Ideas and Printables to Help You Teach Come Follow Me 1-3 John; Jude "God Is Love" (November 27 - December 3)
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It’s going to be a fun week as we study Come, Follow Me 1-3 John; Jude "God Is Love" (December 2-8)! At this time, the apostasy has begun. There are several antichrists teaching false doctrines like how Christ hadn’t come in the flesh. You’ll notice John starts by sharing his testimony of the true resurrected Savior. Jude warns of evils that crept in unaware. It’s a great reminder of how we always need to be vigilant.
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Remember! Keep scrolling! These posts are long and full of resources. The Weekly Recap and all the Questions to Ponder are at the very bottom of this post.
1 John
John uses two words to describe God to us, light and love. Throughout 1 John you will find references to light and love. Highlight these references and see what you can learn through these simple but powerful words.
Additional Study Suggestions
“God’s Love for His Children” by President M. Russell Ballard
“Out of Darkness into His Marvelous Light” by Elder Robert D. Hales
“Choose the Light” by Elder Vern P. Stanfill
“Walk in the Light” by President Henry B. Eyring
“The Hope of God’s Light” by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
“The Lord Is My Light” by Elder Quentin L. Cook
“Brighter and Brighter until the Perfect Day” by Elder Mark A. Bragg
Videos to Share
Choose the Light (about 7 minutes)
Watch the new #LIGHTtheWORLD videos
Discovering the Hope of God’s Light (about 7 minutes)
There are three videos where Elder David A. Bednar discusses light:
Questions to Ponder
Why do you think John used the words “light” and “love” to describe God? How would you describe Him?
What experiences have you had that testify that God is light and love?
How do you feel when you are surrounded by darkness? How does knowing God is light help you in your dark times?
If God is light and love, how can you be like Him?
Who can you share light and love with this Christmas season?
How does knowing you can’t have darkness where there is light give you hope and help?
How can you be a light for others? How can you share the light of Christ?
Teaching Activities
Use my #LIGHTtheWORLD lanterns as you discuss how God is love and light. You can color the bags or poke holes along the design to make your lantern. As you read 1 John this week, look for teachings about light and love. You can turn on your lantern each time you find a reference, add a slip of paper with the reference, or write the phrase on your bags. Then make extra bags and share some light with a friend this week.
Make your own lantern with pictures of hearts or other things that represent God’s love for you or your love for God. Discuss how God shows His love and how we can show our love in return.
Learn the hymn, “God Is Love” (Hymn #87) this week and discuss what it means. You could also listen to The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square perform it.
The manger project is great to do as you focus on showing love for God. All you need is an empty manger, straw, and a baby Jesus. Place the manger somewhere you will see it often. Every time you do something to show your love for Jesus, place a piece of straw in the manger, the goal being to make a soft bed for Jesus come Christmas. On Christmas day, you discuss all the things you did, how it made you all feel, and how you felt God’s love in return. Then place the baby Jesus in the manger.
Make a box tunnel or use pillows. The goal is to make it long and as dark as possible inside the tunnel so it will be similar to Elder Stanfill’s experience (read his talk above). Let everyone crawl around through your tunnel maze and share their experiences then watch Choose the Light in the Videos to Share above. Discuss what light does for us and how it’s a good description of God. What can we do to stay in the light?
Cover a piece of cardboard with foil and write on it, "Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love me" so it's like a mirror. Let your little ones decorate it with some heart or other fun stickers then practice saying the phrase together (lots of shiny heart stickers here).
Make some heart-shaped cookies and deliver them in a #LIGHTtheWORLD lantern as you spread cheer this season. You can also include an invite to watch the new Nativity video put out by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
You can also make these heart pockets from my Primary 1 Lesson 6 handouts. Fill it ways you know God is love.
- Discuss how light dispels darkness. You can't have darkness where light is. How does this give us hope and help? How can we be a light for others? How can we share the light of Christ?
1 John 2:24-3:3
John tells us we have the potential to become like God because we are children of God. As you study these verses, look for advice you can apply to your life as you strive to be like Jesus.
Additional Study Suggestions
“Perfection Pending” by President Russell M. Nelson
“Salvation and Exaltation” by President Russell M. Nelson
“Becoming a Disciple of Our Lord Jesus Christ” by Elder Rober D. Hales
“Divine Discontent” by Sister Michelle D. Craig
“The Father” by Brother Brian K. Ashton
Videos to Share
Potential to Become Like God (about 1 1/2 minutes)
Daily Bread: Change (about 3minutes)
Christlike Attributes (about 3 minutes)
Questions to Ponder
How do you feel about your literal divine potential?
