NEW TESTAMENT CFM Teaching Resources for November 13-19 {James}

 This blogpost features some  resources and ideas to complement the Come Follow Me (CFM) reading for November 13-19, 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 designed to be printed double-sided and cut in half.  They're geared for ages 8-14, but littler kids love the coloring pages and older kids/kids at heart often enjoy the activities.  They're perfect to use as attention getters or as reviews in your classes or families.  Our ward hands them out along with the sacrament program each week.



OUR WORDS MATTER OBJECT LESSON (James 3): 

Items needed:  tube of toothpaste, bowl, spoon

Start off the discussion by talking about how big things can be controlled by small things (James 3).  

Some examples: 
-Steering wheel helps the car go the right direction
-A small seed can grow into a big tree
-A tiny leak can be the start of a ship sinking
-Little babies grow up to be adults that can do many righteous or evil deeds
-Rudder of boat steers the ship (actual example from James 3)
-Tiny spark starts a big forest fire (actual example from James 3)

This doesn't need to take long; it's just a discussion starter that will lead you into reading James 3:4-6.

Springboarding off the first part of the conversation and the scriptures you just read, ask why our tongues can be so powerful.  

Now talk about how our words matter.   We may have heard that "Sticks and stones may break our bones, but words can never hurt us."   Ask if they think that's true.   Be careful here, as their parents may very well be teaching them this very message, but ask them how they feel when someone says something mean to them.   Does it help if they say they're sorry afterward?   Maybe, but those words can still hurt our feelings.  

Now pull out the toothpaste and ask for someone to come squeeze it out into the bowl. 

 

 Now ask for a volunteer to come put the toothpaste back into the tube using the spoon. 

Is this technically possible?  Perhaps, but it would take a long time and be pretty messy.   Tell the kids, that this is like when we say unkind things to another person.   We can say we're sorry and try to be nice to them afterward and those are great things to do to heal the relationship, but we can't take those words back.   Taking the time and going through the messiness is worth it, but it would have been much easier if we'd never said those unkind words in the first place.   

Now relate this back to the power of our tongues.   They can do a lot of good (ask the class for examples) when we bear our testimonies, speak kindly to others, and stand up for truth, but they have the power to do a lot of bad as well.  And that's why we should be  careful with how we use our tongues/words.  

QUOTES:   

"This pattern of dramatic change produced by small things is a pattern we see over and over again in the Book of Mormon. Please turn with me to Alma chapter 4 and look at verses 6-12. Here we find a description of a people descending into wickedness. It begins with small things, like the wearing of expensive clothes, and pride in “. . . all manner of precious things . . .” (verse 6), and gossip, and unkind words. Look at verse 8, “. . . the people of the church began to be lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and to set their hearts upon riches and upon the vain things of the world, that they began to be scornful, one towards another . . .” (emphasis added).

Later in verse 11 Mormon tells us that wickedness in the Church led “. . . unbelievers on from one piece of iniquity to another, thus bringing on the destruction of the people” (emphasis added). This great wickedness did not happen all at once. It began with small things, but these small things grew into great evil in the space of a single year.
We find this same pattern repeated many times. In the book of Helaman chapters 3 and 4, in Helaman chapter 6, in 3 Nephi chapter 6, we read of wonderful periods of prosperity and righteousness followed by a decline into wickedness that begins with small things. Describing the power of small things, Mormon writes that wickedness “. . . did grow upon them from day to day” (Helaman 3:36) until it hit a critical point and then, in just a few months, great evil almost exploded into the society.

The Book of Mormon also shows us how these epidemics of wickedness and evil may be stopped. Some are stopped by war and great destruction. But in some, intervention by the prophets of God works through small things to bring about great and dramatic repentance and righteousness, also in a very short time. (See, for example, Helaman 5:50-52.)"  " Out of Small Things Proceedeth That Which is Great," Kim Clark, BYU-Idaho Devotional, January 2006

"We observe vast, sweeping world events; however, we must remember that the purposes of the Lord in our personal lives generally are fulfilled through the small and simple things, and not the momentous and spectacular.

