NEW TESTAMENT: CFM Teaching Ideas for August 14-20, 2023 {Romans 7-16}

This blogpost features some  resources and ideas to complement the Come Follow Me (CFM) reading for August 14-20, 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:    These printable activity sheets are designed to be printed 2 to a page (double-sided).  They make for good reviews or discussion starters in your classes or families.  In our ward, they are handed out with the sacrament programs and many kids, teens, and even adults enjoy them.  

TEACHING IDEA: 

This video is a little cheesy, but I feel like it does a great job at teaching about what discipleship actually is {Romans 12-16}.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2s4KuhrSZY

 IDEA #2 (directly taken from the Don't Miss This podcast--start at 29:31): 
Romans 16 is Paul telling different people what he loves and respects about them.  After reading some of these scriptures, go around your family or class, person by person, and tell them something good you see in them.  I imagine it would be a very memorable and meaningful experience and a great way to tie the scriptures to their real lives.  

QUOTE(S):   

“The pain of sacrifice lasts only one moment. It is the fear of the pain of sacrifice that makes you hesitate to do it. Be grateful for every opportunity to serve. It helps you more than those you serve...Finally, when you are compelled to give up something or when things that are dear to you are withdrawn from you, know that this is your lesson to be learned right now. But also know that while you are learning this lesson, God wants to give you something better.”  Enzio Busche, "Unleashing the Dormant Spirit," 1996

“The day is gone when you can be a quiet and comfortable Christian. Your religion is not just about showing up for church on Sunday. It is about showing up as a true disciple from Sunday morning through Saturday night. … There is no such thing as a ‘part-time’ disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Russell M. Nelson, "BYU Commencement Address," 2014

VIDEOS:  
The Goal:  A Story of Faith, Friendship, and Forgiveness   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aBU-wSjuPQ



Nearer My God to Thee  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKsr49csFYk



HAVE FUN LEARNING THE GOSPEL TOGETHER!!!!

 

NEW TESTAMENT: CFM Teaching Ideas for July 31 - August 6, 2023 {Acts 22-28}

This blogpost features some  resources and ideas to complement the Come Follow Me (CFM) reading for July 31-August 6, 2023, which include Paul beginning his ministry.    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. )

PRINTABLE ACTIVITY SHEET: 
  I create these activity pages to be a discussion starter or review for the CFM reading each week.  They can be used in classrooms, as a supplement to be handed out with the sacrament programs, or in your families.    They print two to a page (double-sided) and are meant to make learning the gospel together a little more fun.   Word searches (like in this week's activity sheet) are always a favorite in my ward, and adults and teens will often seek them out. 

FUN TEACHING IDEA:   
Villains to Heroes / Repentance Activity:  

NEED:  post-it notes with different villains from  pop-culture listed on each one, tape
Some examples of possible villains to use {make sure to use villains your age group should be familiar with}:   Ursula (from Little Mermaid), Darth Vader (from Star Wars), Scar (from Lion King), Wicked Stepmother (from Cinderella), Thanos (from Marvel), Voldemort (from Harry Potter), Hans (from Frozen), Gaston (from Beauty and the Beast)

HOW TO TEACH:  tape a post-it note with a villain on everyone's back.  Give them 3ish minutes to go around and ask questions of the other students and see if they can guess the villain.

After all the villains have been guessed, pick a couple of the people and ask them to tell  a very quick alternate ending to the story of their villain if they had learned of Christ,repented, and  experienced the same kind of change of heart that Paul had.  For example, Ursula would have felt compassion on all the mermaids she'd hurt, restored them to their families, and gone around helping mermaids the rest of her life.   Have fun with it.  

After a couple minutes of this, make sure to bring the focus back to Paul and the remarkable changes he'd made.  He really had been a villain to the Christians, but because of his repentance and relationship with Christ, he was able to become a hero instead.    Make sure to emphasize that it's through Christ that we can repent and have second and third and fourth and so on chances when we make mistakes.   Repentance is a beautiful gift.

QUOTE:   

"The truth is, those who diligently seek to learn of Christ eventually will come to know Him. They will personally receive a divine portrait of the Master, although it most often comes in the form of a puzzle—one piece at a time. Each individual piece may not be easily recognizable by itself; it may not be clear how it relates to the whole. Each piece helps us to see the big picture a little more clearly. Eventually, after enough pieces have been put together, we recognize the grand beauty of it all. Then, looking back on our experience, we see that the Savior had indeed come to be with us—not all at once but quietly, gently, almost unnoticed.  This can be our experience if we move forward with faith and do not wait too long on the road to Damascus."  Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Waiting on the Road to Damascus," April 2011

VIDEOS:  

Repentance:  A Joyful Choice   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvrVP95BnUk
 

 Acts 22:  The Road to Damascus:  Paul Takes His Journey  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPlez-rwhKY

Paul A Chosen Vessel:  https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2012-06-1980-paul-a-chosen-vessel?lang=eng

Waiting On Our Road to Damascus  https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2012-01-0003-waiting-on-our-road-to-damascus?lang=eng

HAVE FUN LEARNING THE GOSPEL TOGETHER!!!!

