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Be Not Afraid of Their Faces

A young prophet with every excuse, a crowd that mocks him daily, and a fire he can’t keep in

  • 🔥 Youth 14–16
  • Week 43
  • 📅 Sunday, October 25, 2026
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

God knew me before I was born and sent me here now on purpose, so I don’t have to be older, louder or more popular to stand for Him; He is with me, even when people mock me.

I can stand for what I believe with honesty and kindness, even when it’s awkward, because God knows me and is with me.

Study it yourself firstRead Jeremiah 1–3; 7; 16–18; 20 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Jeremiah 1–3; 7; 16–18; 20)
Know the chapters

Jeremiah was called as a prophet while he was still young, around forty years before Jerusalem fell to Babylon. When the Lord told him, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee… and I ordained thee a prophet” (1:5), Jeremiah’s first reaction was an excuse: “I cannot speak: for I am a child” (1:6). The Lord didn’t argue about his age. He said, “Say not, I am a child… Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee” (1:7–8), touched his mouth, and promised to make him “an iron pillar” (1:18).

Jeremiah 1:5 is also a key witness of premortal life. Latter-day scripture teaches that we lived with God before this life and that some were chosen there for work on earth (Abraham 3:22–23; Alma 13:3; D&C 138:55–56). For the Strength of Youth (“God’s plan is for you”) reminds youth that knowing God’s plan helps them know who they really are and who they can become, and gives them courage in hard times.

The rest of the block shows how hard Jeremiah’s calling was. He told people the Lord had been abandoned like “the fountain of living waters” for “broken cisterns, that can hold no water” (2:13). He stood at the temple gate and warned people not to trust in empty words while living wrongly (7:1–7). At the potter’s house he watched a marred pot get reshaped into something new (18:1–6). A priest named Pashur had him beaten and put in the stocks (20:1–2), and Jeremiah admitted he was mocked every day and wanted to quit. But the Lord’s word was “as a burning fire shut up in my bones,” and he couldn’t hold it in (20:7–9).

Teachers-age youth and Young Women live with Jeremiah’s problem daily: they are young, many feel they can’t speak up, and faith can make you the odd one out at school or online. Don’t promise them it will be easy or that no one will mock them; Jeremiah’s own record says otherwise. Promise what the Lord promised: I am with thee. The goal isn’t loud, preachy courage. It’s honest, kind, steady courage.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Jeremiah 1:4–10, 18:1–6 and 20:7–9. Run the Excuse Generator hook, let the youth act out Jeremiah’s Worst Week from Teach Mode (you read the Lord’s words), do the Iron Pillar balance challenge, have a youth teach Jeremiah 1:5–8, then play Pressure Test with the timer. For the discussion, use the Broken Cistern demo or its no-supplies version. Close with a short testimony that God knows them. Brought nothing? Tap “I brought nothing”.

What to bring3 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. Poke 4–5 holes in the bottom of a cup with a pen. Test it over the sink so you know how fast it drains.
  2. Text a confident youth on Saturday: “Will you play Jeremiah in a short scene on Sunday? You’ll read a few verses from Jeremiah 1 and 20.” Text another: “Will you teach a 3-minute part of class on Jeremiah 1:5–8? Come ready to ask: what excuses do people our age use for not standing up for what they believe?”
  3. Read Jeremiah 1, 18:1–6 and 20:1–9 once through.
  4. Think of a time you felt too young, too new or too scared to speak up for something you believed, and what happened. You’ll share it briefly.

If your class is wild

  • This lesson can drift into “be brave and bear your testimony at lunch!” Don’t. Honest, kind courage often looks quiet: not laughing at the joke, leaving the chat, answering a sincere question simply.
  • In Pressure Test, let youth play the pressure role with realism but no crude content. If a scenario gets uncomfortable, pause, laugh it off, and reset.
  • Some youth have been genuinely mocked or excluded for their faith. If someone shares that, thank them and don’t rush past it.
  • Put your quietest confident youth in the Jeremiah role. The part is about a reluctant speaker; a naturally loud kid makes it less believable.
  • If energy dips after the story, go straight to the Iron Pillar challenge before any talking.

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

The Excuse Generator

3 min

Rapid-fire excuses get laughs and honesty, and set up Jeremiah’s own excuse in 1:6.

