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Little Town, Big Promise

Micah promised Jesus would be born in little Bethlehem, the wise men found Him, and we practice waiting for God’s promises

  • 🛡️ CTR 4–7
  • Week 49
  • 📅 Sunday, December 6, 2026
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

Heavenly Father always keeps His promises: He said Jesus would be born in little Bethlehem, and He was.

I can trust Heavenly Father’s promises and wait for them with a happy heart.

Come, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Micah; Nahum; Habakkuk; Zephaniah)
Know the chapters

Micah was a prophet who lived at the same time as Isaiah, about 700 years before Jesus was born. He warned leaders who were greedy and unfair, but he also shared one of the most famous Christmas promises in the Bible: the Ruler of Israel would come from Bethlehem, a village so small it was “little among the thousands of Judah” (Micah 5:2). Seven hundred years later, when wise men asked King Herod where the new King was, Herod’s scribes answered by reading Micah’s words (Matthew 2:1–6).

For 4- to 7-year-olds, keep it to one exciting idea: God makes promises, and God keeps them. Habakkuk 2:3 gives the class a phrase to whisper and shout: “wait for it; because it will surely come.” Every child knows about waiting: for Christmas, a birthday, a wiggly tooth. Your 7-year-olds are waiting for something bigger. When they turn 8 they can be baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Those are blessings Heavenly Father has promised too.

The shorter books each offer one bright picture you can use if there’s time. Nahum said the Lord is “a strong hold in the day of trouble” (Nahum 1:7), like a safe castle. Micah said the Lord loves to forgive and will “cast all their sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19). Zephaniah said the Lord “will joy over thee with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17). Pick one or two. Don’t try to cover everything.

Mixed ages: give the reading parts (the Scribe, the scroll, the verse on the screen) to your 6- and 7-year-olds, and give sheep sounds, twinkling stars and marching feet to your 4- and 5-year-olds. Baby Jesus is always a doll or a rolled-up blanket. No child plays Jesus.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Micah 5:2 and Matthew 2:1–11 so you can tell them in your own words. Write BETHLEHEM on a paper and roll it into a scroll (or just use your scriptures). Let Teach Mode carry the Story Drama, teach the “Wait for it!” motions for Habakkuk 2:3, and play Forehead Guess. End by asking each child what gift they could give Jesus this week. Brought nothing? Tap “I brought nothing” and the signs, scroll and star all become kids and actions.

What to bring7 items

Tick what you have. Forgot something? Every step that needs a supply has a no-supplies version in the plan below.

Before class

  1. Draw a big castle on one sign and write BIG CITY. Draw a tiny house and a sheep on the other and write LITTLE TOWN. Tape them on opposite walls, low enough for small hands to touch.
  2. Write BETHLEHEM in big letters on the scroll paper and draw a star next to it for your pre-readers. Roll it up and tie it.
  3. Wrap the doll in the blanket and hide it in a bag or under your chair until scene 4 of the story.
  4. Spread the blanket in one corner (or tape a big square on the floor). That’s the Castle for the wiggle.
  5. Choose a 6- or 7-year-old reader to be the Scribe and quietly tell them the secret word is BETHLEHEM so they feel ready.
  6. Add your kids’ names in the My Class tab so you can hand out story parts with one tap.

If your class is wild

  • Make “Wait for it…” your attention signal all lesson. When you crouch down and whisper it, they crouch too. Everyone pops up on “…it will surely come!”
  • Everyone walks like sleepy sheep, never runs. A runner goes back to their chair and tiptoes again.
  • Give your wiggliest 4-year-olds the Sheep & Sound Crew. They have a sound to make in every single scene.
  • Only Mary holds Baby Jesus. Everyone else may peek, but whisper, “Shh, He’s sleeping.” It keeps the moment sweet and calm.
  • If someone melts down, invite them to be the Star’s helper and hold the flashlight together.

The 25-minute plan23 min + bonus

Bonus steps are for when you have extra time. Steps that mention Teach Mode, the Sound Board or other class games refer to the Gospel Sparks app; on the web you can play Forehead Guess and Scripture Showdown from this page.

