Lesson Note on Christian Religious Studies (CRS) SS1 Third Term
SCHEME OF WORK
WEEK 1 CONVERSION OF SAUL
WEEK 2 MOSES AT THE BURNING BUSH
WEEK 3 CALL TO REPENTANCE
WEEK 4 THE PEOPLE OF NINEVEH REPENTED OF THEIR SINS
WEEK 5 CONSEQUENCES OF LACK OF REPENTANCE
WEEK 6 JOSEPH OVERCAME THE TEMPTATION OF POTIPHAR’S WIFE
WEEK 7 SIMON PETER OVERCAME THE JEWISH SORCERER’S TEMPTATION
WEEK 8 PETER DENIED JESUS
WEEK 9 THE LAWS AND THEIR USES BY JESUS CHRIST
WEEK 10 THE BEATITUDES
WEEK 11 ACCEPTANCE OF SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITIES IN CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES
Lesson Note on Christian Religious Studies (CRS) SS1 Third term
Below are the 2022 complete SS1 Third Term Christian Religious StudiesLesson Note
WEEK1
TOPIC: CONVERSATION OF SAUL
Paul, originally known as Saul was (before his conversion), a bad man. Although a well-educated man as a lawyer, he was a devout Pharisee who saw Christians as wayward people. As a matter of fact, he hated Christians. He made it his mission to kill Christians and even pursued them to foreign lands if he had to. Consequently, he was feared by the Christians whom he persecuted. He led and supervised the group that stoned Apostle Stephen to death. He really thought he was doing the right thing until one day.
So one day he took permission from the Jewish authorities to arrest and kill Christians in Damascus. On his way Jesus appeared to him, striking a light brighter than the sun in his way. Jesus said “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And Paul replied “who are you Lord?” Saul became blind and was directed to go and meet Ananias in Damascus who would tell him what to do next. For three days Saul fasted and prayed. He was then baptized even as he regained his sight. The experience transformed him, changing him from the man who once persecuted Christians to a man who became a fervent preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ. To learn more, click here
WEEK 2
TOPIC: MOSES AT THE BURNING BUSH
God used the burning bush to get Moses’ attention, a miraculous thing by the way especially considering how the fire was burning without actually burning the bush. Moses was attending to his father in-law Jethro’s sheep in the land of Midian when this supernatural event occurred; precisely on Mount Horeb. As he went closer to see for himself why the bush was on fire but not burnt, God called him.
God told Moses that he wanted to use him to rescue the Israelites from captivity in Egypt. But Moses was quick to remind God how incapable he was of such task, using his speech impairment as a major excuse. But God promised to always be with him every step of the way. Moses then asked God to tell him his name so he would tell the Israelites the name of the God that sent him. God then told Moses that his name is “I am that I am”, “the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”. God promised he would perform miracles to let the Israelites go. To learn more, click here
WEEK 3
TOPIC: CALL TO REPENTANCE
We are all sinners, yet God has given us the opportunity to turn to Him and forget our evil ways. Repentance occurs when a sinner willingly decides to stop sinning and turn to God worshipping Him in truth and in spirit. Repentance occurs when we reconcile ourselves with God.
John the Baptist Calls for Repentance
After Malachi there was no prophet in Israel until John the Baptist came along. He was the forerunner for Christ. He preached repentance, because as he cried day and night to the people, “the kingdom of God is at hand”. The people heard him and those who repented confessed their sins to him and were baptised. Please note that baptism signifies wholesome cleansing and repentance. To learn more, click here
WEEK 4
TOPIC: THE PEOPLE OF NINEVEH REPENTED OF THEIR SINS
The sins and wickedness of the people of Nineveh had become unbearable and God needed somebody to go and preach to them and tell them about the calamity that would befall them if they fail to repent. So he sent Jonah initially refused to go. He set forth to run away from God, thinking God is like a man whom he could hide from. Anyway, he went to Joppa from where he boarded a sheep going to Tarshish ( which is in present day Spain). On the sea, God sent a violent storm that made the sailors to fear for their lives. As the ship was about to sink, the sailors threw away all their loads into the sea as a way of making the ship lighter. Also, everybody onboard the ship prayed to their different gods; except Jonah who was sleeping in the deck. When the people found him sleeping, they all cast a lot to find out the person who was responsible for the storm. The lot fell on Jonah.
