Gospel Sparks Join the beta

Come and See

The Light no darkness can beat, the Lamb of God, and a skeptic named Nathanael

  • 🧭 Youth 11–14
  • Week 3
  • 📅 Sunday, January 17, 2027
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

Jesus Christ is the Light that darkness can’t overcome, and the best way to help a friend find Him is the way Andrew and Philip did it: a simple, honest “come and see.”

I can follow the Light of Jesus Christ and invite a friend to come and see, without pressure and without preaching.

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

John’s Gospel starts before Bethlehem: “In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1). Jesus Christ was with the Father before the world was, and “all things were made by him” (John 1:3). He is the Light that “shineth in darkness,” and the darkness “comprehended it not” (John 1:5), meaning it couldn’t understand it or put it out. To everyone who receives Him, He gives “power to become the sons of God” (John 1:12), and that promise is for daughters just as much as sons. We are all God’s spirit children already; receiving Christ gives us power to become like our Heavenly Father. Latter-day scripture adds that the Son created worlds without number under the Father’s direction (Moses 1:32–33).

Then the chapter turns into a chain reaction. John the Baptist points at Jesus and says, “Behold the Lamb of God” (John 1:29, 36). Two of his disciples follow Jesus; one is Andrew, and many believe the other is John, the Gospel’s author, who never names himself. Jesus turns and asks, “What seek ye?” and invites them, “Come and see” (John 1:38–39). Andrew goes straight to his brother Simon, and Jesus gives Simon a new name, Cephas, “a stone” (John 1:41–42). Philip finds Nathanael, who scoffs, “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip doesn’t argue. He just says, “Come and see” (John 1:46). One conversation with Jesus, and Nathanael declares Him the Son of God (John 1:49).

For 11- to 14-year-olds, sharing the gospel can feel terrifying or cringey. They picture debates, pressure, or being “that kid.” John 1 shows something much easier: no one gives a sermon. They just tell someone they trust what they found and invite them to see for themselves. The manual invites youth to think of simple, natural ways to invite friends. Keep it practical: youth activities, a family night, sitting together at school, a temple open house, or just answering honestly when a friend asks why they live the way they do.

“Lamb of God” is a good link for new deacons: the sacrament they pass every week is about the same sacrifice John was pointing to.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read John 1:1–14 and 1:29–51. In class, open with the dark-room light demo using your phone, run the scene drama from Teach Mode (you read the Savior’s words), do Rock-Paper-Scissors Fan Club, teach John 1:46, and ask three discussion questions. No slips? Read the Invitation Makeover scenarios off the screen.

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. Write each Invitation Makeover scenario on its own slip: 1 A friend asks why you don’t play sports on Sundays. · 2 A new kid just moved here and doesn’t know anyone. · 3 A friend asks what “temple baptisms” are and why you missed practice for one. · 4 This Wednesday’s youth activity is a dodgeball tournament. · 5 A friend going through a hard time says, “I don’t even know if God is real.”
  2. Check that the classroom can get fairly dark with the lights off and blinds closed.
  3. Bookmark the reader verses: John 1:5, 1:29, 1:38–39, 1:41–42, 1:43, 1:45–46, 1:47–49.
  4. Decide who reads the words of Jesus in the drama: you, or a Narrator you trust. Nobody plays Jesus.

If your class is wild

  • Turning the lights off with this age is a gamble. Say the rule before you flip the switch: anyone who makes a noise in the dark is the first volunteer for everything today.
  • The Rock-Paper-Scissors Fan Club gets loud in the best way. Let it be loud for 90 seconds, then bring it down with the tie-in.
  • For Invitation Makeover, let them do the cringe version first. Laughing at the awkward invite makes the real one less scary.
  • Give Nathanael to your resident skeptic. They’ll nail “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?”
  • Some youth have had an invitation go badly. Make room for that; the point is inviting, not results.

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

Can Darkness Win?

3 min

A simple dark-room demo shows John 1:5: darkness can’t put out a light.

