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The Little Town with the Big Promise

Micah names Jesus’s birthplace 700 years early, the wise men follow a star, and we pass the gift the Lord wants most

  • 💧 Valiant 7–8
  • Week 49
  • 📅 Sunday, December 6, 2026
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

God always keeps His promises: Micah said the Savior would be born in little Bethlehem, and He was. The gift I can give back is to do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God.

I can give Jesus a gift this Christmas by doing what’s right, being kind and forgiving, and staying close to Heavenly Father.

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

Micah came from a small country town in Judah. He prophesied at the same time as Isaiah, about 700 years before Jesus was born. Israel’s leaders were greedy and unfair. Many people went through the motions of worship without really loving God. Micah warned them, but he also looked ahead to happy promises. In the last days, “the mountain of the house of the LORD” would stand above the hills. That means a temple. People from many nations would come to learn God’s ways. They’d “beat their swords into plowshares,” in Micah 4:1–3. Isaiah recorded almost the same prophecy, in Isaiah 2:2–4.

For eight-year-olds, the star of the week is Micah 5:2. Micah named the exact town where the promised Ruler would be born. It was Bethlehem, a village so small it was “little among the thousands of Judah.” He also said this Ruler’s “goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” That’s a hint that Jesus lived with Heavenly Father long before He was born. Seven hundred years later, wise men asked King Herod where the new King was. Herod’s chief priests and scribes answered by reading Micah’s prophecy, in Matthew 2:1–6. The Nativity was no accident. Heavenly Father planned it, told His prophets, and kept His word.

Micah 6:6–8 is the heart of the book and a perfect Christmas question. Micah asks what gift he should bring the Lord. Young calves? Thousands of rams? Rivers of oil? The answer is “to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.” The Lord “delighteth in mercy.” He’ll “cast all their sins into the depths of the sea,” in Micah 7:18–19. That’s exactly what Jesus came to Bethlehem to do. When children are fair, kind and forgiving, and stay close to God in prayer, they give Him the gift He wants most. And they keep the promises they made at baptism.

The three shorter books each get a moment. Nahum foretold the fall of Nineveh, the city Jonah once preached to, which had turned back to cruelty. Yet he wrote, “The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble,” in Nahum 1:7. Habakkuk asked God hard questions and learned to wait for His timing, in Habakkuk 2:3. He decided that even if the crops failed, “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD,” in 3:17–18. Zephaniah promised that the Lord “will joy over thee with singing,” in Zephaniah 3:17. Heavenly Father isn’t a distant, grumpy judge. He’s safe, patient and glad about His children.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Micah 5:2, Micah 6:6–8 and Matthew 2:1–11. Grab any small box or object to be the present. Tell the Bethlehem story from Teach Mode. Say Micah 6:8 with motions, play Pass the Present, and close with a quiet testimony. Brought nothing? Tap “I brought nothing.” The present becomes invisible.

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 Micah 5:2, Micah 6:6–8 and Matthew 2:1–11.
  2. Put the present by your chair. You don’t need to wrap it.

If your class is wild

  • Pointing at the screen pulls every eye to the front. Use it anytime you lose the room.
  • Make your wiggliest kid the Star Leader. They get to shine the star at just the right time.
  • In the hook, everyone points from their seat. Walking to the walls turns into a race.
  • In Pass the Present, hand it along, never toss it. When the music stops, only the person holding it talks.
  • At scene 7, drop your voice to a whisper. Kids almost always match your volume.

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

Where Will the King Be Born?

3 min

A point-and-vote mystery gets them wondering from the first minute.

  1. SAY“The greatest King ever is about to be born. Where? That wall is Jerusalem, with a palace. This one is Rome, the biggest city. That one is tiny Bethlehem.”
  2. Everyone points from their seat to their pick. Ask one kid for each town why they picked it.
  3. SAY“A prophet named Micah wrote the answer seven hundred years before it happened. Let’s find out who guessed right!”
🌪️ Point, don’t walk. Everyone keeps their pick secret until you say, “Point!”

Class screen: 🗺️ Where will the greatest King be born? · 🏰 Jerusalem · 🏛️ Rome · 🏘️ Bethlehem

2. Story

Story: The Little Town with the Big Promise

7 min

Micah’s prophecy and the wise men’s journey show God keeping His word, right on time.

