Gospel Sparks Get the app

Here Comes the King!

Haggai helps God’s people put the Lord first and build His house, and Zechariah sees the King coming on a donkey

  • 🛡️ CTR 4–6
  • Week 50
  • 📅 Sunday, December 13, 2026
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

Jesus Christ is our King, and I can put Him first.

I can put Jesus first and get ready to go to His holy temple.

Study it yourself firstRead Haggai 1–2; Zechariah 1–4; 7–14 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Haggai 1–2; Zechariah 1–4; 7–14)
Know the chapters

After many years far away in Babylon, God’s people came home to Jerusalem. They started to rebuild the temple. But the work was hard, and some neighbors fought against it, so they stopped for years. That’s in Ezra 3–5. Meanwhile, they built nice houses for themselves. In Haggai 1:5, the prophet Haggai asked them to “Consider your ways.” In 1:6 he said they worked hard but never had enough. It was like putting their pay into “a bag with holes.” In 1:8 the Lord told them, “Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house.” The people went back to work with their leaders, Zerubbabel and Joshua the high priest. Ezra 6:14–16 tells how the temple was finished.

The prophet Zechariah had visions that encouraged the builders. In one, Joshua stood in dirty clothes. The dirty clothes were taken away and replaced with clean ones. In Zechariah 3:4 the Lord said, “I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee.” That’s a wonderful picture for children preparing for baptism. We wear white when we’re baptized. Each week, the sacrament helps us keep that clean, fresh start as we repent. In 14:20, Zechariah also said the words “HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD” would be written everywhere. Today, “Holiness to the Lord” is written on every temple.

Zechariah 9:9 promised that Israel’s King would come “lowly, and riding upon an ass.” About 500 years later, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. Crowds laid branches on the road and shouted “Hosanna.” That’s in Matthew 21:1–11. Hosanna is a joyful word of praise that asks the Lord to save us.

For 4- to 7-year-olds, keep one idea. Jesus is our King, and we put Him first. The Lord of the Old Testament is Jesus Christ. So “put the Lord first” and “put Jesus first” mean the same thing. Readers can read Haggai’s and Zechariah’s words from the screen. Little ones lead the hammering and the finger crowns. At baptism, your 7-year-olds will soon promise to follow Jesus. That’s putting Him first.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Haggai 1:2–8 and Zechariah 9:9. Grab about 10 plastic cups. Tell the story in Teach Mode, and let the class make the sounds. Teach the Zechariah 9:9 motions and build the Jesus First Tower. End by asking, “Jesus is our King. How can you put Him first this week?” Brought nothing? Tap “I brought nothing,” and build the tower in your device’s Goal Jar instead.

What to bring2 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. Read Haggai 1:2–8, Zechariah 9:9 and Matthew 21:1–11.
  2. Put the cups in a bag by your chair.

If your class is wild

  • Hammering happens on knees only. When you hold up a fist, all hammers freeze.
  • Give your wiggliest 6- or 7-year-old the Sound Helper job. Now their energy has a job.
  • In the Jesus First Tower, each kid adds one cup per turn. Builders sit back down before the next cup goes on.
  • If the tower falls, cheer and rebuild. Say, “The people in Haggai’s day started again too!”

The 25-minute plan24 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

The Pocket with a Hole

3 min

A silly pretend pocket starts the mystery of Haggai’s bag with holes.

  1. SAY“Hold out your hands! I’m giving everyone ten shiny pretend coins. Put them in your pocket. Clink, clink!”
  2. SAY“Oh no! There’s a hole in your pocket!”
  3. Everyone lets the coins drip through their fingers: “Clink, clink, clink!”
  4. SAY“Long ago, a prophet said the people’s money was like a bag with holes. That’s because they forgot to put the Lord first.”
🌪️ Coins drop into laps, not onto neighbors. If it gets loud, hold up a fist to freeze.

Class screen: 👜 Uh-oh! A pocket with a hole! · 🪙 Clink, clink, clink!

2. Story

Story: Build the Lord’s House!

7 min

You tell a true scripture story with pictures. The whole class joins in from their seats.

  1. SAY“This is a true story from the scriptures. You get to make the sounds.”
  2. Open the story in Teach Mode. When a sound shows, everyone makes it. Big kids can read the caption first.
  3. After scene 4, ask, “What did the people put first?” The Lord’s house! Then ask, “What happened?” They finished it!
  4. After scene 7, whisper, “Who is the King?” Jesus! Then ask, “How can we put Him first?”
🌪️ If the room drifts, hold up a fist to freeze the hammers. Then whisper the next scene.

