Kids Camp 2024 Session 1- Night 1

Is Humanity on God’s Path? Genesis 1-3.

Introduction

Ground rules. I expect you all as older kiddos to listen, be respectful. It will be a fun time. I’ll ask questions and expect you to respond. For my 5th graders in particular, you are my leaders and are coming my way in just a month!

I am so excited to be here with you all this week and being able to answer the question, Why should we follow God’s Path? Which we get from Psalm 25:4 “Make your ways known to me, Lord; teach me your paths.”

With this theme in mind we will be going over these questions about God’s Path

Tonight we will be answering; Is Humanity on God’s path?

We then will be answering the questions

How do we get back on God’s Path?

What do I do when I am back on the path?

How do I help others get back on the path?

As we go through this week, I will be referencing the path and the types of people regarding the path.

You will those who are unconvinced that God’s path is the best. They do not think

Unconvinced Davey

Story of Davion who I grew up with. Was talking to him on the phone recently and I began sharing with him Jesus, and the hope we have in the Lord. He says that he believes in God, but he doesn’t believe the world came into existence like a Christian would. I asked him what he meant and here is how he responded. He said that he believes that aliens came down to earth, and planted seeds to cause things to come into existence. His resource for this theory is, “The Ancient Secret of the Flower of Life”. Absolutely wild left field. I know Davey is unconvinced of who God really is.

There are those who are undecided

Undecided Sally

She was married with kids. Mid 30’s Had professed to be a believer but having problem with marriage. The wife wanted to leave the marriage go downtown drink party and so forth. Do not want to be mom anymore. She was wanting to walk away from the Lord. She just doesn’t believe anymore. She was willing to meet and talk through the issues. The place to go is the resurrection, shared the resources and such for the resurrection. They met 4 times. She did all that was asked, they were done. She said she appreciated all of the things, she believed it historically happened, i can not refute it. She then drops the bomb and says, I am not going to follow Him.

Then those who are unashamed to be on and follow God’s path.

Unashamed Robby- https://www.thestonetable.org/an-emotional-encounter-with-a-man-who-gave-up-everything-to-follow-jesus/

Robby was a native of Africa and pastor Erik shares this story of Robby and what it cost him to follow Jesus. Robby had been a Muslim and was married to a woman. Robby had given his life to Jesus 3 months prior to meeting Pastor Erik. This is what he lost for putting his faith in Jesus, and following the Lord.

His father-in-law forcibly removed his pregnant wife from his home saying he only gave her to him as a Muslim man, not as a Christian. He has not seen or spoken to her since.

His mother and brothers locked him out of his home and took all of his possessions. He was left with only the clothes on his back

His brothers threatened to stone him, a warning that could still become reality.

And yet here he was, in a room full of high school students, sharing his newfound faith in Jesus. “They have taken everything from me,” he shared. “What else can they possibly do?”

So with conviction in his heart and joy on his face, we walked with him from the house to an inlet of the Indian Ocean and witnessed his public baptism!

Robby understood what it took to follow the Lord at all costs. He lost all the physical things of this world. He lost his wife, his child. He lost his family, he lost his physical belongings. He counted it all worth it to follow the Lord’s path, and serve him.

My hope is that over these next few days that you all take one step in the right direction toward a relationship, and to begin or strengthen your walk with the Lord on His Path.

We will begin tonight by looking in Genesis 3 to answer the question, Is Humanity on God’s path?

Genesis 3:1–13 “Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit from the trees in the garden. But about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, ‘You must not eat it or touch it, or you will die.’ ” “No! You will certainly not die,” the serpent said to the woman. “In fact, God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” The woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God w…”

Pray

Point 1- Perfection Genesis 1.

Before we get into Genesis 3 and dissect the text we must see what got us to this point. And we will take a real brief stroll through creation.

In Genesis 1 we see the creation of the universe as a whole.

The 1st day V.3-5

God creates light, as darkness was all around. He created the days and the night. Now something I want to show you all is that God created light, but when we look in verse 15-16 what do we see being created? The sun…

So if God created light, but not the sun, what is the source of light? God himself… Fun fact

But once God created the light, and the darkness and he called it good. What he had created it was good.

The 2nd day V.6-8

God created the sky, the atmosphere around us. It was good.

The 3rd day V.9-13

He created the dry land which we call earth, but he also created the seas

He also created vegetation, seed bearing plants, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit with seed in it according to its kind.

It was good, and it was good again. Shocker.

The 4th day V.14-19

Then he created the seasons, fall, winter spring summer

He also created the greater light and the lesser light, Sun and moon.

Once again it was good.

The 5th day V.20-23

Living creatures. He created fishies, and sharkies, and all the thingies in the ocean.

He also created the winged creatures. The biridies, the chickies, the pterodactyl

It was good.

The 6th day V.24-31

Livestock, the cowies, the pigies, the donkeys,

wildlife, deeries, tigeries, elephanties,

It was good.

But he also made who on the 6th day?

Hoomans, Dwell on verse 26.

Verse 31 and he changes language to very Good!

God had created all of the universe, and each thing in it and it was very good.

Was humanity on God’s path at this point in the bible story?

Yes

But then Genesis 3 happens.

But Genesis 2 n

Point 2- Temptation Genesis 3:1-5.

Serpent is what we know to be satan.

Cunning means crafty or sneaky. He was good at deceiving people

You might be good at deceiving your parents to get what you want… That is a later sermon.

The serpent is asking and questioning God’s word. `

Illustration

How do you pass a test?

Study it?

Or what about a song?

Baby Shark.

I turned on a song

Application

For us to avoid and run away from temptation we must know God’s word. We must memorize it.

My challenge is before we go home, memorize Psalm 25:4 “Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.”

Point 3- Seperation Genesis 3:6-13.

They

Point 4- The Promise Genesis 3:14-15.

Jesus

Conclusion

Small Group Questions

When God created the world, was humanity on God’s path?

Why is it important for us to really know God’s word? What are some ways we might be tempted by Satan to doubt God?

What is the promise God gives in Genesis 3:15?

Is humanity on God’s path right now?