1. Hook

Big City or Little Town?

3 min

A tiptoe-and-vote mystery gets everyone moving and wondering from the very first minute.

  1. Point to the two signs. Say: “The greatest King ever is going to be born! Should He be born in a big city with a castle, or in a little town with sheep?”
  2. Everyone tiptoes like sleepy sheep to the sign they pick. Big-city kids stretch up tall like towers. Little-town kids curl up small like lambs.
  3. Hold up the tied scroll. Say: “A prophet named Micah wrote the answer a long, long time before Jesus was born. Let’s find out!”
  4. Let a 6- or 7-year-old untie the scroll and read it (help sound it out): BETHLEHEM! Little ones can point to the star picture.
  5. SAY“The little town! Heavenly Father told Micah ahead of time, because He always keeps His promises.”
🌪️ Tiptoe only. Anyone who runs goes back to their chair and tiptoes over again.

Class screen: 🗺️ Big city or little town? · 🏰 Big city · 🏘️ Little town

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: 2 sheets of paper, a marker and tape for two wall signs: a big castle city 🏰 and a little sheep town 🏘️, One more sheet of paper with BETHLEHEM and a star drawn on it, rolled into a scroll and tied with yarn or a rubber band

Living Signs

  1. Pick two kids to be living signs on opposite walls. BIG CITY stands on tiptoes with arms up like castle towers. LITTLE TOWN crouches down and baas like a lamb.
  2. SAY“The greatest King ever is going to be born! Should He be born in a big city with a castle, or in a little town with sheep?”
  3. Everyone tiptoes like sleepy sheep to the sign they pick.
  4. Open your scriptures to Micah 5:2. Say: “A prophet named Micah wrote the answer a long, long time ago.” Point to the word Bethlehem and let a reader say it out loud.
  5. SAY“The little town! Heavenly Father told Micah ahead of time, because He always keeps His promises.”
2. Story

Story Drama: The Little Town with the Big Promise

6 min

Acting out Micah’s promise and the first Christmas lets every child move while they watch God keep His word.

  1. Hand out the roles (tap Roles in Teach Mode to assign them from your class list). Give the Scribe the scroll and the Star the flashlight.
  2. Everyone without a role is on the Sheep & Sound Crew.
  3. Keep Baby Jesus hidden until scene 4, then hand the doll to Mary. Nobody plays Jesus.
  4. Read each scene aloud and pause for the action cue. At scene 7, tap the drumroll and wait before the Scribe reads.
  5. End kneeling quietly at scene 8. Whisper: “What gift could you give Jesus?”
🌪️ When the Star switches off the flashlight, everyone freezes like a statue. Use it any time the drama gets too wild.

Class screen: 🎭 Story Drama time! · Everyone gets a part

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: One more sheet of paper with BETHLEHEM and a star drawn on it, rolled into a scroll and tied with yarn or a rubber band, A baby doll, or a hand towel rolled up in a small blanket, for Baby Jesus, A flashlight or phone flashlight for the Star

  1. Hand out the roles (tap Roles in Teach Mode). The Star wiggles twinkly fingers up high. The Wise Men carry pretend gifts.
  2. Everyone without a role is on the Sheep & Sound Crew.
  3. At scene 4, Mary folds her arms and gently rocks them as if holding a sleeping baby. Nobody plays Jesus.
  4. Keep your scriptures open to Micah 5:2. That’s Micah’s scroll. Hand it to the Scribe at scene 7, tap the drumroll, and point to the word Bethlehem.
  5. Read each scene aloud and pause for the action cue. End kneeling quietly at scene 8. Whisper: “What gift could you give Jesus?”
3. Wiggle break

Hurry to the Castle!

2 min

Nahum 1:7 becomes a hurry-to-safety game that burns off energy and teaches that the Lord keeps us safe.