Alma, teaching his son Helaman about the importance of the record written on the plates of brass, said:
“Behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.
“And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls.” (Alma 37:6–7.)"  "Small and Simple Things,"  M. Russell Ballard, April 1990

VIDEOS: 

James 1:  Doers of the Word   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oD1YX8tsCiI

James 3:  The Tongue is of Fire  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXvLBKxRstA


TRUE CHRISTIANITY  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqjvG3E7moA


ASK OF GOD:  JOSEPH'S FIRST VISION   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBvk_6_dW6k&t=15s


ENJOY LEARNING THE GOSPEL TOGETHER!!!

NEW TESTAMENT: CFM Teaching Ideas and Resources for September 4-10, 2023 {1 Corinthians 14-16}

 This blogpost features some  resources and ideas to complement the Come Follow Me (CFM) reading for September 4-10, 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 designed to be printed double-sided and cut in half.  They're perfect to use as a review or attention getter in your families or in a primary or Sunday School class,  or as a handout along with the sacrament programs.   They're geared for kids ages 8-14, but kids of all ages will enjoy the coloring pages and many older kids/adults enjoy the activity as well! 


TEACHING IDEA:  Ballpoint Pen - Resurrection Analogy

*be prepared to read 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 (especially 22)
* need a ballpoint pen that can be taken apart and put back together again
*need a piece of paper

Show your class/family a ballpoint pen, talk about what it does / demonstrate,  then without saying anything, unscrew it and remove the ink.   Use this as a launching point to talk about resurrection and how our bodies are like the shell of the pen and our spirits are like the ink.  Talk about how at death our bodies (the shell of the pen) are laid in the ground, but our spirits (the ink) never die.    And that at resurrection, our spirits rejoin with our bodies.   No matter what condition the shell of the pen (or our bodies) are in, they will be perfected and restored.

Read 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 and testify of the resurrection and how Christ made it possible.

Idea from LDS Living website

QUOTES:   

 "Because of Him, we do not have to deal with our frailties, sins, and fears alone. Because of Him, death is not the end. Resurrection will come to all who have ever lived. Because of Him, families can be together forever. Because of Him, guilt becomes peace, regret becomes relief, and despair becomes hope. We are given second chances, clean slates, and new beginnings. Because of Jesus Christ, we celebrate Easter. And Easter is all about peace and hope."   "This Easter, Find Peace in Jesus Christ," Russell M Nelson, March 2021

“The assurance of resurrection gives us the strength and perspective to endure the mortal challenges faced by each of us and by those we love, such things as the physical, mental, or emotional deficiencies we bring with us at birth or acquire during mortal life. Because of the resurrection, we know that these mortal deficiencies are only temporary!”  "Resurrection," Dallin H Oaks, April 2000

VIDEOS: 

Death and Resurrection: Come Follow Me Lesson for Kids  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLP9VXI-9RY

What Happens to Our Bodies and Spirits After We Die?:  Now You Know  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_PAXkkQ6uY

Finding Hope Through the Resurrection of Christ  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEJuI-UMuBg

RESOURCES:

"He is Risen," Thomas S. Monson, April 2010

ENJOY LEARNING THE GOSPEL TOGETHER!!!

NEW TESTAMENT: Come, Follow Me Teaching Resources and Ideas for August 28-September 3, 2023 {1 Corinthians 8-13}

This blogpost features some  resources and ideas to complement the Come Follow Me (CFM) reading for August 28-September 3, 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 designed to be printed double-sided and cut in half.  They're perfect to use as attention getters in a primary or Sunday School class, as a review in your family, or as a handout along with the sacrament programs.  

TEACHING IDEA:   (idea  from this website)

You will need 5-10 different containers with detachable lids ( for example: jars, sippy cups, empty food canisters, gift boxes, etc.) and a large bag or backpack.

