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It Is Written

Satan’s sneakiest two-letter word, a hometown crowd that turned furious, and fishermen who dropped everything

  • ⭐ Valiant 9–11
  • Week 5
  • 📅 Sunday, January 31, 2027
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

Jesus Christ knew who He was and answered every temptation with the scriptures, and when I know God’s word and trust Him, I can resist evil and follow Him straightway.

I can arm myself with scriptures I know, remember I am a child of God, and follow Jesus even when I don’t understand everything yet.

Study it yourself firstRead Matthew 4; Luke 4–5 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Matthew 4; Luke 4–5)
Know the chapters

Right after His baptism, where the Father’s voice declared, “This is my beloved Son” (Matthew 3:17), Jesus went into the wilderness and fasted forty days and nights (Matthew 4:1–2). The Joseph Smith Translation says He went there “to be with God.” Moses (Exodus 34:28) and Elijah (1 Kings 19:8) had also gone forty days without food at sacred times when they met with the Lord. Then Satan came with three temptations: turn stones into bread (appetite), throw yourself off the temple so angels must catch you (pride and showing off), and bow down in exchange for the kingdoms of the world (power and riches). The Joseph Smith Translation clarifies that the Spirit, not the devil, took Jesus to the temple and the mountain.

Notice two things Valiant kids can catch. First, Satan opened two temptations with “If thou be the Son of God,” attacking the very thing the Father had just announced. He still tries to make children of God doubt who they are. Second, in Matthew 4:6 Satan quoted scripture himself (Psalm 91:11–12), twisting it to make a foolish choice sound faithful. Every time, Jesus answered “It is written” with a verse from Deuteronomy (8:3; 6:16; 6:13). Knowing the scriptures well, in context and with the Spirit, is how we see through twisted truth.

In Luke 4:16–30 Jesus went home to Nazareth, stood up in the synagogue, and read Isaiah 61:1–2 about the Anointed One who would preach to the poor, heal the brokenhearted and free captives. Then He sat down and announced, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” The people who had watched Him grow up could not accept it (“Is not this Joseph’s son?”). When He reminded them that Elijah and Elisha had blessed outsiders like the widow of Sarepta and Naaman the Syrian, they were so angry they tried to throw Him off a cliff, but He passed through the midst of them. That is today’s drama. Keep the danger calm and slow; the point is that familiarity can blind people to the truth.

Luke 5:1–11 and Matthew 4:18–22 show the other side: tired fishermen who trusted Him. Peter had caught nothing all night, yet said, “nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.” When the nets broke, Peter fell at Jesus’ knees feeling unworthy, and Jesus answered, “Fear not.” They left everything and followed Him straightway. Next Sunday (February 7) is fast Sunday. Deacons in many wards help collect fast offerings, and your class can plan a purpose for their fast. Children shouldn’t be pushed to fast; parents help them decide how, and a prayer and a purpose are what matter most.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Matthew 4:1–11 and Luke 4:16–30. Start with the “If” guessing hook, let Teach Mode carry the Nazareth drama (a kid reads Isaiah 61:1 from a real Bible; you read Jesus’s words), run the Deuteronomy race with whatever scriptures the kids have on phones or in hand, play Forehead Guess, and end with each kid choosing one “It is written” verse for a temptation they face. Brought nothing? Tap “I brought nothing”: you read the Deuteronomy verses and the teams race to corners instead.

What to bring4 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. Make the three temptation cards (see supplies). On the back of each, lightly write the answer for yourself: 1 = Deuteronomy 8:3, 2 = Deuteronomy 6:16, 3 = Deuteronomy 6:13.
  2. Text a strong reader before Sunday to be the Isaiah Scroll Reader; ask them to bookmark Isaiah 61:1 so they can read it smoothly.
  3. Split the class into two teams for the whole lesson: Team Net and Team Scroll. Keep score with tally marks or the Goal Jar.
  4. Add your kids’ names in the My Class tab so you can hand out roles and pick readers with one tap.
  5. Think of one scripture that has come to your mind when you needed it. You’ll share it briefly at the end.

