Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Welcome (2 minutes)

Welcome, everyone! Today is the second lesson of our Superbook story, “The Birth of John the Baptist.”

For anyone who was here last time—or for anyone who knows the Bible story—we are going to do a pop quiz. When I ask the question, pop up out of your seat and raise your hand if you know the answer. Let’s see who can answer each question correctly first—the girls or the boys! Ready?

1. Why is John called “the Baptist”? He baptized people.

2. Is John the Baptist the same person as the man who wrote the book of John in the Bible? No; the man who wrote the book of the Bible was John, a disciple of Jesus.

3. What is the name of the angel in the story? Gabriel.

4. Gabriel brought messages from God to two people in our story. What are their names? Zechariah and Mary.

5. Last question: how were Elizabeth and Mary related? They were cousins.

Announce whether the girls or boys answered more questions correctly.

Great job! Now let’s all stand up to sing and praise God together!

Play Video 11: (Song) He Has a Plan (3 minutes)

Be sure to preview the song so you can sing along and do the motions with the children. They may clap and do freestyle movements during the animation sections.

He Has a Plan

SuperTruth and Discussion (1 minute)

Our SuperTruth today says: “God’s Word never fails.” That’s an amazing statement, isn’t it?

Never is a strong word. It means without exception, not ever, not at any time, not under any conditions. Every word in the Bible is true and will never fail. There are no situations or circumstances that can stop God’s Word and cause it to fail. Now that builds my faith; how about you? Let’s say the SuperTruth together: “God’s Word never fails.”

Introduce Condensed Bible Story (1 minute)

If all children watched the Bible story video in the previous lesson, you may skip it here and go straight to the Bible Background Video.

If you were here last time, why did Joy and Chris take an unexpected ride down the stairs on Gizmo’s back? Gizmo used his Gizmo-Grips to catch Charlie, who had run down the stairs. Charlie continued to run away and pulled the trio down the stairs.

For the children who haven’t seen our Bible story yet, we are going to watch a short version of “The Birth of John the Baptist.” If you have already seen the full video, watch closely to see who says our SuperVerse in the video. Now that’s a little tricky because I haven’t told you the SuperVerse yet; but here’s a clue. The SuperVerse begins by saying, “You are blessed because you believed … .” So listen carefully to notice who says those words, and I’ll ask you for the answer later.

Play Video 4: Condensed Bible Story (11.5 minutes)

Condensed Bible Story

Superbook takes Chris, Joy, Gizmo, and Charlie to meet Elizabeth and Zechariah, who learn they will have a baby in their old age. Our heroes deduce from past adventures that this unborn baby will grow up to be John the Baptizer. They also learn that God has amazing plans for each of us and every child can grow up to be someone special.

Discussion (1 minute)

Imagine being Zechariah or Mary when the angel Gabriel appeared. Do you think you would be scared or excited?

When you pray, do you believe God hears you sometimes, or all the time; why?

Why do you think that God sent Gabriel to announce both births?

Introduce Bible Background Video (1 minute)

That was exciting to see, how Gabriel visited Mary and Zechariah! Both births were impossible for people, yet, with God, all things are possible. Now let’s watch our Bible Background Video and learn more about the Temple where Zechariah served as a priest and the events surrounding John’s birth. When Gizmo asks a question in the video, wait for him to give some possible answers, then call out the one you think is right!

Play Video 5: Bible Background (8.5 minutes)

Bible Background

Play Video 10B: SuperVerse Graphic 2

Graphic loops 3 minutes without audio; turn off or freeze video after children repeat the verse.

SuperVerse Graphic 2

SuperVerse Discussion (1 minute)

Let’s say our SuperVerse together. Luke 1:45:

“You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what He said.”

Who said today’s SuperVerse in the video? Here is a hint—it wasn’t Joy, Chris or Gizmo! Elizabeth.

Yes, it was Elizabeth. Now, who was Elizabeth speaking to?Mary.

When the angel Gabriel told Mary what the Lord had chosen her to do, she believed God—and was blessed because of her faith!

Let’s say our SuperVerse again.

“You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what He said.”

Children will have more time to learn the SuperVerse in Small Group. Younger children may not be able to memorize the entire SuperVerse. They may simply repeat it several times while older children may memorize part or all of it. Be sure all children understand its meaning.

