RCCG JUNIOR ZEAL (AGES 13-19) – TEACHER’S MANUAL FOR JANUARY 7, 2023: TOPIC – REVISION 3/SUMMARY
READ PREVIOUS RCCG SUNDAY SCHOOL MANUALS HERE
RCCG LOWER JUNIOR ZEAL FOR 2023/2024
AGE 13-19 TEACHER’S MANUAL
SUNDAY 7TH OF JANUARY, 2024
LESSON NINETEEN (19)
TOPIC: REVISION 3/SUMMARY
* Teacher to revise the previous lessons with the Teenagers
* The teacher should also ask them questions to ensure lessons have been well understood
SUMMARY OF LESSONS 14-18
LESSON FOURTEEN (14)
TOPIC: TYPES OF GRATITUDE TOWARDS GOD 1 (ACCEPTABLE WORSHIP)
BIBLE TEXT: 2 Samuel 24:18-25
MEMORY VERSE: John 4:24 – “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in truth.”
LESSON AIM: Teenagers should know that one of the ways of showing gratitude to God is giving Him acceptable worship.
CENTRAL TRUTH: Worshipping God in an acceptable way is a form of showing gratitude to Him.
INTRODUCTION: There’s a way by which someone can say thank you for something you have done for them that will make you accept the gratitude. Even though it’s the same words – thank you’, the tone shows the intentions of the heart. When worshipping God, our tone, intention and gesture shows how grateful we are and also determines if God will accept our worship.
STUDY GUIDE:
A) WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE WORSHIP?
I. WHAT IS WORSHIP?
1. Worship is to offer obeisance to someone or something.
2. Worship is to eulogize someone.
3. Worship means to offer devotion to someone.
4. Worship also means to greatly honour, reverence or give someone high regard.
II. WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE WORSHIP?
Acceptable worship is the acceptance of the reverence given to one from another. A typical example is an Oba in the Yoruba tribe who has people eulogizing them. The stretch of their sceptre shows the acceptance of their subject’s worship.
An example from Scriptures is the story of King Ahasuerus and Queen Esther, in Esther 5: 1 -2.
B) HOW TO OFFER ACCEPTABLE WORSHIP
1.Offer worship from a pure heart – Psalm 66:18.
2. Offer worship with the motive to glorify God and not man – 1 Samuel 15:30.
3. Offer worship in Spirit and in truth – John 4:24.
4. Offer worship as an act of obedience to God – 1 Samuel 15:22.
C)EXAMPLES OF PEOPLE WHOSE OFFERINGS WERE ACCEPTED OR REJECTED
1. Abel – Genesis 4:4.
2. David -2 Samuel 24:25.
3. King Saul – 1 Samuel 15:20-35.
4. The Israelites – Ezra 8:35.
5. Cain – Genesis 4:5.
6. King Solomon – 1Kings 3:4-5.
LIFE APPLICATION: Check the intent of your gratitude; is it to spite others? Is it to please others? Is it to please God? Is it to ascribe glory to yourself or to God? Your worship must be you returning all glory to God for it to be acceptable.
CONCLUSION: Why do you worship and offer gratitude to God? Is it really unto the Lord or for eye service? God accepts worship that is made genuinely from a pure heart. Offer acceptable worship to God; acceptable worship can only come from a grateful heart.
LESSON FIFTEEN (15)
TOPIC: TYPES OF GRATITUDE TOWARDS GOD 2 (VAIN WORSHIP)
BIBLE TEXT: 1 Samuel 13:4-15
MEMORY VERSE: 1 Peter 4:11 – “If any man speak, let him speak as he oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever: Amen.
LESSON AIM: Teenagers should know that vain worship is not acceptable unto God.
CENTRAL TRUTH: Vain worship is done to glorify self, not God.
INTRODUCTION: Vain means futile, without result, without yield,unfruitful., unproductive. Vain worship is the act of worshipping God in an unacceptable manner.
STUDY GUIDE:
A) WHAT IS VAIN WORSHIP?
– Vain worship is offering to God an unacceptable sacrifice or worship – Genesis 4:1-7.
– Vain worship is any worship not offered unto God in Spirit and truth – John 4:23-24.
– Vain worship is anything offered unto God grudgingly, unwillingly, out of compulsion – 2 Corinthians 9:7.