Place all of the lids inside the backpack. Then set all the containers in a row where everyone can see them. Allow children to take turns drawing a lid from the bag, and placing the lid in front of the container that they think is the correct match for the lid (don’t put the lid on yet). Once all of the lids have been placed in front of a container, try placing all the lids on the containers to see if they guessed correctly!

After you complete the activity, discuss the following questions:

1) How many did you guess correctly? (Discuss.)

2) How did you know which container was the right one for each lid? (Discuss things like color, shape, size, type of lid, etc.)

3) How do you know what other people need? (Discuss things that can give you clues, like someone is shivering, something is out of place, etc.)

4) How do you know what other people are feeling? (Discuss things like body language, facial expressions, etc.)

Explain: Today our lesson is about the word “Charity.” Charity is the pure love of Christ. When we try to love other people the way that Jesus Christ loves all of us, that’s called charity.

QUOTES:   

“Kindness is the essence of a celestial life. Kindness is how a Christlike person treats others. Kindness should permeate all of our words and actions at work, at school, at church, and especially in our homes.  Jesus, our Savior, was the epitome of kindness and compassion."  "The Virtue of Kindness", Joseph B Wirthlin, April 2005

"It is part of the gift of charity to be able to recognize the Lord’s hand and feel His love in all that surrounds us. At times it will not be easy to discover the Lord’s love for us in all that we experience, because He is a perfect, anonymous giver. You will search all your life to uncover His hand and the gifts He has bestowed upon you because of His intimate, modest, humble way of granting such wonderful gifts.

Ponder with me a moment the following majestic gifts: the glories of all creation,¹⁸ the earth, the heavens; your feelings of love and joy; His responses of mercy, forgiveness, and innumerable answers to prayer; the gift of loved ones; and finally the greatest gift of all—the Father’s gift of His atoning Son, the perfect one in charity, even the God of love."  "Charity: Perfect and Everlasting Love", Gene R. Cook, April 2002.

VIDEOS:  
The Busy Little Squirrel:  A Story About Charity  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J6EDnrakD4


Serving in the Savior's Way  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgEf1_bpyAQ


1 Corinthians 13:  Charity Never Faileth  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBIEYAfoEz0

1 Corinthians 13:  Ye Are the Temple of God  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_jWCoQGbfI

1 Corinthians 12:  Resurrection of the Dead https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvG7UEvXDyc


ENJOY LEARNING THE GOSPEL TOGETHER!!!

Come, Follow Me Activity Page and Teaching Ideas for 2/27 - 3/5/2023 {Matthew 8 ; Mark 2-4 ; Luke 7}

See below for some great resources, ideas, and activity sheets  for teaching about this week's Come, Follow Me reading.    See the index of  other weeks at this link.   

February 27 - March 5, 2023
Matthew 8; Mark 2-4; Luke 7

 

 TEACHING IDEA:
This video shows a simple object lesson that would make for a great launching point for a discussion about the miracles of Jesus.   Make sure to talk about faith and how Christ can make the impossible possible.    

QUOTES ABOUT MIRACLES:

"Miracles can come as answers to prayer. They are not always what we ask for or what we expect, but when we trust in the Lord, He will be there, and He will be right. He will suit the miracle to the moment we need it.

The Lord performs miracles to remind us of His power, His love for us, His reach from the heavens to our mortal experience, and His desire to teach of that which is of most worth. “He that hath faith in me to be healed,” He said to the Saints in 1831, and the promise continues today, “and is not appointed unto death, shall be healed.” There are laws decreed in the heavens, and we are always subject to them.

There are times we hope for a miracle to heal a loved one, to reverse an unjust act, or to soften the heart of a bitter or disillusioned soul. Looking at things through mortal eyes, we want the Lord to intervene, to fix what is broken. Through faith, the miracle will come, though not necessarily on our timetable or with the resolution we desired. Does that mean we are less than faithful or do not merit His intervention? No. We are beloved of the Lord. He gave His life for us, and His Atonement continues to release us from burdens anbeautid sin as we repent and draw close to Him.

