CRE GRADE 8 TEACHING NOTES

ALL SUBJECTS TEACHING NOTES ,EXAMINATION

FOR MORE CALL MADAM PAULINE 0726937493

JUNIOR SCHOOL

8
FOR MORE CALL MADAM PAULINE 0726937493
CREATION

Origin of sin and its consequences

(Gen: 3-11)

Introduction
Man and woman fell from the Garden of Eden. This experience is expla-ined in
genesis chapter 3 verse 4; chapter 6 verse 9 and chapter 11. In these verses, the Bible
is teaching about sin, which made Adam and Eve fall.
Sin is defined as iniquity, and guilt. It is to miss a mark, to transgress. Sin is a
rebellion or an offence against God. Sin originated with the disobedience of Adam
and Eve. They had been commanded not to eat of the fruits of the tree of knowledge
of good and evil – the tree in the middle of the Garden of Eden. But Adam and Eve
ate the fruit after being deceived by the serpent.
Man had the power to resist temptation but instead he yielded. Genesis Chapter 3
verse 6 states that man wanted to be wise and thought how wonderful it would be to
become wise…” hence sin arises from the lack of knowledge of God, from the denial
of trust of God.

FOR MORE CALL MADAM PAULINE 0726937493

The consequences of sin
After sinning, we the human race and sinners:
1) Replaced friendship with God with fear of God.
2) Lost innocence. What had been innocent and good became shameful. Adam and
Eve became ashamed of their nakedness, something they had never felt before they
sinned against God.
3) Lost good relationship with God. The good relationship between God and man
was betrayed. Human beings – were alienated from God. “The Lord God sent him
out of the Garden of Eden…”
4) Damaged the perfect relationship between man and woman. The Lord said to the
woman “You will have desire for your husband, yet you will be subject to him”.
5) Pain became part of human experience. “I will greatly multiply your pain in child
bearing”.
6) Man began toiling and struggling to meet his needs… “You will have to work
hard and sweat to make the soil produce anything”
7) The home of man, and the earth itself was placed under a curse. “Cursed is the
ground because of you.”
Enmity between man and wild animals emerged.
9) Man began to die. Death sentence is passed upon all men. “You will return to the
ground… you are dust”
10) Man began to hate. Man developed murderous feelings in his heart, for example
Cain killed Abel, his younger brother.
11) Man changed and became prone to sin.
12) Life span of man was reduced (see Gen. 6:3) “I will not allow people to live
forever, they will live no longer than 120 years”
13) Man’s language was confused by God after the flood (read Gen.11: 7)
14) Sin led to embarrassment, mistrust, suffering, pain, pride, arrogance and death.
Summary
Disobedience of God by Adam and Eve brought serious sin consequences to human
beings. Sin brings sadness and suffering to man even today.

FOR MORE CALL MADAM PAULINE 0726937493

 Activity
In groups of two or three, discuss the origin and consequences of sin.

CONCEPT OF EVIL
Introduction
In this lesson, we shall discuss the concept of evil as told by the traditi-onal African
religion and the biblical writings. We shall study similarities and differences of evil
from the two religions.
What is evil?
In the traditional African society, evil was an offence against God, spirits and
ancestors. It was also viewed as an offence against another person or community.
Evil was also a misfortune that can befall an individual or a community.
What are the causes of evil?
Many of the traditional African societies do not associate God with evil. God is not
the creator of evil. Some communities believe that evil is an external power that
exists on its own. Thus in the traditional African society, evil was understood or
explained as something mysterious that was caused by several people and things.
These were:

FOR MORE CALL MADAM PAULINE 0726937493

 a) Evil spirits
b) Ancestral spirits – due to disobedience to them
c) Some animals like the chameleon are sources of evil. The Akamba believed that
chameleons brought evil. Other communities believed that if an owl cries near one’s
homestead, it is a sign of evil.
d) People with mystical powers for example magic, sorcery, and witchcraft are evils
e) If a member of a community breaks a taboo by disobedience, this action may
bring evil spirits.
f) The spirits of the dead; cause evil; if they are not remembered or respected. Evil
spirits cause harm and violence.