If your class is wild

  • Nine- to eleven-year-olds love catching adults in trick questions. Lean into the “If” hook and the Satan-quoted-scripture twist; the “gotcha” energy is great fuel.
  • In scene 7 the crowd moves in SLOW MOTION only, with no touching. Practice slow motion for five seconds before the drama; then “Slow-mo!” becomes a calm-down command you can use all lesson.
  • The Deuteronomy race is fierce. Only one kid per team holds the scriptures each round; teammates can help with book and chapter names. Rotate the holder every round.
  • Give leadership jobs to the kids who most need to move: wiggle Command Leader, scorekeeper, Discussion Leader, closing prayer.
  • If a kid seems shaken by talk about Satan, keep it simple: Jesus already won, and He shows us exactly how to win too.

The 25-minute plan25 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 Two-Letter Trap

3 min

Kids discover that Satan’s first move was to make Jesus doubt who He was, and that he tries the same trick on them.

  1. SAY“Satan started two of his three temptations with the exact same two-letter word. Team Net, Team Scroll: you get three guesses each. Whisper, then shout.”
  2. After the guesses, have a kid read Matthew 4:3 aloud. Reveal: the word is “If.” “IF thou be the Son of God…”
  3. SAY“Now look back one chapter.” Another kid reads Matthew 3:17. Ask: “What had Heavenly Father just said about Jesus? So why would Satan open with ‘if’?” (To make Him doubt what God had just declared.)
  4. SAY“Satan still uses ‘if.’ ‘If God really loved you…’ ‘If you were really a child of God…’ Today we’ll learn how Jesus shut that down, and how you can too.”
🌪️ Teams must whisper while they decide and can only shout on your point. Wrong guesses get a dramatic crash from the Sound Board.

Class screen: 🕵️ Satan’s favorite two-letter word. Can you guess it? · Matthew 4:3 · Matthew 3:17

2. Story

Story Drama: The Hometown Crowd

6 min

Acting out Nazareth’s rejection shows that Jesus declared Himself the promised Messiah, and that thinking we already know Him can blind us.

  1. Hand out roles (tap Roles in Teach Mode). Everyone without a part is the Crowd of Nazareth. You read Jesus’s words yourself.
  2. Practice “Slow-mo!” for five seconds before scene 1. Scene 7 is slow motion only, with no touching.
  3. Read each scene and pause for the action. In scene 3 the Isaiah Scroll Reader reads Isaiah 61:1, then you read Luke 4:18–19. Ask: “What’s different, and what’s the same?”
  4. After scene 8, let the silence sit for a moment before the fishing scene.
  5. Ask: “Nazareth and the fishermen both met Jesus up close. Why did one group reject Him and the other leave everything to follow Him?”
🌪️ Make the Doubting Neighbor and the Elders your most dramatic kids. Big frowns and dramatic “Hmph!” moments burn energy safely.

Class screen: 🎭 Nazareth heard the prophecy. Would they believe it? · Luke 4:16–30 · Isaiah 61:1–2

3. Wiggle break

Launch Out into the Deep

2 min

A kid-led reaction game acts out Luke 5 and ends on the word “straightway.”

  1. Hand your phone or tablet to a kid Command Leader. They call commands in any order, faster and faster:
  2. “Launch out!” = row hard · “Let down the nets!” = cast wide · “Nets are breaking!” = haul back, straining · “Boats are sinking!” = bail water fast · “Straightway!” = drop everything and freeze in a line behind the leader.
  3. Trick command: “Keep fishing!” Anyone who moves does three squats and jumps back in. Nobody is out.
  4. Everyone sits. Ask: “Peter had fished all night and caught nothing. Why do you think he obeyed anyway?”