Class screen: 🔨 Build the Lord’s House! · 🔨 Bang, bang! · 🪙 Clink, clink! · 🫏 Clip-clop! · 🌿 Hosanna!

3. Wiggle break

Temple Builders

2 min

Haggai 1:8 becomes a quick stand-in-place builders’ wiggle.

  1. SAY“Haggai said to go up to the mountain, bring wood, and build the house! Stand up, builders!”
  2. Tap Freeze Dance. While the music plays, call an action: climb the mountain, chop the wood, carry the logs, hammer, hammer, hammer.
  3. When the music stops, everyone freezes. End with a temple roof over your head: “We built it!” Then sit down.
🌪️ Builders stay in their own spot. Pretend hammers only hit the air.
🧊 Freeze Dance (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🔨 Climb! Chop! Carry! Hammer! Freeze! · Haggai 1:8

4. Scripture

Key Verse: Zechariah 9:9

3 min

Happy motions help kids remember that Jesus is the King Zechariah saw coming.

  1. SAY“Zechariah saw the King coming hundreds of years before it happened. Here are his happy words.”
  2. Show the verse on your phone or tablet. Read it slowly, then let a reader read it.
  3. Teach the motions one phrase at a time. Say it three ways: a whisper, a normal voice, then a big parade voice.
  4. Ask, “Who is the King?” Jesus! Then ask, “Why are we so happy He came?”

Class screen: 👑 Rejoice! Behold, thy King cometh! · Zechariah 9:9

5. Game

Jesus First Tower

6 min

Kids practice choosing Jesus first, and every Jesus-first choice helps build the Lord’s house.

  1. SAY“Let’s build the Lord’s house by putting Jesus first! Listen to two choices. Which one comes first?”
  2. Read two choices from the screen. Everyone points one finger at the Jesus-first choice: “Jesus first!”
  3. The child who explains why adds one cup to the temple tower. Let a 6- or 7-year-old read the next pair.
  4. When the tower is tall, everyone makes a temple roof: “We put Jesus first!”
  5. SAY“When you’re baptized, you promise to put Him first.”
🌪️ One cup per turn. The builder sits back down before the next cup goes on.

Class screen: 🏛️ What comes first? · ☀️ Morning prayer or cartoons? · ⛪ Church clothes or muddy puddles? · 🍞 Sacrament: wiggle or think of Jesus? · 📖 Bedtime story or scripture story first? · 🤝 Finish my game or help Mom?

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: About 10 plastic cups, blocks or small boxes for building a temple tower

Jesus First Goal Jar

  1. SAY“Let’s fill the Goal Jar by putting Jesus first! Listen to two choices. Which one comes first?”
  2. Open the Goal Jar on your phone or tablet. Read two choices from the screen. Everyone points one finger at the Jesus-first choice: “Jesus first!”
  3. The child who explains why taps in one marble. Let a 6- or 7-year-old read the next pair.
  4. When the jar is full, everyone makes a temple roof: “We put Jesus first!”
  5. SAY“When you’re baptized, you promise to put Him first.”
6. Testimony

Holiness to the Lord

3 min

End quiet and reverent with the words written on every temple.

  1. SAY“Every temple has these words on it. Holiness to the Lord. The temple is His house.”
  2. Everyone makes a temple roof with their fingertips. Show a temple picture if you brought one.
  3. Share a sentence or two about how you know Jesus is our King.
  4. Show the King First Mornings challenge on the screen. Then ask a child to say the closing prayer.

Class screen: 🏛️ Jesus is my King. I put Him first! · Holiness to the Lord

7. Game

Forehead Guess: Temple Builders Edition

4 minBONUS

A Heads Up–style review of today’s story. The picture shows with each word, so pre-readers can play too.

  1. SAY“Let’s see what you remember! Give clues, but don’t say the word.”
  2. Tap Forehead Guess. One kid holds your phone or tablet on their forehead, screen facing the class. Everyone else gives clues from their seats.
  3. Motions and sounds make great clues. Hammer fists for Hammer, clip-clop for Donkey, a finger crown for King. Tilt down for “got it” and up to pass.
  4. Give each turn about 30 seconds. Pair a 4- or 5-year-old guesser with an older buddy who whispers help.
🌪️ Go around the circle with one clue each, so nobody shouts over anybody.
▶ Play Forehead Guess on the web

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

8. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

A fast team quiz reviews everything they learned.

