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Only Believe

A father kept waiting, a woman who wouldn’t give up, and the Savior’s first missionary training for the Twelve

  • 🏔️ Youth 16–18
  • Week 10
  • 📅 Sunday, March 7, 2027
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

When fear and delay come, Jesus Christ asks us to keep believing, and He sends His disciples, then and now, to freely give what they have freely received.

I can keep believing in Jesus Christ when I’m afraid or when His help seems late, and I can prepare now to be sent out as His witness.

Study it yourself firstRead Matthew 9–10; Mark 5; Luke 9 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Matthew 9–10; Mark 5; Luke 9)
Know the chapters

Mark 5:22–43 weaves two miracles together. Jairus is a ruler of the synagogue, a respected local leader. He begs Jesus to come heal his dying 12-year-old daughter. On the way, a woman pushes through the crowd. She’s suffered a flow of blood for twelve years and spent everything on doctors. She touches His clothes and is healed. Jesus stops and asks who touched Him. He waits until she tells Him “all the truth.” Under the law of Moses, her condition had made her ritually unclean for twelve years, in Leviticus 15:25. So being called “Daughter” in public and sent away in peace healed more than her body. Meanwhile, word comes that Jairus’s daughter has died. Jesus’s answer to the father is today’s key verse: “Be not afraid, only believe.”

Matthew 10 is the Savior’s first missionary training. He names the Twelve Apostles in Matthew 10:2–4 and gives them power to heal. He sends them out with almost nothing. No money, no extra coat, no spare shoes. He warns them plainly about rejection and persecution. He promises the Spirit will give them words “in that same hour,” in Matthew 10:19–20. The word apostle means “one sent forth.” Today’s Apostles are called as special witnesses of the name of Christ in all the world, in D&C 107:23. Luke 9:1–6 tells the same sending.

Some verses are hard, and it’s worth being honest. Matthew 10:34–37 says the Savior came to bring “a sword.” It says following Him could divide families. He wasn’t endorsing conflict. He was warning that choosing Him would sometimes cost His followers relationships. Some of your youth may be the only active members in their homes. Luke 9:23–25 and Matthew 10:38–39 teach that disciples take up their cross. They find their lives by losing them for His sake. The Joseph Smith Translation explains what taking up the cross means. It’s denying ourselves all ungodliness and worldly lusts, and keeping His commandments. See JST Matthew 16:26, in the footnote to Matthew 16:24.

Many 16–18-year-olds are within a year or two of mission papers, college or the temple. Fear of the unknown is real. The woman’s effort and Jairus’s patience are both forms of faith. President Russell M. Nelson described her pushing through the crowd as spiritual stretching. That’s in his April 2017 talk “Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives.” Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s April 2022 talk “Fear Not: Believe Only!” was addressed right to the youth of the Church.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Mark 5:22–43 and skim Matthew 10. Open with Rank the Fears. Hand out the search passages from the screen and let each group report one insight. Read Mark 5:36 together. Keep two discussion questions and end with your testimony. Short on time or people? Do Searches 1–3 together as a class.

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 Mark 5:22–43 slowly, twice. Read it once as Jairus and once as the woman. Then skim Matthew 10.
  2. Is there a returned missionary in the ward? Ask them ahead of time for one sentence about a time the right words came “in that same hour.”
  3. If you have time, read Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s April 2022 talk “Fear Not: Believe Only!” You’ll read one line from it in the discussion.

If your class is wild

  • It’s fast Sunday, so some youth may be hungry and flat. Use the bonus Stretch early to get them on their feet.
  • Rank the Fears asks about “people our age,” not “you.” That keeps it safe and still gets honest answers.
  • Six searches is a lot for a small class. Give each pair two passages, or do Searches 1–3 together.
  • Future missionaries in the room will light up at Matthew 10. Invite one to report Search 4.
  • If a youth has lost someone they prayed for, the raising of Jairus’s daughter can sting. Say so gently. Faith doesn’t always change the outcome, but Jesus never leaves.

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

Rank the Fears

3 min

Naming the fears people their age carry makes Jesus’s words to Jairus feel aimed at real life, not just a Bible story.

  1. SAY“Not you personally. People our age. Show me on your fingers, one to five. How heavy is each fear?”
  2. Read each fear on the screen.
  3. Point out any surprises. Ask, “What makes fear worse? Bad news, or waiting for news?” Let two people answer.
  4. SAY“Today we meet a dad who got both. He asked Jesus for help. And then Jesus stopped for someone else.”

