Matthew 14-15; Mark 6-7; John 5-6 "Be Not Afraid" (March 27-April 2)
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There are so many amazing lessons and stories in this week’s lesson, Matthew 14-15; Mark 6-7; John 5-6 "Be Not Afraid" (March 25-31): Christ feeds the 5,000 with two fish and five loaves, the healing of the man at the Pool of Bethesda, Peter walks on water, and we discuss Christ as the living bread.
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Looking for the free printables? KEEP SCROLLING! These posts are packed with information so be sure you scroll all the way down to the Teaching Ideas section and look for the coral buttons to print!
Study Suggestions
Use these to fortify your own studying!
Matthew 13-15; Mark 5-6; John 5-7 from the New Testament Institute Teacher Manual
Matthew 14; Matthew 15, Mark 6; Mark 7-8; John 5; John 6 from the New Testament Seminary Teacher Manual
“The Grandeur of God” by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
“Five Loaves and Two Fishes” by President James E. Faust
Gospel Classics: The Father and the Son- Doctrinal Exposition by the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles how God the Father and Jesus Christ are different people. Clears up some confusing scriptures found in the New Testament.
“The True Bread of Life” by Thomas R. Valletta
“The Living Bread Which Came Down from Heaven” by Elder D. Todd Christofferson
“Lessons from the New Testament: Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life” by Elder Won Yong Ko
“The Beacon in the Harbor of Peace” by President Howard W. Hunter
“Christ at Bethesda’s Pool” by President Thomas S. Monson
“Tomorrow the Lord Will Do Wonders among You” by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
Deseret Bookshelf PLUS
These are great to listen together in the car on the way to school. My whole family loves listening to the youth speaker ones especially. Remember, as a Deseret Bookshelf PLUS member, you can access these eBooks or audio books anytime. Find out more about Deseret Bookshelf PLUS.
- "The Fourth Watch: Receiving Divine Help When Your Prayers Seem Unanswered" by S. Michael Wilcox
- "The Healer's Art: Faith and the Healing Power of Jesus Christ" by Lloyd D. Newell and Don H. Staheli
- "You Are Already Walking on Water" by Ganel-Lyn Condie
- "Walking on Water: When the Lord Asks the Impossible" by S. Michael Wilcox
Videos
Watch a video and discuss it after dinner, recap a part of the lesson before Church on Sunday, share a video in a group and discuss it together, or pause and discuss a video as part of your main lesson.
The Feeding of the 5,000 (about 3 minutes)- Bible video
Pure and Simple Faith (about 5 1/2 minutes)- A young woman exhibiting faith that God will provide
Jesus Heals a Man on the Sabbath (about 3 minuets)- Children telling the story
Wherefore Didst Thou Doubt? (about 2 minutes)- Bible video
The Grandeur of God (about 15 1/2 minutes)- Talk from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
To Whom Shall We Go? (about 14 1/2 minutes)- Talk from President M. Russell Ballard
Five Loaves and Two Fishes (about 16 minutes)- Talk from President James E. Faust
Daily Bread: Change (about 3 minutes)
Daily Bread: Experience (about 3 minutes)
I Am the Bread of Life (about 7 minutes)- Bible video
Peter Walks on Water (about 2 minutes)- Clip from President Howard W. Hunter
Jesus Walks on the Water (about 1 1/2 minutes) - Illustrated scripture story
Jesus Feeds 5,000 People (about 1 minute)- Illustrated scripture story
The Bread of Life (about 1 minute)- Illustrated scripture story
Mountains to Climb (about 5 minutes)
Images
Hang one on the fridge, mail it to a friend, cut it into a puzzle, and more! Bright Idea posters come from the Friend, Mormonads are from The New Era, and others are images found throughout LDS.org
Questions to Ponder
Use these questions to help you ponder as you do your personal studies, encourage journaling for your kids, text them to a friend or child to get the conversation going, or take them with you in the car and randomly draw from a bag as you carpool to school or your next practice. These go beyond the questions in the manual.
How can deciding your values before you are put in a compromising situation help you keep the commandments?
What tender mercies or miracles have you seen in your life? What do those tender mercies teach you about how Heavenly Father feels about you?
How can you come to know Jesus Christ better?
Have your doubts ever overcome your faith? What happened when you let your doubts rule your mind rather than your faith?
How can Jesus make your whole?
When have words come out of your mouth that defiled you? How can you avoid those types of words? How do you feel when you use clean and appropriate language and communications?
How can you have compassion on others like Jesus did when healing the people?
Has your heart ever been hard so that you cannot see the hand of the Lord in your life? How did you fix that?