Consequences of evil in traditional African society

These were many and ranged from (a) Barrenness (b) Drought (c) Epidemics (d)
Madness (e) Sickness (f) Death (g) Drowning (h) Burning in a house (i) War (j)
Physically and mentally handicapped children (l) Rebellious children

Values needed to overcome temptations

FOR MORE CALL MADAM PAULINE 0726937493

Skills needed to overcome temptations
Recognize Your Tendency to Sin

James 1:14 explains that we are tempted when we become enticed by our own natural
desires. The first step toward overcoming temptation is to recognize the human tendency
to be seduced by our own fleshly cravings.

The temptation to sin is a given, so don't be surprised by it. Expect to be tempted daily,
and be prepared for it. The apostle Peter reminds us to stay on the lookout:

Be alert and of sober mind.

Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to
devour. (1 Peter 5:8, NIV)

Flee From Temptation

But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what
others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so
strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way
out so that you will not give in to it.

When you come face to face with temptation, look for the way out—the way of escape—
that God has promised. Then skedaddle. Flee. Run as fast as you can.

Resist Temptation with the Word of Truth

Hebrews 4:12 says that God's Word is living, active, and powerful. Did you know you
can carry a weapon that will make your thoughts obey Jesus Christ?

According to Ephesians 6:17, one of our weapons is the Word of God:

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have
divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that
sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it
obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:4–5, NIV)

FOR MORE CALL MADAM PAULINE 0726937493

Jesus overcame the devil's temptations in the wilderness with the Word of God. If it
worked for him, it will work for us. And because Jesus was fully human, he is able to
identify with our struggles and give us the exact help we need for overcoming temptation.

While it can be helpful to read God's Word when you're being tempted, sometimes that's
not practical. Even better is to practice reading the Bible daily so that eventually you have
so much of it on the inside, you are ready whenever temptation strikes.

If you are reading the Bible regularly, you will have the full counsel of God at your
disposal. You will start to have the mind of Christ. When temptation comes knocking on
your door, all you'll have to do is draw your weapon, aim, and fire.

Refocus Your Mind and Heart with Praise

How often have you been tempted to sin when your whole heart was fully concentrated
on worshiping the Lord? I'm guessing your answer is never.

Praising God takes our focus off of self and puts it on God. You may not be strong
enough to resist temptation on your own, but as you focus on God, he will inhabit your
praises. He will give you the strength to resist and walk away from the temptation.

Psalm 147 might be a good place to start:

Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to
praise him! (Psalm 147:1, NIV)

Repent Quickly When You Fail

In several places, the Bible tells us the best way to resist and overcome temptation is to
flee from it (1 Corinthians 6:18; 1 Corinthians 10:14; 1 Timothy 6:11; 2 Timothy 2:22).
Even still, we fall from time to time. When we fail to flee temptation, eventually we will
give in and fall.

Having a more realistic view—knowing that at times you will fail—should help you to
repent quickly when you do. Failing is not the end of the world, but it is dangerous to
persist in your sin.

FOR MORE CALL MADAM PAULINE 0726937493

Going back to the book of James, verse 1:15 explains that sin "when it is full-grown,
gives birth to death." Continuing or persisting in sin leads to spiritual death, and often
even physical death. That is why it's best to repent quickly when you know you've fallen
into sin

Others include:

1. Keep yourself busy

2. Avoid comparison as it triggers temptations
3. Avoid watching negative films, movies etc.
4. Keep your mind focused and positive
5. Seek help where needed be

God’s plan of salvation

After the fall of man, God took steps to heal the damaged situation and relationship
between Him and Adam and Eve.
GOD:
1. Provided clothing of skin to Adam and Eve.
2. Looked for Adam and Eve since they were hiding from His presence.
3. Provided Adam and Eve with the knowledge to find different foods.
4. Declared enmity between man and the snake.
5. Hinted at the ultimate victory of man when He said that the seed of the woman
would crush the snake or serpent’s head. The serpent would attack the heel of man
and woman.
All through the Old Testament, and the New Testament, we see God’s plan of
salvation being manifested. For instance, GOD chose and separated Abraham from
other communities. The children of
Israel led by Moses (were delivered) from Egypt,. God sent prophets to teach and
warn the Israelites of the dangers of sin. Finally God sent his only son Jesus Christ to
die on the cross to save human kind.

FOR MORE CALL MADAM PAULINE 0726937493

 SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL
AFRICAN VIEW OF EVIL AND BIBLICAL CONCEPT OF SIN

FOR MORE CALL MADAM PAULINE 0726937493