Grade 4 Christian Religious Education Study Notes

Welcome to Strand 1: Creation

In this strand, we learn about God as our Creator and about ourselves as the people He has made.

What this strand covers

• Self-awareness — knowing my name and that I am God's special creation.
• Thoughts and feelings — good thoughts, and how to handle anger.
• Making choices — choices we make every day and their results.
• My family — the nuclear and extended family.
• Relationships within the family — safety and respect for our bodies.
• Attributes of God — the qualities of God as a loving Father.

The key question

Why are you a special creation? Keep this question in mind through Lesson 1 and Lesson 2.

Self-awareness — Lesson 1

Self-awareness means knowing who you are. This lesson has two parts:

1. Names for identification and self-awareness — what a name is, why it matters, and how to feel about it.
2. Being unique as a creation of God — what it means to be unique, and what the Bible says about how God made you.

By the end, you should say your name with pride, name one thing that is unique about you, and recite a verse showing you are wonderfully made.

What is a name?

A name is the word other people use to call you. Every person has a name. We all have different names — for example, Amani, John, Cherop, Fatuma.

Your name is usually given by your parents when you are born. When you say your own name, like "My name is Amani," you are showing self-awareness — you know who you are.

Why a name is important

A name helps people know who you are. It does several jobs:

• It helps others identify you — to know it is you, not someone else.
• It helps the teacher call on you in class.
• It helps your friends and family speak to you.
• It sets you apart from other learners.

How we should feel about our names

Your name is part of who you are. We should:

• Be proud of our names.
• Thank God for our names.

One way to do this is to think about what you like about your name — its sound, its meaning, or who you were named after. Even if you do not yet know what your name means, it is still your name — and it is special.

What "unique" means

To be unique means to be different from others. Something unique is one of a kind — nothing else is exactly like it.

Every person is unique. There is no one else in the world exactly like you.

Ways people are unique

People can be unique in many ways:

• The way they dress.
• The way they talk.
• The way they relate with other people.
• The way they behave and do things.

Two learners may be in the same Grade 4 class, but each one is still unique in their own way.

God made every part of us

The Bible tells us how God made each person. In Psalm 139:13, the Bible says:

"You created every part of me; you put me together in my mother's womb."

The womb is the safe place inside a mother where a baby grows before it is born.

What this verse teaches us

• God created every part of your body — your eyes, your hands, your feet, your heart.
• God put you together before you were born, in your mother's womb.
• You are fearfully and wonderfully made.
• Each person is special before God.

What it means to meditate on a verse

There are three things you can do with a Bible verse like Psalm 139:13:

1. Memorise it — learn it by heart so you can say it without reading.
2. Recite it — say it out loud, to yourself or to your class.
3. Meditate on it — think about it deeply.

When you meditate, you sit quietly and think carefully about what the verse means for you.

Key Points

• A name is the word others use to call you. Saying your own name shows self-awareness.
• A name helps others identify you.
• Be proud of your name and thank God for it.
• To be unique means to be different from others. Every person is unique.
• People are unique in how they dress, talk, behave and relate with others.
• Psalm 139:13 tells us God created every part of us in our mother's womb.
• We are fearfully and wonderfully made, and each person is special before God.
• To meditate on a verse means to think about it deeply.

What I have learnt

1. My name helps others to identify me.
2. I am unique and different from other people.
3. God created every part of my body.
4. I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

What I will do

1. I will be proud of my name.
2. I will thank God for creating me.
3. I will appreciate my uniqueness.

Self-awareness — Lesson 2

In Lesson 1, you learnt about your name and your uniqueness. This lesson goes deeper into two parts of the course book:

1. God as the creator of our bodies — God created all human beings, both male and female, and made every part of our bodies.
2. Our uniqueness as God's special creation — how to appreciate being made by God, and a special song to help us remember.

By the end, you should recognise yourself as God's special creation, recite Psalm 139:13 from memory, and know one way to thank God for how He made you.

God created human beings

The Bible tells us that God created human beings. We read this in Genesis 1:27:

"So God created human beings, making them to be like Himself. He created them male and female."

This verse teaches us two important things:

• God is the one who made all human beings.
• God made us in His own image — to be like Himself.

