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Storm-Proof

Two builders who heard the exact same sermon, a paper-tower storm test, a prayer pattern from the Master, and a beam in your own eye

  • 🧭 Youth 11–14
  • 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 and 7:1–5, 24–29. Do the stand-up “heard it or did it?” poll, run the Rock Stance vs. Sand Stance storm test (no supplies needed), let Teach Mode carry the builders drama (you read Jesus’s words), break down the Lord’s Prayer pattern and teach Matthew 7:24, play Ask, Seek, Knock, and close by asking each youth to pick one “stone” to actually do this week. Brought nothing? Tap “I brought nothing”: every step has a version.

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. Divide the paper and tape into two equal kits, one per team.
  2. Pick your storm spot: a table or floor space where both towers can stand side by side.
  3. Read Matthew 6:9–13 and find the parts of the Lord’s Prayer: who we address, praise, His will, daily needs, forgiveness, help against evil, and ending in praise.
  4. Assign drama roles in the My Class tab: Wise Builder, Foolish Builder, the Rain, the Wind, the Floods.
  5. Think of a storm in your own life where what you’d done before it hit (not just what you knew) kept you standing. You’ll share it in two sentences at the end.

If your class is wild

  • The tower challenge gets competitive fast. Set clear limits: two minutes to build, hands off during the storm, and the storm-maker fans from the same distance for both towers.
  • Don’t shame the team whose tower falls. The point of the parable is that storms come to everyone, and the fix is always the foundation.
  • The Wind and the Rain are great roles for your loudest youth. Big sound, zero touching.
  • Make the prayer section personal but not public. Nobody has to share their own prayers; talk about the pattern, not anyone’s habits.
  • If a youth is going through a real storm (a family move, divorce, illness), keep examples general and let them lead how much they share.

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

Heard It or Did It?

2 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.” (Most stand.)
  2. “Stay standing if you can name one thing it asked you to do.” (Some sit.)
  3. “Stay standing if you actually did it.” (Watch the room. Stand or sit honestly yourself.)
  4. SAY“Jesus ended His whole sermon with a story about exactly this. Everyone who sat down, don’t feel bad. Today’s 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. Game

Storm-Proof Tower

5 min

A build-and-storm challenge shows that what holds up in a storm is the foundation, not how good it looks.

  1. Two teams, two kits (paper and tape). Say: “Build the tallest tower you can in two minutes. It has to survive a storm.” Start the timer.
  2. When time’s up, measure heights. Then bring the storm: fan each tower from the same distance, counting three big waves.
  3. Score: a point for the tallest, three points for still standing. Twist: ask the teams what made the survivor survive (usually a wide, taped-down base).
  4. SAY“Both teams built with the same materials. What decided it was the foundation. Jesus said the same thing about our lives.”
🌪️ Hands off the table during the storm. A team that touches its tower loses the survival points.
⏱️ Big Timer (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🏗️ Build it tall. Then survive the storm. · Two minutes to build · Three waves of storm

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Twenty sheets of scrap paper and a roll of masking tape (or a box of paper clips) for the tower challenge, A folder, cutting board or piece of stiff cardboard to fan with (the storm)

Rock Stance, Sand Stance

  1. Everyone stands. Round 1, sand stance: feet together, on tiptoes, arms at sides. Tap the Sound Board wind and call “Storm!” Everyone sways with the wind as hard as they can without moving their feet. Who wobbles?
  2. Round 2, rock stance: feet wide, knees bent, weight low. Same storm, bigger sways. Who stays put?
  3. Ask: “Same people, same storm. What changed?” (The foundation.)
  4. SAY“Jesus said the same thing about our lives.”

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

3. Story

Story Drama: Two Builders, One Storm

5 min

Acting out the parable shows that both builders heard the same words and faced the same storm; doing made the difference.

