created. That way, we respect God’s creation.

Care for Creation YOU’LL NEEDscissors • 2 small paper plates per child • hole punch • 2 feet of string per child • 1 empty paper towel or toilet paper tube per child • glue • clear tape

19Living Inside Out Lower ElementaryPermission to photocopy this page from Group’s Living Inside Out®: Wilderness Trail granted for local church use.Copyright © Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Ave., Loveland, CO 80538. group.com

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• Welcome each child, and ask kids how they did with last week’s Daily Challenges.

• Ask what kids remember about today’s large-group lesson.

• Let kids share news or prayer requests, and pray with them.

• TAKE CARESay: God told Adam that he wants us to take care of the earth. Talk with a partner about some ways you can take care of the earth. Allow time.

Allow 5 minutesOPENING

Lower Elementary Genesis 1:27-28; 2:8-15

Lesson

4Taking Care of God’s Creation

Key Verse

The Point

We respect God’s creation.

“Respect everyone.”—1 Peter 2:17

Allow 5 minutes

Allow 10 minutes

20 Living Inside Out Lower Elementary Permission to photocopy this page from Group’s Living Inside Out®: Wilderness Trail granted for local church use.Copyright © Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Ave., Loveland, CO 80538. group.com

Memory Maker

Living Inside Out Every Day!

DISTRIBUTEGive a copy of today’s “Living Inside Out Every Day!” handout to each child. Say: This paper has ideas for how you can live inside out this week. Let’s choose our Daily Challenges.

DAILY CHALLENGES™Read the Daily Challenges aloud. Have children circle the one they’ll do this week.

MAKE THE CONNECTIONSay: Just as God wanted Adam to take care of his creation, God also wants us to care for creation. When we take care of the things God created, we respect God’s creation.

PRAYSay: Dear God, thank you for all the wonderful things you created. Help us know how to care for and respect your creation. In Jesus’ name, amen.

YOU’LL NEED Bible Memory Makers®

1. DISTRIBUTEHand out Bible Memory Maker canteens to everyone.

2. SAY THE VERSESay: Let’s all say the Key Verse from 1 Peter 2:17 that’s on our canteens: “Respect everyone.” We learned today that God wants us to respect not only people but all of God’s creation.

3. SHARESay: A canteen holds water. Talk with a partner about diff erent ways you could use water or take care of water to show respect to God’s creation. Have pairs share some ideas with the group.

4. DISCUSS• Why is it important to God that we respect his creation?

• How can you respect God’s creation around your home? at school? when you spend time outdoors?

5. MAKE THE CONNECTIONSay: Let’s help each other remember to respect others and the world around us. Hold your canteen in the air, and let’s all say the verse together one more time. You’ll take your canteen home with you today. Every time you see your canteen, let it remind you that we respect God’s creation.

6. SEND HOMEHave kids take home their canteens.

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Permission to photocopy this page from Group’s Living Inside Out®: Wilderness Trail granted for local church use.Copyright © Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Ave., Loveland, CO 80538. group.com

Daily Challenge®

Living Inside Out Every Day!

Choose a Challenge!Your child chose the marked challenge for the week. Help your child remember to follow through and live out his or her faith.

CHALLENGE 1With an adult, collect aluminum cans lying around your neighborhood and take them to a recycling center to respect God’s creation.

CHALLENGE 2Conserve water by shutting off the faucet when you brush your teeth or while you soap up in the shower, or use less water for your tub bath.

CHALLENGE 3Take cloth bags or used paper or plastic bags with your parents to the grocery store, and help them carry the groceries home in reusable bags instead of new plastic sacks.

The Inside TruthYour child learned when God made the earth, he made it beautiful. God wants us to enjoy his creation, but he wants us to take care of it, too. A great way to show respect for God is to respect his creation.

Do You Remember?Talk about these questions with your child:

• What did God tell Adam about taking care of the earth?

• What will you do to respect God’s creation?

Lower Elementary Genesis 1:27-28; 2:8-15

Key Verse

The Point

“Respect everyone.”—1 Peter 2:17

We respect God’s creation.

Living Inside Out at Home

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Where Kids Dare to Live Their Faith 24/7

ORDER ONE for each child

Order today! Call 800.447.1070 or contact your local Christian reseller. (In Canada, call 800.403.5598)

Don’t forget your Bible Memory Makers®!Bible verses are reinforced with the Bible Memory Makers! Each Bible Memory Maker has the module’s Key Verse on it and is creatively used during small-group time. At the end of the module, every child will want to bring home one of these clever memory makers to share with their friends and live out their faith. Buy one per child for each of the three monthly modules. (Sold in packs of 5.)

Wilderness Trail— CanteenISBN 978-0-7644-7871-0 (pkg. of 5)

$5.99 In Canada $6.49

Permission to photocopy this page from Group’s Living Inside Out®: Wilderness Trail granted for local church use.Copyright © Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Ave., Loveland, CO 80538. group.com

Shower Some Love1. Look around outside your house with your family for

landscaping, fl owers, plants, and so on.

2. Water the plants with the garden hose.

3. Talk about how, like plants need water, we need God in our lives.

4. Discuss how taking care of the plants by giving them water is like how God takes care of us by giving us love.

5. Think of ways you can “shower” some of God’s love on others!

Parents, choose “Plant It” or “Shower Some Love” to help reinforce what your child learned.

Plant It1. Buy a seedling tree from a nursery.

2. Gather your family, and together plant the tree in a place it can grow and also be benefi cial to its environment.

3. Water and tend the tree until it’s well established.

4. Stake the tree to help it grow straight and tall.

5. Have someone take a picture of your family together with the tree, so in the future you can enjoy tracking its growth.

You’ll Need

garden hose

You’ll Need

small seedling tree from a home improvement store or nursery