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Psalms Teaching Activities

Hello fellow teachers! This is Ben Wilcox and welcome to this supplemental teaching activities video. This week, we’re beginning our study of the Book of Psalms. And before we get into the actual lesson ideas, I need to explain why I’m going to approach these next three weeks a little differently than usual.

 

Come, Follow Me devotes three full weeks to Psalms this year. And honestly, I’ve gone back and forth on the best way to handle that. Psalms is a beautiful and important book, but it doesn’t divide itself neatly into three clean sections. It isn’t a story where one group of chapters naturally leads into the next. It’s a collection of hymns, prayers, praises, laments, prophecies, and expressions of faith written across many different circumstances. And the major themes of Psalms are scattered throughout the entire book.

 

For example, there are Messianic Psalms that teach us about Jesus Christ, but they don’t all appear in one section. There are psalms about the word of God, the temple, repentance, praise, suffering, trust, and the nature of God, but those ideas show up again and again from beginning to end.

 

So rather than artificially confining one theme to Psalms 1–46, another to Psalms 49–86, and another to Psalms 102–150, I’ve decided to approach the book thematically.

That means this video and the accompanying materials are designed to cover all three weeks of Psalms. And because I’m combining three weeks of material into one resource, this video is going to be longer than usual.

 

But I’m going to give you a collection of different lesson ideas and themes from throughout the entire book. You can then choose the ones that you feel would be most meaningful and helpful for your students. You’re not expected to use all of them, and this is certainly not intended to become one enormous lesson. Think of it more as a menu of possibilities that you can draw from over the next three weeks. I want to make sure that you have all the thematic Psalms lesson options available to you at once, so then you can make the most informed choice about which lessons you feel most inspired to share with your students.

 

So, all of the lesson plans, handouts, slides, and materials will be made available at once. Consequently, I’ll also release all three of the original insight videos at the same time. I’ve decided to keep them as three separate videos rather than combining them into one especially long video, so you can more easily watch only the portions that relate to the lesson themes that you’re considering.

 

There is also one other important reason that I think this approach works especially well this year. The final week of Psalms will also be the first week of the Church’s new Sunday School schedule. Beginning in September, Sunday School will be held every week, but classes will only be about 20 to 25 minutes long. And Psalms may actually be one of the best books to help us begin making that transition. With Psalms, you don’t need to cover an entire storyline, explain every character, or move through a long sequence of events. You can choose one clear theme, study a few carefully selected verses, ask one or two meaningful questions, and help your class discover and apply one important truth.

 

That shorter schedule doesn’t mean that we need to talk faster or squeeze the same long lesson into half the time. It means we need to choose more carefully. We need to decide what matters most and build the lesson around that. So starting this week, each of the following lesson plans are designed to take between 20-25 minutes to teach.  Not every lesson will include a separate quote, object lesson, video, game, or additional handout. I’ve only added optional enhancements where I feel they genuinely strengthen the lesson rather than simply lengthen it.

 

As I walk through these lesson ideas, I’ll try to make it clear how each one could be taught effectively within that shorter time frame.

 

And sometime during one of the next two weeks, I’m also going to release a separate instructional video focused specifically on teaching in 25 minutes—how to simplify a lesson without making it shallow, how to decide what to cut, and how to make sure students are still participating, discovering, and applying the scriptures even when time is limited.

 

So that is the plan for Psalms. One complete collection. A variety of themes and lesson possibilities. Three weeks to use them. And the freedom to choose what your class most needs.

 

I’ll share eight different lesson possibilities. And because this video contains eight different lesson options, I’ve added chapters to the video description so you can quickly jump to whichever lesson you’re considering without needing to watch everything in one sitting.  Also, I’ve included links to the accompanying portions of the Insight Video for each theme should you want to deepen your understanding of those themes even more. Think of them as an additional library of insight that you can draw from as needed over the next three weeks.

So what are the themes from Psalm that you have to choose from?

  1. How sacred music can strengthen faith and give voice to the heart

  2. What the Psalms reveal about the character and nature of God

  3. How repentance leads us from guilt and regret toward mercy and forgiveness

  4. What the Psalms teach about the value and power of God’s word

  5. How hymns and scripture can strengthen us in times of suffering

  6. The many blessings available through worship in the temple.

  7. How praise can deepen our love, trust, and joy in God

  8. And finally, a more self-directed activity that helps students find scriptural guidance for a variety of personal questions and struggles


Video Link Guide:



With that explanation, let’s begin by taking a closer look at what makes the Book of Psalms so unique.

 

LESSON #1 THE SONG OF THE HEART

 

My first lesson suggestion here would act more as an introduction to the Psalms rather than an in-depth focus on one of its themes. 

 

TRUTH:

The Psalms show how sacred music can strengthen faith and give voice to the heart.

