Come Follow Me, Teaching Ideas and Resources for July 24-30, 2023 {Acts 16-21}

This blogpost features some  resources and ideas to complement the Come Follow Me (CFM) reading for July 24-30, 2023.    Click here for an index and links to my CFM blogposts for other weeks.

PRINTABLE ACTIVITY SHEET:    These 1/2 page activity sheets are perfect for handing out with the sacrament programs or as a review or discussion starter in your classes or families.  They're designed for ages 8-14, but all ages can do the coloring page and older teens and adults often enjoy the activity portion as well.  


TEACHING IDEA:   This FHE Lesson I shared several years ago has some ideas for discussion and teaching the concept of our divine natures.

QUOTE(S):  
"Why was God willing to let His Son serve as a sacrifice? Why did He send us here to be proven and tried? Because, as taught in an equally beautiful truth, “the worth of souls is great in the sight of God” (Doctrine and Covenants 18:10).   Why are we of such great value to Him? Naturally, because we are His children, He loves us. But in the next several verses, He describes the great gift given to each of us because of His love for us—His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ. He sent His Son to suffer “death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him. And he hath risen again from the dead, that he might bring all men unto him, on conditions of repentance” (Doctrine and Covenants 18:11–12). He tells us, “This is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39)."   Jan E. Newman, "The Worth of Each Soul," February 2021


“Understand that it’s not your job to convert people. That is the role of the Holy Ghost. Your role is to share what is in your heart and live consistent with your beliefs.  So, don’t be discouraged if someone does not accept the gospel message immediately. It is not a personal failure.  That is between the individual and Heavenly Father.  Yours is to love God and love your neighbors, His children.  Believe, love, do.  Follow this path, and God will work miracles through you to bless His precious children.” Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Missionary Work: Sharing What is In Your Heart,"  April 2019

"No idea has been more destructive of happiness, no philosophy has produced more sorrow, more heartbreak and mischief; no idea has done more to destroy the family than the idea that we are not the offspring of God..."  Boyd K. Packer, "Our Moral Environment," April 1992


VIDEOS:  
Acts 17:  We are the Offspring of God
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCLuPk7ZKVg&list=PL4A73DDEE675FBC39&index=94


I Am a Child of God
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOrcqqpHCt8

 

HAVE FUN LEARNING THE GOSPEL TOGETHER!!!!

CFM Resources and Teaching Ideas for July 17-23, 2023 {Acts 10-15}

This blogpost features some  resources and ideas to complement the Come Follow Me (CFM) reading for July 17-23, 2023.    Click here for an index and links to my CFM blogposts for other weeks.

PRINTABLE ACTIVITY SHEET:
These 1/2 page activity sheets are geared for kids 8-14 years old, but the coloring pages are for all and many older teens and adults enjoy the activities (especially when there's a word search like this week).  They're perfect for handing out with the sacrament programs on Sunday, or as a review/discussion starter in your families and classes.    The word search and fill in the blank activity is original; the artwork is from the church website.   


TEACHING IDEA:   
Need:  lengths of yarn and at least one volunteer  (sticks can be used in place of yarn if desired)

  It was a foreign concept when Peter received the revelation to teach the gospel to the Gentiles, as well as the Jews.  This simple object lesson will illustrate how we are stronger together.

Have two people take hold on opposite ends of a single strand of yarn and break it.  Then put several strands together (ideally in different colors/thicknesses) and then have two people take a hold on the opposite ends and try to break it.  It should be impossible (or at least much harder) to break now. 

Use this demonstration as a discussion starter about how the Gospel is for all.  We may look different, or speak different languages, or have different abilities, or whatever, but Christ died for us all and when we love and include others in the Gospel, we are all stronger and better for it. 

"Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:  But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him."  Acts 10:34-35

QUOTE(S):  

"Anyone can choose to come unto Jesus Christ, make covenants with Heavenly Father, and follow in Their ways. And this truth should guide how we share the Lord’s gospel and His love.

We can’t just look at someone’s outward characteristics and think they’re not the “type” for the gospel. We can’t just apply worldly labels to people and think those labels disqualify them from being included at church. We can’t just decide not to serve someone simply because they have different political opinions, hobbies, or tastes from ours.

God doesn’t see a person as a collection of labels representing various groups or attributes. He sees an individual—His child. And that’s how we should see each person—as a unique individual with an equal chance and ability to come unto God."  "Gather--Don't Scatter," David Edwards, Church Magazines, July 2023

"For Latter-day Saints, being a Christian means being a disciple of Jesus Christ, loving and worshiping Him above all. It means prizing Christ and centering one’s life on His teachings from the New Testament. It means striving to live the kind of life that Christ commanded, honoring Him in word and deed. This is the meaning of a Christian, and there is no doubt that Latter-day Saints — who pattern their lives after all of these things — belong to Christ’s fold."  "Christianity: Following Jesus in Word and Deed," Mormon Newsroom, November 2011


VIDEOS:  
I'll Walk With You--A Song To Teach Inclusion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fK7NaQDtcOg


Acts 10:  Peter Teaches the Gentiles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeEUuzU9MQg&list=PL4A73DDEE675FBC39&index=41


Acts 15:  The Jerusalem Conference
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3X-ZTxhpyE&list=PL4A73DDEE675FBC39&index=93

Acts 10:  Peter Visits Cornelius/Bible Story/Life Kids (told in Lego figurines)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Kx_ioknMSA

ARE "MORMONS" CHRISTIANS?  This article addresses this question from a faithful perspective.  I highly recommend reading it--especially for those who are faced with the question from those who believe that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are not Christians.  This video also addresses this question.