Class screen: 🚣 Launch out into the deep! · Launch out! · Let down the nets! · Nets are breaking! · Straightway!

4. Scripture

It Is Written: The Deuteronomy Race

5 min

Kids memorize Matthew 4:4, then race to find the exact Old Testament verses Jesus used against each temptation.

  1. Teach Matthew 4:4 with the motions. Say it twice together.
  2. SAY“Every time, Jesus answered ‘It is written.’ He was quoting a book He knew by heart. All three answers are in Deuteronomy 6 or 8. Let’s see who can find them.”
  3. Hold up TEMPTATION 1 and read Matthew 4:3. Teams race to find the verse Jesus quoted (Deuteronomy 8:3). First team to read it aloud scores. Repeat with TEMPTATION 2 (Matthew 4:6 ➜ Deuteronomy 6:16) and TEMPTATION 3 (Matthew 4:9 ➜ Deuteronomy 6:13).
  4. Twist: say, “Look closely at Matthew 4:6. Who else quotes scripture?” (Satan! He twisted Psalm 91.) Ask: “How do you beat someone who uses scripture the wrong way?” (Know it well, in context, and listen to the Spirit.)
  5. Ask: “Which temptation is about appetite, which is about showing off, and which is about power? Which one hits kids your age the most?”
🌪️ Only one kid per team holds the scriptures each round; teammates call out help. Rotate the holder so everyone searches once.

Class screen: 🛡️ Find the verse Jesus used against each temptation! · Temptation 1 · Matthew 4:3 · Temptation 2 · Matthew 4:6 · Temptation 3 · Matthew 4:9 · Hint: Deuteronomy 6 or 8

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Scriptures for readers: Bibles, a quad, or the Gospel Library app on a phone (one per team, more if you have them), Three index cards or paper slips labeled TEMPTATION 1 (Matthew 4:3), TEMPTATION 2 (Matthew 4:6), TEMPTATION 3 (Matthew 4:9)

It Is Written: Corner Match

  1. Teach Matthew 4:4 with the motions. Say it twice together.
  2. Name three corners of the room: 1 = stones to bread, 2 = jump from the temple, 3 = bow down for the kingdoms. Briefly tell each temptation from Matthew 4:3, 6 and 9.
  3. From your own scriptures or Gospel Library, read Deuteronomy 6:13, then 8:3, then 6:16 (out of order). After each, teams race to the corner of the temptation it answers. First team there scores.
  4. Twist: read Matthew 4:6 and ask, “Who else quotes scripture here?” (Satan, twisting Psalm 91.) Ask: “How do you beat someone who uses scripture the wrong way?”
  5. Ask: “Appetite, showing off, power: which one hits kids your age the most?”

Class screen: 🛡️ Which temptation does this verse answer? Run to it! · 1 · Stones to bread · 2 · Jump from the temple · 3 · Bow down for the kingdoms

5. Game

Forehead Guess: Wilderness to Galilee

3 min

A fast team review of the places, people and big words from Matthew 4 and Luke 4–5.

  1. Tap Forehead Guess. The Isaiah Scroll Reader goes first: device on the forehead, screen facing the class.
  2. Valiant rules: clue-givers can’t say the word OR any word in the hint under it.
  3. Team Net and Team Scroll alternate 45-second turns. The scorekeeper adds correct guesses to the lesson score.
  4. Bonus point if the guesser can name the chapter where the word appears.
  5. No phone or tablet? Play Twenty Questions: secretly pick a word from the list; teams take turns asking yes-or-no questions.
🌪️ Keep turns short and snappy; the fastest guesser on each team becomes the next clue-giver, not the next guesser.
▶ Play Forehead Guess on the web

Class screen: 🤔 Forehead Guess: Wilderness to Galilee · No saying words from the hint!

6. Talk it over

Talk It Over

4 min

Deeper why-questions connect Jesus’s wilderness victory and the fishermen’s choice to a nine- to eleven-year-old’s real week.

