Elijah Contends against the Priests of Baal, by Jerry Harston

June 27–July 3

1 Kings 17–19

“If the Lord Be God, Follow Him”

Most children love stories. Help the children identify truths in the stories found in 1 Kings 17–19 that will strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ.

Record Your Impressions

Invite Sharing

Show the children the pictures in this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families. Ask them to share what they know about the stories depicted in the pictures. What do we learn from these stories?

Teach the Doctrine: Younger Children

1 Kings 17

The Lord blesses those who have faith.

1 Kings 17 records several examples of great faith. As a result of having great faith, Elijah was fed by ravens during a famine, a widow and her son had their food multiplied, and Elijah raised the widow’s son from the dead.

Possible Activities

• Display pictures or objects that go with the stories in 1 Kings 17, such as birds, bread, or a boy. Tell these stories to the children (“Elijah the Prophet” in Old Testament Stories can help), and invite them to find the picture or object that goes with each story. Emphasize that Elijah and the widow had faith in Jesus Christ and received great blessings.

• Help the children think of ways they can show that they have faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, which means that they believe in Them and trust Them. Sing with them a song about faith, such as “I Know My Father Lives” (Children’s Songbook, 5).

1 Kings 18:17–39

I can choose to follow Jesus Christ.

Elijah urged the people of Israel to make a decision to follow Jesus Christ. Help the children see that they can make this same choice.

Possible Activities

• Explain to the children that people in Elijah’s time weren’t sure if they wanted to follow the Lord. Share the story of how Elijah invited them to choose to follow the Lord, found in 1 Kings 18:17–39 (see also “Elijah and the Priests of Baal” in Old Testament Stories). Tell the children why you choose to follow Jesus Christ, and ask them why they choose to follow Him.

• Read to the children what Elijah said to the people: “If the Lord be God, follow him” (1 Kings 18:21). What does it mean to follow Jesus Christ? Help the children think of specific things they will do to follow Jesus Christ, and invite them to draw pictures of themselves doing those things.

  

  We can choose to follow Jesus Christ.

1 Kings 19:9–12

The Holy Ghost speaks to me in a still, small voice.

With some guidance, young children can recognize the influence of the Holy Ghost in their lives. Ponder how you can help them.

Possible Activities

• Summarize for the children the story found in 1 Kings 19:9–12, and read verses 11–12. Invite them to do actions to represent the strong wind, the earthquake, and the fire. Then invite them to sit very still as you read the end of verse 12 in a soft voice: “after the fire a still small voice.” Ask them to try speaking in a still, small voice. Tell them about times when you have experienced a prompting from the Holy Ghost.

• Help the children recognize when they may have felt the Holy Ghost’s influence. For example, play or sing a reverent song about Jesus, and ask them how they feel when they think about Him. Ask them how they feel during other reverent activities, such as praying with their families or partaking of the sacrament. Explain that these feelings come from the Holy Ghost. Tell the children how the power of the Holy Ghost has blessed your life.

Teach the Doctrine: Older Children

1 Kings 17:8–16

When the Lord asks me to sacrifice, I can obey in faith.

The widow of Zarephath trusted the Lord and His prophet, even though she was asked to make a great sacrifice. This story could help the children when the Lord asks them to make sacrifices.

Possible Activities

• Read to the children 1 Kings 17:8–16. Invite them to act out the story as you read it a second time. Pause at various points and ask them how they would feel if they were Elijah or the widow. Invite them to share what they learn from this story.

• Invite a child to draw on the board a picture of what the Lord asked the widow to give Elijah (see 1 Kings 17:12–13). Invite another child to draw what the widow received in return (see 1 Kings 17:15–16). What are some things the Lord asks us to sacrifice? Ask the children to share how they have been blessed for making sacrifices.

1 Kings 18:17–39

I can choose to follow Jesus Christ.

The Israelites were indecisive about following the Lord. Ponder how you can inspire the children to be committed in their discipleship.

Possible Activities

• Assign each child to read several verses from 1 Kings 18:17–39 and draw a picture of what his or her verses describe. Help the children understand the verses if needed. Then let them use their pictures to tell the story. What does this story teach us about the Lord?

• Ask the children to talk about times when they had to decide between two different things. What helped them decide? Help them think of situations when they might need to decide whether or not to follow Jesus Christ. What truths from the story in 1 Kings 18:17–39 could help them decide?

1 Kings 19:9–12

The Holy Ghost speaks to me in a still, small voice.

The world is full of distracting noises that make it difficult to hear the still, small voice of the Spirit. How will you help the children hear it?

Possible Activities

• Ask the children to listen closely as you read 1 Kings 19:11–12 to them very quietly. Invite them to search 1 Kings 19 to find the verses you read and learn what Elijah was doing. Talk about what they had to do to hear what you were saying, and help them compare this to what we have to do to hear the “still small voice” of the Spirit. Let the children take turns quietly reading other verses from 1 Kings 19 while other children find those verses in the scriptures.

• Share with the children some additional scriptures that describe how the Spirit communicates with us (see Guide to the Scriptures, “Inspiration, Inspire,” scriptures.ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Ask the children to talk about times when they have felt the Holy Ghost guiding them or testifying to them. What were they doing? What can distract us from recognizing the Spirit? Read together Moroni 4:3, and encourage the children to choose one thing they will do so they can “always have his Spirit to be with them.”

Encourage Learning at Home

Invite the children to think of something they want to do because of what they learned today. For example, they could set a spiritual, intellectual, physical, or social goal to become more like Jesus Christ.

Improving Our Teaching

Help children recognize the Spirit. “One of the most important things you can do as a teacher is to help those you teach recognize the influence of the Holy Ghost. … Help [the children] associate their spiritual feelings with the influence of the Holy Ghost.” (Teaching in the Savior’s Way, 11.)