Gospel Sparks Get the app

Storm-Proof

A made-up youth’s very real week, walked through with the Sermon on the Mount: real prayer, a beam in her own eye, worry, and a storm

  • 🧭 Youth 12–13
  • Week 8
  • 📅 Sunday, February 21, 2027
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

Hearing Jesus’s words isn’t enough; when I actually do them, my life is built on the rock of Jesus Christ, and the storms that come to everyone can’t knock me down.

I can choose one teaching from the Sermon on the Mount and do it this week, starting with real, private prayer.

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. Jesus warns against doing good to be seen, teaches how to pray (the Lord’s Prayer, 6:9–13), tells us to lay up treasures in heaven, to seek first the kingdom of God, and not to worry like people who don’t trust their Father. Chapter 7 covers judging, asking, seeking and knocking, the Golden Rule, the strait gate, knowing people by their fruits, and the wise and foolish builders. The people were astonished because He taught “as one having authority” (7:29): He didn’t quote other rabbis; He spoke as the Son of God.

Prayer: Jesus taught us not to pray to be seen or with “vain repetitions,” and to pray in private too, in our “closet” with the door shut (6:5–8). He adds that the Father already knows what we need before we ask, and still invites us to ask, seek and knock, comparing Him to a parent who would never hand a hungry child a stone (7:7–11). The Joseph Smith Translation of the Lord’s Prayer reads “suffer us not to be led into temptation,” clarifying that God doesn’t lead anyone into temptation. For 11–14s, the big shift is from praying the same words at meals to real, personal conversations with Heavenly Father.

Judging (7:1–5): the Joseph Smith Translation changes “Judge not” to “Judge not unrighteously… but judge righteous judgment.” We still have to judge choices, friends and media (7:15–20 tells us to know false prophets by their fruits), but we don’t condemn people, and we fix the beam in our own eye before pointing out someone else’s mote. That distinction matters to teens who get called “judgy” for having standards and also feel pressure to judge each other constantly online.

The sermon ends with the two builders (7:24–27). Notice that both heard the same words, and both houses got the same rain, floods and wind. The only difference was doing. The manual suggests reading this alongside For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices, pages 4–5, which talk about building your life on Jesus Christ. Helaman 5:12 teaches the same idea: build on the rock of our Redeemer and the devil’s storms will have no power to drag you down. Discipleship doesn’t prevent storms; it keeps you standing through them.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Matthew 6:5–13, 6:25–34 and 7:1–5, 24–29. Do the stand-up “heard it or did it?” poll. Walk through Maya’s week in Teach Mode. A youth reads each verse, then the class weighs in. Read the two builders and teach Matthew 7:24. Let a youth run the discussion questions. Close by having each youth pick one “stone” to really do this week. Brought nothing? You only need your own scriptures.

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 6:5–13, 6:25–34, 7:1–5 and 7:24–29 once. Maya’s week follows that order.
  2. Read the six scenes of Maya’s Week in Teach Mode, so you know where each verse comes in.
  3. Think of a storm in your life where what you’d done beforehand kept you standing, not just what you knew. You’ll share it in two sentences.

If your class is wild

  • Maya is made up. If her week looks a lot like someone in your class, change a detail. Tryouts can become a school play, so nobody feels called out.
  • Let youth disagree about what Maya should do. Your job is to keep sending them back to the verses, not to settle it.
  • Keep the prayer scene personal but not public. Talk about the pattern, not anyone’s own prayers.
  • If a youth is going through a real storm, like a move, a divorce or an illness, keep examples general. Let them decide how much to share.

The 25-minute plan23 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

Heard It or Did It?

3 min

A quick, honest stand-up poll sorts hearers from doers, which is exactly the point of Jesus’s last parable.

  1. SAY“Everybody stand if you heard at least one talk or lesson at church last Sunday.”
  2. Most will stand. Then say, “Stay standing if you can name one thing it asked you to do.”
  3. Some sit. Then say, “Stay standing if you actually did it.” Watch the room, and stand or sit honestly yourself.
  4. SAY“Nobody feel bad. Jesus ended His whole sermon on exactly this. Today is about moving from heard it to did it.”
🌪️ Laugh with them when the room empties out. Being honest about it together is the whole point.

Class screen: 👂 You heard it. But did you do it? · Stand if you heard it. · Stay up if you did it.

2. Story

Case Study: Maya’s Week

8 min

A made-up but realistic week lets the class test Jesus’s sermon against prayer, judging, worry and a real storm.

