Come, Follow Me Printable Activity Sheet for Genesis 12-17 (Feb 22)

 These original activity sheets that align with the Come, Follow Me lessons each week are totally free and easy to print from a Google Doc file.   They're designed to print 2-to-a-page and are perfect for introducing or reviewing the concepts from the Come, Follow Me lesson.  Our home ward hands them out along with the sacrament programs on Sundays, others use them in their family or Sunday School lessons.  I hope they add an element of fun to your gospel learning.  Make sure to come back each week for the latest!    

  This activity sheet is based on the CFM lesson for February 22 and contains a coloring sheet, crossword puzzle, and fill-in-the-blank scripture.   

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"TO BE A GREATER FOLLOWER OF RIGHTEOUSNESS"  

One of the resounding themes in this week's reading material is about how important God's covenants are and how the Lord's blessings come on His timeline, not our own.   I feel like there are a lot of opportunities to talk about prayer, the temple, and other covenants we make.      

Here are a few good talks and scriptures to add to your reading list in preparation for teaching this week.  

Live Up to Your Privileges by Sister Freeman (Oct 2024)

Put Ye On the Lord Jesus Christ by Sister Dennis (Apr 2024)
Abraham 2:6-11; Galatians 3:26-29; Doctrine and Covenants 78:11;

QUOTES
Here are a few quotes that stood out to me from the aforementioned talks that give insight to God's covenants: 

"We have the privilege and blessing of being invited into a covenant relationship with God, in which our own lives can become a symbol of that covenant. Covenants create the kind of relationship that allows God to mold and change us over time and lift us to become more like the Savior, drawing us closer and closer to Him and our Father and eventually preparing us to enter Their presence.

Each person on earth is a beloved son or daughter of God. When we choose to be part of a covenant, it enhances and deepens our relationship with Him."
Live Up to Your Privileges by Sister Freeman (Oct 2024)

"As we make covenants with God in the house of the Lord, we further deepen our relationship with Him. Everything we do in the temple points to our Father’s plan for us, at the heart of which is the Savior and His atoning sacrifice. The Lord will teach us line upon line through the symbolism of the ordinances and covenants as we open our hearts and prayerfully seek to understand the deeper meanings."  Put Ye On the Lord Jesus Christ by Sister Dennis (Apr 2024)

"...we don’t just make covenant promises—we must keep them. In many gospel ordinances, we make sacred covenants with God; He promises to bless us as we keep those covenants. Do we realize it is the combination of priesthood ordinances along with the keeping of covenant promises that allows us to draw upon God’s power?"  Live Up to Your Privileges by Sister Freeman (Oct 2024)

PRINTABLE ORIGINAL ACTIVITY PAGE

Click here for the link to the printable activity sheet on Google Drive (in case it's not showing below)

Enjoy learning the gospel together!  

NEW TESTAMENT: 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!!!!

NEW TESTAMENT: 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!!!! 

A Youth Lesson about Psalms

 It's been a while!   Frankly a lot has happened since I last posted here, so here's a little personal update before I get into this lesson on Psalms:     

We've moved twice since my last post.  In case you're keeping track, that was 3 moves in 2 years that put us in 4 different wards.  {Yes, we are tired of moving and have no intention on moving again for a very long time}   We currently live in Alpine, Utah.  I never really had a desire to live in Utah, but a lot of little miracles led us here and we feel that we are exactly where we are supposed to be for now, so we are trying to bloom where we have been planted.  We became grandparents this past year and we are loving this new stage of life, though we wish she (and her parents) lived closer!  My Dad recently passed away and we've felt very blessed to have lived close to my parents for the last year.   We welcomed home a missionary in January and sent another one off to the Portland, Oregon mission this past week.   We have one daughter (a senior) who's still living at home with us. Empty nesting here we come! 

In church we teach a Sunday School class to the 11-12 year-olds.  We've found it a challenging age to teach, as they are fresh out of primary and feeling very grown up, but very much struggle with too much talking or scripture reading during a lesson.  We try to throw a creative/engaging activity into each lesson to make it more memorable for them.    I'm back today to share a successful lesson we had teaching them about the Psalms this past Sunday.  

LESSON ABOUT PSALMS: 

We talked a little about what the psalms were and some of the overarching themes of them.  The themes we picked out were:

1. Repentance/ sorrow/ coming back to God (READ THE HEADINGS OF PSALM 6 & 7)

We talked about who David was and had them try to guess how many of the Psalms David wrote. The answer is 73 of the 150 Psalms.  We also talked about some of the reasons why David felt sorrow and the need to repent.  We discussed about how God always wants us to turn back to Him and that there's no way to mess up badly enough that God won't welcome us back.  