Prayer and Send-Off (1 minute)

Let’s pray: Dear God, help us believe You completely when we hear or read Your Word, or when we hear the Holy Spirit speak to our hearts. Even though Mary had questions, she trusted You—and we want to trust You in every situation. Help us always believe because Your Word never fails, and accomplishes all You send it forth to do! In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Let’s go to our Small Groups where you will play a game that you won’t fail to have fun playing! Are you ready to find out how?

Teachers take children to Small Group classes for Grades 1–3 and 4–6. If the combined group is small, all children may stay together for Small Group time.

Game

The SuperTruth says “God’s Word never fails.” What do you think fail means?

It means to stop functioning, or not to get the results you wanted, or even to die.

In our Bible story, God’s Word was spoken. Who was God’s messenger? His angel and messenger, Gabriel. The prophets of old in Luke 1:70.

When God’s Word was spoken, what were the results? Was the Word true? Yes, Mary and Elizabeth both gave birth to sons.

Zechariah could not speak and then his voice returned after John was born—just as Gabriel predicted. Zechariah said that God sent a Savior to rescue His people as was prophesied by the prophets of old.

Divide the class into two teams. Teams do not have to be exactly equal.

Teams line up behind the marks furthest from the boxes so they face each other on opposite sides of the boxes.

The goal is to bounce a ball into each box in the correct order of the SuperTruth. Balls that go into a box out of order do not count. The whole team shouts the word when the ball lands in the correct box.

Give two balls to the first player on both teams.

Start the game with 5 minutes on the timer.

The first player on each team moves quickly to the line nearer to the boxes and bounces one ball toward the first box—“GOD’S”.

If the ball lands in the box, the team shouts the word on the box and the player goes to the end of the line, giving their second ball to the next player.

If the first ball does not land in the box, the player tries again with the second ball.

If neither ball goes the box, the player should retrieve a ball, run to the box and drop it directly down into the box as the team shouts the word.

The next player then tries to bounce a ball toward the next box, etc.

Sixth grade helpers or other volunteers should continually retrieve and return the balls to the next players in line.

A team scores a point each time the SuperTruth is completed. The team with the most points when time ends wins.

Conclusion: That looked like a lot of fun. It doesn’t matter how much time passes, or who tries to stop it—God’s Word never fails! Let’s learn more about God’s Word and how it lasts even when things on Earth don’t!

Teaching

Have you ever said you would do something but failed to do it?

Sometimes we simply forget, run out of time, or discover that we don’t have the money or ability to do something we wanted to do. Has that ever happened to God?

Hold up the small white board with the phrase “God’s Word” written in permanent marker.

No, God’s Word doesn’t fail. His Word is eternal—it will last forever.

Let’s read what the Bible says in John 1:1. Optional: have a child read the scripture aloud.

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Think about that—God’s Word was already in existence before the world was made!

Let’s read the next verses, in John 1:2–5. Optional: have a child read the verses aloud.

² He existed in the beginning with God. ³ God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him. ⁴ The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

Use the colorful dry-erase markers to draw a simple picture of the things you talk about. You may draw the picture. God spoke His Word to create the sun, and the world with its grass, flowers and trees. God spoke His Word and created people!

This very same Bible passage, which tells us how God created the world with His Word, goes on to talk about John the Baptist! Let’s read John 1:6–9. Optional: have a child read the scripture aloud.

⁶ God sent a man, John the Baptist, ⁷ to tell about the Light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. ⁸ John himself was not the Light; he was simply a witness to tell about the Light. ⁹ The One who is the true Light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

Hold up the dry-erase board. One of the ways God prepared the world for the coming of Jesus was to send His word through Gabriel to Zechariah, Elizabeth and Mary. They experienced God’s Word being fulfilled in their lives. After Elizabeth gave birth to John, Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and was able to speak. He began prophecying about how his son would prepare the way for Jesus, the Savior of the world. See Luke 1:76–79. In his prophecy, Zechariah referred to something the prophet Isaiah said hundreds of years earlier:

Optional: have three fifth or sixth grade volunteers take turns reading two verses each of Isaiah 40:3–8:

³ Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, “Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God! ⁴ Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills. Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places. ⁵ Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. The Lord has spoken!” ⁶ A voice said, “Shout!” I asked, “What should I shout?” “Shout that people are like the grass. Their beauty fades as quickly as the flowers in a field. ⁷ The grass withers and the flowers fade beneath the breath of the Lord. And so it is with people. ⁸ The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.”