  1. SAY“Maya is made up, but her week might sound familiar. At each scene, we’ll check what Jesus actually said about it.”
  2. Open Teach Mode and read each scene. Hand your scriptures or a phone to a youth to read the verse. Then ask the scene’s question.
  3. Take two or three answers per scene. If the class disagrees, good! Ask each side which verse backs them up.
  4. After scene 6, ask: “Which day of Maya’s week is most like yours?” Nobody has to answer out loud.
🌪️ Keep it moving, about a minute per scene. Scene 5 deserves the most time.

Class screen: 🗓️ Maya’s week: what would Jesus’s sermon say? · Matthew 6–7

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Scriptures: Bibles, a quad, or Gospel Library on phones (a few to share)

  1. SAY“Maya is made up, but her week might sound familiar. At each scene, we’ll check what Jesus actually said about it.”
  2. Open Teach Mode. Read each scene, then read its verse aloud from your scriptures. Then ask the scene’s question.
  3. Take two or three answers per scene. If the class disagrees, ask each side what the verse really says.
  4. After scene 6, ask: “Which day of Maya’s week is most like yours?” Nobody has to answer out loud.
3. Scripture

Two Builders

4 min

Jesus’s own ending to the sermon names the difference between Maya’s two possible Saturdays: doing what we hear.

  1. SAY“Jesus ended His whole sermon with a story about exactly this.”
  2. Read Matthew 7:24–27 aloud, slowly.
  3. Ask, “What did both builders have in common?” The same words, the same storm. Ask, “So what was the only difference?” Doing.
  4. Teach Matthew 7:24 with the motions. Say it twice together, then once as fast as you can.

Class screen: 🪨 Hear it. Do it. Build on the rock. · Matthew 7:24–27

4. Talk it over

Beams, Fruits and Foundations

5 min

Honest questions apply judging, the builders and the storms to a twelve-year-old’s real life.

  1. SAY“Let’s take Maya’s week and make it ours. Anyone can pass.”
  2. A youth reads each question from your phone or tablet and picks who answers. Keep answers short so more voices get in. Add one honest answer of your own.
💬 Ask the class
  • The Joseph Smith Translation says to judge righteous judgment, not to stop judging. What’s the difference between having standards and being judgy?
  • In Matthew 7:3–5, Jesus said to get the beam out of your own eye first. Why is it so much easier to see other people’s motes?
  • Both houses got the same storm. What storms do people your age face, even when they’re doing everything right?
  • What’s one teaching from Matthew 6–7 you’ve heard a hundred times but haven’t really done yet?

Class screen: 💬 Beams, fruits and foundations

5. Testimony

One Stone This Week

3 min

Each youth chooses one teaching to actually do this week and hears the teacher’s witness that Jesus Christ is the rock.

  1. SAY“Every time you do something Jesus taught, you set a stone on the rock. Pick one for this week. Don’t say it out loud.”
  2. Offer ideas. A real private prayer. Forgiving someone. The Golden Rule online. Seeking first the kingdom when you’re stressed.
  3. Share your two sentences about a storm where what you’d already done kept you standing. Testify that Jesus Christ is the sure foundation.
  4. Share the challenge. Then ask a youth to pray.

Class screen: 🪨 Pick one stone. Set it on the Rock. · Matthew 7:24–25

6. Wiggle break

Rock Stance, Sand Stance

3 minBONUS

A quick balance test shows in your own legs that the foundation decides what survives the storm.

  1. SAY“Everybody up. Sand stance! Feet together, up on your tiptoes, arms at your sides.”
  2. Tap the wind on the Sound Board and call “Storm!” Everyone sways without moving their feet.
  3. SAY“Rock stance! Feet wide, knees bent, weight low.”
  4. Same storm, bigger sways. Who stays put? Ask, “Same people, same storm. What changed?” The foundation.
🔊 Sound Board (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🧍 Sand stance or rock stance? Survive the storm!

7. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

A team quiz reviews prayer, judging, treasures and the builders.

  1. SAY“Two teams. Ten seconds to decide, then point.”
  2. Tap Scripture Showdown and read each question aloud. The winning team earns a bonus point if they can name the verse.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown!

Case study

Case Study: Maya’s Week

Matthew 6:5–34; 7:1–5, 24–27 ↗

Scenes

  1. ⛪ Sunday: Maya hears it all, again

    Maya is twelve, and she knows every Sunday answer. Today’s lesson is the Sermon on the Mount. Pray for real. Don’t judge. Don’t worry. Build on the rock. She nods. She’s heard it all before.

