Romans 3:23–24

Grace Carry All of us fall “short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). But with Jesus Christ we can be saved. Designate the sofa as “the celestial kingdom.”Have everyone stand, face the sofa, a take three giant steps backward. Have them take one small step toward the sofa (their efforts), with the sofa still out of reach. Have the strongest person (acting as the Savior would) carry each person to the sofa.

Romans 8:38–39 

Pillar Tower of Doom Life’s obstacles can fill us with hopelessness and impede us from feeling God’s love. Christ can help. Create a tall tower of pillows and sofa cushions (life’s challenges). Sit someone behind the tower and turn off the lights. Shine a flashlight beam (God’s love) at the person behind the tower, with the pillows blocking the light. Invite someone (acting as Christ would) to knock down the pillows to let God’s love shine through. Discussion: Share a time when life was hard, you felt discouraged, and then God’s love reached you when you turned to Him in prayer in the name of Jesus Christ.

 1 Corinthians 1:10

Human Knot (best with four-plus people) Paul tells the Saints that there should be “no divisions among” them and that they should be “perfectly joined together” in mind and judgment (1 Corinthians 1:10). Stand everyone in a circle. Have everyone reach out their right hand and take someone else’s (not next to them). Do the same with the left hand, taking a different person’s hand. Work together to untangle the knot without letting go of any hands. End up in a circle again. Discussion: What can we do as a family to be more “joined together”? How can we work together to remove divisions?

 1 Corinthians 11:23–26

Sacrament Hymn Sing-Along Paul taught how Christ introduced the sacrament to His Apostles and instructed them, “This do in remembrance of me.” Ask each family member to identify a favorite sacrament hymn and explain why it’s a favorite. Sing one or more of the hymns chosen. Watch the “The Last Supper” from the Bible videos series or “The Sacrament” from the children’s Bible videos series (both at ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Discussion: How do the sacrament hymns prepare us to partake of the bread and water? What can we do during the sacrament to help each other focus on the Savior?

September

Ensign September 2019 “Family Study Fun” Activities and discussion ideas for each week of September’s Come Follow Me. (See link for more discussion information)

1 Corinthians 14

Scripture Stories Coloring Book: Pearl of Great Price “7th Article of Faith: Spiritual Gifts” Match each picture to its spiritual gift.

1 Corinthians 15:21–22

Post-Resurrection Family Reunion: Paul corrected some of the Corinthians who believed that there would be “no resurrection of the dead” (1 Corinthians 15:12) by teaching them that “in Christ shall all be made alive” (verse 22). Show pictures of your family’s ancestors. Explain what you know of their lives, accomplishments, and personalities. If possible, show other pictures or art from the time period to illustrate daily life. Imagine meeting your ancestors as resurrected beings. What questions would you ask? What stories would you want them to tell?

2 Corinthians 5:17

Nature Charades: Paul taught the Corinthians that through the Savior’s Atonement, we can each become a “new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17). On strips of paper, write examples of things in nature that go through a transformation (caterpillar to butterfly, egg to bird, seed to flower, tadpole to frog, and so on). Fold each paper and place it in a container. Take turns pulling out a strip of paper and silently acting out the example while everyone else guesses what the transformation is.What must we do to become new creatures in Christ?

Ensign September 2019 “Becoming a New Creature in Christ” Story about a rancher who saved a young, scruffy horse from the slaughterhouse and gave it to his daughter, who was not impressed. With love and good food, the horse regained its health and ended up winning a race at the fair against thoroughbreds.

2 Corinthians 12:5–10

Muscleman Challenge: Challenges and personal weaknesses can weigh us down. With the Savior’s grace, however, we can find strength. Gather some heavy objects (personal challenges). Give each family member one or more heavy objects to carry. Make these “challenges” even more challenging by completing tasks while holding them (for example, making a sandwich, folding clothes, dancing). Try the same activity again, but this time ask someone to help you with the heavy objects. Discussion: What was difficult about carrying the objects alone? How does Christ lighten our burden?

Galatians 3:7–8

Nations Blessing Bonanza: Paul taught that all those who have come unto Christ through the gospel covenant become “the children of Abraham” and that “in [Abraham] shall all nations be blessed” (Galatians 3:7–8). Flip back to the Cape Verde article at the beginning of this issue to see an example of how one nation of the earth is being blessed. Review the various statistics about Church growth.  Discussion: What blessings have come to the people of Cape Verde? What blessings have come to our family as “the children of Abraham”? What must we do to receive all the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant?

Galatians 5:22-23

Friend September 2019 “Family Night Fun” Activity: How many different kinds of fruit can your family name? The Apostle Paul taught the people of Galatia was about the “fruit of the Spirit.”