Meanwhile, Jonah told the people that he running away from God. They then asked him “what should we do to you to make this ship calm down for us?” Jonah replied “Pick me up and throw me into the sea, and it will become calm, I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon us”. The men were reluctant at first to throw him down the sea because they didn’t want to shed innocent blood. But as the storm persisted even more violently, they took Jonah, prayed to God not to hold them responsible for his death then threw him into the sea. To learn more, click here
WEEK 5
TOPIC: CONSEQUENCES OF LACK OF REPENTANCE
God wants us to live a holy life. Yet, he is aware of our weaknesses and that is why he is always ready to forgive and welcome us back to his fold. However, when we constantly derail and live in sin, God becomes unhappy. But even at that,he is still slow to anger, sending his words of salvation to us [instead] through his vessels (the pastors), through the Bible, our parents and even teachers . These words of salvation are meant to urge us to repent and come back to him. For those who repeatedly fail to repent, there are punishments for waiting. Some of them will be outlined below-
a. Favour of God will not be with you again
b. Devil will use you as his pencil and crayon
c. The Holy Spirit will depart from you
d. Death
e. Unanswered prayers To learn more, click here
WEEK 6
TOPIC: JOSEPH OVERCAME THE TEMPTATION OF POTIPHAR’S WIFE
When Joseph was sold by his brothers into slavery, he ended in the house an Egyptian official called Portipher. Portipher immediately knew that the Lord was with Joseph. This made him put the lad in charge of all things in the house. And with Joseph in charge of everything happening within the household of Portipher, the man prospered.
As the years passed, Joseph grew to become a handsome well-built man. And then Portipher’s wife started admiring and lusting after him. One day she approached him and begged him to have sex with her but he refused. She tried many times yet Joseph refused. And one day Joseph was alone carrying out his house chores when Potiphar’s wife approached Joseph again for sex, he refused and she grabbed his cloth, he ran away leaving pieces of his cloth with her. She called all the servants and lied that Joseph attempted raping her and that when she screamed for help he ran way leaving his cloak. To learn more, click here
WEEK 7
TOPIC: SIMON PETER OVERCAME THE JEWISH SORCERER’S TEMPTATION
In Samaria, there lived a sorcerer called Simon who made many magical signs to the people. The people- both rich and poor, educated and illiterate believed and gave him attention. He amazed the entire city. The people believed him and said- “This man is rightly called the great power of God.” But when Philip preached the good news in the city many people believed and got baptized. Simon the sorcerer himself believed and was baptised. He followed Philip everywhere and was astonished great signs God was performing through Philip.
The apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. When they arrived they laid hands on the new believers and prayed for them they would receive the Holy Spirit. Immediately the Holy Spirit descended upon them. Simon the sorcerer, seeing the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as Peter and John laid hands. To learn more, click here
WEEK 8
TOPIC: PETER DENIED JESUS
During the Last Supper which Jesus had with his disciples, he said to Peter “This very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” Peter replied, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you”. The other disciples said the same thing too. Later that same day Jesus was arrested and taken to the high priest’s courtyard. Other disciples ran away except Peter who followed them at a distance. Outside the courtyard, some people made fire and sat around it to warm themselves. Then Peter joined them in the fireplace and a little servant girl identified him saying: “This man was with Him.” But Peter denied saying “little girl I don’t know Him.”
While still hanging around the courtyard the little girl saw Peter again and told a few people, “this fellow is one of them” but Peter denied it again. To learn more, click here
WEEK9
TOPIC: THE LAWS AND THEIR USES BY JESUS
Jesus told us that the greatest law of all is love; the love of God and love of your neighbour. He loved us even before we love him. But for us to remain in his love, we have to keep his commandments. And it is important for us to remain in God’s love because when we do, our joy will be complete even as his joy will be in us.
Jesus said- “Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than to lay down His life for his friends. You are my friend if you do what I command. This is my command: love one another.” He further said that if we don’t have love we will not make heaven. That means we cannot keep the Ten Commandments if we have no love in us. To learn more, click here
WEEK 10
TOPIC: THE BEATITUDES
All of Jesus’ teachings are centred around the kingdom of God. The beatitudes contain nine key demands of the kingdom of God as well as the blessings attached to each of them. Take look below-
1. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
2. Blessed are those who mourn for righteousness’ sake for they shall be comforted
3. Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth
4. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be satisfied
5. Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy
6. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.To learn more, click here
WEEK 11
TOPIC: ACCEPTANCE OF SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITIES IN CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES
Every Christian is blessed with a gift and special talent. God expects us to use the gifts He gave us to work for the betterment of mankind and as a tool in the hand of God. Some have the gift of singing, preaching, winning soul, prophecy etc. At every point in time use those gifts and talents to help people and work in the church- don’t just be an ordinary Sunday churchgoer. We are going to study the life of Samuel who lived his entire life serving God. To learn more, click here
