Grade 10 - Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States
Grade 10 - Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States
Grade 10 - Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States
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Sunday School Curriculum <strong>Grade</strong> <strong>10</strong><br />
Week 0 - The Holy Fasting<br />
Objective:<br />
Renewing <strong>the</strong> covenant with Christ through our fellowship with Him in His fasting<br />
Memory Verse:<br />
―For thus says <strong>the</strong> Lord God, <strong>the</strong> Holy One <strong>of</strong> Israel: In returning and rest you shall be<br />
saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength‖ (Isaiah 30:15).<br />
―Blow <strong>the</strong> trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly‖ (Joel 2:15).<br />
References:<br />
Joel 2:15; 1 Corinthians 9:25; Psalm <strong>10</strong>9:24; Ma<strong>the</strong>w 6:16-18; 9:14; Daniel 9:3-19.<br />
Psalm 9:9; Acts 13:3; Acts 27:9; 2 Corinthians 6:4, 11:27; Isaiah 28.<br />
The Paradise <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Soul - Anba Youannis<br />
Spiritual Fasting - Anba Bemin<br />
The Treasures <strong>of</strong> Grace - Part 2 - Archdeacon Banoub Abdu.<br />
Introduction:<br />
In <strong>the</strong> beginning, when God created <strong>the</strong> world, God‘s commandment to man was to fast; not<br />
to eat <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> fruit <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> tree <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> knowledge <strong>of</strong> good and evil. Then <strong>the</strong> devil convinced man<br />
to eat <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> tree because if he ate he would know…! When man fell in that temptation, till<br />
bread became <strong>the</strong> goal <strong>of</strong> man‘s life... he works hard to get bread.<br />
This deceit continued to work in <strong>the</strong> heart <strong>of</strong> man till Christ came, and when Christ came, he<br />
fasted forty days on <strong>the</strong> mountain and uncovered <strong>the</strong> lies <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> devil. He summarized his<br />
experience in fasting in a short statement: ―Man shall not live by bread alone‖. Here <strong>the</strong><br />
Devil‘s lies were shown up and we knew that <strong>the</strong> Word <strong>of</strong> God is <strong>the</strong> source <strong>of</strong> life, but bread<br />
is not. Bread only helps flesh by giving it what it needs such as energy to work and to be<br />
active.<br />
Lesson Outline:<br />
Why Do We Fast?<br />
When we fast we become like <strong>the</strong> first man before his fall. The first man used to take his food<br />
from God and to live in fellowship with Him. Through fasting we win victory with Christ over<br />
<strong>the</strong> Devil in his deceit concerning bread and through work we announce <strong>the</strong> truth <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Scriptures: ―Man shall not live by bread alone‖.<br />
Christian fasting does not mean that passive side <strong>of</strong> refraining from having food but surpasses<br />
that point to <strong>the</strong> positive side <strong>of</strong> a greater release from this passive activity to spiritual activity.<br />
This means that fasting is a holy domain for practicing and possessing Christian virtues. The<br />
Church, especially during <strong>the</strong> Lent gives this atmosphere through her rituals, hymns and<br />
readings.<br />
<strong>10</strong>4 THE GREAT FAST