HAVE FUN LEARNING THE GOSPEL TOGETHER!!!!

CFM Teaching Ideas and Printable Activity Sheet for July 10-16, 2023 {Acts 6-9}

This blogpost features some  resources and ideas to complement the Come Follow Me (CFM) reading for July 10-16, 2023.    Click here for an index and links to my CFM blogposts for other weeks.

PRINTABLE ACTIVITY SHEET: 
These printable activity sheets are meant to be printed 2 to a page and are especially meant for kids ages 8-14, though the coloring pages are for all ages and many older teens/adults also enjoy the activities.  Hand them out with your sacrament programs or use them as a discussion starter in your families/classes.      


TEACHING IDEA:   
PREPARE:  Familiarize yourself with the story of Saul's conversion. (this link is a good overview)
NEED: Brownie or cake mix + ingredients to make them (if you're making them for a class, you may want to have some already baked for them to eat.) 

Have the ingredients/finished product hidden when you start the discussion.  Start off by talking about how good the cake/brownies look on the front of the box.  Then open the box and pull out the bag of the powdered mix and talk about how what's inside the box doesn't look much like the picture on the outside. 

Then talk about how they need to be transformed in order to be what is shown on the box.   If you have time, go ahead and make the brownies/cake together....talking as you add each ingredient and how by itself it doesn't look like much, but together they transform the brownies/cake into the best version of themselves.

Now relate it to the story of Saul.   Saul starts off like that powdered mix.   He's not his best self yet.   He's sinning and persecuting Christians before he is transformed by his encounter with Christ.    Christ adds "ingredients" to Saul's life --like love, mercy, and forgiveness--that help him to be totally transformed.   Christ can do that in our lives as well.   He takes us as we are and helps us to be the best version of ourselves that we can be.  

QUOTE(S):   

"Often, the answer to our prayer does not come while we’re on our knees but while we’re on our feet serving the Lord and serving those around us. Selfless acts of service and consecration refine our spirits, remove the scales from our spiritual eyes, and open the windows of heaven. By becoming the answer to someone’s prayer, we often find the answer to our own." 
"Waiting on the Road to Damascus,"  Dieter Uchtdorf,  April 2011

"God is full of grace, love, quiet courage, soft promptings, whisperings, beauty, and strength. I think He prefers to let us grow gradually, building a strong foundation and sparing us some of the agonies that comes from suddenly being thrust into the presence of the divine. That doesn't mean that we won't have pain or He won't intervene from time to time. But the small and simple things manifest God's love as much as the big, dramatic, and glorious.

Another tidbit of knowledge I learned that day in Sunday School and in the years since is that, as a culture and as human beings in general, we enjoy flashy, dramatic stories that gloss over the inglorious details. How many times had I read about Paul and Alma and so many others without truly registering the amount of pain and fear involved in their experience or the growth and repentance that came after?We want the incomprehensible joy that Alma felt and the infamy that Paul attained without experiencing the suffering and work in between."

 "One Beautiful Aspect of Paul's Conversion I Overlooked for 20+ Years," Danielle Wagner, LDS Living, July 2019

 
VIDEOS:  
Saul of Tarsus:  Animated New Testament Bible Stories  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnMMOP5Is_Q


Stephen Testifies and is Martyred  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye6T7sGvAtA




TALK TO REVIEW: 
This talk would be excellent to read and familiarize yourself with before teaching a lesson on this week's material:   Waiting on the Road to Damascus, Dieter Uchtdorf,  April 2011

HAVE FUN LEARNING THE GOSPEL TOGETHER!!!!  😁

CFM Teaching Ideas for July 3-9, 2023 {Acts 1-5}

 This blogpost features some  resources and ideas to complement the Come Follow Me (CFM) reading for July 3-9, 2023.    Click here for an index and links to my CFM blogposts for other weeks.

PRINTABLE ACTIVITY SHEET:  These activity sheets are designed to print 2 to a page.  They're perfect for kids ages 8-14, though the coloring pages are for all ages and  many adults like the activities as well.  We hand them out with the sacrament programs in our ward; many others use them as  a review or discussion starter in their families and classrooms. 
   


TEACHING IDEA ABOUT THE HOLY GHOST:   
Plastic Plate Demonstration (need scriptures, plates/pans, post-it notes or small pieces of paper,  and spoons):

Have one person (a good reader) wearing a sign saying "Holy Ghost" and being prepared to read Moroni 10:5 very softly several times over.  

Have one person stand up next to the "Holy Ghost" while the reader very softly reads Moroni 10:5.  
Ask the other person if they were able to hear the promptings of the Spirit.   Of course they should have been able to, since the room was quiet and they were standing next to each other. 

