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TEACHING ACTIVITIES LESSON #1 FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS (Esther) TRUTH: God may place me where I can make a difference, and when my moment comes, He can give me strength to act faithfully even when I am afraid. FIRE IN THE BONES: Now for some fire in the bones. The story of Esther is powerful for us because we know from the story that she was afraid, and yet she still chose to step forward. Now we are never going to be called on to stand before a Persian king, but all of

TEACHING ACTIVITIES LESSON #1 THE GREAT RETURN: YOU DON’T HAVE TO STAY IN BABYLON (Ezra) TRUTH: Through Jesus Christ, repentance becomes a joyful journey home to God. FIRE IN THE BONES: The thing that gives me a fire in the bones for teaching this lesson is that it can help our students to gain a different perspective on the doctrine of repentance. Repentance is one of the most hopeful, joyful doctrines of the entire gospel, but sometimes we talk about it like it’s a pu

TEACHING ACTIVITIES AND INSIGHTS LESSON #1 TELL ME WHAT I WANT TO HEAR: DIRECTION OR CONFIRMATION (2 Chronicles 18) TRUTH: Prophetic counsel is meant to reveal God’s will, not merely confirm mine. When it challenges what I want, faith means being willing to change my course. FIRE IN THE BONES: I get a fire in the bones for this lesson for two main reasons. One, it’s just fun. It’s got great characters, humor, drama, sarcasm, and a surprise ending. Two, it’s very relevan

TEACHING ACTIVITIES LESSON #1 THE VOICE OUTSIDE THE WALL (2 Kings 18) TRUTH: When I recognize the adversary’s arguments, I am better prepared to resist them. FIRE IN THE BONES: What gives me a fire in the bones for this lesson? It’s relevance! We live in a world filled with voices competing for our attention and confidence. Some voices invite us to seek truth, come closer to Christ, repent, act courageously, and become better. Others may sound equally confident but lead

TEACHING ACTIVITIES LESSON #1 BATHE IN THE RIGHT RIVER (2 Kings 5) TRUTH: When God’s way is simpler, humbler, or different from what I expected, healing begins as I set aside my script and act in faith. FIRE IN THE BONES: Something that gives me a fire in the bones for the story of Naaman is that his struggle feels so familiar. He asks God for help, but before the answer arrives, he’s already decided what the answer ought to look like. Ever done that before? We all have

TEACHING ACTIVITIES LESSON #1 DAVID’S REAL GOLIATH: COURSE CORRECTIONS (2 Samuel 11) TRUTH: Small wrong turns can become great falls when we fail to course correct. FIRE IN THE BONES: Something that gives me a fire in the bones for the David and Bathsheba story is that it helps us see how spiritual disasters usually happen. David doesn’t wake up one morning and decide to commit adultery and murder. Instead, we watch him drift one choice at a time. That’s what makes this sto

TEACHING ACTIVITIES LESSON #1 GOD IS BIGGER: DEFEATING OUR “GOLIATH’S” (1 Samuel 17) TRUTH: The “Giants” of our lives can be defeated through faith, obedience, courage, and the power of God. FIRE IN THE BONES: To help you get some fire in the bones for this lesson, keep in mind that your students are probably all facing their own form of “Goliaths”. Most of us are never going to stand across from a nine-foot-tall warrior armed with a spear and sword, but we all face intim

TEACHING ACTIVITIES LESSON #1 DON’T LEAP WITH THE SHEEP (1 Samuel 8) TRUTH: When I choose worldly ways over God’s ways, I eventually reap worldly consequences. FIRE IN THE BONES: To help you get some fire in the bones for this lesson, think about how difficult it can be to go against the grain. I mean, most people, youth AND adults, genuinely want to fit in. We don’t like standing out. But sometimes the crowd is wrong. And sometimes the safest direction is not the most

TEACHING ACTIVITIES LESSON #1 BEING RUTHS IN A JUDGES WORLD (Ruth) TRUTH: In a selfish world, choosing to be kind generates more kindness. OR if you want a more metaphorical statement We can choose to be “Ruths” in a “Judges” world. FIRE IN THE BONES: Ruth is such a sweet story. I love it. One of the most discouraging things about modern life is how easy it is to become cynical. The story of Ruth takes place during one of the darkest and ugliest periods in Israelite his

Teaching Activities LESSON #1 BATTLE READY: WHERE TRUE COURAGE COMES FROM (Joshua 1) TRUTH: Immersing myself in the scriptures gives me the strength and courage to obey God and receive His promised help. FIRE IN THE BONES: For the fire in the bones, realize that most of our students already know what’s right. That’s usually not the problem. The real struggle comes in the moment when doing what’s right feels uncomfortable, awkward, or even risky. That’s when people hesit

