“Sharing Time: ‘Follow Me’” Friend, July 2003, 37
Sharing Time:
“Follow Me”
Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:26).
Peter and Andrew earned their living by catching fish. One day as they cast their nets into the Sea of Galilee, they saw Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus said to them, “Follow me.” Even though Peter and Andrew were in the middle of their work, “they straightway [immediately] left their nets, and followed him.”
Jesus then invited two other fishermen, James and John, to follow Him, and they too “immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.” (See Matt. 4:18–22.)
Have you ever wondered what you would do if you saw the Savior and He called to you, “Follow me”? Would you leave what you were doing to follow Him?
Today we are also invited to follow the Savior. How can we follow Him? We follow Jesus Christ when we have faith in Him, repent of our wrongdoings, and are baptized. We follow Him when we listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost, the words of the living prophet, and the wise counsel of our parents. We follow Him when we choose the right.
Just like His disciples of old, we will be blessed when we answer the Savior’s call to “follow me.” Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, “I … give you my witness that those who, in faith, … follow the Savior will experience happiness beyond their ability to comprehend [understand]” (Ensign, May 2002, 17).
Scripture Maze
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Mount page 36 on heavy paper; then cut out the large rectangle and the individual maze pieces.
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Locate the scripture referred to on each maze piece, read it, find the person or persons mentioned in that scripture on the large rectangle, and glue that piece of the maze on that part of the large rectangle.
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Find the path that leads to the Savior.
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Display the maze as a reminder of your choice to follow Jesus Christ.
Alma and Helam are baptized.
The 2,000 warriors do not doubt.
Paul testifies of Jesus Christ.
Nephi tells his father that he will obey the Lord.
Enos prays and is blessed.
Peter and Andrew put down their nets and follow the Savior.
The sons of Mosiah search the scriptures.
Jacob goes to the temple.
Jesus’ disciples partake of the sacrament.
Ten lepers obey and are healed.
Naaman obeys the prophet Elisha.
The children of Israel keep the Sabbath day holy.
Sharing Time Ideas
(Note: All songs are from Children’s Songbook (CS) unless otherwise indicated; GAK = Gospel Art Kit; TNGC = Teaching, No Greater Call)
1. Review Jesus’ teachings on prayer by reading and discussing Matt. 6:7–13. Explain that Jesus also taught us by example that we can pray anytime, anywhere. On pieces of paper, write these scripture references: Matt. 14:23; Matt. 26:36 and Bible Dictionary—Gethsemane; Mark 1:35; Mark 6:46; Luke 3:21; Luke 5:16; Luke 6:12; Luke 18:1. Have each class choose a reference, locate the scripture, and, by reading it, discover where or when a person could pray. Have a child from each class draw on the chalkboard or on a piece of paper a picture that illustrates that class’s scripture, such as a mountain, a sunrise, or a wilderness. Have the rest of the Primary guess what was illustrated, then locate the scripture and read it aloud. Sing a song about prayer or about the Savior. Repeat the process with the other classes’ scriptures. Discuss additional places and times they can pray (see Alma 34:17–27). Share an experience of a time when your prayers were answered and bear testimony that Heavenly Father will answer the children’s prayers for their good.
2. Help the children become more familiar with the scriptures by inviting people from the ward or branch or the teachers to share their favorite scriptures. Have the adults read or recite from memory their favorite scripture and tell how it helps them follow the Savior. Emphasize that learning about Jesus and His commandments through the scriptures and then being obedient to these teachings help us follow the Savior in faith. Sing a song about following the Savior, such as “I’m Trying to Be like Jesus” (pp. 78–79). Help the children share a scripture that has meaning to them. For those who need help choosing a scripture, list on the board familiar scriptures, or help children locate specific scriptures they enjoy by using the Topical Guide. Have each child write a scripture on a piece of paper (or copy a scripture for younger children). Invite them to display it at home where they can review it as they memorize it during the week. Challenge the children to be prepared to recite their scripture the following week, and follow up on this challenge the next Sunday.
3. Help the children understand what they can do to follow the Savior in faith by using Heb. 11 and Ether 12 to review examples of faith by others. On the back of the following pictures, write the scripture reference indicated, then arrange the pictures on the front wall in random order in the shape of a clock: • Enoch / GAK 120 / Heb. 11:5 • Noah / GAK 102 / Heb. 11:7 • Abraham / GAK 104 / Heb. 11:8–10 • Abraham and Isaac / GAK 105 / Heb. 11:17 • Jacob blessing his sons / GAK 122 / Heb. 11:21 • Joseph / GAK 109 / Heb. 11:22 • Baby Moses / GAK 106 / Heb. 11:23 • Moses parting the Red Sea / Primary picture kit 6–12 / Heb. 11:24–29 • Christ appearing to the Nephites / GAK 315 / Ether 12:7 • Alma and Amulek in the fallen prison / Primary picture kit 4–29 / Ether 12:13 • Nephi and Lehi encircled by fire / Primary picture kit 4–41 / Ether 12:14 • Ammon teaching King Lamoni / Primary picture kit 2–18 / Ether 12:15.
