When our beliefs move us to take action, that’s where faith begins! We can begin to show our faith in Jesus Christ every day in small and simple ways.
When we take the time to kneel and pray to our Father in Heaven, that’s an act of faith!
When we try to show kindness and compassion to someone, that’s an act of faith!
When we open the scriptures and read them and ponder them, that’s also an act of faith!
When we do these things, we are living by faith!
In this lesson, you’ll explore the concept of faith with your children in a fun and memorable way, and you’ll have the chance to discuss together what it means to live by faith!
LESSON BUNDLE DOWNLOADS:
➤ L E S S O N
Open the lesson with a song and a prayer.
🎶 O P E N I N G S O N G : "When He Comes Again"
➤ P R E P A R A T I O N
You will need a long piece of string or yarn. Before the lesson, lay out the string on the floor so that it leads into another room. Place a small treat or snack at the end of the string. For extra fun, you could make the string curve around obstacles or go over furniture or other objects.
➤ I N T R O D U C T I O N
Ask for a volunteer. Tell the volunteer that there is a surprise at the other end of the string and if they want to find the surprise, all they have to do is follow the string! Have everyone else remain seated while the volunteer follows the string to retrieve the surprise.
After you have completed the activity, discuss the following questions:
1) Did the volunteer see the prize before they followed the string? (No.)
2) Why did the volunteer follow the string anyway? (Discuss the children’s responses.)
Explain: Following the string is kind of like having faith in Jesus Christ! You believed me when I told you there was a surprise at the end of the string, but faith is more than just believing. You showed your faith when you started following the string! And we can show our faith in Jesus Christ by following Him!
🎥 V I D E O : "The Treasure Map | Animated Scripture Lesson for Kids"
Say: “Now we are going to watch a video about some children who found a treasure map! Let’s watch and see if they follow the treasure map!”
Discuss the following questions after watching the video:
1) Which of the children showed faith in the treasure map? (The little girl showed faith!)
2) Did the little girl know for sure what would happen if she followed the map? (No, she didn’t know for sure, but she believed she would find the treasure.)
3) How did the little girl show her faith? (She showed faith when she started walking and following the instructions on the map.)
4) How can we show faith in Jesus Christ? (By doing the things that He taught.)
➤ S C R I P T U R E
Read the following scripture verses and discuss the questions that follow.
For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
1) How does the Lord reveal righteousness in our lives? (By faith!)
2) How has the Lord told us we should live? (By faith!)
3) What do you think it means to “live by faith?” (It means we need to do more than just listen to the Lord. We must also try to do the things the Lord has taught us!)
And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.
1) Who is speaking in this verse? (Moroni.)
2) What do you think “trial of your faith” means? (It means we might have to show our faith for a long time even when we still don’t know for sure. We have to decide if we will keep going.)
3) When did the little girl in the video have a trial of her faith? (When she jumped three times and nothing happened.)
4) What did the little girl in the video decide to do when she had a trial of her faith? (She kept going!)
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
1) In the story about the treasure map, did the little girl get to see the treasure first? Or did she have to follow the map first? (She had to follow the map first!)
2) When did the little girl get to see the proof that the treasure was real? (At the very end, after she showed her faith.)
3) When Jesus Christ makes promises to us, do we get to see the promises first? Or do we have to follow Him and have faith first? (We have to follow Him and have faith first!)
➤ C O L O R I N G P A G E S
Pass out a coloring page, one to each child. Invite the children to start at the beginning and color in the footsteps on the treasure map all the way to the end. Use this time to talk about faith and about ways we can exercise faith in Jesus Christ!
➤ T E S T I M O N Y
Bear testimony of the truths found in the scriptures.
Some Things Change, Some Things Never Change
Eternal principles never change. Our responsibilities and duties as parents never change. But the social and moral landscape that surrounds us is changing all the time! Not too long ago, we could depend on a variety of institutions to support our efforts to teach our children the core values that matter most.
Now, more than ever, it feels like we're on our own.
Can you relate?
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