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than those you serve...Finally, when you are compelled to give up something or when things that are dear to you are withdrawn from you, know that this is your lesson to be learned right now.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 August 7-13, 2023 {Romans 1-6}

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:

GRACE AND MERCY 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!!!!

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: 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!!!!

NEW TESTAMENT: 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!!!!