More Great Helps to Teach Come, Follow Me 1 and 2 Peter "Rejoice with Joy Unspeakable and Full of Glory" (November 20-26)
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In Come, Follow Me 1 and 2 Peter "Rejoice with Joy Unspeakable and Full of Glory" (November 25- December 1) we get to learn from Peter. The topics of joy, sharing the gospel, and God’s plan for everyone to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ are perfect to focus on as we express our gratitude this Thanksgiving and head into December.
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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 Peter 1:3-9; 2:19-24; 3:14-17; 4:12-19
These verses of scripture remind us that we can find joy even in our suffering because of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Additional Study Suggestions
“Joy and Spiritual Survival” by President Russell M. Nelson
“Finding Joy in the Journey” by President Thomas S. Monson
“Where Do You Turn for Peace?” by Joshua J. Perkey (from the New Era)
“Trial of Your Faith” by Elder Neil L. Andersen
"That Your Joy Might Be Full” by Sister Jean B. Bingham
Videos to Share
Trials of Adversity (about 2 1/2 minutes)
A couple pages of videos about joy
Questions to Ponder
How do you find joy despite the difficulties of life?
Where do you find joy?
How can you cultivate a deeper attitude of happiness? What areas do you struggle with?
How do we allow a spirit of thanksgiving and joy to guide us?
In what ways have you been blessed as you have kept a spirit of gratitude?
In what ways does the good news of the gospel affect the way you approach your journey?
What can you do when you feel discouraged? How can you regain an optimistic attitude?
What experiences have you had that have increased your optimism for the Lord's work?
How do you stay positive when surrounded by negativity?
How do you keep negative attitudes out of your home? What can you do to get everyone on board with this goal?
What are some daily habits you can do in order to walk in the sunshine and not the storms?
What reasons has the gospel given you to be glad?
Teaching Activities
Read these verses of scripture while you color by number then discuss how we can work on seeking the joy in our every day lives.
Play an opposites game. Have two people come to the front of the room and sit face to face. One person says a negative word like hard, painful, depressing (you can use the ones in the manual if you need more ideas). The other person has to immediately respond with a positive word. If one person has to pause for more than second, they must go back to their previous seat and someone else takes their place. When you are done, ask how everyone felt. Was it easier to say the positive or negative words? How did you feel when you only said the positive ones? How do we flip our negative experiences around so they can become positive?
Sing the Primary song, “Smiles” (pg 267)- you know the one that talks about meeting a frown. When you sing it, try turning your frowns upside down in any creative way you can- hand stands, yoga poses, somersaults, etc. How does the world look in your new perspective? What helps you turn your frown upside down?
If you have younger kids, use a doll and pretend her name is Joy then hide it somewhere in your room. Ask the children to find Joy. Then explain how we need to search for joy and not just expect it to come to us, especially when we are grumpy.
Use the example of a glass half full. Ask people if they see it as half full or half empty. Then explain that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want us to be FULL of joy. How can we fill the rest of our glasses?
Practice writing down what you find joy in each day. You can print my free happiness journal to help. At the end of the week, see how much joy you were able to find no matter how your day went.
- Bring out a dart board as a visual for your lesson (you can borrow one from your neighbor or if you want your own, we enjoy this magnetic dart board). Cover the bullseye with a paper that says, "Storms of Life." On the other rings, put "Sunshine." Practice seeking the sunshine instead of the storms with your darts, with the sunshine representing joy.
- Spread some sunshine to one of your neighbors with a Box of Sunshine printables from My Computer is My Canvas.
1 Peter 3:15, 18-20; 4:1-6
Peter reminds us that we should always be ready to share the gospel with others as well as how the gospel is made available to those without it after they die.
Additional Study Suggestions
“Be Thou an Example of the Believers” by President Russell M. Nelson
“The Redemption of the Dead and the Testimony of Jesus” by Elder D. Todd Christofferson
“Sisters’ Participation in the Gathering of Israel” by President Russell M. Nelson
“Sharing the Gospel” by President Dallin H. Oaks
“Finding Joy in Sharing the Gospel” by Sister Cristina B. Franco
“Family History and Temple Work: Sealing and Healing” by Elder Dale G. Renlund
“Missionary Work: Sharing What Is in Your Heart” by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Videos to Share
Their Hearts Are Bound to You (about 3 1/2 minutes)
All the Families of the Earth (about 3 minutes)
Will I Do My Part? (about 2 1/2 minutes)
Questions to Ponder
How can you be ready to share the gospel at any moment? What are some things you can do to prepare yourself?
Why does it matter to you that missionary work continues on the other side of the veil?
What are some things you can do this month to support the missionary work done in heaven?
How can you weave the gospel into your daily conversations more?
What are you doing to help with the gathering today?
How does the way you go throughout your day helping others see Jesus Christ?
When has someone asked you about the Church? How did it go? How did you feel about the answers you gave? How can you be prepared for your next conversation?
