Gospel Sparks Join the beta

Jesus Can Heal and Calm

This week is packed with miracles: four friends lower a man through a roof, a storm stops at Jesus’s word, and Jesus heals people who couldn’t walk, see or get well any other way. Kids learn that Jesus has power over bodies, hearts and storms, and that He forgives us when we repent. It’s a great week to talk about times Jesus has helped your family feel peace, even when the miracle looked different than you hoped.

  • Week 9
  • 📅 Feb 22–28, 2027
  • 📖 Matthew 8; Mark 2–4; Luke 7
Start with Monday
Read it togetherMatthew 8; Mark 2–4; Luke 7 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualNew Testament 2027, week 9

What your kids learn in class

Stories, verses and games for the week come from each child’s own Primary or youth lesson, so home matches Sunday.

Daily sparks

Five to ten minutes a day, Monday to Sunday. Grown-ups lead; kids act, play and answer. Where a step says to tap something, that’s in the Gospel Sparks app; on the web, use the “Play along” links.

Monday · 8 min · Story

Storm on the Sea

🌊 Make the storm… then FREEZE!Rock the boat.Make it thunder!Freeze when the storm stops.

📖 Read together: Mark 4:35–41 ↗

  1. Open the story scenes and read them together in your best storyteller voice.
  2. Spread a blanket on the floor for a boat and have everyone climb in as Jesus’s disciples. Set a picture of Jesus “asleep” on a pillow at the back of the boat.
  3. Read Mark 4:37–38 while the family makes the storm: rain with fingers, wind with whooshing, waves by rocking side to side, thunder by patting the floor. Get louder and wilder!
  4. Read Mark 4:39. Everyone freezes and the room goes perfectly silent.
  5. SAY“Even the wind and the waves obey Jesus. When we’re scared, He can calm the storm inside us too.”

🎭 Play along: the story scenes (from the CTR 8 lesson; pick your kid’s class above for theirs)

Talk about it
  • How do you think the disciples felt when the waves filled the boat?
  • What are some storms that kids go through?
🧸 Little ones (2–5)Let your little one be in charge of thunder (patting the floor) and practice the big freeze.
📚 Big kids (10–13)Ask your 10–13-year-old to find the four questions in Mark 4:35–41 and choose which one means the most to them.
🧑 Teens (14–18)Have your teen read Mark 4:38 closely: “Master, carest thou not that we perish?” Ask if they’ve ever felt God was asleep during their storm. Let the honest question sit for a moment before anyone rushes to an answer, then read verses 39–40 together.
☕️ For grown-upsJesus was in the boat the whole time, even while He slept. The disciples didn’t doubt that He could help; they wondered whether He cared. When you’ve felt that, what eventually showed you He did?

Sticker for today: ⛵

Tuesday · 6 min · Verse

Press Your Peace Button

👍 Scared or upset? Press your Peace Button!Thumb in your palm.Whisper the words.Say a prayer inside.

📖 Read together: Mark 4:39 ↗

  1. Open the key verse screen and read it together three times: as a roaring storm, as a breeze, then in a calm whisper.
  2. Add motions: wave your arms wildly for the wind, then slowly lower them flat for the great calm.
  3. Teach the Peace Button: press your thumb into the palm of your hand, whisper “Peace, be still,” and say a quick prayer in your heart.
  4. Practice it together: a thunderstorm at night, a bad dream, a fight with a sibling, a scary test. Press the button every time!

📖 Play along: the key verse (from the CTR 8 lesson; pick your kid’s class above for theirs)

Talk about it
  • What makes you feel scared or worried?
  • When could you use your Peace Button this week?
🧸 Little ones (2–5)Hold your little one’s hand and press the Peace Button together while you whisper the words.
📚 Big kids (10–13)Have your 10–13-year-old share a real “storm” kids their age face and how praying for peace can help.
🧑 Teens (14–18)Ask your teen what actually helps when stress spikes: a big test, friend drama, a late-night spiral of worry. Talk about pairing a quick prayer with practical help like sleep, a walk or a trusted adult, and make sure they know they can always come to you.
☕️ For grown-ups“Peace, be still” was spoken to the sea, but it works on parents too. When the house gets loud this week, press your own peace button before you raise your voice. Kids learn calm by borrowing ours.

Sticker for today: 🕊️

Wednesday · 10 min · Activity

Through the Roof!

🤝 Four friends who wouldn’t give up!Grab a corner of the mat.The door is too crowded!Open the roof!

