CFM Teaching Ideas for June 19-25, 2023 {Matthew 27; Mark 15; Luke 23; John 19}

 This blogpost features some  resources and ideas to complement the Come Follow Me (CFM) reading for June 19-25, 2023.    Click here for an index and links to my CFM blogposts for other weeks.

 PRINTABLE ACTIVITY PAGE:  This activity page is geared for kids 8+, but has the coloring section that's good for all ages.   Print them double sided and get an easy 1/2 sheet activity page that's perfect for handing out in sacrament meeting or for using as an attention activity in your classrooms and families.  

 TEACHING IDEA: 

Visual of the Pits:

PREP:  In advance, gather two plates, two dish towels, treats enough for the family, and several rocks.   Without anyone seeing, place the treats on one plate and rocks on the other, then cover both plates completely so that they will not be able to tell what is on them. Then make a line across the table with tape or yarn and place each plate on opposite sides of the table/line.

THE ACTIVITY:  Have Dad standing near one plate and Mom near the other, each doing their best to persuade the children to choose their side, for it will bring them  joy and happiness. Let each child choose a side and once all the children have chosen, uncover the plates and reveal what is underneath the dishtowel.

The ones who chose the rocks will undoubtedly be disappointed and will want to switch sides. Explain that they made their choice and can‘t switch to the other side. Further explain that this is what life would be like if Christ had not atoned for our sins. We would be stuck in the misery of our wrong choices, with no hope of enjoying happiness again. Fortunately Christ‘s atonement provided a way for us to cross back over to happiness again.

Explain that the line is like a pit and, then share how Christ‘s atonement is like a bridge. Allow the children to cross the bridge to the side of happiness. Share the treats with everyone as you encourage the children to appreciate the sacrifice that was made by Christ so that we could have a way to return to our Heavenly Father again.

 For those who are ready to learn more, you can explain the difference between spiritual and physical death and what the resurrection and the atonement mean to us as individuals. The main purpose here is to convey Christ‘s great love for us and His desire for us to be happy and return to live with Him again someday.

VIDEOS: 

Matthew 27:  Jesus is Condemned Before Pilate  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rs-nHYYmors


Matthew 27:  Jesus is Scourged and Crucified  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlALmOx8Sk0


Matthew 27:  Jesus is Buried in the Tomb  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPfC9kSPP_Q


QUOTE: 

"If we are to have unity, there are commandments we must keep concerning how we feel. We must forgive and bear no malice toward those who offend us. The Savior set the example from the cross: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). We do not know the hearts of those who offend us. Nor do we know all the sources of our own anger and hurt. The Apostle Paul was telling us how to love in a world of imperfect people, including ourselves, when he said, “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil” (1 Cor. 13:4–5). And then he gave solemn warning against reacting to the fault of others and forgetting our own when he wrote, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as I am known”"  Henry B. Eyring, "That We May Be One," April 1998

 

HAVE FUN LEARNING THE GOSPEL TOGETHER!!!

Come Follow Me Teaching Ideas for June 12-18, 2023 {Luke 22; John 18}

 This blogpost features some learning resources to complement the Come Follow Me reading for June 12-18, 2023.    Click here for an index and links to my CFM blogposts for other weeks.

 PRINTABLE ACTIVITY PAGE:  This activity page is geared for kids 8+, but has the coloring section that's good for all ages.   Print them double sided and get an easy 1/2 sheet activity page that's perfect for handing out in sacrament meeting or for using as an attention activity in your classrooms and families.  

 
OBJECT LESSON ABOUT TRUSTING GOD (AND HIS WILL): This cute and easy object lesson would make for a great launching point for a discussion about trusting God, which I believe is a fundamental part of "Not my will, but thine...." {Luke 22:42} I'd love to hear how it goes if you try it with your class or family.  :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmXpgqxr4VM 

VIDEOS:  Luke 22:  Jesus Warns Peter and Offers the Intercessory Prayer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yL5jobrN3ck




I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus:  Music Video by Emily Brown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIAMDF81w8k

QUOTES: 

"Whatever questions or problems you have, the answer is always found in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Learn more about His Atonement, His love, His mercy, His doctrine, and His restored gospel of healing and progression. Turn to Him! Follow Him!" Russell M. Nelson, "The Answer is Always Jesus Christ," April 2023

"The essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ entails a fundamental and permanent change in our very nature made possible through the Savior’s Atonement. True conversion brings a change in one’s beliefs, heart, and life to accept and conform to the will of God and includes a conscious commitment to become a disciple of Christ."  David A. Bednar,  "Converted Unto the Lord," October 2012


“If I could spiritually stretch enough to draw the Savior’s power into my life, I would know how to handle my heart-wrenching situation. I would know what to do. And I would have the power to do it.” When you reach up for the Lord’s power in your life with the same intensity that a drowning person has when grasping and gasping for air, power from Jesus Christ will be yours. When the Savior knows you truly want to reach up to Him—when He can feel that the greatest desire of your heart is to draw His power into your life—you will be led by the Holy Ghost to know exactly what you should do.21 When you spiritually stretch beyond anything you have ever done before, then His power will flow into you." Russell M. Nelson, "Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives," April 2017


Enjoy learning the gospel together!  💗

CFM for June 5-11, 2023 {John 14-17}

 This blogpost features some learning resources to complement the Come Follow Me reading for June 5-11, 2023.    Click here for an index and links to my CFM blogposts for other weeks.

