Faith Lessons Ages 6-8

Faith – Ages 6-8
2 Weeks
Objective is to teach about faith, that faith has power, and we use it all of the time.

Lesson 1. The seed
 Read Alma 32: 33, 37, 38. This is the account of comparing a seed to faith. Discuss how faith is like planting a seed.
 Ahead of time prepare planting pots with soil and get a package of seeds. Let each child plant a seed and discuss what is needed in order for the seed to grow.
• How do we “nourish” our faith so it will grow?
 Read stories from the scriptures of people who showed faith. Let the family members tell what their favorite one is or give them suggestions.
• Daniel and the lions den (Daniel chapter 6).
• Nephi getting the Plates of Brass (1 Nephi chapter 4).
• Christ’s disciples dropping their nets and following Jesus (Matt. 4:18-22).
• David and Goliath (1 Sam. Chapter 17).
• Brother of Jared moving mountains (Ether chapter 3 and Ether 12: 30).
• Meshach, Shadrach, and Abed-nego (Daniel chapter 3).
• Hannah and Samuel (1 Samuel chapter 1).
• After reading the story, discuss the faith and power that faith brought.
• Act out the story and video tape it. Watch the production when finished.
 Video: #8 “What Think Ye of Christ?” Family Home Evening Video Supplement 2. (This can be found in your meeting house library or purchased through the Church Distribution Center. There are two videos with many segments on each.)
 Activity: Going through an obstacle course while blindfolded.
• Set up an obstacle course with chairs, boxes, rulers, people, or whatever you have.
Each family member is to work themselves through the course while blindfolded.
The only direction they have is the verbal commands from any other family
member of their choosing. Before each family member takes their turn, secretly
rearrange a chair or box so the course is unknown and different for each
participant.
• Variation: While going through the course under the direction of the chosen guide, have the other family members verbally try to get the participant to go a different way, or not listen to the guide. This is effective if the family members are part of the obstacle course. No touching allowed!
• Be sure to discuss what this experience has to do with faith. (Consider talking about obstacles in life, our chosen guide, trusting someone, peers or worldly things that try to deceive us, power in listening to who we can trust.)
 Songs: “Faith,” page 96; “God’s Love,” page 97; “I Know My Father Lives,” page 5; Children’s Songbook. “Be Still My Soul,” page 124; Hymn Book.
 Dessert:
• Prepare something new that no one has eaten before. This will give them “faith” to trust you that it is really good.
• Have food with hidden sayings inside such as cookies, or hidden food inside other food such as tootsie pops.
Lesson 2. Faith has power.
 For each family member, choose an activity that would be difficult for him/her to do but is achievable with some encouraging and effort. Examples could be:
• Chin ups on a bar, push ups from the knee or toe (know your children’s ability), and dips from a chair
• Memorizing a 4 strand poem,
• Memorizing numbers to a combination lock that has locked up a box with a reward in it.
• Tell each family member their challenge and the reward they will earn if they can accomplish it. Let them do their challenge one person at a time. Encourage.
 When the family member thinks he/she can’t do anymore, put a bribe in front of them. If they are doing pull ups, dangle a sucker or dollar bill (in an envelope for cleanliness) in front of them and high enough that they could get it with their teeth if they do that one more pull up. The “bribe” could be put on the floor under where their mouth would be if doing push ups.
 With verbal encouragement and the reward in sight, the family member will probably be able to do one more than they thought they could.
• Discuss how faith in themselves, the encouragement of good friends and family members, and keeping the eye on the reward, gave each power to do more than they thought they could.
 “I can do it” is showing faith in oneself and it generates power. Tell the story of the “Little Engine That Could”. (This is also available on video.)
 Challenge each family member to discuss something that is difficult for them and to make up a plan to overcome it. It can be overcoming a fear, developing a talent, doing better in a class in school, getting along with someone, etc. (power).
 Tell any of the stories that follow these lessons, or one of your own, on how faith helped in achieving something difficult (power).
 Show a piece of cross stitch from underneath. Don’t show the finished side. Ask the family to get on the floor and view the cross stitch from below. See if they can guess what the picture is about. Now have them come to the top and view the cross stitch from above. Which view was prettier?
• Discuss how God can see us from above and has a more perfect view than we do from below. He knows what the total picture is supposed to look like and can guide and direct us so we too can eventually see the finished picture from on top. This takes faith in Him and His knowledge.
 Songs: “Faith,” page 96; “God’s Love,” page 97; “I Know My Father Lives,” page 5; Children’s Songbook. “Where Can I Turn for Peace,” page 129; Hymn Book.
 Dessert:
• Prepare something new that no one has eaten before. This will give them “faith” to trust you that it is really good.
• Have food with hidden sayings such as a cookie, or food with other food in the middle such as a tootsie pop.