 

FIRE IN THE BONES:

For a fire in the bones, consider your relationship to the music of the Church. Sacred music has a unique power, a way of swiftly and effectively connecting with the heart.  A truth we may forget after hearing it in a talk can remain with us for years when it’s joined to music. Hymns can teach doctrine, invite the Spirit, awaken memory, and give us words when we don’t know how to express what we’re feeling. The book of Psalms reminds us that faith is something that we can sing, feel, remember, and carry with us.

 

ICEBREAKER AND TRANSITION:

To introduce the power of sacred music, you could play a quick game of “Name That Hymn”. Read or display one lyric at a time and challenge students to be the first to identify the hymn that it comes from. You could throw a small treat out to whoever names it first.  Keep the game moving quickly and after five lyrics, ask your students how they were able to recognize the hymns so quickly. Most will probably say that the words and melodies have become familiar through repetition. That provides a natural transition into the Book of Psalms and the way sacred music helps truth remain in our minds and settle more deeply into our hearts.

 

1. “Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee”How Great Thou Art

2. “Though hard to you this journey may appear”Come, Come, Ye Saints

3. “When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed”Count Your Blessings

4. “When dark clouds of trouble hang o’er us”We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet

5. “Angels above us are silent notes taking”Do What Is Right

 

Then you could say: Isn’t it interesting that we can sometimes remember the words of a hymn more easily than we can remember the words of a talk or lesson? Music has a way of carrying truth into the mind and heart and helping it remain there.

That’s important as we begin the Book of Psalms, because Psalms is unlike any other book in the Old Testament. It isn’t primarily a book of stories, laws, sermons, or history. It’s a collection of sacred songs. Psalms is the hymnbook of the Old Testament.

 

The Lord explained the spiritual power of sacred music in Doctrine and Covenants 25:12:

“For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me. And it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads.”

 

I love that description. A hymn can be more than music. It can become a prayer. It can express praise, gratitude, longing, sorrow, repentance, trust, or hope. And that’s exactly what we find throughout the Book of Psalms, songs of the heart offered to God.

 

TEACHER EXPLANATION:

Then I would briefly share a few helpful facts about the Book of Psalms. It contains 150 psalms, making it the longest book in the Old Testament. Many still include musical instructions, reminding us that they were originally written to be sung. The psalms were composed by several authors over hundreds of years, with 73 attributed to David and others written by men such as Asaph and Heman. Psalms is also quoted frequently in the New Testament, showing how familiar and important it was to Jesus and His disciples. I once heard someone say that Proverbs appeals to the head, while Psalms appeals to the heart. It helps us not only think about faith, but feel it. And like a hymnbook, Psalms doesn’t necessarily need to be read straight through from beginning to end. We can explore it in smaller portions and return often to favorite psalms that strengthen faith, build testimony, praise God, and give voice to a wide range of human emotions.

 

SEARCH ACTIVITY:

Now give each student a copy of the following handout that shows hymns from our hymnbook that are based on, quote from, or connect in some way to the Book of Psalms. Invite them to scan the list and choose one hymn they recognize, enjoy, or feel drawn to. Then have them turn to the corresponding Psalm and read the verses connected to that hymn. As they study, ask them to consider this question:

 

How does the Psalm add to your understanding or deepen the message of the hymn?

 

Give them about five or six minutes to read, compare, and jot down a few thoughts.

 

Afterward, invite several students to share which hymn they chose, what connection they found in the Psalm, and how the hymn helped bring that truth to life. You don’t need to hear from everyone. Just allow enough sharing for the class to begin seeing how sacred music can carry scripture into the heart.

 

TAKE IT TO HEART:

How has sacred music helped a truth become more meaningful or memorable to you?

 

TAKEAWAY:

The takeaway slide can be a nice way to emphasize one of the main purposes of the Psalms. It’s a Hymnbook of the Heart. You could say: As you look at this image, I hope you’ll remember that the Psalms are more than old poetry or ancient religious songs. They’re the hymnbook of the heart. They give us words for praise, sorrow, repentance, gratitude, trust, and hope. Sometimes they help us express what we already feel, and sometimes they help us feel something we need to feel. Sacred music has a way of carrying truth deeper into the soul and helping it remain there. So as you study the Psalms, don’t just read them. Listen to them. Feel them. Let them become your prayers, your praise, and the songs of your own heart.

 

LESSON #2 THE GOD OF THE PSALMS

 

TRUTH:

The Psalms reveal who God is and can help us to trust Him more deeply.

 

FIRE IN THE BONES:

Why is this truth important? Well, the way we see God affects everything—how we pray, how we repent, how we endure suffering, and whether we trust Him when life doesn’t make sense. Many people believe in God but still picture Him as distant, disappointed, or difficult to please. The Psalms replace those distorted images with a God who hears, protects, restores, and shows abundant mercy. Helping students see Him more clearly may change the way they approach Him.

