For March 2015 the topic for "Come Follow Me" is,
Here are the links to each organizations page for the month: Young Women, Aaronic Priesthood, Sunday School
Since, each organization has their own outlines and each lesson will need to be specified to the individual class members and there are already amazing outlines that can be used for guidance, I am only going to share some general ideas that can just be used as supplements. The great thing about this program is to allow the spirit to guide you to the needs of the youth in your class. Prepare before hand, Pray for guidance, Listen to the Promptings of the Spirit and invite the youth to do the same.
Here is the Scripture for the month:
“Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ” (Moroni 7:41).
Lesson Ideas: There are so many topics to choose from this month. I am just giving supplemental ideas to a few of them. Please refer to the church's website for the wonderful outlines they have for all of the topics, see links below. A great idea to begin each lesson is to invite each class member to come with a scripture or spiritual thought to share with the rest of the class. (When I was a youth we did this in one of my classes, it is a class I loved to attend and had the most participation in it.)
- What is the Atonement of Jesus Christ? Begin by writing the word "Atonement" on the board. Give each class member a paper and invite them to write what the word atonement means to them. When they are finished, invite them to share what they have wrote. Play the video, "The Savior Suffers in Gethsemane". As they watch the show invite them to personalize it, have them think about Jesus suffering for them personally. When the video is over, give each class member a scripture: D&C 19:16–19; Matthew 26–27; Matthew 28:1–10; 2 Nephi 9:6–16; Alma 7:11–13. Invite each class member to take turns reading their scripture to the class and discussing it. Play the video, "Jesus Is Scourged and Crucified". Invite the young women to think about trials and pains that they face. Ask the young women the following question, "How do we access the power of the Atonement to help us during times of trial?" Read together, Mosiah 24:12-14, to help answer the question.
- What does it mean to have faith in Jesus Christ? Begin, by explaining to the class that you wanted to share something so delicious with them. Bring out the cake mix and pass it around. Explain that you brought brownies to share, don't they look so good? Invite a class member to read the following scripture, James 2:14-20. Invite the class members to share what they think is missing from the brownies? Explain that "works"is what is missing. The mixing and the baking to make the brownies into something editable is what is missing. Ask the youth what experiences they have had that explain why works is an important part of faith. Ask they youth how they can show their faith in Jesus Christ? Divide up Elder Nelson's talk, "Let Your Faith Show". Take turns reading and discussing the talk as a class. At the end of the lesson, bring some baked brownies and share them with the rest of the class.
- How can repentance help me every day? Write the phrase, "Change of Heart", on the board. Give the class members a minute to think about that phrase and what it means. Then show the video, “A Change of Heart.” Now invite the class members to think about the phrase "Change of Heart", again. Invite them to share what they think that phrase means. Pass out the following quotes and invite the class members to read them one at a time, stopping to discuss the quote after each one. Quotes (“Repentance” section of True to the Faith; "Repentance" section of For the Strength of Youth; Happiness in Family Life: Repentance) Close by asking the question, "How can repentance help me every day?" Give each class member a piece of paper and invite them to write down, what that can do each day to have repentance help them.
- What is grace? Write the word grace on the board. Invite the youth to share what they think of when they hear the word grace. What is the grace of Jesus Christ? Invite the youth to take turns reading a paragraph about grace from gospel topics on lds.org here is a link: Grace. Discuss this explanation. Write "Enabling power" on the board and "Spiritual Healing". Invite the youth to think about a heavy burden which they have had to carry, or a time they have felt weak. Explain that it is through grace that they Savior is their to help share the load, to help carry their burden and to help make their weakness become strength. When might we use his grace to help us heal spiritually? Discuss these questions and invite the youth to share their experiences and testimonies of grace.
- Why do I need to forgive others? Give each member of your class a pebble, ask them to put it in their shoe. Play the movie, "Forgiveness, My Burden was Made Light". After the movie is over, explain that the pebble that is in their shoe is a little uncomfortable, sometimes even painful and they probably were pretty aware of it's presence. Invite the youth to take the pebble out of their shoe. Invite the youth to share how the pebble might correlate to Forgiveness. (Discussion might include: That when we do not forgive we have that thing weighing us down, always their, causing unpleasant unhappy feelings. When we freely forgive others, we can remove those unpleasant feelings and be at peace.) Invite a youth to read, Matthew 6:14-15. Discuss that it is commandment to forgive. Play video, "Forgive 70 times 7". Explain that the Savior was the perfect example of forgiveness. Invite a youth to read Luke 23:34.