The Lord has reminded us, “Neither are your ways my ways.” He offers, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”—rest from worry, disappointment, fear, disobedience, concern for loved ones, for lost or broken dreams. Peace amidst confusion or sorrow is a miracle. Remember the Lord’s words: “Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?” The miracle is that Jesus Christ, the Great Jehovah, the Son of the Highest, is responding with peace." {Behold, I am a God of Miracles, Ronald Rasband, General Conference, April 2021}

"Moving your mountains may require a miracle. Learn about miracles. Miracles come according to your faith in the Lord. Central to that faith is trusting His will and timetable—how and when He will bless you with the miraculous help you desire. Only your unbelief will keep God from blessing you with miracles to move the mountains in your life.

The more you learn about the Savior, the easier it will be to trust in His mercy, His infinite love, and His strengthening, healing, and redeeming power. The Savior is never closer to you than when you are facing or climbing a mountain with faith." {Christ is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains, Russell M. Nelson, General Conference, April 2021}

A BEAUTIFUL SONG ABOUT MIRACLES: 

CHURCH VIDEOS ABOUT MIRACLES: 
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/collection/bible-videos-miracles?lang=eng

HOW TO USE THESE PAGES:
These activity pages are perfect:
1. to use at home, during sacrament meeting, or in a classroom
2. as a review for the CFM reading for the week
3.  as a discussion starter for CFM topics

LET ME KNOW: 
I'd love to hear how you use them in your classrooms or families. 

Using Binders to Make Youth Lessons More Effective

I never was the kind of student who could skip the lecture because "everything was in the book".  I had to read the book AND go to class in order to really absorb the material.   So a few months after I was called as YW president, I started to really feel like we needed to add that one more thing to help our Sunday lessons to be more interactive.    After a discussion with my presidency, we decided to provide a binder for every young woman that would be kept in the YW closet and handed out before each lesson.  The binder would provide a place for them to take notes, keep handouts, draw charts/illustrations from the lesson, and answer questions asked during class.   

We've been using them now for three years and I think they've played a very valuable  role in helping our Sunday lessons to be more meaningful.   They give the girls that "extra" way to learn the material  and make it less likely that the lesson floats in one ear and out the other.   The part that I've liked most about them is that I feel like their effective use (which takes a concerted effort) has facilitated better discussions.    When the girls have the opportunity to write an answer to a question in their binders first before answering, the answers are invariably more well-thought out and  original, since they wrote their answer before hearing everyone else's answers first.   I also like that they have a sort of spiritual journal for them to go back to.   When a girl moves from the ward or graduates to Relief Society, the binder is given to the girl.   

What do you need?  

1-inch binders with pockets (one for each girl)

pens (one for each girl)

loose leaf paper (to keep in each binder)

a couple of sheet protectors per binder for hand-outs 

3-hole punch to keep in the closet (or use the one in the library)

OR 

1 composition notebook and pen per girl

Why Use Them? 

1. The binder provides a place for the girls to take notes, which helps them remember what they've learned better.  It also provides a place for them to go back and review what was taught another week.

2. The binder provides a place to write down answers to questions asked during the lesson.   When a moment of quiet is provided to write the answer down, then girls are asked to share their answers; the answers are invariably more well thought out and original, since they've written their answers before they've heard anyone else's.  I also feel like it definitely reduces the whole copying the same train of thought as the person before them that often occurs in lessons. 

3.   A lot of the girls really, really like the way the binders help them to better absorb the lessons and  learn the gospel more effectively. 

4.  I think that creating an outline or "worksheet" to go along with the lesson (see picture below), sometimes helps me to better prepare the lesson and helps the girls to have something to follow along with. 

Some Hurdles/Tips

1.  A small percentage of the girls (about 5 of our 33 girls) really do not care to use them.  We do not force the issue.  

2.  If you don't consistently hand them out and/or encourage their use, they will not be as effective.  I'll often chime up in class (when I'm not teaching) and say things like, "That would be a great thing to write in your binder." 

