THE WONDER OF HUMAN LIFE

Written By Ryan Coon

We wrap up the last example of this Awe and Wonder series by looking at human life. God’s brilliance and handiwork are masterfully demonstrated in the creation of humanity. 

Genesis 1:26-31 NLT Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life.” And that is what happened. Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.

Genesis 2:7NLT Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.

Genesis 2:18-24 NLT Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” So the Lord God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one. He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. But still there was no helper just right for him. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man. “At last!” the man exclaimed. “This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken from ‘man.’” This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.

The human body is an engineering marvel. There are so many amazing features and abilities from the level of microscopic cells to our skin…it would take months to share the wonders of the human body. Some of the most astonishing scientific facts about how our bodies function include:

  • Our body operates a cardiovascular network so vast that your blood vessels could circle Earth's equator four times if laid end to end.

  • The human heart beats about 100,000 times a day, pumping over 2,000 gallons of blood. 

  • Tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the human body, rivaling the strength of shark teeth.

  • Your epidermis skin replaces itself at an astonishing rate. You lose up to 5 billion skin cells every 24 hours, shedding about 4 kilograms (nearly 9 pounds) of dead skin every single year.

Cells and Molecules

  • The human body contains roughly 37 trillion cells in its various kinds. 

    The typical human cell ranges from 10 to 30 micrometers in diameter, making most cells far too small to see with the naked eye. To put this into perspective, a single micrometer is one-millionth of a meter. If you were to cut a single grain of salt into five equal pieces, one of those pieces would equal the size of an average human cell.

  • Inside these microscopic cells are machines, and one of them is ATP synthase, an enzyme that functions as a nanoscale rotary motor to manufacture fuel and energy for the cell. It is famously considered one of the absolute wonders of the molecular world because its physical components mirror human-engineered technology, featuring a rotor, a stator, and a central drive shaft. ATP is like a motor running in each of our cells. 

  • This molecular machinery is the work of the highest intelligence and purpose.

  • Our cells live on protein. One scientist said, “The probability of building one functional protein randomly, for a simple protein with only 150 amino acids, is 1 in 10164. This number applies to only one protein, and life requires hundreds of proteins. This number is larger than the number of particles in the universe.” -Dr. Stephen Meyer, Ph.D., in the History and Philosophy of Science

  • I build molecules for a living, and it's hard to overstate how challenging that work truly is. The deeper I go, the more I'm filled with awe at what God has done through creation. My scientific research has strengthened my faith. When science is studied seriously, it doesn't lead you away from God-it draws you closer to Him. James Tour, Professor of Chemistry, Materials Science, and Nanoengineering

  • https://www.icr.org/content/life-more-biomolecules

  • https://book.bionumbers.org/how-big-is-a-human-cell/

Human DNA

  • DNA is microscopic, yet it stores enormous amounts of biological information with incredible precision and complexity. DNA functions like an information code or blueprint, carrying detailed instructions for building and maintaining the human body. DNA contains four nucleotides: Adenine, Cytosine, Thymine, Guanine (ACGT) structured in pairs and sequences, like written language or computer code. 

  • Every human being begins from a single fertilized cell containing the complete DNA instructions needed to form a fully developed person. Your DNA contains the unique instructions that make you who you are. No one else in the world has your exact DNA.

  • DNA guides the formation of proteins, cells, organs, and body systems in a highly coordinated way. 

  • DNA must be copied accurately every time cells divide. Your body constantly performs this massive copying process with astonishing precision to sustain life.

  • Around 99.9% of human DNA is identical from person to person, showing both the unity of humanity and the tiny differences that make every individual unique. 

  • “If the information encoded in this four-letter DNA code were printed out in letters, the genetic information for a “simple” bacterium would take several million letters, which, when printed out, would fill a book with at least one thousand pages. However, to record the genetic instructions encoded in human DNA, we would need more than five billion letters that would require up to three thousand volumes of books to print out. This enormous amount of information would fill a library shelf over a hundred yards long. Yet, it is intricately encoded in a tiny double helix curled up in a microscopic cell. This degree of microengineering is so far beyond the ability of humans that it fills the mind with wonder at the work of the Creator.” - Grant, Jeffrey. Creation, Remarkable Evidence of God’s Design, pgs 153-154.