  1. SAY“This is a true story from the Bible. It starts seven hundred years early! Keep your eyes on the pictures.”
  2. Open the story in Teach Mode. When the screen says “Find” or “Show me,” let kids point before you read on.
  3. At scene 3, ask who guessed Bethlehem, and cheer for them. Say, “Micah was right, because God keeps His promises.”
  4. After scene 7, ask, “What gift do you think Jesus would love from you?”
🌪️ If the room drifts, ask everyone to point to something on the screen. Then read on.

Class screen: ⭐ The Little Town with the Big Promise · 👀 Look closely! · ⭐ Find the star!

3. Scripture

Key Verse: Micah 6:8

4 min

Motions help kids remember the three gifts the Lord wants most.

  1. SAY“Micah asked what gift the Lord wants. Thousands of sheep? Rivers of oil? Here’s the answer.”
  2. Show the verse on your phone or tablet and read it slowly.
  3. SAY“‘Do justly’ means be fair. ‘Love mercy’ means love being kind and forgiving. ‘Walk humbly’ means stay close to God.”
  4. Teach the motions one phrase at a time. Say it twice, once in a tiny mouse voice and once in a big King voice.
  5. Ask, “What’s one way you can be fair?” Take one quick answer. Then ask about loving mercy, then walking humbly.

Class screen: 🎁 The gift the Lord wants most · Do justly ⚖️ · Love mercy 💗 · Walk humbly with God 🙏

4. Game

Pass the Present

7 min

A Christmas party game turns Micah 6:8 into real choices they’ll face this week.

  1. SAY“This present is full of Micah six eight moments. When the music stops, you get one!”
  2. Sit in a circle and tap Hot Potato.
  3. Pass the present hand to hand while the music plays. When it buzzes, read the holder a moment from the screen.
  4. The holder says what they’d do. The class decides which part of Micah 6:8 it is and shows that motion.
  5. After five or six rounds, everyone points to themselves. Say, “The best gift for Jesus is YOU following Him!”
🌪️ Hand it along, never toss it. Land on it twice? Pick a friend who hasn’t had a turn.
🥔 Hot Potato (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🎁 Pass the present! What would you do? · You find $5 on the playground · Your little brother knocks over your LEGO tower · You win the game · Someone is alone at recess · Name one thing to thank Heavenly Father for tonight · Show how you get ready to pray

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A small box or any small object to pass around (the present)

Pass the Invisible Present

  1. SAY“This invisible present is full of Micah six eight moments. When the music stops, you get one!”
  2. Hold out a pretend box and tap Hot Potato.
  3. Pass the invisible present hand to hand while the music plays. When it buzzes, read the holder a moment from the screen.
  4. The holder says what they’d do. The class decides which part of Micah 6:8 it is and shows that motion.
  5. After five or six rounds, the holder peeks inside. Everyone points to themselves. Say, “It’s YOU following Jesus!”

Class screen: 🎁 Pass the invisible present! What would you do? · You find $5 on the playground · Your little brother knocks over your LEGO tower · You win the game · Someone is alone at recess · Name one thing to thank Heavenly Father for tonight · Show how you get ready to pray

5. Testimony

Testimony & Star Gift Chart

3 min

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

  1. SAY“Let’s be as still as the night the star shone.”
  2. Shine the flashlight softly on the ceiling. Or everyone makes a tiny star with their fingers.
  3. Briefly share how you know Jesus was born in Bethlehem, just as Micah promised. Or share a promise God kept to you.
  4. Show the Star Gift Chart challenge on the screen.
  5. Invite a child to say the closing prayer.

Class screen: ⭐ This week: give Jesus a secret gift every day! · Do justly ⚖️ · Love mercy 💗 · Walk humbly 🙏

6. Game

Forehead Guess: Bethlehem Edition

4 minBONUS

A quick Heads Up–style review of every person, place and promise 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 Star versus Team Scroll!”
  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

The Little Town with the Big Promise

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

Optional helpers

  • Star LeaderTwinkles their fingers up high when the star shows up on the screen.
  • Sound HelperSits next to you and taps each scene’s sound on your phone or tablet.

Scenes

  1. 🧔📜 Micah writes a big promise

    About seven hundred years before Jesus was born, the Lord showed the prophet Micah a secret. The promised King would come from Bethlehem. It was a town so little that hardly anyone noticed it. Micah wrote it down.