  1. SAY“Rapid fire. You have 45 seconds. Give me every excuse a teenager could use for NOT doing something hard for God: speaking up, saying no to friends, inviting someone to church, bearing testimony, leaving a group chat.” Start the Big Timer.
  2. Ask a youth to type them into their phone as fast as people call them out: I’m too young, I’ll do it later, it’s awkward, someone else will, I’m not good at talking, I’ll lose friends, I don’t know enough…
  3. Read the list back. Ask: “Which one is the most common? Which is the most honest?”
  4. SAY“Jeremiah had one too, and he used it on the Lord directly. Let’s see how that went.”
⏱️ Big Timer (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🙅 Every excuse for not standing up for God. Go! · 45 seconds · Jeremiah 1:6

2. Story

Jeremiah’s Worst Week

6 min

Acting out Jeremiah’s call, his mockers and his fire-in-the-bones moment shows youth that courage isn’t the absence of fear; it’s trusting that the Lord is with you anyway.

  1. Hand out roles (tap Roles in Teach Mode). Say: “No one plays the Lord. When He speaks, I’ll read His words.”
  2. Run the scenes. Jeremiah reads his own verses from real scriptures.
  3. Keep the Mockers realistic but kind to the actor; they’re mocking the character, not the classmate.
  4. After scene 8, ask: “What changed between scene 7 and scene 8?” (Nothing outside changed. The mocking was still there. Something inside him was stronger.)
  5. Ask: “Jeremiah wanted to quit. Why does it matter that the scriptures kept that part in?”
🌪️ If the Mockers get too into it, the Narrator can call “Scene!” and everyone freezes. Then continue.

Class screen: 🔥 Jeremiah’s Worst Week: called, mocked, locked up, still standing · Jeremiah 1; 7; 18; 20

3. Wiggle break

Iron Pillar Challenge

2 min

A balance challenge shows physically what the Lord promised Jeremiah: steadiness comes from where you fix your eyes.

  1. Everyone stands. Round 1: “Stand on one foot, eyes closed, for 20 seconds.” Start the Big Timer. (Most will wobble or fall.)
  2. Round 2: “Same thing, but eyes open, fixed on one spot on the wall that doesn’t move.” (Much easier.)
  3. Read Jeremiah 1:18: the Lord made Jeremiah “an iron pillar.” Then Jeremiah 17:7–8: the person who trusts the Lord is like a tree planted by water that stays green in drought.
  4. Ask: “What’s the fixed point for you when everyone around you is wobbling?”
⏱️ Big Timer (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🧍 Stand on one foot. Eyes closed. Now eyes on one fixed point. · “An iron pillar” – Jeremiah 1:18

4. Scripture

Youth-Led: Known Before You Were Born

4 min

A youth teaches Jeremiah 1:5–8 and helps the class connect premortal identity to present courage.

  1. The youth you texted reads Jeremiah 1:5 aloud. Ask: “If God knew you before you were born, what does that say about why you’re here now, in this school, this family, this year?”
  2. The youth briefly explains: latter-day scripture teaches that we lived with God before this life and that many were prepared there for work here (Abraham 3:22–23; D&C 138:55–56).
  3. The youth reads the key verse, Jeremiah 1:7–8, and teaches the motions. Everyone says it together twice.
  4. The youth asks: “Which excuse from our list does ‘Say not, I am a child’ answer? What does ‘Be not afraid of their faces’ mean at school or online?”
🌪️ If the youth teacher gets a quiet room, suggest they ask the person on their left first, then go around.

Class screen: 🧬 “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee.” · Jeremiah 1:5–8 · Say not, I am a child

5. Game

Pressure Test

4 min

Quick role-played pressure moments let youth practice honest, kind, steady responses before they need them for real.

  1. Pairs come up one at a time. One plays the Pressure (a friend, not a villain). The other has 20 seconds to respond. Start the Big Timer.
  2. The class scores the response with fingers: 1 point each for Honest, Kind and Steady. Three fingers = a perfect response.
  3. Scenarios: “Wait, you actually believe all that church stuff?” · “Just come. Nobody’s parents will know.” · “Everyone’s sharing this video; watch it.” · “Can you tell my mom I was at your house?” · “Seminary is so pointless. Why do you even go?”
  4. Ask afterward: “What made a response strong? Was it being loud?” (Usually it was being calm, honest and not preachy.) Say: “That’s being an iron pillar. You don’t have to win the argument. You just don’t have to move.”
🌪️ Model the first one yourself as the responder. Being willing to try it first makes it safe for them.
⏱️ Big Timer (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🎯 Pressure Test: honest, kind, steady. You have 20 seconds. · 1 finger = honest · 2 = kind · 3 = steady

6. Talk it over

Real Talk: Leaky Cisterns

4 min

A quick demo of a leaking cup opens honest discussion about what we try to fill ourselves with, and how the Lord reshapes us.