  • It has been said that if you take the DNA code from all your cells combined and stretched end to end, it would reach roughly 67 billion miles. That would be 360+ round-trip flights from the sun to the earth. 

  • All of that information is packed inside microscopic cells with incredible precision. Microscopic information on a cosmic scale!

  • Scientists are astonished to discover that the entire genetic library required to build a human body, to repair it, and to reproduce it, is contained in a DNA molecule that weighs less than several billionths of an ounce. 

Brain

The brain is the most complex organ in the human body, the woman’s brain in particular LOL!

  • In general, men’s brains are 10% bigger than women’s, even after taking into account larger body size. 

  • However, the hippocampus, the part of the brain most strongly linked with memory, is typically larger in women. The brain contains roughly 86 to 100 billion neurons, each able to connect with thousands of other neurons. The number of possible connections is beyond comprehension. The fundamental purpose of neurons is to receive, process, and transmit information using electrical and chemical signals. They function as the biological wiring of your body, allowing different parts of your system to talk to each other in milliseconds. Without this 86-billion-neuron network, you could not move, feel, think, breathe, or remember.

  • A piece of brain tissue the size of a grain of sand contains about 100,000 neurons and 1 billion synapses, all communicating together. 

  • Your brain produces enough electricity to power a small light bulb while processing thoughts, memories, emotions, and movement all at once.

  • The brain can process an image in as little as 13 milliseconds (Faster than the blink of an eye)

  • The brain is constantly rewiring itself through neuroplasticity. It can learn, adapt, and even reorganize after injury.

  • Neuroscientists estimate that the raw physical memory capacity of the human brain is in the petabyte range—specifically around 1 to 2.5 petabytes (1 quadrillion to 2.5 quadrillion bytes). To put 2.5 petabytes of storage into perspective: It is equivalent to roughly 3 million hours of high-definition television. If you left a TV playing nonstop, it would take more than 300 years to watch it all. 

  • The brain automatically controls breathing, heartbeat, hormones, balance, temperature, digestion, and sleep without you consciously thinking about any of it. 

  • Scientists have identified over 3,300 different types of brain cells so far, and they believe there may be thousands more. Each type has specialized purposes and functions. 

  • The myth that humans use only 10% of their brains is false. Brain scans show that we use most parts of the brain regularly, even while sleeping.

  • https://sdbif.org/72-amazing-human-brain-facts-based-on-the-latest-science/

  • https://www.nature.com/scitable/blog/brain-metrics/are_there_really_as_many/

  • https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-estimate-boosts-the-human-brain-s-memory-capacity-10-fold

Eye

  • Proverbs 20:12 Ears that hear and eyes that see— the LORD has made them both.

  • The eye is the second most complex organ. The eye contains over 2 million working parts that must function in perfect harmony to process light and create vision.

  • The eye can rapidly adjust focus, lighting, and movement detection in real time. Every second, your eyes automatically refocus dozens of times. 

  • The muscles controlling the eyes are incredibly precise and powerful, allowing smooth tracking, focus, and coordination thousands of times every day.

  • The human eye can distinguish millions of colors and instantly adjust to different levels of light. This ability allows us to see clearly in both bright sunlight and dim conditions.

  • The retina contains millions of light-sensitive cells called rods and cones. Rods help us see in dim light, while cones allow us to detect color and fine detail.

  • Scientists say that simulating just one tiny fraction of what the eye does would take years of supercomputer processing. Yet your eyes and brain perform these tasks instantly every second. 

  • Your eyes do not actually “see” on their own; the brain interprets and processes the images coming from the eyes. Vision is the result of an amazing partnership between the eye and brain. More than 80% of the information processed by the brain comes through vision, showing how important and sophisticated the visual system truly is. 

  • The brain receives images from both eyes and combines them into one clear picture while also calculating depth, color, movement, brightness, and boundaries automatically. 

  • The brain flips the upside-down image received from the retina so you see the world correctly without ever noticing the process. 

  • Your brain fills in blind spots in your vision so your sight appears smooth and complete. This happens continuously without conscious thought. 