 

ICEBREAKER AND TRANSITION:

Now even with the shorter lesson framework coming up in September, I believe an icebreaker or attention grabber is still an important part of any lesson, but I think you’ll notice my icebreakers from now on will be designed to be shorter and quicker experiences. So for this lesson, I would ask my students one question:

 

When you picture God, what is he doing?  Then give them a few possibilities to choose from and invite just two students to explain their choice.

 

Then say: The way we picture God matters. If we see Him mainly as distant, disappointed, or waiting for us to fail, we may be hesitant to pray or turn to Him. But if we see Him as someone who hears, protects, restores, and shows mercy, we are more likely to trust Him. Today, we’re going to let the Psalms paint a clearer picture of who God really is.

 

The Psalms we’ll study today were written by David. Back in Samuel, we only got to  learn about David in the third person. But in Psalms, we get to hear him in the first person. We get to listen as he speaks directly to God. And through those prayers and hymns, we discover not only who David was, but the kind of God David believed in, the kind of relationship he had developed with Him.  David is going to help us understand who God is.

 

SEARCH ACTIVITY:

Now we still always want to give our students a chance to discover from the scriptures. Assign each student a psalm based on the last digit of their phone number. Display the chart on the screen and invite students to quietly determine their assignment. This method should distribute the class fairly evenly among the different passages without requiring you to count students off or organize groups beforehand. If one assignment ends up with no students, simply invite a volunteer from one of the larger groups to study that passage as well. Once everyone has found their psalm, give them 3-4 minutes to study the assigned verses with the following question in mind.

 

What do these verses help you understand about God?

 

Then, allow students to share their discoveries as you write their ideas on the board under the title: The God of Psalms.

 

To stay within the 25-minute plan, hear five or six brief responses rather than attempting to report on every assigned psalm.

 

As the teacher, before you send your students into the scriptures, I suggest that you share something yourself from one of the Psalms about the nature of God that you love.  That gives them an example of how the activity works and gives you a chance to share something that you feel your students might need.

 

TAKE IT TO HEART:

Because class time will be shorter now, from now on, I’m typically only going to suggest one “Take It to Heart” question for personal reflection and one “I Will Go and Do” invitation for action. Teachers may use either one or both or neither depending on the needs of the class and the time available.

 

Which description of God from these psalms do you most need to remember right now? Why?

 

I WILL GO AND DO:

The next time you feel afraid, discouraged, ashamed, or uncertain, what could you say to yourself about who God is?

 

TAKEAWAY:

As we have studied these psalms, I hope you have learned something about God. But even more importantly, I hope you have felt something for Him.

The God of the Psalms is not distant, cold, impatient, or uninterested. He is a shield. He is a shepherd. He is a healer. He lifts heads, restores souls, forgives sins, and hears prayers. I want to worship a God like that. I want to know Him the way David knew Him and speak to Him with that same pleading, praising, trusting, and familiar spirit.

The more clearly we come to understand the nature of God, the easier it becomes to place our lives into His loving hands.

 

LESSON #3 DROP THE BURDEN

 

TRUTH:

When sin or regret weighs us down, we can turn to God and find forgiveness, relief, and hope.

 

FIRE IN THE BONES:

A fire in the bones for this principle can come from a sincere desire to help your students lay the burdens of their mistakes at Christ’s feet. Guilt can be useful when it turns us toward God, but shame becomes destructive when it convinces us to hide from Him. Many people continue carrying burdens that Christ is already willing to help them lay down. The Psalms help us feel both the honest sorrow of repentance and the hope that comes from trusting in God’s mercy.

 

OBJECT:

You might consider displaying a weight or dumbbell as a simple visual. There’s no need to turn it into a full object lesson. Just refer to it as you introduce the spiritual weight that sin, guilt, and regret can place on the human soul.

 

ICEBREAKER:

For the icebreaker, you could show the following pictures of people carrying heavy burdens and ask:

 

How do you imagine these people feel?

Then ask:

What do you imagine it would feel like to finally put the burden down?

 

You could then say that sometimes burdens are physical, but sometimes they can also be emotional or spiritual.

Regret can feel heavy. Guilt can press down on the mind. Shame can convince us to hide, remain silent, or believe that we will always be defined by something that we’ve done.

 

Then you might ask the following rhetorical question: Can you relate? Have you ever felt this way spiritually? Weighed down by regret, guilt, or shame?

 

David understood those feelings. And we don’t have to guess what actions in his life probably made him feel this way. Some of his psalms put into words the pleadings of a soul that longs to be forgiven. But they do something else as well. They express tremendous hope in the mercy of God. So today we’re going to take a look at two Psalms of David that can help us to better understand what the burden of sin feels like and the hope that God can offer to the person who turns to Him.