  1. SAY“The prophet Nahum said the Lord is good, like a strong castle when trouble comes.”
  2. Everyone is a little sheep munching grass all around the room.
  3. Open the Sound Board and tap a trouble sound: thunder, roar or wind. The sheep hurry-walk into the Castle and hold up their arms like strong walls.
  4. Inside, everyone says together: “The Lord is good!” Tap cheer, then back out to munch. Play 3 or 4 rounds.
  5. Ask: “When you feel scared, what can you do?” (Pray, sing a Primary song, hold a grown-up’s hand, think about Jesus.)
🌪️ Hurry-walk, never run. Anyone who runs takes one giant step back out of the castle and tries again.
🔊 Sound Board (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🏰 Trouble? Hurry to the castle! · 🐑 Munch like sheep · ⛈️ Hear trouble? Go! · “The Lord is good!”

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A blanket or masking tape to mark a “castle” corner

  1. SAY“The prophet Nahum said the Lord is good, like a strong castle when trouble comes. Today, I’m the castle!”
  2. Everyone is a little sheep munching grass around the room while you sneak to a new spot.
  3. Tap a trouble sound on the Sound Board: thunder, roar or wind. The sheep hurry-walk to you and make castle walls around you with their arms.
  4. Everyone says together: “The Lord is good!” Tap cheer, then back out to munch. Play 3 or 4 rounds.
  5. Ask: “When you feel scared, what can you do?” (Pray, sing a Primary song, hold a grown-up’s hand, think about Jesus.)
4. Scripture

Wait for It! Habakkuk 2:3

3 min

A crouch-and-pop game turns a short verse into a promise kids can feel: God’s promises always come.

  1. SAY“Waiting is hard! What are you waiting for?” Take two or three quick answers (Christmas, a birthday, a loose tooth).
  2. SAY“A prophet named Habakkuk learned that God’s promises always come true, even when we have to wait.” Show the verse and let a reader read it from the screen.
  3. Teach the motions: crouch and whisper “wait for it,” then spring up for “because it will surely come!” Do it twice together.
  4. Now play it. Name a promise, and kids crouch and whisper, then pop up: Jesus will be born in Bethlehem… (it came true!) · Christmas is coming… · When you turn 8, you can be baptized… · After baptism, you get the gift of the Holy Ghost… · Jesus will come again…
  5. SAY“Heavenly Father keeps every promise. We can wait with happy hearts.”

Class screen: ⏳ Wait for it… it will surely come! · Habakkuk 2:3

5. Game

Forehead Guess: Bethlehem Edition

4 min

A Heads Up–style game reviews the people, places and pictures from today, and the pictures let pre-readers play too.

  1. Tap Forehead Guess. The guesser holds your phone or tablet on their forehead, screen facing the class.
  2. The class gives clues without saying the word. The picture shows with each word, so 4-year-olds can act it out: baa for Sheep, twinkle fingers for Star, a grumpy face for King Herod.
  3. The guesser tilts your phone or tablet down for “got it” and up to pass. Each turn lasts about 45 seconds.
  4. When a 4- or 5-year-old guesses, give them a big buddy (a 6- or 7-year-old) who stands beside them and helps.
🌪️ Clue-givers stay sitting on their spot. Pick each new guesser with the Name Spinner so nobody argues about turns.
▶ Play Forehead Guess on the web

Class screen: 🤔 Forehead Guess! · Give clues. Don’t say the word!

6. Object lesson

Into the Deep Blue Sea

3 minBONUS

Micah 7:19 becomes a big, heavy, then light-as-a-feather action that shows how Jesus takes our wrong choices away.