Class screen: 😬 How heavy is each fear for people our age? · The future: college, jobs, mission calls · Someone I love getting sick · Not being enough · The news · Being alone

2. Story

Search and Report

9 min

Pairs and small groups search Mark 5 and Matthew 10 themselves and each teaches the class one insight about fear, faith and being sent.

  1. SAY“Six passages, six search teams. Each team finds one insight and teaches it to us in thirty seconds.”
  2. Give each pair or group a passage from the screen. Tap Big Timer for two minutes to read and agree on one insight.
  3. Show each scene in order as its team reports. After Search 3, ask, “What did faith look like for the woman?” Then ask, “For Jairus?”
  4. After Search 5, have your returned missionary share their one sentence, if you asked one ahead of time.
🌪️ If a group finishes early, have them find Matthew 10:29–31. They read it aloud when Search 5 reports.
⏱️ Big Timer (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🔎 Search your passage. Bring back one insight. · Two minutes · Thirty seconds to teach it

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Scriptures: the youth’s own Gospel Library app, or a printed Bible for each pair

  1. SAY“Six passages. I’ll read each one. You’re the search team. Call out what you notice.”
  2. Read the key verses of each passage from your own scriptures. Or let youth with Gospel Library read.
  3. After each one, ask the scene’s question and take one or two answers.
  4. After Search 3, ask, “What did faith look like for the woman? For Jairus?” She pushed and reached. He waited and kept believing.
3. Scripture

Be Not Afraid, Only Believe

4 min

Youth learn the five words Jesus said to Jairus at the worst possible moment.

  1. SAY“Five words, said to a father at the worst moment of his life.”
  2. Read Mark 5:36 together with the memory hooks. Say it twice.
  3. SAY“Sometimes faith is reaching out your hand. Sometimes it’s standing there while He helps someone else first.”
  4. Ask, “Which one is harder for you, reaching or waiting?” Take two answers.

Class screen: 🛡️ “Be not afraid, only believe.” · Mark 5:36

4. Talk it over

Real Talk

4 min

Honest questions connect fear, waiting and being sent to the choices youth are facing now.

  1. SAY“Let’s talk about the real version of this.”
  2. Pick two or three questions. Ask one at a time and let silence work.
  3. Before the last question, read Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s one line from this lesson’s conference quote.
  4. Share one honest answer yourself.
💬 Ask the class
  • Jairus had to wait while Jesus helped someone else. Then the worst news came. When has it felt like God was helping everyone but you?
  • The woman spent twelve years and all her money on other fixes first. What do people our age try before turning to the Savior?
  • Jesus sent the Twelve out with almost nothing. That’s in Matthew 10:9–10. What would traveling light look like on a mission today?
  • Matthew 10:19–20 promises the words will come “in that same hour.” How ready do you need to feel before you serve, share or say yes to a calling?
  • What helps you keep believing while some of your questions are still unanswered?

Class screen: 💬 Real talk

5. Testimony

Only Believe

3 min

Ending with Mark 5:36 gives each youth the Savior’s words for whatever they are afraid of right now.

  1. SAY“Think of the fear at the top of your own list. Now imagine Him turning to you, like He turned to Jairus, with these five words.”
  2. Give them fifteen seconds.
  3. Share a short time you were afraid and kept believing. Tell what the Lord did, even if it wasn’t what you asked for.
  4. Introduce the Read Your Call Letter challenge. Ask a youth to pray.

Class screen: 🙌 “Be not afraid, only believe.” · Mark 5:36

6. Wiggle break

Stretch

2 minBONUS

A bonus physical stretch makes the woman’s reach into a picture of the spiritual effort it takes to draw on the Savior’s power.

  1. SAY“Everyone stand. Reach for the ceiling, as high as you can. Hold it.”
  2. Wait five seconds. Then say, “Now reach two inches higher.”
  3. Ask, “Where did those two inches come from?” You found more when you were asked.
  4. SAY“She pushed through the crowd anyway, and she reached.”
  5. Turn to a neighbor. Name one small “two more inches” you could try this week.

Class screen: 🙆 Reach high. Now reach two inches higher. · What’s your spiritual “two more inches” this week?

7. Game

Scripture Showdown

4 minBONUS

A bonus team quiz reviews Mark 5, Matthew 9–10, and Luke 9.

