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The Little Town with the Big Promise

About 700 years before Jesus was born, the prophet Micah said the Savior would come from little Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), and that promise came true. This first week of December kicks off your family’s Christmas countdown: follow a star through the house, make a paper-chain countdown, build a “stronghold” fort, and give Jesus secret gifts from Micah 6:8. Sunday is the first Sunday of December, which is fast Sunday in most wards.

  • Week 49
  • 📅 Nov 30 – Dec 6, 2026
  • 📖 Micah; Nahum; Habakkuk; Zephaniah
Start with Monday
Come, Follow Me manualOld Testament 2026, week 49

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 · 10 min · Story

Follow the Star!

🐪 Follow the star all the way to Bethlehem!You are the wise men.Where will the King be born?Micah knew!

📖 Read together: Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:1–11 ↗

  1. Before you start, set a doll or a rolled-up blanket to be young Jesus in a “house” (a chair or blanket fort) in a far room. The wise men found Jesus in a house, not the manger (Matthew 2:11). Cut out a paper star (or use a flashlight).
  2. Open the story scenes and read them together, one screen at a time.
  3. When the wise men see the new star, your kids become wise men. Hold up the star and lead a slow, grand journey through the house.
  4. Stop at a chair “palace” where you play King Herod, and the wise men ask, “Where is the new King?” Then your kids switch to being Herod’s chief priests and answer, “In Bethlehem! The prophet Micah said so!”
  5. Follow the star to the house where young Jesus is. Have everyone kneel and quietly give an imaginary gift.
  6. SAY“Micah’s promise came true, 700 years later. Heavenly Father always keeps His promises.”

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

Talk about it
  • How did King Herod’s helpers know where Jesus would be born?
  • What promise has Heavenly Father made to you?
🧸 Little ones (2–5)Let your little one carry the star at the front of the parade and set it above young Jesus’s house at the end.
📚 Big kids (10–13)Have your 10–13-year-old play the chief priest: find Micah 5:2 in the scriptures and read it to “King Herod.”
🧑 Teens (14–18)Have your teen read Micah 5:2 and Matthew 2:3–6, then point out that the chief priests knew exactly where the Messiah would be born, yet there’s no record they went to look. Ask: what’s the difference between knowing the right answer and going to see for yourself?
☕️ For grown-upsMicah 5:2 says the ruler’s “goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” The baby in Bethlehem was the premortal Jehovah; this Christmas, let the manger remind you how far He came down.

Sticker for today: 🌟

Tuesday · 7 min · Verse

Three Steps to Walk with God

👣 Step, step, step: walk with God!Be fair. 🤝Love being kind. 🤗Walk close to God. 🙏Micah 6:8

📖 Read together: Micah 6:8 ↗

  1. Open the key verse screen and read Micah 6:8 together.
  2. Set up three spots in a line on the floor using pillows or paper. Label them “Do Justly,” “Love Mercy” and “Walk Humbly.”
  3. Walk the line together holding hands. On each spot, stop and act it out: shake hands for fair play, give a hug for mercy, fold arms and bow heads for walking humbly with God.
  4. Walk it three times, saying the verse a little faster each time.
  5. SAY“This is what the Lord really wants from us. It’s a gift we can give Jesus every day.”

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

Talk about it
  • What does “do justly” look like at recess or with your siblings?
  • How can you love mercy when someone isn’t nice to you?
🧸 Little ones (2–5)Let your little one jump from spot to spot while you say each part, and do the hug on the mercy spot.
📚 Big kids (10–13)Ask your 10–13-year-old to come up with a real example from their week for each of the three parts.
🧑 Teens (14–18)Ask your teen to read Micah 6:6–8, where someone wonders if God wants thousands of rams or rivers of oil. Have them rewrite verses 6–7 for today (what might a teenager think they have to “offer” to be good enough?) and then read verse 8 as the answer.
☕️ For grown-upsMicah 6:8 is a relief for overwhelmed parents: the Lord’s requirements fit in one sentence. Pick the one of the three (justice, mercy or humility) you most need this week, and let that be enough.

Sticker for today: 👣

Wednesday · 10 min · Activity

The Wait-for-It Paper Chain

⏳ Wait for it… wait for it… Christmas!Make a link for every day.Can you wait one whole minute?

📖 Read together: Habakkuk 2:3 ↗

  1. Read Habakkuk 2:3 together. Say: “The prophets waited hundreds of years for Jesus to come. We only have to wait a few weeks until Christmas!”
  2. Cut paper strips, one for each day until Christmas. On each strip, have your kids write or draw a tiny way to think of Jesus that day (sing a Christmas song, read a Christmas verse, do a secret kindness).
  3. Loop and tape the strips into a chain and hang it up. Each night, tear off one link and do what it says.
  4. Play the Wait-for-It game: set the timer for one minute and see if everyone can sit perfectly still with a treat in front of them. Waiting is hard, but it’s worth it!

