POST-AND-PRESENT ACTIVITY. I CAN GROW LIKE JESUS Inch-by-inch growth chart and measure-up bookmark. Youth can contemplate their choices to see if they measure up to how Jesus “Increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man” (Luke 2:52). Only this is tricky as the measure-up wordstrips are written backward; they will have to look at them closer in a mirror to read how they can grow inch-by-inch like Jesus.
Great for COME FOLLOW ME, Primary and Family Home Evening, Bible Study, and Activity Days
POST-AND-PRESENT
I Can Grow to Be like Jesus
inch-by-inch growth chart and a measure-up bookmark
OBJECTIVE:
Help the youth grow to become like Jesus: grow in wisdom, stature, and in favor with God and man (Luke 2:52; D&C 88:118; 89:20; 88:63; Proverb 18:24). With this activity, youth can reflect words in a mirror that show how Jesus lived and reflect upon their own countenance to remind themselves to be like Jesus.
TO MAKE VISUALS:
Print, color, and cut out the Jesus growth chart pieces and ruler word-strip (with words spelled backward), plus a bookmark for each child. Laminate visuals.
MIRROR NEEDED: You’ll need a hand-held mirror or table mirror the youth can look into to look at the ruler and see backward words. To make bookmarks for children, fold them in half and glue them back to back. Do not laminate.
ACTIVITY:
- Ask the youth, “When you have a choice, do you ask yourself, ‘What would Jesus do?’” This is the question we can ask each day so we can try to be like Jesus. From the time Jesus was a baby and then a small boy, Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and favor with God and man.
- As you talk about the four areas in which Jesus increased, have children help you place the puzzle (growth chart) puzzle pieces on the board. Talk about climbing inch by inch each day in all the areas Jesus grew. Talk about how when Jesus was a boy, He had to learn things that His parents and church leaders taught Him—just like we do. Once He grew older, He prayed and asked Heavenly Father how He should grow and what He should do. We too can be like Jesus to increase in these areas. Have a child read Luke 2:52.
- Have children take turns drawing a ruler wordstrip. The youth can then take a mirror and look into it to see their reflection as they say, “I can grow to be like Jesus as I . . . (then read the words by reflecting them in the mirror to read them forward).
Then have a child place the ruler where it goes on the chart to match the “And Jesus increased in wisdom . . . and stature . . . and in favor with God . . . and man puzzle pieces (as shown). Bookmark: Give youth the bookmark (shown) to write ways they can measure up and grow to be like Jesus.
CLUES TO THE BACKWARD MESSAGES: To make it easy for the leader, he/she can look at the code W (wisdom) S (stature), G (God), or M (man) to know if this is correct. For example, the “I obey my parents” letter M word-strip will be placed next to the . . . and man puzzle piece.
THOUGHT TREAT: Inch-by-Inch Wafer Cookies. Children can be reminded to measure up to the stature of Jesus as they munch on wafer cookies (that look like rulers) with the inch marks cut into the wafer (cut them ahead of time with a knife). If you give them two they can see their ruler grow.
Tell them that growing like Jesus is a cinch-by-the-inch if they keep one commandment at a time as they grow. Each time you do you develop strong habits to be like Jesus. As we attend Church meetings and have our weekly family time or personal time reading the scriptures it also becomes easier day-by-day to be like Jesus.
MATCHING ACTIVITY (to the above activity):
