Day One

Teacher's guide for your VBS: Pre-Session and Day 1, written with clear explanations, definitions, and applications that are sensitive to the needs of teens (ages 13–18) living in the slum and who may not be familiar with sound Christian teachings. This guide includes definitions of key words and concepts, simple language, and practical activities and illustrations to aid learning.

VBS THEME: God’s Rescue Plan for Fallen Man

Key Texts: Genesis 1–3, Romans 3, 5 & 6, John 3, Ephesians 2, Revelation 20

PRE-SESSION: Introduction to God and His Word

GOAL:

To help the teens understand who God is and why the Bible is important before they begin learning about God's rescue plan.

1. WHO IS GOD?

(Use short, clear definitions and show examples from the Bible.)

  • Creator (Genesis 1:1): God made everything—heaven, earth, animals, and human beings. Nothing came by chance.
  • Holy (Isaiah 6:3): God is pure. He is not like us—He is perfect, without sin.
  • Just (Deuteronomy 32:4): God is fair. He always does what is right. He punishes sin but also rewards good.
  • Loving (1 John 4:8): God deeply cares for people. His love is not based on what we have or don’t have. It’s unconditional.

Teaching Point for Slum Context:

Even when life feels unfair or painful, God has not forgotten us. He is holy and loving—and He has a plan for our rescue.

2. WHAT IS THE BIBLE?

  • God’s Word to man (2 Timothy 3:16): The Bible is not just a storybook—it’s God's message to people.
  • Truthful and Trustworthy: What the Bible says about sin, salvation, heaven, and hell is true.
  • Never Changes: Unlike people’s ideas and cultures, God’s Word stays the same forever.

ILLUSTRATIONS:

  • Use a real Bible – Hold it up and say, “This is God's voice to us.”
  • Broken Mirror vs. Full Mirror – Show a cracked mirror and a perfect one:
    • Full mirror = how God made man in His image.
    • Broken mirror = what happened after sin came in (we’ll learn more on Day 2).

ACTIVITIES:

  • Memory Verse Match-Up: Print short verses and attributes of God. Let students match them (e.g., "God is Love" - 1 John 4:8).
  • Bible Relay: Hide small cards with books of the Bible around the room. Let them find and arrange them in order.
  • Song Suggestion: Simple worship songs like “God is So Good” or “The B-I-B-L-E.”

DAY 1: THE NATURE OF MAN BEFORE THE FALL

Theme: Man’s Original Dignity and Purpose
Key Texts: Genesis 1:26–31; Ecclesiastes 7:29
Memory Verses:

  • Ecclesiastes 7:29 – “Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright...”
  • Genesis 1:27 – “So God created man in His own image…”

KEY WORDS AND DEFINITIONS:

  • Image of God: We are like God in some ways—we can think, create, love, choose right or wrong.
  • Righteous: Being right with God; living the right way He intended.
  • Holy: Being pure and without sin.
  • Relationship with God: Close connection—like a child with a loving parent.
  • Dignity: Worth and value. We are not trash; we matter to God.

MAIN TRUTHS TO TEACH:

  1. God made man in His own image.

    • This makes us special—unlike animals, we can know God, think, and love.
    • Your value doesn’t come from how rich or poor you are—but from God.

  2. God made man to have a relationship with Him.

    • Adam and Eve walked with God and talked with Him.
    • This shows us that we were made for something more than just surviving—we were made for friendship with God.

  3. Everything was good before sin came.

    • No death, no pain, no hunger, no shame.
    • God’s plan was perfect. The world’s problems began only when sin entered.

ILLUSTRATION FOR SLUM CONTEXT:

Dirty Coin Example:

  • Ask: “Have you ever picked a dirty coin off the road?”
  • Explain: “Even though it’s dirty, it still has value—you don’t throw it away. Why? Because it’s real money.”
  • In the same way, even when sin makes us feel worthless, we are still valuable to God because He made us in His image.

APPLICATION:

  • You are not an accident.
  • Your life has purpose, even if the world tells you otherwise.
  • God loves you and wants a relationship with you.
  • This week, we will see how He rescues us from sin and brings us back to Him.

ACTIVITY: IMAGE OF GOD CRAFT

Instructions:

  • Give students blank face outlines or paper.
  • Ask them to write or draw positive words about how God made them—e.g., “kind,” “strong,” “smart,” “loved.”
  • Talk together: “How can we show others that we are made in God’s image?”

Discussion Starter:

  • “If God made us this way, how should we treat ourselves and others?”
  • Help them realize dignity is shared—every human being deserves love and respect.

CLOSING REMINDERS:

  • God made everything good.
  • God made YOU good—special, upright, and full of purpose.
  • Sin came later (we’ll talk about that on Day 2), but God's plan to rescue us began even before that.

Kenneth Malenge 

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