1. Date of Lesson

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 — God The Preserver Of Man

GOLDEN TEXT: Psalm 16 : 1

“Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.”

RESPONSIVE READING: Psalm 16 : 5-9, 11

5.     The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.

6.     The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.

7.     I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.

8.     I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

9.     Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.

11.     Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Lesson Sermon

The Bible

1. Exodus 20 : 2, 3

2     I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3     Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

2. Psalm 78 : 1, 2 (to 1st :), 4 (shewing), 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 19, 22-25 (to :), 32, 33, 34 (then)-38 (to 3rd ,), 39

1     Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

2     I will open my mouth in a parable:

4     …shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.

5     For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:

7     That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:

8     And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

10     They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law;

11     And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them.

19     Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

22     Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:

23     Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,

24     And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.

25     Man did eat angels’ food:

32     For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.

33     Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.

34     …then they sought him: and they returned and inquired early after God.

35     And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.

36     Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.

37     For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.

38     But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity,

39     For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.

3. Hosea 4 : 1

1     Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

4. Hosea 14 : 1, 2 (turn) (to 2nd :), 4 (to :)

1     O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.

2     …turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously:

4     I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely:

5. Proverbs 3 : 1, 2, 5, 6, 23, 24 (to :), 26 (to ,)

1     My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:

2     For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.

5     Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6     In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

23     Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.

24     When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid:

26     For the LORD shall be thy confidence,

6. Proverbs 2 : 8

8     He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.

7. Psalm 121 : 5, 7

5     The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.

7     The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.

8. John 13 : 1-5, 11-15, 31 (Now), 34

1     Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.

2     And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him;

3     Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;

4     He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.

5     After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.

11     For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.

12     So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?

13     Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.

14     If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.

15     For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

31     Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him.

34     A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

9. John 14 : 6 (I am), 23 (If) (to 2nd ,)

6     I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

23     If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him,

10. John 15 : 9-12

9     As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

10     If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

11     These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

12     This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

Science and Health

1. 340 : 9-14

"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: … love God and keep His commandments: for this is the whole of man in His image and likeness. Divine Love is infinite. Therefore all that really exists is in and of God, and manifests His love.

2. 308 : 1-4

“…Art thou dwelling in the belief that mind is in matter, and that evil is mind, or art thou in the living faith that there is and can be but one God, and keeping His commandment?"

3. 467 : 3 (“Thou)-16

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me." This me is Spirit. Therefore the command means this: Thou shalt have no intelligence, no life, no substance, no truth, no love, but that which is spiritual. The second is like unto it, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." It should be thoroughly understood that all men have one Mind, one God and Father, one Life, Truth, and Love. Mankind will become perfect in proportion as this fact becomes apparent, war will cease and the true brotherhood of man will be established. 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.

4. 286 : 9-26

The Master said, "No man cometh unto the Father [the divine Principle of being] but by me," Christ, Life, Truth, Love; for Christ says, "I am the way." Physical causation was put aside from first to last by this original man, Jesus. He knew that the divine Principle, Love, creates and governs all that is real.

In the Saxon and twenty other tongues good is the term for God. The Scriptures declare all that He made to be good, like Himself, — good in Principle and in idea. Therefore the spiritual uni-verse is good, and reflects God as He is.

God's thoughts are perfect and eternal, are substance and Life. Material and temporal thoughts are human, involving error, and since God, Spirit, is the only cause, they lack a divine cause. The temporal and material are not then creations of Spirit. They are but counterfeits of the spiritual and eternal.

5. 70 : 6-9, 12-13

There is but one Spirit. Man is never God, but spiritual man, made in God's likeness, reflects God. In this scientific reflection the Ego and the Father are inseparable.

The divine Mind maintains all identities, from a blade of grass to a star, as distinct and eternal.

6. 151 : 20-30

Every function of the real man is governed by the divine Mind. The human mind has no power to kill or to cure, and it has no control over God's man. The divine Mind that made man maintains His own image and likeness. The human mind is opposed to God and must be put off, as St. Paul declares. All that really exists is the divine Mind and its idea, and in this Mind the entire being is found harmonious and eternal. The straight and narrow way is to see and acknowledge this fact, yield to this power, and follow the leadings of truth.

7. 494 : 5-11

Is it not a species of infidelity to believe that so great a work as the Messiah's was done for himself or for God, who needed no help from Jesus' example to preserve the eternal harmony? But mortals did need this help, and Jesus pointed the way for them. Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need.

8. 25 : 16-32

Jesus presented the ideal of God better than could any man whose origin was less spiritual. By his obedience to God, he demonstrated more spiritually than all others the Principle of being. Hence the force of his admonition, "If ye love me, keep my commandments."

Though demonstrating his control over sin and disease, the great Teacher by no means relieved others from giving the requisite proofs of their own piety. He worked for their guidance, that they might demonstrate this power as he did and understand its divine Principle. Implicit faith in the Teacher and all the emotional love we can bestow on him, will never alone make us imitators of him. We must go and do likewise, else we are not improving the great blessings which our Master worked and suffered to bestow upon us. The divinity of the Christ was made manifest in the humanity of Jesus.

9. 4 : 3-16

What we most need is the prayer of fervent desire for growth in grace, expressed in patience, meekness, love, and good deeds. To keep the commandments of our Master and follow his example, is our proper debt to him and the only worthy evidence of our gratitude for all that he has done. Outward worship is not of itself sufficient to express loyal and heartfelt gratitude, since he has said: "If ye love me, keep my commandments."

The habitual struggle to be always good is unceasing prayer. Its motives are made manifest in the blessings they bring, — blessings which, even if not acknowledged in audible words, attest our worthiness to be partakers of Love.

10. 55 : 16-26

My weary hope tries to realize that happy day, when man shall recognize the Science of Christ and love his neighbor as himself, — when he shall realize God's omnipotence and the healing power of the divine Love in what it has done and is doing for mankind. The promises will be fulfilled. The time for the reappearing of the divine healing is throughout all time; and whosoever layeth his earthly all on the altar of divine Science, drinketh of Christ's cup now, and is endued with the spirit and power of Christian healing.

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 2023 Plainfield Christian Science Church, Independent

Table of Contents

Sunday, December 10th, 2023 — Subject: God The Preserver Of Man

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