Faith 101 Discovering the Faith Lesson Two “Maker of Heaven and Earth”

God is Creator To Create = to make something out of nothing If God is the creator, then there is not a “little god” in each of us What does it mean to Create? Why is it important that we believe that God is the Creator?

The Order of Creation (Genesis 1) Formless (days 1-3) 1. Light (v3) 2. Sky (v7) 3a. Land and sea (v9) 3b. Vegetation (v11) Empty (Days 4-6) 4. Stars, moon, sun (v14) 5. Fish and birds (v21) 6a. Animals (v24) men (v26) 6b. Plants for food (v30) The vertical and horizonal relationships demostrate order and symmetry.

Recurring Themes Evening and Morning = 1 day “And God Said… And it was so GOD WORKS THROUGH HIS WORD “And it was very good” Good = complete, whole, having all that is needed to fulfill the purposes for which God made it.

GOD Provides all things Food (Genesis 2:8-9)

God Provides All Things WORK (Genesis 2:15)

God Provides all things Boundaries (Genesis 2:16-17)

God Provides All Things Family (Genesis 2:18ff) It is not good for man to be alone. 1. Animals are given for man, but man is distinct from the animals. 2. Woman, like man, is in God’s image. (Genesis 1:27) 3. God created marriage, and intended it for the rearing of society.

Discussion Questions What about evolution? If God preserves and protects then why do bad things happen?

Creation vs. Evolution What is the purpose of Science? What is the purpose of Theology? Science: purpose is to explain the natural world. Doesn’t try to explain the supernatural. The scientific method works by experimentation—testing repeatable, observable phenomenon explains what, how, Theology: purpose is to present what we know about God explains WHO. We don’t read the Bible for science, as a science book. Although we believe what it presents to be true, it is more like history or poetry than a scientific description. Science can only hypothesize about origins and things that have occurred in the past. It has no way of being tested. Let’s not attack science; let’s just acknowledge it’s limitations. It is a human endeavor, and one that has been forced to explain more than it is capable of doing, when measured by its own definitions.

Evolutionary Theory Micro-evolution Macro-evolution Micro-evolution is the PROVEN small adaptations of a species over time. Macro-evolution is the UNPROVEN hypothesis that these small changes, over VAST amounts of time, could explain a complete change in species and even how life first came to be.

Creation/Evolution Differences 1. God created it on purpose 1. Life evolved accidentally 2. Man is created in God’s 2. Man is highest form of image animal 3. God did it in six days 3. Life evolved over billions of years.

The Problem of Evil If God preserves and protects then why do bad things happen? Leads us to the origin and nature of sin. But know that suffering viewed without God is hopelessly evil Because of Christ’s suffering, we can trust God. We trust that he loves us, and we trust that suffering is not the last word.