Jesus Christ is the Living Water Sharing time

Jesus Christ is the Living Water Sharing time
Family Prayer, family scripture study, and family home evening can strengthen my family

July 2013 Week 2 Theme
 

 

            Primary children, I’d like you to meet the Sponge Family.  Mommy Sponge, Daddy Sponge, Brother and Sister Sponge.  This family has a problem, they are dried up. (I cut a Sponge family from a package of inexpensive sponges. If doing this sharing time for Senior, you will need 2 sets of Sponge families) They aren’t really living life close to the Spirit.  “..as water is necessary to sustain physical life, so the Savior and His doctrines, principles, and ordinances are essential for eternal life.” (David A.  Bednar, “A Reservoir of Living Water, CES Fireside, 2007 http://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,538-1-4040-1,00.html)  The Savior taught that “whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give … shall never thirst; [for it] shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:14).  Jesus taught that He is the living water.  “The living waters can bring peace and joy even when the wellspring within us seems to have dried.” (2003 April General Conference, Blessed by Living Water, Sat.  Morning Session - Kathleen H.  Hughes https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2003/04/blessed-by-living-water?lang=eng)  “You and I need His living water daily and in ample supply to sustain our ongoing spiritual growth and development.” (David A.  Bednar http://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,538-1-4040-1,00.html)  Now, we need to help the Sponge family be filled with the living water of Jesus Christ.

I am going to choose a Primary child to select a picture from around the room. 

Other option:

Have the children fish out the ideas by attaching magnets to the pictures and constructing "living waters" out of a blanket and construction paper rocks!

Sorry, I used slightly different pictures this teaching time around! The rocks are from Mary Ross and Jennette Guymon-King's lesson "Firm foundation of Faith" and have words printed on them like "Heavenly Father", "Holy Ghost", Priesthood", and others that work for helping the children discover ways to help the Sponge family fill themselves with the living water of Christ!

 

 Each picture represents something that the Sponge family can do to fill themselves with the living water of Jesus.  (Each picture is removed from a blue sleeve/sheet protector made from 2 sheets of Reynolds Crystal Blue plastic wrap wrapped around the picture to give essence that it is in water). 

 

 Listen carefully to the information of each living water because you will may get an opportunity to give the sponge family a drink of the living water of Christ and help nourish them, so they can find peace and joy in their family.  (Taken from https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2003/04/blessed-by-living-water?lang=eng)

FAITH

Matching picture –“Jesus the Christ” from Primary picture packet 2-3

“Do you wish to partake of this living water and experience that divine well springing up within you to everlasting life?  Then be not afraid.  Believe with all your hearts.  Develop an unshakable faith in the Son of God [Jesus Christ].” (Joseph B.  Wirthlin, The Abundant Life, ,” Liahona and Ensign, May 2006, 100.  https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2006/04/the-abundant-life?lang=eng#2-)  The Sponge family needs to have faith and believe in Jesus Christ.  What else can the Sponge family believe in that is true? (Have the children give the sponge family a drink using a dropper for each idea they list, example: Scriptures, Priesthood power, Holy Ghost, any other gospel doctrine – I used a clean nose suctioner for the water, so multiple children can give a drink without having to refill the dropper)

FAMILY PRAYER

Matching picture – “Family Prayer” from Primary picture packet 1-10

Family prayer is another way that the Sponge family can fill themselves with the living water of Christ daily.  “We can access the living water through the Holy Ghost.  The Holy Ghost is our direct connection to personal revelation, comfort, and peace.  When we’re struggling with something in life, we can pray and ask the Holy Ghost for wisdom to know what to do.” (http://jesus.christ.org/questions-answers-about-jesus-christ/what-are-the-living-waters) What can the Sponge family pray for to help fill themselves with the living water of Jesus Christ? (Have children give the Sponge family a drink of the living water as they list ideas)