TEACHING ACTIVITIES LESSON #1 THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH THEE TRUTH: If I remember the Lord, I will obey Him—and it will be well with me. FIRE IN THE BONES: Now why does this lesson matter? Well, we don’t usually wake up one day and decide to just walk away from God. We drift and begin to forget. That’s the beginning of the problem. We forget what we’ve felt. We forget what we’ve learned. We forget what God has done for us. And once we forget… obedience starts to feel opt

TEACHING ACTIVITIES LESSON #1 MURMURING ABOUT MANNA (Numbers 11) TRUTH: Ingratitude can turn blessings into burdens. FIRE IN THE BONES: The power of this lesson lies in its ability to change our student’s perceptions which can quietly but literally change someone’s life. Many people in this world are unhappy not because their lives are bad, but because they’ve started to see their blessings as problems. The truth of this lesson can help lighten the loads that our studen

TEACHING ACTIVITIES LESSON #1 THE TABERNACLE-A PATH TO HIS PRESENCE (Exodus 25-40) TRUTH: The temple teaches me, step by step, how to return to God’s presence. FIRE IN THE BONES: For the fire in the bones, ponder your own connection with the House of the Lord. The temple is a place that is meant to teach us. It reveals. It guides. It’s a “House of Learning”. This lesson can help give our students a lens to see their temple experiences in a new light. And that makes me

TEACHING ACTIVITIES LESSON #1 A PECULIAR PEOPLE (Exodus 19-20) TRUTH: Living God’s commandments makes me different—and that’s a good thing. FIRE IN THE BONES: This can be a very impactful lesson, especially for youth, who are still trying to figure out who they are and where they belong. They’re feeling the pull to fit in, not to stand out. With this lesson we get to introduce a different way of seeing themselves—to help them understand that being different isn’t a soci

ECHOES OF EASTER-OLD TESTAMENT STORIES THAT POINT TO CHRIST TRUTH: Long before Jesus Christ was born, the Lord was already teaching about His Atonement and Resurrection through the symbols, stories, and prophecies of the Old Testament. FIRE IN THE BONES: I’m excited about teaching this lesson because it gives us a chance to take a step back and look at the big picture behind the Old Testament. One of the most powerful realizations we can have in this year’s study is that

TEACHING ACTIVITIES LESSON #1 THE PURPOSE OF THE PLAGUES (Exodus 7-10) TRUTH: God is greater than the “gods” of this world, and I can trust Him and his power more than anything the world can offer. FIRE IN THE BONES: I get excited to teach this lesson because the plagues part of the Exodus story don’t get much application attention. Yes, it’s dramatic, yes, it’s interesting, but there’s a purpose in the plagues. For us! The story is in there to teach us as the reader a

TEACHING ACTIVITIES LESSON #1 THE WOMEN WHO SAVED MOSES (Exodus 1-2) TRUTH: Before Moses could deliver Israel, God used courageous women to deliver Moses. FIRE IN THE BONES: I get the fire in the bones for this lesson as I consider the influence that many righteous women have had in my life. This is an opportunity for us to honor their influence, examples, and sacrifices. Your class may walk in that day thinking that they are going to have a lesson about Moses. I mean,

LESSON #1 FEAST OR FAMINE: WISDOM IN THE GOOD TIMES (GENESIS 41) TRUTH: Wise disciples prepare in seasons of plenty so they can remain steady in seasons of scarcity. FIRE IN THE BONES: For some fire in the bones for teaching this principle. Keep in mind that this lesson could just inspire your students to start preparing now for possible difficult situations in their future. People don’t always understand just how quickly circumstances can change and this lesson can help

Teaching Activities NOTE: So as I explained in the Insight video, rather than splitting Joseph’s story strictly by the Come Follow Me designated chapters, I prefer to teach it in two parts. That lets us see Joseph’s life as one cohesive narrative, while still focusing this week on the early events and next week on what follows. And that’s because Joseph’s life is one of the most principle-rich stories in scripture, and it’s worth slowing down to see the bigger picture. LES

Teaching Activities NOTE And right off the bat here, I have to say that this was a really tough week to put together. The reason being that back in 2022, this lesson was split it into two separate lessons, but this time they are combining them into one. So, there are entire lesson ideas in these chapters that I love and that could easily carry a class on their own, but I had to choose what felt most essential, most relatable, and most likely to bless the widest range of tea