  1. SAY“Two teams. Ten seconds to agree on each answer.”
  2. Tap Scripture Showdown. Give a bonus point if a team can name the chapter.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown: Matthew 9–10; Mark 5; Luke 9

Scripture search in pairs

Search and Report: Only Believe

Mark 5:22–43; Matthew 10; Luke 9:23–25 ↗

Scenes

  1. 🙇 Search 1: Jairus asks · Mark 5:22–24

    Jairus is a ruler of the synagogue. And he falls at Jesus’s feet in front of everyone. My little daughter is dying. Look for exactly what he asks for. And look for what makes the trip to his house so slow.

    🙌 Report one insight. What did it cost an important man to ask like that?

  2. 🤲 Search 2: She reaches · Mark 5:25–34

    A woman has been sick for twelve years. She’s out of money. She pushes through the crowd to touch His clothes. Look for what she tried first, and what she did. And look at what Jesus calls her at the end.

    🙌 Report one insight. Why do you think Jesus stopped and made her come forward?

  3. 📨 Search 3: The worst news · Mark 5:35–43

    Jesus is still talking with her when messengers arrive. Your daughter is dead. Look for Jesus’s first words to Jairus. And look at what He does at the house.

    🙌 Report one insight. What does “only believe” ask of a father who just heard the worst news?

  4. ✉️ Search 4: Sent out · Matthew 10:1–15

    Jesus names the Twelve. He sends them out with almost nothing. No money. No extra coat. No spare shoes. Look for one instruction, and one reason they could travel so light.

    🙌 Report one insight. What does “freely ye have received, freely give” mean for a missionary today?

  5. 🐑🐺 Search 5: Sheep among wolves · Matthew 10:16–31

    Jesus warns them plainly. Rejection. Courts. Even family trouble. Then come the promises. Look for what He says about the words they’ll need. And about sparrows.

    🙌 Report one insight. Which promise would help a nervous missionary, or a nervous you?

  6. ✝️ Search 6: Take up your cross · Matthew 10:34–42

    Now the hardest verses. Following Him can cost relationships. And disciples take up their cross. Read Luke 9:23–25 too. Look for what we lose, and what we find.

    🙌 Report one insight. What does taking up your cross “daily” look like at seventeen?

Key verse

Mark 5:36 ↗
“Be not afraid, only believe.”
In plain words: Don’t let fear decide. Keep trusting Jesus Christ, even when the news is bad.
🙌 Memory hooks: “Be not afraid” = hand out flat like a stop sign to your fear · “only” = one finger up · “believe” = hand over heart.

More verses

Mark 5:34 ↗
“Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.”
In plain words: Jesus called her Daughter and told her that her faith had made her whole.
Matthew 10:8 ↗
“Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.”
In plain words: Jesus sent the Twelve to bless people and told them: you received for free, so give for free.
Matthew 10:19–20 ↗
“take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.”
In plain words: Don’t panic about what to say. When the moment comes, the Spirit will give you the words.
Luke 9:23 ↗
“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”
In plain words: Following Jesus means putting Him ahead of yourself and choosing Him again every single day.

Forehead Guess words16 words

  • 🙇 Jairus
  • 🕛 Twelve years
  • 🧥 His clothes
  • 👥 Crowd
  • 📨 Messenger
  • 😭 Mourners
  • 🌅 Talitha cumi
  • 🧭 Apostle
  • 🧾 Matthew the publican
  • 🐦 Sparrows
  • 🕊️ Serpents and doves
  • 🐺 Wolves
  • 👟 Dust
  • 🌾 Laborers
  • ✝️ Cross
  • 🧳 Missionary
Clues for each word
  • Jairus: Synagogue ruler whose daughter was dying
  • Twelve years: The woman’s illness and the girl’s age
  • His clothes: “If I may touch but ___, I shall be whole”
  • Crowd: Thronged Jesus on the way to Jairus’s house
  • Messenger: Brought the news: “Thy daughter is dead”
  • Mourners: Wailed, then laughed Him to scorn
  • Talitha cumi: “Damsel, I say unto thee, arise”
  • Apostle: Means “one sent forth”
  • Matthew the publican: Left his tax table to follow Jesus
  • Sparrows: Not one falls without the Father
  • Serpents and doves: Be wise like one, harmless like the other
  • Wolves: The Twelve were sent like sheep among them
  • Dust: Shake it off your feet when rejected
  • Laborers: The harvest is plenteous, but they are few
  • Cross: Take it up daily and follow Him
  • Missionary: Sent out today, like the Twelve were then
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown9 questions

  1. What did Jairus ask Jesus to do?
    • A. Teach in his synagogue
    • B. Lay hands on his dying daughter
    • C. Heal his servant
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Lay hands on his dying daughter Mark 5:23. He fell at Jesus’s feet and begged.

