Lesson Prepration Guide for "Rise! He Calleth Thee"

In his talk "Rise! He Calleth Thee", Elder Massimo De Feo of the Seventy discusses the importance of maintaining a clear spiritual vision in the face of trials and challenges. Using the story of Bartimaeus, a blind man who recognized Jesus Christ as the Messiah, Elder De Feo outlines three principles for keeping our spiritual sight intact. This talk encourages us to rise above our circumstances, focus on Jesus Christ, and live a new life in Him.

Ideas for Opening the Lesson

Begin the lesson by sharing a personal experience when you were faced with a physical or spiritual challenge and how you overcame it.
Start with a discussion on the importance of spiritual vision in our lives. Ask the class members to share their thoughts on what it means to have a clear spiritual vision.
Open the lesson by reading the story of Bartimaeus from the Gospel of Mark and discussing how his faith in Jesus Christ helped him overcome his physical limitations.

Topics

Recognizing the importance of spiritual vision

Elder De Feo shares his personal experience of facing the threat of losing his physical sight, which led him to reflect on the state of his spiritual vision. He stresses the importance of clear spiritual vision in recognizing Jesus Christ and staying true to our faith.

My physical sight is not good, but what about my spiritual vision? Do I need any treatment there? And what does it mean to have a clear spiritual vision?

What does having a clear spiritual vision mean to you?
Can you share a time when your spiritual vision helped you recognize truth?
How can we improve our spiritual vision?
What challenges might blur our spiritual vision?
How does having a clear spiritual vision help us in our daily lives?

Ignoring the voices of the world and focusing on Christ

Elder De Feo emphasizes the importance of staying faithful to our testimonies of Jesus Christ, despite the voices of the world that may try to silence us. He urges us to declare our testimonies louder and stronger.

The voices of the world are trying to silence us, but that’s exactly why we must declare our testimony of the Savior louder and stronger.

Why is it important to declare our testimonies of Jesus Christ?
Can you share a time when you felt the world was trying to silence your testimony?
How can we strengthen our testimonies in the face of opposition?
What are some ways we can declare our testimonies louder and stronger?
How does declaring our testimony help us and those around us?

Leaving the natural man behind and starting a new life in Christ

Elder De Feo talks about the importance of leaving behind our old selves, repenting, and starting a new life in Christ. He uses the example of Bartimaeus casting away his beggar’s coat as a metaphor for us to cast away our excuses and sins.

We keep a clear spiritual vision when we leave the natural man behind, repent, and begin a new life in Christ.

What does it mean to leave the natural man behind?
Can you share a time when you had to cast away your "beggar’s coat"?
How does repentance help us in starting a new life in Christ?
Why is it important to cast away our excuses and sins?
How can we help others in their journey to leave the natural man behind?

Hearing the voice of the Lord and allowing Him to guide us

Elder De Feo discusses the importance of hearing the voice of the Lord amidst all other voices and allowing Him to guide us. He uses the example of Bartimaeus following the voice of Jesus despite being physically blind.

We keep a clear spiritual vision when we hear the voice of the Lord and allow Him to guide us.

How can we distinguish the voice of the Lord from other voices?
Can you share a time when you felt guided by the voice of the Lord?
Why is it important to allow the Lord to guide us?
What challenges might we face in hearing and following the voice of the Lord?
How does following the voice of the Lord affect our spiritual vision?

Exercising true faith in Jesus Christ

Elder De Feo emphasizes the importance of exercising true faith in Jesus Christ and receiving blessings because of our real intent to follow Him. He points out that the ultimate reason for our blessings is to follow Jesus Christ.

One of the most important lessons in this story is that this man exercised true faith in Jesus Christ and received a miracle because he asked with real intent, the real intent to follow Him.

What does it mean to exercise true faith in Jesus Christ?
Can you share a time when your real intent to follow Christ led to a blessing?
Why is it important to have real intent in our faith?
How does our intent affect the blessings we receive?
How can we strengthen our faith and intent to follow Jesus Christ?

Additional Discussion Questions

How can we help others improve their spiritual vision?
Why is it important to focus on Jesus Christ in our lives?
How can we strengthen our testimonies in a world that often opposes our beliefs?
What are some practical ways to leave the natural man behind?
How can we better hear and follow the voice of the Lord?
What does it mean to have real intent in our faith and actions?
How can we support others in their journey to follow Jesus Christ?
How does our faith in Christ affect our daily lives?
What can we do to declare our testimonies louder and stronger?
How can our faith in Christ help us overcome personal challenges?