**Lesson Plan: Christian Religious Studies (Junior Secondary 1)**
**Topic:** Call to Repentance (Reconciliation)
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**Objective:**
By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
1. Understand the concept of repentance.
2. Explain the importance of reconciliation with God and others.
3. Cite Biblical examples of repentance and reconciliation.
4. Apply the principles of repentance and reconciliation in their daily lives.
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**Materials Needed:**
- Bibles (preferably one per student or a Bible app)
- Whiteboard and markers
- Projector (optional for visual aids)
- Handouts (optional, containing key scriptures and discussion questions)
- Notebooks and pens for students
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**Lesson Outline:**
**Introduction (10 minutes):**
1. **Greeting and Opening Prayer** - Start the class with a brief greeting and an opening prayer.
2. **Icebreaker Activity** - Ask students to share a time when they said sorry and meant it. This should be a brief, friendly discussion to get them thinking about repentance.
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**Main Content (30 minutes):**
1. **Definition and Importance of Repentance:**
- **Definition:** Explain that repentance means feeling sincere regret or remorse about one’s wrongdoing or sin. It's a change of mind and heart that leads to a turning away from sin and a turning towards God.
- **Importance:** Discuss how repentance is crucial for restoring our relationship with God and healing our relationships with others.
2. **Biblical Examples:**
- **The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32):**
- Read the parable together.
- Discuss the son's realization of his wrongdoing, his return to his father, and his father's forgiving and welcoming response.
- **David and Nathan (2 Samuel 12:1-13):**
- Summarize the story where Prophet Nathan confronts King David about his sin with Bathsheba and how David repents.
- **The Confession of Sins (1 John 1:9):**
- Discuss the promise that if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
3. **Reconciliation:**
- **Definition:** Explain reconciliation as the restoration of friendly relations; in Christian terms, it is making peace with God and others.
- **Biblical Teaching:**
- **Matthew 5:23-24:** Jesus teaches about making peace with others before presenting our offerings to God.
- **2 Corinthians 5:18-20:** Talk about how we are called to be ambassadors of reconciliation.
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**Class Activity (15 minutes):**
1. **Pair Discussion:**
- Break students into pairs and ask them to discuss a time when they had to reconcile with someone.
- Provide guiding questions, such as: What happened? How did you feel before? How did you feel after making amends?
2. **Role-Playing:**
- Assign roles for a short role-play where one student seeks forgiveness from another.
- Discuss what made the apology sincere and how the other student felt receiving the apology.
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**Conclusion (5 minutes):**
1. **Recap:** Summarize the key points discussed: the importance of repentance, Biblical examples, and the role of reconciliation in our lives.
2. **Reflection:** Ask students to reflect on their own lives and think about any areas where they need to seek forgiveness or reconcile with others.
3. **Closing Prayer:** End the class with a prayer asking for God's help in repentance and reconciliation.
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**Homework:**
- Ask students to write a short paragraph on a personal experience related to repentance and/or reconciliation. This could be an experience they had or a hypothetical situation they think they might face.
- Encourage students to read Psalm 51, David’s prayer of repentance, and write down their thoughts on it.
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**Assessment:**
- Review the homework to gauge understanding.
- Informal assessment through participation in class discussions and activities.
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Thank you for your attention and participation. Let's strive to practice true repentance and reconciliation in our daily lives.