Today’s Lesson
Prayer Point - Pray that God will help His children to mortify fornication, uncleanliness, inordinate affection, idolatry, etc.
Previous Knowledge -Review questions: Teacher marks the workbook while the Assistant Teacher reviews the previous week's lesson.
1. Opening
A. BIBLE PASSAGE - Genesis 29: 11-20
B. Memory Verse - "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:" Colossians 3:5
C. Lesson Introduction - Christian courtship is a period before wedding/marriage when a Christian brother and sister agree on many issues and see if they both share the same vision, hope and aspiration about marriage. Christian courtship involves two people that have agreed to walk together in the direction of marriage Amos 3:3.
TEACHER'S DIARY
A. Lesson Aim - To study about Christian courtship.
B. Teaching Objectives and Lesson Plan
i. At the end of the lesson, students should be able to discover the importance of courtship.
ii. They should also be able to decide on appropriate type of courtship. To achieve these objectives, teacher should explain the importance of courtship to students and caution them against the dangers of long courtship.
C. Text Review - Genesis 29:11-20
a. One of the dangers of long courtship is probably seen in today's text: Laban swapped Leah for Rachael. V,23
b. Another one is the possibility of inability to wait further. For instance, one could imagine why Jacob only discovered in the morning that he had "gone in" to a wrong woman. V.25
c. Another lesson is cost attached. Long courtship may be very costly. In this case, it took fourteen years of hard labour to secure Rachael. V.27 d. Time wastage is another problem of long courtship.
D. Teaching Method - Teacher should use lecture teaching method.
E. Time Management - 15 minutes for Opening, 30 minutes for Lesson Outline, Summary, Conclusion and Assignment, 15 minutes for General Review.
2. Lesson Outlines
- LESSON OUTLINE 1 - THE IMPORTANCE OF COURTSHIP
- Courtship provides opportunity to know each other intimately without going into sin.
- It provides opportunity to discover each other's strength and weaknesses and to take positive steps towards addressing them through prayers.
- It provides opportunity to know each other's parents.
- Through prayer and right counselling, courtship provides opportunity to lay a proper biblical foundation for a happy married life.
Note - Courtship is not opportunity to indulge in bodily, emotional and sexual pleasure. Read Genesis 24: 54-59 and Romans 12: 1-2
Class Activity 1 - What are the differences between courtship and dating?
Ii. LESSON OUTLINE 2 - LONG COURTSHIP NOT ADVISABLE
i. Long courtship can expose partner to lots of temptations.
ii. It can lead to immoralities. Co12:21
iii. It can lead to breaking the proposal particularly when the intending partners are not stable.
iv. Teacher should see the Text Review for other possible dangers of long courtship.
v. Courtship should be between six months and one year, preferably.
Class Activity 2 - In addition to long courtship, what other factors do you think could be responsible for breaking of courtship?
SUMMARY - Courtship provides good opportunity for intending couples where it is moderate and guided by God.
CONCLUSION -It is advised that courtship should be between six months and one year and must be guided by God to realise its benefits.
ASSIGNMENT - See assignment in the workbook.
