Old Testament LESSON 18
Teaching Sunday School or Seminary, Come Follow Me just got easier with our activities for MAY (week #1)
Theme: “My Presence Shall Go with Thee”
Exodus 24; 31-34
YOU WILL FIND:
• SCRIPTURE SCHOLARS to get them reading.
• Then scroll down to find Lesson-Match Interactive Activities to match the CFM curriculum
SCRIPTURE SCHOLARS is not only for SUNDAY SCHOOL youth but also for Primary, and for Individuals and Families.
If you want the STAMPS & STAMP KEEPER (go HERE to download for the month of MAY)
Lesson 18 Scripture Scholars
Week’s Scripture Scholars BOOKMARKS & scripture POP-UP Includes:
• BOOKMARKS with Come, Follow Me scriptures to read and discuss topics for Primary and Individuals and Families. Also, for Sunday School (teens).
• POP-UP to glue in scripture binding next to scripture you underline.
EXTRA ITEMS (not included) … THERE’S MORE:
• STAMP. Award readers with a STAMP for the week’s scripture reading. See below to find matching STAMPS.
• STAMP KEEPER. These can be placed on the STAMP KEEPER (see below) where you can collect 50 stamps for the year
Lessons 18-22 Scripture Scholars
May’s BUNDLE of BOOKMARKS, POP-UPs, and STAMPS. Glue STAMPS onto the STAMP KEEPER (to download separately, below).
Click on the weekly lesson posters (below) to find interactive activities:
. . . 3 LESSONS & 16 ACTIVITIES . . .
Step 1 CHOOSE LESSON
Step 2 CHOOSE ACTIVITY
Step 3 CLICK ON POSTER
Step 4 DOWNLOAD ACTIVITY
. . . KEEPING THE SABBATH DAY HOLY . . .
We honor the Sabbath as a sign of our commitment to the Lord.
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You might begin by asking class members if they have ever had to explain to a family member or friend why they treat Sundays differently from other days. Invite them to share what they said or what they might say in the future. Reading Exodus 31:12–17 or the statement in “Additional Resources” can give them additional ideas. How do our choices on the Sabbath demonstrate our commitment to Jesus Christ?
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Even though the penalties described in Exodus 31:14–15 don’t apply today, they do indicate how strongly the Lord feels about the Sabbath. Why is this commandment so important? Discussing these scriptures can help: Exodus 31:12–17; Isaiah 58:13–14; Doctrine and Covenants 59:9–13.
The Sabbath is a sign.
President Russell M. Nelson explained: “In my much younger years, I studied the work of others who had compiled lists of things to do and things not to do on the Sabbath. It wasn’t until later that I learned from the scriptures that my conduct and my attitude on the Sabbath constituted a sign between me and my Heavenly Father [see Exodus 31:13; Ezekiel 20:12, 20]. With that understanding, I no longer needed lists of dos and don’ts. When I had to make a decision whether or not an activity was appropriate for the Sabbath, I simply asked myself, ‘What sign do I want to give to God?’ That question made my choices about the Sabbath day crystal clear” (“The Sabbath Is a Delight,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 130).
- See “SABBATH DAY” INDEX for more activities
MUTUAL NIGHT, SUNDAY SCHOOL, SEMINARY, OR FAMILY NIGHT
With these ideas and those of the youth, you should be able to make each Sabbath day memorable.
MAKE A SABBATH DAY QUIET BOOK FOR CHILDREN: Invite someone who does quiet books to come with supplies to show youth how to make them. Youth can give Quiet-Books to a charity, donate them to a ward family or the nursery, or save them for their own children someday. Have youth write a short poem about how they feel about the Sabbath. Use fabric paints to write on the inside cover. Serve veggies and dip (an easy Sunday treat).
SABBATH DAY SHOW-AND-TELL IDEA NIGHT: Have youth bring games and activities they like to do with their family. They can present a family home evening idea, gospel game (or any game their family enjoys), scripture activities, and more.
Ideas: ~ Bible Bingo (make up your own game) ~ scripture chase ~ give a sharing time lesson from the Friend ~ make thumbprint pictures of animals found in the scriptures ~ share journal entries ~ review missionary discussions ~ write letters to missionaries or family and friends ~ tell stories about ancestors or show an object that belonged to an ancestor ~ make a gospel grab bag by looking up favorite scriptures and placing them in a bag ~ make a testimony time capsule by writing testimonies, burying them in a container, and digging them up before graduating from the youth program.
. . . I CAN REPENT & BE HAPPY . . .
Sin is turning away from God, but He offers a way back.
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To help class members ponder and personalize the account in Exodus 32, first ask them to review the chapter individually or in groups. Then ask some class members to take the role of Israelites who grew impatient waiting for Moses to return and decided to make a golden idol. What feelings might have led them to idol worship? Other class members could try to persuade them to stay true to the Lord and His prophet. Class members could talk about what inspires them to keep their covenants. What can we do to help those who might be struggling to keep their covenants?
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When people read the Old Testament, they are sometimes surprised at the strict punishments the Lord prescribed for sin. Exodus 34:1–9 can help them see that while God does not condone sin, He is also merciful, offering forgiveness to those who repent. Perhaps class members could read this passage and ponder questions like these: What do we learn about the Lord from these verses? Why do we need to know these things about Him? You might point out that Joseph Smith Translation, Exodus 34:7 (in Exodus 34:7, footnote e) clarifies that God will not “clear the rebellious.” What might this mean? Perhaps class members could share how they have witnessed God’s mercy. How is it possible for God to be both perfectly merciful and perfectly just? (see Alma 42:13–15).
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Exodus 34:6–17 can be seen as instruction to help the Israelites repent of their sin of idolatry (described in Exodus 32). What do we find in these verses that might have helped the Israelites repent? What do we learn about the Lord and repentance from this instruction?
- See “REPENTANCE” INDEX for more activities
. . . GOD SUPPORTS US AND WE SERVE HIM . . .
We need God’s presence in our lives.
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How will you help class members apply what the Lord said to Moses in Exodus 33:11–17? You could start by reviewing the work that God still needed Moses to fulfill (see Exodus 33:1–3). What do we find in verses 11–17 that would have strengthened and comforted Moses? Class members could think about something God wants them to do—such as fulfilling a Church calling, a family responsibility, or a ministering opportunity. They could then read the verses again. What insights do we gain about how God will support us?
- See “SERVICE” INDEX for more activities
Moses is spotlighted here