Isaiah said that people are like grass and flowers. They wither, fade and disappear. Slowly erase the drawing of the sun, grass, flowers, and stick figures as you speak.

Yet God’s Word stands forever. That means God Word never fails! Attempt to erase “God’s Word”; but since it was written in permanent marker, the words will remain.

You see, the living things that God created will come and go. Their lives have an end. However, God’s Word does not; His Word is eternal and stands forever! God’s Word is not an “it”—God’s Word is a person. Can you guess who?

Let’s go back to John 1 and read verse 14:

So the Word became human and made His home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen His glory, the glory of the Father's One and Only Son.

Who is God’s Word? Jesus.

Yes, Jesus is God’s Word. And He has given us His Word! Romans 10:8b (niv) tells us:

“The Word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart.”

His Word and His promises last from generation to generation—they never fail. God had a plan and a purpose for Zechariah and Elizabeth, for John the Baptist, for Joseph and Mary, and for Jesus. And guess what? God has a plan and a purpose for you!

Read Philippians 1:6:

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

Hold up the dry-erase board. God’s Word existed before the beginning of time and will live on for all eternity. And when we ask Jesus into our hearts, we have His eternal Word living inside us!

Try to erase the board again. That reminds me of our SuperTruth. Who remembers it?

Let’s shout it together: “God’s Word never fails!”

Now, let's talk about our Discipleship Challenge Prayer Journals!

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Give a Prayer Journal Pattern and materials to children who missed Lesson 1. Have them follow the instructions on the pattern to assemble their craft at home. Show them the sample craft that is assembled.

Did you use the Prayer Journals we made last time?

What kinds of things did you praise God for?

Would anyone like to share something that you prayed about?

Can someone tell us how He answered one of your prayers?

Keep using your Prayer Journals at home. Simply write down your praises and prayer requests in each section of the journal. You can also write down any thoughts God gives you as you spend time with Him in prayer. As your prayers are answered, be sure to make an entry in that section of the journal. You will be amazed over time to see how God answers and speaks to your heart!

Remember, God’s Word never fails, and nothing is impossible with God! Prayer is a powerful tool that God has given us! It’s like a direct line right to heaven, and it’s always available to us—24/7!

SuperVerse

Let’s say our SuperVerse together. Luke 1:45:

“You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what He said.”

Elizabeth spoke these words to Mary when she visited. Now, what promise was Elizabeth talking about? Do you know the promise that Mary believed?

When Gabriel visited Mary, he gave her news that must have sounded impossible, because she wasn’t married yet! She would give birth to a baby who would be the Son of God! His name would be Jesus. He would reign forever and His kingdom would never end! Now, if you received that news, do you think you would believe the promise?

Read Luke 1:38:

Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.

Yes, Mary had questions; I would, too! Yet she listened to Gabriel’s answer and willingly agreed to God’s plan for her. Mary believed God’s promise that she would give birth to God’s Son—the Son of the Most High God! And that is why Elizabeth told Mary the words of our SuperVerse. Let’s say it together. Say the SuperVerse on the board.

Now I will read the verse to you and stop at certain parts—then you must shout the next word of the verse. Do the first round with the children facing the board. Read the verse aloud and stop before keywords, such as “Lord,” “blessed,” “because,” “believed,” “keep,” “promise.” Next, play another round, but have the children turn around with their backs to the board. Allow them to peek if they can’t remember the correct word to fill in as you stop. Play as long as time allows.

Prayer

Have you ever done a responsive reading?

That is when someone reads a line or a verse, then others answer or respond. Sharing with God what we need or want is just one part of prayer. Praise, thanksgiving, and speaking God’s Word is a powerful and important part of prayer.

Let’s praise and thank God in our responsive reading and prayer, now. Our reading is several verses from Psalm 136 (cev). I will read the first part of the verse and you will respond with the second part of the verse. My reading will be different each time, but your response will always be the same: God’s love never fails. Let’s say it together. God’s love never fails.

Can you say it without looking?

Good! Then I would like you to close your eyes and say it by heart after I read each verse. We are praising God with this Psalm as our prayer today! Ready?