  1. Say the rule first: “Lights are going off. Anyone who makes a noise in the dark volunteers first for everything today.” Then turn off the lights and close the blinds.
  2. Turn on the flashlight. Say: “Your job: get rid of this light using darkness. Scoop some dark from the corner and throw it on the light. Try.” Let them try. Nothing happens.
  3. Ask: “How do you actually make the room dark again?” (Turn off the light.) Say: “Right. Darkness never beats light. The only way it wins is if the light leaves.”
  4. Lights back on. Read John 1:5. Say: “John says Jesus is that Light. The darkness can’t overcome Him. Today we’ll watch how that Light spreads, one friend at a time.”
🌪️ Keep the lights off for 60 seconds at most. That’s plenty.

Class screen: 🔦 Throw darkness at the light. Can you put it out? · John 1:5

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A small flashlight, or your phone’s flashlight

  1. Say the rule first: “Lights are going off. Anyone who makes a noise in the dark volunteers first for everything today.” Then turn off the lights and close the blinds.
  2. Turn your device’s brightness all the way up and hold it up. Say: “Your job: get rid of this light using darkness. Scoop some dark from the corner and throw it on the light. Try.” Nothing happens.
  3. Ask: “How do you actually make the room dark again?” (Turn off the light.) Say: “Right. Darkness never beats light. The only way it wins is if the light leaves.”
  4. Lights back on. Read John 1:5. Say: “John says Jesus is that Light. The darkness can’t overcome Him. Today we’ll watch how that Light spreads, one friend at a time.”
2. Story

Scene Drama: The Chain Reaction

6 min

Building a human chain as each disciple brings the next shows how the gospel actually spreads: friend to friend.

  1. Tap Roles in Teach Mode. Give out the six disciple roles; the teacher or a trusted Narrator reads the words of Jesus. Nobody plays Jesus.
  2. Everyone without a role is the audience at first. Tell them: “Watch who invites who.”
  3. Read each scene and pause for the reader and the action. The chain grows each time someone new comes.
  4. After scene 7, have the whole audience link onto the chain too. Ask: “How many sermons did anybody give in this chapter?” (Zero.) “What did they say instead?” (Come and see. We found Him.)
🌪️ If the chain starts yanking, make it a “silent chain”: linked pinkies only, and it has to hold.

Class screen: 🔗 One invitation at a time, the chain grows · Watch who invites who · Nobody plays Jesus: the Narrator reads His words

3. Wiggle break

Rock-Paper-Scissors Fan Club

2 min

A loud, fast tournament shows how one person’s following grows when others join in.

  1. Everyone finds a partner and plays one round of rock-paper-scissors.
  2. The loser becomes the winner’s biggest fan: they follow them around, cheering their name.
  3. Winners find another winner and play. The loser and all their fans join the new winner’s fan club.
  4. Keep going until two giant fan clubs face off in the final. Crown the champion.
  5. SAY“Andrew brought one person. Philip brought one person. Look how fast one turns into everybody.”

Class screen: ✊ Lose a round? Become their biggest fan! · ✊ ✋ ✌️ · The cheering gets louder every round

4. Game

Invitation Makeover

4 min

Teams practice turning an awkward, preachy invitation into a natural “come and see.”

  1. Split into two or three teams. Each team draws a scenario slip.
  2. Give them 45 seconds to prepare two versions: the CRINGE version (pushy, preachy, weird) and the COME AND SEE version (short, honest, friendly, like Philip).
  3. Each team performs both. The other teams rate the “come and see” version with 1 to 5 fingers: “Would this actually work on a real friend?”
  4. Ask: “What made the good versions good?” (Short, honest, no pressure, about what you love, easy to say no to.)
  5. If you have time, draw a second round of slips.
🌪️ Cringe versions stay kind: no making fun of real people or other churches.

Class screen: 💬 Cringe version first. Then the “come and see” version. · 😬 cringe · 🙂 come and see · Rate it 1–5 ✋

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Paper slips with the five Invitation Makeover scenarios (see prep)

  1. Split into two or three teams. Read one scenario from the screen for each team.
  2. Give them 45 seconds to prepare two versions: the CRINGE version (pushy, preachy, weird) and the COME AND SEE version (short, honest, friendly, like Philip).
  3. Each team performs both. The other teams rate the “come and see” version with 1 to 5 fingers: “Would this actually work on a real friend?”
  4. Ask: “What made the good versions good?” (Short, honest, no pressure, about what you love, easy to say no to.)

Class screen: 💬 Pick a scenario. Cringe version, then “come and see.” · 1 Why no sports on Sunday? · 2 The new kid knows nobody · 3 What’s a temple baptism? · 4 Dodgeball night Wednesday · 5 “Is God even real?”