NEW TESTAMENT: 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!!!!  😁

Come Follow Me Crossword Puzzle and Coloring Page for Hebrews 7-13 (Nov 17, 2019)

Hebrews 11 has got to be one of the most powerful chapters in all of the scriptures about faith.  Verse 1 is the very definition of faith as we've heard it most of our lives.  This week's activity is focusing on those "Faith Heroes" that are spotlighted in chapter 11.   I hope you feel inspired as you read more about them and think of who you would add to that list of Faith Heroes.   The older I get the more I realize how deliberate faith is.  It's not just about keeping the commandments, but about making time for Christ in the midst of our daily distractions and busyness.   And I believe  we live in a more distracted age than any other on earth.   I also believe that this is why "Come, Follow Me" for individuals and families has come along when it has.  It's like a guide for deepening our faith.  


 Hope your family/classes are enjoying these Come, Follow Me activity sheets.  They make for a great quiet activity in sacrament meeting or as a discussion starter for older kids in your family or class.    Have a great week! 

“Because of the conflicts and challenges we face in today’s world, I wish to suggest a single choice—a choice of peace and protection and a choice that is appropriate for all. That choice is faith. Be aware that faith is not a free gift given without thought, desire, or effort. It does not come as the dew falls from heaven. The Savior said, “Come unto me” (Matthew 11:28) and “Knock, and it shall be [given] you” (Matthew 7:7). These are action verbs—come, knock. They are choices. So I say, choose faith. Choose faith over doubt, choose faith over fear, choose faith over the unknown and the unseen, and choose faith over pessimism.” Richard C. Edgley (Faith: The Choice is Yours) 

Come Follow Me Word Search and Coloring Page for Hebrews 1-6 -- November 10, 2019

 "Let us come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy
and find grace to help in time of need."
Hebrews 4:16

Don't you just love those words...come boldly and find grace and mercy?  Couldn't we all use a little more mercy and grace in our lives?    This week's reading is a little different in style than Paul's other writings, but it's still full of his testimony of Christ's love for each of us. 





I hope you have a wonderful week with a hope in Christ anchored deeply in your heart.

"Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast..."  
Hebrews 6:19

Come Follow Me Crossword Puzzle and Coloring Page for Timothy, Titus, and Philemon -- November 3, 2019

  It finally feels like fall outside and I am loving it, although I'm not quite sure I'm ready to start embracing the holidays that feel a lot more imminent now that the calendar has officially turned.  :)  

This week's Come, Follow Me reading is full of wisdom nuggets.  It almost feels like a half-time speech for life! 

"Be thou an example of the believers..."                     "Neglect not the gift that is in thee..."

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear..."                "Fight the good fight of faith..."

Can't you just hear God cheering us on, "YOU CAN DO IT!"   

I hope your kids or classes enjoy this light-hearted way to review or learn the reading for the week.   I'd love to hear how your families or classes are using them and as always feel free to send your feedback (good or bad) my way, so I can make them as usable as possible.   

Have a wonderful week!

Thessalonians Word Search and Coloring Page for Come Follow Me (10/27/19)

How do you use these activity sheets?   I think they're perfect as a quiet sacrament meeting activity or as a discussion sparker at home or in a classroom.   Since my kids are older, I'll have them call out when they find words and then we discuss them in more detail.  In a  class, I'll give them a few minutes to work on it, then go through them and use them as a discussion starting off point. 





Let me know how you use them.   Or if you have any suggestions.  

Have a great weekend!

Come Follow Me Crossword Puzzle and Coloring Page for Philippians and Colossians (10/20/19)

This week I tried my hand at making my own crossword puzzle.  You'll have to let me know how your kids/classes like it and whether the clues are understandable enough.   It was my first time making one, so I'm hoping I didn't make it too easy or too hard. 😬



  I love the vibrant colors and milder weather of this time of year. Hope  you are all able to get out and enjoy this autumn! 💓

Come, Follow Me Word Search and Coloring Page for Ephesians (Sept 30-Oct 13)

It's been a crazy couple of weeks, but here is an activity sheet for Ephesians.   Hope your families enjoy the word search as a fun way to review some of the concepts from this week's reading. 




Have a wonderful week!

Come Follow Me Maze and Coloring Page for Galatians (9/29/2019)

Another week, another activity page for "Come, Follow Me."  

These sheets are great as a review for that week's reading, as a quiet activity for sacrament meetings, or as a filler for a primary lesson. 



Hope your classes and families are enjoying these.

Have a great week!