  1. Point to a corner. Say: “That corner is the deepest ocean in the whole world.” Tap waves on the Sound Board.
  2. Name a few wrong choices: grabbing a toy, yelling at a brother, not listening. For each one, kids pick up a big, heavy, invisible rock and hug it. Soon they’re wobbling and groaning.
  3. Read Micah 7:19: “thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.” Say: “When we say sorry and try again, that’s called repenting.”
  4. Count down: “3, 2, 1, throw!” Everyone heaves their rocks into the ocean corner. Tap splash! Everyone stands up light and tall.
  5. SAY“Jesus came to Bethlehem so He could take our wrong choices away. When you’re baptized, and every time you take the sacrament, you get a fresh, clean start.”
🌪️ Rocks are thrown underhand toward the corner, never at people. Anyone who throws at a friend has to pick their rock back up!
🔊 Sound Board (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🌊 Throw them into the deep blue sea! · Micah 7:19

7. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

A fast team quiz reviews everything they learned.

  1. Split into two teams, mixing big kids and little kids on each team. Tap Scripture Showdown to start.
  2. Read each question and the picture choices aloud. Teams whisper together, then point to an answer.
  3. Tap the team that got it right to give them a point.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown!

8. Talk it over

Pass the Star

3 min

Connect Micah’s promise and the wise men’s gifts to their own December.

  1. Sit in a circle. Pass the paper star to whoever answers next.
  2. Ask one question at a time. Little ones can answer with one word or by pointing. Share your own answer too.
💬 Ask the class
  • How did Micah know where Jesus would be born?
  • What is something you had to wait a long time for?
  • The wise men gave Jesus their best gifts. What gift could you give Jesus?
  • What is one promise from Heavenly Father you are waiting for?

Class screen: ⭐ Pass the star and share!

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A paper star, any size, to pass during Talk It Over

  1. Sit in a circle. Cup your hands around a pretend twinkling star. Gently pass it to whoever answers next, and everyone whispers, “Twinkle!”
  2. Ask one question at a time. Little ones can answer with one word or by pointing. Share your own answer too.
9. Testimony

A Promise Kept

2 min

End calm and reverent, with a gift to give Jesus every day this week.

  1. Dim the lights if you can. If you brought the flashlight, let the Star shine it softly on the ceiling. Everyone folds arms.
  2. SAY“Heavenly Father promised to send Jesus, and He did. I know He keeps His promises to me, too.” Add one sentence about a promise He has kept for you.
  3. Show the Star Countdown challenge on the screen.
  4. Ask a child to say the closing prayer.

Class screen: 🌟 Heavenly Father always keeps His promises · This week: color a star each day!

Story drama

The Little Town with the Big Promise

Micah 5:2; Luke 2:1–7; Matthew 2:1–11 ↗

Parts to hand out

  • MicahThe prophet. Pretends to write the promise, then shouts, “Bethlehem!”
  • MaryWalks to Bethlehem and gently rocks Baby Jesus (the doll or blanket).
  • JosephWalks beside Mary and takes good care of her.
  • The StarHolds the flashlight high and slowly leads the wise men.
  • Wise MenTwo or three kids who follow the star, knock on Herod’s door and kneel with gifts.
  • King HerodSits on a chair throne, folds his arms and grumbles, “Another king? Hmph!”
  • The ScribeA reader! Unrolls Micah’s old scroll and reads the answer out loud.
  • Sheep & Sound CrewEveryone else: baa, tick like clocks, pat footsteps, gasp and cheer.

Scenes

  1. 🧔📜 Micah writes a big promise

    Long, long ago, Heavenly Father told the prophet Micah a secret. Jesus, the promised King, would be born in a tiny town called Bethlehem. Micah wrote the promise down so nobody would forget.

    🎬 Micah writes in the air, then shouts, “Bethlehem!” Crew: “Bethle-WHO?”

  2. ⏳🐑 Waiting… and waiting… and waiting

    People waited for the promise to come true. Babies grew up and became grandmas and grandpas. They waited for hundreds and hundreds of years. But Heavenly Father had not forgotten!

    🎬 Everyone crouches low and whispers, “Wait for it… wait for it…” while the Crew ticks like clocks.

  3. 👩🧔‍♂️🚶 Mary and Joseph walk to Bethlehem

    One day Mary and Joseph had to take a long trip. Mary was going to have a baby very soon. Where did they have to go? To little Bethlehem!

