“July 10–16. Acts 6–9: ‘What Wilt Thou Have Me to Do?,’” Come, Follow Me—For Sunday School: New Testament 2023 (2022)
“July 10–16. Acts 6–9,” Come, Follow Me—For Sunday School: 2023
Conversion on the Way to Damascus, by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio
July 10–16
Acts 6–9
“What Wilt Thou Have Me to Do?”
Study Acts 6–9 and record your impressions. This will help you receive revelation on how to help class members draw closer to Jesus Christ through their study of these chapters.
Invite Sharing
On the board, write the names of some of the people mentioned in Acts 6–9, such as Stephen, Saul, Philip, Ananias, Peter, and Tabitha or Dorcas. Invite a few class members to share something they learned from one of these people in their study this week.
Teach the Doctrine
Resisting the Holy Ghost can lead to rejecting the Savior and His servants.
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You could begin a discussion about Stephen’s experience by inviting class members to review Stephen’s words in Acts 7:37–53. What warnings might his words have for us today? You might focus on Stephen’s statement in Acts 7:51. What does it mean to “resist the Holy Ghost”? To understand these words more deeply, class members could discuss one or more of these passages: 2 Nephi 28:3–6; 33:1–2; Mosiah 2:36–37; Alma 10:5–6; and Alma 34:37–38. Why do we sometimes “resist the Holy Ghost”? What can we do to better recognize and follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost?
Our hearts need to be “right in the sight of God.”
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To study the account of Simon as a class, you could write on the board the questions Who was Simon? What did he want? and How did he try to get it? Assign each class member to read Acts 8:9–24, looking for answers to these questions. What truths did Simon not yet understand? What can we learn from Simon’s experience? How can we make sure our hearts are “right in the sight of God”? (verse 21).
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During their personal study, some class members may have noted qualities that Stephen and Philip had that Simon did not (see this week’s outline in Come Follow Me—For Individuals and Families). If so, you might invite them to share what they found. Class members could also share other examples from Acts 6–9 of people whose hearts were right before God, such as Philip and the man from Ethiopia (see Acts 8:26–40), Saul (see Acts 9:1–22), and Tabitha (see Acts 9:36–39).
Tabitha Arise, by Sandy Freckleton Gagon
The Holy Ghost will help us guide others to Jesus Christ.
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To help class members understand how they can guide others to Jesus Christ (see Acts 8:31), you might invite two class members to sit facing each other and read the dialogue of Philip and the man from Ethiopia in Acts 8:26–39. A third class member could read the parts that are not dialogue. What do we learn from Philip’s example about teaching the gospel to others?
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To explore modern examples of the account in Acts 8:26–39, class members could share experiences they have had with sharing the gospel or with joining the Church. How did the Holy Ghost help them? How did someone act as their guide? Invite class members to ponder whom they might guide to the gospel.
When we submit to the Lord’s will, we can become instruments in His hands.
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Class members can learn powerful truths about their own conversion by studying Saul’s experience, including the truth that everyone can repent and change if they are willing. You might ask class members to compare Saul’s experience with the experiences of Alma (see Mosiah 17:1–4; 18; 26:15–21) and of the Anti-Nephi-Lehies (see Alma 24:7–12). What did the Lord do to help these people become converted? How did they demonstrate their willingness to change? What messages do we find for our own lives from these accounts?
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To prompt discussion about Saul’s experience, you might invite a few class members to come prepared to share what they learn from each of the sections in President Dieter F. Uchtdorf’s message “Waiting on the Road to Damascus” (Ensign or Liahona, May 2011, 70–77). How do we sometimes wait on our own road to Damascus? According to President Uchtdorf, what can help us better hear God’s voice? You might also consider watching the video “The Road to Damascus” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Perhaps class members could share their experiences with seeking and following God’s will.
Improving Our Teaching
Testify of Jesus Christ. As a teacher, you can help class members build their faith in the Savior, just as Philip did for the Ethiopian man by teaching him from Isaiah (see Acts 8:26–37). To do this, you must have your own faith-building experiences in the scriptures. The witness you share can be a powerful force in helping class members strengthen their testimonies of Jesus Christ.