WEEK TWO:

TOPIC: JESUS AS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

The light connotes a lot and can also mean a lot. The most important aspect of its significance is that it gives illumination, understanding and enlightenment. Where there is darkness, people often struggle to get things done and may never attain the fullness of their capacity.

In the recognition of this limitations, Jesus came into the world as light. As light, there lots of relevance and areas for which Jesus addresses and this include the following:

1. He has come to reveal the evil work of darkness and put an end to every work that is contrary to the purpose of God. In John 3:19, the Bible records, “And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”

2. He has come to show us what we are expected to do as children of God. He urges us not to delay because our lives here is time- bound. He says in John 9:4-5 that “We must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day; night comes, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

3. Jesus has come to shed light on things that we do not understand; the deep things of the spirit. The world is a mystery in itself and those who do not understand it may find it difficult to fit in or operate successfully in it. To understand the purpose of God for our lives, we need the light that Jesus is. In John 3:8-12, Jesus spoke to Nicodemus and in their conversation, it is clear that except Jesus explains to Nicodemus, he did not explain what it is to be a spirit being.

4. Jesus has also come to give direction. He who walks in darkness does not know where he goes and may be lost and get frustrated in life. Jesus urges us to emulate Him while we still have Him, the light. This will enable us to reflect the light, which is the works of Christ even when He has been taken up away from earth. He says in John 12:35-36 that, “The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, lest the darkness overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”

For one to live a successful Christian life and to fulfil his purpose in life according to the will of God, one must work in the light of God and this light of God is Jesus Himself.

TOPIC: GOD, THE CONTROLLER OF THE UNIVERSE

God is the controller of the Universe. He is the force that balances all existence. God controls everything. He has a plan and purpose for creating everything. God said in Jeremiah 29:11 that, “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” This shows that God has reasons for creating what He created. He us

In Genesis 1:26-31, God said “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” That is what God did. He created man and made him the crown of all His creation.

Also in Jeremiah 18: 1 – 6, God compared the house of Israel to a clay while God is the Potter. In this analogy, God made it clear that as the Potter, He has the liberty to make the clay into whatever He feels like and no one can question His discretion. In the same vein in Amos 9:1-6, the Lord says no one can hide from His presence. He is everywhere and He has power and influence over everything. If He is ready to punish any person, nothing can shield that person from Him. Amos stated in Amos 9:5-6 that, “The Lord, God of hosts, who touches the earth and it melts, and all who dwell in it mourn, and all of it rises like the Nile, and sinks again, like the Nile of Egypt; who builds his upper chambers in the heavens, and founds his vault upon the earth; who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out upon the surface of the earth—the Lord is his name.

The Psalmist declared also in Psalms 127:1-3 that, “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest,eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. This underscores the fact that people who do not align themselves with God will continue to struggle in their anxiety. In verse 3, he states that, “Lo, sons are a heritage from the Lord, and the fruit of the womb a reward.” This means that no one can by his or her own power give birth to children. It is God that gives as He pleases.

In conclusion, Paul said in Romans 8:28 that, “We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose”. It is only those who love God and live according to His purpose will be at peace with life because they understand that God is the controller of the universe.

TOPIC: GOD, THE CONTROLLER OF THE UNIVERSE

God is the controller of the Universe. He is the force that balances all existence. God controls everything. He has a plan and purpose for creating everything. God said in Jeremiah 29:11 that, “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” This shows that God has reasons for creating what He created. He us

In Genesis 1:26-31, God said “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” That is what God did. He created man and made him the crown of all His creation.

Also in Jeremiah 18: 1 – 6, God compared the house of Israel to a clay while God is the Potter. In this analogy, God made it clear that as the Potter, He has the liberty to make the clay into whatever He feels like and no one can question His discretion. In the same vein in Amos 9:1-6, the Lord says no one can hide from His presence. He is everywhere and He has power and influence over everything. If He is ready to punish any person, nothing can shield that person from Him. Amos stated in Amos 9:5-6 that, “The Lord, God of hosts, who touches the earth and it melts, and all who dwell in it mourn, and all of it rises like the Nile, and sinks again, like the Nile of Egypt; who builds his upper chambers in the heavens, and founds his vault upon the earth; who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out upon the surface of the earth—the Lord is his name.