What helps you have cheer and courage?
Why do you think the Lord often watches until we are in the fourth watch before He helps us?
What commandment can you work harder to obey? How can you do that?
What things would you not do if Jesus Christ walked with you each day? Why would you not do those things and what would you do instead?
Whose life could you bless today and how?
Why would Jesus Christ use symbols such as living water and bread as examples for himself?
How important is the sacrament in your life? How can you better prepare for and appreciate the sacrament?
When has the enabling power of the atonement worked in your life? How was your offering magnified through the help of the Savior?
How has Christ fed you?
When have you been the one with the loaves and fishes to share? How did Christ use what you had?
Teaching Ideas
These are my ideas. My hope is that my thoughts may be a springboard to your own great ideas that are right for you and your family. Some ideas are for families with young children while others might be for widows meeting together as a group. Read through and find what’s right for your situation.
Matthew 14:16-21
Have a fun relay race! Hide several fish and loaves into a tub of shredded paper (or crinkled up newspaper) for each team. Before the race starts, read the story about Jesus feeding the 5,000 emphasizing the amount of loaves and fishes mentioned in Matthew 14. The idea is to get them to think that’s all they really need to find. However, put way more in each tub to show how the miracle provided enough for everyone. For the relay, each person much race to the tub, grab one item, and race back to put it into their basket. When they think they have found all the fishes and loaves, they sit down. If they only found the 5 loaves and two fishes, be sure to tell them they aren’t done and to keep trying. When the race is over, talk about how much “food” each team actually found and how Christ can feed us abundantly today. Use my loaves and fishes printable to hide in your tubs.
Use my free loaves and fishes printable to act out the story yourself. You can have one child pretend they are the person that had the basket of food to share. Then someone can hand one loaf and fish to each person in your family (stash some extras on the person so they can keep giving). Discuss how with God, we are always enough.
Use my loaves and fishes coloring page to reinforce the point on a Sunday afternoon or while you teach the lesson.
If you have young kids, try the loaves and fishes board game from The Catholic Toolbox.
Need something for little hands as you share the lesson with older children? A Year of FHE has a fish and loaves lacing activity you can use.
Matthew 14:22-33
Use my Be of Good Cheer poster to discuss the story of Jesus walking on water. Christ first tells them to be happy in the middle of a storm they have been struggling with for awhile (it’s between 3 and 6 am). Then he reminds them to not be afraid (fear doesn’t come from God- see 2 Timothy 1:7). Between the rays around the word “cheer” in my poster, write things that help you not only be brave but of good cheer!
Walk on water! Make a big water sack and let your kids try “walking on water.” You can find directions to make your own water sack at I Can Teach My Child.
Looking for a fun treat idea? Make some blue Jell-O! Then grab some Teddy Grahams or paper cut outs and stick them on top like they are walking on water.
Here’s a great object lesson from Bible Lesson Stuff. You’ll want to practice before you do it with your family but all you need is water, paperclips, and some soap.
John 5:1-16
Make this craft from Jesus Without Language rolling up his mat.
Your family is probably going to wonder if an angel really touched the water or if something else is going on. Clear it up with this quote from Bruce R. McConkie: “No doubt the pool of Bethesda was a mineral spring whose waters had some curative virtue. But any notion that an angel came down and troubled the waters, so that the first person thereafter entering them would be healed, was pure superstition. Healing miracles are not wrought in any such manner” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [1965–73], 1:188). Many suspect that a spring occasionally flowed into the pool causing the surface to bubble.
John 6:28-58
Make some bread! It’s fun, makes the house smell delicious, and it’s so cozy as you bite into a piece of warm sliced buttered bread. While you bake, discuss why Christ used the image of living bread to describe himself. As you enjoy a fresh slice, discuss how you can enjoy some living bread daily.
Make an extra loaf of bread for a friend! Use my living bread wrapper to share some love and a message this week.
Instead of a loaf of bread, make a French Toast Bake with a scripture clue recipe. It includes the scripture about the living bread as well as some past scriptures we’ve discussed and other scriptures focused around Easter. Tasty and educational! If you don’t do it this week, save it for Easter week!
- Remember, The Red Headed Hostess has weekly lesson packets too. This week's even includes a paper boat to assemble.
Activity Pages
In the interest of focusing my time better, I will no longer be providing the specific links back to the activity pages. LDS.org already has a topic page now so I feel it’s redundant for me to do it as well. Definitely check out the latest addition of the Friend and New Era as well. I have years of those links by topic on this site too. You can search by keyword using my handy dandy search bar (be sure you have flash enabled though or you won’t get any results).
See the topics of Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand and Peter