5. Scripture

Scripture Spotlight: John 1:46

3 min

Youth memorize Philip’s answer to a skeptic and see why it works.

  1. Show the verse. Ask your Nathanael to read the first half and your Philip to read the second.
  2. Teach the motions. Split the room: one side is Nathanael (the question), the other is Philip (“Come and see”). Say it twice, then switch sides.
  3. Ask: “Philip could have argued. Why didn’t he?” (You can’t argue someone into faith. Experiencing Jesus is what changed Nathanael.)
  4. SAY“You don’t have to have every answer to invite someone. You just have to know where to point them.”

Class screen: 👀 “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?” “Come and see.” · John 1:46

6. Talk it over

Real Talk: What Seek Ye?

4 min

A youth-led discussion about finding the Light yourself and sharing it without pressure.

  1. Hand your phone or tablet to a youth discussion leader. They read a question and tap the Name Spinner for the first answer.
  2. The leader asks, “Who sees it differently?” after each answer.
  3. Pick 3 or 4 questions. Make sure you get to the Cephas one; it’s often the one that lands.
💬 Ask the class
  • Jesus’s first words in John are “What seek ye?” If He asked you that today, what would you honestly say?
  • When has a small light, like a prayer, a friend or a verse, helped you through something dark?
  • Philip didn’t argue with Nathanael. Why is “come and see” sometimes better than winning a debate?
  • Jesus looked at Simon and named him “a stone” before Simon was anything like a rock. What might Jesus see in you that you don’t see yet?
  • John called Jesus “the Lamb of God.” How can passing or taking the sacrament help you remember what that means?
🎡 Name Spinner (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🔍 What are you looking for? · John 1:38

7. Testimony

I Came and Saw

2 min

End with the teacher’s own “come and see” experience and one simple invitation for the week.

  1. Lower your voice. Say: “Nathanael didn’t believe because Philip was persuasive. He believed because he met Jesus.”
  2. Share one or two sentences about how you came to know for yourself that Jesus Christ is real, or someone who invited you to come and see.
  3. Show the challenge: one natural invitation this week. No pressure, no script.
  4. Ask a youth to say the closing prayer.

Class screen: ✨ You don’t have to have every answer. Just say “come and see.” · This week: one invitation

8. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

A team quiz reviews John 1.

  1. Split into Team Andrew and Team Philip. Tap Scripture Showdown.
  2. Teams huddle ten seconds; rotate who answers.
  3. Bonus point for naming the verse.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown!

9. Game

Forehead Guess: John 1

4 minBONUS

A quick Heads Up–style round reviews the disciples, titles and places in John 1.

  1. Tap Forehead Guess. The guesser holds your phone or tablet on their forehead; the class gives clues without saying the word.
  2. Tilt down for got it, up to pass. Forty-five seconds each.
  3. Challenge round: clue-givers can only use words from John 1.
▶ Play Forehead Guess on the web

Class screen: 🤳 Forehead Guess: can you get Cephas?

Story drama

The Chain Reaction

John 1:29–51 ↗

Parts to hand out

  • John the BaptistPoints toward Jesus and says, “Behold the Lamb of God!” then watches his own disciples leave to follow Him.
  • AndrewFollows Jesus, spends the day with Him, then runs to get his brother.
  • The Other DiscipleFollows with Andrew; many believe he is John, who wrote this Gospel.
  • Simon PeterAndrew’s brother, who gets a brand-new name from Jesus: Cephas, a stone.
  • PhilipHears “Follow me,” then goes to find his friend Nathanael.
  • NathanaelThe skeptic under the fig tree who ends up calling Jesus the Son of God.
  • NarratorThe teacher or a trusted reader who reads the scenes and the words of Jesus straight from the scriptures.

Scenes

  1. 🏜️👉🐑 “Behold the Lamb of God!”

    John the Baptist was standing with two of his disciples when Jesus walked by. John had spent his whole life getting people ready for this moment. He pointed and said, “Behold the Lamb of God!”

    🎬 John points dramatically toward the door. A reader reads John 1:29. Andrew and the Other Disciple look at each other.

  2. 🚶‍♂️🚶❓ “What seek ye?”