    🎬 Mary and Joseph walk slowly around the room. Crew pats knees: “Step… step… step…”

  4. 👶🌾 Baby Jesus is born!

    There was no room for them in the inn. Baby Jesus was born, and Mary laid Him in a manger, a box that holds hay for animals. Micah’s promise came true, right in little Bethlehem!

    🎬 Mary gently rocks Baby Jesus. Crew baas very softly, then whispers, “It came true!”

  5. ⭐🔭 A bright new star!

    Far away, wise men saw a bright new star in the sky. They knew it meant a great King had been born. They packed special gifts and started a long, long trip to find Him.

    🎬 The Star holds the light up high. Wise Men point and gasp, “Look!” and start walking.

  6. 🏰👑 Knock, knock, King Herod!

    The wise men went to the big city first. They asked King Herod where the new King was. Herod was not happy. He wanted to be the only king!

    🎬 Wise Men knock three times. Herod folds his arms: “Another king? Hmph!”

  7. 📜🔍 “What did the prophet say?”

    Herod asked the teachers who knew the scriptures. They opened Micah’s old scroll and found the answer. It had been written down all along!

    🎬 Drumroll! The Scribe unrolls the scroll and reads, “Bethlehem!” Everyone: “Micah was right!”

  8. ⭐🎁 The star leads them to Jesus

    The star led the wise men to the house where young Jesus was. They were so happy! They knelt down and gave Him their very best gifts.

    🎬 The Star leads the Wise Men to Mary. They kneel and hold out gifts. Everyone kneels, hand on heart: “I love Jesus.”

Key verse

Habakkuk 2:3 ↗
“wait for it; because it will surely come”
In kid words: God’s promises are worth waiting for. They will come true!
🙌 “wait for it” = crouch down low with a finger on your lips · “because it will surely come” = spring up tall and throw your arms out wide like a shining star

More verses

Micah 5:2 ↗
“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel”
In kid words: Little Bethlehem, you are small, but the King will be born in you!
Nahum 1:7 ↗
“The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble”
In kid words: The Lord is good. He is like a strong, safe castle when I’m scared.
Micah 7:19 ↗
“he will have compassion upon us … thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea”
In kid words: When we’re sorry and repent, God throws our wrong choices far away, to the bottom of the sea.
Zephaniah 3:17 ↗
“he will joy over thee with singing”
In kid words: Heavenly Father is so happy about you, it’s like He sings!

Forehead Guess words16 words

  • 🧔 Micah
  • 🏘️ Bethlehem
  • ⭐ Star
  • 🔭 Wise Men
  • 👩 Mary
  • 🧔‍♂️ Joseph
  • 🌾 Manger
  • 🐑 Sheep
  • 👑 King Herod
  • 📜 Scroll
  • 🎁 Present
  • 🏰 Castle
  • 🌊 Ocean
  • 🎶 Singing
  • ⏰ Clock
  • 💧 Baptism
Clues for each word
  • Micah: The prophet who said “Bethlehem!”
  • Bethlehem: The little town where Jesus was born
  • Star: It twinkled and led the wise men
  • Wise Men: They followed the star to find Jesus
  • Mary: Jesus’s mother
  • Joseph: He took care of Mary and Jesus
  • Manger: Baby Jesus’s first bed, full of hay
  • Sheep: Baa! Fluffy animals near Bethlehem
  • King Herod: Grumpy king: “Another king? Hmph!”
  • Scroll: Rolled-up paper with Micah’s promise
  • Present: The wise men brought these to Jesus
  • Castle: Strong and safe, like the Lord in trouble
  • Ocean: God throws our sins deep into it
  • Singing: The Lord is so happy about you, He does this
  • Clock: Tick, tock! We wait and wait
  • Baptism: A promise you can make when you’re 8
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown8 questions

  1. Where did Micah say Jesus would be born?
    • A. 🏰 A big castle
    • B. 🏘️ Little Bethlehem
    • C. 🚢 On a boat
    Show answer

    ✅ B. 🏘️ Little Bethlehem Micah 5:2: little Bethlehem, just like he promised!

