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Not for Show

Jesus teaches us to pray, give and fast for an audience of one, judge with clear eyes, test ideas by their fruits and build on the Rock by doing

  • 🏔️ Youth 16–18
  • Week 8
  • 📅 Sunday, February 21, 2027
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

Real discipleship isn’t performed for an audience; I come to know Jesus Christ by doing His will, and a life built on Him by doing, not just hearing, stands when the storms come.

I can live my faith for Heavenly Father’s eyes instead of other people’s, test what I hear by its fruits, and build on the Savior by doing what He taught.

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 giving, praying and fasting “to be seen of men” and promises that the Father who sees in secret will reward openly (6:1–18). He gives a pattern for prayer (6:9–13; the Joseph Smith Translation of verse 13 reads “suffer us not to be led into temptation”), teaches about treasure and the single eye, says no one can serve two masters, and tells us to “seek ye first the kingdom of God” (6:19–34). The footnote on “take no thought” in 6:25 explains that the Greek means anxious concern: Jesus isn’t against planning; He’s against being consumed by worry.

Matthew 7 moves from judging to building. The Joseph Smith Translation of 7:1 clarifies the meaning: judge not unrighteously, but judge righteous judgment. Then come the mote and the beam (7:3–5), ask, seek, knock (7:7–11), the Golden Rule (7:12), false prophets known by their fruits (7:15–20), and the sobering “Lord, Lord” warning, which the JST changes to “Ye never knew me” (7:21–23, footnote). The sermon ends with the wise and foolish builders: the same storm hits both houses, and the difference is whether the builder heard and did (7:24–27). The people were astonished, because He taught “as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (7:28–29).

For 16- to 18-year-olds, this chapter is about the difference between performed faith and real faith. They live on platforms built for being seen, they’re starting to meet serious online criticism of the Church and its leaders, and their testimonies are shifting from borrowed to their own. Jesus’s tests are practical: Who is this for? What fruit does it produce? Am I only hearing, or also doing? Elder David A. Bednar’s April 2024 talk “Be Still, and Know That I Am God” compares covenants to the anchor pins that tie a building’s foundation to bedrock, and Elder Taylor G. Godoy’s April 2024 talk “Call, Don’t Fall” is a great companion to ask, seek, knock. For the Strength of Youth (“Truth Will Make You Free”) helps with sorting truth from error.

Don’t turn Kade in the story into a villain. Many youth have friends or siblings who are struggling or stepping away, and some are wrestling themselves. Keep the tone hopeful: a house that falls can be rebuilt on the Rock, one honest prayer at a time. If a youth brings up a specific criticism of the Church, thank them, be honest about what you know and don’t know, and offer to look into it together. Tess’s storm is her parents separating; if a youth in your class is living through a divorce, ask privately before giving them that part, or swap her storm for another one (a family illness, a move).

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Matthew 6:1–18 and Matthew 7. Run the Would You Post It? hook, let Teach Mode run the Two Builders story with youth reading the parts, read Matthew 7:21 together, then spend the rest on the discussion. Close with your testimony of a time doing (not just hearing) held you steady.

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. Read Matthew 6–7 in one sitting (about fifteen minutes), then look at the JST footnotes on Matthew 6:13, 7:1 and 7:23.
  2. Write one passage on each card: Matthew 6:1–4 · 6:5–13 · 6:16–18 · 6:19–24 · 6:25–34 · 7:1–5 · 7:7–12 · 7:15–20.
  3. Gather a small rock for each youth (a yard or a garden store works). They’ll take them home.
  4. Text two class members on Saturday to read Tess and Kade, and two or three to be the Storm (they’ll make the sound effects).
  5. Think of a time when doing the basics (prayer, scripture, church, the temple) kept you standing in a storm, even when you didn’t feel much. You’ll share it briefly.

If your class is wild

  • Start with the vote in the hook, not a speech. Once they’ve argued about what they’d post, Matthew 6 lands on its own.
  • The Mote and Beam wiggle is slapstick on purpose. Let them bump into chairs (safely); older teens need permission to be goofy.
  • Give the silent study in Sermon Mining real silence. The first 30 seconds feel awkward; after that, they dig in.
  • The Storm players will want to overdo it. Let them, then call “Calm!” and wait for full quiet before the next scene.
  • If someone raises a specific criticism of the Church, don’t panic or wave it away. Say, “Great question. Let’s look at it together this week,” and follow up.

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

Would You Post It?