 PRINTABLE ACTIVITY PAGE:  This sheet is meant to be printed double-sided.  They are perfect for handing out with the sacrament programs each week, or as a discussion starter for your church classes or family lessons. The activities are generally geared for kids 8+, but the coloring pages are for all ages.  My teens/husband always want their own when there's a word search (like this week)! 

 
TEACHING IDEA:  Shave Me Some of that Love:  God's Love
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDl4zTstn6s
This video has a fun, hands-on way to teach about God's love!   Maybe start off with having the kids count the number of times they see the word "LOVE" on a page in the reading, then read John 15:10 and talk about abiding in His love (quote in the quote section below).    Read through the comments of the video for how to adapt the shaving cream activity to a classroom setting.  I like the idea of giving each child a cup (make sure it's a good size for filling several of) and refer back to abiding in His love and talk about how much love God has as you fill each cup.    Emphasize that He loves us all and in John 15:12 He asks us to love one another as He loves us. 


QUOTE: 
To abide in God’s love in this sense means to submit fully to His will. It means to accept His correction when needed, “for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth.” It means to love and serve one another as Jesus has loved and served us. It means to learn “to abide the law of a celestial kingdom” so that we can “abide a celestial glory.” For Him to be able to make of us what we can become, our Heavenly Father pleads with us to yield “to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and [put] off the natural man and [become] a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and [become] as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.”  D. Todd Christofferson, "Abide In My Love," October 2016

"Righteousness is a broad, comprehensive term but most certainly includes living God’s commandments.  It qualifies us for the sacred ordinances that constitute the covenant path and blesses us to have the Spirit give direction to our lives. 

Being righteous is not dependent on each of us having every blessing in our lives at this time. We may not be married or blessed with children or have other desired blessings now. But the Lord has promised that the righteous who are faithful “may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness.”  Unity is also a broad, comprehensive term but most certainly exemplifies the first and second great commandments to love God and love our fellowmen.  It denotes a Zion people whose hearts and minds are “knit together in unity.”"  Quentin L. Cook, "Hearts Knit Together in Righteousness and Unity," October 2020

VIDEO:   God Loves His Children:  Now You Know   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2ExYfqXBx0


God's Love (Song)  by Shawna Edwards  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4rZcN8dQpE

Enjoy learning the gospel together!  

CFM for May 29 - June 4, 2023 Teaching Resources {Matthew 26; Mark 14; John 13}

 This blogpost features some learning resources to complement the Come Follow Me reading for May 29-June 4, 2023.    Click here for an index and links to my CFM blogposts for other weeks.


PRINTABLE ACTIVITY PAGE :  I create these activity pages to go along with the CFM reading each week.  They're best printed double-sided, so you get two to a page.  They're perfect for handing out along with the programs in sacrament meeting or as an attention activity in your classes or families.   The activities are geared for older kids (8+), but the coloring sheet is for all ages.  


TEACHING IDEA:  This video has lots of good ideas for talking about the Last Supper.  I love the idea of letting the kids eat a Last Supper (with the unleavened bread) and talking about the symbolism and the story of what happened and relating it to the partaking of the sacrament today.  I also love the idea of playing the song, "Gethsemane," as part of the lesson and brainstorming ways that they can remember Jesus when they take the sacrament.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE4vP2gdGeo



QUOTE:

"My beloved friends...ask yourselves, “Where is my treasure?”

Is your heart set on the convenient things of this world, or is it focused on the teachings of the diligent Jesus Christ? “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

Does the Spirit of God dwell in your hearts? Are you “rooted and grounded” in the love of God and of your fellowmen? Do you devote sufficient time and creativity to bringing happiness to your marriage and family? Do you give your energies to the sublime goal of comprehending and living “the breadth, and length, and depth, and height”  of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ? Brethren, if it is your great desire to cultivate Christlike attributes of “faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, [and service],” Heavenly Father will make you an instrument in His hands unto the salvation of many souls."  Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Lord, Is It I?", October 2014

VIDEOS:  

John 13:  The Last Supper   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=997ni1xcmKw



What was the significance of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples?   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L11aniUYocw    This video is not written from an LDS perspective, however it is full of great information about the significance of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples.  I recommend previewing it first before showing it to a class or family. 