⏱️ Big Timer (in the Gospel Sparks app)

Talk about it
  • Why do you think the Lord sometimes asks us to wait?
  • What are you waiting for right now?
🧸 Little ones (2–5)Your little one can pick the colors, help tape the links and be in charge of the Wait-for-It treat.
📚 Big kids (10–13)Have your 10–13-year-old read Habakkuk 3:17–18 and share how Habakkuk chose to rejoice even when things were hard.
🧑 Teens (14–18)Invite your teen to read Habakkuk 1:2–4, where a prophet tells God it feels like He isn’t listening, and then Habakkuk 2:1–3. Ask: is it okay to bring hard questions to God? What did Habakkuk do while he waited for an answer?
☕️ For grown-upsHabakkuk opens with a complaint, “how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear!” (Habakkuk 1:2), and ends by choosing joy even if the fig tree doesn’t blossom. His short book shows that honest questions and deep faith can live in the same person.

Sticker for today: 🔗

Thursday · 10 min · Game

Stronghold Fort Night

🏰 Build the fort! Then play in it!Jesus is our stronghold.Forehead Guess inside the fort!

📖 Read together: Nahum 1:7 ↗

  1. Build a quick blanket fort over chairs or the table together. Call it “the stronghold.”
  2. Read Nahum 1:7 inside the fort with a flashlight. Say: “A stronghold keeps you safe. Jesus is our stronghold when things are hard or scary.”
  3. Play Forehead Guess in the fort with this week’s Bethlehem words.
  4. Before you crawl out, have each person name one way Jesus helps them feel safe.

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

Talk about it
  • When have you needed a “stronghold” to feel safe?
  • How does praying or thinking about Jesus help you feel brave?
🧸 Little ones (2–5)Let your little one be the fort guard with a flashlight who lets each player in by saying, “Jesus keeps us safe!”
📚 Big kids (10–13)Let your 10–13-year-old design and build the fort and be the game host.
🧑 Teens (14–18)Ask your teen what a “strong hold” (Nahum 1:7) looks like for someone their age in real life: a person, a habit or a place where they feel safe with the Lord. Then let them play the hardest words in the game.
☕️ For grown-upsNahum 1:7 ends with “he knoweth them that trust in him.” In a season of hard news, remember that the Lord isn’t only powerful; He knows you personally.

Sticker for today: 🏰

Friday · 10 min · Service

Secret Gifts for Jesus

🤫 Ding-dong! Leave a secret gift and run!Make it.Sneak it.Nobody can know!

📖 Read together: Micah 6:8; Micah 7:18–19 ↗

  1. SAY“Tonight we’re giving Jesus a present by serving someone in secret, just like Micah 6:8 says: be fair, be kind, walk with God.”
  2. Pick a neighbor or a family member. Make a card, draw a picture, or bake a simple treat together (skip treats for anyone with food allergies you don’t know about).
  3. Sneak it to their door, knock or ring, and run! Or hide it on a family member’s pillow.
  4. When you get home, read Micah 7:19. Say: “Jesus is so merciful He throws our sins into the deep sea. We can be merciful too.”
Talk about it
  • How do you think they felt when they found the surprise?
  • Why is a secret gift a good present for Jesus?
🧸 Little ones (2–5)Your little one can color the card and be the one who knocks before everyone runs.
📚 Big kids (10–13)Have your 10–13-year-old plan and lead a second secret gift on their own before Christmas.
🧑 Teens (14–18)Give your teen full ownership of one secret gift for someone outside the family (a teacher, a coach, a lonely neighbor): they plan it, pay for it from their own money if they can, and tell no one but you.
☕️ For grown-upsMicah 7:18 says the Lord “delighteth in mercy”; He enjoys it. Think of one person you’ve been keeping a quiet ledger on, and whether you could share a little of that delight in letting it go.

Sticker for today: 🎁

Saturday · 8 min · Activity

He Sings Over You

🎶 The Lord is happy about YOU!Find the mystery picture.Then sing a Christmas song!

📖 Read together: Zephaniah 3:17 ↗

  1. Read Zephaniah 3:17 together. Say: “The Lord is so happy about you, it’s like He sings over you!”
  2. Play Mystery Picture together with this week’s words.
  3. Sing a Christmas song from the Children’s Songbook, like “Stars Were Gleaming” or “Away in a Manger,” to get ready for tomorrow.
  4. Tomorrow is fast Sunday in most wards. Explain that grown-ups (and kids who are ready) skip two meals and give that money to help people in need. Choose one thing to pray about as a family.
  5. Lay out Sunday clothes together.

