Made in God's Image
Month 7: Who Am I? · Bible Story
Today's Scripture
Read together: Genesis 1:26-27
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.
Memory Verse
“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”— Genesis 1:27 (BSB)memorize this week
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: 2 Kings 20-22
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (King Josiah finds the lost Book of the Law and leads Judah back to God.)The Heart of It
On the sixth day, God did something brand new. He had not done it with the stars, or the seas, or any animal. He paused. He said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness." Everything else God simply spoke into being. But with people, He leaned in close. He shaped us on purpose. He stamped something of Himself onto us. Being made "in God's image" doesn't mean we look like God's face. God is Spirit. It means we were built to think, to choose, to love, and to create. We can know right from wrong. We can even know God Himself. No starfish can do that. No mountain or galaxy can do that. But you can.
This is the answer to the very first "Who am I?" question. It is the foundation for every other answer this whole month. Long before you ever did anything good or bad, smart or clumsy, God had already decided who you are. You are an image-bearer of the King of the universe. That truth doesn't come from how you feel. It doesn't come from how you look, or what other people say about you. It comes from the very first page of the Bible. And nothing in the whole world can erase God's signature from your life.
Around the Table
God made YOU special. He put a little bit of His own likeness in you, like a king's stamp! That's why you can love. That's why you can think and make things.
Let's do it: Press your thumb onto a stamp pad, or just into a ball of dough. That "mark" is all yours. God put His mark on you on purpose!
Being made in God's image means you can do things animals can't. You can love. You can choose right. You can make beautiful things, and you can know God. What's one thing you can do that shows God's image in you?
Let's talk: God decided who you are before you were born. So can anyone ever take that away?
"Image of God" is where human dignity comes from. It isn't about being useful, popular, or talented. It's about being made by God on purpose.
Let's go deeper: The world says you are "what you achieve" or "how you feel." Why is "I am an image-bearer of God" a stronger, steadier place to stand?
💬 Conversation Starter
Imagine a friend asked you, "Why do you matter?" What would you say in one sentence?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
Sometimes someone will say people are "just smart animals." We can kindly point out that no animal builds cathedrals. No animal writes poems about right and wrong. No animal asks, "Why am I here?" Human dignity makes the most sense if we were made in God's image (). And reminds us to give that answer "with gentleness and respect." We say it gently, never to win a fight.
For Dad · Go Deeper
The doctrine of the imago Dei is the bedrock your kids will stand on when culture tries to define them by performance, appearance, or feelings. Notice that in worth is given before anyone has done a single thing. It is granted, not earned. That order matters. A child who believes "I matter because I produce" will either burn out or look down on those who produce less. So speak identity over your children the way the Father did at Jesus' baptism. He said, "This is My beloved Son," before the public ministry ever began (). Your affirmation as their dad is meant to echo the affirmation already written over them in . It echoes that word; it never replaces it.
Draws on: Nancy Pearcey, Love Thy Body.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You for making us in Your image. You made us on purpose, with Your own mark on our lives. Help us see ourselves the way You see us. And help us treat everyone we meet as someone You made. In Jesus' name, amen."
I am not random. I carry the image of the God who made me on purpose.