One of the things I do to prepare to teach is to write the lesson outline on a sticky note; I include the purpose and conclusion as well. This practice has been especially helpful as it gives me a framework within which to prepare and points that are important to convey. As an instructor who often feels unequal to the task of standing in front of my peers, I take comfort in knowing that the lesson manual was prepared with purpose and prayer. It has been approved by the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve. My job is to make sure that the purpose of the lesson is communicated. Having the outline written defines in my mind the major points that need to be made. I've included a sample of what is on my sticky note this week.
Purpose: To encourage class members to become more dedicated disciples of Jesus Christ.
1. True disciples do right things for right reasons.
2. True disciples follow the Savior’s example of prayer.
3. True disciples treat others kindly and fairly.
4. True disciples serve God and do his will.
Conclusion: It is ever so important that we follow our Savior, Jesus Christ. I would encourage you to consider what you need to do to become better disciples of Christ.
Matthew 6-7
• What will be the reward for people who do good things to be seen by others? (See Matthew 6:2, 5, 16.) What things might we do to be seen by others instead of to please God? How can we purify our motives for serving and performing other good works?
• The teaching in Matthew 7:12 is often called the Golden Rule. What experiences have shown you the value of this principle? How does following the Golden Rule make us better disciples of Jesus Christ?
• Jesus promised that if we “seek … first the kingdom of God,” we will be given all other things that we need (Matthew 6:33). What experiences have helped you gain a testimony of this promise?
Suggestions for Family Discussion
1. Display a stone and a pile of sand. Ask family members which material they would use as a foundation for a house. Read Matthew 7:24–27, and discuss how building our lives on the Savior’s teachings is like building a house on a firm foundation of rock.
2. Display a map. Ask family members how a map could help them plan a trip. If your family has recently taken a trip or will take one soon, discuss how a map was used or will be used on the trip. Explain that in our journey toward eternal life, the scriptures and the teachings of the living prophets are like a map, helping us know how to return to our Heavenly Father.
Scripture Chain: Living as Disciples of Christ
Matthew 16:24–25
Matthew 7:21
John 8:31
John 13:35
2 Nephi 31:10–13
Moroni 7:48
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Lesson 8: The Sermon on the Mount: A More Excellent Way
Purpose: To encourage class members to come unto Christ by applying the principles he taught in the Sermon on the Mount. 
It is our great privilege to examine the principles Christ taught in the Sermon on the Mount, which are often referred to as the beatitudes, this coming week. The Bible Dictionary provides the following insight: Beatitudes. Name given to certain declarations of blessedness in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:3–11, cf. Luke 6:20–22). They describe certain elements that go to form the refined and spiritual character, and all of which will be present whenever that character exists in its perfection. Rather than being isolated statements, the Beatitudes are interrelated and progressive in their arrangement. A more comprehensive and accurate listing is found in 3 Ne. 12 and JST Matt. 5, where a greater spiritual emphasis is given.
It is our great privilege to examine the principles Christ taught in the Sermon on the Mount, which are often referred to as the beatitudes, this coming week. The Bible Dictionary provides the following insight: Beatitudes. Name given to certain declarations of blessedness in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:3–11, cf. Luke 6:20–22). They describe certain elements that go to form the refined and spiritual character, and all of which will be present whenever that character exists in its perfection. Rather than being isolated statements, the Beatitudes are interrelated and progressive in their arrangement. A more comprehensive and accurate listing is found in 3 Ne. 12 and JST Matt. 5, where a greater spiritual emphasis is given.I found a really lovely talk titled, "The Christ-Focused Beatitudes" which was given by Robert E. Wells. I highly recommend that you take a moment and read his address. It has given me an entirely new perspective on the Beatitudes. I will reference his talk in our discussion on Sunday, but I can promise you that your own preparation and time given to pondering the principles taught by the Savior will be worth your time.
Matthew 5
• How can Latter-day Saints be “the light of the world”? (Matthew 5:14; see also verse Matthew 5:16).
• How are the Savior’s teachings in Matthew 5:22–24, 28, 34–37, 39–40, and Matthew 5:44–48 higher laws than the laws mentioned in Matthew 5:21, 27, 33, 38, and Matthew 5:43?
• How do the teachings in the Sermon on the Mount help us “come unto Christ, and be perfected in him”? (Moroni 10:32).