¹ Praise the Lord! He is good. God’s love never fails.

² Praise the God of all gods. God’s love never fails.

³ Praise the Lord of lords. God’s love never fails.

⁴ Only God works great miracles. God’s love never fails.

⁵ With wisdom He made the sky. God’s love never fails.

⁶ The Lord stretched the earth over the ocean. God’s love never fails.

⁷ He made the bright lights in the sky. God’s love never fails.

⁸ He lets the sun rule each day. God’s love never fails.

⁹ He lets the moon and the stars rule each night. God’s love never fails.

²⁵ He gives food to all who live. God’s love never fails.

²⁶ Praise God in heaven! God’s love never fails.

In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!

Optional: have a fifth or sixth grade reader practice the verses ahead of time and lead the reading. You may also alternate responses between girls and boys.

When we speak God’s Word, it builds and strengthens our faith! See Romans 10:17. Today’s SuperTruth tells us that God’s Word never fails. Now, consider this—God’s Word never fails, and His Word tells us that God’s love never fails, either! Now that is something we can trust! No matter what we do or say, even when we fail, God’s love for us never will!

Close in prayer: Dear God, Your Word and Your love never fail! Help us learn to speak Your Word back to You in prayer! Your Word is Your will and does all that You say! In this world, people and things will fail, but Your Word can always be trusted. May we always believe and take hold of the promises that You give us in Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. In His name we pray, Amen.

Eyewitness Game

Optional: Read Luke 1:1–4:

Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us. They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples. Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write an accurate account for you, most honorable Theophilus, so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught.

The Gospel of Luke is a book of the Bible written by Luke. He was a physician and the close companion of the Apostle Paul. See Colossians 4:14. In the Bible Background video, we learned that Luke was known as an accurate and detailed writer. Luke carefully investigated the life of Jesus and collected information from eyewitnesses who actually saw the events as they happened! Luke wrote his book while many of the people who knew Jesus were still alive.

He also wrote another book of the Bible. Does anyone know which one? Acts.

Luke took great effort to make sure his account was well researched and organized. He knew that the history he was writing was very important!

In this activity, you are going to be an eyewitness! You will write down details from a scene in “The Birth of John the Baptist.” I will show you a picture for about 30 seconds. Then you will have a minute to work with your group to make a detailed list of everything you saw! We will discuss the lists together and compare them to the picture.

So, what kinds of things are you looking for? That’s a good question! For example, the color of the character’s hair or clothes. Do they have sandals on their feet, a cloth around their waist, or a covering on their head? Do you see a boy or girl, man or woman? How many people, trees, rocks, or houses are in the picture, and how would you describe each one? What are the people doing? These are just a few examples; there are many more details to record in each scene!

Divide children into groups of three. Try to mix younger and older children in each group. Be sure to put those with special needs with older children who can help them. Show the first picture to the entire class and start the timer. Allow about 30 seconds for everyone to view the picture, then stop the timer. Give the groups of children a minute to discuss their observations and create a group list. Adjust the times as desired for your children. Repeat this procedure for each picture. Do as many pictures as time permits.

Conclusion: What great eyewitnesses! You gave very accurate descriptions of the scenes!

Close in Prayer: Dear God, You created the heavens and Earth with great care and detail! You formed us and every living thing. You created amazing detailed things for us to discover in this world and in the Bible; so many that we can never find them all! You also care about the details of our lives! We praise You for Your promise to us in Psalm 37:23:

The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.

In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Object Lesson

Who can say today’s SuperTruth?

Yes, let’s all say it together: “God’s Word never fails.”

As we discussed earlier in our teaching, everything on Earth will eventually fail.

Hold up the product container with the expiration date on it. There is a date on this container. Can someone say what that date is called? The expiration date.

Yes, it is an expiration date. After this date, some products such as aspirin or cough syrup may lose some of their strength and not be as effective. Some food products may spoil or lose their flavor. So, we could say that all of these products eventually will fail.

Hold up a special advertisement or coupon and point to the expiration date. I think most of us are familiar with these. These coupons may be on the Internet, or come in the mail, or be in a newspaper or magazine. Perhaps you have even sold coupon books for your school or a club fundraiser. Almost all coupons have an expiration date. That means that the special price or service is only valid or good through a certain date. After that, the coupon is useless! You can just tear it up and throw it out, because it has no value anymore.

