SUNDAY SCHOOL Come Follow Me Interactive Activities – APRIL (week 1) New Testament “Be Not Afraid” Come, Follow Me (Matthew 14; Mark 6; John 5-6)

How can you use the parable of the sower to inspire your class members to prepare their hearts to receive the word of God? You could write Disciples and Others on the board. Invite class members to read Matthew 13:10–17 and look for how the Savior described the differences between His disciples and others who heard His parables. Then ask class members to search verses 18–23, looking for what might cause our ears to become “dull of hearing” or our eyes to be closed to spiritual things. What direction are we receiving in our day from God and His servants? How can we cultivate “good ground” to receive their direction? (verse 23).

You might invite a few class members to each come prepared to teach a section from President Dallin H. Oaks’s message “The Parable of the Sower” (Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 32–35). What does his message add to our understanding of the parable?

How can you help class members understand the truths about the Church that are taught in Jesus’s parables in Matthew 13? You could list a few of the parables on the board (see this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families and Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 293–303). Class members could study one or more parables individually or in small groups and share what they learn about the growth and destiny of Christ’s Church.
DOWNLOAD The Parable of the Wheat and Tares (HERE or below)

What do we learn about the value of belonging to the Church from the parables of the treasure in the field and the pearl of great price, found in Matthew 13:44–46? Some members of your class (or people they know) may have made sacrifices—big or small—to become members of the Church. Invite class members to share sacrifices they have made or seen others make in order to belong to the Church. What blessings have come as a result? Invite class members to ponder what they feel prompted to sacrifice for the Savior.

How can you help your class draw lessons from the parable of the wheat and the tares that will help them remain faithful Latter-day Saints? Start by inviting a class member to summarize the parable and its interpretation. What are some lessons in this parable for our day? Why is it important to know that the Lord allows His Saints to “grow together” (Matthew 13:30) with the wicked until the time of the harvest? How can we keep our faith in Jesus Christ strong when wickedness is all around us? How can Christ help us? Doctrine and Covenants 86:1–7 and Elder L. Tom Perry’s statement in “Additional Resources” can give additional insights into the latter-day application of this parable.