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2. Subject, Golden Text, and Responsive Reading

3. Lesson Sermon — The Bible

4. Lesson Sermon — Science and Health

5. The Daily Duties

6. About the preparation of this lesson

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Subject — Mind

GOLDEN TEXT: Exodus 20 : 3

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

RESPONSIVE READING: Matthew 4 : 23, 24 • Matthew 17 : 14-18

23.     And Jesus went about all Galilee,

24.     And they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.

14.     And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,

15.     Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.

16.     And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.

17.     Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.

18.     And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.

Lesson Sermon

The Bible

1. Ecclesiastes 7 : 25, 29 (to ;)

25     I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness:

29     Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright;

2. Psalm 139 : 23, 24

23     Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

24     And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

3. Daniel 4 : 28-31, 32 (until) (to 4th ,), 33, 34, 36, 37 (to 2nd ,)

28     All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar.

29     At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon.

30     The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?

31     While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.

32     …until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men,

33     The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.

34     And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:

36     At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellers and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me.

37     Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth,

4. Jeremiah 29 : 11-14 (to 2nd ,)

11     For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

12     Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.

13     And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

14     And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity,

5. Isaiah 26 : 3 (to :), 13, 14 (therefore)

3     Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee:

13     O LORD our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name.

14     …therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish.

6. Luke 4 : 14 (to :)

14     And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee:

7. Luke 8 : 1 (to :), 26-34 (to 2nd ,), 35 (to :), 38, 39 (to 1st .)

1     And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God:

26     And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee.

27     And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.

28     When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not.

29     (For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.)

30     And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him.

31     And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.

32     And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them.

33     Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked.

34     When they that fed them saw what was done, they fled,

35     Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind:

38     Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying,

39     Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee.

8. Hebrews 4 : 12, 13, 16

12     For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

13     Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

16     Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

9. Romans 15 : 4 (to ,), 6

4     For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning,

6     That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Science and Health

1. 467 : 3 (The)-4 (to 1st .), 5-7, 9-10, 13-16

The first demand of this Science is, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." … Therefore the command means this: Thou shalt have no intelligence, no life, no substance, no truth, no love, but that which is spiritual. … It should be thoroughly understood that all men have one Mind, one God and Father, one Life, Truth, and Love. … Having no other gods, turning to no other but the one perfect Mind to guide him, man is the likeness of God, pure and eternal, having that Mind which was also in Christ.

2. 587 : 5-9 (to .), 11 (the)-15 (to ;)

GOD. The great I am; the all-knowing, all-seeing, all-acting, all-wise, all-loving, and eternal; Principle; Mind; Soul; Spirit; Life; Truth; Love; all substance; intelligence.

GODS. … the belief that infinite Mind is in finite forms; the various theories that hold mind to be a material sense, existing in brain, nerve, matter; supposititious minds, or souls, going in and out of matter, erring and mortal;

3. 285 : 17-22

The time has come for a finite conception of the infinite and of a material body as the seat of Mind to give place to a diviner sense of intelligence and its manifestations, — to the better understanding that Science gives of the Supreme Being, or divine Principle, and idea.

4. 262 : 27-4

The foundation of mortal discord is a false sense of man's origin. To begin rightly is to end rightly. Every concept which seems to begin with the brain begins falsely. Divine Mind is the only cause or Principle of existence. Cause does not exist in matter, in mortal mind, or in physical forms.

Mortals are egotists. They believe themselves to be independent workers, personal authors, and even privileged originators of something which Deity would not or could not create.

5. 216 : 11-16

The understanding that the Ego is Mind, and that there is but one Mind or intelligence, begins at once to destroy the errors of mortal sense and to supply the truth of immortal sense. This understanding makes the body harmonious; it makes the nerves, bones, brain, etc., servants, instead of masters.

6. 191 : 1-3, 16-20, 32-3

The brain can give no idea of God's man. It can take no cognizance of Mind. Matter is not the organ of infinite Mind.

The human thought must free itself from self-imposed materiality and bondage. It should no longer ask of the head, heart, or lungs: What are man's prospects for life? Mind is not helpless. Intelligence is not mute before non-intelligence.

Mind, God, sends forth the aroma of Spirit, the atmosphere of intelligence. The belief that a pulpy substance under the skull is mind is a mockery of intelligence, a mimicry of Mind.