 

SEARCH ACTIVITY:

For our search activity here, we’re going to invite our students to read one of two Psalms written by David regarding the subject of repentance. Have your students pair up with someone and determine whose birthday is coming up soonest. That person will study Psalm 32, and the other partner will study Psalm 51.

 

Then give them 3-5 minutes to study their Psalm with one question in mind:

What phrase or verse teaches you something either about the burden of sin or the hope of forgiveness? 

 

After they’ve completed their study, encourage them to share what they learned with their partner.  Whoever is oldest goes first.

 

Then open the discussion up to the entire class by putting the following two headings on the board: “The Burden” and “The Hope”.  Encourage students to share their thoughts from their Psalm on either of those two subjects. 

 

As the teacher, I encourage you to have at least one thought of your own ready to share with your class.

 

And personally, I believe there are some really beautiful thoughts from these two Psalms.  Together, they show both the pain and the promise of repentance. Psalm 32 captures what happens when we try to hide our sins or “remain silent.” The burden grows heavier, and shame continues to roar within us. But when we stop hiding, honestly acknowledge our sins, and turn to God, forgiveness and deliverance become possible. Psalm 51 then helps us feel the heart of true repentance. You really feel David’s repentance in that Psalm, a sincere desire not merely to escape consequences, but to be washed, changed, renewed, and restored to joy. These psalms remind us that repentance isn’t meant to leave us crushed beneath guilt, but to bring us back into the mercy, cleansing, and healing of God.

 

DISCUSSION QUESTION:

I would then share the central truth of the lesson and maybe ask one discussion question:

 

How is repentance both painful and freeing? Hard but hopeful?

 

TAKE IT TO HEART:

Without divulging any past sins, how has repentance helped you feel lighter, cleaner, or closer to God?

 

I WILL GO AND DO:

For the I Will Go and Do, you may simply wish to offer a sincere invitation. You could say something like: If there’s anyone here who feels weighed down by something from the past—some mistake, regret, or burden you have carried for a long time—I hope you will remember the message of these psalms. There is hope. You don’t have to carry that weight forever. God is merciful, He forgives, and through Jesus Christ He can cleanse, restore, and help you finally lay the burden down. Take whatever next step repentance requires, and trust that joy can return.

 

TAKEAWAY:

The takeaway slide visually emphasizes the message of giving our burdens over to Christ. In the Psalms we studied, David beautifully helps us to FEEL the doctrine of repentance and its partner doctrine, forgiveness. Godly sorrow may help us recognize the burden, but Jesus Christ doesn’t intend for us to carry it forever. Through Him, we can (as a famous hymn reminds us) drop our burden at his feet and bear a song away (Hymn #125 “How Gentle God’s Commands)

 

 

LESSON #4 SCRIPTURE SYMBOLS

 

TRUTH:

The scriptures are precious, sweet, cleansing, strengthening, and guiding.

 

FIRE IN THE BONES:

I love the way that the scriptures or God’s word is portrayed in the Psalms. Scripture study can easily become something that we just do because we’re supposed to rather than something that we truly value. But the Psalms don’t approach God’s word as a chore or a commandment even. Instead, it uses beautiful and poetic symbols to teach us the value and the nature of the scriptures. They are precious, pure, sweet, cleansing, and full of light. This lesson can help students understand what the scriptures can actually do for them and hopefully change the way they feel about them when they open them. That gives me a fire in the bones to teach it.

 

OBJECT:

If you wanted to add an object element to this lesson, you could bring in examples of the different symbols Psalms uses to represent the scriptures. So you could bring in something silver, something gold (maybe jewelry perhaps), a jar of honey, a lamp, flashlight, or candle, and a bar of soap. You could display those items as they’re identified or discussed during the lesson.

 

ICEBREAKER:

For the icebreaker, hold up a set of scriptures and ask:

If you had to describe the scriptures by comparing them to something else, what would you compare them to? Think of an object or an image that communicates what God’s word does.

And invite just two or three responses.

Then say: Those comparisons can help us to understand the scriptures in a way that a simple definition sometimes can’t. The writers of the Psalms did the exact same thing. They used familiar objects and experiences to help us see the value and power of God’s word more clearly. Today we’re going to study a number of those images to better understand what the scriptures can become in the life of someone who truly values and studies them.

 

As an alternative icebreaker, you could ask if they remember what Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof said would be “the sweetest thing of all” about being rich. His answer? Having more time to study the scriptures. He understood the value of the Word of God.

 

SEARCH ACTIVITY:

So for the search activity, you could use the following crossword puzzle to help your students identify the different objects. Now I know in the insight video from 4 years ago, I actually had three different crossword puzzles highlighting different themes regarding the scriptures. I think that would be too much in a class period, especially if you only have 25 minutes to teach this lesson.  The Scripture Symbols puzzle is probably the strongest fit for most classes because the images are very memorable and they lend themselves more naturally to discussion and application. I’ll still include the Scripture Synonyms and Splendors puzzles in the handout downloads this week so that they can be used as alternatives, take-home activities, or for additional study.

