Youth Group (60 Minutes)

God Creates Humanity in His Image

CONNECT — 0–10 Minutes

Game: First Impressions
Leader names a category (shoes, hairstyles, music taste). Students quickly group themselves based on similarities.
Debrief briefly: how fast we judge or categorize people.

ENCOUNTER — 10–20 Minutes

Leader Script

“As we read today, listen for what God says about people — not what culture says, not what social media says.”

Read Aloud

Scripture (BSB): Genesis 1:26-31

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness, to rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, and over all the earth itself and every creature that crawls upon it.”

27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth.”

29 Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit contains seed. They will be yours for food.

30 And to every beast of the earth and every bird of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth—everything that has the breath of life in it—I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.

31 And God looked upon all that He had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

Ask

• What stands out to you?
• What feels important?
• What questions does this raise?

ANCHOR — 20–35 Minutes

Main Idea

God made every person in His image, which means our value is given by God — not earned, compared, or voted on. Being made in God’s image also means our lives belong to God, and we live under His authority—not our own.

Illustration

Talk about social media profiles: likes, follows, comments, and filters.
Contrast that with identity given at creation — before anyone could perform, post, or impress.

RESPOND — 35–50 Minutes

Group Discussion

• Where do teens usually look for value or identity?
• What happens when those things are taken away?
• How would school, friendships, or online behavior change if everyone believed people are made in God’s image?

Encourage honesty. No pressure to answer everything.

SEND — 50–60 Minutes

Challenge

This week, choose one way to treat someone with dignity because God made them — especially someone who is usually ignored or judged.

Prayer

Invite students to pray silently, thanking God for making them on purpose and asking for help to see others the same way.