3 min

A quick vote exposes the pull to perform our goodness, setting up Jesus’s teaching about the Father who sees in secret.

  1. SAY“Thumbs up if you’d post it, hand on heart if you’d keep it to yourself.” Read: You shoveled a neighbor’s driveway at 6 a.m. · You finished the Book of Mormon · You fasted for a friend who’s struggling · You paid tithing on your first real paycheck · You forgave someone who never apologized.
  2. After each one, ask one person why they voted the way they did.
  3. Have a youth read Matthew 6:1–4. Then say: “But last week Jesus said, ‘Let your light so shine before men’ (Matthew 5:16). So which is it?”
  4. Let them work it out: the difference is who it’s for. Light that points to the Father, or a trumpet that points to me.
🌪️ If the vote gets rowdy, have them sound a pretend trumpet for “post it,” then read Matthew 6:2. They’ll get the joke.

Class screen: 📲 Would you post it, or keep it between you and God? · Matthew 6:1–4 vs. Matthew 5:16

2. Scripture

Sermon Mining

5 min

Youth practice a real study skill (silent pondering to find principles) and teach each other the heart of Matthew 6–7.

  1. Hand each pair a passage card. Say: “Two minutes of total silence. Read your passage and write one principle as a sentence that starts with ‘I can…’ or ‘God…’. No talking, not even whispers.” Tap Big Timer.
  2. Let the silence work. If you finish early, read your own card.
  3. Each pair reads its passage reference and principle in 20 seconds. Go in scripture order.
  4. Point out two JST footnotes as you go: Matthew 7:1 (judge not unrighteously, but judge righteous judgment) and Matthew 7:23 (“Ye never knew me”).
  5. Read Matthew 7:21 together with the motions. Say: “Every principle you just found only works if you do it.”
⏱️ Big Timer (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: ⛏️ Two silent minutes: find one principle you can live · Matthew 6–7 · “I can…” or “God…”

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Scriptures for each pair (their own, a classroom set from the library, or Gospel Library on their phones), Eight index cards, each with one passage (see prep), and a few pens

  1. Pair them up and assign each pair a passage out loud: Matthew 6:1–4 · 6:5–13 · 6:16–18 · 6:19–24 · 6:25–34 · 7:1–5 · 7:7–12 · 7:15–20. Pass your own scriptures to any pair without Gospel Library.
  2. SAY“Ninety seconds of total silence. Find one principle you could say as a sentence starting with ‘I can…’ or ‘God…’.” Tap Big Timer.
  3. Each pair says its principle in 20 seconds, in scripture order.
  4. Point out the JST footnotes on Matthew 7:1 and 7:23.
  5. Read Matthew 7:21 together with the motions.
3. Wiggle break

Mote and Beam

2 min

A bit of slapstick makes Jesus’s joke about judging unforgettable and gets everyone moving.

  1. Everyone stands in pairs. Partner A has a tiny speck (a mote) in their eye. Partner B has a giant wooden beam sticking out of theirs.
  2. Partner B tries to help: lean in close to remove the speck while the huge invisible beam swings around, knocking over imaginary lamps and bonking other people. Then switch. (If you brought a broom, let one brave volunteer demonstrate first.)
  3. Read Matthew 7:3–5 together, then the JST footnote on verse 1. Ask: “So is Jesus saying never judge anything, or something else?”

Class screen: 🪵 First cast out the beam out of thine own eye · Matthew 7:1–5

4. Story

Two Builders, Senior Year

6 min

A modern retelling of the wise and foolish builders shows that storms hit everyone, and doing, not just hearing, is what holds.

  1. Hand out roles (tap Roles in Teach Mode). Tess and Kade read their short lines; the Storm handles sound effects; you read the Savior’s words from Matthew 7 in your own scriptures.
  2. Read or assign the narration and pause for each action cue.
  3. After scene 6, read Elder Taylor G. Godoy’s line about taking action after praying (in this lesson’s conference quotes).
  4. After the last scene, ask: “The storm hit both houses. What did Tess actually do that Kade didn’t?”
🌪️ If the Storm gets too wild, call “Calm!” The Storm freezes mid-swirl until the narrator starts the next scene.

Class screen: 🏠 Two Builders, Senior Year · Matthew 7:24–27 · Storm: rain, wind, floods!

5. Talk it over

Real, Not for Show

4 min

An honest conversation about performed faith vs. real faith, righteous judgment, testing ideas by their fruits, and knowing the Savior.

