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Seek Ye First

Trumpet show-offs, a plank in the eye, a wolf in wool, and the builder who heard AND did

  • ⭐ Valiant 9–10
  • Week 8
  • 📅 Sunday, February 21, 2027
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

Jesus Christ wants a real heart, not a show: when I put Heavenly Father first and actually do what Jesus taught, my life stands on a rock that storms can’t knock down.

I can seek Heavenly Father’s kingdom first, pray and serve sincerely instead of showing off, and build my life by doing what Jesus teaches.

Study it yourself firstRead Matthew 6–7 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Matthew 6–7)
Know the chapters

Matthew 6–7 finishes the Sermon on the Mount. Chapter 6 is about motives. Give, pray and fast for Heavenly Father, not for an audience. People who blow a trumpet over their good deeds “have their reward.” That’s 6:2. It means the applause is all they get. Jesus gave a pattern for prayer in 6:9–13. Compare Luke 11:1–4, where a disciple asked, “Lord, teach us to pray.” He warned against “vain repetitions” in 6:7. Heavenly Father already knows what we need before we ask, in 6:8. And He still invites us to ask. Then comes treasure in heaven, in 6:19–21. Then the birds and the lilies, in 6:25–30. Then the key verse, 6:33: “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness.”

Chapter 7 is full of word pictures nine- to eleven-year-olds can see in their minds. Picture a person with a beam in their own eye. A beam is a wooden plank. They’re trying to pull a tiny mote, or speck, out of someone else’s eye. That’s 7:3–5. A father would never hand his hungry son a stone instead of bread. So how much more will Heavenly Father give good things? That’s 7:9–11. Then comes the Golden Rule in 7:12, and the strait, or narrow, gate in 7:13–14. False prophets look like sheep but are wolves inside. They’re known by their fruits, in 7:15–20. Jesus isn’t saying never to use judgment. The Joseph Smith Translation of Matthew 7:1–2 reads “Judge not unrighteously… but judge righteous judgment.” He warns against condemning others while ignoring our own faults.

The sermon ends with a warning and a picture. Not everyone who says “Lord, Lord” will enter heaven. Those who do the Father’s will enter, in 7:21. Then come the builders. BOTH heard Jesus’s words, and BOTH houses got the rain, floods and wind. The only difference was that one builder did what He said. That’s 7:24–27. Following Jesus doesn’t stop storms. It keeps us standing through them. Helaman 5:12 teaches the same thing. Build on the rock of our Redeemer, and the devil’s storms will have no power to drag us down. The people were astonished because He taught “as one having authority,” in 7:28–29.

For this age group, the big temptation of Matthew 6 is performance. It’s doing good for likes, looking spiritual in front of friends, or praying words without meaning them. Connect it to real life. Deacons pass the sacrament and collect fast offerings quietly. Young Women and deacons alike set Children and Youth goals that no one else has to see. Heavenly Father “seeth in secret” and rewards openly.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Matthew 6:1–8, Matthew 6:25–34 and Matthew 7:21–29. Play Real or Fake. Tell the story in Teach Mode, stopping for guesses. Race to Matthew 6:33 and learn the motions. Play Rock or Sand. End with each kid choosing one thing from the sermon to DO this week. Brought nothing? Tap “I brought nothing.” You read the verses, and teams whisper their answers.

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 Matthew 6:1–8, 25–34 and Matthew 7:21–29.
  2. Think of one hard time when doing what Jesus taught kept you standing. You’ll share it briefly at the end.

If your class is wild

  • Take guesses only from raised hands. Every guess gets a “Great thinking!”
  • Give your loudest kid the Storm Leader job. Their energy now starts the rain in scene 6, and stops it on your signal.
  • For Real or Fake?, thumbs vote silently. Silent voting keeps it calmer than shouting.
  • In Rock or Sand?, points go to the best “why,” not the fastest hand. It slows the grabbers and rewards the thinkers.
  • Rotate the readers and the scorekeeper so every kid leads something.

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

Real or Fake?

