Created in God’s Image
Objective
Each teen to cherish that he/she created by God and for God out of love with a special uniqueness.
Key Scripture Verse
Genesis 1:26-27
Then God said: Let us make* human beings in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over
the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the tame animals, all the wild animals, and all the creatures that
crawl on the earth. God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and
female* he created them.
Songs
Beautiful One – Trevor Thompson
God of Wonders – Third Day
http://www.spiritandsong.com/products/30104206
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M8XK2w7wmw
Food
Serve dinner and dessert. Consider foods that are made from 3 parts or ingredients (for example:
spaghetti, meatballs, & sauce)
Ice Breaker
Trinity Basket (Taken from Fruit Basket)
Place enough chairs for all teens minus one in a circle. Assign each teen one of these three “words”:
Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Each takes a seat with one in the middle. The one in the middle says one of the
three “words”. If Son is said then every teen-labeled Son will need to move to a new chair. The one left in
the middle says name, school, grade, and an adjective describing self, then says the next “word”. Once
this is done a few times let the teens know in order for everyone to move say Trinity.
Living Sculpture
Toilet paper, saran wrap, and tin foil are used to make sculptures out of one person per team. The team
with the best sculpture in the time allotted wins. The “sculpture” volunteer stands in a position while the
team wraps toilet paper, saran wrap and tin foil around him or her to create a “work of art that is an image
of God.” This game can also be played using shaving cream – for added fun in the summer use squirt
guns to remove the shaving cream. Another twist is to base the sculptures on characters from popular
movies, TV shows or even Disney cartoons.
YM Introduction to Message
What do we know about this Lord of ALL creation? What is this Lord of all creation like? What did He
create? (Let teens tell you. Look at scripture Genesis 1) Land, water, birds, sun, etc. He created you and
me! Each of us is unique. Each of us has a different fingerprint. In all of time, there is only one you! God
create us special because He loves us so much. Sometimes we may think God does not love us, we are
unlovable. That is a lie. I want you to know God loves you very much!
© 2013 Totus Pro Deo - All for God. All rights reserved. Do not copy or distribute without written authorization.
Large Group Discussion - Brainstorm
If each person is made in the image of God, then what is God’s image like?
How do we reflect the image of God? (help teens to grasp that our souls most deeply reflect the image of
God)
What makes it hard to see the image of God in other people (friends, enemies, etc?)
How can we more freely show/reflect God to others? (grow in holiness - 1Peter 1:13-16)
Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to
you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil
desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all
you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
Is God male or female?
Discuss how God is trinity: one God, three persons Father/Creator, Jesus, Holy Spirit.
Testimony/Witness
Have teen or adult share how each person of the Trinity has formed who the speaker is.
Small Group
Break large group up into small groups of 4-6 teens.
 Have each person share how he/she best relate to each triune person of God and why.
 Which person in the trinity is the hardest for them to understand / relate to?
YM Teaching
I want you to know God loves you very much! I said it before, and if you remember only 2 things tonight,
this is one of them: God loves you! In Jeremiah 31:3 God says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love
and so I still maintain my faithful love for you.” And in Jeremiah 1:5 He says, “Before I formed you in the
womb I knew you”. God, the creator of all, God the Father, created and knows you personally, you are not
a mistake, you are deeply loved!
He created you to be your very best! In Jeremiah 29:11-14 God says “ For I know the plans I have for you,”
declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then
you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when
you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord” God is bringing each of us a
superabundant light as we search for the ultimate meaning of life. Imagine – God says if we seek Him, we
will find Him
Living in faith is our response back to God. God reveals Himself and gives Himself to each of us. We just
shared the first part of Jeremiah “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, - now listen to the rest
“before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you. “Ah, Lord GOD!” I said, “I
do not know how to speak. I am too young!” But the LORD answered me, Do not say, “I am too young.”
(Jeremiah 1:5-7)
So this is the second thing to remember God wants us to share Him with others – that is being a prophet.
We are called to reflect the image of God so our friends, our family, heck even total strangers. When we let
God’s image shine through us, they can find God too. And that will bring them peace, happiness, and true
joy.
© 2013 Totus Pro Deo - All for God. All rights reserved. Do not copy or distribute without written authorization.
The desire for God is written in our hearts, because we are created by God and for God. God is always
bringing you to His heart. Only in God do we, each of us, find the truth and happiness we are searching
for. Be bold, let God love you, and shine His love back into the world.
“Images of God” Fundraiser or Art Show
Invite teens to create “Images of God.” Images could be sculpture, framed drawings, magazine collages,
poetry, banners, and photo shots with scripture or prayer word(s). Be creative.
These images could be shown at an Art Fair. A youth group could raise money by selling tickets to be
placed in containers and draw to select winner of each image.