Suggestion for Family Discussion
On a chalkboard, poster board, or piece of paper, write the following statement (or another statement that might be more applicable to family members): The teachings in the Sermon on the Mount can help me at school. Ask family members to read a few passages in Matthew 5 and discuss how those passages relate to the statement you have written.
Scripture Chain: Perfection through the Atonement of Jesus Christ
Matthew 5:48
Ether 12:27
Moroni 10:32–33
D&C 76:68–70
Conclusion: The teachings in the Sermon on the Mount help us “come unto Christ, and be perfected in him” (Moroni 10:32).
Matthew 5
• How can Latter-day Saints be “the light of the world”? (Matthew 5:14; see also verse Matthew 5:16).
• How are the Savior’s teachings in Matthew 5:22–24, 28, 34–37, 39–40, and Matthew 5:44–48 higher laws than the laws mentioned in Matthew 5:21, 27, 33, 38, and Matthew 5:43?
• How do the teachings in the Sermon on the Mount help us “come unto Christ, and be perfected in him”? (Moroni 10:32).
Suggestion for Family Discussion
On a chalkboard, poster board, or piece of paper, write the following statement (or another statement that might be more applicable to family members): The teachings in the Sermon on the Mount can help me at school. Ask family members to read a few passages in Matthew 5 and discuss how those passages relate to the statement you have written.
Scripture Chain: Perfection through the Atonement of Jesus Christ
Matthew 5:48
Ether 12:27
Moroni 10:32–33
D&C 76:68–70
Conclusion: The teachings in the Sermon on the Mount help us “come unto Christ, and be perfected in him” (Moroni 10:32).
I dropped the ball...
I completely forgot to post the lesson for yesterday. I am terribly sorry! I'll post for this coming week soon.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Lesson 6: They Straightway Left Their Nets
PURPOSE (as stated in the manual): To help class members understand that Apostles are called to be special witnesses of Jesus Christ and that we are blessed when we sustain and follow them.
Our lesson this week is so so good; it is about following Christ. I can't think of anything more important for us to talk about. I am including a portion of a talk that Elder Worthlin gave in General Conference in 2002. This talk provides valuable insight into the scriptures we will discuss on Sunday. ENJOY!
"They were fishermen before they heard the call. Casting their nets into the Sea of Galilee, Peter and Andrew stopped as Jesus of Nazareth approached, looked into their eyes, and spoke the simple words, “Follow me.” Matthew writes that the two fishermen “straightway left their nets, and followed him.”
Then the Son of Man approached two other fishermen who were in a ship with their father, mending their nets. Jesus called to them, “and [James and John] immediately left the ship and their father, and followed [the Lord].” 1
Have you ever wondered what it must have been like to have lived in the days of the Savior? If you had been there, would you have heeded His call “Follow me”?
Perhaps a more realistic question might be, “If the Savior were to call you today, would you be just as willing to leave your nets and follow Him?” I am confident that many would.
But for some, it may not be such an easy decision. Some have discovered that nets, by their very nature, are sometimes not so easy to leave.
Nets come in many sizes and shapes. The nets that Peter, Andrew, James, and John left were tangible objects—tools that helped them earn a living.
We sometimes think of these four men as modest fishermen who did not sacrifice much when they left their nets to follow the Savior. To the contrary, as Elder James E. Talmage, in Jesus the Christ, points out, Peter, Andrew, James, and John were partners in a prosperous business. They “owned their boats and gave employment to other men.” According to Elder Talmage, Simon Peter “was well to do in a material way; and when he once spoke of having left all to follow Jesus, the Lord did not deny that Peter’s sacrifice of temporal possessions was … great.” 2
Later, the net of wealth entrapped a rich young man who claimed that he had obeyed all the commandments from his youth. When he asked the Savior what else he should do to have eternal life, the Master said, “If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.” When the young man heard that, “he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.” 3
Nets are generally defined as devices for capturing something. In a more narrow but more important sense, we might define a net as anything that entices or prevents us from following the call of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God.
Nets in this context can be our work, our hobbies, our pleasures, and, above all else, our temptations and sins. In short, a net can be anything that pulls us away from our relationship with our Heavenly Father or from His restored Church.
