Elementary Object Lesson: God or Science?

Science Points to God!

It seems like now more than ever, our world pits God against science and vice versa. People often weaponize science, using it to attempt to disprove the existence of God. This can leave kids in the middle wondering—can I believe in God and science? God and science aren’t mutually exclusive. There’s so much about the natural world, with its systems and complex balances, that point to God’s intelligent design! That’s why using science to teach about God can have a profound impact on kids. Rather than science being anti-faith, science helps reveal more to us about who God is.

Use this elementary object lesson to walk kids through a fun and simple science experiment that will help them understand how DNA points us to an intentional, intricate Creator.

You’ll need:

Bible
index cards
washable markers

Science Experiment: Combine DNA

Say: God is the Creator. He made the moon and the stars, all the animals, and even the weather. But let’s explore something really cool about how God made you.

Every cell in your body is made up of something called DNA. DNA is like a code God wrote to make you you. DNA is made up of four chemicals, and scientists refer to them by their initials: A, C, T, and G. Those are the four letters that make up the code of who you are. DNA is something scientists study a lot.

But how many different combinations can you really make with just four letters? Let’s see.

Give each child four index cards and a marker.
Each child will label the index cards A, C, T, and G.
Then have kids work together to put all their index cards in one line.
Kids can rearrange the cards to make different combinations of the four letters.

Talk About It

Ask: How many different combinations do you think there might be with our cards?

Count the number of kids in your group and multiply by four. Then say: We could make a ton of different combinations with our letters—and we had only [fill in number] letters to work with. Did you know that each cell in your body is made up of three billion of these letters? That’s a lot of possible combinations!

And your body has around 37.2 trillion cells. So when you combine all those cells together, that makes you you! God made you with a very detailed code. That’s why you’re unique!

Connect a Bible Verse

Say: Listen to what David wrote about how God made people.

Read Psalm 8:3-5.

Ask:

What amazes you about the DNA code we just explored?
David was amazed at how God made people and he probably didn’t even know about incredible DNA! How does exploring DNA change the way you think about how God made you?

Conclusion

Say: Here’s another amazing thing about your DNA. All those letters are arranged together in a twisted strand—kind of like the line you made with your index cards. If you could take all the DNA strands in just your body and stretch them out end to end, it would stretch to Jupiter and back 10 times! That’s how detailed the code is that God put in you.

Sometimes you may feel small or unimportant, but remember how God made you so incredibly complex that your DNA could stretch that far. God is the Creator, and he put a lot of detail into his creation!

This elementary object lesson comes from our newest full-year program of DIG IN curriculum, Digging Into the Foundations of Faith. Every lesson of DIG IN includes an object lesson full of science experiments to help kids discover who God is and who he made them to be.

We know your kids will love this experience, so if you want more of DIG IN, try a free demo!

Want more sciencey-fun? Check out other free ideas!