Lesson 9

ALL THINGS TESTIFY OF CHRIST

Objective: To open our eyes to the many and wonderful things that show and testify of Christ. Visual aid: Bear (Bear witness of Christ) or a wrist watch; shows someone needed to create the watch, so it is with the heavens and earth which is much more complex and testifies there was a creator.

Lesson ideas:

* In everything we see; stars, flowers, animals, the rising and setting of the sun testifies of Christ.

* God created the heavens and the earth and everything in it.  Seeing the order of how the planets move, and how the sun gives us light testifies of a creator.  Knowing that we were given light, water and air to breathe all tells us there is order in our world, which testifies to us there is a creator.  Tell the Bible Story of how the world was created. (Genesis 1: 1-31)

* Prophets testify of Christ’s coming:  Some of the prophets were; Isaiah, Nephi, Moses, and Samuel the Lamanite.  Christ himself proclaims who he is, “I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.” Knowing of Christ even before he is born testifies there is a Christ. (John 8:18)

* Priesthood power and miracles testify of Christ:

            1. Korihor struck dumb (Alma 30: 49),

            2. Elijah and the fire (1 Kings 18: 24-39),

            3. Moses parting the Red Sea (Exodus 14: 16)

            4. Daniel in the lion’s den (Daniel 6: 16)

            5. Noah and the ark and flood (Genesis 7: 9)

* Our bodies have such an order to them like; lungs receiving oxygen, brain telling us to move our legs when we want to walk, our heart pumping blood without us thinking about it.  All this tells us there is a God.

* God the Father also testifies of Christ at Jesus’ baptism. (Matthew 3: 17)

* Bear your testimony of Christ

Scriptures:

Bible                                                                            

Genesis 1:1-31 God creates the heavens                   

Isaiah7:14 virgin shall conceive and bear a son         

Matthew 3: 17 this is my beloved Son                       

LDS Scriptures

2 Nephi 26:3 signs given of his birth

Alma 30:41 I have all things as a testimony

Alma 30:44 all things denote there is a God

Activities:

* Have a talent night where you have had several weeks to prepare for this.  Display something that testifies of Christ.  It could be a picture that is drawn of animals, photo of fish, song sung like “All Things Bright and Beautiful” or even seeds that are planted and are starting to grow.

* Give everyone a small lunch bag and ask them to collect things that testify of Christ like a blade of grass, flower, rock, insects, rice, etc.

* Creation activities:

1.      Obtain star stickers and place on a dark piece of paper.

2.      Draw a picture of a bright sun.

3.      What am I?  I am a mountain that has lava coming out of it.  (Volcano)

4.      Was water on the earth before or after animals?

5.      Put a puzzle together that has trees and flowers in it.

6.      Pretend to be a lion, a kangaroo, or a bird and so on.

* Dress up like one of the prophets who foretold of Christ’s coming.

* Testimony demonstration: Bring out a piece of thread and see how one thread can easily be broken, but if more and more strings or thread are added the stronger the strings become.  That’s like our testimony, the more we add knowledge and understanding to our testimony the stronger it becomes.

* Around a fire pit or living room, your family can have a testimony meeting.

* Keep a journal especially of the things that have brought you closer to Christ.

* Trip – Any trip to the canyons, beaches, farm lands, or zoo to see the beauty of the world.

* Animal songs; Old McDonald Had a Farm, Eency Weency Spider, The Farmer in the Dell.

* Jesus name game. (Found in Lesson 1)

* Play Duck, Duck, Goose or I Have a Little Doggie; to represent animals that were created.

Duck, Duck, Goose:

     A group of players sit in a circle, facing inward, while another player, the "picker" walks around tapping or pointing to each player in turn, calling each a "duck” until finally picking one to be a "goose" The "goose" then rises and chases and tries to tag the "picker", while the "picker" tries to return to and sit where the "goose" had been sitting. If  the picker succeeds, the "goose" is now the new picker and the process begins again. If  the "goose" succeeds in tagging the picker, the "goose" may return to sit in the previous spot and the "picker" resumes the process.

I Have A Little Doggie: (Also needs a scarf or piece of material to play the game.)

     Words are, “I have a little doggie and he won’t bite you, and he won’t bite you… but he will bite you.” The people are in a circle and one person goes around the circle saying, “I have a little doggie and he won’t bite you.”  When he says the words, “but he will bite you,” that person that was chosen picks up the scarf and runs after the person that dropped the scarf.  Who gets back to the empty spot first wins and who didn’t make it has to be it and starts the game again.

Songs:

Hymns                                                                         

# 62 All Creatures of Our God and King                   

# 72 Praise to the Lord the Almighty                         

# 64 On This Day of Joy and Gladness                       

Children’s Song book

# 231 All Things Bright and Beautiful

# 228 My Heavenly Father loves me 

# 230 I Think the World is Glorious

Treat:

Star sugar cookie – Animal crackers