The Psalmist declared also in Psalms 127:1-3 that, “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest,eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. This underscores the fact that people who do not align themselves with God will continue to struggle in their anxiety. In verse 3, he states that, “Lo, sons are a heritage from the Lord, and the fruit of the womb a reward.” This means that no one can by his or her own power give birth to children. It is God that gives as He pleases.

In conclusion, Paul said in Romans 8:28 that, “We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose”. It is only those who love God and live according to His purpose will be at peace with life because they understand that God is the controller of the universe.

LESSON NOTE FOR CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS STUDIES SSONE
FIRST TERM

WEEK ONE:
TOPIC: JESUS AS THE LAMB (John 1:29-34)

MEANING OF PRAYER:
A lamb is a young sheep. A lamb also figuratively means a person who is meek, docile and easily led. In the Jewish community, a lamb is used as sacrifice for the sin of the people. The lamb is seen as sinless, meek and obedient even till death. The blood of the lamb is shed as a remission of the sins of the people.
In Exodus 12:21, Moses commanded the people to select a lamb to kill the Passover by the instruction of God. The lamb was a replacement for the firstborn of the Israelites when God wanted to kill the firstborns in Egypt.

In John 1:29-34, when John saw Jesus coming toward him and he said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!. The implication of this is the assignment Jesus has taken upon Himself. In Isaiah 53:1-10, the Bible explicitly gave an account of how Jesus has come to take the punishment for the sins of all of us.

JESUS AS THE DOOR AND THE GOOD SHEPHERD John 10:1-18
The door means an opening or flap that makes entry and exit into a room possible. It is the point of legal access into a place. Jesus stating this in the face of adulterated principles of worshipping God says that He is the door through which every person can reach God. In John 10:1-2, Jesus said that, “Anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate (door), must surely be a thief and a robber!. But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.”
Jesus in John 10:9, states “He is the door.” This is because while other religious leaders take advantage of their followers, Jesus gave Himself for the benefit of His followers. That is why He laid down His life for his sheep.
This is what also made Him the Good Shepherd because He cared for the welfare and wellbeing of His sheep unlike other religious leaders. In John 10:11-18, Jesus drew the attention of the people to the difference between a good shepherd and the hired servant. He said that the good shepherd does not think about himself but about the safety of the flocks first while the hired person only looks out for his own benefit and works only for money. While a good Shepherd laid down his life voluntarily for the sheep, the hired servant runs away when danger looms.
In conclusion, Jesus gain acceptance and approval from God because He pays more attention to the will of God the Father and voluntarily laid His life for the purpose and will of God on this earth. This made Him the Good Shepherd and the only Door to everlasting life

LESSON NOTE FOR CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS STUDIES SS TWO
FIRST TERM

WEEK ONE:
TOPIC: THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD
MEANING OF SOVEREIGNTY:
Sovereignty refers to a state of being supreme or having supreme authority over all things and without influence from other forces, persons or factors. It is also a state of having liberty to decide one’s thought and actions. God is the Supreme being. He is not under any obligation to anyone. He decides what is and is to be and cannot be influenced or controlled by any person.

GOD THE CREATOR: Genesis 1 and 2, Psalms 19:1-6, Isaiah 45:10-12, Daniel 4:4-37.
According to the creation story in Genesis 1, the Bible records that the earth was without form and void and the Spirit of the Lord moves upon the face of the deep. It was at that point God began creation by the power of His words. In Genesis 1:26, God declared that “let us make man in our own image.”
This reveals that:
1. God is the initiator of all things.
2. God is all powerful
3. God is the force that binds everything together.
4. God is the originator of all things

Psalms 19:1-6
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
The Bible declares that everything in heaven and on earth speaks of God’s glory and everything He has made. The implication of this is that everything owes its existence to the power and authority of God.