  1. Hand out roles (tap Roles in Teach Mode). Everyone else is the Astonished Crowd. You read Jesus’s words yourself.
  2. Read each scene and pause for the action. In scene 4, let the storm build to its loudest, then cut it off with one hand.
  3. After scene 5, have a youth read Matthew 7:26–27. Ask: “What did the two builders have in common?” (Same sermon, same storm.) “So what was the only difference?”
  4. Ask: “In our drama, both houses looked the same from the outside. Why can a life built on sand look fine until the storm comes?”
🌪️ Practice “storm stops” once before you start: when your hand goes up, every sound stops instantly.

Class screen: 🎭 Same sermon. Same storm. Different foundation. · Matthew 7:24–29

4. Scripture

The Pattern Prayer

5 min

Teams break down the Lord’s Prayer to find a pattern for real, private prayer, then memorize Matthew 7:24.

  1. Have a youth read Matthew 6:5–8. Ask: “What two mistakes does Jesus warn about?” (Praying to be seen; vain repetitions.)
  2. In teams, read Matthew 6:9–13 and find as many parts as you can: who we talk to, praise, His will, daily needs, forgiveness, help against evil, ending in praise. Most parts found wins.
  3. Point out that the Joseph Smith Translation reads “suffer us not to be led into temptation.” Ask: “Why does that change matter?” (God doesn’t tempt anyone.)
  4. SAY“It’s a pattern, not a script. Tonight, try a prayer with no phrases you say every time.”
  5. Teach Matthew 7:24 with the motions. Say it twice together, then once as fast as you can.
🌪️ Only one person per team holds the scriptures; teammates call out parts they spot.

Class screen: 🙏 The Lord’s Prayer: a pattern, not a script. · Matthew 6:5–13 · Matthew 7:24

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Scriptures: Bibles, a quad, or Gospel Library on phones (one per team of two or three)

The Pattern Prayer: Call It Out

  1. Read Matthew 6:5–8 from your own scriptures or Gospel Library. Ask: “What two mistakes does Jesus warn about?”
  2. Read Matthew 6:9–13 slowly. Each time youth hear a new part (who we talk to, praise, His will, needs, forgiveness, help against evil), the first to stand and name it scores for their team.
  3. Mention the Joseph Smith Translation (“suffer us not to be led into temptation”) and say: “It’s a pattern, not a script.”
  4. Teach Matthew 7:24 with the motions. Say it twice together.
5. Wiggle break

Ask, Seek, Knock

2 min

A fast command game turns Matthew 7:7 into muscle memory.

  1. Hand your phone or tablet to a youth Command Leader. Commands: “Ask!” = hand raised high · “Seek!” = hand over eyes, spin to look · “Knock!” = knock on the air three times · “Opened!” = throw arms wide.
  2. The leader calls faster and faster. Trick command: “Give up!” Anyone who moves does three jumping jacks and jumps back in.
  3. End with everyone saying Matthew 7:7 together with the moves.

Class screen: 🚪 Ask! Seek! Knock! Don’t give up! · Ask · hand up · Seek · look around · Knock · knock three times · Opened · arms wide

6. Talk it over

Beams, Fruits and Foundations

4 min

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

  1. Circle up. A youth reads each question from your phone or tablet and picks who answers. Anyone can pass.
  2. Keep answers short so more voices get in, and 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?
  • Jesus said to get the beam out of your own eye first (Matthew 7:3–5). 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

7. Testimony

One Stone This Week

2 min

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

  1. Wait for real quiet. Say: “Every time you do something Jesus taught, you set a stone on the rock. Pick one stone for this week: a real private prayer, forgiving someone, the Golden Rule online, seeking first the kingdom. Don’t say it out loud.”
  2. Share your two sentences about a storm where what you’d already done kept you standing.
  3. Testify that Jesus Christ is the sure foundation, that storms will come, and that people built on Him stay standing.
  4. Introduce the challenge and ask a youth to pray.

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

8. Game

Forehead Guess: Sermon on the Mount

4 minBONUS

A quick team review of the people, pictures and sayings from Matthew 6–7.