Next, have another person come forward and stand in between the first two people. Give the person a  plastic plate/pan with a spoon and discuss what some things in our lives that can make it harder to hear the Holy Ghost.   {Some possible examples:   spending too much time on video games, being too tied to your phone, sinning, listening to bad music, being so busy that you never have time to read your scriptures, whatever you think could be distracting your class/family, etc}  Have them pick one, write it on the post-it note and attach it to the plate/pan.  

Then have them repeatedly bang the plate while the "Holy Ghost" softly reads the scripture again. Was it harder to hear the promptings this time?   Repeat this process, each time discussing and labeling a plate/pan with another distraction, and having the new person bang the plate while the "Holy Ghost" continues softly reading the scripture  until all the people in your family/class are a part of the demonstration. The first person and the person representing the Holy Ghost should be far apart by the end, with plate banging people in between them. It should be almost impossible to hear the scripture being read. Explain that distractions (bad things and daily distractions that pull us away from Christ) can make it hard to hear the still, small voice. Even though the Spirit is trying to communicate with us, we cannot hear him.

Discuss what you can do to minimize the distractions and to be more in tune to hearing the still small voice of the Spirit.  


QUOTE(S):  

"Too many of us are like those whom the Lord said “[came] with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, … [and] at the time of their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not.”

Imagine that: “And they knew it not.” It is not unusual for one to have received the gift and not really know it.

I fear this supernal gift is being obscured by programs and activities and schedules and so many meetings. There are so many places to go, so many things to do in this noisy world. We can be too busy to pay attention to the promptings of the Spirit.

The voice of the Spirit is a still, small voice—a voice that is felt rather than heard. It is a spiritual voice that comes into the mind as a thought put into your heart.

All over the world ordinary men, women, and children, not completely aware that they have the gift, bless their families, teach, preach, and minister by the Spirit within them."   Boyd K. Packer, "The Cloven Tongues of Fire," May 2000


"The comforting Spirit of the Holy Ghost can abide with us twenty-four hours a day: when we work, when we play, when we rest. Its strengthening influence can be with us year in and year out. That sustaining influence can be with us in joy and sorrow, when we rejoice as well as when we grieve.

I believe the Spirit of the Holy Ghost is the greatest guarantor of inward peace in our unstable world. It can be more mind-expanding and can make us have a better sense of well-being than any chemical or other earthly substance. It will calm nerves; it will breathe peace to our souls. This Comforter can be with us as we seek to improve. It can function as a source of revelation to warn us of impending danger and also help keep us from making mistakes. It can enhance our natural senses so that we can see more clearly, hear more keenly, and remember what we should remember. It is a way of maximizing our happiness."  James E Faust, "The Gift of the Holy Ghost--A Sure Compass," April 1989

VIDEOS:  

Acts 3:  Peter Preaches and Is Arrested  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yU3Hqpc8AYE


Acts 3: Peter and John Heal a Crippled Man     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AT7cnOkGcBQ


Acts 5:  Peter and John Continue Teaching the Gospel   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrOmq3otiBo




HAVE FUN LEARNING THE GOSPEL TOGETHER!!!!

CFM Teaching Ideas and Resources for June 26 - July 2, 2023 {Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20-21}

 Below you will find teaching ideas and resources to go along with the Come, Follow Me reading for June 26-July 2, 2023!   Click here for an index and links to my CFM blogposts for other weeks.

PRINTABLE ACTIVITY SHEET:

These 1/2 page activity sheets are perfect for handing out with the sacrament programs, to use an attention activity for a class, or to spark a discussion in your family.  They're geared for kids ages 8+, but the coloring sheets are for all ages and  teens/adults often enjoy the activities as well.   

    


TEACHING IDEA:   

I love using this simple scientific/spiritual analogy when talking about the atonement.   

OBJECT LESSON:  
This link contains a powerful object lesson for illustrating the power of the atonement. 

QUOTE(S):   

"I suspect that many Church members are much more familiar with the nature of the redeeming and cleansing power of the Atonement than they are with the strengthening and enabling power. It is one thing to know that Jesus Christ came to earth to die for us—that is fundamental and foundational to the doctrine of Christ. But we also need to appreciate that the Lord desires, through His Atonement and by the power of the Holy Ghost, to live in us—not only to direct us but also to empower us...

The gospel of the Savior is not simply about avoiding bad in our lives; it also is essentially about doing and becoming good. And the Atonement provides help for us to overcome and avoid bad and to do and become good. Help from the Savior is available for the entire journey of mortality—from bad to good to better and to change our very nature." Elder David A Bednar

“It is through the grace of the Lord Jesus, made possible by his atoning sacrifice, that mankind will be raised in immortality, every person receiving his body from the grave in a condition of everlasting life. It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means. This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts.” Bible Dictionary


VIDEOS:  
 

What Happens When I Die?     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwg3GTGnmIE 



John 20:  Jesus is Resurrected https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlKetn7ZiNU


John 20: He Is Risen  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAuaSpJ7zGs&t=14s


HAVE FUN LEARNING THE GOSPEL TOGETHER!!!!