  1. Hold the cup with holes over the bowl and pour in water from the bottle. Watch it drain out. Read Jeremiah 2:13.
  2. SAY“A cistern is a tank dug into rock to store water. Why would anyone leave a fountain for this?”
  3. Sit in a circle and let a youth read the questions from the screen and pick who answers.
💬 Ask the class
  • What are some “broken cisterns” teens try to fill themselves with? Why do they leave us thirsty again so fast?
  • What helps you actually drink from the “fountain of living waters,” not just visit it?
  • At the potter’s house, the pot collapsed and the potter reshaped it (Jeremiah 18:4). What does that tell you about the Lord and your mistakes?
  • Jeremiah admitted he wanted to quit (20:9). Is it OK to feel like that about your faith sometimes? What kept him going?
  • What’s one place in your life where you need to remember “I am with thee” this week?

Class screen: 🕳️ Fountain or leaky cistern: what are you drinking from? · Jeremiah 2:13

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A paper or plastic cup with several holes poked in the bottom, a water bottle, and a bowl or tray to catch the water

Real Talk: Leaky Hands

  1. Everyone cups their hands like a bowl. Say: “Imagine I’m pouring water in. Now spread your fingers a tiny bit.” Tap splash on the Sound Board. Read Jeremiah 2:13.
  2. SAY“A cistern is a tank dug into rock to store water. Why would anyone leave a fountain for a cracked one?”
  3. Sit in a circle and let a youth read the questions from the screen and pick who answers.

Class screen: 🤲 Fountain or leaky cistern: what are you drinking from? · Jeremiah 2:13

7. Testimony

He Knew You Then. He’s With You Now.

2 min

A quiet, real testimony connects Jeremiah’s promise to the youth’s own lives.

  1. Share briefly your experience of feeling too young or too scared to speak up, and what the Lord did.
  2. SAY“The Lord didn’t promise Jeremiah that no one would mock him. He promised ‘I am with thee.’ I’ve found that promise to be true.” Add one sentence of testimony.
  3. Give the challenge. Invite a youth to pray.

Class screen: 🤝 “I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.” · Jeremiah 1:8

8. Game

Scripture Showdown

4 minBONUS

A quick team quiz reviews Jeremiah 1–20.

  1. Two teams. Tap Scripture Showdown.
  2. 10 seconds per question; bonus point for finding the verse.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown: Jeremiah

9. Game

Draw & Guess: Jeremiah

3 minBONUS

A quick drawing race reviews the images Jeremiah used.

  1. Tap Draw & Guess. One youth draws a word from the lesson on your phone or tablet; the class guesses.
  2. Teams alternate. 30 seconds per drawing.
🖍️ Draw & Guess (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: ✏️ Draw & Guess: Jeremiah Edition

Story drama

Jeremiah’s Worst Week

Jeremiah 1:4–19; 2:13; 7:1–4; 18:1–6; 20:1–9 ↗

Parts to hand out

  • JeremiahA reluctant young prophet. Reads his own lines from Jeremiah 1:6 and 20:9 in real scriptures.
  • NarratorReads the scene lines and keeps the story moving.
  • The PotterShapes an invisible pot on a wheel, watches it collapse, then patiently starts again.
  • Pashur the PriestTemple official who hates Jeremiah’s message and has him locked in the stocks.
  • The MockersTwo or three youth who roll their eyes, laugh and repeat Jeremiah’s words sarcastically.
  • The Crowd at the GateEveryone else: people at the temple chanting “The temple of the LORD!” while ignoring the message.

Scenes

  1. 👶✨ “Before I formed thee… I knew thee”

    The Lord comes to a young man named Jeremiah with a stunning message (the teacher reads the Lord’s words; no one plays the Lord). I knew you before you were born. I set you apart before you took your first breath. You’re going to be a prophet to the nations.

    🎬 The teacher reads Jeremiah 1:5. Jeremiah looks around like, “Me?”

  2. 🙅‍♂️😬 Jeremiah’s excuse: “I am a child”

    Jeremiah answers with the excuse anybody would use: I can’t speak. I’m too young. The Lord doesn’t say “you’re older than you think.” He says: don’t say that. Go where I send you. Don’t be afraid of their faces. I am with you.

    🎬 Jeremiah reads Jeremiah 1:6. The teacher reads 1:7–8. Jeremiah slowly stands up straight.

