Feed Them, by Jorge Cocco

March 25–31

Matthew 14–15; Mark 6–7; John 5–6

“Be Not Afraid”

As you prepare to teach from Matthew 14–15; Mark 6–7; and John 5–6, look for messages that are relevant to the lives of the children you teach. What do you think will help them understand these messages? This outline may give you some ideas.

Record Your Impressions

Invite Sharing

Show a picture of Jesus walking on the water (see this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families), and ask the children to share what they know about the story.

Teach the Doctrine

Younger Children

John 5:1–9

Jesus Christ knows what we need and can help us.

As you read about Jesus healing the man at the pool of Bethesda, ponder how you can help the children see what the story teaches about Jesus’s kindness, love, and other attributes.

Possible Activities

• Use the picture Christ Healing the Sick at Bethesda (Gospel Art Book, no. 42) to tell the children the story in John 5:1–9. Or show the video “Jesus Heals a Man on the Sabbath” (LDS.org). Ask the children to imagine that they are the person Jesus healed. How would they feel when Jesus healed them?

• Ask the children to name some things that are hard for them or that make them sad. Tell them about a time in your life when you received help from the Savior during a difficult trial. Testify that Jesus knows about all our problems and wants to help us.

Matthew 14:13–21

We follow Jesus’s example when we are kind to others.

One way Jesus showed love was to feed His followers when they were hungry. How can you help the children learn to serve others like Jesus did?

Possible Activities

• Show the children a basket and some bread as you tell the story in Matthew 14:13–21. Explain that even though Jesus had tried to find a place to be alone, the people wanted to be near Him. Share the rest of the story with the children, and ask them to listen for what Jesus did to show kindness and love for them.

• Ask the children to share ways in which someone has been kind to them. What can they do this week to be kind to others? For every answer they give, draw a loaf of bread or a fish on the board. Tell the children that when they do these things, they are following the example Jesus set when He fed the five thousand people who were hungry.

Matthew 14:22–33

Faith in Jesus Christ can help us not be afraid.

Peter showed great faith when he walked on the water toward Jesus. What lessons might there be for the children in this story?

Possible Activities

• Show the picture Jesus Walking on the Water (Gospel Art Book, no. 43) as you tell the story in your own words. Consider using this week’s activity page to help the children tell the story back to you. You could also bring a small bowl of water and invite the children to pretend to “walk” their fingers across the surface of the water.

• Show the video “Wherefore Didst Thou Doubt?” (LDS.org), and ask the children to watch for what caused Peter to be afraid. Then ask them to tell about times when they felt afraid and share what helped them. Help them see that faith in Jesus Christ helps us overcome fear.

Teach the Doctrine

Older Children

John 5:17–47

Jesus Christ teaches us about Heavenly Father.

How can Jesus’s teachings about His Father help the children learn about Heavenly Father?

Possible Activities

• Create two sets of matching cards labeled with words that Jesus used to teach about Heavenly Father in John 5, such as love, life, and works (see John 5:20, 26, 36). Lay the cards face down, and ask the children to look for matches by flipping over two cards at a time. As each match is made, read the verse that contains the word, and ask the children what the word teaches us about Heavenly Father.

• Ask the children to read John 5:30, and then complete this sentence: “I seek not mine own will, but …” How did Christ do the will of His Heavenly Father? How can we do Heavenly Father’s will?

John 6:5–14

Our small offerings can make a difference.

It was a young boy who provided the bread and fish that Jesus used to feed the five thousand. How can you help the children you teach see how they can contribute to the work of the Lord?

Possible Activities

• Divide a few crackers or pieces of bread among the children. Help them imagine how large a crowd of five thousand people would be. What would it be like to feed that many people with only five loaves of bread and two fish?

• Invite a child to tell the story of the feeding of the five thousand in his or her own words. How can we be like the boy in John 6:9? Invite the children to draw loaves and fish on paper and write on them some things they can give to the Lord to help in His work.

• Give the children a small puzzle to complete. What would happen if one of the pieces of the puzzle were missing? Explain that we are each like a puzzle piece—we all have something important to contribute to the lives of others. How do the children contribute to their families or class?

Jesus miraculously fed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fishes.

Matthew 14:22–33

Faith in Jesus Christ can help us not be afraid.

Faith and fear play prominent roles in the story of Jesus and Peter walking on the sea. What can children learn from this story?

Possible Activities

• Show the picture in this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families. Ask the children to find a verse in Matthew 14 that describes the picture.

• Ask the children to look for signs of faith and signs of fear as they read Matthew 14:22–33. You could also show the video “Wherefore Didst Thou Doubt?” (LDS.org). What does it mean to have faith in Jesus Christ? How do we replace fear with faith?

• Ask the children to imagine they were present and had a camera when Jesus and Peter walked on the sea. Which moment would they choose to photograph and why? Suggest that they search Matthew 14:22–33 for ideas. Invite them to draw a picture of the moment they chose, share their pictures, and explain why they chose that moment.

Encourage Learning at Home

If the children completed this week’s activity page, invite them to use it to teach their families what they learned today.

Improving Our Teaching

Invite sharing. Ask the children about their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. You will find that they often have simple yet profound insights.