3.  You need to collect the binders at the end of class, so they do not get lost at home.  We rarely see a binder again that has been accidentally taken home.  

We have 33 YW in our ward, so the binders take up an entire shelf (plus a little) in our closet, but in my opinion they are worth the space and time they take up.   

  This year for our binder covers we had each girl watercolor their own background, then when they were dry, we printed this year's mutual theme onto it.  

 Here's a printable graphic I made of this year's mutual theme that you are welcome to use:  

If you use a binder or notebook in your youth class, I'd love to hear your ideas for what works and what doesn't with them.   What other ideas do you have to make your lessons more effective?  

Teaching the Character Trait of Perseverance / Determination / Grit

In our homeschool this year, we are spotlighting a character trait each month. A couple days a week for an entire month we will read a story or watch a video and discuss that character trait in greater detail. The idea is that by talking about it, seeing it in action, and reinforcing it all month, that the concepts will really start to sink into their souls.  

One of the first character traits we are talking about this year is that of determination, which is something that I very much would like for my kids to develop. We live in a world where getting distracted and making excuses for our shortcomings is all too easily accepted and I think it is a valuable skill in life to be able to face challenges head-on instead of allowing ourselves to quit at the first sign of challenge or difficulty. Below you will find some of the resources I've gathered to help teach this trait during the month. I would love to hear any ideas or resources you would recommend as well, so feel free to leave those in the comments.

VIDEOS:

*Mormon Messages: about how hard work and determination can make a difference



*Short video about persevering:



SHORT STORIES:

*Aesop's Fables:The Hare and the Tortoise (online version)--about the value of pushing forward, even when the odds are stacked against you

*Aesop's Fables: The Crow and the Pitcher (online version)--about continuing to try, even when it seems hopeless and also about sometimes having to think outside the box and searching for less obvious solutions

*Nephi getting the plates (the first section of this seminary lesson is perfect to tie it all together)

Here's a short video about Nephi getting the plates


BOOKS:

*The Value of Determination: The Story of Helen Keller

*Story of Abraham Lincoln and the incredible odds he overcame to become president of the US (Stand Tall, Abe Lincoln is a good book)

ENRICHMENT ACTIVITY:  

visit a ropes course together as a family
A good ropes course will have different levels of challenges that can get progressively more difficult as children gain confidence and experience. Additionally many ropes course employees are willing to work in inspirational thoughts or scriptures to their activities and/or create situations where cooperation and perseverance is required.

PARENT RESOURCES 

*A book that is a  good resource for parents: How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character

*This is a  short TED talk about the importance of grit in students' success in school.  I really liked the recommendation to teach kids about how the brain is not a stagnant organ, but that its capacity actually grows  as we use and challenge it.  

QUOTES

“Perseverance means to continue in a given course until we have reached a goal or objective, regardless of obstacles, opposition, and other counterinfluences...Perseverance is a positive, active characteristic...It gives us hope by helping us realize that the righteous suffer no failure except in giving up and no longer trying.”
― Joseph B. Wirthlin


“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saing, ‘I will try again tomorrow.’”
--Mary Anne Radmacher

Preparing Gospel Feasts

based on a lesson taught in a stake youth teacher training meeting (1/11/2014)

What’s the difference?  How do you prepare a gospel feast?  

1.  Planning starts long before the eating begins-- just as you can’t expect to throw together a feast of food without many hours of preparation, you certainly can’t expect to prepare a lesson that is a gospel feast without having spent many hours studying, praying, and preparing to teach.  

2.  Invitees are kept in mind throughout the prep time--  Just as TV dinners are meant to be easy and not particularly delicious or individualized, the old method of teaching incorporated a one-size fits all approach.  Follow the lesson plan exactly and you have done your job.  Planning a feast requires thought and concern taken for the individuals you are feeding.  Do you have students with different learning styles?  Do you know what’s on your students’ minds?  The more you know them, the more you can tailor your teaching to meet their spiritual needs.   