  2. Who told Micah the secret promise?
    • A. 🙏 Heavenly Father
    • B. 👑 King Herod
    • C. 🐑 A sheep
    Show answer

    ✅ A. 🙏 Heavenly Father Heavenly Father tells His prophets what will happen.

  3. What led the wise men to Jesus?
    • A. 🌈 A rainbow
    • B. 🗺️ A map
    • C. ⭐ A star
    Show answer

    ✅ C. ⭐ A star A bright star led them all the way to young Jesus.

  4. Where did Mary lay Baby Jesus?
    • A. 🌾 In a manger
    • B. 🏰 In a castle bed
    • C. 🌳 In a tree
    Show answer

    ✅ A. 🌾 In a manger A manger is a box that holds hay. It was His first bed!

  5. Habakkuk said God’s promises will surely…
    • A. 💨 disappear
    • B. ✅ come
    • C. 😴 be forgotten
    Show answer

    ✅ B. ✅ come “Wait for it; because it will surely come!”

  6. Nahum said the Lord is strong and safe, like a…
    • A. 🎈 balloon
    • B. 🏰 castle
    • C. 🍝 noodle
    Show answer

    ✅ B. 🏰 castle The Lord is “a strong hold in the day of trouble” (Nahum 1:7).

  7. What did the wise men give Jesus?
    • A. 📚 Homework
    • B. 🙅 Nothing
    • C. 🎁 Their best gifts
    Show answer

    ✅ C. 🎁 Their best gifts They knelt down and gave Him their very best.

  8. What can you do when you turn 8?
    • A. 🚗 Drive a car
    • B. 💧 Be baptized
    • C. 👑 Become a king
    Show answer

    ✅ B. 💧 Be baptized When you’re baptized, you make a special promise with Heavenly Father!

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • O Little Town of Bethlehem Hymns, no. 208

    Sing it right after the Story Drama. It’s all about Micah’s little town. Find it ↗

  • Samuel Tells of the Baby Jesus Children’s Songbook, p. 36

    Another prophet who told about Jesus’s birth before it happened, just like Micah. Find it ↗

  • Stars Were Gleaming Children’s Songbook, p. 37

    A gentle Christmas song about the star, perfect for the calm ending. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Star Countdown

Draw 7 stars on a paper. Each night this week, color one star and tell your family one promise Heavenly Father keeps. Then whisper together: “Wait for it… it will surely come!”

Text the parents

Today in Primary we learned that the prophet Micah promised, long before it happened, that Jesus would be born in little Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), and we acted out the wise men following the star to find Him. We practiced Habakkuk 2:3: “wait for it; because it will surely come.” Ask your child: what promise from Heavenly Father are you waiting for?

📝 After class

What worked? Who needs a check-in this week? Jot it here on a printed copy, or in the app’s private class notes.

Got extra time?

🔗 Paper Chain Countdown · 6 min

  1. Give each child strips of paper and a stapler or tape to share. Help them make one loop for each day until Christmas.
  2. On a few loops, older kids write (or little ones draw) a way to get ready for Jesus: pray, help, share, sing.
  3. SAY“Every day you take off a loop, remember: God’s promises always come.”

🌍 Fill the World · 4 min

  1. Read Habakkuk 2:14: “the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.”
  2. Kids draw quick pictures of things Jesus did (healed people, loved children, was baptized) and drop them into a cup or jar until it’s full.
  3. Ask: “Who could you tell about Jesus this Christmas?”

🎶 Happy Singing · 3 min

  1. Read Zephaniah 3:17: the Lord “will joy over thee with singing.”
  2. Sing one happy Christmas song from the list, first in a whisper, then in a big joyful voice.
  3. SAY“Heavenly Father is so glad about you. Let’s sing because we’re glad about Him too!”

Sources

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version, the Bible used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Tap or click a reference to open it in Gospel Library. Start with the official Come, Follow Me manual; these ideas are here to help it come alive.

All CTR 4–7 lessons