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Nothing Is Impossible with God

An old priest who couldn’t talk, a baby who leaped for joy, and Mary’s brave “yes”

  • 💧 Valiant 7–8
  • Week 1
  • 📅 Sunday, January 3, 2027
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

With God nothing is impossible, so I can trust Him, keep praying while I wait, and say “yes” like Mary did.

I can trust Heavenly Father to answer my prayers in His own time and say “yes” when He asks me to help.

Study it yourself firstRead Matthew 1; Luke 1 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Matthew 1; Luke 1)
Know the chapters

Happy New Year, and welcome to the New Testament! Luke 1 tells about two babies nobody thought were possible. Zacharias and Elisabeth were righteous and very old. They’d prayed for a child for years. While Zacharias was burning incense in the temple, the angel Gabriel told him Elisabeth would have a son named John. Zacharias asked how he could know this. Gabriel said he wouldn’t be able to speak until it happened. Six months later Gabriel visited Mary in Nazareth. He told her she’d be the mother of the Son of God. Mary visited Elisabeth, and the unborn John leaped for joy. When John was born, Zacharias wrote “His name is John” and could talk again. Matthew 1 adds Joseph’s side. An angel came to him in a dream, and he obeyed right away.

For eight-year-olds, the heart of the week is Luke 1:37: “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” Kids love the idea of impossible. This story gives them two impossible things that happened anyway. It also teaches patience. Elisabeth and Zacharias kept praying and keeping the commandments for years before their answer came. Children can learn that Heavenly Father always hears them. He answers in His own time and way, even when the answer is “wait.”

Mary’s answer in Luke 1:38, “be it unto me according to thy word,” means “I am the Lord’s servant. I will do what He wants.” Most of your class has just been baptized, when they promised to follow Jesus Christ. Mary’s trusting yes is exactly what that promise looks like. Joseph shows the same thing. He woke up from his dream and did what the angel said, in Matthew 1:24.

Keep the doctrine simple and true. Jesus Christ is the Son of Heavenly Father and of Mary, in Luke 1:31–35. From His Father He received power over death. From His mother He received a mortal body. So He could be our Savior and be resurrected. If kids ask how, you can say, “Heavenly Father made it happen by His power.” That’s Luke 1:35, and you can leave it there. Joseph was a good, obedient man who raised Jesus. God chose the name Jesus: “he shall save his people from their sins,” in Matthew 1:21. Baby John grows up to be John the Baptist, who prepares people for Jesus, in Luke 1:76.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Luke 1:5–45 and 57–64. Tell the story from Teach Mode, and let the class make a few sounds. Teach “For with God nothing shall be impossible” with the motions. Play Say Yes Like Mary, and close with a quiet testimony. You need only chairs, a sheet of paper and a soft ball. Brought nothing? Tap “I brought nothing.” Zacharias writes in the air, and the ball becomes invisible.

What to bring3 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 Luke 1:5–45 and 57–64. Then read Matthew 1:18–25.
  2. Try the Chair Challenge yourself. Sit all the way back, feet flat, arms crossed. Now stand up without leaning forward. You can’t!

If your class is wild

  • Humming with zipped lips calms the room fast. Use it anytime it gets loud.
  • Make your chattiest kid the Tablet Helper. Holding up HIS NAME IS JOHN in scene 6 is a big, proud moment.
  • Use “Zacharias!” as your attention getter all day. When you say it, everyone zips their lips and freezes.
  • Kids may come in tired or wired after the holidays. The Chair Challenge gets every wiggle out in the first minute.
  • Start with names. January may bring new kids, and they settle faster with a teacher who knows who they are.

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 Impossible Chair Challenge

3 min

A challenge nobody can win grabs their attention and sets up the word “impossible.”

  1. SAY“I have a challenge nobody in the whole world can do. Sit all the way back, feet flat in front, arms crossed.”
  2. SAY“No leaning forward. No scooting your feet back. On three, stand up! One, two, three!”
  3. Let them strain and laugh. Then a helper holds one kid’s hands and gently pulls. Up they come! With help, it’s easy.
  4. SAY“Today an angel says, ‘With God nothing shall be impossible.’”
🌪️ Wobbly chairs? Push the chair backs against a wall first. Helpers pull slowly, with no yanking.

Class screen: 🪑 The Impossible Chair Challenge! · 🪑 Can you stand up?

2. Story

Story: Two Impossible Babies

7 min

Two “impossible” babies show that God hears every prayer and can do anything.