    🙌

  2. ⏳👵 Waiting… and waiting… and waiting

    People copied Micah’s words onto scrolls and kept them safe. Children grew up and became grandparents. Then their grandchildren grew up too. For seven hundred years, God’s people waited for the promised King.

    🙌 Show me with fingers: how many hundreds of years did they wait?

  3. 👩🧔‍♂️👶 Jesus is born in Bethlehem!

    Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem to be counted, because Joseph came from King David’s family. There was no room in the inn. Baby Jesus was born and laid in a manger. In Bethlehem, exactly where Micah said!

    🙌

  4. 🔭⭐ A new star in the East

    Far away in the East, wise men saw a brand-new star. They knew it meant a great King had been born. They packed precious gifts and set out on a long, long journey to find Him.

    🙌 Find the star on the screen. Twinkle your fingers up high!

  5. 🏰👑 Knock, knock, King Herod!

    The wise men went to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east.” King Herod was troubled. He did not want another king!

    🙌

  6. 📜🔍 “What did the prophet say?”

    Herod called the chief priests and scribes. They knew the scriptures. They unrolled the old scroll and read Micah’s words. The answer had been written seven hundred years before. Bethlehem!

    🙌

  7. ⭐🏠🎁 The star leads to Jesus

    The wise men followed the star to the house where young Jesus was. They knelt and gave Him gold, frankincense and myrrh. What gift can we give? Micah said: do what’s right, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.

    🙌 Find the gift on the screen. What gift can you give Jesus?

Key verse

Micah 6:8 ↗
“what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God”
In kid words: The Lord wants you to do what’s right, to love being kind and forgiving, and to walk close to Him.
🙌 “What doth the LORD require of thee” = shrug with palms up, then point to yourself · “to do justly” = hold both hands out flat like balanced scales · “and to love mercy” = give yourself a big hug · “and to walk humbly” = walk in place with your head gently bowed · “with thy God” = point up and smile

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 may be small, but the King of Israel will be born in you.
Micah 7:18–19 ↗
“he delighteth in mercy … thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea”
In kid words: God loves to forgive. When we repent, He throws our sins to the bottom of the ocean.
Nahum 1:7 ↗
“The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him”
In kid words: The Lord is good. He is like a strong castle when trouble comes, and He knows everyone who trusts Him.
Zephaniah 3:17 ↗
“he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing”
In kid words: The Lord is so glad about you, it’s like He sings for joy!

Forehead Guess words18 words

  • 🧔 Micah
  • 🏘️ Bethlehem
  • ⭐ Star
  • 🔭 Wise Men
  • 👑 King Herod
  • 📜 Scroll
  • 👩 Mary
  • 🪚 Joseph
  • 🌾 Manger
  • 🎁 Gifts
  • 🐑 Sheep
  • 🏰 Castle
  • 🌊 Ocean
  • 🌳 Fig Tree
  • 🗡️ Sword
  • ⛰️ Mountain
  • 🎶 Singing
  • 💗 Mercy
Clues for each word
  • Micah: Prophet who said Jesus would be born in Bethlehem
  • Bethlehem: The little town where Jesus was born
  • Star: It led the wise men to Jesus
  • Wise Men: Came from the East to find the new King
  • King Herod: Grumpy king who didn’t want another king
  • Scroll: Rolled-up paper where prophets wrote God’s words
  • Mary: Jesus’s mother
  • Joseph: The carpenter who took care of Mary and Jesus
  • Manger: Baby Jesus’s first bed, full of hay
  • Gifts: Gold, frankincense and myrrh
  • Sheep: Shepherds watched them near Bethlehem
  • Castle: Nahum said the Lord is a strong one when trouble comes
  • Ocean: Micah said God throws our sins to the bottom of it
  • Fig Tree: Habakkuk said even if it had no fruit, he’d still rejoice
  • Sword: Micah said people would turn these into farm tools
  • Mountain: Micah said the Lord’s house would stand on top of it
  • Singing: Zephaniah said the Lord rejoices over you with this
  • Mercy: Being kind and forgiving, even when it’s hard
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown8 questions

  1. Which prophet said Jesus would be born in Bethlehem?
    • A. Micah
    • B. Noah
    • C. Jonah
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Micah Micah wrote it down about 700 years before Jesus was born!

  2. Micah said Bethlehem was…
    • A. Huge and fancy
    • B. Little
    • C. Under the sea
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Little Bethlehem was a small village, but Heavenly Father chose it for the greatest birth ever.