In Isaiah 45:10-12, the Bible declares that no one can question God’s authority in an analogy saying that it is a curse for a child to question his parents or his existence. God established that no one can command Him or influence His decisions. In Isaiah 45:12 God said, ‘I made the earth and created man on it; it was my hands that stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all their host.’
This reveals that God is unquestionable

Also in Daniel 4:4-37, the Bible records the story of King Nebuchadnezzar who saw himself as the greatest. In his words even though he had been shown in the dream what would happen to him, he saw himself as the greatest when he said as he looked out across the city, ‘Look at this great city of Babylon! By my own mighty power, I have built this beautiful city as my royal residence to display my majestic splendor.’ Instantly he was turned into a beast until he acknowledged the Supremacy and sovereignty of the Lord. In recognition of the sovereignty of God, Nebuchadnezzar declared in Daniel 4:34-35 that;
“After this time had passed, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven. My sanity returned, and I praised and worshiped the Most High and honored the one who lives forever. His rule is everlasting, and his kingdom is eternal.
All the people of the earth are nothing compared to him. He does as he pleases among the angels of heaven and among the people of the earth. No one can stop him or say to him, ‘What do you mean by doing these things?’
The implication here is that God does not share his glory, supremacy and sovereignty with anyone. He humbles the proud heart and promotes anyone as He pleases.

FUTILITY OF BIOLOGY

From the birth of slates and chalk
Till the days of nurturing technology
The outing ceremony of the open-ended argumentative essays
Has been that of the superior gender
The trousers or the skirts
Which is better?
Or better put, who is more useful?

With the curtains of time revealing
Innovations in their millions every second
Tedious manual labour on its dying bed
Crucified to birth innovations and ideas
Technologies overtaken the world, in conquest
Our concerts still lost in the old lyrics

Climate change, systems improved
But man has refused to sail
Even now, grey hairs all engaged in same debate
To establish before the jury
Who the better gender is

The pendulum swings from dark ages
Crept subtly into the digital devices
Computers entangled in gender battles
Beast, device and man alike
Has gender inequality affected the veracity of thy existence?

Manhood did not inform the stupidity of Adam
Child birth did not rebrand the frailty of Eve
You are who you are
Not the product of your gender
Gender inequality is an exercise in futility

Deborah soars
Jezebel emerges
Feminism fails when personality is exalted
Strong women of influence with results, good and evil

Religion trailed the path of unsuccessful
A man is not formed by religious beliefs
Malcolm X, Osama Bin Laden
One alike, One faith, one base, one tenet
Differ in personality, differ in results

Gender may house me
Religion may inform me
Race may decorate me
But what I become, evil or good
Is the personality I have built
With the cement of experience
Laid with the beam of knowledge
The only key that opens the door
The door of true exploit
Which only the eyes of my heart can discern
Beyond the teacher’s insight

Divinity has revealed to me
I am not what my teacher made me
But I am designed to be informed
Only by knowledge, I discover
And never what I am made to belief

©Lawal Olajide A.

ANALYSIS
This poem criticizes the dichotomy along gender lines. The preference of one gender to another is an exercise in futility. It underscores the fact that gender has no role to play in the achievements recorded in a persons life. From time immemorial, children have been engaged in the debate which is aimed at creating a competition between the male and female genders. This is because of the importance some cultures place on gender. Many see a male child as being more important than the female because of the continuity of the family name. Many families will have up to five to eight children because they want to have a particular gender in the family. The poet also considers persons of same gender but with opposite influence on their society. Deborah was known to have a positive influence on her society while Jezebel had a negative influence

The poet also consider the role of religion in shaping a person. The poem tends to compare persons of same religious beliefs with influence that is directly opposite. Osama Bin Laden and Malcolm X, bought shook the world with their ideological beliefs but without the same effect.

