[PSST: Train yourself to quickly spot a counterfeit! (See PSST Section 1)]
Possible Sunday School Topics (PSSTs) by Merrill Boudreaux
for the Christian Science Bible Lesson: “Unreality”
for April 7, 2013
P.S.S.T. Golden Text – So, it’s about choice? Explore with students the variety of ways in which they can “hear” God’s voice. See also the definition of Angels in Science & Health 581:4. Because of the infinite nature of God and God’s ideas, messages may come in differing forms and voices. A key question is how to cultivate listening and preparing to hear God’s message. Look to John the Baptist as one who was about preparing for the coming of the Christ. Baptism is one of the preparatory options. See definition of Baptism in S&H 581:23.
P.S.S.T. – Responsive Reading – Identify in the Responsive Reading some of the choices available to us as we seek to hear God’s voice:
- Acknowledge that God’s word or truth is already established or settled
- Consider God’s testimonies or actions; all the way back to creation
- Claim your wisdom and be not led into temptation
- God lights my path
- Know and practice the commandments
- Understand the difference between heritage and heredity
P.S.S.T. – Section 1 – What is the test for truth?
- Is it permanent?
- Is it universally available?
- Is it usable or applicable to anyone at any time?
- Is it harmonious?
Tell the students the story of how federal agents are trained to spot counterfeit money. They do not study counterfeit coins and bills but they study the real/authentic ones so the counterfeit ones stand out as clearly unreal. Should we then study, observe, or concentrate on the error, or study, observe, or concentrate on that which is true? [See addendum for more on “Never buy a lie!”]
P.S.S.T. – Section 2 – Read the Bible story of David in this section. The students likely will know it. This is a good role play option. Seek key questions to ask:
- How was David chosen?
- Why was David chosen?
- How did David prepare?
- What erroneous options did he choose to refuse?
- What Truth option did he choose to select?
- Why did David feel secure to accept the task?
- What do the five smooth stones represent?
- How many did he actually have to use? One nugget of truth is sufficient.
P.S.S.T. – Section 3 – How was Jesus tempted? Where had Jesus been just before the temptation? See Matthew, Chapter 3. Connect to the previous conversation about John the Baptist and baptism from our suggestion in the Golden Text. Whose voice did Jesus hear? What did that voice say? Are you also God’s beloved child in whom God is well pleased? Could you ever displease God? What did Jesus do after the temptation? See Matthew, Chapter 5. This is where the Sermon on the Mount is recorded. What are key aspects of this Sermon: Beatitudes, Golden Rule, The Lord’s Prayer. These are all significant because they are a follower of Jesus’ choice to stand up to the tempter. Could Jesus have done so, if he had focused on error concepts rather than Truth concepts?
P.S.S.T. – Section 4 – How did Jesus answer the question posed in citation B-10? Notice he did not choose to play the tempter’s game, to be taken off track, but to stay with the truth.
P.S.S.T. – Section 5 – To whom do you yield yourself to obey? Ask students to list temptations of which they may be aware for mankind, then write out the counter-fact. On which do they wish to dwell, the counterfeit or the counter-fact? Read aloud together Hymn 275 from the Christian Science Hymnal. What is our heritage? What are our guides?
P.S.S.T. – Section 6 – You are an heir of God. What have you inherited? Can you ever be stripped of your heritage and true inheritance? Citation S-29. Ask students to make a list of their divine rights. Choose to use or rely on those rights.
[Warren’s addendum to CedarS Met and PSSTs for the “Unreality” lesson:
Don't be an "April Fool!" on April 1st or any day!
Did you know that the first "April Fools" were called this name in 1582? They were being ridiculed by the general French populace because these "April Fools" continued to celebrate New Year Day on April 1st instead of on January 1st as ordered by King Charles IX with his newly imposed Gregorian calendar. (wilstar.com/holidays/aprilfool.htm) This year we could easily chose to celebrate New Year day the day after Easter? According to God's calendar, "Every day will be an Easter Filled with benedictions new!" (CS Hymnal 171) We will never be fools when we choose to follow “God's calendar” and obey what he puts in our hearts, instead of what hearsay or news reports, heredity or medical reports, try to tell us. Never buy any lie! (Misc. 117:22) CedarS Founder, Ruth Huff, trained her children and grandchildren well to “never buy a lie” by calling us on every April 1st with some inventive and humorous absurdity (like “There is a horse running down Weidman Road!… By the way, it’s purple…) in order to train us to see life with a twinkle in our eyes and a “sorting hat” on our heads.]