📖 Read together: Mark 2:1–12 ↗

  1. Read Mark 2:1–5 and 2:11–12 together.
  2. Make a “house” by draping a blanket over two chairs, and set a picture of Jesus inside. Lay a stuffed animal on a towel (the mat).
  3. Have your kids be the four friends: each grabs a corner of the towel, carries the “sick man” to the house, finds the door “too crowded,” then lifts the blanket roof and gently lowers him inside.
  4. SAY“Jesus healed the man’s body, and He forgave his sins too. Two miracles! And it started with friends who wouldn’t give up.”
Talk about it
  • What two kinds of healing did Jesus give the man?
  • Who has been a never-give-up friend to you?
🧸 Little ones (2–5)Let your little one pick the stuffed animal and be the one who says “Up on the roof!”
📚 Big kids (10–13)Have your 10–13-year-old read Mark 2:5–12 and explain why some people were upset when Jesus forgave sins.
🧑 Teens (14–18)Read Mark 2:9–11 with your teen. Anyone can say “Thy sins be forgiven”; nobody can see it happen. Jesus healed the body so people would know He had power over the invisible thing. Ask: which healing do you think the man needed more?
☕️ For grown-upsMark 2:5 says Jesus saw “their faith,” the friends’ faith, not only the man’s. Your faith can carry your kids to Jesus on days theirs is small. Who are you carrying right now, and who is carrying you?

Sticker for today: 🏠

Thursday · 10 min · Game

Game Night: Miracle Charades

🎭 Guess the word, then act the miracle!Forehead Guess first.Then act it out.No talking allowed!
  1. Play Forehead Guess with this week’s words. Cheer loud for every right guess!
  2. Then play Miracle Charades: take turns silently acting out someone Jesus helped (a man picking up his bed, a sick man with leprosy made clean, a fever going away, a boat in a storm, a widow’s son sitting up again). Everyone guesses.
  3. SAY“In the scriptures, Jesus helped person after person. He knows each one of us by name, too.”

🤔 Play along: Forehead Guess (from the CTR 8 lesson; pick your kid’s class above for theirs)

Talk about it
  • Which miracle was the most fun to act out?
  • Why do you think Jesus helped so many people?
🧸 Little ones (2–5)Give your little one an easy charade, like rocking in a boat or waking up from sleep.
📚 Big kids (10–13)Have your 10–13-year-old read Matthew 8:5–13 and act out the centurion’s amazing faith for the family to guess.
🧑 Teens (14–18)Have your teen read Matthew 8:8–10 and explain why a Roman officer understood authority so well, and why Jesus marveled at him. Ask what faith like that would look like in something they’re waiting on right now.
☕️ For grown-upsThe person Jesus holds up for great faith here is a Roman outsider (Matthew 8:10). Faith often shows up in unexpected people. Who around you has faith you could learn from?

Sticker for today: 🎲

Friday · 8 min · Service

Roof-Opening Friends

💌 Be a friend who carries others to Jesus!Who needs cheering up?Make them something.Deliver it together!

📖 Read together: Mark 2:3–4 ↗

  1. Read Mark 2:3–4 again. Say: “Those friends worked hard to bring someone to Jesus. We can be friends like that.”
  2. Think together of someone who is sick, sad, new or lonely: a neighbor, a grandparent, a classmate.
  3. Make them something today: a get-well card, a drawing, a short video message, or a plate of cookies (ask about food allergies first).
  4. Deliver it (or send it) together. Say: “When we help people, we’re helping carry them closer to Jesus.”
Talk about it
  • How do you think the person felt when they got our surprise?
  • How can you be that kind of friend at school?
🧸 Little ones (2–5)Let your little one add stickers or a scribble to the card and ring the doorbell.
📚 Big kids (10–13)Ask your 10–13-year-old to write the message and choose the person, then help deliver it or check in with them later.
🧑 Teens (14–18)Ask your teen to think of a friend who is struggling but wouldn’t ask for help or come to church. What would “opening the roof” look like for them: an invite, a ride, sitting by them at lunch? Let them plan it and decide how much to share with you.
☕️ For grown-upsThe four friends didn’t fix their friend; they got him to Jesus, even when it meant tearing open a roof. Ministering is often just persistence and showing up. Is there someone you’ve been meaning to check on?

Sticker for today: 🤲

Saturday · 8 min · Talk

Clean Shoes, Clean Hearts

✨ Shiny shoes and a clean heart!Clean the Sunday shoes.Jesus forgives when we repent.Play the quiz!

📖 Read together: Luke 7:37–38, 47–50 ↗

  1. Read Luke 7:37–38 and 7:47–50. Say: “This woman was sorry for her sins, and she showed Jesus how much she loved Him. Jesus forgave her.”
  2. Line up everyone’s Sunday shoes and clean them together with a damp cloth. As you wipe, talk about how repenting and taking the sacrament tomorrow can make our hearts feel clean.
  3. SAY“Jesus loves us even when we make mistakes. When we repent, He forgives us.”
  4. Play the family quiz for a quick review of the week.