Hold up the physical copy of the Bible and give it to a child. Ask them to look for an expiration date written on the front or back pages of the Bible.

No, just as I thought; you did not find an expiration date! God’s Word never loses strength or power; it never fails. Hebrews 13:8 says that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. God’s promises that were given to people like Noah and Abraham in the Old Testament will not expire. All of God’s promises are still effective and apply to us today!

Read 1 Peter 1:23–25a:

For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. As the Scriptures say, “People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades. But the word of the Lord remains forever.”

Isn’t that awesome? When we are born again, our new life lasts forever. Why? Because it comes from the eternal, living Word of God! Yes, things on Earth will wither and fade, yet our salvation is secure in God; the Word of the Lord lives forever!

Craft

Read Luke 1:59b–64:

They wanted to name him Zechariah, after his father. But Elizabeth said, “No! His name is John!” “What?” they exclaimed. “There is no one in all your family by that name.” So they used gestures to ask the baby’s father what he wanted to name him. He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone's surprise he wrote, “His name is John.” Instantly Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising God.

Elizabeth and Zechariah obeyed God’s instruction to name their son John. How did Zechariah tell everyone what the baby should be named?

The writing tablet Zechariah used was most likely a wax board. Today, you will write your name in wax!

Give a half sheet of cardstock, one white crayon, and one dark colored crayon to each child.

Have children completely color one side of their sheet with the white crayon.

Children then scratch/write their name on the white colored sheet; press firmly to make each letter!

Gather and mix up the sheets. Give one sheet to each child.

Children then use a dark crayon to color over their sheet and reveal the name. After everyone has finished, have each child hold up their card in turn and say aloud the name they discovered.

Conclusion: After Zechariah wrote John’s name on the tablet, he could speak again! This is exactly what Gabriel predicted! God’s Word never fails.

Bible Study

Have children read the scriptures, then lead a discussion using the questions below.

1. Isaiah 55:10–11:

¹⁰ “The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. ¹¹ It is the same with My Word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.”

• In verse 10, why does God provide the rain and snow? To water the earth, to cause the crops to grow, to provide food.
• In verse 11, what is compared to the rain and snow? God’s Word.
• When God’s Word is sent out, does it ever fail to do what God wants? No, it always produces fruit.
• What do you think the fruit is in verse 11? Whatever God intended: to create, light, save, discipline, correct, heal, empower, answer, direct, judge, bless, give knowledge, give wisdom, forgive, comfort, give peace, provide, etc., anything God sends it to do!
• In verse 11, what words make it clear that God’s Word never fails? Always, will, everywhere.

2. Psalm 119:89–91:

⁸⁹ Your eternal Word, O Lord, stands firm in heaven. ⁹⁰ Your faithfulness extends to every generation, as enduring as the earth You created. ⁹¹ Your regulations remain true to this day, for everything serves Your plans.

• In verse 89, what does eternal mean to you? Lasts forever, no beginning or end.
• In verse 90, a generation is a group of people who were born and live during the same time. For example, a father is one generation, and his son is another generation. So how many generations does God’s faithfulness apply to; when does it fail? It doesn’t, it extends to all generations, to all people to the end of the earth.
• In verse 91, the writer says that God’s laws, regulations, or Word last until when? To his present day, or to the present.
• In verse 91, would You say that God’s Word remains true to today, and why? Yes, God’s Word is still true today, the writer wrote to his present day, nothing indicates that God’s Word fails or changes, in fact, Scriptures we read tell us that it lasts forever or eternally!

3. Psalm 119:151–152:

¹⁵¹ But You are near, O Lord, and all Your commands are true. ¹⁵² I have known from my earliest days that Your laws will last forever.

• What did the psalm writer know since being young? That God’s laws last forever, they never fail.
• In verse 151, what word means that God’s commands are in effect or valid? True
• Why is it a benefit for you and others to know God’s Word at a young age?

Let’s pray: God, thank You for Your eternal Word that always produces fruit and accomplishes all You send it out to do! All people—past, present and future generations—can trust in Your Word and Your faithfulness to never fail. We praise You in the name of Jesus, who is the same yesterday, today and forever! Amen.