  1. Pick three questions. Ask one at a time and wait ten seconds before anyone answers.
  2. Read Elder David A. Bednar’s line about covenants as anchors (in this lesson’s conference quotes) with the last question.
  3. Answer one yourself, briefly and honestly.
💬 Ask the class
  • Jesus says to pray, give and fast in secret, but also to let your light shine. How can you tell the difference between shining and showing off?
  • The JST says “judge not unrighteously, but judge righteous judgment.” When do you actually have to make judgments (friends, dating, media), and what makes a judgment righteous?
  • When you run into a video or post attacking the Church or its leaders, how could “by their fruits ye shall know them” help you sort it out?
  • The JST changes Matthew 7:23 to “Ye never knew me.” What’s the difference between knowing about Jesus and knowing Him?
  • The Savior is the rock; we build our foundation on Him. What are you doing right now that ties your life to that rock?

Class screen: 💬 Hearing it or doing it?

6. Game

Lightning Showdown

3 min

A fast team quiz locks in the big teachings of Matthew 6–7.

  1. Split into two teams and pick captains. Tap Scripture Showdown.
  2. Play as many questions as fit in three minutes. Five-second huddle; only the captain answers.
  3. Steal rule: if a team misses, the other team steals by naming the verse.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: ⚡ Lightning Showdown: Matthew 6–7

7. Game

Forehead Guess: Sermon on the Mount, Part 2

4 minBONUS

A fun bonus round if you have time.

  1. Tap Forehead Guess. One volunteer holds your phone or tablet to their forehead; the class gives clues without saying the word.
  2. Tilt down for got it, up to pass. 45-second turns; switch guessers.
▶ Play Forehead Guess on the web

Class screen: 🤔 Forehead Guess: Matthew 6–7 edition

8. Testimony

A Rock in Your Pocket

2 min

End quiet with a physical reminder to build on the Savior by doing, and a testimony of what holds in a storm.

  1. Hand each youth a small rock. Say: “Put this in your pocket or on your desk this week. Every time you touch it, do one thing Jesus taught, for an audience of one.”
  2. Lower your voice. In a minute or less, share a time when doing the basics kept you standing in a storm, even when you didn’t feel much.
  3. Invite a youth to offer the closing prayer.

Class screen: 🪨 Hear it. Do it. Build on the Rock. · Matthew 7:24

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A small rock or pebble for each person

  1. Have everyone press one palm flat on the floor or the wall. Say: “That’s bedrock. This week, every time you touch something solid like this, do one thing Jesus taught, for an audience of one.”
  2. Lower your voice. In a minute or less, share a time when doing the basics kept you standing in a storm, even when you didn’t feel much.
  3. Invite a youth to offer the closing prayer.

Story drama

Two Builders, Senior Year

Matthew 7:7–29 ↗

Parts to hand out

  • NarratorReads the setup of each scene like a documentary.
  • TessA senior who quietly does the basics even when she doesn’t feel much; reads Matthew 7:20 to Kade.
  • KadeA senior who knows every answer in seminary but has never really prayed about any of it himself; knocks in scene 6.
  • The StormTwo or three youth who make the rain, wind and flood sounds and swirl around each builder.
  • The CrowdEveryone else: tap “likes,” then read Matthew 7:28–29 together in astonished voices.

Scenes

  1. 🏗️📖 Two friends. Same class. Same sermon.

    Tess and Kade sit next to each other in seminary. They hear the same lessons and can both quote the Sermon on the Mount. Both would say they believe. The difference isn’t what they hear. It’s what they do on an ordinary Tuesday.

    🎬 Tess and Kade sit side by side, nodding along. The narrator reads Matthew 7:24.

  2. 🔒📲 One prays in secret. One posts the verse.

    Tess prays in her car before school where nobody sees, reads a few minutes most mornings and quietly does baptisms at the temple on Saturdays. Kade posts a great verse with a sunset and gets a hundred likes. He means it. He just hasn’t built much underneath it yet.

    🎬 Tess bows her head in a pretend car. Kade holds up his phone; the Crowd calls out “Like! Like! Like!” The narrator reads Matthew 6:6.

  3. 🌧️🌬️ Senior year: the storm hits Tess

    In February, Tess’s parents tell her they’re separating. She’s angry and has hard questions. But she doesn’t stop praying; her prayers just get more honest. She talks with her bishop and keeps going to seminary, even on days she feels nothing.

    🎬 The Storm swirls around Tess with rain and wind sounds. She wobbles, but her feet stay planted. The teacher reads Matthew 7:25.

