Lesson Prepration Guide for "Walking in Covenant Relationship with Christ"

In this talk, President Emily Belle Freeman shares her personal experiences and insights about the importance of walking in a covenant relationship with Christ. She uses her experience of walking the Jesus Trail in Israel, despite a broken ankle, as a metaphor for the spiritual journey we all undertake. She emphasizes the importance of covenants in our relationship with Christ and how they shape our spiritual journey.

Ideas for Opening the Lesson

Begin the lesson by sharing a personal experience about a time you had to rely on someone else for help. Ask class members to share similar experiences.
Start the lesson with a brief discussion about what it means to be in a covenant relationship. Ask class members for their thoughts and feelings about their own covenant relationships.
Open with a story about a journey or a challenge you faced. Discuss the importance of having a guide or a helper during that time. Relate this to the concept of walking with Christ.

Topics

Understanding the Importance of Covenant Relationships

President Freeman talks about the importance of walking in a covenant relationship with Christ. She uses the story of her journey on the Jesus Trail in Israel, despite her broken ankle, to illustrate her point. She emphasizes that Christ doesn't ask us to face our challenges alone but invites us to walk with Him.

No matter the heaviness of our story or the current course of our path, He will invite us to walk with Him.

What does it mean to you to walk in a covenant relationship with Christ?
How has your covenant relationship with Christ helped you face your challenges?
In what ways can we strengthen our covenant relationship with Christ?
Can you share a time when you felt Christ walking with you through a difficult situation?
Why is it important to remember that Christ doesn't ask us to face our challenges alone?

The Five-Finger Promise of God

President Freeman discusses Jacob's encounter with God where He made five promises: to be with him, keep him safe, bring him home again, not leave him, and keep His promise to him. These promises are also available to us if we choose to tether our life with His.

Just as He did for Jacob, the Lord will answer each of us in our day of distress if we choose to tether our life with His. He has promised to walk with us in the way.

How have you seen these five promises fulfilled in your life?
Why is it important to remember these promises when we face trials?
How can these promises strengthen our faith in Christ?
Can you share a time when you felt God's promise to be with you, keep you safe, bring you home, not leave you, and keep His promise to you?
How can we better tether our lives to Christ?

Walking the Covenant Path

President Freeman explains that walking the covenant path is about our relationship with God, not just fulfilling requirements. She emphasizes that it's not the course alone that will exalt us; it's the companion—our Savior.

We must remember: it’s not the course alone that will exalt us; it’s the companion––our Savior. And this is the why of covenant relationship.

What does it mean to you to walk the covenant path?
How can we focus more on our relationship with Christ rather than just fulfilling requirements?
Can you share a time when you felt Christ's companionship on your covenant path?
How does understanding that Christ is our companion on the covenant path change your perspective?
What steps can we take to strengthen our relationship with Christ as we walk the covenant path?

The Importance of the Temple in Our Covenant Relationship

President Freeman talks about the importance of the temple in our covenant relationship with Christ. She explains that the temple is where we become sanctified with His Spirit, endowed with His power, and set apart to build His kingdom.

Through a process of daily repentance and weekly partaking of the sacrament, I am learning to become steadfast and to go about doing good. I walk this path with Jesus Christ, looking forward to the promised day when He will come again.

What role does the temple play in your covenant relationship with Christ?
How has attending the temple helped you in your covenant relationship with Christ?
Can you share a time when you felt sanctified, endowed with power, or set apart after attending the temple?
How can we make attending the temple a more integral part of our covenant path?
In what ways can we prepare ourselves to receive the blessings of the temple?

Encouraging Others on Their Covenant Path

President Freeman discusses the importance of encouraging others on their covenant path. She shares her admiration for the rising generation's desire to know Christ and their ability to gather others to Him.

We can learn from you. You have a genuine desire to know the guide, Jesus Christ. You trust the strength of the rope that tethers us to Him. You are unusually gifted in gathering others to Him.

How can we encourage others on their covenant path?
Can you share a time when someone encouraged you on your covenant path?
What can we learn from the rising generation about walking the covenant path?
How can we help gather others to Christ?
Why is it important to share our personal experiences with Christ?

Additional Discussion Questions

How has walking the covenant path changed your relationship with Christ?
What can we do to better understand and appreciate the covenants we have made?
How can we help those who are struggling on their covenant path?
What are some ways we can daily remember our covenants and the promises associated with them?
How can we use our covenants to draw closer to Christ during times of trial?
How can understanding the 'Five-Finger Promise' change our perspective on trials and challenges?
How can we better teach our children or others about the importance of covenants?
How does the sacrament help us remember and renew our covenants?
How can we make our covenant relationship with Christ more personal?
What are some practical ways we can walk the covenant path every day?