2. Praising God (READ PSALM 111:1-5) 
We talked a little about how the root words of psalms in Hebrew is Tehillim, a word coming from the Hebrew word halal, “to praise” The same root forms the word hallelujah, meaning “praise to Yah” (Jehovah). Unlike some modern songs that tend to depress the spirit, the psalms have the power to lift one toward God. The psalms are full of praise to God!   

3. Proclaiming God and helping others come to Him – (READ PSALM 66:16)

we sent  off a missionary to the MTC this week, so we talked about why missionaries sacrifice to serve missions. What is the message that missionaries share?   Then we talked about ways we can be missionaries in our daily lives. 

Then, we talked a little about music and how it makes us feel. I had them look up in their scriptures to see if they could figure out that many of the Psalms  were written  "To the Chief Musician". We mentioned the themes that we'd just gone over and then talked about how the Psalms were the basis for many of the hymns in our hymn book.   Then we played the following game, based loosely on one of the Jackbox games our family enjoys playing together.   

PSALMS GAME (15-20 minutes): 

We came up with a list of some of the most well-known hymns that were based on scriptures in Psalms. 

This is the list:  

I am a Child of God–301

There is Sunshine in My Soul–227

Did You Think to Pray–140

The Lord is My Shepherd–108

For the Beauty of the Earth–92

Joy to the World–201

Angels We Have Heard on High–203

All Creatures of Our God and King–62

I Need Thee Every Hour–98

Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me–104

I Know that My Redeemer Lives –136

We cut the titles of the songs into strips and had each student draw one out.   Then we handed out hymn books, paper, and colored pencils.   We asked them to draw their song without using any words.   After giving them about 5 minutes to complete their drawings, we collected the drawings and all the writing utensils, except one per person.  

We then presented them with the list of possible songs (our students are only 11-12 years old and we felt that it would have been way too difficult without the list) and had them write down on a sheet of paper what song they guessed for each picture.

Here are the pictures they came up with...can you guess what they are without looking at the caption?   

I Know that My Redeemer Lives

There is Sunshine in My Soul Today

I Need Thee Every Hour and Angels We Have Heard on High

Joy to the World and All Creatures of Our God and King

Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me

Did You Think to Pray and I am a Child of God 

All in all, I thought the lesson was meaningful and memorable.  The game was right up their alley and a good way to get even the reluctant participants to engage.   

Let me know if you try it and how it goes for your class! 

 

Come, Follow Me Activity and Coloring Page for Revelation 1-11 (December 15, 2019)

I have to admit that I was more than a bit intimidated by doing an activity sheet to go along with the Book of Revelation.    I try my best with studying the scriptures, but frankly I feel like a lot of the symbolism is beyond me...and, heaven help me, Revelation is full of symbolism!    Thanks to this video series I've recently discovered though,  I feel like I'm getting more out of it than I otherwise would.  I've added their weekly video to my Come Follow Me studies each week, and I definitely feel like my understanding is being deepened.  

I also use this book, which is great for clarifying meaning and symbols. 



So what tools have you discovered that complement your scripture studies?   Any great resources that you love?  Please share! 

I hope your classes and families are enjoying these pages!

Come Follow Me Activity Page for 1,2,3 John and Jude (12/8/19)

Here is the "Come Follow Me" activity and coloring page to go along with 1,2,3 John and Jude.   The activities and word search are original as always.  They make for great quiet sacrament activities for kids and teens, as an introductory activity for a primary or Sunday School lesson, or just as a fun way to review/learn the material for the week.   I try to make them engaging and meaningful, so they're not a waste of time.  



See this post for a listing of previous week's sheets.

I don't know if anyone out there is actually using these, but if you are, I welcome feedback on how I can improve them.  

Happy December!   💓

1st and 2nd Peter Coloring Sheet and Activity Page (Come, Follow Me-- 11/25-12/1/19)

Here is the coloring page and activity sheet to go along with 1st and 2nd Peter.   It goes along well with the Come, Follow Me reading for the week, or would just make a great introductory activity for a Sunday School or Primary class. 




See this post for a listing of previous week's sheets. 

As always I welcome  your feedback for ways to make these more interactive or enjoyable to use.   I also just love hearing how your families/classes use them.  

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!   

Come Follow Me Word Search and Coloring Page for James (11/27/19)

Here is the Come, Follow Me activity page for this week--complete with a coloring page and original word search!     They make for great review/quiet activities for kids and teens.  I use them with my family, in classes that I teach, and as a quiet activity to be handed out with the Sunday program.


I love these chapters and found lots of nuggets I want to discuss and study further.     I especially love the promise in James 4:8, "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you..."  I feel like ultimately that's really one of the main goals of this life--finding time in amongst the busyness of daily living to draw nigh to God.  And it's one of the biggest challenges I face and I'm realizing that there's no way to do it without a very deliberate slowing down and stepping back on my part to allow myself to invite and to feel His presence. 

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

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 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" 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! 

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

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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!   😘


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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.  :)



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