How does knowing you have divine potential influence your daily actions?
What can you do now to become more like Christ? What are some smaller goals that will help you do that?
What goals can you make as a family to become more Christlike?
Why do you want to become more Christlike? Why bother?
Why do you feel God allows us to become like Him?
How can the new youth program help you become more like Christ now?
Teaching Activities
Watch the Christlike Attributes video listed above. Invite your family or class to write down the attributes that stick out to them then discuss why and how you can further develop those attributes and become more like Christ.
One of the reasons Christmas is so wonderful is because more people are striving more to be like Christ. How can we keep that Christmas stiving with us all year? You can make a calendar like the #LIGHTtheWORLD one for January as well that corresponds with your individual or family goals.
Use some two or three-piece puzzles to talk about who we can become (This animal one from 123 Homeschool 4 Me is perfect). In the puzzle, the baby becomes an adult animal. Who can we become like? Get a photo of each person when they were younger then place their parents next to them then place a picture of Jesus Christ after that to show who we can become like.
Make your goals in accordance with the new children and youth program. If people are open to sharing a goal, brainstorm how can you support one another. Is there a family goal you want to make as well? What are some milestones along the way to your goal that you can celebrate? How will you celebrate? You Can also read together “Like the Savior: Growing in Four Important Areas.”
Tie becoming like Christ into the previous section about how God is light and love. God will light the way to our personal improvement and love us as continue trying even when we aren’t perfect along the way.
Share one way you are striving to be more Christlike on social media this week with #strivetobe
Take the Christlike Attribute Quiz- You can find it Preach My Gospel but there is also a great version in the New Era (October 2016). This may help you understand what goals you want to make.
1 John 5
This chapter reminds us that as we exercise faith in Jesus Christ, we can overcome the world.
Additional Study Suggestions
“Overcoming the World” by Elder Neil L. Andersen
“Being in the World by Not of the World” by Elder Quentin L. Cook
“Sharing Your Light” by Sister Neill F. Marriot
Videos to Share
Several videos to choose from on this lesson help page
Questions to Ponder
What does overcoming the world mean and look like to you? How do you do that?
How does your faith in Jesus Christ allow you to overcome the world?
What helps you be in the world but not of the world?
How can you as a family conquer the world together and keep your homes a safe refuge?
What will help you to continue to climb the mountain to overcome the world tomorrow and the next day? What can you do when you feel like you just can’t keep climbing?
How does daily repentance help you in your quest?
Teaching Activities
Practice overcoming the world by building a giant pillow mound (use couch cushions, stuffed animals, anything soft and fun). Can you make it to the top? Design a family flag and try to plant it at the top of your pillow mountain. You can take turns and have some fun laughing together. What are some daily actions that help you climb to the top and overcome the world?
You can also compare overcoming the world to the great and spacious building. In Elder Neil L. Andersen’s recent General Conference talk, “Fruit” he mentions how the great and spacious building is inflating and threatens to envelop our homes. How can we prevent this from happening to our homes? What can we do to counter the increasing attacks of the adversary? What can we do to overcome instead of becoming enclosed?
Tie in the armour of God from a few weeks ago. Remember how we have to be intentional about putting on our armour? How does this armour help us overcome the world? How are we doing putting on our armour everyday?
The previous section leads you right into this one. As you discuss becoming more Christlike show how it helps you overcome the world. Faith is an action word so it will move you to want to be more Christlike which helps you overcome the world.
Play the hand pile game. Stack your hands on top of each other and compete to see who can get their hand on top the most (you can also set a one-minute timer and see who is on top when it goes off). Read and discuss John 16:33. Whose hand would really be on the top of the hand pile? How can we overcome and keep overcoming the world? Read and discuss 1 John 5:3-5.
Additional Study Helps
Remember to print all your Questions to Ponder and Weekly Recap sheet out now. It’ll help you plan and whip up a lesson in a moment’s notice.
- If you need more ideas, check out the teaching kits from The Red Headed Hostess (remember to check out their Holiday sale Thanksgiving weekend too).
- Love Pray Teach also has lots of great ideas too. She divides her packets into family, Junior Primary, Senior Primary, and Sunday School.