  3. 🏛️🗣️ At the temple gate

    The Lord sends him to stand at the gate of the temple and tell people the truth: stop trusting words while living however you want. Going to the temple doesn’t protect you if you’re mistreating strangers, orphans and widows and chasing other gods.

    🎬 The Crowd walks past chanting “The temple of the LORD!” without looking at Jeremiah. Jeremiah reads Jeremiah 7:3–4 over the noise.

  4. 💧🕳️ Fountains traded for leaky cisterns

    Jeremiah tells them they’ve done something bizarre: they walked away from a fountain of fresh, living water and dug their own tanks in the rock, cracked tanks that can’t even hold water.

    🎬 The Narrator reads Jeremiah 2:13. The Crowd mimes drinking from cupped hands that leak everywhere.

  5. 🏺🔄 The potter starts again

    The Lord sends Jeremiah to watch a potter. The clay pot collapses on the wheel. The potter doesn’t throw it away. He presses it back together and makes it into a new vessel. The Lord says: that’s what I can do with you.

    🎬 The Potter shapes a pot, it collapses (everyone groans), and the Potter patiently reshapes it. The teacher reads Jeremiah 18:6.

  6. 🔒😠 Pashur locks him in the stocks

    Pashur, an official at the temple, hates what Jeremiah is saying. He has Jeremiah struck and locked in the stocks at a gate by the temple, where everyone walking by can see him.

    🎬 Pashur points and marches Jeremiah to a chair. Jeremiah sits with his hands behind his back. The Mockers point and laugh.

  7. 😂📱 Mocked every single day

    Jeremiah is honest: I’m a joke to everyone. Every day, they mock me. He’s so tired of it he decides to stop talking about the Lord completely. Just keep his head down and blend in.

    🎬 The Mockers repeat Jeremiah’s words in sarcastic voices. Jeremiah reads the first part of Jeremiah 20:9 and puts his head down.

  8. 🔥🦴 A fire shut up in his bones

    But he can’t do it. The Lord’s word is like a fire burning inside him, locked in his bones. He’s worn out from trying to hold it in, and he can’t. The iron pillar stands back up.

    🎬 Jeremiah reads the rest of Jeremiah 20:9, stands up, and faces the Mockers calmly. The Mockers go quiet.

Key verse

Jeremiah 1:7–8 ↗
“Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.”
In plain words: Don’t use your age as the excuse. Go where I send you and say what I give you to say. Don’t be afraid of the looks on people’s faces, because I am with you and I will get you through.
🙌 “Say not, I am a child” = shake your head, hand low at kid height · “thou shalt go” = point forward · “thou shalt speak” = hand from mouth outward · “Be not afraid of their faces” = look around the circle at everyone’s faces, chin up · “I am with thee” = hand on your own shoulder, like someone standing beside you.

More verses

Jeremiah 1:5 ↗
“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee”
In plain words: Before you were born, God already knew you and set you apart for something.
Jeremiah 2:13 ↗
“they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.”
In plain words: They left a fresh, never-ending fountain to dig cracked tanks that can’t hold anything.
Jeremiah 18:6 ↗
“Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand”
In plain words: Just like clay in a potter’s hands, you’re in God’s hands, and He can reshape you.
Jeremiah 20:9 ↗
“But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.”
In plain words: I tried to keep quiet, but His word burned inside me like fire. I couldn’t hold it in.

Forehead Guess words16 words

  • 🧑 Jeremiah
  • ✨ Premortal life
  • 🏛️ Iron pillar
  • ⛲ Fountain
  • 🕳️ Broken cistern
  • 🏺 Potter
  • 🟫 Clay
  • 😠 Pashur
  • 🔒 Stocks
  • 🔥 Fire in my bones
  • 🚪 Temple gate
  • 🌳 Tree by the river
  • 😂 Mockers
  • 🎣 Fishers
  • 🙅 Excuse
  • 📚 Seminary
Clues for each word
  • Jeremiah: Young prophet who said “I am a child”
  • Premortal life: Where God knew you before birth
  • Iron pillar: What the Lord made Jeremiah (1:18)
  • Fountain: Of living waters: the Lord
  • Broken cistern: A cracked tank that holds no water
  • Potter: Reshaped the marred vessel
  • Clay: What we are in God’s hands
  • Pashur: Priest who put Jeremiah in the stocks
  • Stocks: Wooden lock for hands or feet
  • Fire in my bones: Why Jeremiah couldn’t stay quiet
  • Temple gate: Where Jeremiah preached in chapter 7
  • Tree by the river: Stays green in drought (17:8)
  • Mockers: Laughed at Jeremiah every day
  • Fishers: The Lord sends them to gather Israel (16:16)
  • Excuse: “I cannot speak: for I am a child”
  • Seminary: Daily scripture class for high schoolers
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown9 questions

  1. What was Jeremiah’s excuse when the Lord called him?
    • A. “I am too busy”
    • B. “I am a child”
    • C. “I am not worthy”
    Show answer

    ✅ B. “I am a child” Jeremiah 1:6. The Lord answered, “Say not, I am a child.”

