RCCG LOWER JUNIOR ZEAL FOR 2023/2024 AGE 13-19 TEACHER'S MANUAL SUNDAY 19TH OF MAY, 2024 TOPIC: REVISION 6/SUMMARY

RCCG LOWER JUNIOR ZEAL FOR 2023/2024 AGE 13-19 TEACHER’S MANUAL SUNDAY 19TH OF MAY, 2024 TOPIC: REVISION 6/SUMMARY

RCCG LOWER JUNIOR ZEAL FOR 2023/2024
AGE 13-19 TEACHER’S MANUAL
SUNDAY 19TH OF MAY, 2024
TOPIC: REVISION 6/SUMMARY

The teacher is to revise the previous lessons with the Teenagers
The teacher is also to ask them questions to ensure lessons have been been well understood.

SUMMARY OF LESSONS 33-37
LESSON THIRTY THREE (33)
TOPIC: BENEFITS OF A GRATEFUL HEART 5: SWIFT ANSWERS TO PRAYER

BIBLE TEXT: 1 Samuel 2:1-10

MEMORY VERSE: Isaiah 65:24 – “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.”

LESSON AIM: For the teenagers to know that one of the benefits of a grateful heart is that it guarantees speedy answers to prayers.

CENTRAL TRUTH: A grateful heart attracts speedy answers to prayers.

INTRODUCTION: To be swift means to be prompt, to be quick and fast, to keep to time. Sometimes God answers our prayers when the prayer is still a thought in our hearts. Sometimes He does things before we even ask and sometimes, we may need to wait for a while to have answers to our prayers, but in all, God is never late.

STUDY GUIDE:
HOW CAN ONE ENJOY SWIFT ANSWERS TO PRAYERS? To enjoy swift answers to our prayers, we must persistently give God thanks. Hannah was coming to Shiloh, praying to God for so long for a child of her own and eventually, God gave her one. After her prayers had been granted, she returned to Shiloh with a grateful heart and God gave her more children (1 Sam 1:1-28; 1 Sam 2:1-15). Therefore, if you want instant answers to your prayers, you must have a grateful heart, expressing gratitude to God.

EXAMPLES OF PEOPLE IN THE BIBLE WITH GRATEFUL HEARTS, WHOSE PRAYERS GOD ANSWERED SPEEDILY

Jesus gave thanks before raising Lazarus from the dead – John 11: 41-44.
Jesus gave thanks for the multiplication of food to feed 5000 people – Luke 9:16-17.
King Jehoshaphat set up a praise team to praise God and the miracle happened – 2 Chron 20:20-28.
Hannah expressed gratitude to God and the Lord gave her more children
1 Sam. 2:1-21.
Paul and Silas were in prison but when they expressed their grateful hearts to God and prayed, God answered them immediately – Acts 16:22-26.

WHAT CAN CAUSE A DELAY TO OUR PRAYERS BEING ANSWERED?

Sin and disobedience – Is 59:1-4, Ps 66:18
An ungrateful heart
Praying amiss – James 4:3
Pride and selfishness – James 4:3
Doubt and unbelief-Heb. 11:6
Unforgiveness – Matt 6:12-15, Mark 11:25-26
When it is not in God’s will – 1 John 5:14

LIFE APPLICATION: As children, one thing we can give our parents that would make them happy with us is our gratitude. This week, show them gratitude by saying thank you. You would discover that they will be happy to do more for you.

CONCLUSION: There is power in gratitude. When we are grateful to God, He is willing to do more and do it on time. The more we thank Him, the more He answers our prayers and on and on. It is a beautiful cycle. He loves to receive more gratitude from us. All that He demands from us and is never tired of receiving, is our praise. He swiftly does things, so we can praise Him the more.

LESSON THIRTY FOUR (34)
TOPIC: BENEFITS OF A GRATEFUL HEART 6: DIVINE PROTECTION

BIBLE TEXT: Psalms 91:1-16

MEMORY VERSE: Psalm 91:1 – “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”

LESSON AIM: To let the teenagers know that a grateful heart can cause one to be adequately protected.

CENTRAL TRUTH: God is more than able to protect you when you have a grateful heart.

INTRODUCTION: Divine protection is God’s way of supernaturally shielding us from harm or danger. Many of us recited Psalm 91 regularly during the pandemic; why? Ps 22:3 makes us understand that God inhabits the praises of His people. This means that God’s presence comes down when we express our gratitude to Him. When we are in His presence, we are protected.