Being made in God's image means God made us special, different from animals and plants. We can think, choose, love, and know right from wrong.

God created male and female

Genesis 1:27 also tells us that God created them male and female. This means God made two kinds of human beings:

• Male — boys and men.
• Female — girls and women.

Both boys and girls are equal before God. Both are made in His image. Both are special.

God made every part of our bodies

God did not just create human beings in general. He made every part of your body — carefully and with love.

Some parts of the body God made include:

• The head — with eyes, ears, nose and mouth.
• The arms — with hands and fingers.
• The chest — with the heart inside.
• The legs — with feet and toes.

Every part has a job. The eyes help you see. The ears help you hear. The hands help you work and play. The legs help you walk and run. We should take care of our bodies because God made them.

We are God's special creation

Because God made us in His image and made every part of our bodies, each of us is God's special creation.

This means:

• God created each of us in a unique way.
• We are all God's special creation.
• He made us in His image and likeness.

No matter how you look, how tall you are, or what you can do — you are special to God.

Showing appreciation for being God's creation

To appreciate something means to be thankful for it and to value it. We can show appreciation to God for making us in many ways:

• Thanking and praising God for creating us.
• Taking good care of our bodies — eating well, keeping clean, resting and exercising.
• Respecting other people, because they are also God's special creation.
• Using our talents — like singing, drawing, running or helping others — to honour God.

"I am fearfully and wonderfully made"

To help us remember that we are God's special creation, we can sing this song. It is based on Psalm 139:13–14:

I am fearfully and wonderfully made,
I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
From the top of my head
To the soles of my feet,
I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
In God's image and His likeness,
By His Spirit and His word,
I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Sing this song with your class. As you sing, remember that every part of you — from your head to your feet — was made by God.

Key Points

• Genesis 1:27 tells us God created human beings — male and female — in His own image.
• Being made in God's image means we can think, choose, love and know right from wrong.
• God created both boys and girls, and both are equal before God.
• God made every part of our bodies, and we should take care of them.
• Every person is God's special creation — made in a unique way.
• We appreciate God's creation by thanking Him, caring for our bodies, respecting others, and using our talents.
• The song "I am fearfully and wonderfully made" helps us remember we are made by God.

What I have learnt

1. God created all human beings — male and female.
2. God made me in His image.
3. God made every part of my body.
4. I am God's special creation.
5. I appreciate God by thanking Him and caring for myself and others.

What I will do

1. I will thank God every day for creating me.
2. I will take good care of my body.
3. I will respect other people as God's creation.
4. I will use my talents to honour God.

Thoughts and Feelings — Lesson 1

Every day, you think about many things and you feel many things. In this lesson, you will learn:

1. What thoughts are, and the difference between good and bad thoughts.
2. What feelings are, and which feelings are good.
3. Why having good thoughts and good feelings matters in day-to-day life.

The key question for this lesson is: What good thoughts and feelings do you have in your daily life?

What are thoughts?

Read about Timo and Sheila:

Timo and Sheila are Grade 4 learners at Heshima Primary School. Timo is the captain of the basketball team. His team has been winning trophies, and this has made Timo very happy. Sheila has been doing very well in her assessments. As she revises for the next assessment, she is worried about whether she will perform well this time. Timo and Sheila are in deep thoughts.

From this story we learn that thoughts are ideas that come from the mind through thinking.

• Timo is thinking about winning — that is a thought.
• Sheila is thinking about her next assessment — that is also a thought.

Everyone has thoughts every day.

Good thoughts and bad thoughts

Thoughts can be good or bad.

• Good thoughts are ideas that lead us to do good things. Examples include joy, happiness, kindness, generosity, obedience, respect for others, love and peace.
• Bad thoughts are ideas that can lead us to do wrong things. Examples include jealousy, hate, bitterness, and planning to hurt others.

We should always have good thoughts and avoid bad thoughts. When we have good thoughts, we do good things.

Good thoughts in daily life

In your day-to-day life, there are many good thoughts you can have. Some of the most important ones are:

• Sharing with others.
• Helping your parents.
• Respecting others.
• Being kind to others.
• Being thankful.