    🙌 Ask: “Be honest. What’s the difference between knowing the answers and living them?”

  2. 🙏 Monday night: the same nine-second prayer

    Monday night Maya kneels and says the same words she says every night, fast. She’s asleep before she remembers what she even asked for.

    🙌 A youth reads Matthew 6:7–8. Ask: “What would a real conversation with Heavenly Father sound like tonight?”

  3. 👀 Wednesday: a friend’s post and a snarky comment

    A friend posts something Maya thinks is kind of dumb. Maya types a sarcastic comment and screenshots the post for the group chat. She has already forgotten how rude she was to her little brother that morning.

    🙌 A youth reads Matthew 7:3–5. Ask: “Where’s the beam in this scene? What would taking it out look like?”

  4. 😰 Thursday: tryouts tomorrow, and worry takes over

    Volleyball tryouts are Friday. Maya can’t sleep. She scrolls. She replays every mistake she might make. And she skips scripture reading and prayer, because she’s “too stressed.”

    🙌 A youth reads Matthew 6:33–34. Ask: “What would seeking first the kingdom look like on a night like this?”

  5. ⛈️ Friday: the storm hits

    Maya doesn’t make the team. Her best friend does. The group chat is loud about it, and Maya feels like everything she built just fell over.

    🙌 No reading this time. Just sit with it for five seconds. Ask: “What can still hold her up?”

  6. 🪨 Saturday: what does she build on now?

    On Saturday morning, Maya remembers the end of the sermon. Two builders. The same words. The same storm. One house fell, and one stood. She gets to choose what she builds on next.

    🙌 Ask: “If you were Maya’s friend, what would you say? What’s one thing she could do today?”

Key verse

Matthew 7:24 ↗
“Therefore 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 plain words: Anyone who hears what Jesus teaches and actually does it is like a smart builder who built on solid rock.
🙌 “Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine” = cup a hand to your ear · “and doeth them” = pound a fist into your palm · “I will liken him unto a wise man” = tap your head · “which built his house upon a rock” = stack fists one on top of the other, then stomp once.

More verses

Matthew 6:6 ↗
“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”
In plain words: Real prayer isn’t a performance. Find a private place and talk to your Father.
Matthew 7:7 ↗
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you”
In plain words: Heavenly Father invites you to keep asking, keep looking and keep knocking.
Matthew 6:21 ↗
“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
In plain words: Whatever you care about most will pull your heart with it.
Matthew 7:12 ↗
“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them”
In plain words: The Golden Rule: treat people the way you want to be treated, online and off.

Forehead Guess words17 words

  • 👷 Wise man
  • 🏖️ Foolish man
  • 🪨 Rock
  • ⏳ Sand
  • ⛈️ Storm
  • 🙏 Lord’s Prayer
  • 🚪 Closet
  • 🔁 Vain repetitions
  • 💎 Treasure in heaven
  • 🌸 Lilies of the field
  • 🪵 Beam
  • 🔍 Mote
  • 🚪 Ask, seek, knock
  • 🥇 Golden Rule
  • ⛩️ Strait gate
  • 🐺 Wolves in sheep’s clothing
  • 🍎 Fruits
Clues for each word
  • Wise man: Built his house upon a rock
  • Foolish man: Built his house upon the sand
  • Rock: The foundation that doesn’t move
  • Sand: Easy to build on, bad in a storm
  • Storm: Came to both houses
  • Lord’s Prayer: Pattern prayer in Matthew 6:9–13
  • Closet: Where Jesus said to pray in secret
  • Vain repetitions: Saying the same words without meaning them
  • Treasure in heaven: Moth and rust can’t touch it
  • Lilies of the field: They don’t toil or spin, yet are clothed
  • Beam: Big thing stuck in your own eye
  • Mote: Tiny speck in your brother’s eye
  • Ask, seek, knock: Three things Matthew 7:7 invites
  • Golden Rule: Treat others how you want to be treated
  • Strait gate: Narrow way that leads to life
  • Wolves in sheep’s clothing: False prophets in disguise
  • Fruits: How you know a tree, or a teacher
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown9 questions

  1. Jesus warned against praying mainly to…
    • A. Be seen by others
    • B. Ask for help
    • C. Thank Heavenly Father
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Be seen by others Matthew 6:5. Prayer is a conversation with your Father, not a performance.

