This blogpost features some resources and ideas to complement the Come
Follow Me (CFM) reading for August 7-13, 2023. Click here for an index and links to my CFM blogposts for other weeks.
(Can I ask a favor please? If you use these activity sheets or
teaching ideas, PLEASE leave a comment and let me know. I spend a lot
of time pulling these together and I'm trying to determine if they're
worth my time continuing forward. )
PRINTABLE ACTIVITY SHEET: This activity sheet is designed to be printed two to a page (double-sided). They're perfect for handing out along with the sacrament programs, as a review activity, or as a discussion starter in your classes or families. In any case, hopefully they help you to have a little more fun as you learn the gospel together!
OBJECT LESSON:
Read and familiarize yourself with Romans 5:20-21
Quick definitions: mercy = not getting what you deserve
grace= getting what you don't deserve
ITEMS NEEDED:
1. a treat to share with the whole class/family {TO SHOW GRACE}
2. a threatened "punishment" that you'll never actually use (marshmallows you'll throw at them / a glass of water you'll toss their way / you'll get to take each of one of their shoes, etc) {TO SHOW MERCY}
Start off by talking a little about Romans 5:20-21 and what they think that scripture means. Then show them the "prize" and tell them about the "punishment". Now give them an impossible task (like guessing what number you're thinking of from 1-1000, or reciting all the books in the New Testament in under 10 seconds, or whatever). Emphasize that they'll only get the prize if they complete the task you've given them, and if they don't, then they will receive the punishment. After they fail at the task, lead into your discussion about how Christ died for our sins. When you've gotten your discussion to a good place, tell them that they do not have to receive the punishment (though they deserve it for not completing the task), because you are showing them MERCY (like Christ shows us MERCY and does not punish us with eternal damnation when we make mistakes). Then offer the treats/prize and remind them that now they are receiving GRACE, because they are receiving something they don't deserve, because they did not complete the task.
Wrap this up as you testify of Christ.
QUOTE(S):
"There should never be just two options: perfection or giving up. When learning the piano, are the only options performing at Carnegie Hall or quitting? No. Growth and development take time. Learning takes time. When we understand grace, we understand that God is long-suffering, that change is a process, and that repentance is a pattern in our lives. When we understand grace, we understand that the blessings of Christ’s Atonement are continuous and His strength is perfect in our weakness. When we understand grace, we can, as it says in the Doctrine and Covenants, “continue in patience until [we] are perfected”.
Grace is not a booster engine that kicks in once our fuel supply is exhausted. Rather, it is our constant energy source. It is not the light at the end of the tunnel but the light that moves us through the tunnel. Grace is not achieved somewhere down the road. It is received right here and right now." Brad Wilcox, "His Grace is Sufficient," September 2013
"The prophet Nephi made an important contribution to our understanding of God’s grace when he declared, “We labor diligently … to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.”31
However, I wonder if sometimes we misinterpret the phrase “after all we can do.” We must understand that “after” does not equal “because.”
We are not saved “because” of all that we can do. Have any of us done all that we can do? Does God wait until we’ve expended every effort before He will intervene in our lives with His saving grace?
Many people feel discouraged because they constantly fall short. They know firsthand that “the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” They raise their voices with Nephi in proclaiming, “My soul grieveth because of mine iniquities.”
I am certain Nephi knew that the Savior’s grace allows and enables us to overcome sin. This is why Nephi labored so diligently to persuade his children and brethren “to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God.” After all, that is what we can do! And that is our task in mortality!" Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "The Gift of Grace," April 2015
VIDEOS:
The Perfect Lie (I LOVE this video--it was a perspective changer for me) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIQFLbvuWXc
Where Justice, Love, and Mercy Meet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Znzx2HXY8fo
Let God Guide You: From Weakness to Strength https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_aWbWnmytY
HAVE FUN LEARNING THE GOSPEL TOGETHER!!!!
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