STUDY GUIDE:
DISCUSSION: How did you protect yourself during Covid-19?
AS IN PSALM 91, LETS LOOK AT THE BENEFITS OF DWELLING IN GOD’S SECRET PLACE:

We would have the privilege of abiding in God’s shadow.
We would be delivered from the snare of the fowler and the noisome pestilence.
He will shield us and be our Buckler.
We will not fear in the day or at night.
He will give us victory over our enemies because He will fight for us.
No evil will befall us, nor plague come near our dwelling place.
His angels will be our bodyguards.
We shall be upon our enemies and they won’t be able to hurt us.
He will lift us higher.
Whenever we call upon Him, He will answer us, even in the time of trouble, to deliver us.
He will then bless us with long life.

HOW TO STAY DIVINELY PROTECTED

Change your residence – Ps 91:1.
Be righteous – Isaiah 54:14.
Teenagers to mention more…

CLASS ACTIVITY: Mention areas in which we need God’s protection.

LIFE APPLICATION: All the benefits listed above will be ours when we are always thankful to God. There is no true protection anywhere else except from God Almighty. Some joined cults or secret societies for protection and they got killed at the end – fake protection. However, God’s protection is very sure if you are His child.

CONCLUSION: True gratitude to God means love for Him, and love for Him carries with it a promise of divine protection, for God says, “Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him” (Ps. 91:14).

LESSON THIRTY FIVE (35)
TOPIC: BENEFITS OF A GRATEFUL HEART
MULTIPLICATION (DIVINE PROVISION)

BIBLE TEXT: 1 Kings 17:7-16
[7]And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
[8]And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
[9]Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.
[10]So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
[11]And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.
[12]And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
[13]And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.
[14]For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.
[15]And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.
[16]And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.

MEMORY VERSE: 1 Kings 17:14 – “For thus saith the LORD God of Israel. The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, weil the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.”

LESSON AIM: To teach the teenagers that God is the Great Provider and they can enjoy His provisions when they have grateful hearts.

CENTRAL TRUTH: Our God is the All-Sufficient God. He can give you anything you want.

INTRODUCTION: Divine provision is a supply that is beyond human understanding-one that would make one say “It can only be God.” Gratitude is acknowledging God’s hand in our lives and as we do this daily, He continues to do more for us. Today, we are looking at how we can use the key of gratitude to unlock the door to divine provision.

STUDY GUIDE

A RECALL FROM THE BIBLE TEXT
Elijah was a man of gratitude. (Describe his posture in 1 Kgs 18:42).
As a result, he received direction to where there was provision made for him
God provided for Elijah in an unusual place at an unusual time.
God provided at the right time.
The provision was made ahead of time.
Since God was involved, the widow could not say no, despite the fact that she had very little at home.

EXAMPLES OF THOSE WHO GAVE THANKS TO GOD IN THE BIBLE AND RECEIVED DIVINE PROVISION

Jesus-John 6:5-13
Hannah-1 Sam 2:1-10
The widow of Zarephath 1Kings 17:1-16
Mention more

CLASS ACTIVITY: What were the elements multiplied in these Bible passages?

Mark 6: 38-44.
Mark 8: 1-9
II Kings 4: 42-44
2 Kings 4: 1-7
1 Kings 17:8-17

LIFE APPLICATION: Imagine being asked to give thanks for what you have not even received. To a lay man, it wouldn’t make sense but to a Spiritually-guided person who knows that God is unfathomable, it would.

DISCUSS: God multiplies whatever you give to Him. Discuss this in the light of our topic today.

CONCLUSION: There is power in gratitude. There is an aura that a grateful person carries that attracts God to them. Try practicing thankfulness on a daily basis and you would see that the benefits outweigh the amount of time spent giving thanks.

LESSON THIRTY SIX (36)
TOPIC: BENEFITS OF A GRATEFUL HEART 8: VICTORY OVER CHALLENGES OF LIFE

BIBLE TEXT: Isaiah 41:12-14
[12]Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.
[13]For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
[14]Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

MEMORY VERSE: Exodus 14:14 – “The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.”

LESSON AIM: To teach the teenagers that God gives all-round victory.