When you think these thoughts, you are more likely to act on them — for example, thinking about helping your mother leads you to actually go and help her carry water.

What are feelings?

Feelings are the way your heart and body react to what is happening around you or inside you. When something good happens, you may feel happy. When something bad happens, you may feel sad.

Feelings are connected to thoughts. A good thought often brings a good feeling. A bad thought often brings a bad feeling.

Good feelings in daily life

In your day-to-day life, there are many good feelings you can have. Examples are:

• Being happy.
• Being joyous.
• Being excited.
• Being grateful.
• Feeling loved.
• Feeling appreciated.
• Feeling successful.

We should aim to have good feelings every day, because they help us live well with ourselves and with others.

Why good thoughts and feelings matter

Good thoughts and good feelings matter because:

• They help us do good things for others.
• They help us live well with our family, classmates and neighbours.
• They keep our hearts and minds peaceful.
• They please God, who made us to be loving and kind.

We should welcome good thoughts and feelings every day, and avoid bad ones.

Key Points

• Thoughts are ideas that come from the mind through thinking.
• Thoughts can be good or bad. Good thoughts lead to good actions; bad thoughts lead to wrong actions.
• Examples of good thoughts: sharing, helping parents, respecting others, being kind, being thankful.
• Examples of bad thoughts: jealousy, hate, bitterness, planning to hurt others.
• Feelings are the way your heart and body react. Good thoughts often bring good feelings.
• Examples of good feelings: happy, joyous, excited, grateful, loved, appreciated, successful.
• Good thoughts and feelings help us do good things, live well with others, and please God.

What I have learnt

1. Thoughts are ideas from my mind.
2. There are good thoughts and bad thoughts.
3. Feelings are how my heart reacts.
4. Good thoughts often bring good feelings.
5. I should welcome good thoughts and avoid bad ones.

What I will do

1. I will think kind and loving thoughts every day.
2. I will avoid bad thoughts like jealousy and hate.
3. I will share, help and respect others.

Thoughts and Feelings — Lesson 2

In Lesson 1, you learnt about good thoughts and good feelings. One of the most important good feelings is joy. This lesson covers:

1. What it means to be joyful.
2. What the Bible says in Philippians 4:4.
3. What it means to rejoice in the Lord.
4. Why being joyful is important.

The key question for this lesson is: Why is it important to be joyful?

What it means to be joyful

To be joyful means to be filled with happiness and gladness. A joyful person has a happy heart and shows it through smiles, songs and kind actions.

You can feel joyful for many reasons:

• When you do well in school.
• When your team wins a game.
• When you spend time with family and friends.
• When you do something kind for others.
• When you remember that God loves you.

Philippians 4:4 — Rejoice in the Lord always

The Bible tells us how often we should be joyful. In Philippians 4:4, the Bible says:

"May you always be joyful in your union with the Lord. I say it again: rejoice!"

This verse teaches us:

• We should be joyful always — not only when good things happen.
• Our joy comes from our union with the Lord — our friendship with God.
• The Bible says it twice — "rejoice!" — to show how important it is.

What it means to rejoice in the Lord

To rejoice in the Lord means to be happy for everything that God does for us. It means thanking God and praising Him for:

• The life He gave us.
• Our family and friends.
• Our health, food, and shelter.
• Our school and the chance to learn.
• His love for us.

Rejoicing in the Lord means our joy is not only about things going well — it is about knowing God is with us at all times.

Why being joyful is important

Being joyful is important for many reasons:

• It improves our health — joyful people are often healthier.
• It makes it easy to live with others — people enjoy being around someone who is joyful.
• It shows that we have good feelings inside.
• It shows we are comfortable with ourselves.
• God is pleased when we rejoice in Him.

We should always rejoice in our union with God.

The "Rejoice in the Lord always" song

To help us remember Philippians 4:4, we can sing this song with our class:

Rejoice in the Lord always,
Again I say rejoice. (×2)
Rejoice, rejoice,
And again I say rejoice. (×2)
Rejoice in the Lord always,
Again I say rejoice.

As you sing, remember that the song carries the words of Philippians 4:4. Singing it helps you memorise the verse and feel joyful at the same time.