  1. SAY“It’s Team Hammer versus Team Hosanna!”
  2. Split the class in two, mixing big and little kids. Tap Scripture Showdown.
  3. Read each question and the picture choices out loud. Teams whisper together, then point to an answer.
  4. Tap the team that got it right to give them a point. Cheer for both teams.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown!

The story

Build the Lord’s House!

Ezra 3–6; Haggai 1–2; Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:1–11 ↗

Optional helpers

  • Sound HelperSits next to you and taps each scene’s sound on your phone or tablet.

Scenes

  1. 🏚️🪨 Home again! But God’s house is broken

    God’s people came home after a long time far away. But their beautiful temple, the Lord’s house, was just a pile of broken stones. “Let’s build it again!” they said.

    🙌 Hammer your fists on your knees: “Bang, bang!”

  2. 🏡🛑 They stopped and built their own houses

    But building was hard, and some neighbors made trouble. So they stopped. They built nice houses for themselves instead. And the Lord’s house stayed broken for years and years.

    🙌

  3. 👜🕳️ Money in a bag with holes

    The prophet Haggai said, “Consider your ways!” That means, think about what you’re doing! The people worked and worked. But it was like putting money in a bag with holes. It all fell out!

    🙌 Let coins drip through your fingers: “Clink, clink… uh-oh!”

  4. ⛰️🔨 Go up the mountain! Build the house!

    Haggai told them what the Lord wanted. Go up the mountain, bring wood, and build His house! The leader, Zerubbabel, said, “Let’s go!” Everyone put the Lord first and got back to work.

    🙌

  5. 🏛️🎉 The temple is finished!

    The people worked until the Lord’s house was done. They were so happy! Now they had a holy place to feel close to Heavenly Father.

    🙌

  6. 🫏👑 Zechariah sees the King coming!

    The prophet Zechariah shared a happy promise. One day the King would come to Jerusalem, riding on a little donkey. He would be gentle and kind. And He would save His people.

    🙌 Clip-clop on your knees for the little donkey.

  7. 🌿🙌 Hosanna! Jesus is the King!

    Hundreds of years later, it happened! Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. People laid branches on the road and shouted, “Hosanna!” Jesus is the King Zechariah saw.

    🙌 Wave pretend branches. Whisper: “Hosanna!”

Key verse

Zechariah 9:9 ↗
“Rejoice greatly … behold, thy King cometh unto thee”
In kid words: Be so happy! Look, your King is coming to you!
🙌 “Rejoice greatly” = wave both hands up high · “behold” = hand over your eyes like you’re looking far away · “thy King cometh” = make a crown on your head with your fingers · “unto thee” = give yourself a hug

More verses

Haggai 1:8 ↗
“Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house”
In kid words: Climb the mountain, get wood, and build the Lord’s house!
Zechariah 3:4 ↗
“Take away the filthy garments from him … I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment”
In kid words: Take off the dirty clothes. I have taken away your wrong choices and I will give you clean clothes.
Zechariah 14:20 ↗
“HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD”
In kid words: Words like these are on every temple: it is a holy place for the Lord.
Matthew 21:9 ↗
“Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.”
In kid words: Hooray for Jesus! He comes from Heavenly Father!

Forehead Guess words16 words

  • 🏛️ Temple
  • 🔨 Hammer
  • 🪵 Wood
  • ⛰️ Mountain
  • 🪨 Stones
  • 🏠 House
  • 👜 Bag with Holes
  • 📣 Haggai
  • 🔭 Zechariah
  • 👼 Angel
  • 👕 White Clothes
  • 💧 Baptism
  • 🫏 Donkey
  • 🌿 Palm Branch
  • 👑 King
  • 🙌 Hosanna
Clues for each word
  • Temple: The Lord’s holy house
  • Hammer: Bang, bang! Builders use it
  • Wood: Haggai said to bring it down the mountain
  • Mountain: Go up it to get wood
  • Stones: Heavy blocks to build with
  • House: The people built their own nice ones first
  • Bag with Holes: Money put in it all falls out
  • Haggai: The prophet who said, “Build the house!”
  • Zechariah: The prophet who said the King would ride a donkey
  • Angel: Gave Joshua clean clothes in a vision
  • White Clothes: What we wear when we are baptized
  • Baptism: Jesus makes us clean; you can do it at 8
  • Donkey: Jesus rode one into Jerusalem
  • Palm Branch: People waved them for Jesus
  • King: Jesus is ours! He wears a crown
  • Hosanna: The happy word the crowd shouted
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown8 questions

  1. What did God’s people stop building?
    • A. 🏛️ The temple
    • B. ⛄ A snowman
    • C. 🚢 A boat
    Show answer

    ✅ A. 🏛️ The temple They stopped building the Lord’s house and built their own houses instead.