– Vain worship is worship offered to receive the praise of men.
– Vain worship is worship offered unto God halfheartedly with partial obedience – 1 Samuel 15:19-22.
– Honouring God with lip service – Isaiah 29:13.
– Reverencing human traditions – Mark 7:8-9.
B) EXAMPLES OF PEOPLE WHO OFFERED WORSHIP IN VAIN
1. King Saul – 1 Samuel 13:7-13.
2. Aaron’s sons – Leviticus 10:1-3.
3. Cain – Genesis 4:1-7.
4. Eli’s sons – 1 Samuel 2:29-30.
5. Ananias and Sapphira – Acts 5:1-11.
C) THINGS TO DO IN ORDER NOT TO ALLOW OUR WORSHIP TOWARDS GOD TO BE IN VAIN
1. Be born again; anyone who is not born again can only offer vain worship to God because he or she is not of God – John 3:3.
2. Offer unto God only your best; don’t give substandard things, don’t give money that is torn, faded, squeezed or stolen as an offering to God – 2 Samuel 24:24.
3. Determine to worship God from your heart- John 4:24.
4. Turn away from sinful habits. Don’t use the same mouth with which you lie and insult people to worship God. Run away from sinful habits – Ps. 66:18.
5. When worshipping, focus on God and God alone- John 4:24.
6. Don’t hold back or use God’s offering for personal things – 1 Sam. 2:29-30.
DISCUSSION: Why are people worshipping God in vain?
LIFE APPLICATION: Whatever we give to God, the intent of the heart matters and He judges by it. Be it worship, dance offering, or whatever it is we offer to Him, He looks at the heart behind the action, hence, vain worship to God for whatever reason is unacceptable to Him.
CONCLUSION: An unbeliever can only offer vain worship to God. Become a child of God today by accepting Jesus as your Lord and personal Saviour, then you can ensure that any worship you offer unto God is done in Spirit and in truth.
LESSON SIXTEEN (16)
TOPIC: REASONS TO BE GRATEFUL TO GOD 1:
(GOD’S UNCONDITIONAL LOVE)
BIBLE TEXT: LAMENTATION 3:22-23
MEMORY VERSE: John 15:13 “Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.
LESSON AIM: Teenagers should learn that God’s unconditional love is enough reason to be grateful to Him.
CENTRAL TRUTH: We are to be grateful to God for His unconditional love towards us.
INTRODUCTION: Have you ever looked at the story of Jesus on the cross of Calvary as He was about to die for the sins of mankind, when
the thief beside Him asked to be remembered and Jesus responded that he would be with Him in paradise? The thief didn’t do anything to
receive God’s love; he simply believed that Jesus was God, that He could save him and Jesus did just that.
STUDY GUIDE:
A) UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
Unconditional love is love without any expectations, limitations or strings attached. It is not based on anything done in return, rather, it’s freely given without the expectation of anything in return.
B) WHAT HAS GOD’S UNCONDITIONAL LOVE BROUGHT TO
US?
• Salvation -John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8.
• It drives out fear-1 John 4:18.
• It covers a multitude of sins – 1 Peter 4:8.
• Adoption – John 1:12, 1 John 3:1.
• We are strengthened to replicate the same to others -1 John 3:16.
• It brings healing – 1 Peter 2:24.
ACTIVITY: Class Discussion – Using 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, describe God’s love for us
LIFE APPLICATION: God’s unconditional love motivated the plan for salvation and as such we have to be grateful. Receive God’s unconditional love because it is the foundation of your relationship with Him. Only those who have a relationship with God can experience and enjoy this unconditional love, Give your life to Jesus to partake of this unconditional love for which you will forever be grateful to God.
CONCLUSION: Unconditional love does not mean God loves everything we do, but rather, that His love is so intense that He loves every sinner, no matter how bad such may be in his sin, He still makes a way for such to find love, life and holiness. There are a lot of benefits ín
God’s unconditional love towards us, hence we have a lot of reasons to be grateful to Him.
LESSON SEVENTEEN (17)
TOPIC: REASONS TO BE GRATEFUL TO GOD 2: RARE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
BIBLE TEXT: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11
MEMORY VERSE: I Corinthians 14:18 — “I thank my God that I speak with tongues more than you all.”
