David C Cook COVID-19 Response

Help Wanted

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Materials Needed:

  • Internet access

Begin today’s lesson by discussing with your class some situations in which the odds are not in their favor.

  • How many of you have ever been in a situation where you felt like you were set up for failure? What did this look like? (Allow a few students to share their experiences with the class; be prepared to share your own. Some examples for discussion are pop quizzes, claw arcade machines, or mismatched sporting opponents.)

Whether you call it a Catch-22, Lose-Lose, or a Kobayashi Maru (pronounced ko-bah-YAH-she MAH-roo), the idea of an unwinnable situation is something we are all familiar with. The Kobayashi Maru is a training exercise in the Star Trek universe designed to test the character of Starfleet Academy cadets when they are in a no-win situation. Let’s take a closer look at this exercise.

Share the following video with your students [6:25: stop after 3:35]
Passing the Kobayashi-Maru Test

  • How would you try to get through this test? What do you need to take into consideration? (You would need to weigh the importance of rescuing the more than 300 lives on the other ship versus breaking a treaty. You would have to decide which is more important.)

As we’ll learn in today’s lesson, in our own strength, our fight against our sinful nature and habits looks a lot like trying to pass a Kobayashi Maru—impossible. Thankfully, there’s Someone on our side who has already mastered life’s controls. Let’s take a look at how the Holy Spirit can help us beat our sinful habits.

Additional resources:
Kobayashi Maru

Looking for Steps 2 & 3?

You can find Steps 2 and 3 in your teacher’s guide. To purchase a teacher’s guide, please visit: Bible-in-Life or Echoes.

Materials Needed:

  • Index cards or paper
  • Pen/pencil

Spread the word

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