The poet considers that a person’s influence is based on the personality he or she has built in himself. Gender roles may be assigned and religious tenets and doctrines may be entrenched but what makes a person who he or she is is the personal conviction that person has about life. Build in the right mindset in a person and such person will create the right influence that will benefit the world.

FIGURES OF SPEECH

PERSONIFICATION
From the birth of slates and chalk
Till the days of nurturing technology
The outing ceremony of the open-ended argumentative essays
Tedious manual labour on its dying bed
Crucified to birth innovations and ideas
Technologies overtaken the world, in conquest
Religion trailed the path of unsuccessful
Gender may house me
Religion may inform me
Race may decorate me

SYNECDOCHE
The trousers or the skirts

RHETORICAL QUESTIONS
Which is better?
Or better put, who is more useful?

METAPHOR
With the curtains of time revealing
Is the personality I have built
With the cement of experience
Laid with the beam of knowledge
The only key that opens the door
The door of true exploit

HYPERBOLE
Innovations in their millions every second

ALLUSION
Manhood did not inform the stupidity of Adam
Child birth did not rebrand the frailty of Eve
Deborah soars
Jezebel emerges

FIGURES OF SPEECH

OXYMORON: This is a figure of speech which places two contradictory words side by side to create an effect.
Examples:

The fight for freedom is a bitter sweet experience

Bitter contradicts Sweet as both are opposites. Placing them side by side means that the fight has its good and bad sides.

Baba Fakunle is a blind seer from Ile Ife

Blind contradicts with seer as both are opposites. The effect of this statement is that although Baba Fakunle is blind, he sees with the inner eyes especially what does who have physical eyes do not see. This underscores metaphysical ability.

PARADOX: This is a figure of speech that place opposing ideas or contradictory ideas in the same statement. Unlike oxymoron which focuses on words, paradox focuses on an idea which contradicts itself.
Example:

“The egg is the father of the cock.”

It is the cock that fathers the egg but to say otherwise is contradictory. However if this idea is subjected to deep thoughts, you will discover that it is true. If an egg hatches and becomes a cock, it will mate with a hen, which will in turn hatch another egg that may turn out to the a cock. So the egg at one time has become the father of another egg which has later become a cock.

“If women go unclad, men will not stare.”

This is absurd or contradictory. Men tend stare at women whose dressing reveal some sensitive parts of their bodies. It is contradictory to say if women go naked, men will stop looking. But when you subject this statement to critical thoughts, you will discover the veracity of the statement. If women go naked, men will stare and get tired of staring because it will no longer be new and thus they will refrain from staring and find something else which excites them to do.

I am for everybody. I am for nobody

The speaker meant he is a selfless leader who represent the interest of every person and on the other hand will not place anyone above the interest of all.

SYNECDOCHE: This is a figure of speech which uses a part of a thing to represent the whole or vice versa. It makes a small or large percentage of an idea or character to represent the whole idea.
Examples:

“Many hands make light the work”

The hands there means people. It shows that when much people are introduced into the work, it makes the work easier or faster

“The grey hair should recognize their roles in the society”

The grey hair represents the old or experienced people in the society. Grey hair is associated with wisdom of the old generation. Thus, the statement suggests that the old people should recognize their roles in the society.

METONYMY: This is a figure of speech which uses a word associated with a group of objects or idea to represent the character, idea or object. The object represented has something in common with the idea, phrase or word used.
Examples:

“The guns has not made a good leader in this country”

The statement used the word, “gun” to represent the soldiers. The statement refers to the era of military rule in the country since it is only the military that are authorized to use the gun.

“The pulpit will not be spared when it takes undue advantage of the pew”

The pulpit represents the clergy, pastors and religious leaders because they are the ones accustomed to use the platform to address and influence the people who in this statement are referred to as the pew. The pew is a place where the congregation sits to hear out their leaders. So the statement invariably means the pastors will not be spared for taking undue advantage of the congregation or their followers.

