NEW TESTAMENT Come, Follow Me Teaching Ideas and Resources for October 2-8 {Ephesians}

 This blogpost features some  resources and ideas to complement the Come Follow Me (CFM) reading for October 2-8, 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.


TEACHING IDEA:  WHO'S GOT YOUR BACK?:

The following  idea is taken from this Don't Miss This episode from around 45:00-49:00  into it.

 

I recommend listening to those few minutes at least as part of your teaching preparation.  

Read Ephesians 6:11-18 and have someone draw a man/woman  wearing the armor of God (with labels) as you read about the different parts of armor .  Art skills not required (as you can see above)!  haha!

After going through that and discussing a bit what each piece of protection might mean in their lives, then read at least the highlighted section of the quote by N. Eldon Tanner.  The full quote is listed in the quote section below (and is worth reading together if your audience has the attention span), but this part illustrates the point the most succinctly.

"Examine your armor. Is there an unguarded or unprotected place? Determine now to add whatever part is missing. No matter how antiquated or lacking in parts your armor may be, always remember that it is within your power to make the necessary adjustments to complete your armor.

Through the great principle of repentance you can turn your life about and begin now clothing yourself with the armor of God through study, prayer, and a determination to serve God and keep his commandments."

Look at that picture of the man/woman in armor again and ask,

"What's protecting their back?"

Listen to their answers and then read Isaiah 58:8

Then discuss what it means for the Lord to have our backs and also what we can do to fortify those parts of our armor that may need strengthening.  

QUOTES:   

 "We all have different weaknesses and temptations, and we should examine our lives to find out what those weaknesses are and where we should put on extra armor so we can do what is right and not submit to temptation....

Are we studying the scriptures so that we can increase our knowledge and faith and testimony regarding the gospel? Do we keep the commandments? Are we honest and truthful in our dealings? Do we keep the Sabbath day holy? Do we observe the Word of Wisdom? Do we pay an honest tithing? Do we attend our meetings and respond to the calls made of us by our authorities? Are we virtuous and clean and pure in heart and mind and deed?

Do we fight against the evils around us—pornography, abortion, tobacco, alcohol, drugs? Do we have the courage to stand up for our convictions? Can we truly say we are not ashamed of the gospel of Christ? Do we live peaceably with our neighbors and avoid gossip and backbiting and spreading unfounded rumors? Do we truly love our neighbors as ourselves?

If we can answer yes to these questions, then we will have on the whole armor of God, which will protect us from harm and preserve us from our enemies. If we must answer no to these questions, then our armor is weak, there is an unshielded place which can be found, a vulnerable area for attack, and we will be subject to injury or destruction by Satan, who will search until he finds our weaknesses, if we have them.

Examine your armor. Is there an unguarded or unprotected place? Determine now to add whatever part is missing. No matter how antiquated or lacking in parts your armor may be, always remember that it is within your power to make the necessary adjustments to complete your armor.

Through the great principle of repentance you can turn your life about and begin now clothing yourself with the armor of God through study, prayer, and a determination to serve God and keep his commandments."    "Put on the Whole Armor of God," N. Eldon Tanner, April 1979


"..we all need to repent. We need to get up off the couch, put down the remote, and wake up from our spiritual slumber. It is time to put on the full armor of God so we can engage in the most important work on earth. It is time to “thrust in [our] sickles, and reap with all [our] might, mind, and strength.” The forces of evil have never raged more forcefully than they do today. As servants of the Lord, we cannot be asleep while this battle rages.

Your family needs your leadership and love. Your... ward or branch need your strength. And all who meet you need to know what a true disciple of the Lord looks like and acts like."  "We Can Do and Be Better," Russell M. Nelson, April 2019

VIDEOS: 

Ephesians 6:  The Armor of God  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mawX1wFJZN4

Ephesians 4:  Unity of the Faith  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67k0spz0gNE


Ephesians 2:  Ye Are No More Strangers  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIWuVYZQhsQ

ENJOY LEARNING THE GOSPEL TOGETHER!!!

