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LESSON #1 WHITE AS SNOW (Isaiah 1) TRUTH: Through sincere repentance, Jesus Christ can make even scarlet sins white as snow. FIRE IN THE BONES: Something that gives me a fire in the bones for teaching this lesson is the thought that the central truth of this lesson could really comfort and bless those in your class that may be, unnecessarily, carrying shame or spiritual inferiority because of past mistakes. They believe in the power of Christ’s Atonement generally, but wh

LESSON #1 TRUST, DON’T LEAN (PROVERBS 3-4) TRUTH: So here’s the destination that the entire lesson points to. When our students leave our class, this is what we want to have landed in their heads and in their hearts. If I trust God’s wisdom to guide my choices instead of relying on my own, then He will direct my path toward greater light. FIRE IN THE BONES: To help give you some fire in the bones here, I feel this may be one of the most important, fundamental principle

Hello fellow teachers! And welcome to teaching with power. This is Ben Wilcox and this week I have something a little unique for you. As I’m sure most of you already know, beginning on the first Sunday in September, Sunday School is going to look a little different. Instead of meeting every other week for 50 minutes, Sunday School classes will now meet every single week, but just for 25 minutes. And because the way we teach is going to be changing, Teaching with Power is g

Psalms Part 1 This week we’ll be studying the first of three lessons from the Book of Psalms. And, a little something about teaching the Psalms. It’s a little different, and it’s a little challenging to teach. It’s a book unlike any other in the Old Testament and since it’s so different, I find it often requires a different approach. Unlike all the books we’ve studied so far, Psalms is not a book of stories, it’s not a book of sermons, it’s not a book of laws or genealogies

Hello fellow teachers! This is Ben Wilcox and welcome to this supplemental teaching activities video. This week, we’re beginning our study of the Book of Psalms. And before we get into the actual lesson ideas, I need to explain why I’m going to approach these next three weeks a little differently than usual. Come, Follow Me devotes three full weeks to Psalms this year. And honestly, I’ve gone back and forth on the best way to handle that. Psalms is a beautiful and important

TEACHING ACTIVITIES This week is structured a little differently than most Teaching with Power weeks. Job is one sustained story and one extended examination of suffering, faith, and trust in God, so dividing it into three unrelated lessons would either create a lot of repetition or leave important parts of the story out. Instead, I’ll begin with one shared introduction to Job and then give you three different lesson emphases. The first examines whether our faith depends on

TEACHING ACTIVITIES LESSON #1 FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS (Esther) TRUTH: God may place me where I can make a difference, and when my moment comes, He can give me strength to act faithfully even when I am afraid. FIRE IN THE BONES: Now for some fire in the bones. The story of Esther is powerful for us because we know from the story that she was afraid, and yet she still chose to step forward. Now we are never going to be called on to stand before a Persian king, but all of

TEACHING ACTIVITIES LESSON #1 THE GREAT RETURN: YOU DON’T HAVE TO STAY IN BABYLON (Ezra) TRUTH: Through Jesus Christ, repentance becomes a joyful journey home to God. FIRE IN THE BONES: The thing that gives me a fire in the bones for teaching this lesson is that it can help our students to gain a different perspective on the doctrine of repentance. Repentance is one of the most hopeful, joyful doctrines of the entire gospel, but sometimes we talk about it like it’s a pu

TEACHING ACTIVITIES AND INSIGHTS LESSON #1 TELL ME WHAT I WANT TO HEAR: DIRECTION OR CONFIRMATION (2 Chronicles 18) TRUTH: Prophetic counsel is meant to reveal God’s will, not merely confirm mine. When it challenges what I want, faith means being willing to change my course. FIRE IN THE BONES: I get a fire in the bones for this lesson for two main reasons. One, it’s just fun. It’s got great characters, humor, drama, sarcasm, and a surprise ending. Two, it’s very relevan

TEACHING ACTIVITIES LESSON #1 THE VOICE OUTSIDE THE WALL (2 Kings 18) TRUTH: When I recognize the adversary’s arguments, I am better prepared to resist them. FIRE IN THE BONES: What gives me a fire in the bones for this lesson? It’s relevance! We live in a world filled with voices competing for our attention and confidence. Some voices invite us to seek truth, come closer to Christ, repent, act courageously, and become better. Others may sound equally confident but lead