***To read the rest of Elder Worthlin's talk go HERE!
To prepare for our discussion please reference the following scriptures:
Luke 4:14-32; 5; 6:12-16; Matthew 10
• Why was it important that Jesus call Apostles? (See Matthew 9:36–38; 16:19; Mark 3:14–15; John 20:19–21, 23; Ephesians 4:11–15.) Why is it important that the Lord has called Apostles today?
• What do you learn about the powers and responsibilities of Apostles from Jesus’ counsel in Matthew 10? How have you seen latter-day Apostles fulfill these responsibilities?
• How have you been blessed by following the counsel of an Apostle?
Suggestion for Family Discussion
Show the chart of General Authorities from the most recent conference issue of the Church magazine in your area. Help family members recognize and learn the names of the members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Share your feelings about the blessing it is to be led by prophets and apostles.
Scripture Chain: The Calling of an Apostle
Luke 6:13
Matthew 10:5–8
Ephesians 4:11–15
D&C 107:23
D&C 107:33, 35
D&C 112:14
D&C 112:19–22
Our lesson this week is so so good; it is about following Christ. I can't think of anything more important for us to talk about. I am including a portion of a talk that Elder Worthlin gave in General Conference in 2002. This talk provides valuable insight into the scriptures we will discuss on Sunday. ENJOY!
"They were fishermen before they heard the call. Casting their nets into the Sea of Galilee, Peter and Andrew stopped as Jesus of Nazareth approached, looked into their eyes, and spoke the simple words, “Follow me.” Matthew writes that the two fishermen “straightway left their nets, and followed him.”
Then the Son of Man approached two other fishermen who were in a ship with their father, mending their nets. Jesus called to them, “and [James and John] immediately left the ship and their father, and followed [the Lord].” 1
Have you ever wondered what it must have been like to have lived in the days of the Savior? If you had been there, would you have heeded His call “Follow me”?
Perhaps a more realistic question might be, “If the Savior were to call you today, would you be just as willing to leave your nets and follow Him?” I am confident that many would.
But for some, it may not be such an easy decision. Some have discovered that nets, by their very nature, are sometimes not so easy to leave.
Nets come in many sizes and shapes. The nets that Peter, Andrew, James, and John left were tangible objects—tools that helped them earn a living.
We sometimes think of these four men as modest fishermen who did not sacrifice much when they left their nets to follow the Savior. To the contrary, as Elder James E. Talmage, in Jesus the Christ, points out, Peter, Andrew, James, and John were partners in a prosperous business. They “owned their boats and gave employment to other men.” According to Elder Talmage, Simon Peter “was well to do in a material way; and when he once spoke of having left all to follow Jesus, the Lord did not deny that Peter’s sacrifice of temporal possessions was … great.” 2
Later, the net of wealth entrapped a rich young man who claimed that he had obeyed all the commandments from his youth. When he asked the Savior what else he should do to have eternal life, the Master said, “If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.” When the young man heard that, “he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.” 3
Nets are generally defined as devices for capturing something. In a more narrow but more important sense, we might define a net as anything that entices or prevents us from following the call of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God.
Nets in this context can be our work, our hobbies, our pleasures, and, above all else, our temptations and sins. In short, a net can be anything that pulls us away from our relationship with our Heavenly Father or from His restored Church.
***To read the rest of Elder Worthlin's talk go HERE!
To prepare for our discussion please reference the following scriptures:
Luke 4:14-32; 5; 6:12-16; Matthew 10
• Why was it important that Jesus call Apostles? (See Matthew 9:36–38; 16:19; Mark 3:14–15; John 20:19–21, 23; Ephesians 4:11–15.) Why is it important that the Lord has called Apostles today?
• What do you learn about the powers and responsibilities of Apostles from Jesus’ counsel in Matthew 10? How have you seen latter-day Apostles fulfill these responsibilities?
• How have you been blessed by following the counsel of an Apostle?
Suggestion for Family Discussion
Show the chart of General Authorities from the most recent conference issue of the Church magazine in your area. Help family members recognize and learn the names of the members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Share your feelings about the blessing it is to be led by prophets and apostles.
Scripture Chain: The Calling of an Apostle
Luke 6:13
Matthew 10:5–8
Ephesians 4:11–15
D&C 107:23
D&C 107:33, 35
D&C 112:14
D&C 112:19–22
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