    The two disciples started following Jesus. He turned around and asked them a question, the first words He speaks in John’s Gospel: “What seek ye?” What are you looking for? They asked where He was staying.

    🎬 Andrew and the Other Disciple walk a few steps behind, then freeze when the Narrator reads John 1:38.

  3. 🏠⏰ “Come and see”

    Jesus didn’t give them a lecture. He said, “Come and see.” They went with Him and stayed the rest of the day. Whatever they talked about that day changed everything for them.

    🎬 The Narrator reads John 1:39. The two disciples sit down and lean in like they’re listening to the best conversation of their lives.

  4. 🏃‍♂️👬🪨 Andrew goes straight to his brother

    The first thing Andrew did was find his brother Simon and say, “We have found the Messias,” the Christ. He brought Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and gave him a new name: Cephas, which means a stone.

    🎬 Andrew jogs to Simon, grabs his arm and brings him over. A reader reads John 1:41–42. Simon links arms with Andrew: the chain begins.

  5. 🧭➡️ “Follow me”

    The next day Jesus found Philip, from Andrew and Peter’s hometown, and said two words: “Follow me.” Philip did. And like Andrew, the first thing he did was go find a friend.

    🎬 Philip hears John 1:43, links onto the chain, then breaks off to go looking for Nathanael.

  6. 🌳🤨 “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?”

    Philip found Nathanael and said they’d found the one Moses and the prophets wrote about: Jesus of Nazareth. Nathanael wasn’t impressed. Nazareth? Nothing good comes from there. Philip didn’t argue. He didn’t get offended. He just said, “Come and see.”

    🎬 Nathanael sits “under the fig tree,” arms folded. A reader reads John 1:45–46. Philip shrugs and beckons.

  7. 👀🌳✨ “Before that Philip called thee… I saw thee”

    When Jesus saw Nathanael coming, He called him an honest man with no guile. Nathanael asked how He knew him. Jesus said He had seen him under the fig tree before Philip ever called him. Nathanael’s skepticism melted: “Rabbi, thou art the Son of God.”

    🎬 Nathanael’s arms drop. A reader reads John 1:47–49. Nathanael links onto the end of the chain. Everyone in the chain raises linked hands.

Key verse

John 1:46 ↗
“Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.”
In plain words: Nathanael: “From Nazareth? No way.” Philip: “Come see for yourself.”
🙌 “Can there any good thing” = a big skeptical shrug · “come out of Nazareth?” = thumb over your shoulder · “Philip saith unto him” = hand beside your mouth · “Come and see” = beckon with one hand, then point to your eyes.

More verses

John 1:5 ↗
“And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”
In plain words: The Light shines in the dark, and the dark can’t overcome it.
John 1:29 ↗
“Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
In plain words: Look! He’s the One who takes away the sins of the world.
John 1:12 ↗
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God”
In plain words: Everyone who receives Jesus gets power to become sons and daughters of God.
John 1:41 ↗
“He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias”
In plain words: The first thing Andrew did was tell his brother, “We found Him!”

Forehead Guess words17 words

  • 🧔 John the Baptist
  • 🐑 Lamb of God
  • 🎣 Andrew
  • 🪨 Simon Peter
  • 🧱 Cephas
  • 🧭 Philip
  • 🤨 Nathanael
  • 🌳 Fig tree
  • 🏘️ Nazareth
  • 👑 Messias
  • 📜 Rabbi
  • 💬 The Word
  • 🔦 Light
  • 🌑 Darkness
  • 👀 Come and see
  • 🎭 Guile
  • 🌍 Creation
Clues for each word
  • John the Baptist: Pointed at Jesus and said “Behold the Lamb of God”
  • Lamb of God: Title of Jesus: He takes away the sin of the world
  • Andrew: First thing he did was find his brother
  • Simon Peter: Andrew’s brother who got a new name
  • Cephas: Peter’s new name; it means a stone
  • Philip: Heard “Follow me,” then found Nathanael
  • Nathanael: Skeptic who asked about Nazareth
  • Fig tree: Where Jesus saw Nathanael before Philip called him
  • Nazareth: “Can there any good thing come out of” here?
  • Messias: KJV word for Messiah, the Christ
  • Rabbi: Means Master or Teacher
  • The Word: “In the beginning was…”
  • Light: Shines in darkness; the darkness can’t beat it
  • Darkness: It “comprehended it not”
  • Come and see: Philip’s whole answer to a skeptic
  • Guile: Jesus said Nathanael had none: no fakeness
  • Creation: All things were made by Him
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown9 questions

  1. How does the Gospel of John begin?
    • A. “In the beginning was the Word”
    • B. “There was in the days of Herod”
    • C. “The book of the generation”
    Show answer

    ✅ A. “In the beginning was the Word” John 1:1. John starts before the world was made.