NEW TESTAMENT CFM Teaching Resources and Ideas for Sept 25-Oct 1, 2023 {Galatians}

 This blogpost features some  resources and ideas to complement the Come Follow Me (CFM) reading for September 25 - October 1, 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 an introduction or review to a lesson in a primary or Sunday School class or in your family.  Our ward uses them as a handout along with the sacrament programs.  

 FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT OBJECT LESSON AND SNACK:  This link has a super fun idea for teaching about the fruits of the spirit {Galatians 5:22-23} and relating it to our daily lives.  I think this taste test and lesson would be a great attention getter in a classroom.    

QUOTES:   

"Enjoying the fruits of the gospel should not make us arrogant and aloof, but it should set us apart from the world in much of our conduct.

It is, perhaps, well in these times, when so many of the fundamental truths of the Restoration and the validity of the Lord’s work are being challenged, that we ask ourselves to what degree our conduct sets us apart and manifests the fruits of the gospel. In our homes and in our families, are we enjoying and qualifying for the love and support of family members? In our business dealings, are we fair and honest and prompt in meeting our obligations; is our word as good as our bond? Are our private and innermost thoughts free from the contaminations of the world? Do they reflect our absolute loyalty and fidelity to those with whom we have made eternal vows? Are we nourishing through prayer and a regular study of the Lord’s revealed truths the spiritual and moral strength which is required in today’s environment? In the entertainment and recreation we seek, are we keeping ourselves unspotted from the world and in harmony with the Lord’s holy Sabbath? Are we generous with our means and inclined to be serviceable to others? Do we acknowledge our faults and shortcomings and seek forgiveness from those whom we have wronged or offended?

Let me repeat again that those who do the Lord’s work demonstrate it by the fruits of their labors. Analyzing and criticizing others, either from a historical perspective or from what we may view of a contemporary life, will be of little consequence unless it balances with the Lord’s assessment." 
"By Their Fruits Ye Shall Know Them," Dean Larsen, October 1985

"Sometimes the divine witness comes in the burning of the bosom (see Luke 24:32). On other occasions, the doctrine we hear is “delicious” to us, meaning it tastes good spiritually (see Alma 32:28). In other words, we do not need external evidence to verify these truths or logic to prove them — we just “know.”  

Paul defined other fruits of the Spirit as “joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith” (Galatians 5:22). When any of these virtues or impressions envelop our hearts or minds, it is a witness from God that what we are listening to, what we are feeling, is from Him. " 
"How Can We Teach Our Children to Recognize the Spirit?," Ted Callister, Church News, January 2021

VIDEO: 

Fruit of the Spirit:  Latter Day Kids   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GZjFNTJUL4

FUN RESOURCE: 
Family Night Fun:  Fruits of the Spirit

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/friend/2019/09/family-night-fun?lang=eng#p4


ENJOY LEARNING THE GOSPEL TOGETHER!!!

NEW TESTAMENT: CFM Resources and Ideas for Teaching September 18-24, 2023 {2 Corinthians 8-13}

 This blogpost features some  resources and ideas to complement the Come Follow Me (CFM) reading for September 18-24, 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 hand out along with the sacrament programs, or as a review or attention getter in your families or classrooms.   They're designed for kids ages 8-14, but all ages can enjoy the coloring sheet and/or activities.

TEACHING IDEA: 
OBJECT LESSON: 
Need paper towel, washable red marker (sharpies and art markers don't work), regular pen,  bowl of water

Make sure it's a washable marker.   My kids are grown up and I tried an art marker and a sharpie first, and neither of those worked.   Luckily I found this long lost Crayola marker that worked...

Read 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 and start a discussion about sharing with those who have less than us.  It can be material things or it could be love.   Hold up a blank paper towel and talk about how there are people who feel like their hearts are empty.  They often come from difficult situations and even struggle to feel God's love for them.   Then, with the washable red marker (any kids' marker will do), draw and color in a small heart in the corner of the paper towel.  

While drawing and coloring the heart, remind them of what a blessing it is to know that God loves us so deeply.   Then talk about how those that may feel lost or forgotten (draw the outline of a small heart with pen an inch or so away from the colored heart). 