How are you making yourself approachable so people feel comfortable coming to you with their questions?
Teaching Activities
Play Ready or Not! Combine my free printable cards above with a game of hide and seek- as soon as you find someone, they have to do what it says on one of the cards. Make it more difficult by counting to random numbers so they really never know when you come to find them.
You can also keep the Ready or Not cards on you throughout the week and randomly pull them out to help prepare your family to be ready to share the gospel at all times. Note: the last page has some activities that will require supplies at home as they relate to some skills full time missionaries need.
Spend time this Thanksgiving week giving thanks for your ancestors. You can add them to your Thanksgiving gratitude tree and share their stories. Then discuss whether they may be missionaries in heaven now or if they might be receiving the missionary discussions. How can you help too?
Remember, the Church has a Family History coloring book too- great for a Sunday activity and quick lesson.
My favorite missionary talk about being prepared to share the gospel always is "The Missionary Next Door: Sharing the Gospel with Your Friends" by Diana H. Hoelscher (it’s included in your Deseret Book PLUS subscription). I love all the ways her parents prepared her to share the gospel in easy, nonthreatening ways. It’s given our family lots of ideas. Listen to it in the car this week with your family and come up with your goals for including the gospel sharing more in your home.
This is a great week to discuss how your family will be lighting the world this December. Watch the video, check out their calendar of suggested acts, then make your own free Christmas Advent with your own goals and scratch off stickers. How are these small daily acts helping us share the gospel?
Play a free board game from All Things Bright and Beautiful about missionary work.
Make a fun lifesaver treat for your family and go fishing with the free printables included in my Primary 5 Lesson 13 handouts. On the blank fish, write some questions or situations where we can help those doing missionary work on the other side of the veil. There is also this super fun fishing game with a few different variations (great for even little ones).
Get your missionary on as you play “BEE” a Missionary Now. This game is from a lesson we did back in July and has scenario cards to help you through. If you find that you aren’t moving far, add one dice to the game and add the two together for a total number of moves. Make the missionary game harder by using the Preach My Gospel manual instead. Head to section 3 and ask questions from those missionary lessons instead and see how your family or class would respond.
Watch President Russell M. Nelson’s devotional where he invited all the youth to help with the great gathering process. If you feel inclined, accept his four invitations again.
Get the crayons and markers out and do some drawing with the free missionary printables including in my Primary 2 Lesson 11 helps.
Looking for a different kind of game? Go back and use my Pin the Tag on the Missionary game and play it again! This time add some tags that talk about doing your temple and family history work too.
Find loads of resources to help you with your Family History so you can take a new family name to the temple soon.
If you need a simple way to show little ones how they can share the gospel, try this visual activity from The Friend this past July.
Read and discuss how sharing the gospel can be like waking someone up in the morning (from October’s New Era).
2 Peter 1:1-11
These verses not only discuss how we have a divine nature but that we should be developing it more through the power of Jesus Christ.
Additional Study Suggestions
“Discovering the Divinity Within” by Sister Rosemary M. Wixom
“What Voices Will You Listen To?” by Sister Michelle D. Craig (New Era)
“Children of the Covenant” by President Russell M. Nelson
“Becoming a Disciple of Our Lord Jesus Christ” by Elder Robert D. Hales
“Exceeding Great and Precious Promises” by Elder David A. Bednar
Videos to Share
Two pages of videos all about your Divine Nature
“Our True Identity”- clip from Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Questions to Ponder
How are you currently choosing to define yourself? Does it include your divine nature?
Why is it important to include our divine nature when defining ourselves?
What does it mean to you that you have divine nature?
How can you further develop your divine nature? What does that mean?
What happens when you forget who you really are? What happens when you remember?
How would Satan like you to define yourself? How can you avoid his entrapping of this type of definition?
How does God want you to define yourself? How can you embrace that and keep it in the front of your mind always?
How can you help others see their divine nature and potential?
Teaching Activities
Put everyone’s name on a separate piece of paper (there is a template to help in my Primary 5 Lesson 16 helps). Then pass each paper around the room asking people to write down something that describes that person (in a positive way, of course). Share them back with the person they belong to then ask who has “Child of God” written on their paper. Why is that an important way we define ourselves? What does it mean to you that you have divine nature? How do we develop our divine nature?
Invite everyone to write down a personal biography about themselves- no more than a paragraph. How did you choose to define yourself? Did anyone include their divine nature? What happens when we forget who we really are? What happens when we remember?
Make a self portrait using the hand and foot tracing method. After everyone traces their hands and feet, have them finish the drawing not as they look right now but how they will look when they have fully developed their divine nature. Their background can look like what they image heaven to be like. It’s helpful if you have long paper like the big sized construction paper or a roll of butcher paper for this one as you will have people of various sizes (I bought a huge roll at Costco but this is a good kraft paper roll as well).
- Head over to the Divine Nature section of the old Personal Progress book and pick an activity you can do to develop your divine nature.
