Faith in Jesus
Christ
Purpose: To
review fundamental principles required for having faith in Christ.
Scripture: “His lord said
unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful
servant: thou hast been faithful over a few
things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy
lord”
(Matthew 25:21).
PMG Quote: “When you have faith in Christ, you believe
in Him as the Son of God, the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh. You
accept Him as your Savior and Redeemer and follow His teachings. You believe
that your sins can be forgiven through His Atonement” (p. 116).
Key Term: Faithful
– To live in a manner that is steadfast in love and loyalty
to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Lesson: When
the people of Israel began to worship idols, the prophet Elijah went to King
Ahab and declared there would be no rain or dew on the land until the people
repented. During the long drought Elijah was commanded by the Lord to hide by a
brook off of the river Jordan. Elijah was told he would be able to drink from
the brook, and that ravens had been commanded to bring him food so he could
survive. The scriptures indicate Elijah simply “went and did according to the
word of the Lord” (1 Kings 17:5). Elijah’s profound faith in the Lord helped
him survive and stands as an example to follow.
As demonstrated by Elijah, living with faith brings great
blessings. Having faith in Christ helps us to trust in Him, utilize the Atonement,
and be more obedient. Those who live by faith are inspired to action based on
promptings from the spirit. The faithful are led to accomplish great things in
their own lives and to bring good to others.
Heavenly Father encourages His children to increase their
faith. We can do this by first, choosing to believe in the Savior and His love. Second, asking
for His help through regular, daily prayer. And third, thinking about Him and
regularly studying the scriptures.[1] Elder Theodore Tuttle taught, "We're
not going to survive in this world, temporally or spiritually, without
increased faith in the Lord-and I don't mean a positive mental attitude-I mean
downright solid faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.”[2]
Exercises: Prayerfully
select one or more of the following exercises to supplement the lesson.
Ñ Teach: Explain the doctrine associated with the
principle of faith.
˜ Testify: Describe a personal experience or feelings
you have about exercising faith in Christ.
? Invite: Practice inviting
those you teach to make commitments related to having faith (i.e., praying or
paying tithing).
® Role Play: Use the following question to role play a
gospel discussion with a friend or family member. “How can I increase my faith in Christ?”
— Open Your Mouth: In the upcoming week, start a gospel
conversation with someone by asking them, “How
do you define faith?” Probe to learn what specific behaviors they feel help
increase faith.
Activities:
Make a simple birdfeeder
to attract ravens. Tie a piece of string around the top third of a pinecone to
hang from a tree branch. Coat the outside of the pinecone with peanut butter
and then roll in birdseed. Press small pieces of dried fruit (e.g., cranberries
or raisins) into the openings of the pinecone. Be sure to hang it where it is
easy to see from a window.
Additional Resources: 1. For smaller children, use the Sunbeam manual lesson 13 and it’s coordinating picture to tell the story of Elijah in more detail. 2. Mormon.org has a frequently asked questions (FAQ) page, including member contributions, dedicated to the topic of faith. 3. Finding Faith in Christ is a feature film about doubting Thomas; it is available to watch online in the media library of lds.org. 4. Relevant musical selections include “Go Forth with Faith” (Hymns no. 263) and “Faith” (CS 96).
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