CENTRAL TRUTH: God will fight for you and give you victory if you have a grateful heart.

OPENING QUESTIONS: Teenagers to mention challenges that people face in life

INTRODUCTION: Firstly, let’s define some keywords.
CHALLENGE: A challenge can be a problem, difficulty, threat etc. It can also be an invitation to do something tasking or difficult. Such challenges can interfere with our daily functioning, quality of life, or even be a hindrance to achieving certain goals because they are issues we can’t control. Most times, one would need help to overcome a challenge – either from man or God. However, at the end of the challenge, when you have overcome and are completely out of it, you are said to be victorious.
VICTORY: Victory is success, triumph, gaining mastery over something. It is a time when fear gives way to faith.

STUDY GUIDE
A. WHY DO WE NEED VICTORY?

God wants you to be victorious. A good father will want his children to win. Our Heavenly Father does not want us to lose, but to win and or become victorious (1 Cor 2:14).
Jesus Christ has paid the price of victory for you (1 John 4:10, Rev 12:11).
You have been empowered to win (Rom 8:37, Luke 10:19).

B. VICTORIES THAT GOD CAN GIVE US (John 16:33)

Victory over the devil – Eph 6:10-18
Victory over sin – Rom 6:14, Rom 8:1-2
Victory over addictions – 1 Cor 10:13
Victory over failure
Victory over depression and distress – Rom 8:35
Victory over fear and anxiety – Heb 13:6
Victory over our enemies – Luke 10:19; Mal. 4:3

CLASS ACTIVITY: What was the challenge in 2 Chronicles 20:20-24 and what happened after the people praised God?

LIFE APPLICATION: Everyone has challenges but victory is in Jesus. Whatever you are facing as problems, difficulties and challenges, God can set you free and give you victory all round. God is more than able to solve that problem of yours that seemingly has no solution. Just call on Him, praise Him and He will give you victory over it.

CONCLUSION: Someone said “Praise is not a platform for entertainment; it is a most effective spiritual weapon that brings God on the stage to clear off the barriers that could stop us from taking delivery of what belongs to us.” Thus, if you want victory, you need God’s presence and you can only gain access to it through praise when you have given your life to Jesus (Exodus 14:14).

LESSON THIRTY SEVEN (37)
TOPIC: BENEFITS OF A GRATEFUL HEART
ENJOYING THE PRESENCE OF GOD

BIBLE TEXT: Acts 2:1-13

MEMORY VERSE: Psalm 95:2- “Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving and make a joyful noise unto Him with psalm.”

LESSON AIM: To teach the teenagers that one of the benefits of having a grateful heart is that they will enjoy the presence of God.

CENTRAL TRUTH: In the presence of God, there is fullness of joy and blessings; you can access all that when you praise God.

INTRODUCTION: In Ps 95, we are called to enter God’s presence with our sacrifice of thanksgiving. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. And Ps 22:3 makes us understand that God inhabits the praises of His people. And when His presence comes down, His blessings come along.

STUDY GUIDE:

TWO WAYS TO ACCESS GOD’S PRESENCE
We can enter into God’s presence with and through praise.
We can bring down God’s presence into a situation through praise.
BENEFITS/BLESSINGS OF HIS PRESENCE
His presence will give rest – Exo 33:14.
His promises for us will be activated – Is 43:2.
His presence will provide a shield against the devil and enemies – Ps 9:3.
His presence will guarantee victory and success – Josh 1:5.
His presence will give you fullness of joy – Ps 16:11.
His presence will give us direction – Exo 33:14-15.
HOW CAN I ENJOY THE PRESENCE OF GOD?
Give your life to Jesus as your Lord and personal Saviour.
Run away from sin-Hab 1:13.
Praise God always and be thankful to Him – Ps 100.
Be in His presence-Ps 23:5.
Create time daily to study God’s Word.

CLASS ACTIVITY: Discuss the difference that God’s presence has made to your life. Share your experience.

LIFE APPLICATION: In the journey of life, we cannot do without the presence of God. Because He owns our lives, as well as our times and seasons, it is therefore important to seek His presence for protection, direction, provision and blessings.

CONCLUSION: The presence of God and the blessings thereof are available daily to as many as come to Him. In His presence there is fullness of joy, absence of fear and worry, as well as pleasures forevermore.

Open Heavens 2024 Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer’s Ministries. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.

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