  • Tears are specially designed to protect and nourish the eye. They clean debris, fight infection, and keep the surface of the eye moist and smooth.

  • Eyelids and eyelashes serve as protective systems that shield the eye from dust, injury, and excessive light. Blinking also helps spread moisture evenly across the eye. 

  • The eye can heal itself remarkably quickly. Minor scratches on the cornea can heal within about 48 hours.

  • “To suppose that the eye, with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of light, and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest possible degree.” Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species (1859).

Stomach

Do you know what an incredible chemical system in the human body is, and doesn’t get enough credit? Your stomach (Yeah, the thing that just growled). Your stomach plays an important role in your overall health. 

  • The stomach is critical for nutrient absorption, immunity defense, metabolism, regulating inflammation, and even mental health. 

  • The stomach breaks down food into essential proteins, fats, and carbohydrates to fuel every cell in your body. 

  • Your stomach stores around 70% of your body’s immune tissue. A healthy balance of microbiomes, like healthy bacteria or probiotics in the stomach, defends against harmful pathogens and prevents infections. 

  • The brain usually gets all the attention for producing serotonin, the “happy hormone,” but it only produces about 10%. The intestinal digestive tract of the stomach produces about 90% of the body's serotonin! 

  • A healthy stomach can improve mood, sleep quality, and aid in balancing your hormones.

But what is truly incredible about the design of the stomach is that it produces hydrochloric acid powerful enough to break down tough food, destroy harmful bacteria, even corrode and dissolve thin metal like a razor blade. Yet, despite constant exposure to this corrosive acid, your stomach does not digest itself. Why?

  • Because your stomach is equipped with multiple layers of protection working together with astonishing precision.

  • A thick mucus barrier coats the stomach lining and acts like a shield between the acid and the stomach wall. Specialized cells release bicarbonate, or alkaline, to neutralize acid near the tissue surface. 

  • Tight epithelial cells prevent leaks and rapidly renew every 3 to 5 days by replacing damaged cells before they become a problem.

  • Every part of this system must work in perfect coordination: an acid strong enough to digest food. Protective mucus to shield tissue. Specialized cells to regulate balance. Rapid renewal to constantly repair damage. If one part fails, serious ulcers and internal injury can occur. 

  • The more science discovers about the human body, the more we uncover systems layered with engineering-like complexity. Your stomach is intelligently designed.

Child Birth

  • Women are walking marvels. Your ability to conceive and carry a child is mind-boggling. When I held my first child, my son, for the first time, I was in awe. My wife delivered a little human from her body. I would sit in awe of God just thinking of this process. 

Baby’s growth process in stages: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=basnYLTQuk8&t=103s

Application

We are fearfully and wonderfully made by God

  • Psalm 139:13-16 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

We are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27).

What does it mean to be created in the image of God? 

  • In His image means that humanity is uniquely designed to reflect God’s character and act as His representatives on Earth. Rather than a physical resemblance, it refers to intrinsic spiritual, moral, and relational capacities that set human beings apart from the rest of creation

  • Human life was created in (lit., “as,” meaning “in essence as”) the image of God (v. 27). This image was imparted only to humans (2:7). “Image” (ṣelem) is used figuratively here, for God does not have a human form. Being in God’s image means that humans share, though imperfectly and finitely, in God’s nature, that is, in His communicable attributes (life, personality, truth, wisdom, love, holiness, justice), and so have the capacity for spiritual fellowship with Him. God’s purpose in creating human life in His image was functional: man is to rule or have dominion (1:26, 28). God’s dominion was presented by a “representative.”  Ross, A. P. (1985). Genesis. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 29). Victor Books.

We received the life-giving breath of God (Genesis 2:7)

  • Job 33:4 For the Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

  • What also makes us unique is that God breathed life into us.

  • This depiction of “inbreathing” (nāpaḥ) has a close parallel in Ezekiel’s vision of dry bones (37:9–10), where the reconstituted skeletons of the slain are brought to life again by the inbreathing of the “spirit.” Here Ezekiel has “spirit” (rûaḥ) for “breath of life” (nišmat ḥayyim), but the two are treated as virtually the same here and at times elsewhere. This inbreathing essentially means that Adam’s body came to life, for “breath of life” is the life-sustaining principle embodied in man that comes from God. -Mathews, K. A. (1996). Genesis 1-11:26 (Vol. 1A, p. 196). Broadman & Holman Publishers.

