Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20-21
"He is Risen"
Materials: Mission call letter (see below), envelope, "Feed My Sheep" Bible Video (Link Below), Coloring pages (links provided), "Feed My Sheep" by Kamille Corry (link below)
Opening Song: "Called to Serve" (Hymnal, 249)
Opening Prayer:
Scripture:
Attention Activity:
Have the following letter printed, filled out, and placed in an envelope. A member of your family should read the letter aloud.
Dear _______(Your Name)______Family,
You are herby called to serve as missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the ___________(Your city)____________Mission. It is anticipated that you will serve for eternity.
You should report daily for prayer and scripture study to train for your mission beginning _______(Today’s date)_______. You will preach the gospel in the ___(Your Language)_______ language. Your assignment may be modified according to the needs of your mission area.
You have been recommended as one worthy to represent the Lord as a minister of the restored gospel. You will be an official representative of the Church. As such, you will be expected to maintain the highest standards of conduct and appearance by keeping the commandments, living the family rules, and following the counsel of your parents. As you devote your time and attention to serving the Lord, prioritizing the Lord’s will over personal affairs, the Lord will bless you with increased knowledge and testimony of the Restoration and the truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Your purpose will be to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. As you serve with all your heart, might, and strength, the Lord will lead you to those who are prepared to receive the gospel message.
The Lord will reward you for the goodness of your life. Greater blessings and more happiness than you have yet experienced await you as you humbly and prayerfully serve the Lord in this labor of love among His children. We place our confidence in you and pray that the Lord will help you become and effective missionary.
You will not be set apart as a missionary at this time. Please pray promptly accepting this call to serve as a member missionary, and “feed his sheep.”
Sincerely,
_______________________________________
Your Signiture
What letter did we just receive? What does it mean? Today we are going to talk about the mission he gave each of his disciples after he was resurrected--"feed my sheep".
Lesson:
Ask member of your family to briefly summarize what happened on Easter morning.
Show Picture "Feed My Sheep" By Kamille Corry
After Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene, he appeared to two of his apostles that same day. Later, he revealed himself to all eleven of his remaining apostles, and they beheld him and touched the nail prints in his hands and feet and spear wound in his side (see John 20). After that his apostles went fishing in the Sea of Tiberius. Have them watch the "Feed My Sheep" Bible video.
What did Jesus mean when he asked Peter to "feed his sheep?" Why is feeding sheep a good metaphor for nourishing and caring for God's children?
*** For Teens and Adults: To better understand Jesus' message to Peter in John 21 it is important to know the different Greek translations for the word "love" found in verses 15-17. In verse 15 Jesus asks Peter, "lovest thou me more than these?" "Lovest" comes from the Greek word agapao, meaning Godly love; love with deep devotion or esteem (regent.edu). But Peter Answers with the word phileo which means love of friendship. Jesus repeats the question in verse 16, but Peter still answers using the word for friendly love instead of acknowledging a divine or godly love. Finally, in verse 17 Jesus uses phileo for love in acknowledgement that Peter wasn't grasping the concept of agapao or Godly love.
The word for "feed" is also varied between the three verses. President Russell M. Nelson explained how an understanding of the Greek text deepens our knowledge of the Savior’s instructions to Peter and to us:
“In [John 21:15], the word feed comes from the Greek term bosko, which means ‘to nourish or to pasture.’ The word lambcomes from the diminutive term arnion, meaning ‘little lamb.’ …
“In [John 21:16], the word feed comes from a different term, poimaino, which means ‘to shepherd, to tend, or to care.’ The word sheep comes from the term probaton, meaning ‘mature sheep.’ …
“In [John 21:17], the word feed again comes from the Greek bosko, referring to nourishment. The word sheep was again translated from the Greek term probaton, referring to adult sheep.
“These three verses, which seem so similar in the English language, really contain three distinct messages in Greek:
“Little lambs need to be nourished in order to grow;
“Sheep need to be tended;
“Sheep need to be nourished” (“Shepherds, Lambs, and Home Teachers,” Ensign, Aug. 1994, 16).***
Elder Gary Stevenson said, "Who is a shepherd? Every man, woman, and child in the kingdom of God is a shepherd. No calling is required. From the moment we emerge from the waters of baptism, we are commissioned to this work. We reach out in love to others because it is what our Savior commanded us to do... Whenever our neighbors are in distress temporally or spiritually, we run to their aid. We bear one another’s burdens that they may be light. We mourn with those who mourn. We comfort those who stand in need of comfort. The Lord lovingly expects this of us. And the day will come when we will be held accountable for the care we take in ministering to His flock" ("Shepherding Souls" Oct. 2018).
Elder Ulisses Soares said, "This need today is as great as or perhaps even greater than when the Savior walked on this earth. As shepherds we must understand that we should nurture each one of our sheep to bring them to Christ, which is the purpose of all we do in this Church" ("Feed My Sheep", Oct. 2005).
Before Jesus left the apostles he gave them a mission. He wanted them to "feed his sheep" or minister to all of God's children. He also told them, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you" (Matt. 21: 19-20). He wanted his apostles to go out and teach the people about him, and minister unto them. How can we help accomplish this?
Bear your testimony of the ministering program of the church. We each have been given our own personal mission calling when we are baptized to be good "member missionaries" and feed his sheep by ministering unto all. When we turn 14, we are given a special ministering assignment to those in our wards and local areas. This includes doing service and showing compassion for our neighbors as well as sharing the good news of the gospel with others.
Activity:
Choose one of the following coloring pages
I can be a missionary now
Serving Others
Closing Song: "I Hope They Call Me On a Mission" (Children's Songbook, 169)
Closing Prayer:
Refreshment:
Marvelous Missionary M&M Bars Recipe Here
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