RCCG SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS’ MANUAL 11 DECEMBER 2022

LESSON FIFTEEN (15)

TOPIC: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF VOICES

SUNDAY SCHOOL HYMN

1. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,

O how I love Thee well,

I am happy, it makes me glad

To rejoice at Thy birth.

2. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,

Thy friendship suits me well,

Both young and will sing Thy song,

We long for Sunday School.

3. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,

Christ was Thy first teacher,

The Holy Spirit, great teacher,

Does manifest in thee.

4. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,

This testimony is sure,

That God, the Father Almighty,

Poured His blessings on me

5. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,

Though the sun be so bright,

Or if the clouds be black with rain,

I’ll be in Sunday School.

6. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,

I rejoice to see Thee,

Will thou pass over me today?

Without my being blest?

OPENING PRAYER: Father, please open my eyes of understanding as I learn today in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE PASSAGE: PSALMS 29:3-9

[3]The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters.

[4]The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.

[5]The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.

[6]He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.

[7]The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire.

[8]The voice of the LORD shaketh the wilderness; the LORD shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.

[9]The voice of the LORD maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.

MEMORY VERSE: “ There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.” 1 Corinthians 14:10

LESSON INTRODUCTION:

We live in a world of voices (1 Cor. 14:10): demonic voices, the voice of friends, the voice of enemies, the voice of those who love us, the voice of those who hate us, the voice of God, etc. Also, different voices come with different impacts. 1 Corinthians 14:10b says there is not one of those voices without meaning. It is, therefore, expedient for all believers to learn about the impact of the voices they listen to and the value of listening to God.

TEXT REVIEW: Psalm 29:3-9

The Psalmist in this passage describes the impact or efficacy of the voice of the Lord.

A. He says the voice of the Lord is:

i. Upon many waters, He thunders and He is upon many waters. V3

ii. Powerful and full of…….V4.

B. He goes further to emphasize the efficacy of the voice of the Lord. He says the voice of the Lord:

i………V5.

ii………V6.

iii………V7.

iv………V8.

v. ……..V9.

LESSON OUTLINES

LESSON OUTLINE 1: THE IMPACT OF VOICES

Question 1: Are there Bible characters who listened to people or voices?

Answer: Yes, there are people who took advice or instructions from other people in the Bible and this had an impact on their lives. The voice you listen to affects your outcome. For instance;

i. Eve listened to the serpent (Gen.3:1-7)

ii. Samson listened to Delilah (Judges 16:6, 17)

iii. Amon listened to Jonadab (2 Sam. 13:4-14)

iv. The young prophet listened to the old prophet (1 Kings 13:11-24)

v. Saul of Tarsus listened to Jesus Christ (Acts 9:1-6)

Question 2: What are the things that can

be affected by the voice you listen to?

Answer: Who you give your ears to can affect:

i. Your mindset and invariably your thought

pattern (Prov.23:7).

ii.Your choices and decision-making (1Kgs.12;6-14).

iii. Your emotion, feelings, and psychological

well-being (Num.13:32-33; 14:1-4).

iv. Your lifestyle and the steps you take (Jn.4:25-29).

v. Your life’s outcome and fulfilment of destiny (Acts 26:13-16; Jer. 1:4-5).

CLASS ACTIVITY 1: Students should share their experiences with the class on how positively or otherwise they were once affected by who they listened to.

LESSON OUTLINE 2: THE VALUE OF

LISTENING TO GOD

Question 1: What are the blessings of listening to God?

Answer: There are innumerable blessings

in listening to God. Some of these are:

i. A fulfilling life and destiny. The most important choices you will have to make in life are choices that will require God to assist you to have a fulfilled life. For example, the choice of who to marry (Prov.18:22), the business/career to pursue (Jer.1:5), the place to live or settle (Gen.26:1-3), etc.

These are decisions that will require God’s assistance as you put your trust in Him (Ps.37:4; Prov.3:5-6).

ii.The fulfilment of life’s purpose and vision. This is the reason for living as a whole. It seemed God was telling Jeremiah, ‘I planned for you, I prepared for you, I organised what you should do with your life before you came’ (Jer.1:5). In Acts 26:12-19, Paul narrates the details of his assignment in life.

iii. Supernatural supply or divine provision.

As long as God is the one leading, you do not need to struggle for ‘pasture’ (Ps.23:1-2). God knows where your supply is, and He will direct you to the right place (1Kgs.17:2-6; Matt. 17:27; Lk.5:4-7).

iv. Supernatural power and authority. The voice of God comes with power (Ps.29:4).

When God speaks to you, power rushes into you (Ezek.37:1-10). There is a boldness that is backed up by the voice of the Lord (Ex.3:1-10). You can face the future without fear (Gen.12:1-4).

v. Victory over enemy forces including afflictions, battles, or conspiracies (Isa.30:31, 1 Sam.30:1-8, 18-19; 2 Sam.5:17-21). Many people are victims of battles, only because they do not know what God is saying, and what they ought to do.

vi. Escape from danger and disaster

(Prov.22:3; 1Sam.23:7-13).

vii.The impartation of divine wisdom. When God guides, you cannot be foolish (Prov.1:5). If you hear from God, your wisdom is not contestable (Luke 21:15). You need divine wisdom to handle the affairs of life successfully (Eccl.10:10).

viii. Existence in peace and tranquillity. One of the top secrets of peace is the voice of God (Ps.85:8). Psalm 23:2 ‘…beside still waters,’ talks about peace, not troubled waters’ When you are disconnected from what God is saying, you become troubled and worried about everything.

CLASS ACTIVITY 2: What are the dangers of refusing to listen to God’s voice?

3. SUMMARY: There are many voices in the world with various significations. Listen to God always, for a fulfilled life.

4. CONCLUSION: The voice you listen to determines your direction and destination. To end well, always listen to the voice of God.

5. EVALUATION: What are the possible impacts of those we listen to on our life’s decisions?

6. CLOSING PRAYER: Father, I choose to listen to you always. Help me to always obey your voice in Jesus name.

7. ASSIGNMENT: Mention five (5) definite things you will do to control the voices you hear apart from God’s voice (2×5=10 Marks).