  • The Hebrew word ruah denotes “spirit,” “wind,” and “breath” depending on context, and biblical scholars generally understand the ruah God breathed into Adam as the same divine force that resurrected the dry bones in Ezekiel’s vision and that Jesus imparted to his disciples when he said, “Receive the Holy Spirit”. This wasn’t merely physical respiration; while oxygen sustains all creatures like cheetahs and whales, those animals merely have “zoo breath,” not God’s breath. God’s breath represents something entirely new that doesn’t originate from the earth but comes directly from God, revealing humanity’s dual nature, belonging to the material universe while standing in direct relationship with the divine. This divine breath within humans enables them to relate to God and transcend material creation, making them unique and oriented toward God in a special way. The Creator personally stooped to craft his image-bearer from dust and animate him with his own breath, a distinction separating Adam from other creatures formed from the ground.

  • Each human being has both a biological origin and something more, a direct connection to God that transcends genetic inheritance. This special divine creation establishes human uniqueness and value, the foundation of human rights, and reveals that humans are not merely biological combinations but personal conceptions of God. God’s breath alone made Adam “a living soul,” transforming inert matter into a being capable of communion with the divine. Gloria Furman, Missional Motherhood: The Everyday Ministry of Motherhood in the Grand Plan of God (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2016). Joseph Ratzinger and Peter Seewald, God and the World: Believing and Living in Our Time: A Conversation with Peter Seewald, trans. Henry Taylor (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2002), 76–77.

  • Ecclesiastes 3:11 Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. 

All human life is sacred and should be treated reverently

  • Every person has been made in the image of God. Imperfection from the fall, yes, but it doesn’t change the fact that we are unique from all of creation and bear God’s image. This is especially true for human babies. 

  • Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

  • Job 12:10 For the life of every living thing is in his hand, and the breath of every human being.

  • Proverbs 31:8 Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed.

  • Today, our friend and director, Brittney Finger of New Day Pregnancy Center, is with us. Brittney will be in the lobby afterwards if you would like to learn how you can help.

Two bills we want to be considered by the Delaware Senate:

  • SB 251 is the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would ban abortion at the moment that science has demonstrated the preborn baby’s ability to feel pain. Delaware Law already recognizes the humanity of the preborn baby at 20 weeks (SB 3, 2017). Furthermore, the science overwhelmingly demonstrates that preborn babies can feel pain by 20 weeks at the latest.

  • SB 252 would require abortionists to offer women the option of seeing their ultrasound and hearing their baby’s heartbeat before having an abortion. SB 252 does not force a woman to see the ultrasound. It prevents abortion clinics from intentionally hiding it.

Romans 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.



Discussion

  • According to Genesis 1:26-27, what makes human beings unique from the rest of creation?

  • What are some features of the human body that leave you in awe of God’s handiwork?

  • How does the creation of Eve in Genesis 2:18-24 demonstrate God's design for relationships and community?

  • How do discoveries in science strengthen your appreciation for God as Creator?

  • What practical ways can we show respect for the sanctity of human life?

  • Is there an area of your life where you need to renew your mind rather than conform to the culture around you?

  • What additional notes did you make during the sermon?

  • How can we pray together for you today?

The most important decision you will ever make!

If you’re ready to trust in Jesus for salvation and eternal life, we encourage you to process this decision with a strong believer and, when you’re ready, say a simple prayer like this from your heart: Dear God, I acknowledge and admit I have sinned. I see my need for Jesus Christ. I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I believe I am forgiven and cleansed of my sin by His death. I also believe I have eternal life because of His resurrection from the dead. I repent, I turn away from my old ways, and I choose to live my life to worship you and follow Jesus, Amen!

We would love to know if you decided to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Let us know here.

Pray Together

We hope you found this AFTER THE SERMON discussion helpful for your walk with Jesus. We pray you can find ways to apply it this week!

Ryan Coon
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THE WONDER OF ANIMAL LIFE