🏆 Play along: Scripture Showdown (from the CTR 8 lesson; pick your kid’s class above for theirs)

Talk about it
  • How does Jesus feel about us when we make a mistake?
  • How can the sacrament help you feel clean inside?
🧸 Little ones (2–5)Give your little one a cloth to “clean” their own small shoes while you talk.
📚 Big kids (10–13)Have your 10–13-year-old read Luke 7:40–47 (the story of the two debtors) and explain what it teaches about love and forgiveness.
🧑 Teens (14–18)Read Luke 7:39 and 44–47 with your teen. Simon had already judged the woman; Jesus asked him, “Seest thou this woman?” Ask who at school gets seen only through their reputation, and what it would look like to see them the way Jesus did.
☕️ For grown-upsJesus says the woman loved much because she knew how much she had been forgiven (Luke 7:47). Sometimes a lukewarm heart is really a forgotten debt. Take a moment to remember what the Savior has forgiven you.

Sticker for today: 👟

Sunday · 6 min · Sabbath

A Peaceful Sabbath

🕊️ Jesus can bring peace to any storm.Teach what you learned.One quiet minute.Say thank you.

📖 Read together: Mark 4:39–41 ↗

  1. Ask: “What did you learn in Primary today?” Let your kids teach you with as many actions as they want.
  2. Share a real time Jesus helped you feel peace, or helped someone you love get better. Keep it short and simple.
  3. SAY“Sometimes Jesus heals right away, and sometimes He helps us through the hard thing. Either way, He is with us.”
  4. End with one quiet, still minute. Then each person thanks Heavenly Father for one way Jesus has helped them.

⏱️ Big Timer (in the Gospel Sparks app)

Talk about it
  • What did you learn in Primary today?
  • When have you felt peaceful inside?
🧸 Little ones (2–5)Let your little one cuddle up with you for the still minute and whisper one thank-you.
📚 Big kids (10–13)Invite your 10–13-year-old to share a time they felt Jesus’s help, or to ask a question they’ve been wondering about miracles.
🧑 Teens (14–18)Invite your teen to ask the hard question honestly: why does Jesus heal some people and not others? Don’t rush to fix it. Share what you’ve learned about trusting Him when the miracle you wanted didn’t come, and let them see that you still believe.
☕️ For grown-upsThese miracles are also signs: power over sickness points to power over sin (Mark 2:10). Even when the physical healing we pray for doesn’t come in this life, the deeper healing He offers is always within reach.

Sticker for today: 🕊️

Family challenge

Carry Someone to Jesus

As a family, pick one person who is having a hard time. Pray for them by name every night this week, and do one kind thing for them before Sunday, just like the four friends who carried their friend to Jesus.

Parent Corner

These chapters stack miracle upon miracle: a leper, a centurion’s servant, Peter’s mother-in-law, a paralyzed man, a withered hand, a widow’s only son, a storm. Mark 2 hands us the key to reading all of them. Jesus heals the paralyzed man’s body so the crowd will know He has power to forgive sins, something no one can see happen. The visible miracles are windows onto the invisible one He offers everyone. That changes how we carry our own unanswered prayers for healing. Some bodies are not made well in this life, but the healing that matters most, being forgiven, cleansed and made whole in Christ, is offered to every person who comes to Him, including the woman in Simon’s house whom everyone else had already written off.

  • Ponder: Are you more like Simon or the woman in Luke 7 right now: keeping quiet score of other people, or at Jesus’s feet, aware of your own need?
  • Try this: Write down three times the Savior has healed or helped you, including quiet, invisible ones. Share one of them with your family on Sunday.

From general conference

“Considering we still have a long way to go to reach perfection, perhaps it would be better if we sit at Jesus’s feet and plead for mercy for our own imperfections, as did the repentant woman in the Pharisee’s house, and not spend so much time and energy fixating on the perceived imperfections of others.”

— Elder Ulisses Soares, “The Savior’s Abiding Compassion,” October 2021

For parents on Saturday, alongside Luke 7:36–50.

Read the talk ↗

Dinner-table questions

  • Which miracle this week would you most like to have seen?
  • When have you felt scared and then felt calm?
  • How can we be like the four friends who carried the man?
  • What would you say to someone who prayed for a miracle and didn’t get it yet?
  • Why do you think Jesus forgave the man before He healed his body?

Sources

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version, the Bible used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

All family weeks