FIGURES OF SPEECH explained by Lawal Olajide A.

SIMILE: Simile is a figure of speech which directly compares two different things or objects based on a similar feature they have with the use of ‘as’ or ‘like’.

Example: Ade is as brave as a lion

Ade is a person while lion is an animal (different in nature)
Ade and the lion are bold (similar feature or quality)
The use of ‘as’

The wrestler stood strong like the famous Araba tree

The wrestler is a person while Araba is a tree (different in nature)
The wrestler and Araba possess strong stamina (similar in quality or feature)
The use of ‘like’

METAPHOR: This is a direct comparison of two different things or object based on a similar feature they possess and stating one as the other.

Examples are: Ade is a lion

Ade is a person while a lion is an animal. The fact that Ade has some qualities possessed by a lion either because he is bold or because he is a courageous leader just as the lion is described as the king of the jungle. So he is referred to as a lion.

The wrestler is an Araba tree on the ring.

The wrestler is a strong man while the araba is a strong tree. It is not easy to push either of them down. Since other wrestlers find it difficult to bring the wrestler down and also it is equally difficult to bring down the Araba tree.

PERSONIFICATION
Personification: This is a figure of speech that gives the attributes of animate objects to inanimate objects. In other words, it makes nonliving things take the role of living things. This is done to create effects drawing similarities from what happens around us and the inanimate objects to make it look like these objects have characters like human beings.

Examples:

The pregnant sky will spare nobody when it delivers

This underscores that a heavy rain is about to fall and everyone will be affected. Here the sky is portrayed as a pregnant woman, an attribute only meant for animate objects.
The sun smiles brightly as the travellers journey across
This shows that it is a sunny day. The brightness of the sun is likened to someone smiling. Here the sun is portrayed as a smiling person or animal

The desk laid an ambush for the restless child.

The child must have been carelessly running about and tripped over the desk. So it creates a picture that the desk is an animate object that intentional made the child to fall.

APOSTROPHE
This is a figure of speech which address an animate or abstract object as though it is living and present at the moment when the speech is made. It is a statement directed to an abstract feature as if expecting as response from it.

Examples:

Oh death! What have you done?

The speaker talks as if death is present and seen at the moment.

Debo’s gun…hmmm. What a weapon of treachery. Come let me feel you.

The speaker addresses the gun as though it is living and present.

My pride of Barbados. You have grown so beautiful. My wife cannot resist you now.

The speaker addresses the flower as if it is a living thing and can understand the conversation

Twinkle, twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are….

This is also an example of Apostrophe

Warm Water Resort

Flowing like an army in progression
Marching stately with no obstruction
The simple mystery of nature’s wonder
The confluence of the warm cold water order

Both travel from different station
Their velocity, an epitome of temperamental motion
The warm and cold locomotives of course
Form a coalition without an iota of force.

The warm water with its source in sight
From its palace and womb of conception
Comes with aggression like a colony of buffaloes in commotion
Punching the rocks and sweeping unmatched object so light

But its counterpart, like a dove so gentle
Proceeding like a virgin-bride with her pride
Coming like a royalty being led in steps so little
To meet her groom who awaits at the side

Predictable, the source and destination of aggression
I’m inspired at the energy that drives your motion
Which in life, can make you achieve more
areas of productive endowment, you cover more

Unpredictable the source of the gentle
Never knew it’s content, power and thought
Much wisdom I gain from her silent procession
Like royalty, to live and source of my wealth undiscovered

My salute is to the mysterious works of nature
Located at the Ikogosi, town of insignificant wonder
Where science sought but found no answer
To the quest that keeps our boiling point

©Lawal Olajide

ANALYSIS
The poem is an ode to the famous Ikogosi Warm Spring at Ekiti State. It is one of the wonders of nature that marvels a lot of tourists. It is a point where cold and warm water meets. A lot of people visit the place to pray, some for picnics while some others for tourism.

The poet starts by commenting on the way the water meanders through the earth, the warm water and then the cold from different location. Then where they both form a confluence.