  4. ⛈️📱 The same storm hits Kade

    The same month, Kade watches a viral video attacking the Church, and his best friend says he’s done with church. Kade realizes he has never prayed about any of it on his own. His whole testimony was borrowed, and it’s sliding.

    🎬 The Storm swirls around Kade. He wobbles and sits down hard. The teacher reads Matthew 7:26–27.

  5. 🍎🌳 “By their fruits ye shall know them”

    Kade asks Tess how she’s still standing. She shows him how she sorts things out: What fruit does this video produce in people? What fruit has living the gospel produced in my family and me? Then ask God yourself, not the comment section.

    🎬 Tess reads Matthew 7:20 to Kade. Kade looks at his phone, then puts it face down.

  6. 🚪✊ Ask. Seek. Knock.

    That night Kade tries something new: a real prayer, alone, out loud, honest about his doubts. Then he reads, and he texts his bishop. No lightning bolt. Just a first stone set on bedrock, and a promise that whoever knocks will have the door opened.

    🎬 Kade knocks three times on a table: once for Ask, once for Seek, once for Knock. Everyone reads Matthew 7:7 together.

  7. 🏠🪨 Not hearers only, but doers

    When Jesus finished the sermon, the people were astonished: He taught with authority, not like the scribes. Tess is still standing. Kade is rebuilding, this time on the Rock. The difference was never how much they knew. It was whether they did it.

    🎬 The Crowd reads Matthew 7:28–29 together in astonished voices. Tess and Kade stand back to back.

Key verse

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 plain words: Saying the right words about Jesus isn’t enough. The people who enter His kingdom are the ones who actually do Heavenly Father’s will.
🙌 Three beats: “Not every one that saith… Lord, Lord” = hand opening and closing by your mouth like talking · “shall enter into the kingdom of heaven” = shake your head no · “but he that doeth the will of my Father” = both hands roll up sleeves, ready to work. Say it twice.

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: When you pray, go somewhere private and shut the door. Heavenly Father sees what nobody else sees, and He will bless you for it.
Matthew 6:21 ↗
“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
In plain words: Whatever you treasure most is where your heart will end up.
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: Ask and you’ll receive. Look and you’ll find. Knock and the door will open.
Matthew 7:20 ↗
“Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”
In plain words: You can tell what something really is by what it produces in people’s lives.

Forehead Guess words19 words

  • 🪙 Alms
  • 🎺 Trumpet
  • 🚪 Closet
  • 🙏 Lord’s Prayer
  • 🍞 Daily Bread
  • 💎 Treasure in Heaven
  • 🦋 Moth and Rust
  • ⚖️ Two Masters
  • 💰 Mammon
  • 🌸 Lilies of the Field
  • 🔍 Mote
  • 🪵 Beam
  • ✊ Ask, Seek, Knock
  • 🤝 Golden Rule
  • 🐑 Sheep’s Clothing
  • 🍎 Fruits
  • 🏠 Wise Man
  • 🏖️ Sand
  • 📜 Authority
Clues for each word
  • Alms: Gifts to the poor, given in secret
  • Trumpet: What hypocrites sound when they give
  • Closet: Where to go and shut the door to pray
  • Lord’s Prayer: “After this manner therefore pray ye”
  • Daily Bread: What we ask for each day
  • Treasure in Heaven: No moth, rust or thieves can touch it
  • Moth and Rust: They ruin earthly treasures
  • Two Masters: No man can serve them both
  • Mammon: Worldly riches; can’t serve it and God
  • Lilies of the Field: They toil not, yet God clothes them
  • Mote: The tiny speck in your brother’s eye
  • Beam: The giant plank in your own eye
  • Ask, Seek, Knock: Three invitations, three promises
  • Golden Rule: Do unto others as you’d want done to you
  • Sheep’s Clothing: How false prophets disguise themselves
  • Fruits: How you can tell a good tree
  • Wise Man: Built his house upon a rock
  • Sand: Where the foolish man built
  • Authority: How Jesus taught, unlike the scribes
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown9 questions

  1. Jesus warned against doing alms for what reason?
    • A. To pay off a debt
    • B. To be seen of men
    • C. To earn a blessing
    Show answer

    ✅ B. To be seen of men Matthew 6:1. The Father who sees in secret rewards openly.

  2. Where did Jesus say to go when you pray?
    • A. Into your closet, with the door shut
    • B. To the corners of the streets
    • C. Onto a high mountain
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Into your closet, with the door shut Matthew 6:6. Private prayer is between you and Heavenly Father.

