FOR SURE COMFORT ACCENTUATE FREEDOMS & ELIMINATE LIMITS! (4)
PSST: Possible Sunday School Topics for the Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lesson on “PROBATION AFTER DEATH”
for classes on October 23, 2022
Questions by former CedarS Program Director, Steve Henn, C.S. steven.henn@gmail.com
POSSIBLE SUNDAY SCHOOL TOPICS (PSSTs) for the GOLDEN TEXT
“In the path of righteousness there is life, in walking its path there is no death.” (Proverbs 12:28, NRSV)
What is the path of righteousness?
How do we know that we are walking on it?
Consider Jesus’ teachings and how often he shares with his disciples what the Kingdom of God and Kingdom of Heaven are like.
Is the path of righteousness itself a protection against death?
What must we do on this path?
POSSIBLE SUNDAY SCHOOL TOPICS (PSSTs) for the RESPONSIVE READING (RR):
What about Jesus’ message is most comforting?
What parts of the RR resonate with your students?
What works did Jesus do?
What works are you seeing or hearing about today, and what works are your students doing?
ACTIVITY: Each week, Christian Science Periodicals publish healings of all kinds on various platforms across multiple languages. Spend some time researching through those resources – https://jsh.christianscience.com/ – to find great works done by Christian Scientists across the world.
Bring examples of good works to your students each week, so they can see examples of Christ’s teaching in action. You can extend this activity by having your students keep a healing journal at Sunday School each week, and every time they come to Sunday School you can encourage them to write up the ways they either did or witnessed God’s goodness in action that week.
POSSIBLE SUNDAY SCHOOL TOPICS (PSSTs) for the SECTION 1:
PASSAGE TO MEMORIZE: The first Tenet (citation S1/497:3) is a great passage to memorize and apply to each section of the lesson.
In this section, what are the inspired aspects of each Bible passage?
How do they help us to learn more about eternal life?
POSSIBLE SUNDAY SCHOOL TOPICS (PSSTs) for the SECTION 2
How does Jesus teach us to worship God in citation B6/John 4:23, 24)?
Why is the woman surprised that Jesus wants to speak with her? (W. See Cobbey’s GEM on it)
What are all the rules Jesus is breaking in this story?
What does this teach us about true worship of God?
What rules can your students break to worship God more fully this week?
POSSIBLE SUNDAY SCHOOL TOPICS (PSSTs) for the SECTION 3
What rules does Jesus break in this section? [W. cit. B9/Luke 8:41-55 & Cobbey’s GEM on it]
How is it that the people at the ruler’s house changed from mourning to laughing so quickly? What does this teach us about human mourning?
How does Jesus respond to their displays of sadness?
Why is he able to speak so strongly to the mourners?
POSSIBLE SUNDAY SCHOOL TOPICS (PSSTs) for the SECTION 4
Look closely with your students at citation S16/239:16-20. How are we to measure our progress? Whom do your students acknowledge & obey as God? [W. PYCL #4 & downloadable bookmark]
Why is it critical for us to both acknowledge and obey God?
FIRST LESSONS: What is God’s law? [W. See more on PYCL #4 with downloadable bookmark –scroll way down to Downloads and print FREEDOMS & LIMITS pages back-to-back with & cut apart to make 3 two-sided bookmarks)
It has been outlined clearly by both Moses and then Jesus.
How do we obey this law and why is it important to do so?
POSSIBLE SUNDAY SCHOOL TOPICS (PSSTs) for the SECTION 5
After Jesus is crucified and before his resurrection, what do his disciples decide to do?
How does Jesus respond? (cit. B13/John 21:2-12)
How often are we all tempted to rely on a “material sense” of human resources? (cit. S24/41:6)
How can we look past those to see the divine origin and a “spiritual sense” of all good? (cit. S24)
What are “the things which are above” for us to seek? (cit. B14/Col. 3:1) Make a list.
POSSIBLE SUNDAY SCHOOL TOPICS (PSSTs) for the SECTION 6: Comfort for all!
How does this lesson comfort us?
What challenges are your students facing or aware of, and how can the ideas in this lesson provide comfort to them?
Who around all of us needs comfort—and how can we use the ideas in this lesson to provide comfort to our neighbor? (cit. B15/Isa. 40:1)