Lesson 30: Acts 22-28

July 29-August 4
Acts 22-28
"A Minister and a Witness"

Materials: a rubber snake or a picture of a snake, Craft supplies: ties (one for each person), needles and thread, poly fill/stuffing, buttons/goggly eyes, ribbon, scissors, glue. 
Opening Song: "Faith" (Children's Songbook, 96)
Opening Prayer:
Scripture:

Attention Activity:
Hold out your pinky to each member of your family and give them a pinky promise. If they are good the end of FHE they can have a treat. What does it mean to make a promise? What is it called when we make promises with the Lord? Promises can also be made to us individually if we live righteously. 

Lesson:
Show a rubber snake or a picture of snake. What is this? What do you know about snakes? Can snakes hurt us?

After Christ was resurrected, He visited with His apostles and made them certain promises. Read Mark 16:18 "They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." What promise did Jesus make to his apostles? 

On his travels, the apostle Paul came to the island of Melita. This island people treated Paul and his companion kindly, taking them in from the cold and rain and building them a fire. When Paul gathered some sticks for the fire, a "viper" or snake came out of the wood and bit him on the hand. (You could act out this part with the rubber snake) When the island people saw the venomous snake hanging from his hand, they thought that Paul must have been a murderer receiving his just reward. But Paul shook off the snake into the fire. It didn't hurt him at all! The island people were shocked because the snake should have killed Paul, but it didn't. They thought he must have been some kind of god. Paul was invited to stay with the chief. The chief's father was sick and Paul healed him and other sick people on the island. 

Point out to your family that Paul's experience on the island of Melita fulfilled the promise Christ made in Mark 16. 

The Lord and His servants continue to give us special promises today. We make covenants with God when we are baptized and when we receive our temple endowment. We also can learn of some personal promises made to us when we receive our patriarchal blessings. Another way we can hear of promises made by the Lord is listening to the talks during general conference. At the end of a lot of general conference talks, the speaker will often offer us a promise if we live a certain principle of the gospel. Promises made by the Lord are always dependant on our obedience and faith. How can we show our faith that his promise will be filfilled?

Bear your testimony of the faith you have in the Lord. Heavenly Father will always keep his promises if we are obedient to his commandments. 

Craft: Stuffed snakes
Craft supplies: ties (one for each person), needles and thread, poly fill/stuffing, buttons/googly eyes, ribbon, scissors, glue. 

For directions watch the following Youtube video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLYSwU8n0mQ 


Closing Song: "Keep the commandments"  (Children's Songbook, 146)
Closing Prayer:

Refreshment: 
Cinnamon Sugar Snakes

Ingredients: 
1 can crescent rolls
1 t. sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon
raisins

Open can and separate dough into rectangles. Cut rectangles into 1/2 inch strips. Roll into snakes with hands like play dough. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Wrap into coils or make "s" shapes. Pinch and diamond shape at one end for the head and put raisins for eyes. Bake as directed. 

Lesson 29: Acts 16-21

July 22-28
Acts 16-21
"The Lord Had Called Us to Preach the Gospel"

Materials: map of the missionary journeys of Paul, saran wrap, packing tape, assortment of candy, dice, oven mitts/gloves
Opening Song: "Give Said the Little Stream" (Children's Songbook, 236)
Opening Prayer:
Scripture: Matthew 25: 40 "And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

Attention Activity: 
Game: Guess Who to Help? Written below are five ways to help a mystery person. Read the clues below and have your family guess who the person is. (You can adjust the clues if you based on your family situation or create your own)

Mystery Person: Mom
1. Sweep the kitchen floor
2. Clean up your toys
3. Play nicely and quietly
4. Make your school lunch
5. Give her a back rub 

Mystery Person: The Missionaries
1. Always be friendly to those not in our church
2. Talk with your friends about what you learned at Primary/Church
3. Invite your friends to church activities
4. Write them a letter
5. Have them over for dinner

Mystery Person: Grandma/Grandpa
1. Send them a card/draw them a picture
2. Call them and tell them about your day
3. Ask them for advice
4. Ask them about their childhood
5. Give them hugs and kisses 


Lesson:
We have been reading about Paul in the scriptures. Paul was a great missionary. He traveled to many different cities and places with different companions to teach people about Jesus Christ. Show the map of the missionary journeys of Paul (there is one in the CFMFIAF Manual and in most scriptures) Point to Ephesus on the map. Paul went to Ephesus twice. The second time he told the people he would not be back and he reminded them of all the things he had taught them. Read Acts 20: 35 "I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give then to receive." What did Paul mean when he said it is "more blessed to give than to receive?" Why are we more blessed when we give rather than  receive?

Ask a family member,"Tell a story from your own life about a time you gave a loved one a special gift for Christmas or their birthday. How do you feel when you gave them their present? 
Other than giving someone a gift, what is another way we can be giving? Paul said that we need to "support the weak." This means we need to look for ways to support and serve others. Is there someone we know that could benefit from our service? How could we help them? Make a plan to help someone in need with your family. 

