August 12–18

Romans 7–16

“Overcome Evil with Good”

As you read Romans 7–16, record any impressions you receive about how you can teach the children the truths in these chapters.

Record Your Impressions

Invite Sharing

Ask the children if they shared with their families something they learned in Primary last week. (You may need to briefly review last week’s lesson.) If so, what did they share?

Teach the Doctrine

Younger Children

Romans 8:35–39

My Heavenly Father loves me.

How can you use Paul’s words to teach the children that Heavenly Father will always love them?

Heavenly Father loves each of His children.

Possible Activities

• Help the children memorize the phrase “[Nothing can] separate us from the love of God” (Romans 8:39). To illustrate this truth, nail two boards together, and label one “us” and the other “the love of God.” Let the children see if they can separate the boards.

• Take the children outside to feel the sunshine, or show a picture of the sun. How is the sun like Heavenly Father’s love? Help them see that although the sun is far away, it can help us feel warm. We can feel Heavenly Father’s love all the time, even though He is not physically with us. You could also sing together “My Heavenly Father Loves Me” (Children’s Songbook, 228–29).

Romans 10:17

Faith comes by hearing the word of God.

As children hear the word of God and listen carefully to it, their faith in God will grow. How can you help them understand the importance of listening to God’s word?

Possible Activities

• Read Romans 10:17 to the children, and show them pictures of situations in which they can hear the word of God (like family scripture study, church, or general conference; see this week’s activity page). Ask the children when they have heard God’s word.

• Tell a story about a child who listens to the word of God in various ways. While you are telling the story, blow up a balloon little by little to represent how the child’s faith grows each time he or she hears the word of God.

• To help the children understand that their faith can grow, help them sing “Faith” (Children’s Songbook, 96–97). As they sing, ask them to pretend to be seeds by crouching down. Every time they sing the word faith, have them rise up a little like a growing plant.

• Hide in the classroom a set of scriptures, a picture of the President of the Church, and a copy of the Friend or Liahona magazine. Ask the children to find these things and share how each makes it possible for us to hear God’s word.

Romans 16:1–4

I can say thank you to those who help me.

Paul was grateful for the people who helped him. You can help the children notice the kind things others do for them and remember to thank them.

Possible Activities

• Explain that Paul was thankful for the help he received from a woman named Phebe and a married couple named Priscilla and Aquila (see Romans 16:1–4). Ask the children to draw pictures of Paul and these three people as you share words and phrases from the verses.

• Invite each child to share something nice that someone did for him or her recently. Help the children make thank-you cards for those people.

• Help the children learn how to say thank you in different languages. The song “Children All Over the World” (Children’s Songbook, 16–17) can help.

Teach the Doctrine

Older Children

Romans 8:16–18

Heavenly Father wants me to prepare to receive all that He has.

Heavenly Father’s plan makes it possible for us to become like Him and inherit all that He has. This truth can inspire the children you teach to live the gospel more faithfully.

Possible Activities

• Read together Romans 8:16–18. What do we learn from these verses about who we are and who we can become? Explain that an “heir” is someone who inherits, or receives, what his or her parents have. Write on the board What do we need to do to inherit all that our Father in Heaven has? Sing together a song about obedience, such as “I Will Follow God’s Plan for Me” (Children’s Songbook, 164–65), looking for answers. What other answers can the children think of?

• Ask the children to think about a king who wants his sons and daughters to rule in his kingdom someday. Explain that Heavenly Father is like a king, and we are His royal sons and daughters. You could share the story of the son of King Louis XVI of France, found in Sister Elaine S. Dalton’s talk “Remember Who You Are!” (Ensign or Liahona, May 2010, 121). How can remembering that we are children of Heavenly Father and born to someday be like Him help us live righteously here on earth? (For further information, see True to the Faith, 74–76.)

Romans 10:17

Faith comes by hearing the word of God.

Children have many opportunities to hear the word of God. Help them see how hearing God’s word can strengthen their faith.

Possible Activities

• Write the following sentence on the board: cometh by , and by the of . Ask the children to fill in the blanks after reading Romans 10:17. Share a time when someone taught a gospel truth that helped to strengthen your faith—perhaps you could share a favorite scripture or quotation from general conference. Invite the children to share their own experiences.

• Label several glasses of water with things where we find the word of God (like the scriptures, church meetings, and general conference). Discuss how the word of God increases our faith as you pour each glass into a container labeled “Faith.”

• Give one child a picture of the Savior healing someone without letting the other children see the picture. Ask the child to give clues to help the other children guess what the picture shows. How can we share with others what we know about the Savior so they can have faith in Him?

Romans 14:10, 13

“Let us not … judge one another.”

When children interact with others who make different choices than they do, they may be tempted to be judgmental. Consider how Paul’s counsel to the Romans can help them avoid such judgment.

Possible Activities

• Invite a child to read Romans 14:10, 13. Ask the other children to count how many times Paul used the word judge. What does it mean to judge someone? Why should we avoid judging others?

• Show a picture of someone, and ask the children what we know about this person only by looking at the picture. What are some things we don’t know about him or her? Why is the Lord the best one to judge this person? (see 1 Samuel 16:7).

Encourage Learning at Home

Ask the children to pick one activity you did as a class and do it with their families. Tell them that next week they can share what they did.

Improving Our Teaching

Engage children in gospel discussions. You may need to think of creative ways to engage younger children in gospel discussions. Sometimes you can do something as simple as inviting the children to sit in a circle on the floor rather than on their chairs.