  1. Tap Forehead Guess. One youth holds your phone or tablet on their forehead facing the class.
  2. Hard mode: clue-givers can’t say the word or any word in the hint.
  3. Teams alternate 45-second turns; keep score.
▶ Play Forehead Guess on the web

Class screen: 🤔 Forehead Guess: no words from the hint!

9. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

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

  1. Keep the same teams. Tap Scripture Showdown.
  2. Read each question aloud; teams get ten seconds to decide, then point.
  3. Bonus point if the winning team can name the verse.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown!

Story drama

Two Builders, One Storm

Matthew 7:24–29 ↗

Parts to hand out

  • Wise BuilderDigs deep, grunts through the hard work, and sets every stone on the rock.
  • Foolish BuilderPicks the beachfront view, builds fast, takes selfies, and is very pleased with the results.
  • The RainPatters fingers on the table, then pounds harder and harder.
  • The WindWhooshes loudly and sways the room (no touching).
  • The FloodsRumbles low and rolls hands forward like rising water.
  • The Astonished CrowdEveryone else: hears the sermon, reacts to both houses, and is astonished at the end.

Scenes

  1. ⛰️ Same sermon. Same crowd. Two listeners.

    Jesus was finishing His Sermon on the Mount. Imagine two people in the crowd who heard every word: be humble, pray in secret, forgive, don’t judge unrighteously, treat others the way you want to be treated. Both of them nodded. Both of them went home.

    🎬 The Wise Builder and the Foolish Builder sit in the Crowd and nod at the same moment. Then both stand and walk to opposite sides of the room.

  2. ⛏️ One builder digs down to the rock

    Picture the Wise Builder digging. Down through the sand, down through the dirt, all the way to solid rock. It was probably slow, sweaty, boring work, and nobody could see it. Luke 6:48 says he dug deep.

    🎬 The Wise Builder digs in slow motion, groaning, wiping sweat, then carefully sets heavy invisible stones.

  3. 🏖️ The other builds fast, with a great view

    Now picture the Foolish Builder skipping all that. Sand is easy. Maybe the view is amazing. The house goes up in no time and looks great. From the outside, you might not be able to tell the two houses apart.

    🎬 The Foolish Builder builds at double speed, stands back admiring it, and poses for an invisible selfie. The Crowd gives a thumbs-up.

  4. ⛈️ The rain descended, the floods came, the winds blew

    Then the storm came, to both houses. Not a sprinkle. The rain pounded, the floods rose, and the wind slammed into the walls. Notice this: following Jesus didn’t mean the Wise Builder skipped the storm.

    🎬 The Rain drums on tables, the Wind whooshes, the Floods rumble and roll forward. Both Builders brace against their walls. Everyone gets louder… louder…

  5. 🏠 One house stood. It was founded upon a rock.

    When the storm passed, the Wise Builder’s house was still standing. Wet, battered, but standing. The Foolish Builder’s house fell, and great was the fall of it. The only difference was what each builder did with what they heard.

    🎬 Storm stops instantly. The Wise Builder stands tall. The Foolish Builder slowly collapses to the floor in dramatic slow motion.

  6. 😮 “He taught them as one having authority”

    When Jesus finished, the crowd was astonished. Other teachers quoted other teachers. Jesus spoke like He owned the words, because He did. He is the rock the Wise Builder built on.

    🎬 The Astonished Crowd gasps together and looks at each other. The Foolish Builder gets up and joins the Wise Builder.

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 (Matthew 6–7): praying in private with real words, judging righteously, and the wise and foolish builders who heard the same words and faced the same storm. We built paper towers and tested them in a storm. Ask your youth: which teaching did you pick to actually do this week, and how can our 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 Skit · 3 min

  1. One youth holds a “beam” (a broom, a rolled poster or just their arms held out straight from their face) and tries to help a friend get a tiny speck out of their eye, knocking into everything.
  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. Ask everyone to check their phone’s screen time (or estimate it) and their last three searches, silently.
  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 a few kinds of advice youth hear (from influencers, friends, prophets, 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?”

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 11–14 lessons