But the answers to the clues here are:

 

Silver

Gold

Lamp

Honey

Soap

 

DISCUSSION QUESTION:

Then, to deepen their understanding of these symbols you could ask:

 

Which of these objects is your favorite and why do you think the Psalmist used that image?

 

Another suggested question if time permits?

Why might someone own and read the scriptures regularly but still fail to experience them as gold, honey, light, or soap?

 

Possible ideas might include:

  • Reading too quickly

  • Studying only out of obligation

  • Not pondering

  • Not applying what’s read

  • Approaching without prayer

  • Looking for completion rather than revelation

  • Not believing the scriptures are personally relevant

Help students see that simply possessing scripture isn’t the same as valuing, savoring, following, and relying upon it.

 

TAKE IT TO HEART:

For the Take It to Heart portion of the lesson, invite your students to imagine that a friend says, “The scriptures are boring and reading them is a waste of time.”

 

Ask them:

Based on what you discovered in the Psalms today, how would you respond?

Give them a moment to think, and encourage them to use at least one of the images from the activity in their answer. The goal isn’t to criticize someone who struggles with scripture study, but to help students put into their own words why God’s word can be valuable, relevant, and powerful.

 

I WILL GO AND DO:

What’s one change you could make this week to approach the scriptures more like the Psalmists did?

 

TAKEAWAY:

You can then display this takeaway slide and say: As you look at this slide, I hope you see that God’s word is more than just words printed on a page. It can be a treasure worth more than gold or silver, a sweetness to the soul like honey, a light that shows us the way forward, and a cleansing influence that helps change and refine us. If we’ll approach the scriptures with that kind of faith, they’ll become far more than a reading assignment to complete. They can become one of the greatest blessings in our lives. So as you leave this lesson, I’d invite you to open the word of God with greater expectation. Treasure it. Savor it. Follow it. And let it do its sacred work in you.

 

LESSON #5 WORDS FOR THE DARKEST HOUR

 

TRUTH:

Like Jesus Christ, when we suffer, the words of hymns and scripture can give us strength and hope in our darkest hour.

 

FIRE IN THE BONES:

What gives me a fire in the bones for this lesson is the insight it not only provides about the Savior’s atoning sacrifice, but also how we can apply that insight to our own personal struggles. When Jesus suffered on the cross, some of the words He spoke came directly from the Psalms, including the opening line of Psalm 22: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” We can’t know everything He intended by quoting it, but the connection invites us to see Psalm 22 as a movement from abandonment, pain, and weakness toward faith, trust, praise, and eventual triumph. That pattern shows us that scripture may not be able to remove our suffering, but it can help us to understand it, pray through it, remember what we know, and hold onto hope. This lesson can help our students recognize that Christ carried scripture within Him and that they can prepare to do the same.

 

ICEBREAKER:

For an icebreaker to this lesson, I would show the following video called “His Sacred Name-An Easter Declaration.”  I feel it does a good job of creating the atmosphere and spirit that you’ll want to have as you teach this lesson.

 

 

After watching I would ask: Where did Jesus turn to for comfort and help in his hour of need? In Gethsemane and on Calvary? Let your students share their thoughts. There’s more than one answer to that question. He turned to his friends. He turned to his Father. He turned to his own teachings and applied them. But there’s one other place he turned that may not be as well known. He turned to the psalms. He found solace and strength in these old testament hymns.

 

For example, in Luke 23:46, as Jesus hung on the cross, he said “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.”  More than likely, when he said that, he had Psalm 31 in mind which also says, “Into thine hand I commit my spirit.”

 

We can also see a connection to what he says in John 19:28, “I thirst”, to what the Psalmist states in Psalm 69:21, “In my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.”

 

But perhaps the greatest connection, and the place where we’ll spend the bulk of our lesson time today is in Psalm 22.

 

Explain to your students that when we read the Crucifixion accounts in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, we experience the event from below the cross looking up. We see what witnesses saw and hear the words Jesus spoke. But Psalm 22 gives us another perspective. There we get a chance to experience and understand that moment from the cross looking down. It gives us a clearer understanding of what Jesus may have been thinking and feeling at that moment. How?

 

Then display Matthew 27:46 and Psalm 22:1 side by side and ask: What do you notice? 

 

And they should see that it’s the same phrase. From the cross, Jesus quoted the first line of this ancient Old Testament hymn. Now I know there’s many ways that phrase can be interpreted and only Jesus knows the exact reason for why he said that at that moment. But I believe a strong possibility is that this was Jesus’s way of drawing strength from a hymn he knew very well. Help your students see that quoting the first line of a familiar hymn or scripture can bring the entire message to mind. When Jesus quotes that one line, he evokes the thoughts and sentiments of the entire psalm. So let’s see what this psalm can add to our understanding of Christ’s suffering.