3 min

A quick team vote gets kids into Jesus’s actual words and sets up the difference between knowing and doing.

  1. SAY“Real or fake? Some of these sayings are Jesus’s words in Matthew 6 and 7. Some aren’t in the Bible. Thumbs up for real, thumbs down for fake.”
  2. Read: “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” Real, 7:1. “God helps those who help themselves.” Fake. “Consider the lilies of the field.” Real, 6:28.
  3. SAY“Knowing Jesus’s words is great. But listen for what He says matters even more.”

Class screen: 🤔 Real or fake: are these Jesus’s words? · 👍 Real · 👎 Fake

2. Story

Story: Heard It, Did It

7 min

The end of the Sermon on the Mount shows that Jesus cares about a real heart and real doing. He doesn’t want a show.

  1. SAY“These pictures are from the end of Jesus’s great sermon. I’ll stop so you can guess what He says next.”
  2. Open the story in Teach Mode. At each “Guess!”, take two or three guesses, then read on.
  3. At scene 4, a volunteer reads Matthew 7:21 from their seat. Ask: “If saying ‘Lord, Lord’ isn’t enough, what is?” Doing the Father’s will.
  4. After scene 6, ask: “Both builders heard. Both houses got the storm. What was the only difference?” Then: “Why does that matter when hard times come?”
🌪️ Hold up the rock in scene 5 if you brought one. Pass it to the next reader like a baton.

Class screen: 🏠 Two builders heard. Only one did. · 🤔 Guess! · 🪨 Rock or sand?

3. Scripture

Key Verse: Matthew 6:33

5 min

Jesus’s answer to worry: put Heavenly Father first, and the rest of life fits around Him.

  1. SAY“Here’s Jesus’s answer to worry.”
  2. Teams race to find Matthew 6:31–33. The first team there reads it aloud from their seats.
  3. Ask: “What are ‘all these things’ in verse 33?” The first team to point to the answer scores. It’s what we eat, drink and wear, in verses 31–32.
  4. Teach the motions one phrase at a time. Say it together twice.
  5. Ask: “Why does putting Heavenly Father first make everything else fit better?” Then: “What does seek first look like on a school morning?”

Class screen: 👑 Seek ye first the kingdom of God. · Matthew 6:33

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Scriptures for each team: Bibles, a quad, or Gospel Library on a phone

  1. SAY“Here’s Jesus’s answer to worry.”
  2. Read Matthew 6:31–33 from your own scriptures or Gospel Library.
  3. Ask: “What are ‘all these things’?” Teams whisper, then answer. The first right team scores. It’s what we eat, drink and wear.
  4. Teach the motions one phrase at a time. Say it together twice.
  5. Ask: “Why does putting Heavenly Father first make everything else fit better?” Then: “What does seek first look like on a school morning?”
4. Game

Rock or Sand?

6 min

Teams practice telling hearing-only from hearing-and-doing, and turn sand choices into rock.

  1. SAY“Team Lily versus Team Sparrow! I’ll read a situation. A fist means rock. You heard it and did it. Wiggly fingers mean sand. Show me on three.”
  2. Read: “You memorize the Golden Rule, then cut in line.” Sand. “You feel prompted to text a lonely friend, and you do.” Rock.
  3. Read: “You help your sibling, then brag about it online.” Sand. “You pray with the door shut before a hard test.” Rock.
  4. After each, one team explains why for a point. For every sand, the other team scores by turning it into rock.
  5. Last round: each team makes up one situation for the other team.
🌪️ Everyone shows their hand at the same moment on “three.” No copying, no shouting.

Class screen: 🪨 Rock or sand? Show me on three! · ✊ Rock: heard it and did it · 🖐️ Sand: heard it, didn’t do it

5. Testimony

Hear It, Then Do It

3 min

Each kid picks one teaching to actually do, and the lesson lands on Jesus Christ as the rock.