  3. “Where your treasure is, there will your ___ be also.”
    • A. Money
    • B. Family
    • C. Heart
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Heart Matthew 6:21. What you value most shapes who you become.

  4. According to Jesus, you cannot serve God and what?
    • A. Mammon
    • B. Caesar
    • C. The Pharisees
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Mammon Matthew 6:24. Mammon means worldly riches.

  5. How does the Joseph Smith Translation clarify “Judge not”?
    • A. Never judge anyone
    • B. Judge not unrighteously, but judge righteous judgment
    • C. Only leaders may judge
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Judge not unrighteously, but judge righteous judgment JST Matthew 7:1–2, in the footnote.

  6. What was in the hypocrite’s own eye?
    • A. A mote
    • B. A tear
    • C. A beam
    Show answer

    ✅ C. A beam Matthew 7:3–5. Fix your own beam before the other person’s speck.

  7. How did Jesus say we can know false prophets?
    • A. By their fruits
    • B. By their clothing
    • C. By their crowds
    Show answer

    ✅ A. By their fruits Matthew 7:15–20. Look at what their teachings produce.

  8. The JST changes “I never knew you” in Matthew 7:23 to what?
    • A. “Ye never obeyed me”
    • B. “Ye never knew me”
    • C. “I never saw you”
    Show answer

    ✅ B. “Ye never knew me” We come to know the Savior by doing His will.

  9. Why were the people astonished at the end of the sermon?
    • A. He spoke for three days
    • B. He healed everyone
    • C. He taught as one having authority
    Show answer

    ✅ C. He taught as one having authority Matthew 7:28–29: not as the scribes.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

From general conference

“Every time we faithfully receive, review, remember, and renew sacred covenants, our spiritual anchors are secured ever more firmly and steadfastly to the “rock” of Jesus Christ.”

— Elder David A. Bednar, “Be Still, and Know That I Am God,” April 2024

Read it with the last discussion question, about what ties your life to the rock.

Read the talk ↗
“But taking action after praying is a sign that our faith is real—faith that is tested in moments of pain, fear, or disappointment.”

— Elder Taylor G. Godoy, “Call, Don’t Fall,” April 2024

Read it in the Two Builders story right after Kade knocks (scene 6).

Read the talk ↗

Songs

  • How Firm a Foundation Hymns, no. 85

    The manual pairs this hymn with the wise builder: a foundation laid on the Lord. Find it ↗

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

    Ask, seek, knock, and pray in your closet. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Audience of One

Carry your rock all week. Each day do one good thing that nobody else will ever know about: a secret act of service, a prayer in your closet, a quiet fast, a kind word you don’t take credit for. Once this week, when you see something online about the Church, run the fruit test before you react: what does this produce, and what has living the gospel produced in you? Then ask Heavenly Father yourself.

Text the parents

Today in class we finished the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6–7): doing good for Heavenly Father’s eyes instead of an audience, judging righteously, testing ideas by their fruits, and building on the Savior by doing, not just hearing. Your youth brought home a small rock as a reminder. Ask: “What’s one thing you did this week that only Heavenly Father saw?” (Let them keep it private if they want!)

📝 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?

🙏 Your Prayer Pattern · 6 min

  1. Read Matthew 6:9–13 and compare 3 Nephi 13:9–13. Note the JST footnote on verse 13: “suffer us not to be led into temptation.”
  2. List the parts: praise, His will before ours, daily needs, forgiveness (as we forgive), protection.
  3. SAY“It’s a pattern, not a script to repeat (see verse 7).” Invite each youth to plan tonight’s prayer using the pattern in their own words.

🌸 Consider the Lilies · 5 min

  1. Read Matthew 6:25–34 and the footnote on “take no thought” in verse 25: the Greek means anxious concern.
  2. Ask: “What future worries eat at you most: college, money, a mission, finding the right person?”
  3. Read verse 33 together. Ask: “What would seeking first the kingdom look like in how you plan your next two years?”

🍎 Fruit Inspection Lab · 7 min

  1. Invite youth to describe (without links) a kind of claim they’ve seen online about the Church or about faith in general.
  2. Walk through four questions together: Who is saying it and why? What fruit does it produce in people who follow it? What do the scriptures and living prophets teach? What does the Spirit feel like as I consider it?
  3. Point them to For the Strength of Youth, “Truth Will Make You Free,” and invite them to bring any question to you, their parents or the bishop.

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 16–18 lessons