 

SEARCH ACTIVITY:

For the Search portion of the lesson, invite your students to simply listen to the entire Psalm. You could also display it on a screen or invite them to follow along as they listen. On the Church’s scripture app or website, select the headphones icon and play the audio recording of Psalm 22 for the class. It takes about four minutes. Before you begin, ask them to listen with this question in mind:

 

What do you notice about the way the Psalm changes from beginning to end?

 

Encourage them to follow along in their scriptures and mark any words, images, or phrases that stand out. Afterward, invite them to share what they noticed. Hopefully, they’ll recognize that although the Psalm begins with pain, loneliness, and the feeling of being forsaken, it doesn’t end there. It gradually turns toward memory, trust, praise, and eventual triumph. That movement may help us better understand why its words could have strengthened the Savior in His darkest hour.

 

After that short discussion, I would display the central truth of the lesson:Like Jesus Christ, when we suffer, the words of hymns and scripture can give us strength and hope in our darkest hour.

 

TAKE IT TO HEART:

Is there a scripture or hymn that has helped carry you through a difficult time? What did it give you when you needed it?

 

As the teacher, you may want to be prepared to share your answer to those questions.

 

I WILL GO AND DO:

Invite students to choose one scripture or hymn they want to carry with them for dark times.

 

You might say:

Choose one scripture or hymn this week that gives you strength. Read or listen to it several times, mark one line that speaks to you, and begin committing that line to memory. Fill your heart with sacred words now so they’ll be there when you need them.

 

TAKEAWAY:

The takeaway slide reminds our students that hymns and scripture can provide us with hope and strength during dark times. Remind them that Psalm 22 began in darkness, but it didn’t remain there. It gives voice to suffering, loneliness, and pain, yet it continues by remembering God’s faithfulness and looking forward to His eventual triumph. Jesus carried those sacred words with Him into His darkest hour. We can prepare to do the same. We can fill our hearts with inspired music and scripture now. We can treasure the words that give us courage, comfort, and hope. The trials may still come, but when they do, we won’t have to face it without words, or without the God whose promises those words contain.

 

LESSON #6 A HOUSE OF BLESSINGS

 

TRUTH:

In the temple, God gives His children light, refuge, strength, perspective, and peace.

 

FIRE IN THE BONES:

The Psalms describe the temple as far more than a beautiful or sacred building. It is a place of mercy, refuge, light, truth, joy, strength, perspective, and closeness to God. Different psalmists approached the sanctuary carrying different needs. Some were troubled. Some were confused. Some were weary. Some needed answers. Others simply longed to be near the Lord. That may be one reason temple worship can be so personal. Two people may attend the same temple on the same day and receive very different blessings. One may find comfort, another direction, another renewed hope, and another a clearer understanding of life. The purpose of this lesson is to help students recognize the variety of blessings available in the Lord’s house and consider which of those blessings they may need most.

 

ICEBREAKER:

Challenge the class to name as many hymns or Primary songs as they can that mention the temple.

Keep the activity to one minute. Possible answers include:

  • “I Love to See the Temple”

  • “The Spirit of God”

  • “High on the Mountain Top”

  • “Families Can Be Together Forever”

  • “How Beautiful Thy Temples, Lord”

Then ask:

Which one is your favorite and why?

 

Then explain that the Psalms also contain sacred songs about the Lord’s house and the blessings found there.

 

TEACHER SHARE:

This little portion of the lesson is optional but could be helpful in showing your students how the Psalms reveal temple blessings. I would take my students to Psalm 73 and either read it in its entirety or summarize the essence of it. The psalmist was troubled because life seemed unfair and the wicked appeared to prosper. He struggled to understand these things “until [he] went into the sanctuary of God; then understood [he] their end” (Psalm 73:17). I love that insight and I believe it’s worth sharing with your students. His circumstances hadn’t changed, but his perspective had. That is one of the great blessings of the temple. The Lord’s house can help us see our problems, questions, priorities, and even the apparent unfairness of life from an eternal point of view.

 

SEARCH ACTIVITY:

Now we send our students into the scriptures to find additional blessings the temple offers us.  One way you could do that is with the following handout.  I’ll also include the original student-teacher handouts and questions from the insight video four years ago for anyone who would still like to use them. Just be aware that that activity was designed for a full-length class period. Students need time to study, prepare, and teach one another, so it won’t work well within the new shortened schedule. I’d only recommend using it if you have a full class period or additional time available. But this new handout is much more brief in nature. 