  2. What does John 1:5 say the darkness couldn’t do to the Light?
    • A. See it
    • B. Comprehend it
    • C. Find it
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Comprehend it It couldn’t understand it or overcome it.

  3. What did John the Baptist call Jesus as He walked by?
    • A. The Good Shepherd
    • B. The Bread of Life
    • C. The Lamb of God
    Show answer

    ✅ C. The Lamb of God John 1:29, 36. The One who takes away the sin of the world.

  4. What are Jesus’s first words in the Gospel of John?
    • A. “Follow me”
    • B. “What seek ye?”
    • C. “Come and see”
    Show answer

    ✅ B. “What seek ye?” John 1:38. Then came “Come and see.”

  5. Who was the first person Andrew brought to Jesus?
    • A. His brother Simon
    • B. His friend Philip
    • C. His father
    Show answer

    ✅ A. His brother Simon John 1:41. “We have found the Messias.”

  6. What does Cephas, Simon’s new name, mean?
    • A. A fisherman
    • B. A shepherd
    • C. A stone
    Show answer

    ✅ C. A stone John 1:42. A stone is strong and steady, and Peter became a leader of the Church.

  7. Which town did Nathanael doubt anything good could come from?
    • A. Bethlehem
    • B. Nazareth
    • C. Jerusalem
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Nazareth John 1:46. Philip’s answer: “Come and see.”

  8. Where did Jesus say He saw Nathanael before Philip called him?
    • A. At the river
    • B. In the synagogue
    • C. Under the fig tree
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Under the fig tree John 1:48. That’s when Nathanael believed.

  9. John 1:12 says those who receive Him get power to become…
    • A. the sons of God
    • B. kings and rulers
    • C. wise and famous
    Show answer

    ✅ A. the sons of God Sons and daughters of God, through Jesus Christ.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • Called to Serve Hymns, no. 249

    Every “come and see” invitation is part of the Lord’s work. Find it ↗

  • Hope of Israel Hymns, no. 259

    A hymn about youth rising up to follow and serve the Lord. Find it ↗

  • I Hope They Call Me on a Mission Children’s Songbook, p. 169

    Missionaries start now, with invitations to friends. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

One Come-and-See

This week, make one simple, no-pressure invitation: bring a friend to a youth activity, sit with someone new, invite someone to family night, or just answer honestly when someone asks why you live how you do. Then notice how it felt. It counts even if they say no.

Text the parents

Today in class we studied John 1: Jesus is the Light that darkness can’t overcome, and His first disciples found Him through friends. Andrew brought his brother, and when a skeptical Nathanael asked, “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip just said, “Come and see” (John 1:46). We practiced turning awkward invitations into natural ones. Ask your youth: what’s one easy “come and see” invitation they could make this week?

📝 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?

🏷️ Titles of Christ Hunt · 5 min

  1. Start the Big Timer for 2 minutes. Pairs race through John 1 to find every name or title of Jesus Christ (the Word, the Light, the Lamb of God, Messias, Christ, Rabbi, Son of God, King of Israel, Son of man and more).
  2. One point per title. Two points if they can explain what it teaches about Him.
  3. Ask: “Which title would help a friend who’s struggling right now?”

⚡ Power to Become · 4 min

  1. Read John 1:11–13 together.
  2. Ask: “Some people didn’t receive Him. What did He give to the ones who did?” (Power to become sons and daughters of God.)
  3. Have youth write privately: one thing they hope to become this year, and one way Jesus Christ could give them power to get there.

🕯️ Witness of the Light · 3 min

  1. Read John 1:6–8. Ask: “John wasn’t the Light. What was his job?” (To bear witness of the Light.)
  2. SAY“That’s your job too. You don’t have to be the Light. You just point to Him.”
  3. Invite a volunteer to share, in one sentence, something they know about Jesus Christ.

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 Youth 11–14 lessons