TEACHING ACTIVITIES LESSON #1 BATHE IN THE RIGHT RIVER (2 Kings 5) TRUTH: When God’s way is simpler, humbler, or different from what I expected, healing begins as I set aside my script and act in faith. FIRE IN THE BONES: Something that gives me a fire in the bones for the story of Naaman is that his struggle feels so familiar. He asks God for help, but before the answer arrives, he’s already decided what the answer ought to look like. Ever done that before? We all have

TEACHING ACTIVITIES LESSON #1 LAST MEAL FAITH (1 Kings 17:8-16) TRUTH: When I put God first, He can make what I have sufficient. FIRE IN THE BONES: For some fire in the bones, the Widow of Zarephath helps us to understand a key principle of faith. She demonstrates faith when she is down to her last meal. It’s one thing to give God our leftovers, our extra time, our spare energy, or our surplus resources. It’s entirely another to put Him first when we already feel like w

TEACHING ACTIVITIES LESSON #1 DAVID’S REAL GOLIATH: COURSE CORRECTIONS (2 Samuel 11) TRUTH: Small wrong turns can become great falls when we fail to course correct. FIRE IN THE BONES: Something that gives me a fire in the bones for the David and Bathsheba story is that it helps us see how spiritual disasters usually happen. David doesn’t wake up one morning and decide to commit adultery and murder. Instead, we watch him drift one choice at a time. That’s what makes this sto

TEACHING ACTIVITIES LESSON #1 GOD IS BIGGER: DEFEATING OUR “GOLIATH’S” (1 Samuel 17) TRUTH: The “Giants” of our lives can be defeated through faith, obedience, courage, and the power of God. FIRE IN THE BONES: To help you get some fire in the bones for this lesson, keep in mind that your students are probably all facing their own form of “Goliaths”. Most of us are never going to stand across from a nine-foot-tall warrior armed with a spear and sword, but we all face intim

TEACHING ACTIVITIES LESSON #1 DON’T LEAP WITH THE SHEEP (1 Samuel 8) TRUTH: When I choose worldly ways over God’s ways, I eventually reap worldly consequences. FIRE IN THE BONES: To help you get some fire in the bones for this lesson, think about how difficult it can be to go against the grain. I mean, most people, youth AND adults, genuinely want to fit in. We don’t like standing out. But sometimes the crowd is wrong. And sometimes the safest direction is not the most

TEACHING ACTIVITIES LESSON #1 BEING RUTHS IN A JUDGES WORLD (Ruth) TRUTH: In a selfish world, choosing to be kind generates more kindness. OR if you want a more metaphorical statement We can choose to be “Ruths” in a “Judges” world. FIRE IN THE BONES: Ruth is such a sweet story. I love it. One of the most discouraging things about modern life is how easy it is to become cynical. The story of Ruth takes place during one of the darkest and ugliest periods in Israelite his

TEACHING ACTIVITIES LESSON #1 DON’T LICK GRASS: GUARDING OUR SPIRITUAL ENVIRONMENT (Judges 1-2) TRUTH: What I allow around me shapes who I become. FIRE IN THE BONES: What gives me some fire in the bones for this lesson is the fact that it’s so relevant to both the younger and the older generation. This is a lesson about spiritual drift and drift rarely feels dangerous in the moment. This isn’t a story about open rebellion, but a story about a failure to control the envi

Teaching Activities LESSON #1 BATTLE READY: WHERE TRUE COURAGE COMES FROM (Joshua 1) TRUTH: Immersing myself in the scriptures gives me the strength and courage to obey God and receive His promised help. FIRE IN THE BONES: For the fire in the bones, realize that most of our students already know what’s right. That’s usually not the problem. The real struggle comes in the moment when doing what’s right feels uncomfortable, awkward, or even risky. That’s when people hesit

TEACHING ACTIVITIES LESSON #1 THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH THEE TRUTH: If I remember the Lord, I will obey Him—and it will be well with me. FIRE IN THE BONES: Now why does this lesson matter? Well, we don’t usually wake up one day and decide to just walk away from God. We drift and begin to forget. That’s the beginning of the problem. We forget what we’ve felt. We forget what we’ve learned. We forget what God has done for us. And once we forget… obedience starts to feel opt

TEACHING ACTIVITIES LESSON #1 MURMURING ABOUT MANNA (Numbers 11) TRUTH: Ingratitude can turn blessings into burdens. FIRE IN THE BONES: The power of this lesson lies in its ability to change our student’s perceptions which can quietly but literally change someone’s life. Many people in this world are unhappy not because their lives are bad, but because they’ve started to see their blessings as problems. The truth of this lesson can help lighten the loads that our studen