SCRIPTURE STUDY

Matching picture – “Family Scripture Study” from Primary picture packet 1-6

“And so, I counsel you…, to make reading the Book of Mormon a few minutes each day a lifelong practice…Don’t be content with what someone else tells you about what is in it.  Drink deeply from the divine fountain itself … I plead with you to drink deeply and often from its pages.  …[There are] three basic ways or methods of obtaining living water from the scriptural reservoir: (1) reading the scriptures from beginning to end, (2) studying the scriptures by topic, and (3) searching the scriptures for connections, patterns, and themes.”  (David A.  Bednar, “A Reservoir of Living Water, CES Fireside, 2007 http://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,538-1-4040-1,00.html)  “In order to teach your family by the Spirit, you will want to drink deeply from them to see how they apply in your family’s life.  (June 1990 Ensign, Better Home Evenings, Wayne B.  Lynn)  “Each of these approaches can help satisfy our spiritual thirst if we invite the companionship and assistance of the Holy Ghost as we read, study, and search.  (Marion G.  Romney 1980 April General Conference, The Book of Mormon, Sun.  Morning Session http://www.lds.org/general-conference/1980/04/the-book-of-mormon?lang=eng)

So, how can the Sponge family use scripture study to help fill them with the living water of Jesus?  (Have children give the sponge family a drink of living water as they list ideas)

PARTAKE OF THE SACRAMENT

Matching picture – I used “Partaking of the Sacrament” from Primary picture packet  2-29 in the blog photo, then found better picture from GAK 604

Each week the Sponge family can attend church and partake of the sacrament and be filled with the living water of Jesus Christ.  As they take the cup of water, they can think of the water they entered (or will enter) to make promises to our Heavenly Father through the ordinance of baptism.  They can repent for their “dried up and hardened” moments and through Christ’s atonement can start again.  What can the Sponge family think about during the sacrament? (Have children give the sponge family a drink of living water as they list ideas, example, Jesus, their baptism, stories of Jesus, their wrongdoings, etc.)

FAMILY HOME EVENING

Matching pictures – “Spencer W.  Kimball” from Primary picture packet 3-67 and “Family Home Evening” from Ensign, August 2010 p.13 or http://www.mormonchannel.org/sites/default/files/gospel-solutions-500x281-family-home-evening-1.jpg

The Prophet Spencer W.  Kimball was traveling in Mexico on a Monday night and decided to drop in on a family during Family Home Evening.  They had little time to prepare for his arrival and were instructed to do family home evening as they usually would.  The family was prepared and had each member help conduct an opening song, opening prayer, a scripture that was read, a lesson -- surprisingly about “The living water of Jesus Christ” and a closing song and prayer.  Then refreshments were served, the prophet brought a package of candy for the children.  (Taken from https://www.lds.org/ensign/1980/10/an-ordinary-monday-night-home-evening-in-mexico-with-president-kimball?lang=eng) What would happen if President Monson called up and dropped in your Family Home evening? What should Sponge family’s Family Home Evening look like? How can Family Home Evening help fill the Sponge family with the living water of Jesus Christ?  (Have children give the sponge family a drink of living water as they list ideas)

SHOWING LOVE

Matching Picture – “Blessed are the Peacemakers” from Friend, October 2010, p.27 or http://res.ldschurch.ch/magazines/thefriend/en/2010/thefriend_2010-10.pdf

Showing love to each other and following Christ’s teaching of “being a peacemaker” can help fill the hearts of the Sponge family with the living water of Jesus Christ.  (Joseph B.  Wirthlin, The Abundant Life  https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2006/04/the-abundant-life?lang=eng)  What can the Sponge family do to show love and be peacemakers to each other? (Have several children give a drink of water to the Sponge Family’s hearts as they brainstorm ideas, example: sharing, being obedient to parents, service and kind acts, seek forgiveness, etc.)

CONCLUSION

The Sponge family is now filled with the living waters of Jesus Christ. 

But will they stay this way if they don’t keep reading the scriptures, praying, having family home evening, etc.?  No! they will become thirsty, dried out Sponges again!

Children, I urge you to “drink deeply of the living waters of the gospel.  These latter days are a time of great spiritual thirst.  Many in the world are searching, often intensely, for a source of refreshment that will quench their yearning for meaning and direction in their lives.” (Sept.  2001 Ensign, “Live in Thanksgiving Daily”, Joseph B.  Wirthlin) We are so lucky to have the truth and our families can share the living water of Christ with others.  In the name of Jesus Christ amen.