🧩 Play along: Mystery Picture with this week’s words (from the CTR 8 lesson; pick your kid’s class above for theirs)

Talk about it
  • What does it feel like to know the Lord is happy about you?
  • What should our family pray about tomorrow?
🧸 Little ones (2–5)Let your little one shake a “jingle” (keys or a spoon on a pot) while the family sings.
📚 Big kids (10–13)Invite your 10–13-year-old to choose the fast Sunday purpose and say the prayer to start the fast, if they’d like.
🧑 Teens (14–18)Have your teen read Zephaniah 3:17 and choose the fast purpose with you. If they’re fasting, talk about how to make it more than skipping food: pick someone to pray for, and let them help fill out the family’s fast offering donation.
☕️ For grown-upsZephaniah 3:17 pictures the Lord rejoicing over His people with singing. Many adults can believe God loves them; fewer believe He enjoys them. Sit with that possibility tonight.

Sticker for today: 🎶

Sunday · 6 min · Sabbath

Fast Sunday Star

⭐ What did you learn in Primary today?Hang up the star.Share one thing you know about Jesus.

📖 Read together: Micah 7:7 ↗

  1. Ask: “What did you learn in Primary today? Did you hear anything about Bethlehem?”
  2. Talk about the testimonies you heard in sacrament meeting. Ask: “Which one did you like and why?”
  3. Read Micah 7:7 together. Before you end the fast or eat dinner, kneel for a family prayer about the purpose you chose.
  4. Hang the paper star from Monday somewhere everyone can see it. Share one short thing you know about Jesus, and invite your kids to share too.
Talk about it
  • What did you learn in Primary today?
  • What is one gift you want to give Jesus this Christmas?
🧸 Little ones (2–5)Let your little one hang the star (with a lift up) and fold their arms for the family prayer.
📚 Big kids (10–13)Invite your 10–13-year-old to share a short testimony at home, or to think about sharing one at church next fast Sunday.
🧑 Teens (14–18)Invite your teen to read Micah 7:7–8 and share what “when I fall, I shall arise” has looked like in their year, or to think about bearing a short testimony at church next fast Sunday.
☕️ For grown-upsMicah 7:7 is a good posture for parents: “I will wait for the God of my salvation.” As you end your fast, name one thing you’ve been trying to fix alone, and hand it to Him in the family prayer.

Sticker for today: ✨

Family challenge

Micah 6:8 Spotters

Set a jar by the paper star. All week, watch for each other being fair, showing mercy or walking humbly with God (a quiet prayer, a real sorry). When you spot one, write it on a slip with the person’s name and drop it in. On Sunday night, read the slips out loud as your family’s first Christmas gift to Jesus.

Parent Corner

Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah can read like a run of doom, but look closely and they’re full of hope. Micah names Bethlehem as the Messiah’s birthplace (Micah 5:2) and boils down everything the Lord requires into three short phrases (Micah 6:8). Nahum reminds a frightened people that the Lord is a stronghold (Nahum 1:7). Habakkuk is the Old Testament’s honest questioner: he asks why evil seems to go unchecked, stands on his watchtower waiting for an answer, and finally rejoices in the Lord even with empty fields and empty stalls (Habakkuk 3:17–18). Zephaniah ends with the Lord rejoicing over His people with singing (Zephaniah 3:17). For parents starting a busy December, these prophets offer a simple frame: do justly, love mercy, walk humbly, and trust that His promises come in His time.

  • Ponder: What honest question have you been hesitant to bring to the Lord, and what might it look like to bring it to Him this week the way Habakkuk did?
  • Try this: Read Habakkuk 3:17–19 and write your own version: “Although … yet I will rejoice in the Lord.” Fill in the blanks with what is actually hard in your life right now.

From general conference

“Without the blessings that come from Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, we can never do enough or be enough by ourselves. The good news, though, is that because of and through Jesus Christ we can become enough.”

— Elder Dale G. Renlund, “Do Justly, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly with God,” October 2020

For parents on Tuesday after Micah 6:8, especially if you feel you’re never doing enough.

Read the talk ↗

Dinner-table questions

  • If you were a wise man, what gift would you bring to Jesus?
  • Micah’s promise took 700 years. What’s the longest you’ve ever waited for something?
  • What does “love mercy” mean to you?
  • Who is the kindest person you know, and what makes them kind?
  • What is your favorite Christmas song, and why?

Sources

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

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