  1. SAY“Both builders heard. Only one did. So choose one thing from Matthew 6 or 7 that you’ll do this week.”
  2. Show the ideas on the screen. Give ten quiet seconds to choose. A few kids share if they want.
  3. Share a hard time when doing what Jesus taught kept you standing. Testify that Jesus Christ is the Rock, from Helaman 5:12.
  4. Share The Secret Week challenge, then ask a child to say the closing prayer.

Class screen: 🔨 Heard it. Now do it. · A secret prayer, door shut · A secret act of service · Seek first each morning · The Golden Rule with a sibling

6. Game

Forehead Guess: Sermon on the Mount, Part 2

4 minBONUS

A quick Heads Up–style team review of the story and the scriptures.

  1. SAY“Team against team! Give clues, but don’t say the word. Or any word in the hint.”
  2. Tap Forehead Guess. One kid holds your phone or tablet on their forehead, screen facing the class. Their team gives clues from their seats.
  3. Tilt down for “got it,” up to pass. Teams trade after 45 seconds. Most words wins.
🌪️ Pass your phone or tablet hand to hand to the next guesser, never tossed.
▶ Play Forehead Guess on the web

Class screen: 🤔 Forehead Guess: no saying words from the hint!

7. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

A fast team quiz reviews the story and the verses.

  1. SAY“Team Lily versus Team Sparrow!”
  2. Keep the same teams and tap Scripture Showdown. Read each question aloud. Teams get 10 seconds to whisper, then point to an answer.
  3. Tap the team that got it right. Bonus point if they can name the verse.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown!

The story

Heard It, Did It

Matthew 6:1–33; 7:21–29 ↗

Optional helpers

  • Storm LeaderFrom their seat, starts the pitter-patter rain in scene 6 and stops it when you raise your hand.
  • Sound HelperSits next to you and taps each scene’s sound on your phone or tablet.

Scenes

  1. 🎺💰 Toot, toot! Look at my good deed!

    Jesus warned about people who give to the poor like they’re blowing a trumpet. They want everyone to notice. They get applause, and that’s all they get. Jesus said, give so quietly your left hand doesn’t know what your right hand is doing.

    🙌 Finger to your lips: “In secret!”

  2. 🚪🙏 Pray with the door shut

    Some people prayed on street corners to be seen. Some said the same words over and over. Jesus said, go into your room and shut the door. Talk to your Father, who sees in secret. He knows what you need before you ask.

    🙌

  3. 🐦🌸 Consider the birds and the lilies

    Jesus said, look at the birds. Heavenly Father feeds them. Look at the lilies. Not even King Solomon was dressed so beautifully. You matter much more than birds or flowers. So don’t worry. Seek His kingdom first.

    🙌

  4. 🗣️❓ Not everyone who says “Lord, Lord”

    Jesus said not everyone who says “Lord, Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven. Saying the right words isn’t enough. The ones who enter are the ones who actually do what Heavenly Father wants.

    🙌 Guess! If saying “Lord, Lord” isn’t enough, what is?

  5. 🪨🏖️ Two builders both heard the words

    Then Jesus told about two builders. Both heard His words. The wise one did them. He built his house upon a rock. The foolish one built on the sand. It was quicker. And it looked just as nice.

    🙌 Guess! Which house will still be standing?

  6. ⛈️🌊 The rain descended, the floods came

    Then the storm hit both houses. Rain, floods and wind! The house on the rock did not fall. The house on the sand fell, and great was the fall of it. The storm was the same. The builders were not.

    🙌 Pitter-patter rain on your knees, faster… then freeze!

  7. 😲📜 He taught as one having authority

    When Jesus finished, the people were astonished. Other teachers quoted other teachers. But Jesus taught as one having authority. Because He is the Son of God. His words are the rock.

    🙌

Key verse

Matthew 6:33 ↗
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
In kid words: Put Heavenly Father and His ways first, and He will take care of everything else you need.
🙌 “But seek ye first” = hand over eyes, searching, then hold up one finger · “the kingdom of God” = hands form a crown over your head · “and his righteousness” = hands over heart · “and all these things” = sweep arms out wide · “shall be added unto you” = scoop everything in and hug it.