To do it, give each student a copy of the “A House of Blessings” handout. It features an  outline of the temple divided into six sections, and each section contains a different passage from Psalms. Invite your students to study each reference and write any blessing of the Lord’s house they find in the space provided. They may write just one word or a short phrase. Give them 4 minutes to work individually or with a partner, filling in as many as they can in that time frame. Then allow them to share, and as they share, you write their answers on the board and point out that different verses emphasize different blessings—mercy, refuge, light, hope, lovingkindness, strength, protection, and joy. The goal isn’t to arrive at one exact answer for every passage, but to help students see how many different ways the Lord’s house can bless His children.

 

DISCUSSION QUESTION:If time permits, you could ask this discussion question:

 

Which blessing of the temple surprised you or helped you think about the Lord’s house differently?

 

TAKE IT TO HEART:

When have you felt one of these blessings in or near the temple?

I suggest that you have a brief experience or testimony to share in regard to that question.

 

I WILL GO AND DO:

Then for an I will go and do, you could say:

The next time you attend the temple or visit the temple grounds, bring one need with you. It may be a question, a fear, a decision, a burden, or simply a desire to feel closer to God. Ask Him to give you the blessing you need, and pay attention to the thoughts and feelings that come.

 

TAKEAWAY:

To conclude, show the following takeaway slide and say something like: As you look at this image, remember that people come to the temple carrying many different needs. Some need light. Some need refuge. Some need answers, mercy, strength, or a clearer perspective. The temple may not immediately remove every difficulty waiting for us outside its walls, but it can change what we carry back into the world. We can leave with greater faith, greater peace, and a stronger assurance that God is with us. So the next time you approach the Lord’s house, don’t go merely because it is something you are supposed to do. Go expecting to receive. Bring Him what you need, and trust Him to give the blessing that will help you continue forward.

 

LESSON #7 PRAISEWORTHY

 

TRUTH:

Praise helps us recognize and rejoice in who God is.

 

FIRE IN THE BONES:

I think this is an important lesson because many of our students know how to ask God for help and thank Him for blessings, but they may not often stop to consider who He is or what they genuinely admire about Him. Teaching praise can help move their relationship with God beyond routine prayer and basic belief toward deeper love, trust, and wonder. As students learn to recognize and express God’s goodness, mercy, wisdom, and power, they may begin to see Him more clearly, speak of Him more naturally, and find greater joy in worshipping Him.

 

ICEBREAKER:

Invite each student to think of something that they genuinely enjoy; a sport, hobby, food, place, musical group, movie, book, or activity.

Have them turn to a partner and give each person 1 Minute to try and convince the other person why their “thing” is so great. Why everyone should love it. Allow both people in the pair to share their reasons and then let them judge who they think did a better job of convincing the other. There’s no need to deem a “winner” but just for fun, challenge them to see if they can agree on who they felt really persuaded the other best.

 

After both have shared, ask:

What did you naturally do when you talked about something you loved?

 

They probably described what made it special, expressed enthusiasm, and tried to help someone else appreciate it. Explain that this is essentially what praise does.

 

Then explain that what they just did was an exercise in praise. Praise is the sincere and enthusiastic expression of admiration for someone or something.

 

We often express gratitude in prayer, and that’s important. But gratitude and praise aren’t exactly the same. You could write the following on the board:

 

GRATITUDE: Thanking God for what He givesPRAISE: Rejoicing in who God is

 

Then say: The Psalms are filled with people who don’t merely thank God for blessings, but they marvel at His goodness, mercy, greatness, wisdom, and power. They rejoice in who God is, not just in what he does for them.

 

SEARCH ACTIVITY:

For the search activity, I recommend that you share at least one Psalm of praise with your class and allow them to just listen to it and pick their favorite line.  You could ask:

 

Which word, line, or phrase from this Psalm of praise is your favorite and why?

 

A great Psalm for this would be Psalm 145. You could just read it as a teacher and allow some time for sharing.

 

If time permits, you could then invite your students to pick any of the following Psalms and share at least one thing they learned from it.Psalm 8

Psalm 65

Psalm 98

Psalm 150

 

DISCUSSION QUESTION:

A great discussion question to deepen their understanding of this principle would be to ask:

 

Why would a perfect God ask His children to praise Him? Does He need compliments?

 

Then help your students see that praise is for our benefit, not His ego.

Praise can help us remember who He is, strengthen our trust in Him, increase humility, reorient our attention towards Godly things, deepen our worship, increase our joy, and help us recognize His hand in our lives.

 

TAKE IT TO HEART:

Ask: What quality of Heavenly Father or Jesus Christ do you most admire, and why? And invite students to choose something specific rather than simply saying “everything.”

 

I WILL GO AND DO:

Invite students to include one sincere expression of praise in their daily prayers this week.

You could say:

Before thanking God or asking Him for anything, spend a moment telling Him what you admire about Him. Praise His mercy, wisdom, patience, goodness, power, or love. Be specific and sincere.