  1. SAY“This is a true story from the Bible, just before Jesus was born. You get to make some of the sounds.”
  2. Open the story in Teach Mode. When a sound shows on the screen, everyone makes it. Then it’s quiet for the next part.
  3. After scene 1, ask why they kept praying. After scene 5, ask what Mary said yes to.
  4. At scene 6, write HIS NAME IS JOHN on the paper for your Tablet Helper. Everyone reads it, then shouts, “Praise God!”
🌪️ If the room drifts, zip your lips and hum. Wait until the whole room is humming with you.

Class screen: 👶 Two Impossible Babies · 🤐 Mm-mm-mm! · 👶 Boing! · 🙌 Praise God!

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A sheet of paper and a marker (Zacharias’s writing tablet)

  1. SAY“This is a true story from the Bible, just before Jesus was born. You get to make some of the sounds.”
  2. Open the story in Teach Mode. When a sound shows on the screen, everyone makes it. Then it’s quiet for the next part.
  3. After scene 1, ask why they kept praying. After scene 5, ask what Mary said yes to.
  4. At scene 6, write HIS NAME IS JOHN in the air with a giant finger. Everyone reads the letters, then shouts, “Praise God!”
3. Scripture

Key Verse: Luke 1:37

4 min

Motions and silly voices help kids memorize the week’s big promise.

  1. SAY“Gabriel said this to Mary. It’s short, so let’s learn it by heart.”
  2. Show the verse on your phone or tablet and read it slowly.
  3. Teach the motions one phrase at a time.
  4. Say it three ways. Lip-sync it like Zacharias. Say it big like Gabriel. Then bounce on every word like baby John.
  5. Ask what Mary said right after the angel said this. “Be it unto me according to thy word.” She said yes!

Class screen: 💪 With God nothing shall be impossible!

4. Game

Say Yes Like Mary

7 min

Kids practice the big idea: trust God, keep praying, and say “yes” when He asks us to help.

  1. SAY“Mary said yes to God, even when it sounded impossible. Let’s practice saying yes!”
  2. Sit in a circle and tap Hot Potato. Pass the ball while the music plays. At the buzz, read the holder a situation from the screen.
  3. The holder says, “Yes, I’ll do it!” and how. Or they pass to a friend. Everyone flexes: “Nothing is impossible!”
  4. After a hard one, like the broken toy, ask, “Is forgiving hard?” Then ask who can help. Heavenly Father and Jesus!
  5. SAY“Some yeses feel hard. Heavenly Father helps us. Sometimes answers take time, like Elisabeth’s. So keep praying.”
🌪️ Pass, don’t throw. Cheer every yes, big or small. Forgiving a brother deserves the loudest flex!
🥔 Hot Potato (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🙋 Would you say “yes” like Mary? · Mom needs help with the dishes · A new kid is sitting alone · It’s time to pray, but you’re tired · Your brother broke your toy

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A soft ball or rolled-up sock

Say Yes Like Mary (Invisible Ball)

  1. SAY“Mary said yes to God, even when it sounded impossible. Let’s practice saying yes!”
  2. Sit in a circle and tap Hot Potato. Pass an invisible ball while the music plays. At the buzz, read the holder a situation.
  3. The holder says, “Yes, I’ll do it!” and how. Or they pass to a friend. Everyone flexes: “Nothing is impossible!”
  4. After a hard one, like the broken toy, ask, “Is forgiving hard?” Then ask who can help. Heavenly Father and Jesus!
  5. SAY“Some yeses feel hard. Heavenly Father helps us. Sometimes answers take time, like Elisabeth’s. So keep praying.”
5. Testimony

Testimony & the Yes Challenge

3 min

End calm and reverent, with a way to say yes at home.

  1. SAY“Let’s zip our lips like Zacharias and get very quiet.”
  2. Wait until the room is still.
  3. Briefly share a time Heavenly Father answered a prayer in His own time. Or share when He helped you do something hard.
  4. SAY“When you were baptized, you promised to follow Jesus. That was your yes, just like Mary’s.”
  5. Show the Say Yes Like Mary challenge. Then invite a child to say the closing prayer.

Class screen: 🙋 This week: say “yes” like Mary! · When someone asks for help: “Yes!” · Keep praying, even when you wait

6. Game

Forehead Guess: Zacharias Edition

4 minBONUS

A quick Heads Up–style review of every person and place from today.

  1. SAY“Let’s see what you remember! Give clues, but don’t say the word.”
  2. Tap Forehead Guess.
  3. One kid holds your phone or tablet on their forehead, screen facing the class. Everyone else gives clues from their seats.
  4. Tilt down for “got it” and up to pass. Each turn is 45 seconds. Then pass your phone or tablet to the next kid.
🌪️ Go around the room one clue at a time. That way nobody shouts over anybody.
▶ Play Forehead Guess on the web

Class screen: 🤔 Forehead Guess! · Give clues, don’t say the word!

7. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

A fast team quiz reviews everything they learned.

  1. SAY“Team Zacharias versus Team Elisabeth!”
  2. Split the class in two and tap Scripture Showdown.
  3. Read each question out loud. Teams whisper together, then point to an answer.
  4. Tap the team that got it right to give them a point.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown!

The story

Two Impossible Babies

Luke 1:5–64; Matthew 1:18–25 ↗

Optional helpers

  • Tablet HelperHolds up Zacharias’s paper at scene 6 so everyone can read HIS NAME IS JOHN.
  • Sound HelperSits next to you and taps each scene’s sound on your phone or tablet.

Scenes

  1. 👴👵🙏 Old, faithful, and still praying

    Zacharias and Elisabeth loved God and kept His commandments. They were very old, and for years and years they had prayed for a baby. No baby came. But they kept on praying and kept on being faithful.

    🙌

  2. 🏛️👼 An angel in the temple!

    One day, while Zacharias served in the temple, the angel Gabriel appeared! He said, “Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard.” Elisabeth would have a son named John. Zacharias asked how he could know this. He was so old!

    🙌

  3. 🤐 Zacharias can’t say a word

    Gabriel said Zacharias didn’t believe. So he would not be able to speak until the baby came. When Zacharias came out of the temple, the people wondered what had happened. He could only talk with his hands!

    🙌 Zip your lips and hum: “Mm-mm-mm!”

  4. 🏡👼👩 Gabriel visits Mary in Nazareth

    Six months later, Gabriel visited Mary in Nazareth. She would have a baby named Jesus, the Son of God! Her old cousin Elisabeth was having a baby too. Gabriel said, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.”

    🙌 Flex both arms: “Nothing is impossible!”

  5. 🙋‍♀️🤰 Mary says yes, and baby John leaps

    Mary trusted God. She said, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord.” She was saying, I’m God’s helper. “Be it unto me according to thy word.” That meant yes to whatever God wanted! Later Mary visited Elisabeth. Elisabeth’s baby leaped for joy!

    🙌 Baby John leaps for joy! Everyone: “Boing!”

  6. ✍️ “His name is John!”

    Elisabeth’s baby was born! The neighbors wanted to name him Zacharias, like his dad. Zacharias asked for a writing tablet and wrote: HIS NAME IS JOHN. Right away he could talk again, and he praised God!

    🙌 Unzip your lips and cheer: “Praise God!”

  7. 😴🌙👼 An angel in Joseph’s dream

    An angel came to Joseph in a dream. Mary’s baby was the Son of God! Joseph should name Him Jesus, “for he shall save his people from their sins.” Joseph obeyed. Two “impossible” babies, and one amazing God!

    🙌

Key verse

Luke 1:37 ↗
“For with God nothing shall be impossible.”
In kid words: There is nothing Heavenly Father can’t do.
🙌 “For with God” = point up · “nothing” = make a big zero with your hands · “shall be” = shake your head no · “impossible” = flex both arms like a superhero and shout it!

More verses

Luke 1:38 ↗
“Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.”
In kid words: Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant. I will do what He wants.”
Luke 1:13 ↗
“Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard”
In kid words: Don’t be afraid. God heard your prayer.
Luke 1:41 ↗
“the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost”
In kid words: Baby John jumped for joy, and Elisabeth felt the Holy Ghost.
Matthew 1:21 ↗
“thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”
In kid words: His name will be Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.

Forehead Guess words18 words

  • 👴 Zacharias
  • 👵 Elisabeth
  • 👼 Angel Gabriel
  • 🙋‍♀️ Mary
  • 🪚 Joseph
  • 👶 John the Baptist
  • 🏛️ Temple
  • 💨 Incense
  • 🏡 Nazareth
  • 😴 Dream
  • ✍️ Writing Tablet
  • 🙏 Prayer
  • 🦘 Leap
  • 🚫 Impossible
  • ✨ Miracle
  • 🍼 Baby
  • 🕊️ Holy Ghost
  • 💛 Savior
Clues for each word
  • Zacharias: Old priest who couldn’t talk for months
  • Elisabeth: Prayed for years, then had baby John
  • Angel Gabriel: Brought the big news to Zacharias and Mary
  • Mary: Said yes to being Jesus’s mother
  • Joseph: A carpenter who dreamed about an angel
  • John the Baptist: Leaped for joy before he was even born
  • Temple: Where Zacharias saw the angel
  • Incense: Sweet-smelling smoke burned in the temple
  • Nazareth: Mary’s little hometown
  • Dream: How the angel talked to Joseph
  • Writing Tablet: Zacharias wrote “His name is John” on it
  • Prayer: Talking to Heavenly Father
  • Leap: What baby John did when Mary said hello
  • Impossible: Nothing is this with God
  • Miracle: Something amazing only God can do
  • Baby: Elisabeth prayed for one for years
  • Holy Ghost: Filled Elisabeth when Mary arrived
  • Savior: Jesus came to save us from our sins
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown8 questions

  1. Why was it amazing that Elisabeth would have a baby?
    • A. She was very old
    • B. She lived in a castle
    • C. She already had ten kids
    Show answer

    ✅ A. She was very old Zacharias and Elisabeth were old and had prayed for a baby for years.