  3. About how many years early did Micah tell about it?
    • A. 7
    • B. 70
    • C. 700
    Show answer

    ✅ C. 700 Seven hundred years! Prophets can see what God shows them.

  4. Who asked the scribes where the new King would be born?
    • A. King David
    • B. King Herod
    • C. King Cyrus
    Show answer

    ✅ B. King Herod The scribes answered Herod by reading Micah’s prophecy (Matthew 2:4–6).

  5. What led the wise men to young Jesus?
    • A. A star
    • B. A map
    • C. A rainbow
    Show answer

    ✅ A. A star The star went before them until it stood over the place where young Jesus was (Matthew 2:9–11).

  6. Micah 6:8 says to do justly, love mercy, and…
    • A. win every game
    • B. eat your vegetables
    • C. walk humbly with God
    Show answer

    ✅ C. walk humbly with God Doing what’s right, being kind and forgiving, and staying close to God: the gift He wants most.

  7. Where did Micah say God throws the sins we repent of?
    • A. Under the bed
    • B. Into the depths of the sea
    • C. Into the attic
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Into the depths of the sea Micah 7:19. When we repent, Jesus takes our sins away for good.

  8. Nahum said the Lord is a strong hold in the day of…
    • A. trouble
    • B. birthdays
    • C. vacation
    Show answer

    ✅ A. trouble Nahum 1:7. Like a strong castle, the Lord keeps us safe when life is hard.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • O Little Town of Bethlehem Hymns, no. 208

    Sing it right after the story. It’s all about the little town from Micah 5:2. Find it ↗

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

    Another prophet, Samuel the Lamanite, also told about Jesus’s birth before it happened (Helaman 14). Find it ↗

  • Kindness Begins with Me Children’s Songbook, p. 145

    An easy way to “love mercy” (Micah 6:8) every single day. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Star Gift Chart

Draw 7 stars on a piece of paper. Each day this week, give Jesus a secret gift from Micah 6:8. Do something fair, forgive or help someone, or say a real, from-the-heart prayer. Color in a star for every gift.

Text the parents

Today in Primary we learned that the prophet Micah named little Bethlehem as the Savior’s birthplace. He wrote it about 700 years before it happened, in Micah 5:2. We heard how the wise men followed the star to find Him. We also learned the gift the Lord wants most. It’s “to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.” Ask your child what secret gift they gave Jesus 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?

🗡️ Swords into Plowshares · 4 min

  1. Give each child a sheet of aluminum foil. Everyone squishes it into a little sword.
  2. Read Micah 4:3: “they shall beat their swords into plowshares.” A plowshare is the blade of a plow that digs rows.
  3. Now everyone reshapes their sword into a plow, a shovel or a watering can.
  4. Say, “Micah said when people learn the Lord’s ways, they stop fighting.”
  5. Ask, “How can you turn an argument into peace this week?”

🌳 Yet I Will Rejoice · 3 min

  1. Read Habakkuk 3:17–18. Even with no fruit and no food, Habakkuk said, “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD.”
  2. Read a bad day, like rain on your birthday. Kids jump up, shout “Yet I will rejoice!” and name a blessing.
  3. Say, “We can still have joy on hard days, because Jesus is with us.”

⏳ Wait for It! · 3 min

  1. Read Habakkuk 2:3: “though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come.”
  2. Everyone holds a funny frozen pose for about 20 seconds. Ask, “Is it hard to wait for Christmas?”
  3. Say, “God’s people waited seven hundred years for Jesus. And He came! God’s promises come true in His time.”

⛰️ The Mountain of the Lord’s House · 3 min

  1. Stack some books into a mountain. Set a picture of a temple on top.
  2. Read Micah 4:2: “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways.”
  3. Kids take turns walking their fingers up the mountain. Each names a reason they love the temple.

🌊 The Oops That Floated Away · 4 min

  1. Test it at home first. Draw a small sad face on a smooth white plate with a fresh dry-erase marker. Let it dry for 10 seconds.
  2. In class, say, “Let’s pretend this face is a mistake.” Read Micah 7:18–19.
  3. Slowly pour a little water at the edge of the plate. The face lifts and floats! Swirl the water and it breaks apart.
  4. Say, “When we repent, Jesus lifts our mistakes away. That’s what He came to Bethlehem to do.”
  5. Ask, “Who could you forgive this week?”

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