THE FALL - Genesis 3 (Teen Bible Lesson)

Genesis 3 covers the Fall of Man and the entrance of sin into the world. In this chapter, we discover several important lessons about the consequences of sin and of our choices. Yet, through it all we see God’s promise of a saviour and an eternal plan for salvation.

This lesson relates to pre-teens and teens and by the end of this lesson, they should have learned about the following:

Satan’s strategy of temptation,
The problem of sin,
The promise of a Redeemer.

BIBLE READING: Genesis 3

MEMORY VERSE: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” – James 4:7.

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The Fall pdf – preteen and teen Bible lesson

BIBLE STUDY NOTES FOR TEENS

BACKGROUND TO THE PASSAGE

The first two chapters of Genesis cover God’s creation of a perfect world and the role of man and woman in the garden of Eden.

In the third chapter, we read the account of Adam and Eve’s disobedience to God’s command and the entrance of sin into the world. This account is essential in understanding the consequences of sin and the brokenness of the world in which we live.

It also serves as an important reminder that the world was once perfect, and God’s plan was for us to be in perfect harmony with Him and one another.

Although the fall of man led to pain, suffering and death, Genesis 3 further gives us a glimpse of God’s justice, mercy, and faithfulness to His people. God responds to man’s sin with love and grace by promising a redeemer.

KEY POINTS

1. SATAN’S STRATEGY OF TEMPTATION (Genesis 3:1-5)

Satan tempted Adam and Eve to doubt God’s word, truthfulness, and goodness. He convinces them that God is holding something back from them by telling them not to eat the fruit.

Satan continues to try and make us doubt that God’s commandments are there for our good and pleasure.

Satan wants us to feel we are missing out if we follow God. He wants us to feel we are living less by not doing things that others our age may do. Satan wants to make us believe that living for God is boring and not enough for us. He wants to make us think he can give us more than God can ever give.

Satan tempts us to doubt God’s goodness. He is the father of lies and wants us to believe that God is not good. In John 10:10, Jesus tells His disciples: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

This passage from John 10:10 shows that Satan does not want people to live abundantly with God. He wants them to be miserable.

Satan tempts us to doubt God’s Word. He tries to convince us that the Bible is not applicable in contemporary society or has been altered throughout the years, making it impossible to know its true message. Satan further encourages us to disregard God’s Word, giving us the false impression that there are numerous aspects of life and new, better ideas to invest our faith in.

Ultimately, Satan’s goal is to make us believe that we cannot trust God. He wants to destroy our faith in God and the Bible.

2. THE PROBLEM OF SIN (Genesis 3:7, 14-19)

Sin entered the world through Adam and Eve’s disobedience and has been present ever since.

The consequences of Adam and Eve’s disobedience caused their once-perfect relationship with God to be broken, and sin has been an issue ever since.

As a result, of their sin, Adam, Eve and their descendants suffered physical and spiritual consequences, such as sickness, mortality, feelings of guilt, shame, toil and pain.

The fall has also left us with a tendency to sin, making it more difficult for us to obey and please God.

The Bible states that as a result of the fall, we are all born into sin. This can be seen in Romans 5:12: “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way, death came to all people, because all sinned.” This means that we’re all born with a desire to sin. We’re all guilty of going against God and His laws.

3. THE ATTEMPT TO COVER OUR OWN SIN (Genesis 3:7 & 21)

Adam and Eve’s attempt to cover their own sin was a classic example of human nature; when we feel embarrassed or guilty, we want to cover it up.

Many go to great lengths to avoid and hide away from their mistakes and sins. Some might try to hide the evidence of their bad behaviour, like lying to parents or guardians about where they are or how they’re doing in school. Others might try to cover their tracks, like deleting text messages or emails or doing whatever they can to make it look like nothing ever happened. Furthermore, many people blame someone else instead of taking responsibility for their actions to avoid getting in trouble.

We might be able to hide our sins from others, but eventually, they’ll be exposed. Sin is like a boomerang – it always finds its way back to us and can often lead to worse consequences.

The best way to deal with our sin is, to be honest about it and to seek help from God and others. When Adam and Eve confess their disobedience to God, He provides a cover for them, in an act of mercy and grace.

The Bible talks a lot about the need for a covering for sin. In the Old Testament, a covering for sin was a necessary part of the covenant between God and the people of Israel. This was accomplished through a system of sacrifice and atonement.

This system of covering for sin in the Old Testament provided a foundation for the New Testament’s concept of grace and forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the ultimate covering for our sin. Jesus took the burden of our sin upon himself through his sacrificial death on the cross. He paid the ultimate price to pay for our transgressions. By accepting Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, we are forgiven of our sins and given a clean slate. Through His perfect righteousness, Jesus covers us and protects us from condemnation.

4. THE PROMISE OF A REDEEMER (Genesis 3:15)

God made a wonderful promise after the fall: a Redeemer who would heal the rift caused by sin and bring people back into a close relationship with Him.

This Redeemer was to come through the woman’s lineage, as God declared, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15).

This promise was fulfilled in Jesus. Jesus paid the penalty for humanity’s sin through His death and reconciled us to God. Jesus’ resurrection proved His victory over sin and death. It demonstrates His power to save us from sin. The promise of redemption is an assurance to all believers. We are blessed to have the opportunity to experience the grace and mercy of God, as well as the hope of eternity in His presence. Thanks to Jesus, we can have a restored relationship with God. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection allow us to reconnect with our Heavenly Father.

CONCLUSION

The story of salvation begins with Genesis 3. This pivotal moment in the Biblical narrative is the foundation of God’s redemptive plan for humanity. The events of this chapter set into motion a cycle of sin and grace, struggle and hope, that spans the entirety of Scripture. Through the sacrifice of Jesus, God provides an ultimate solution to the problem of sin and death, fulfilling the promise made in Genesis 3.

YOUTH GAMES AND ACTIVITIES FOR THE FALL – GENESIS 3

IT’S NOT MY FAULT

This encourages teens to explore the notion of responsibility in a fun and engaging way.
Players take turns drawing cards which will have ‘a wrong’ written on it.
Some examples could be: Not completing homework, damaging a wall, getting into a fight, or skipping school.
Through the game, teens must come up with creative excuses to pass the blame onto someone else in the group. Encourage them not to take it too seriously and come up with silly excuses.
Talk about how excuses are a failed attempted to cover our own sins.

RESPONDING GOD’S WAY

This youth game provides teens with a fun and interactive way to learn about responding God’s way.
Upon being presented with a given situation, teens are encouraged to run to one of two sides of the room quickly and decisively.
On one side is the God-honouring way to respond, while on the other side is the opposite.
This game challenges teens to identify and practice the correct response in a variety of situations.
Give players on each side an opportunity to give a reason for their response and the chance give a scripture to support their response.

SNAKE TAG

To start, mark out a playing area.
One player is chosen to be the “snake”. The snake must stand in the middle of the playing area, while the other players form a line on the other side of the playing area.
At the start of the game, the snake will shout “Snake Tag!” and the other players must run away from the snake while trying to avoid being tagged.
When a player is tagged, they must join the snake in the middle, extending their arms. The game continues until all players have been tagged.
Talk about how we should flee from sin.