Key Points

• To be joyful means to be filled with happiness and gladness.
• Philippians 4:4 tells us to rejoice in the Lord always.
• To rejoice in the Lord means to be happy for everything God does for us.
• Being joyful is important because it improves our health, makes it easy to live with others, shows we have good feelings, shows we are comfortable with ourselves, and pleases God.
• The song "Rejoice in the Lord always" helps us remember Philippians 4:4.

What I have learnt

1. Being joyful means being filled with happiness.
2. The Bible tells me to rejoice in the Lord always.
3. Rejoicing in the Lord means thanking Him for everything He does.
4. Being joyful is good for me and pleases God.

What I will do

1. I will be joyful every day.
2. I will thank God for what He does for me.
3. I will share my joy with others.
4. I will sing songs that praise God.

Thoughts and Feelings — Lesson 3

Sometimes you feel angry or sad. These strong feelings are called emotions. This lesson covers:

1. What emotions are.
2. What the Bible says in Ephesians 4:26 about anger.
3. The three lessons from Ephesians 4:26.
4. How to cope with anger and sadness in day-to-day life.

The key question for this lesson is: How do you control your thoughts and feelings?

What are emotions?

Emotions are strong feelings we have about something or somebody.

Examples of emotions include:

• Anger — a strong feeling when something or someone upsets us.
• Joy — a strong feeling of happiness.
• Sadness — a strong feeling when something hurts us.
• Fear — a strong feeling when we are afraid of something.

Everyone experiences these emotions. They are part of being human. What matters is how we handle them.

Ryan breaks his mother's cup

Read this short story:

Ryan accidentally broke his mother's favourite cup while playing. His mother walked into the room and saw the broken pieces on the floor. She said, "I am very angry at you, Ryan. Why did you break my cup?" Ryan replied, "Please do not be angry with me, Mother. It was an accident."

From this story we can see:

• Ryan's mother became angry — a strong emotion.
• Ryan apologised and asked her not to stay angry.
• The cup was broken by accident, not on purpose.

Anger is a common emotion. But how we handle our anger matters.

Ephesians 4:26 — Do not let anger lead to sin

The Bible talks about anger in Ephesians 4:26:

"If you become angry, do not let your anger lead you into sin, and do not stay angry all day."

This verse teaches us that:

• Becoming angry sometimes is normal — even good people get angry.
• The danger is when anger leads us to sin — to do wrong things.
• We should not stay angry for a long time.

Three lessons from Ephesians 4:26

From this verse, we learn three important lessons:

1. People sometimes get angry. Anger is a normal emotion. Even good people feel it.
2. We should not let anger lead us to sin. When we are angry, we must not say or do wrong things — like fighting, shouting harsh words, or hurting others.
3. We should not remain angry for a long time. The longer anger stays in our heart, the more it can hurt us and our friendships.

Ways to cope with anger and sadness

To cope with an emotion means to handle it well. Here are five ways to cope with anger and sadness:

1. Take part in positive activities such as games and sports.
2. Choose to forgive those who make us angry or sad.
3. Pray to God to help us cope with our emotions.
4. Choose not to sin or do evil things when we are upset.
5. Choose not to remain angry for a long time.

You do not have to handle strong feelings alone. God is with you, and you can also talk to a parent, teacher or trusted adult.

Key Points

• Emotions are strong feelings we have about something or somebody — examples are anger, joy, sadness and fear.
• Ephesians 4:26 teaches: do not let your anger lead you to sin, and do not stay angry all day.
• Three lessons from Ephesians 4:26: people sometimes get angry; don't let anger lead to sin; don't remain angry for long.
• To cope means to handle an emotion well.
• Ways to cope: positive activities, forgiving, prayer, choosing not to sin, not staying angry long.
• You can also talk to a parent, teacher or trusted adult.

What I have learnt

1. I experience good thoughts and feelings in my day-to-day life.
2. I should not let my anger lead me to sin.
3. I should learn to cope with emotions — for example, by forgiving those who hurt me.

What I will do

1. I will have good thoughts and feelings.
2. I will encourage my friends to avoid bad thoughts and feelings.
3. I will pray to God to help me cope with my emotions.
4. I will thank God for the emotions I have.