Faith Lesson Plan and Faith Activity

Chapter 1 – In God’s Image

Grades 7 & 8

Doctrinal Content

• God made humans in his image and likeness so we could be in relationship with him. (CCC 35, 45)

• With a soul, reason, and free will, humans can set their priority and direction in life toward friendship with God.

• Jesus is the model for living out this relationship. (CCC, 356, 357) Through the accounts of creation and the establishment of the covenant, we learn that God is faithful to all humans, even when they sin. (CCC, 346)

• Natural and revealed law helps us live out the covenant and grow closer to God. (CCC, 1954–1974

Invite – Let Us Pray

Invite the young people to gather in the prayer space and make the sign of the Cross. Read aloud the leader's prayer. Proclaim the verse from Psalm 139:14 together. Have the children move out of the prayer space and back to their seats.

Say: Because God wanted to have a relationship with us based on our ability to choose, he made us different from the rest of creation. Let us listen to what the Bible says about how God created man in his image and likeness.

Guide the young people through the process of Scripture reflection below. Invite them to close their eyes, be still, and open their minds and hearts to what God is saying to them in this passage. Proclaim the Scripture. Maintain several moments of silence Display and Read the following. Read: James 2:14-17

Ask: What did you hear God say to you in the Sacred Scripture reading? Engage the children to respond. Say: The purpose of our life is to grow in total union with God so that we will experience that union for all of eternity. Ask: What else have you ever thought about God's Word and what it means to us today. Engage the children to respond.

Discover (1)

Objectives:

• Recognize that we are made to be in relationship with God

• Identify ways humans are different from the rest of the created world

• Examine Jesus’ relationship with God the Father and apply it to our own lives Say: We all are joined with God.

• God wants us to have a relationship with him.

• We are challenged to discover what is important in life and how to build our lives around what really matters.

Ask: Why did God create us? What is our purpose? Have the children brainstorm why we are different from the rest of the created world.

• Have the children create a list on a sheet of paper. Approximately 5 minutes.

Below is an example to help the young people start.

I am different from other God’s Creations

1. I have soul.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Give the young people five minutes to reflect and write down their responses. Display and read the following. Have the young people compare their responses to what they read. Based on what they read, they can add to their list.

Display and Read the following.

Emphasize: the last paragraph.

Ask: How would you describe your journey of faith so far? Engage the young people to respond.

Display and Read the following.

Jesus’ Example continued

Ask: the young people to underline the key point in each “Jesus’ Example” paragraph above.

Review: the key points and make sure the young people understand that Jesus is our model for being in a relationship with God the Father.

•

Display and Read the following.

Ask: What was Jesus telling the disciples with these words from the Scripture above - Matthew 6:26?

Hint: Possible response: that they should not be constantly worried about material concerns; that they should focus more on God’s Kingdom.

Faith Activity

Have: the young people the ways they are like Christ.

Work with Words

Review the following Faith Words

Quick Review - Summary

Say: We are made in the image of God, who wants us to live in relationship with him. Jesus is our model for being in right relationship with God the Father.

Discover (2)

Objective

• Discuss the covenant, or sacred promise, made between God and humans

• Recognize God’s faithfulness to humans even when we sin

Ask: What is a covenant?

Say: God continues to be faithful to his People, and to each of us individually—even when we make bad choices. Let us watch a clip from the movie Cinderella Man

Cinderella Man Video Clip Video Link: https://youtu.be/AzOR_EjFvWs

Ask: How is this sacred promise between a father and a son is like God’s covenant with us?

Read the descriptions of people in the Bible who lived out the covenant. Poll the participants and ask them if they are familiar with the stories of these biblical figures.

Say: God has called you by name and made a sacred promise to love you and be faithful to you. Think about that Dad asking his son to make a promise.

Ask: What will you promise in response to God’s call to you? Write those down below.

Teaching Activity: Faithful to the Covenant Young people will a watch video clip of Cinderella Man that helps to illustrate God’s promise to his People.

Discover (3)

Objectives

• Discover how God’s Law guides us to live in his image and follow the covenant

Say: The reveal laws of God, like the Ten Commandments, guide us in making choices.

Revealed law:

Natural law:

Say: God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai so that the people would have a guide for learning how-to live-in God’s image and follow the covenant through their love for God and their love for each other.

Say: Let us look at the Ten Commandments. Write the correct number of the Commandment next to its text. Draw a star next to the Commandment you will work on this upcoming week.

Work with Words

Review faith words with the young people.

Live: Our Catholic Life

Display and Read the following.

Ask: Which Commandments are easiest for you to follow? Which are most difficult.

Display and Read the following.

People of Faith Activity Saint Marcella (325–410) January 31 Marcella was a wealthy Roman from a noble family. She married young, but she

was widowed within her first year of marriage. The consul Cerealis, a leader in Rome, asked

her to marry him. Marcella refused, choosing instead to live life humbly, with few material

comforts. She invited a group of noble ladies to meet at her Aventine Hill mansion. Together

they lived a life of self-discipline and self-denial. Through this sacrifice they hoped to grow

more deeply in their relationship with God through Christ. Marcella wrote letters to Saint

Jerome. He gave her and the women who met at her mansion guidance about spiritual

matters. Marcella learned from Saint Jerome but was never afraid to stand up to him in

arguments. She spent most of her time reading, praying, and visiting the shrines of martyrs.

She gave up many of the comforts of life to give herself to God and his work. Because of the

way she lived in faith and sacrifice, Saint Jerome called her “the glory of the ladies of

Rome.” When the Goths looted Rome in 410, they tortured Marcella. They wanted her

treasure. But they let her go when they learned that she had given all her money to the

poor. Marcella died shortly after from her injuries. She left no earthly wealth. But Marcella’s

relationship with God pointed her toward another treasure—a life rich in the Spirit of God.

Discuss: Saint Jerome gave spiritual guidance to Saint Marcella. Who in your life gives you

spiritual guidance?

Fun Fact of the Day

Did you know that the shortest verse in the Bible is John 11:35 – “Jesus wept.”

The longest verse in the Bible is Esther 8:9.

What the Young People Should Know

• God made humans in his image and likeness so we could be in relationship with him. (CCC 35, 45)

• With a soul, reason, and free will, humans can set their priority and direction in life toward friendship with God.

• Jesus is the model for living out this relationship. (CCC, 356, 357) Through the accounts of creation and the establishment of the covenant, we learn that God is faithful to all humans, even when they sin. (CCC, 346)

• Natural and revealed law helps us live out the covenant and grow closer to God. (CCC, 1954–1974

What did the Young People Learn?