3.  There is a choice and variety of foods--  You either like a tv dinner or you don’t, while a feast is bound to have at least a few things you like.   When teaching is done in a variety of ways (auditory, visual, and kinesthetic approaches) you are more likely to connect with all the students in your class.  Church videos, notebooks for them to write things down, music, etc. can all be powerful tools to help teach the gospel  in a variety of ways that will not leave anyone without  some gospel food for thought.  

4.  Use the finest fresh ingredients--  While a tv dinner is made with ingredients that are the least likely to spoil, a feast is made with ingredients that will give the food the best nutirition and flavor.  A gospel feast should also be prepared with the best ingredients--recent general conference talks, scriptures, videos, music, and other  church approved materials.  Real-life stories should be shared as often as possible and no lesson should be complete without discussing what the lesson means to them right here and right now in their lives.

5.  Doesn’t end when the meal is over--  When a tv dinner is done, it is done.  You throw away the wrappers and will likely never think of it again.  Lessons without substance and follow-through are much the same way.  Find ways to engage your students in the gospel feast--not only during the lessons, but in the prep time and in the follow-through and that is gospel food that will not be soon forgotten.  

6.  Remember that you are preparing future gospel “chefs”-- Not only are you helping to prepare them to grow to be spiritually vibrant adults, but you are preparing them to be the missionaries, gospel leaders and teachers, and mothers and fathers of tomorrow.   They not only need gospel food of the highest quality--food that will enrich their hearts and minds, but they also need to be given opportunities to learn to prepare it themselves.  This often takes even more work than just teaching the material yourself,  but it is invaluable experience for them to have the practice doing it.

Some other tidbits about teaching:  

We are teaching future spiritual Olympians who need the finest gospel nutrition to prepare them for the future.  

Asking questions:  If you know the answer before you ask, then it’s probably not a good question. Questions should be thought provoking and meant to engage the students.  

Involve families:  Send email and/or text messages after the lesson is over with follow-up questions that the family can ask

Love the class as a whole and the individual students

Take your students’ “pulse”  at the beginning of each class period by allowing students to talk for 2-3 minutes.  Listen to what they have to say.   

Invite, Ignite, and Inspire.  Don’t force.  

Teaching the Gospel Using Questions

Today's youth are used to information being presented in short little bursts.  Twitter and Facebook have shortened their attention spans to the point that it's difficult for them to concentrate on the same thing for 5 minutes, yet alone the length of the average church lesson. We all know that we learn better when we are engaged in the lesson being taught, but as a teacher sometimes the task of engaging the students is difficult in practice, because engaging the students means that as teachers we need to be better prepared and more engaged ourselves.

 In my article 14 Ways to Engage Students in the New Youth Curriculum, I presented some ideas of helping students to use both sides of their brain as they learn.  In this article I will present some more ideas from the same teacher training and talk about using questions to help students learn the gospel.

When Jesus Christ taught the people, he taught them with patience and understanding.  He sought to know his students enough, that he could teach in a way that connected with them. We've all read the accounts of Christ using parables and real life examples that illustrated what he was teaching far better than an hour long dissertation on the philosophy of it ever could.

Think of  when Christ answered the Pharisee's accusations in Luke 5 with the simple question, "Whether [it] is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?"  The act of curing the palsied man would have been remarkable enough, but with the question to provoke some deeper thinking, it was all the more a powerful teaching moment.  We can harness that same power when we teach.  Think of questions that invite thought and allow them to reach their own conclusions about what you are teaching.  Those kind of lessons will stick with them much longer than when all the information is spoon fed to them.

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

The following are presented as a series of questions, in order from least to most thought provoking.  Our teacher encouraged using them in order as a way to build understanding during a lesson.


Different Types of Questions to use during lessons (with examples of how to use them)

1.  Search for information
Example:  What are the steps of prayer?

2.  Analyze for understanding
Example:  What things are appropriate to pray for?

3.  Invite feelings / testimony
Example:  What are your personal experiences with prayer?

4.  Encourage application
Example:  What will you work on this week to improve your prayers?