  2. How long had the woman been sick?
    • A. Twelve years
    • B. Three days
    • C. Forty years
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Twelve years Mark 5:25. The same number as the daughter’s age (5:42).

  3. What did Jesus call the woman after she told Him the truth?
    • A. Sister
    • B. Friend
    • C. Daughter
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Daughter Mark 5:34: “Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole.”

  4. What did Jesus say to Jairus after the news of death?
    • A. “Go home and mourn”
    • B. “Be not afraid, only believe”
    • C. “She is with God”
    Show answer

    ✅ B. “Be not afraid, only believe” Mark 5:36. Five words for the worst moment.

  5. Which three disciples went into Jairus’s house?
    • A. Peter, James, and John
    • B. Andrew, Philip, and Thomas
    • C. Matthew, Judas, and Simon
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Peter, James, and John Mark 5:37. The same three later saw the Transfiguration.

  6. “Freely ye have received…”
    • A. “…so keep it safe”
    • B. “…freely give”
    • C. “…then rest”
    Show answer

    ✅ B. “…freely give” Matthew 10:8, from the Savior’s charge to the Twelve.

  7. The Twelve were sent like sheep among…
    • A. shepherds
    • B. lambs
    • C. wolves
    Show answer

    ✅ C. wolves Matthew 10:16. So be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

  8. What did Jesus promise about what to say when on trial?
    • A. The Spirit will give the words
    • B. Write a speech ahead
    • C. Stay silent
    Show answer

    ✅ A. The Spirit will give the words Matthew 10:19–20: “it shall be given you in that same hour.”

  9. What was Matthew doing when Jesus called him?
    • A. Fishing
    • B. Collecting taxes
    • C. Farming
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Collecting taxes Matthew 9:9. He sat “at the receipt of custom,” then arose and followed.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

From general conference

“So please, please, stay for the whole feast even if you are not sure about the broccoli.”

— Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “Fear Not: Believe Only!,” April 2022

Read in Real Talk, right before the last question about believing while some questions are unanswered.

Read the talk ↗

Songs

  • Called to Serve Hymns, no. 249

    Matthew 10 is the first missionary call. Great for a room full of future missionaries. Find it ↗

  • How Firm a Foundation Hymns, no. 85

    A hymn of the Lord’s promises to the fearful, for a lesson built on “Be not afraid.” Find it ↗

  • Come, Follow Me Hymns, no. 116

    Matthew called from his tax table, the Twelve sent out: it all starts with following. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Read Your Call Letter

This week, read Matthew 10 as if the Savior wrote it to you. Mark one instruction and one promise you want to live by now, not someday. Then take something you’ve freely received and freely give it to one person. It could be a talent, a ride, your testimony or your time.

Text the parents

This week we searched Mark 5, about Jairus and the woman who touched Jesus’s clothes. We also read Matthew 10 like a mission call letter. Ask your teen what Jesus said to Jairus when the worst news came. Which promise in Matthew 10 would help them most right now?

📝 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?

🧳 Pack Like the Twelve · 4 min

  1. Read Matthew 10:9–10. If you brought the coat, shoes and empty wallet, hold them up. Set them aside one at a time.
  2. Ask, “What did the Twelve have to rely on instead?” The Lord, the Spirit and the kindness of the people they served.
  3. Ask, “What do you rely on that you might need to set down to rely on Him more?”

🧭 Special Witnesses Today · 4 min

  1. Read Matthew 10:1–4 and D&C 107:23.
  2. Ask youth to name any of today’s Apostles. What’s one thing one of them taught that they remember?
  3. Ask, “How is an Apostle’s calling like the Twelve’s in Matthew 10? How is your future mission like it?”

🚜 The Hand on the Plough · 3 min

  1. Read Luke 9:57–62. A farmer who looks back while ploughing cuts a crooked furrow.
  2. Ask, “What might pull someone your age to keep looking back after deciding to follow Him?”

⚡ Fill-in Race: Matthew 9–10 · 3 min

  1. Two teams stand in lines. Read a phrase with a blank. The first person in each line races to answer, then goes to the back.
  2. Try these: “Freely ye have received, freely ___,” give, in 10:8. Then “wise as serpents, and harmless as ___,” doves, in 10:16.
  3. Then: “ye are of more value than many ___,” sparrows, in 10:31. And “the harvest truly is plenteous, but the ___ are few,” labourers, in 9:37.
  4. After each answer, give one sentence about what it means for a disciple.

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.

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