  1. Sit in a circle. A kid Discussion Leader reads each question from your phone or tablet and picks who answers.
  2. Keep answers short so more voices get in, and share one honest answer of your own.
💬 Ask the class
  • Satan opened with “If thou be the Son of God.” How does he try to make kids doubt they are children of God today? What could you answer?
  • Jesus fasted forty days before His ministry, and Moses and Elijah also went forty days without food when they met with the Lord. Why do you think fasting helps us get ready for hard things?
  • Nazareth rejected Jesus partly because they thought they already knew Him. How can “I already know that” keep us from learning at church?
  • Peter said “nevertheless at thy word” after a whole night of failure. When is it hard to obey something before it makes sense?
  • Peter felt unworthy, and Jesus said “Fear not.” What does that teach you about how Jesus sees you after a mistake?

Class screen: 💬 Talk it over

7. Testimony

Choose Your Shield Verse

2 min

Each child leaves with one scripture ready for a specific temptation, and a plan for fast Sunday.

  1. Lower your voice and wait for real quiet. Say: “Jesus didn’t search for verses in the moment. He already knew them. Pick ONE verse from today you want ready.”
  2. Each kid silently picks a verse (Matthew 4:4, Luke 5:5, Luke 5:10 or one they love) and thinks of the temptation it could answer.
  3. Share the scripture that came to your mind when you needed it, and testify that the Holy Ghost can bring the words they learn back to them.
  4. SAY“Next Sunday is fast Sunday. Deacons may help gather fast offerings that feed people in need. Choose a purpose for your fast this week.” Introduce the challenge and ask a kid to pray.

Class screen: 🕊️ It is written. Pick your shield verse. · Matthew 4:4 · Luke 5:5 · Luke 5:10

8. Game

Nets So Full They Broke

4 minBONUS

A frantic team catch shows how Jesus turned Peter’s empty night into overflowing nets when Peter obeyed.

  1. Scatter the paper fish across the floor. Two kids hold the net (the blanket) low between them.
  2. Round 1, “Fishing all night”: set a 20-second timer, but the fish-catchers must keep their eyes closed. Count the catch (almost none).
  3. Round 2, “At thy word”: eyes open, everyone races to toss fish into the net for 30 seconds. The net-holders shout “It’s breaking!” and call their partners (the other team) to help.
  4. Read Luke 5:6–8. Ask: “Why did Peter fall down and say ‘Depart from me’ after such a huge blessing?” (He felt unworthy next to the Lord’s power.) Then read verse 10: “Fear not.”
🌪️ Fish are tossed underhand into the net only, never at people. A thrower who aims at a person becomes a net-holder.

Class screen: 🐟 Empty all night. Full at His word. · Luke 5:4–11

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A blanket, bedsheet or tablecloth (the net) and 20–30 sheets of scrap paper crumpled into balls (the fish)

Human Net

  1. The whole class links arms in a curved line: they are the net. You and one volunteer are the “fish” wandering the room.
  2. Round 1, “Fishing all night”: the net must keep eyes closed and try to circle the fish. (Almost impossible.)
  3. Round 2, “At thy word”: eyes open, the net sweeps across the room and traps every fish, then “breaks” by letting go with a big groan.
  4. Read Luke 5:6–8 and 10. Ask: “Why did Peter feel unworthy, and why did Jesus say ‘Fear not’?”
9. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

A tough team quiz reviews the temptations, Nazareth and the call of the fishermen.

  1. Keep the same teams: Team Net and Team Scroll. Tap Scripture Showdown.
  2. Read each question aloud. Teams get 10 seconds to whisper, then point to an answer.
  3. Bonus point if the winning team can name the verse.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown: Team Net vs. Team Scroll!