He sees the warm water as an aggressive person while the cold water as a gentle soul. The myth that follows this wonder is the believe that a popular deity has two wives each with their temperaments. It is believed that these two women at the break of a tragic event turned into these water.

The poet didn’t dwell on the history behind the water but seeks to appreciate the personality traits of both beings. The fact is that each have their advantages which culminates into their strength. People should learn when to be aggressive and when to be taciturn.

FIGURES OF SPEECH

SIMILE
Flowing like an army in progression
Comes with aggression like a colony of buffaloes in commotion
But its counterpart, like a dove so gentle
Proceeding like a virgin-bride with her pride
Coming like a royalty being led in steps so little
Like royalty, to live and source of my wealth undiscovered

OXYMORON
The confluence of the warm cold water order
Located at the Ikogosi, town of insignificant wonder

PERSONIFICATION
Both travel from different station
Punching the rocks and sweeping unmatched object so light
Where science sought but found no answer

APOSTROPHE
I’m inspired at the energy that drives your motion
Much wisdom I gain from her silent procession

IN THE KNOT

I woke up one rainy morn
Behind the prison walls I made for myself
To discover that I am married
I didn’t plan for it
Neither was I ready to wheel its chariot
But I took a dive

The race of life is unending
Whether you choose to participate in its olympic
Or a spectator, maybe a fan to cheer
One thing is certain
Athletes and onlookers must run alike
To be a victim or a victor is a choice to make as you race along
The race is inevitable

Sit on the fence, never an option
The peaceful battle must yet be fought
Wounded or broken, you must strive to win
Or take a defeated journey beyond the seven seas

How did I get here?
It all started with a whisper
Loud enough to break the eardrum
Then the web of passion encapsulate me
Led me to the gallow, a sheep for the slaughter
stains on hands, stains on mouth
Can’t deny the meal
Eaten to satisfaction or not
But here I am
Loop in the knot

Who you listen to channels your choice to the chair or the chimney.

Life did plan for me
What I didn’t plan for myself
I must plan to have the world else the world has me.

ANALYSIS

THEMATIC ANALYSIS
The poem opens up with a thought by the poet persona who was astonished to find himself where he had not imagined. It likened the situation to someone who is married even though he had not plan to get married.
He sees himself as not being ready to take such big step but has drifted into the world of marital realities.

He likened the world to a race, a track event where both the athlete and the spectators all run the race. He noted that both the winner or loser all run the race together. This underscores the fact that in life, it is either you pursue something or something pursues you. You must run.

He uses an oxymoron to illustrate that the battle of life is not one fought with weapons of mass destruction but involves mental battles coupled with physical effort to win whether one is hurt or dejected.

The poet persona returned to himself questioning how he got to the point in his life as he found himself where he never envisaged. He conceded that he must have listened to his passion or appetite to taste or undertake what was enticing to him but not expedient.
He had been lured into doing things for instant pleasure ignoring the future consequences or effects of his actions.

Whether he had justify the pains he goes through is immaterial. He is now facing the realities of his actions.

In closing he realized that life does not harbour a vacuum. If a man fails to plan his life, life will plan his life for him. If he consciously plans his life, he will decide what happens to him but if he allows life plan his life for him, then he will lose control of the major incidents in his life.

FIGURES OF SPEECH:
METAPHOR:
Neither was I ready to wheel its chariot
But I took a dive
The race of life is unending
Sit on the fence
Or take a defeated journey beyond the seven seas
Can’t deny the meal
Loop in the knot

OXYMORON
The peaceful battle must yet be fought

RHETORICAL QUESTIONS
How did I get here?

PARADOX
It all started with a whisper
Loud enough to break the eardrum

PERSONIFICATION
Then the web of passion encapsulate me
Led me to the gallow, a sheep for the slaughter
Life did plan for me
I must plan to have the world else the world has me

ALLITERATION

Who you listen to channels your choice to the chair or the chimney.