  2. Where was Zacharias when the angel appeared?
    • A. At the beach
    • B. In the temple
    • C. At the market
    Show answer

    ✅ B. In the temple He was burning incense in the temple when Gabriel appeared beside the altar.

  3. What happened to Zacharias because he didn’t believe the angel?
    • A. He got the hiccups
    • B. He fell asleep
    • C. He couldn’t talk
    Show answer

    ✅ C. He couldn’t talk He couldn’t speak until his baby was named. Talk about a long quiet time!

  4. What did Gabriel tell Mary to name her baby?
    • A. John
    • B. Jesus
    • C. Joseph
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Jesus Matthew 1:21: He would save His people from their sins.

  5. Finish Gabriel’s words: “With God nothing shall be…”
    • A. impossible
    • B. too hard
    • C. boring
    Show answer

    ✅ A. impossible Luke 1:37. There is nothing Heavenly Father can’t do!

  6. What did baby John do when Mary came to visit?
    • A. Cried
    • B. Leaped for joy
    • C. Hiccuped
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Leaped for joy He leaped for joy, and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost.

  7. What did Zacharias write on his writing tablet?
    • A. “Call him Zacharias”
    • B. “I’m hungry”
    • C. “His name is John”
    Show answer

    ✅ C. “His name is John” The moment he wrote it, he could talk again, and he praised God!

  8. How did the angel talk to Joseph?
    • A. In a dream
    • B. In a letter
    • C. On a scroll
    Show answer

    ✅ A. In a dream Joseph woke up and obeyed right away (Matthew 1:24).

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • A Child’s Prayer Children’s Songbook, p. 12

    Zacharias and Elisabeth’s prayer was heard. Heavenly Father hears children’s prayers too. Find it ↗

  • He Sent His Son Children’s Songbook, p. 34

    Heavenly Father’s plan to send Jesus begins in these chapters. Find it ↗

  • Faith Children’s Songbook, p. 96

    Mary trusted God before she knew how everything would happen. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Say Yes Like Mary

When a parent asks for help this week, answer like Mary: “Yes, I’ll do it!” Do the same when you feel a quiet prompting to be kind. Keep count of your yeses. Tell your family which one was the hardest.

Text the parents

Today in Primary we started the New Testament with two “impossible” babies. John was born to old Zacharias and Elisabeth. And Jesus, the Son of God, was born to Mary. We learned Luke 1:37: “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” Your child’s challenge is to say yes like Mary when asked to help. Ask your child what happened to Zacharias’s voice, and when it came back.

📝 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?

🔎 Names of Jesus Hunt · 5 min

  1. Give each pair a verse to look up: Matthew 1:21, Matthew 1:23, Luke 1:32, or Luke 1:35.
  2. Each pair hunts for a name or title of Jesus, like Emmanuel or Son of God. They shout it when they find it.
  3. Explain that Emmanuel means “God with us.” Ask which name is their favorite, and why.

🔍 My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord · 4 min

  1. Look at a tiny word through a magnifying glass or a zoomed-in phone camera. It gets BIG!
  2. Read Luke 1:46: Mary said, “My soul doth magnify the Lord.”
  3. Ask how we can make Heavenly Father big in our lives. Maybe pray first, think about Him often, and thank Him.

⏳ The Waiting Game · 3 min

  1. Open Big Timer for 30 seconds. Everyone sits perfectly still and silent, like Zacharias waiting to talk.
  2. Ask, “Was that easy or hard?” Then say, “Elisabeth and Zacharias waited years for their answer!”
  3. Say, “Waiting doesn’t mean Heavenly Father forgot. It means keep praying and keep being faithful.”

✂️ The Walk-Through Card · 5 min

  1. Practice at home first. Fold an index card the long way. Make cuts about half an inch apart, switching sides each time.
  2. Stop each cut a quarter inch short. Then cut along the fold, except the two end strips. Gently pull it open into a giant ring.
  3. In class, hold up an uncut card. Ask, “Could a whole person fit through this?” Then open your cut card and step through it!
  4. Say, “It looked impossible, but with the right instructions it worked. With God nothing shall be impossible.”

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 Valiant 7–8 lessons