  2. Haggai said their money went into a bag with…
    • A. 🍬 candy
    • B. 🕳️ holes
    • C. 🐶 puppies
    Show answer

    ✅ B. 🕳️ holes All their hard work kept falling out, like coins through holes (Haggai 1:6).

  3. What did Haggai say to bring down from the mountain?
    • A. ❄️ Snow
    • B. 🧸 Toys
    • C. 🪵 Wood
    Show answer

    ✅ C. 🪵 Wood “Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house” (Haggai 1:8).

  4. In Zechariah’s vision, what did Joshua get?
    • A. 👕 Clean clothes
    • B. 🎩 A silly hat
    • C. 🐱 A kitten
    Show answer

    ✅ A. 👕 Clean clothes His dirty clothes were taken away and he got clean ones (Zechariah 3:4).

  5. What color do we wear when we are baptized?
    • A. 🟥 Red
    • B. ⬜ White
    • C. 🟩 Green
    Show answer

    ✅ B. ⬜ White White reminds us that Jesus makes us clean.

  6. Zechariah said the King would ride on a…
    • A. 🚀 rocket
    • B. 🛹 skateboard
    • C. 🫏 donkey
    Show answer

    ✅ C. 🫏 donkey Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem, just like Zechariah said (Zechariah 9:9).

  7. What did the crowd shout for Jesus?
    • A. 🙌 Hosanna!
    • B. 😴 Goodnight!
    • C. 🍕 Pizza!
    Show answer

    ✅ A. 🙌 Hosanna! “Hosanna” is a happy shout of praise for the Savior (Matthew 21:9).

  8. Who is the King Zechariah told about?
    • A. 👑 King Herod
    • B. ✨ Jesus Christ
    • C. 👷 Zerubbabel
    Show answer

    ✅ B. ✨ Jesus Christ Jesus Christ is our King!

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • I Love to See the Temple Children’s Songbook, p. 95

    The people worked hard to build the Lord’s house. Sing it after the story. Find it ↗

  • When I Am Baptized Children’s Songbook, p. 103

    Goes with the Clean White Clothes idea and the promise to follow Jesus at baptism. Find it ↗

  • Joy to the World Hymns, no. 201

    A Christmas song about welcoming the Lord as King, just like the Hosanna crowd. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

King First Mornings

Every morning this week, do one thing for Jesus before anything else. Say a morning prayer, read or listen to one scripture, or sing a Primary song. Then give a thumbs-up and say, “Jesus first!”

Text the parents

Today in Primary we learned how the prophet Haggai helped God’s people put the Lord first and finish the temple. That’s in Haggai 1:8. We also learned that Zechariah saw Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, hundreds of years before it happened. That’s in Zechariah 9:9. We built a Jesus-first tower and talked about how baptism is a promise to put Him first. Ask your child, “How did you put Jesus first today?”

📝 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?

👕 Clean White Clothes · 4 min

  1. Draw two T-shirt shapes on paper. Scribble brown crayon all over one so it looks dirty. Leave the other clean and white, and hide it behind the dirty one.
  2. SAY“In Zechariah’s vision, Joshua the high priest stood in dirty clothes.”
  3. Read Zechariah 3:4: “Take away the filthy garments from him.”
  4. Pull the clean shirt out from behind the dirty one. Everyone whispers: “Clean!”
  5. Ask, “What color do we wear when we’re baptized?” White!
  6. SAY“When we repent, Jesus helps us be clean inside. And every Sunday, the sacrament helps us start fresh.”

🤔 Consider Your Ways · 4 min

  1. Draw quick pictures of things kids do in a day. Wake up, eat, play, go to school, pray, read scriptures and help.
  2. Read Haggai 1:5: “Consider your ways.”
  3. Kids point to the things Heavenly Father would say matter most. Then they pick one to do first tomorrow.

🚪 Holiness to the Lord Door Sign · 5 min

  1. Give each child a paper. Help readers write “Holiness to the Lord” at the top. Little ones can trace it.
  2. Draw a temple under the words.
  3. SAY“These words are on every temple. Hang yours on your bedroom door. You can make your home a holy place 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 4–6 lessons