More verses

Matthew 7:21 ↗
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”
In kid words: Just saying you follow Jesus isn’t enough. Doing what Heavenly Father wants is what counts.
Matthew 7:24 ↗
“whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock”
In kid words: Hearing AND doing what Jesus says is building on a rock.
Matthew 6:6 ↗
“when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret”
In kid words: Find a quiet place and talk to Heavenly Father for real, not for an audience.
Matthew 7:12 ↗
“all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them”
In kid words: Treat people the way you want to be treated.

Forehead Guess words19 words

  • 🪙 Alms
  • 🎺 Trumpet
  • 🚪 Secret prayer
  • 🔁 Vain repetitions
  • 🙏 Lord’s Prayer
  • 🍞 Daily bread
  • 💎 Treasures in heaven
  • 🌸 Lilies of the field
  • ⚖️ Two masters
  • 🔬 Mote
  • 🪵 Beam
  • 🚪 Ask, seek, knock
  • 🥇 Golden Rule
  • 🚧 Strait gate
  • 🐺 Wolf in sheep’s clothing
  • 🍇 Fruits
  • 🏠 Wise man
  • 🏖️ Sand
  • 📜 Authority
Clues for each word
  • Alms: Gifts to the poor, given in secret
  • Trumpet: What show-offs sounded over their good deeds
  • Secret prayer: Enter thy closet and shut thy door
  • Vain repetitions: Empty words said over and over
  • Lord’s Prayer: Jesus’s pattern: Our Father which art in heaven
  • Daily bread: What we ask for each day in His pattern
  • Treasures in heaven: Moth and rust can’t touch these
  • Lilies of the field: Dressed better than Solomon
  • Two masters: You can’t serve God and mammon both
  • Mote: Tiny speck in your brother’s eye
  • Beam: Big plank in your own eye
  • Ask, seek, knock: Matthew 7:7’s three-step invitation
  • Golden Rule: Do to others what you’d want done to you
  • Strait gate: Narrow way that leads to life
  • Wolf in sheep’s clothing: False prophet who looks harmless
  • Fruits: How you can know a good tree or a false prophet
  • Wise man: Heard AND did, built on a rock
  • Sand: Where the foolish man built
  • Authority: Why Jesus’s teaching astonished the people
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown10 questions

  1. Jesus said to give alms how?
    • A. With a trumpet
    • B. In secret
    • C. Only on the Sabbath
    Show answer

    ✅ B. In secret Matthew 6:3–4. Heavenly Father sees in secret and rewards openly.

  2. What did Jesus warn against in prayer in Matthew 6:7?
    • A. Kneeling
    • B. Praying at night
    • C. Vain repetitions
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Vain repetitions Empty words said over and over. Real prayer means what it says.

  3. Why does Heavenly Father still want us to pray if He already knows our needs?
    • A. To draw close to Him and receive what He wants to give
    • B. He forgets
    • C. It’s a rule with no reason
    Show answer

    ✅ A. To draw close to Him and receive what He wants to give Matthew 6:8; 7:7–11. Prayer changes us and opens the door to blessings.

  4. Where did Jesus say to lay up treasures?
    • A. In a bank
    • B. In heaven
    • C. In a barn
    Show answer

    ✅ B. In heaven Matthew 6:20–21. Where your treasure is, your heart will be too.

  5. What are “all these things” in Matthew 6:33?
    • A. Riches and fame
    • B. Good grades
    • C. What we eat, drink and wear
    Show answer

    ✅ C. What we eat, drink and wear Matthew 6:31–32. Seek God first, and He cares for the rest.

  6. In Matthew 7:3, what is in your OWN eye?
    • A. A beam
    • B. A mote
    • C. A tear
    Show answer

    ✅ A. A beam A big plank! Fix your own faults before pointing out someone else’s speck.

  7. If a son asks for bread, what would no good father give him?
    • A. A fish
    • B. A stone
    • C. A blessing
    Show answer

    ✅ B. A stone Matthew 7:9–11. How much more will Heavenly Father give good things!