Enjoy learning the gospel together!  💗

CFM for May 22-28, 2023 {JST Matthew 1; Matthew 24-25; Mark 12-13; Luke 21}

 Hello!   This blogpost is filled with resources that will complement  the Come, Follow Me reading for May 22-28, 2023!  

Click here to see an index of all my CFM posts: 

PRINTABLE ACTIVITY SHEET: This 1/2 page activity sheet is geared for kids ages 8-14, though younger kids often enjoy the coloring pages and older kids/adults often enjoy the learning activities.   They're great for reviewing or introducing gospel topics found in the reading.  I hand them out along with the sacrament programs in our ward.  Others use them in their church classrooms and still others use them to reinforce learning at home.  They're best printed double-sided.

TEACHING IDEAS:

The activity at the end of this lesson would be great: http://thegoldenseven.blogspot.com/2012/09/yw-manual-1-lesson-29-second-coming.html?m=0

 The following  FHE lesson has some activities and a game that would be great for teaching about preparing for the Second Coming of Christ. 


QUOTES: 
"Spiritual security will always depend upon how one lives, not where one lives. I promise that if we will do our best to exercise faith in Jesus Christ and access the power of His Atonement through repentance, we will have the knowledge and power of God to help us take the blessings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people and to prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord."  Russell M Nelson, "The Future of the Church:  Preparing the World for the Savior's Second Coming," April 2020

"If we would do those things then, why not now? Why not seek peace while peace can be obtained? If our lamps of preparation are drawn down, let us start immediately to replenish them.

We need to make both temporal and spiritual preparation for the events prophesied at the time of the Second Coming. And the preparation most likely to be neglected is the one less visible and more difficult—the spiritual. A 72-hour kit of temporal supplies may prove valuable for earthly challenges, but, as the foolish virgins learned to their sorrow, a 24-hour kit of spiritual preparation is of greater and more enduring value."  Dallin H. Oaks, "Preparation for the Second Coming," April 2004


VIDEOS:

 The Parable of the Ten Virgins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwCavwlkp0A

The Widow's Mite
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1G-aZIempw



Time is Running Out:  Recent Prophetic Teachings on the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPRkwSEcBuA

 The Parable of the Talents
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Havcr-2Kx30

Enjoy learning the gospel together!  

 

 

Come Follow Me Teaching Tools for May 15-21, 2023 {Matthew 21-23; Mark 11; Luke 19-20; John 12}

Hello and welcome to my blog--a place dedicated to learning about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I create these blogposts each week as a resource for people to find some teaching tools that complement the Come, Follow Me reading.   This week is all about humility and love! 

Click here to see an index of all my CFM posts: 

PRINTABLE ACTIVITY SHEET:  This 1/2 page activity sheet is geared for kids ages 8-14, though younger kids often enjoy the coloring pages and older kids/adults often enjoy the learning activities.   They're great for reviewing or introducing gospel topics found in the reading.  I hand them out along with the sacrament programs in our ward.  Others use them in their church classrooms and still others use them to facilitate learning at home.  They're best printed double-sided. :)

HANDS-ON TEACHING IDEA:  This video has a great object lesson using marshmallows in a microwave to talk about pride.  I would recommend watching the video for the idea, then implementing it yourself, because hands-on learning is always so much better.  I especially love the acronym (J.O.Y.) they introduce in the video and it would make for a great launch to talk about the humility of the woman who washes Jesus' feet.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwEifwQ0l7A&t=267s



QUOTE:

"The Savior was understanding and compassionate with sinners whose hearts were humble and sincere. But He rose up in righteous anger against hypocrites like the scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees—those who tried to appear righteous in order to win the praise, influence, and wealth of the world, all the while oppressing the people they should have been blessing. The Savior compared them to “whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.”...

Why does this happen? Why do we sometimes try to appear active, prosperous, and dedicated outwardly when on the inside—as the Revelator said of the Ephesians—we have “left [our] first love”?

In some cases, we may simply have lost our focus on the essence of the gospel, mistaking the “form of godliness” for the “power thereof.” This is especially dangerous when we direct our outward expressions of discipleship to impress others for personal gain or influence. It is then that we are at risk of entering into Pharisee territory, and it is high time to examine our hearts to make immediate course corrections."  Dieter Uchtdorf, "On Being Genuine," April 2015

VIDEOS:  

Matthew 21: Jesus' Authority is Questioned  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZI8JWMNyEN0&list=PL4A73DDEE675FBC39&index=36


Matthew 21:  The Lord's Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdUw_E-tGjE


Enjoy learning the gospel together!