  2. According to Jeremiah 1:5, when did the Lord know Jeremiah?
    • A. Before he was born
    • B. When he turned twelve
    • C. After he became a prophet
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Before he was born “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee.”

  3. What did the Lord tell Jeremiah not to be afraid of?
    • A. The dark
    • B. Their faces
    • C. The Babylonians
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Their faces Jeremiah 1:8. “For I am with thee to deliver thee.”

  4. In Jeremiah 2:13, what did the people trade the fountain of living waters for?
    • A. A river
    • B. Golden cups
    • C. Broken cisterns
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Broken cisterns Cracked tanks that can hold no water.

  5. What did the potter do when the clay pot was marred?
    • A. Threw it away
    • B. Made it again into another vessel
    • C. Sold it cheap
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Made it again into another vessel Jeremiah 18:4. The Lord can reshape us too.

  6. Who had Jeremiah put in the stocks?
    • A. Pashur
    • B. King David
    • C. Baruch
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Pashur Jeremiah 20:1–2. Pashur was an official at the temple.

  7. What did Jeremiah say the Lord’s word felt like inside him?
    • A. A cold stone
    • B. A heavy chain
    • C. A burning fire in his bones
    Show answer

    ✅ C. A burning fire in his bones Jeremiah 20:9. He couldn’t keep it in.

  8. What did the Lord promise to make Jeremiah in 1:18?
    • A. A king
    • B. An iron pillar
    • C. A rich man
    Show answer

    ✅ B. An iron pillar Along with a defended city and bronze walls: steady against opposition.

  9. Jeremiah 17:8: someone who trusts the Lord is like a tree planted by…
    • A. the waters
    • B. the temple
    • C. the desert
    Show answer

    ✅ A. the waters Its leaves stay green even in drought.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • I Am a Child of God Hymns, no. 301

    Jeremiah 1:5 in a song: God knew you before you came here. Find it ↗

  • Choose the Right Hymns, no. 239

    A hymn about steady courage when choices are hard. Find it ↗

  • How Firm a Foundation Hymns, no. 85

    Its promise of never being deserted matches the Lord’s “I am with thee.” Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Iron Pillar Week

Pick one moment this week where you’d normally go along with something you don’t believe in (a joke, a conversation, a group chat) and be an iron pillar: honest, kind and steady. Before school each day, read Jeremiah 1:8 and say to yourself, “He is with me.” Bonus: ask a parent or leader about a time they felt too young to stand up for something.

Text the parents

This week in class we acted out “Jeremiah’s Worst Week”: a young prophet who said “I am a child,” was mocked daily and locked in the stocks, but said the Lord’s word was “as a burning fire shut up in my bones” (Jeremiah 20:9). We learned that God knew us before we were born (1:5) and promises “I am with thee” (1:8), and we practiced honest, kind, steady responses to real peer pressure. Ask your teen: which Pressure Test scenario felt the most real?

📝 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?

🏺 The Potter’s House · 4 min

  1. Give a youth a lump of play dough to shape into a pot. Halfway through, squish it. Ask them to start again.
  2. Read Jeremiah 18:1–6. Ask: “Why doesn’t the potter throw the clay away?”
  3. Ask: “What does staying soft in the Lord’s hands look like when you’ve messed up?” Connect to repentance.

🎣 Fishers and Hunters · 4 min

  1. Read Jeremiah 16:14–16. The Lord promises a gathering greater than the Exodus, using fishers and hunters.
  2. Ask: “What’s the difference between how a fisher and a hunter find people?” (Some come to the net; some you go looking for.)
  3. Ask: “How can people our age help gather Israel, online and in person, without being pushy?”

🌱 Root Out, Pull Down, Build, Plant · 3 min

  1. Read Jeremiah 1:10. Prophets were sent to root out and pull down, and to build and plant.
  2. Ask: “What have prophets and apostles asked us to root out or pull down in our lives recently? What have they asked us to build or plant?”
  3. Invite each youth to pick one thing to pull down and one to plant this week.

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 14–16 lessons