7. 171 : 25-30

The so-called laws of matter are nothing but false beliefs that intelligence and life are present where Mind is not. These false beliefs are the procuring cause of all sin and disease. The opposite truth, that intelligence and life are spiritual, never material, destroys sin, sickness, and death.

8. 570 : 26-5

When God heals the sick or the sinning, they should know the great benefit which Mind has wrought. They should also know the great delusion of mortal mind, when it makes them sick or sinful. Many are willing to open the eyes of the people to the power of good resident in divine Mind, but they are not so willing to point out the evil in human thought, and expose evil's hidden mental ways of accomplishing iniquity.

Why this backwardness, since exposure is necessary to ensure the avoidance of the evil?

9. 407 : 29 (All)-30

All sin is insanity in different degrees.

10. 423 : 8-14, 27 (any)-29

The Christian Scientist, understanding scientifically that all is Mind, commences with mental causation, the truth of being, to destroy the error. This corrective is an alterative, reaching to every part of the human system. According to Scripture, it searches "the joints and marrow," and it restores the harmony of man.

…any abnormal condition or derangement of the body is as directly the action of mortal mind as is dementia or insanity.

11. 411 : 13-22

It is recorded that once Jesus asked the name of a disease, — a disease which moderns would call dementia. The demon, or evil, replied that his name was Legion. Thereupon Jesus cast out the evil, and the insane man was changed and straightway became whole. The Scripture seems to import that Jesus caused the evil to be self-seen and so destroyed.

The procuring cause and foundation of all sickness is fear, ignorance, or sin. Disease is always induced by a false sense mentally entertained, not destroyed.

12. 147 : 32-4

Jesus never spoke of disease as dangerous or as difficult to heal. When his students brought to him a case they had failed to heal, he said to them, "O faithless generation," implying that the requisite power to heal was in Mind.

13. 414 : 4-14

The treatment of insanity is especially interesting. However obstinate the case, it yields more readily than do most diseases to the salutary action of truth, which counteracts error. The arguments to be used in curing insanity are the same as in other diseases: namely, the impossibility that matter, brain, can control or derange mind, can suffer or cause suffering; also the fact that truth and love will establish a healthy state, guide and govern mortal mind or the thought of the patient, and destroy all error, whether it is called dementia, hatred, or any other discord.

14. 372 : 1-2

Remember, brain is not mind. Matter cannot be sick, and Mind is immortal.

15. 171 : 12-13

Mind's control over the universe, including man, is no longer an open question, but is demonstrable Science.

16. 184 : 16-17

Controlled by the divine intelligence, man is harmonious and eternal.

The Daily Duties

by Mary Baker Eddy

Daily Prayer

It shall be the duty of every member of this Church to pray each day: "Thy kingdom come;" let the reign of divine Truth, Life, and Love be established in me, and rule out of me all sin; and may Thy Word enrich the affections of all mankind, and govern them!

Church Manual, Article VIII, Sect. 4

A Rule for Motives and Acts

Neither animosity nor mere personal attachment should impel the motives or acts of the members of The Mother Church. In Science, divine Love alone governs man; and a Christian Scientist reflects the sweet amenities of Love, in rebuking sin, in true brotherliness, charitableness, and forgiveness. The members of this Church should daily watch and pray to be delivered from all evil, from prophesying, judging, condemning, counseling, influencing or being influenced erroneously.

Church Manual, Article VIII, Sect. 1

Alertness to Duty

It shall be the duty of every member of this Church to defend himself daily against aggressive mental suggestion, and not be made to forget nor to neglect his duty to God, to his Leader, and to mankind. By his works he shall be judged, — and justified or condemned.

Church Manual, Article VIII, Sect. 6

Take Notice

To Christian Scientists: — See Science and Health, page 442, line 30, and give daily attention thereto.

from Miscellany, by Mary Baker Eddy, page 237

“Christian Scientists, be a law to yourselves that mental malpractice cannot harm you either when asleep or when awake.”

Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, page 422

This Bible Lesson was prepared by Plainfield Christian Science Church, Independent. It is composed of Scriptural Quotations from the King James Bible and Correlative Passages from the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, 1910 Edition, by Mary Baker Eddy.

Copyright 2022 Plainfield Christian Science Church, Independent

Table of Contents

Sunday, August 21st, 2022 — Subject: Mind

Date of Lesson

Subject, Golden Text, and Responsive Reading

Lesson Sermon — The Bible

Lesson Sermon — Science and Health

The Daily Duties

About the preparation of this lesson