  8. How can we recognize false prophets, according to Jesus?
    • A. By their clothing
    • B. By how loud they are
    • C. By their fruits
    Show answer

    ✅ C. By their fruits Matthew 7:16–20. What a person produces shows what they really are.

  9. What was the ONLY difference between the wise and foolish builders?
    • A. One did what Jesus said
    • B. One heard Jesus
    • C. One avoided the storm
    Show answer

    ✅ A. One did what Jesus said Both heard, and both got the storm (Matthew 7:24–27). Doing made the difference.

  10. Why were the people astonished at the end of the sermon?
    • A. It was very short
    • B. He taught as one having authority
    • C. He sang it
    Show answer

    ✅ B. He taught as one having authority Matthew 7:28–29. He didn’t quote other teachers. He is the Son of God.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • Seek the Lord Early Children’s Songbook, p. 108

    Matthew 6:33 in a song: seek Him first, every day. Find it ↗

  • Did You Think to Pray? Hymns, no. 140

    Pairs with Jesus’s teaching on sincere, secret prayer. Find it ↗

  • The Wise Man and the Foolish Man Children’s Songbook, p. 281

    Still fun at 11, especially if the class leads the actions for the younger kids. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

The Secret Week

Do three things this week that only Heavenly Father will know about. Do one secret act of service. Say one real prayer with the door shut. And fix your own “beam” once before criticizing someone. Each morning, put one “big rock” first before screens. Eleven-year-olds, choose a Children and Youth goal and tell only your parents. Work on it in secret.

Text the parents

This week we heard word pictures from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6–7. There were trumpet show-offs and praying with the door shut. There were the birds and the lilies. And there were two builders who BOTH heard Jesus, but only one did what He said. We learned Matthew 6:33, “seek ye first the kingdom of God.” Then we played Rock or Sand to practice hearing AND doing. Ask your child: what’s the one thing from the sermon you chose to DO this week? How can we help?

📝 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?

💎 Treasure Swap · 4 min

  1. Read Matthew 6:19–21. Teams list five treasures kids want that moth, rust or time could ruin. Think a phone, shoes or a video game account.
  2. The other team answers each with a treasure in heaven that lasts forever. Think a testimony, a family sealed in the temple, or a friend you helped come to Christ.
  3. Ask: “Where is your heart right now? What’s one treasure in heaven you could add to this week?”

🚪 Ask, Seek, Knock Relay · 3 min

  1. Read Matthew 7:7–8. Set up three stations. ASK: whisper a real question to a teammate. SEEK: find a hidden slip. KNOCK: knock three times on the door.
  2. Teams relay through the stations. At the end, ask: “Why three different verbs? What’s the difference between asking, seeking and knocking in prayer?”

🚧 The Narrow Gate · 3 min

  1. Read Matthew 7:13–14. Make a “strait gate” with two chairs a shoulder-width apart, and a “broad way” across the whole room.
  2. Kids take turns going through the narrow gate carefully without touching the chairs.
  3. Ask: “Why is the path to eternal life narrow? What covenants and choices keep us on it?” Baptism, the sacrament, the temple.

🪵 Beam and Mote · 3 min

  1. Read Matthew 7:3–5. Explain that a beam is a big wooden plank and a mote is a tiny speck.
  2. Ask: “What would it look like to try to help someone while a plank sticks out of your own eye?” Let kids describe it.
  3. Ask: “Why does Jesus want us to fix our own faults first? How does that change the way we talk about other people?”

🖐️ Five-Finger Prayer Blueprint · 4 min

  1. Read Matthew 6:9–13. Explain that Jesus gave a pattern, not a script to repeat. See Matthew 6:7.
  2. Teams match each verse to a finger. Thumb ➜ honor Heavenly Father, 9. Pointer ➜ His will, 10. Middle ➜ daily needs, 11. Ring ➜ forgiveness, 12. Pinky ➜ protection, 13.
  3. Remind them that we pray to the Father in the name of Jesus Christ, as 3 Nephi 18:19 teaches. Each kid plans one real sentence per finger for tonight.

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 9–10 lessons