SUNDAY SCHOOL Come Follow Me Interactive Activities – OCTOBER (week 4) New Testament “Perfect That Which Is Lacking in Your Faith” Come, Follow Me (1 and 2 Thessalonians)

Paul began his Epistle to the Thessalonians by reminding the Saints of the manner in which he and others had shared the gospel with them. This may be a good opportunity for your class members to evaluate how they are doing at teaching and learning from one another. You could invite class members to read 1 Thessalonians 1:5–8; 2:1–13 and identify principles related to sharing the gospel effectively. They could then write questions based on these verses that will help them evaluate their efforts to teach the gospel to others. For instance, one question might be “Am I an example of the things I know?” (see 1 Thessalonians 1:7). How can following the principles in this passage help us better minister to those we teach?

Paul taught the Thessalonian Saints that “God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness” (1 Thessalonians 4:7). To begin a discussion about holiness, your class or an individual could sing “More Holiness Give Me” (Hymns, no. 131). Ask class members to discuss the characteristics of holiness mentioned in the hymn that stand out to them. Write on the board More holiness give me, more … , and invite class members to look for words or phrases from 1 Thessalonians 3:9–13; 4:1–12 to complete the sentence. How can we develop these characteristics?

The invitation to be holy might seem daunting. It might help if class members understand that developing holiness is a gradual process that requires us to “increase more and more” over time (1 Thessalonians 4:10). To illustrate this process, you could invite a class member to talk about a talent or accomplishment that took consistent effort over time, such as making a quilt or playing a musical instrument. How is this similar to the process of becoming holy? Invite class members to review 1 Thessalonians 3:9–13; 4:1–12 and share insights about the effort it takes to become holy in the ways Paul describes. What has helped us progress toward holiness?

Questions like the following could inspire a discussion about Paul’s counsel regarding work: What are the consequences of idleness? What are the blessings of work? What do you think Paul meant by the words “quiet” and “quietness”? (1 Thessalonians 4:11; 2 Thessalonians 3:12). You might want to write questions like these on the board for class members to ponder and discuss as they read 1 Thessalonians 4:11–12 and 2 Thessalonians 3:7–13. What other scriptures help us understand the importance of work and the perils of idleness? (see the suggestions in “Additional Resources”).

It might be helpful to discuss some of the metaphors prophets have used to describe the Apostasy, such as a falling away (see 2 Thessalonians 2:3), a famine (see Amos 8:11–12), grievous wolves entering a flock (see Acts 20:28–30), and itching ears (see 2 Timothy 4:3–4). Consider dividing class members into pairs and asking them to read one or more of these scriptures (or others that you choose) and describe what the verses teach about the Great Apostasy. What did prophets teach about the Apostasy and the effect it would have?

Though the Church won’t experience another “falling away” (2 Thessalonians 2:3) as it did anciently, we can still fall away individually. What does 2 Thessalonians 2 suggest about how this falling away can happen (see verses 9–10) and how we can avoid it? (see verses 15–17).