v. 26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

v. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

v.28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

#2—Investigate it!

Click on the highlighted words to find out their meaning. Record your findings on your WordStudy Sheet. Compare meanings. Find definitions of any other words you don't know in a dictionary or search for them here.

-» Online or in your own Bible, look back over the previous chapters to answer as many of the following questions as you can. (Hint: Check the first chapter or the verses just preceding the passage, headings, footnotes, and/or other notations.)

Who wrote it?
To whom was it written?
When was it written?
Where was it written?
Why was it written?
Other facts.

You can learn even more by looking in a Bible commentary. Or try looking up key words in a concordance to find other scriptures where the word is used.

#3—Write it!

On your WordStudy Sheet, tell in your own words what you think each verse means. Use the information you gathered above to guide you as you think through each verse. Describe any new understanding of the story you get from learning the background information.

#4—Apply it!

Now that you have an idea what the verses are saying, how could they apply to you? On your WordStudy Sheet write what you think each verse could mean in your life. Is there something you should do? Or something you need to change? Get "up-close-and-personal" as you think about it!

#5—Pray!

Ask God to help you do the things you learned about in today's study. Be specific! When we pray specifically, God answers specifically!

#6—Share it!

Share your study with your parents or your teacher and get their feedback on your conclusions.