Story drama

The Hometown Crowd

Luke 4:14–32; 5:1–11; Isaiah 61:1–2 ↗

Parts to hand out

  • Synagogue AttendantCarries the Isaiah scroll carefully to the front, hands it over, then takes it back and puts it away.
  • Isaiah Scroll ReaderReads Isaiah 61:1 from a real Bible to show where the words came from.
  • Doubting NeighborSquints, points and mutters, “Is not this Joseph’s son?”
  • Synagogue EldersSit on the front bench, nod at first, then frown and cross their arms.
  • Crowd of NazarethEveryone else: whisper the news, lean in, murmur, rise up in slow motion, then freeze and part down the middle.

Scenes

  1. 🏜️➡️🌿 Back from the wilderness, full of power

    Jesus had fasted forty days in the wilderness and turned down every one of Satan’s offers. Now He came back to Galilee in the power of the Spirit. News about Him spread from village to village, and people everywhere were talking about the new Teacher.

    🎬 The Crowd passes a whisper around the room: “Have you heard about Jesus?” Each person adds one word of excitement.

  2. 🕍 Sabbath day in Nazareth, His hometown

    Then Jesus went home to Nazareth, the small town where He grew up. On the Sabbath He went to the synagogue, the meeting house for scripture and prayer, just as He always did. He stood up to read, and He was handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah.

    🎬 The Elders take the front bench. The Synagogue Attendant carries the scroll slowly and carefully to the front of the room.

  3. 📜 Words Isaiah wrote centuries earlier

    Jesus unrolled the scroll and found a prophecy Isaiah wrote centuries before, about the Anointed One God would send. Listen to Isaiah’s original words first. Then hear what Jesus read aloud that day.

    🎬 The Isaiah Scroll Reader reads Isaiah 61:1 from a Bible. Then the teacher reads Luke 4:18–19. Everyone leans in.

  4. 👀 “This day is this scripture fulfilled”

    He rolled up the scroll, handed it back, and sat down, the way teachers did. Every eye in the room was locked on Him. Then He told them that this very prophecy was coming true that day, right in front of them. He was saying: I am the One Isaiah wrote about.

    🎬 The Attendant takes the scroll back. Everyone stares at the front, perfectly still, for five full seconds.

  5. 🤨 “Is not this Joseph’s son?”

    At first the people were amazed at His gracious words. Then they asked, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” Imagine the whispers: Isn’t this just Joseph’s boy? We watched Him grow up! How could He be the Messiah?

    🎬 The Doubting Neighbor says the line. The Crowd shrugs, whispers and looks around suspiciously.

  6. 🌍 A widow and a Syrian soldier

    Jesus knew they wanted Him to prove Himself with miracles. He reminded them that prophets are rarely accepted in their own hometown, and that Elijah was sent to help a widow outside Israel, and Elisha healed Naaman, a Syrian. God’s love was never meant for just one town.

    🎬 The Elders cross their arms. The whole Crowd turns their backs and says together, “Hmph!”

  7. 😠⛰️ Filled with wrath, they head for the cliff

    That made them furious. They rose up, pushed Him out of town, and led Him to the edge of the hill their city was built on. They meant to throw Him off.

    🎬 SLOW MOTION ONLY: the Crowd rises and creeps toward one wall with angry faces. No touching anyone.

  8. 🚶 He passed right through the middle

    But Jesus passed right through the middle of the angry crowd and went on His way. Luke doesn’t tell us how, but no one could stop Him; His work was only beginning.

    🎬 The Crowd freezes, then splits into two walls, leaving an empty path down the middle. Silence for three seconds.

  9. 🎣 Meanwhile, fishermen say yes straightway

    In Capernaum people were astonished, because His words had power. By the Sea of Galilee, Jesus told Simon Peter, who had fished all night and caught nothing, to try again in deep water. Peter obeyed, the nets broke with fish, and Jesus called, “Follow me.” Peter, Andrew, James and John left everything and followed Him.