Have the children locate Ether 12:6, and invite an older child to read it aloud. Discuss how Moroni defined faith.
Choose a child to be the timekeeper. Have another child choose a picture and read the reference aloud. Have all the children quickly locate the scripture while the timekeeper tracks how long it takes. The first child to locate the scripture reads it aloud. Help the children retell the story about that person by asking questions such as “Why did this happen?” “How were they able to do this?” “Who obeyed, or did not obey, and what happened to them?” “What can you do to show faith like this person?”
Based on the amount of time it took to find the first picture, have a child read aloud the scripture reference from the back of a picture positioned at that time on a clock. For example, if it took 45 seconds to find it, the picture at nine o’clock would be chosen. If a picture has been chosen previously, have the child take the next unchosen picture in order. Repeat the process until all the pictures have been chosen.
Have the children locate Ether 12:18 and read it aloud together. Emphasize that all of the things happened because the people first believed in Jesus Christ. Sing songs about faith, such as “I’ll Follow Him in Faith” (Friend, Jan. 2003, 24), “Lord, I Would Follow Thee” (Hymns, no. 220), and “Faith” (CS, 96–97).
4. For younger children: Place figures from the Primary Visual Aids Cutouts (see cutout numbers below), or actual objects, in paper sacks numbered from 1 to 10. Fold down the tops so that the children cannot see what is in each sack. Distribute the sacks throughout the Primary room. Ask an adult to write a number from 1 to 10 on the chalkboard and cover it with her or his hand. While the pianist plays music, have the children pass the sacks up and down the rows. When the music stops, the adult shows the number on the chalkboard. The child holding the sack with that number opens it to show something the children can express gratitude for in their prayers. Sing a song that the children know and that goes with the object, such as: • 1–22 / mother holding child / “Families Can Be Together Forever” (p. 188) • 2–10 / boy reading scriptures / “Book of Mormon Stories” (pp. 118–19) • 2–13 / child’s hands / “I Have Two Little Hands” (p. 272) • 3–14 / rain / “Rain Is Falling All Around” (p. 241) • 3–23 / snowflakes / “Once There Was a Snowman” (p. 249) • 3–25 / spring / “Popcorn Popping” (pp. 242–43) • 7–5 / Joseph Smith / “Latter-day Prophets” (p. 134) • 8–11 / resurrected Christ / “Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam” (pp. 60–61) • 9–1 / birthday cake / “I Like My Birthdays” (p. 104) • 10–1 / Salt Lake Temple / “I Love to See the Temple” (p. 95).
Repeat the process, writing a new number on the board until all the songs have been sung. Have the children discuss other things they can thank Heavenly Father for in their prayers. Express gratitude for the blessings you have been given.
5. Song presentation: Help the children learn “Lord, I Would Follow Thee” (Hymns, no. 220) by teaching the phrases in reverse order. Discuss how the last phrase expresses our commitment to follow the Savior. It is so important that it is used to end each verse. Have the children listen as you sing it, and raise their hands when they think of something they can do to follow Him. Ask one of them to share a way to follow Jesus Christ, and invite that child to hold a picture of Him while everyone sings the last phrase.
Tell the children that the phrases leading up to the final phrase indicate ways they can follow the Lord. Sing the next to the last phrase, “Savior, may I learn to love thee,” then have the children sing it with you. Have them sing these two phrases and raise their hands if they have thought of a way they can follow the Savior. Have another child share his answer and hold up the picture while everyone again sings the two last phrases. Repeat this procedure until you have all sung the entire hymn. Bear testimony of your love for the Savior and your desire to follow Him.
6. Additional Friend resources: “Eugene’s Quiet Place,” July 2002, 10–12; “Pray Always,” July 2001, 2; Sharing Times—Sept. 2000, 10–12; Jan. 1999, 14–15, 5; Sept. 1998, 12–13, 26. Additional Ensign resources: “We Walk by Faith,” May 2002, 72–74; “They Pray and They Go,” May 2002, 49–51; “The Lifeline of Prayer,” May 2002, 59–62.
Christ Calls Two Disciples by Gary E. Smith