  2. Where did Jesus say to go to pray in secret?
    • A. The rooftop
    • B. The synagogue
    • C. Your closet, with the door shut
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Your closet, with the door shut Matthew 6:6. Private prayer is where real conversations happen.

  3. The Joseph Smith Translation of Matthew 7:1 teaches us to…
    • A. Never judge anything
    • B. Judge righteous judgment
    • C. Let others judge for us
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Judge righteous judgment We judge choices wisely and kindly, without condemning people.

  4. What should you remove before helping with your brother’s mote?
    • A. The beam in your own eye
    • B. Your sandals
    • C. His beam
    Show answer

    ✅ A. The beam in your own eye Matthew 7:5. Fix your own big problems before pointing at others’ small ones.

  5. Where your treasure is, there will your ___ be also.
    • A. money
    • B. heart
    • C. house
    Show answer

    ✅ B. heart Matthew 6:21. What you care about pulls your heart with it.

  6. Jesus said we can know false prophets by their…
    • A. clothes
    • B. fruits
    • C. names
    Show answer

    ✅ B. fruits Matthew 7:20. Look at what a teaching produces in people’s lives.

  7. What was the same for both builders?
    • A. Their foundation
    • B. Their house’s fall
    • C. They heard the same words and faced the same storm
    Show answer

    ✅ C. They heard the same words and faced the same storm The only difference was that the wise builder did what he heard.

  8. Why were the people astonished at the end of the sermon?
    • A. He taught as one having authority
    • B. He spoke in Greek
    • C. It was very short
    Show answer

    ✅ A. He taught as one having authority Matthew 7:28–29. He spoke as the Son of God, not quoting other teachers.

  9. Which Book of Mormon verse also teaches building on the rock of our Redeemer?
    • A. Alma 32:21
    • B. Helaman 5:12
    • C. Moroni 10:4
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Helaman 5:12 Helaman taught his sons that the devil’s storms have no power over those built on Christ.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • How Firm a Foundation Hymns, no. 85

    The manual pairs it with this parable: Jesus Christ is the foundation that holds. Find it ↗

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

    A reminder to build the private-prayer habit Jesus taught in Matthew 6. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

One Stone on the Rock

Do the one teaching you picked from Matthew 6–7 every day this week. Start with one prayer in private, out loud or in your mind, with no phrases you say every time. If you have the For the Strength of Youth guide, read pages 4–5 about building on Jesus Christ. Next week, share whether you heard it or did it.

Text the parents

This week in class we learned from Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6–7. We talked about praying in private with real words and judging righteously. We read about the wise and foolish builders, who heard the same words and faced the same storm. We followed a made-up youth named Maya through a hard week. Ask your youth which teaching they picked to do this week. How can your family 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?

🪵 Mote and Beam Demo · 3 min

  1. Hold a “beam” straight out from your face, like a broom, a rolled poster or your arm. Try to help a volunteer with a tiny speck in their eye.
  2. Read Matthew 7:3–5. Laugh, then ask, “What does the beam look like in real life?”
  3. Ask, “What’s the kind way to help a friend with a problem?”

💎 Treasure Check · 4 min

  1. Read Matthew 6:19–21. Have everyone silently check their screen time and last three searches, or estimate them.
  2. Ask, “If someone looked at that, what would they say you treasure?”
  3. Each youth names one heavenly treasure they want to spend more time on this week.

🍎 Fruit Inspector · 4 min

  1. Read Matthew 7:15–20. Ask, “How do you know if advice is good?” Look at its fruits.
  2. Name advice youth hear from influencers, friends, prophets and parents. For each, ask, “What fruit does following it produce?”
  3. Ask, “What good fruits have you seen from following the living prophet’s counsel?”

🏗️ Storm-Proof Tower · 5 min

  1. Give two teams ten sheets of scrap paper and some tape each. They build the tallest tower they can in two minutes. It has to survive a storm.
  2. Fan each tower with a folder from the same distance, three big waves. Give a point for tallest and three for still standing.
  3. Ask, “Same materials. What decided it?” The foundation. Read Matthew 7:24–25.

🙏 The Pattern Prayer · 4 min

  1. Read Matthew 6:9–13. Teams list its parts: who we talk to, praise, His will, daily needs, forgiveness, help against evil, and praise at the end.
  2. The Joseph Smith Translation says, “suffer us not to be led into temptation.” Ask why that change matters.
  3. SAY“It’s a pattern, not a script. Tonight, try a prayer with no phrases you say every time.”

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 12–13 lessons