    🎬 Everyone casts an invisible net, hauls it in, straining hard, then drops it and takes one big step forward together.

Key verse

Matthew 4:4 ↗
“It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
In kid words: The scriptures say it: food keeps your body alive, but you need every word God speaks to truly live.
🙌 “It is written” = open hands like a book · “Man shall not live by bread alone” = hold up an invisible loaf and shake your head · “but by every word” = sweep a finger across the page · “that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” = touch your lips, then point up.

More verses

Deuteronomy 8:3 ↗
“man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.”
In kid words: Moses taught this to Israel after forty years of manna. Jesus quoted it to Satan.
Luke 4:18 ↗
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted”
In kid words: Jesus read Isaiah’s prophecy and told the people it was about Him. He came to lift and heal people.
Luke 5:5 ↗
“Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.”
In kid words: Peter was tired and it didn’t make sense, but he obeyed anyway.
Luke 5:10 ↗
“Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.”
In kid words: Don’t be afraid. From now on you’ll help bring people to God.

Forehead Guess words19 words

  • 🏜️ Wilderness
  • 📆 Forty days
  • 🍽️ Fasting
  • 🐍 Tempter
  • 🏛️ Pinnacle of the temple
  • 📖 It is written
  • 📘 Deuteronomy
  • 🏘️ Nazareth
  • 🕍 Synagogue
  • 📜 Scroll of Isaiah
  • 🪚 Joseph’s son
  • ⛰️ Brow of the hill
  • 🪖 Naaman
  • 🏙️ Capernaum
  • 🌊 Sea of Galilee
  • 🎣 Fishers of men
  • ⚡ Straightway
  • 👨‍👦‍👦 Zebedee
  • 🤲 Fast offering
Clues for each word
  • Wilderness: Where Jesus went to be with God and fast
  • Forty days: How long Jesus, Moses and Elijah fasted
  • Fasting: Going without food to draw closer to God
  • Tempter: Another name for Satan in Matthew 4:3
  • Pinnacle of the temple: Satan said jump from here and angels would catch Him
  • It is written: Jesus’s three-word answer every time
  • Deuteronomy: The Old Testament book Jesus quoted to Satan
  • Nazareth: Jesus’s hometown that tried to throw Him off a hill
  • Synagogue: Jewish meeting house for scripture and prayer
  • Scroll of Isaiah: What the attendant handed Jesus to read
  • Joseph’s son: What the doubters called Jesus in Luke 4:22
  • Brow of the hill: Where the angry crowd led Him
  • Naaman: Syrian captain Elisha healed, mentioned in Nazareth
  • Capernaum: Town by the sea where His word had power
  • Sea of Galilee: Lake where Peter fished all night
  • Fishers of men: What Jesus promised to make Peter and Andrew
  • Straightway: How fast they left their nets
  • Zebedee: Father James and John left in the boat
  • Fast offering: Money given to help the needy, often gathered by deacons
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown10 questions

  1. How long did Jesus fast in the wilderness?
    • A. Forty days and nights
    • B. Seven days
    • C. Three days
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Forty days and nights Matthew 4:2. Moses and Elijah also went forty days without food when they met with the Lord.

  2. Which book did Jesus quote all three times to answer Satan?
    • A. Psalms
    • B. Deuteronomy
    • C. Isaiah
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Deuteronomy Deuteronomy 8:3; 6:16; 6:13. He knew the scriptures by heart.

  3. Which two-letter word did Satan use to attack Jesus’s identity?
    • A. No
    • B. Go
    • C. If
    Show answer

    ✅ C. If “If thou be the Son of God,” right after the Father declared Him His beloved Son.

  4. What sneaky thing did Satan do in Matthew 4:6?
    • A. Offered Him gold
    • B. Quoted scripture out of context
    • C. Pretended to be an angel
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Quoted scripture out of context He twisted Psalm 91. Knowing scripture well helps us spot twisted truth.