 Read Matthew 25: 40. Jesus said, when we serve others, it is like we are serving him. We are doing what He would do and that makes him happy and us happy too. Bear your testimony of service and how giving to others has blessed your life.

Optional Activity: go to justserve.org and find a service opportunity your family can do together. 

Closing Song: "Because I Have Been Given Much" (Hymnal, 219)
Closing Prayer:

Refreshment/Game: 

How To Play the Saran Wrap Game

This Plastic Wrap Ball Game for Kids or Adults requires a group of children or grown-ups (or both!) Make a saran wrap/tape ball with candy like the one pictured below. 

The players will need to sit in a circle.  One player will start off with the ball. The player to the left of that player will receive dice. 

The player with the ball put on gloves or oven mitts, and will start unwrapping the ball. At the same time, the player with the dice will start rolling the dice. 
The person unwrapping the ball will continue until the player rolling the dice rolls a double. 
The player rolling the dice will want to roll a double as fast as possible so he or she could have a turn at trying to unwrap and win a prize. 
Any prize or party favor that is unwrapped during your turn is yours to keep!!!

Tip: Keep in mind that each player has to keep the plastic wrap ball on their lap (if someone has it on the ground it will get uncovered way too easy!) 

Lesson 28: Acts 10-15

July 15-21
Acts 10-15
"The Word of God Grew and Multiplied"

Materials: scriptures
Opening Song: "A Child's Prayer" (Children's Songbook, 12)
Opening Prayer:
Scripture: Acts 10:5 "Peter was therefore kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him."

Attention Activity:
Tell the following story. Mikey was playing the backyard when he fell and cut his knee. The cut hurt badly and was bleeding. Mikey knew he needed a bandaid, but the bandaids were in the tallest cupboard in the kitchen. Mikey knew he couldn't reach the bandaids so he asked his dad for help. Mikey's dad cleaned the cut and put a bandaid on it and Mikey felt much better. He was glad he asked his dad for help. Sometimes we have problems we can't solve on our own and we need to ask for help. Who can we always go to for help? Heavenly Father is always there to hear and answer our prayers. 

Lesson:
Remind your family that Peter was the leader of the church after Christ's death. Just before Easter, Peter was cast into prison by King Herod. Herod wanted to have Peter killed after the Easter holiday so sent 16 guards to watch him. "Peter was therefore kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him." (Acts 12:5) Who was praying for Peter? What does is mean to pray "without ceasing"? 

The night Herod was to kill Peter, Peter was sleeping chained between two guards when an angel appeared and a light shined in the dark prison. The angel nudged him, raised him up, and told him to get up. He wanted Peter to get up, put on his shoes, and follow him. Peter and the angels went through two levels of the prison then came to the large iron gate the guards the entry into the city. The gate lifted all on its own and Peter and the angel went out. After Peter was safely out fo the prison the angel departed. 

Read Acts 12: 10. How were the prayers of the members of the church answered? Just like Heavenly Father answered the prayers of the members of the church, he also answers our prayers. We might not, and probably won't get angelic help when we pray, but Heavenly Father does hear us and answer our prayers. Heavenly Father loves us; he knows us; he knows what we are going to pray for even before we pray for it. And he wants to help us. But he has a plan for us and Heavenly Fathers plan might have things in store for us that we are unaware of. He might not answer our prayers right away or in the way we think.

Elder Brook P. Hales of the Seventy said, Brothers and sisters, sometimes our prayers are answered quickly with the outcome we hope for. Sometimes our prayers are not answered in the way we hope for, yet with time we learn that God had greater blessings prepared for us than we initially anticipated. And sometimes our righteous petitions to God will not be granted in this life. As Elder Neal A. Maxwell said, “Faith also includes trust in God’s timing.”

Ask members of your family to share the following:
1. Tell of a time when you prayed to Heavenly Father and he answered your prayers.
2. Tell of a time when you received an answer to a prayer but it wasn't what you had originally had in mind? How were you blessed because of it?/
3. Tell of something you are currently praying for but have not yet received. Do you have faith in Heavenly Father's plan?

Remind your family of people you need to or are currently praying for. Just like the members of the ancient church prayed for Peter, we should also pray for President Nelson and the other leaders of the church. Bear your testimony on the power of prayer and how Heavenly Father answers prayers. 

Game: Prayer Popcorn
Children can sit in a circle. When the teacher says to START POPPING, the children will jump (pop) up one at a time and shout out something to PRAY about. That child will sit down and then another child or teacher can POP up and continue to name prayers until all the children have had an opportunity to POP up with a PRAYER. Continue as time allows and then serve POPCORN to the children in the circle to remember their POPCORN PRAYING!

Closing Song: "I Pray in Faith" (Children's Songbook, 14)
Closing Prayer:

Refreshment: Popcorn Bar (plain, buttered, cheddar, carmel, kettle, candied, etc.)