  Then dip the corner of the paper towel (the same one with the colored heart) into the water just a bit.  Hold it there for a minute or two and talk about ways that they can share God's love with others, then they can go on and share love with others, and it will spread.   And watch how the water and the red from the heart spreads through the paper towel!   The more love we share, the more it will spread! 

QUOTES:   

 "Thus, our greatest joy comes as we help our brothers and sisters, no matter where we live in this wonderful world.  Giving help to others—making a conscientious effort to care about others as much as or more than we care about ourselves—is our joy. Especially, I might add, when it is not convenient and when it takes us out of our comfort zone. Living that second great commandment is the key to becoming a true disciple of Jesus Christ."   "The Second Great Commandment," President Nelson,   October 2019

"Sometimes we feel discouraged because we are not “more” of something—more spiritual, respected, intelligent, healthy, rich, friendly, or capable. Naturally, there is nothing wrong with wanting to improve. God created us to grow and progress. But remember, our weaknesses can help us to be humble and turn us to Christ, who will “make weak things become strong.”⁴ Satan, on the other hand, uses our weaknesses to the point that we are discouraged from even trying.

I learned in my life that we don’t need to be “more” of anything to start to become the person God intended us to become.

God will take you as you are at this very moment and begin to work with you. All you need is a willing heart, a desire to believe, and trust in the Lord."  "It Works Wonderfully," Dieter Uchtdorf, October 2015

VIDEOS: 

Loving Your Neighbor:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EJ5J5C6Tbo

Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=db-lE_f2U5I



ENJOY LEARNING THE GOSPEL TOGETHER!!!

NEW TESTAMENT: Come, Follow Me Teaching Ideas and Resources for Sept 11-17, 2023 {2 Corinthians 1-7}

This blogpost features some  resources and teaching ideas to complement the Come Follow Me (CFM) reading for September 11-17, 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 hand out along with the sacrament programs, or as a review or attention getter in your families or classrooms.   They're designed for kids ages 8-14, but all ages can enjoy the coloring sheet and/or activities.  

TEACHING IDEA:  This video is a bit too long and rambly to watch together as a class/family, but the idea is great and not that difficult to implement for illustrating the concept of becoming new (as mentioned in the reading).  I'd start by talking about Paul's experience of becoming a changed man, then reading 2 Corinthians 5:17, then doing the object lesson with the penny.  

ITEMS NEEDED:  white vinegar, salt, shiny new penny, old "dirty" pennies (you may want to have enough for the whole class to try it themselves) 

Come Follow Me, Object Lesson: Jesus Christ Can Change Us     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UQV2KVKVKY


QUOTES:   

"Divine discontent comes when we compare “what we are [to] what we have the power to become.”3 Each of us, if we are honest, feels a gap between where and who we are, and where and who we want to become. We yearn for greater personal capacity. We have these feelings because we are daughters and sons of God, born with the Light of Christ yet living in a fallen world. These feelings are God given and create an urgency to act.

We should welcome feelings of divine discontent that call us to a higher way, while recognizing and avoiding Satan’s counterfeit—paralyzing discouragement. This is a precious space into which Satan is all too eager to jump. We can choose to walk the higher path that leads us to seek for God and His peace and grace, or we can listen to Satan, who bombards us with messages that we will never be enough: rich enough, smart enough, beautiful enough, anything enough. Our discontent can become divine—or destructive."   "Divine Discontent," Michelle Craig, October 2018


"When you wonder how much pain you can endure well, remember Him. He suffered what you suffer so that He would know how to lift you up. He may not remove the burden, but He will give you strength, comfort, and hope. He knows the way. He drank the bitter cup. He endured the suffering of all.

You are being nourished and comforted by a loving Savior, who knows how to succor you in whatever tests you face. Alma taught:

“And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. “And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.” One way He will succor you will be to invite you always to remember Him and to come unto Him."  "Tested, Proved, and Polished," Henry B Eyring, October 2020

VIDEOS: 

Latter-day Kids:  Repentance   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFFAca1tZKY

2 Corinthians 7:  Godly Sorrow Worketh Repentance  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEySoMQkz08



2 Corinthians 5:  Reconciled to God through Jesus Christ  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XguR5tJgaCE


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!!!