"Come Follow Me" coloring page and word search for 2 Corithians 8-13

These pages are great for printing off and using as a Come, Follow Me review for the week.  Or as a quiet sacrament meeting activity.   Hope your families are enjoying these! 

"Come Follow Me" Coloring and Activity Page -2 Corinthians 1-7-- (September 8-14)

Here is this week's Come, Follow Me coloring and activity page....perfect for a quiet sacrament meeting activity or as a review sheet for the family.  This week's page is a little less specific to the chapters studied and more about Paul and his letters.  

 

As always, I welcome feedback.  

Have a great week! 

"Come Follow Me" Activity Page for 1 Corinthians 14-16 (September 8, 2019)

Here's the activity sheet to go along with this week's Come, Follow Me lesson.   Besides the coloring page, you'll find a simple activity about the degrees of glory and a little word game. 



Feel free to send requests or comments about the things you like/don't like about these sheets, so I can improve them. Based on the very low page views and lack of comments, I'm really feeling like there isn't really anyone out there enjoying or using these, so feedback at all would be hugely appreciated.  😊

Have a wonderful week!

Activity and Review Sheet for "Come, Follow Me" --1 Corinthians 8-13

Everyone raise their hand if you love word searches!   I keep hearing they're a favorite, so I make sure to throw one in a couple times a month.  There were even a few adults in my old ward that would pick these up when they saw the word search on it.  Sadly, I'm not very good at them, so I'm always last to find all the words in my family (and I'm the one who makes them....haha!).   

I love reading about charity.   I don't consider it a strength of mine yet, but I do feel like it's something I yearn to be better at and reading about it inspires me to do better.  I also love 1 Corinthians 10:13 and the feeling of hope I get when I read it. 

I hope you have a wonderful week. 

Activity and Review Sheet for "Come, Follow Me" --1 Corinthians 1-7

This week is a big week for our family--we are heading to Utah in a couple of days to drop Emma off at BYU and send my parents off on a mission to Paris!  I'm trying really hard not to think too hard about coming home to one fewer person in our house.  

This week's Come, Follow Me reading was filled with beautiful reminders that our bodies are a temple.  I think it's all too easy to forget what a gift our bodies are and that the Lord has set an excellent precedent for how to care for such an important gift.   I am inspired to do better and hope to help my kids develop an appreciation for what a gift their bodies are.  

Hugs to you!   Have a wonderful week!

Activity Sheet for Kids--"Come, Follow Me" (Romans 7-16)

  This week's Come, Follow Me reading was finishing up Paul's epistles to the Romans.  There's a ton of good stuff in there and the hardest part was narrowing down what to include in this review sheet.      




I hope your families/classes are enjoying these activity pages and if they are I'd love to hear about it.  Right now it feels like I'm blogging them out to a big wide void. 

Have a wonderful week! 

Come, Follow Me Activity Sheet for Kids (Romans 1-6)

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto
salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it
is written, The just shall live by faith." 

Romans 1:16-17

********************

I love these verses and the reminder they are to stand up and to not be afraid to "live by faith".   It's disheartening to see how loud the voices of the doubters have become in the world and I hope we can teach our children to embrace the peace and perspective that the gospel can bring us. 





Hope your families/classes enjoy this little review sheet!   😘


**********************

Activity Sheet for Kids--"Come, Follow Me" (Acts 22-28)

"And now I exhort you to be of good cheer..."  Acts 27:22

This week's "Come, Follow Me" reading is full of good meat to discuss.   For many years of my life I totally believed that if you only did what was right, your life would be blessed.   That is true, but not in the naive way I thought it was for so long.   Here was Paul who'd completely changed his life and dedicated it to sharing the gospel, and yet he still faced some really hard things.  Did God make the hard things disappear or not happen?  No, but he did lighten those burdens and give Paul the wisdom and the strength to face them.  It really is the story of my life.   The hard things happen, but in them we've found a beauty and depth to life that have helped us to become who we are.   Not that we'd ever want to repeat them or to wish them on anyone else, but now that they're woven into the fabric of who we are, I can look back on them with a sense gratitude. 





Hope your families/classes are enjoying these "Come, Follow Me" activity sheets!   I keep hearing that the word searches are a favorite, so I added one again this week.  :)



******

Activity Sheet for Kids for "Come, Follow Me" (Acts 16-21)

I guess I don't have very many people who look at this blog anymore, but since I'm making these activity sheets every week anyway, I guess I'll keep publishing them here.    Hopefully someone out there will enjoy using them in their families or classes.   



In the meantime, our family is moving to Pennsylvania this week!   We've lived here in the DC area for 20+ years, so this is a HUGE move for our family.    We are a little nervous, sad to be leaving somewhere where our roots run so deep, but also excited for a fresh start somewhere new.

I hope you all are enjoying  your summer!