Closing Prayer
Song: Beautiful One
Pray a litany of the names of God – take from scripture
© 2013 Totus Pro Deo - All for God. All rights reserved. Do not copy or distribute without written authorization.
God of Wonders
by Third Day
Lord of all creation
of water earth and sky
The heavens are your Tabernacle
Glory to the Lord on high
Chorus:
God of wonders beyond our galaxy
You are Holy, Holy
The universe declares your Majesty
And you are Holy, Holy
Lord of Heaven and Earth
Lord of Heaven and Earth
Early in the morning
I will celebrate the light
When I stumble in the darkness
I will call your name by night
Chorus
Lord of heaven and earth
Lord of heaven and earth
Hallelujah to the Lord of heaven and earth (repeat 3 times)
holy...holy...holy God...
Chorus
Precious Lord reveal your love to me....
Father holy...
(background)...Lord God almighty...
The "universe" declares your majesty
"you are" holy, holy, holy, holy
Hallelujah to the Lord of heaven and earth 9x
© 2013 Totus Pro Deo - All for God. All rights reserved. Do not copy or distribute without written authorization.
Beautiful One
by Trevor Thompson
Wonderful, so wonderful
Is your unfailing love
Your cross has spoken mercy over me
No eye has seen no ear has heard
No heart could fully know
How glorious, how beautiful you are.
Beautiful one I love you
Beautiful one I adore
Beautiful one my soul must sing.
Powerful so powerful
Your glory fills the skies
Your mighty works displayed for all to see
The beauty of your majesty
Awakes my heart to see
How marvelous how wonderful you are.
Beautiful one I love you
Beautiful one I adore
Beautiful one my soul must sing.
Beautiful one I love you
Beautiful one I adore
Beautiful one my soul must sing.
You opened my eyes to your wonders anew
You captured my heart with this love
Because nothing on Earth is as beautiful as you
You opened my eyes to your wonders anew
You captured my heart with this love
Because nothing on Earth is as beautiful as you are.
Beautiful one I love you
Beautiful one I adore
Beautiful one my soul must sing.
Beautiful one I love you
Beautiful one I adore
Beautiful one my soul must sing.
And you opened my eyes to your wonders anew
You captured my heart with this love
Because nothing on earth is as beautiful as you are.
© 2013 Totus Pro Deo - All for God. All rights reserved. Do not copy or distribute without written authorization.
Prayer: Litany of God's Names
O God of silence and quietness, you call us to be still and know you O God of steadfast love, your Spirit is poured into our hearts –
O God of compassion, your Word is our light and hope –
O God of faithfulness, you fill our hearts with joy –
O God of life and truth, from you we receive every gift –
O God of healing and peace, you open us to divine grace –
O God of all creation, our beginning and our end –
O God of salvation, you reconcile all things in Jesus, your son O Jesus, conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit –
O Jesus, who invites us, “Come and see” –
O Jesus, who is like us in all things except sin –
O Jesus, who is your pledge of saving love –
O Jesus, you are the Holy One
O Jesus, you are our Messiah –
O Jesus, you are the way, the truth, the life
O Jesus, you are our salvation
O Holy Spirit, you are our Counselor
O Holy Spirit, you are Wisdom
O Holy Spirit, giver of life
O God of all generations, of all times and seasons and peoples –
O God of our mothers and fathers, of all who have loved us –
O God of our past; O God of our future –
O God of our present, O God be with us
© 2013 Totus Pro Deo - All for God. All rights reserved. Do not copy or distribute without written authorization.
Additional Scripture Verses and Catechism of the Catholic Church
John 1:1
And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the
Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.
Ephesians 2:10
For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance,
that we should live in them.
CCC 358
God created everything for man, but man in turn was created to serve and love God and to offer all creation
back to him:
What is it that is about to be created, that enjoys such honor? It is man—that great and wonderful
living creature, more precious in the eyes of God than all other creatures! For him the heavens and
the earth, the sea and all the rest of creation exist. God attached so much importance to his
salvation that he did not spare his own Son for the sake of man. Nor does he ever cease to work,
trying every possible means, until he has raised man up to himself and made him sit at his right
hand.
CCC 2002
God’s free initiative demands man’s free response, for God has created man in his image by conferring on
him, along with freedom, the power to know him and love him. The soul only enters freely into the
communion of love. God immediately touches and directly moves the heart of man. He has placed in man a
longing for truth and goodness that only he can satisfy. The promises of “eternal life” respond, beyond all
hope, to this desire:
If at the end of your very good works... , you rested on the seventh day, it was to foretell by the
voice of your book that at the end of our works, which are indeed “very good” since you have given
them to us, we shall also rest in you on the sabbath of eternal life.
© 2013 Totus Pro Deo - All for God. All rights reserved. Do not copy or distribute without written authorization.