LESSON AIM: Teenagers should know that the manifestation of the rare gift of the Holy Spirit seen and experienced personally is enough reason to be grateful to God.
CENTRAL TRUTH: Give thanks always unto God for the gift of the Holy Spirit.
INTRODUCTION: When Jesus was rounding off His earthly ministry, He promised to send someone like Himself who would abide in us forever. He kept His Word by giving us the Holy Spirit, the best gift every believer can ever have – James 1:17. Through the Holy Spirit, the disciples were bold enough to preach the gospel, perform miracles, sign and wonders that drew many to Christ and even solidified their faith.
Today, we see the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in our lives, our wall with God and our service to Him. It is such that one cannot compare with any human help or assistance and this is enough to be grateful for.
STUDY GUIDE:
A. THE RARE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT – 1 COR. 12:8-11
• Word of Wisdom
• Word of Knowledge
• Faith
• Gift of Healings
• Working of Miracles
• Prophecy
• Discerning of Spirits
• Different Kinds of Tongues
• Interpretation of Tongues
B. WHY SHOULD I BE GRATEFUL FOR THE RARE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT?
1. The Holy Spirit comforts us – John 14:26.
2. He teaches us – John 16:13.
3. He instructs us.
4. He guides us – Isaiah 30:21.
5. He is the Spirit of Truth – John 15:26.
6 He manifests the presence of God in our gatherings – Acts 2:1-4.
7. He convicts people – Acts 2:37.
8. He performs miracles, signs and wonders through us -1 Cor. 12:8.
DISCUSSION: Do you agree that the Holy Spirit is a rare gift from God? If you do, why do you think so?
LIFE APPLICATION: There is no way we can please God or carry out any assignment He gives to us, without the presence and help of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit in us as children of God helps us through the journey of life. Let’s be grateful for this rare gift of His Holy Spirit to us even as we depend on Him daily.
CONCLUSION: The manifestation of the rare gifts of the Holy Spirit is life changing and life transforming. It brings hope to the hopeless, life to the dead and strength to the weary. The joy on the faces of the carriers of this gift is so great. Only a true believer knows this and will ever be grateful to God for the rare gift of the Holy Spirit. Give your life to Jesus today to experience this rare gift so you can have something to be truly grateful to God for.
LESSON EIGHTEEN (18)
TOPIC: REASONS TO BE GRATEFUL TO GOD 3: ETERNAL LIFE IN HEAVEN
BIBLE TEXT: John 10:28-30
MEMORY VERSE: John 10:28 “And I give unto them eternal life: and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
LESSON AIM: Teenagers should learn that one of the reasons for which we need to be grateful to God is the gift of eternal life.
CENTRAL TRUTH: Be grateful to God for the hope of eternal life.
INTRODUCTION: Eternal life is life without end, everlasting life where there will be no death, sickness or any suffering of any sort. It begins on earth and ends in heaven. This is wonderful news to hear, especially with all the tribulations and trials we go through here on earth.
STUDY GUIDE:
A) WHAT IS ETERNAL LIFE? JOHN 17:3
Eternal means without end. Eternal life is also the quality of the life lived endlessly.
Eternal life is available for only those who believe in Jesus Christ (John 3:16). Eternal life is knowing God.
B. HOW DOES ETERNAL LIFE COME?
1. By believing the gospel – Romans 10:9-10.
2. By engaging the Word of God – John 5:39, Josh 1:8.
3. By laying hold on the promise – 1 John 2:25.
C. REASONS WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR ETERNAL
LIFE IN HEAVEN – REV. 7:16-17
1. Eternal life is a life free of pain, sickness and death – John S:24
2. A life free from the devil and his agents.
3. A life where we dwell with Jesus and fellowship with Him.
4. A life where Jesus is the King and President.
LIFE APPLICATION: Offer gratitude always for the life you enjoy now and the eternal life that awaits you as a child of God. If you’re not yet a child of God, eternal damnation awaits you. You can make a decision for Christ now so that you will enjoy eternal life when you die or when Jesus comes in rapture.
CONCLUSION: Anyone who has decided to follow Jesus has eternal life, so it is a great thing to be grateful about. We are to offer gratitude to God because we not only stand the chance of an everlasting peaceful life but we are also free from the torture of hell fire.