 

TAKEAWAY:

As you look at this image, Remind your students that praise is more than saying nice things about God. It’s the natural response of a heart that has begun to recognize who He really is. He is gracious, compassionate, patient, powerful, righteous, and near to those who call upon Him. The more clearly we see His character, the more naturally praise will come. So invite them, the next time they pray to remember to praise His goodness. Of all good things and beings, He is the most praiseworthy.

 

OPTIONAL LESSON ENHANCEMENTS:

 

VIDEO:

As an optional lesson enhancement, you may wish to conclude by enjoying a modern hymn of praise together as a class. You could invite students to name hymns that praise God, then sing one verse together. Possible choices include “The Spirit of God,” “All Creatures of Our God and King,” “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty,” “How Great Thou Art,” or “I Stand All Amazed.” If you would rather use a video, you could show BYU Noteworthy’s performance of “How Great Thou Art.” This can be a simple way to help students move from studying praise in the Psalms to actually expressing praise themselves.

Link to “How Great Thou Art” Music Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nqwxnpT8tM

 

LESSON #8 SCRIPTURE PRESCRIPTIONS

 

TRUTH:

The scriptures contain help, direction, and healing for the problems we face.

 

FIRE IN THE BONES:

Students often know that they’re supposed to study the scriptures, but they may not always see them as personally useful. This lesson can help them recognize that scripture isn’t merely a record of what God said to people long ago. It can become a source of present help for the worries, weaknesses, questions, and struggles they’re facing now. The Psalms are especially powerful in this way because they speak so honestly about real human emotions and experiences.

 

ICEBREAKER:

To introduce the lesson, display the following common ailments and medications and invite your students to match them:

  • Headache — Tylenol

  • Upset stomach — Pepto-Bismol

  • Cough — Robitussin

  • Allergies — Claritin

  • Diabetes — Insulin

 

After reviewing the answers, explain that medicine is prescribed according to a person’s particular need. A cough requires something different than an allergy or headache.

 

Then say: The Psalms can work in a similar way. They contain spiritual help for many different struggles, questions, and emotions. Today we’re going to look for a scripture prescription that speaks to something we may be facing.

 

SEARCH ACTIVITY:

Give each student a copy of the Scripture Prescriptions handout. Invite them to look through the list of situations and choose one that feels most relevant or interesting to them. They don’t need to tell anyone why they chose it.

 

The handout includes the following questions:

  • I’ve been called to teach the gospel and feel inadequate — Psalm 40:8–10

  • I’m troubled by the wars and conflicts of the world — Psalm 46:9–10

  • I’m getting older and worry about my children or grandchildren — Psalm 71:9, 18

  • I really need the Lord’s help right now — Psalm 77

  • I’m struggling to control my media choices and what I look at online — Psalm 101:2–3, 6–7

  • I feel I need to get outside and reconnect with God — Psalm 104

  • I’m wondering about the importance of marriage and family — Psalm 127:3–5

  • There’s a lot of conflict in my life — Psalm 133:1

 

Ask students to read the assigned passage with this question in mind:

 

What do you find in this Psalm that could help someone facing that situation?

 

Give them about five minutes to study and write their thoughts on the back of the handout.

 

If teachers would like my fuller thoughts on how I feel each passage connects with the situation listed, they can find that additional commentary in the insight video.

 

After students have studied, invite several to share what they discovered.

You might say:

You don’t need to explain why you chose your passage or share anything personal. Simply tell us what the scripture teaches and how it might help someone facing that situation.

 

As students respond, point out the different ways scripture can help. It may:

  • Calm fear

  • Give direction

  • Correct our thinking

  • Strengthen commitment

  • Restore hope

  • Invite repentance

  • Remind us of God’s power

  • Help us feel less alone

 

The goal isn’t to suggest that one verse instantly solves every difficult problem. Rather, it’s to help students recognize that God can use His word to guide, strengthen, and heal us as we continue seeking help and acting in faith.

And really that activity could serve as the entire lesson. There’s not much more you would need to prepare other than that.

 

TAKEAWAY:

I would then just conclude with the following takeaway slide and your testimony of the power of the scriptures to help us answer life’s problems and questions. You might say: We’ll all experience physical ailments during our lives, and we’re grateful for medicines, doctors, and treatments that can help us to heal. But we’ll also experience spiritual and emotional ailments. Things like fear, discouragement, confusion, temptation, grief, conflict, and uncertainty. God hasn’t left us without help for those either. He has given us His word. The scriptures may not always remove the problem immediately, but they can give us truth when we’re confused, hope when we’re discouraged, correction when we’re drifting, and strength when we don’t know how to continue. So when something is troubling your soul, don’t forget to search the scriptures. Somewhere in their pages, you may find exactly the prescription your heart needs.



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