  5. Whose prophecy did Jesus read aloud in the Nazareth synagogue?
    • A. Jeremiah
    • B. Malachi
    • C. Isaiah
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Isaiah Luke 4:17–19 reads Isaiah 61:1–2. Luke spells his name “Esaias.”

  6. After reading, Jesus said, “This day is this scripture…”
    • A. fulfilled in your ears
    • B. written on your hearts
    • C. hidden from your eyes
    Show answer

    ✅ A. fulfilled in your ears Luke 4:21. He was declaring that He is the promised Messiah.

  7. Why did Nazareth struggle to believe Him?
    • A. He couldn’t read well
    • B. He was a stranger
    • C. They thought they already knew Him
    Show answer

    ✅ C. They thought they already knew Him “Is not this Joseph’s son?” (Luke 4:22). Familiarity blinded them.

  8. Peter had caught nothing all night. What did he say?
    • A. “Let us go home”
    • B. “Nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net”
    • C. “Find another fisherman”
    Show answer

    ✅ B. “Nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net” Luke 5:5. He obeyed before it made sense, and the nets broke with fish.

  9. What did Jesus tell Peter when Peter felt like a sinful man?
    • A. “Fear not”
    • B. “Go away”
    • C. “Try harder”
    Show answer

    ✅ A. “Fear not” Luke 5:10. Then He promised Peter would catch men.

  10. In Matthew 4:20, “straightway” means…
    • A. slowly
    • B. in a straight line
    • C. right away
    Show answer

    ✅ C. right away They didn’t wait. They left their nets immediately and followed Him.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • Called to Serve Children’s Songbook, p. 174

    The fishermen were called to be fishers of men, and so are future missionaries in this class. Find it ↗

  • Search, Ponder, and Pray Children’s Songbook, p. 109

    Jesus knew the scriptures so well He could answer Satan instantly. This is how we get there. Find it ↗

  • Choose the Right Hymns, no. 239

    A strong hymn for the moment after choosing your shield verse. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Shield Verse and a Fast with a Purpose

Memorize your shield verse this week and say it every time you feel tempted. Then, with your parents’ help, choose a purpose for fast Sunday (someone to pray for, a question, or strength against a temptation) and write it down. Eleven-year-olds: ask a deacon or your bishop how fast offerings help people in your ward.

Text the parents

This week we learned that Jesus answered every one of Satan’s temptations with “It is written,” quoting Deuteronomy, and that Satan even twisted scripture himself (Matthew 4:1–11). We acted out Jesus reading Isaiah in Nazareth and the fishermen leaving their nets straightway (Luke 4–5). Ask your child: which verse did you choose as your shield, and what purpose could our family fast for next Sunday?

📝 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?

📜 The Hometown Scroll · 4 min

  1. Put Isaiah 61:1 and Luke 4:18 side by side (two readers, two Bibles or phones).
  2. Teams list every promise in the verses: good tidings to the meek, healing the brokenhearted, freedom for captives, sight for the blind.
  3. For each promise, teams name a story where Jesus actually did it (the blind, the sick, people trapped by sin).
  4. Ask: “Which of these promises do you need most right now?”

📺 Satan’s Sales Pitch · 4 min

  1. Teams write a 20-second “commercial” for a modern temptation (sneaking screen time, cheating on a test, joining in on mean jokes), exaggerating how great it looks.
  2. After each pitch, the other team fires back with “It is written” plus a scripture or gospel truth.
  3. Ask: “What does Satan always leave out of his commercials?” (The cost, and who you really are.)

⚡ Follow Me, Straightway · 3 min

  1. Read Matthew 4:18–22. Ask each kid to name something they’d find hard to leave behind to follow Jesus (a game, a friend group, a habit).
  2. Ask: “What is one prompting you’ve been putting off? What would ‘straightway’ look like?”
  3. Let kids choose one small thing to do straightway 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 9–11 lessons