- What is the resurrection? Show the video, "My Kingdom Is Not of This World" Ask the question, "What is the resurrection? Invite the youth to share their answers. Invite the youth to read sections of "Resurrection" found on the Gospel Topics section of lds.org. Show video, "The Risen Lord Appears to the Apostles"
- How can the Atonement help me during my trials? Invite the youth to think about an oxen who has to pull a wagon filled with heavy belongings. Think of the oxen as it has to pull the heavy burden up a hill. Now, picture another oxen coming and being yoked to the first oxen. Ask the youth if they believe the first oxen's burden would be lightened by the help of another oxen? Read the following scripture, "Matthew 11:28-30". Invite the youth to share how they believe Jesus is able to help us during our trials? Show the video, "Lifting Burdens" Discuss how we can gain stronger testimonies of the concept that through the Atonement Jesus can help us during our trials. We can gain these testimonies as we rely on our Savior to help us through difficult times. He has suffered for all things, He knows what we are going through, and He is their to help.
Aaronic Priesthood: (See ideas above under Young Women)
- How can I use the words of living prophets and apostles to strengthen my faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ? The week before class give each class member a copy of one of the talks from an apostle or prophet. Here are some ideas of talks (Personal Strength through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, By Elder Richard G. Scott; The Atonement, By President Boyd K. Packer; He Lives! All Glory to His Name!, By Richard G. Scott; The Living Christ: THE TESTIMONY OF THE APOSTLES; None Were with Him, By Elder Jeffrey R. Holland.) To begin class ask the class would they more fully believe something if they heard it from just one person or from several people? Explain that Heavenly Father has given us several witnesses to share their testimonies of the atonement of Jesus Christ. Write the following question on the board, "How can I use the words of living prophets and apostles to strengthen my faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ?" Invite each class member to think about that question a minute and then share their answers with the class. Explain that the previous week each class member was given an address from one of the apostles or prophets of the church. Invite each class member one at a time to share with the rest of the class who gave the talk they read, what it was about, and how reading it helped to strengthen their testimony of the atonement.
- What can the scriptures teach me about the Atonement of Jesus Christ? Beforehand remind the youth to bring their scriptures to class with them. Write on the board the following question, "What can the scriptures teach me about the Atonement of Jesus Christ? Invite the class members to keep this question in their mind as they go throughout the lesson. Scripture Chase time!! Explain that you will write or place a scripture on the board and they will race to find the scripture. The first one to have the scripture gets to read the scripture and receives a point or sticker or small piece of candy. Invite that person to read the scripture and share how they feel that scripture helps to teach them about the atonement. Examples of Scriptures that could be used in the chase: Alma 34:9; Roman 5:11; Articles of Faith 1:3; 2 Nephi 9:7; Mosiah 13:28; Doctrine and Covenants 138:4; Alma 42:15; Jacob 7:12; Mosiah 4:7; Moroni 7:41; Doctrine and Covenants 76:69; 2 Nephi 9:26.
- How can the Book of Mormon help me strengthen my faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ? The week before this lesson invite class members to think about their favorite scriptures in the Book of Mormon that are about forgiveness or repentance. Invite them to come prepared to share their scripture and how they believe that particular scripture can help strengthen their faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Show the video, “Book of Mormon Introduction.” Then share and discuss the scriptures the youth came prepared with.
- How can relying on the Savior’s grace help me become a better teacher? Bring a rubik's cube or something else that might be difficult to so. Explain that in life sometimes we are faced with or asked to do things that are difficult to do. You might look at a Rubik's cube and not even know where to begin. But as you rely on someone who has overcome the challenge themselves. You will be able to accomplish and overcome the challenge. Ask the youth how that might apply to the Savior's grace being able to help them become a better teacher? Some ideas to discuss might be: That the Savior lived his life teaching others. He was the perfect example of how we should teach. He also through the atonement suffered for our shortcomings. Through His grace he enables us to make hard things become easier. To make weak things strong. Share the scripture story of Moroni, found in Ether 12:23-26. Discuss this as a group and share ideas on how that scripture relates with each of us being able to become better teachers, and overcome other weaknesses we may have.
- How can I use comparisons to teach others about the Atonement? Before class invite each class member to come prepared to teach the class something that could be used as a comparison to the Atonement. If youth are having a difficult time doing this, you could assign them each something, such as: Soap and Dirty Hands, Water, food coloring and bleach, A soiled plate and dish soap, A blanket (atonement can give us comfort), Bridge (Atonement filled the gap making it possible for us to continue on our path to eternal life), Bandaid (through the atonement and repentance we can be healed from our sins and sorrows), etc. During class invite each member to share their comparisons. Play the video, "The Mediator"
Idea's for Mutual: Here is a link to the Youth Activities Planning Site. *** This site is amazing! We recently had a short little training on this site at one of our Round Tables. It is a great resource for planning activities. It will only continue to grow as wards submit more ideas. One really need thing about it is it can link the activities right into your stake or ward calendars. ***
For More Ideas Visit:
Thank you for all of your ideas. Keep them coming!
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