Leader Guide

SuperVerse

Jesus said people are wise if they listen to and obey His teaching. He compared it to building a house on solid rock. In the next verse, He explained why. Read Matthew 7:25:

Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.

The house remained standing, safe and secure even in the midst of storms. Now, think about this for a moment. If Jesus is comparing our lives to the house, what would the storms represent to us? Problems, struggles, obstacles, temptation, trials, suffering, adversity, persecution.

Yes, storms are anything we face that could come against our faith and try to distract us from serving God. This is why King David placed so much importance on Solomon following the ways of the Lord and obeying His commands. When we build our lives on God’s Word, we are on solid ground so we can stand firm against whatever tries to move us.

Divide the class into groups of 3–5 children.

Allow about 3 minutes for the groups to create motions and actions for the SuperVerse.

Have each group say the verse and do the motions for the rest of the class.

Conclusion: You came up with some very creative ways to present the SuperVerse. When we listen and follow God’s Word, what does Jesus say we are? Wise!

Prayer

In our three lessons about King Solomon, we have been learning about wisdom and being wise. The SuperVerse for today tells us another important way that we can be wise. What can we do to be wise? Listen to Jesus’ teaching and then obey or follow it.

Yes, that’s right. The more we do this, the stronger we will grow in the Lord.

Solomon wrote in Proverbs 24:5:

The wise are mightier than the strong, and those with knowledge grow stronger and stronger.

We can choose to build our life upon the world’s wisdom, which is often changing or false; or we can choose to build our lives on God’s Word, which never changes and is always true!

Sit in a circle with the children. In today’s prayer time, let’s ask God to help us read, understand and obey His Word so we can be wise and grow to be more like Jesus. Give children time to pray.

Close in prayer after the children have prayed silently. Dear God, we want to be wise and to build our lives upon Your Word. Thank You for giving us the Holy Spirit to be our guide and teacher. Help us understand and apply Your Word so we can make wise choices. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Story Craft

To make the craft:

• Cut out the cards on your pattern.
• Carefully cut along the dotted line to create a slit in each card. Be sure not to cut past the dotted line.
• Slide the two cards together along the slit. Make sure that the images line up properly.

Figuring out who was the true mother was difficult, even for a wise king! Yet with God’s help, Solomon was able to look at the situation differently. How did he find out the true mother?

Yes, he asked for a sword.

Do you think that Solomon ever really intended to hurt the baby? Children answer.

He used that threat as a way to determine which mother really loved the baby.

How did the two women respond?

When faced with the idea that something horrible might happen to the baby, one woman was deeply compassionate and pleaded for the baby’s life (page 3), even if it meant that the baby would be taken away from her. The other woman told the king to go ahead and end the baby’s life, so neither of them could have the baby (page 4).

Which mother really loved the baby? The one who begged to keep the baby alive.

One woman was in pain because secretly she knew that it was her baby who had died in the night. Sadly, she wanted the other mother to feel that same pain. If she couldn’t have the living baby, she didn’t want anyone to have him. She didn’t really care for the baby.

The true mother loved the child very much—in fact, she loved him so much that she was willing to give him up so he could live.

Take your craft home to share this story with your family!

Object Lesson

Let’s say the SuperVerse together. Matthew 7:24:

“Anyone who listens to My teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.”

Place the rock in the first container. Carefully begin to stack blocks on the rock as you talk.

Let’s say that these blocks represent a house like the one Jesus is talking about. He said all who follow His teaching are like a wise person who builds his house on a rock.

Here is what Jesus says the result will be for that builder. Read Matthew 7:25:

“Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.”

Begin to pour water at the base of the rock, not directly on the structure. The water came and rose up. What happened? The house stood firm!

Now, in the next two verses after the SuperVerse, Jesus talks about those who don’t listen to Him and obey His Word. They are builders, too; but are they wise?

Read Matthew 7:26–27:

“But anyone who hears My teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand.When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

What does Jesus call these people? Foolish.

Loosely pour sand into the second container. Do not pack it down. Carefully stack blocks on the sand.

Jesus said the winds, rains and floods came. We said this represents things that come against us in this life like persecution, temptations, trials, and suffering. Begin to pour the water slowly into the sand, to erode it; do not pour directly on the structure. Pour until the structure sinks and falls over.

What happened to this house? It fell.

Why did the house fall? The foundation was washed away; it didn’t last because it wasn’t solid.

Hold up the picture of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Have you ever heard of the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy? Do you think its builders meant to make a leaning tower? No!

It began to tilt as the second floor was being built in the year 1178. Can you guess why?

The cause was a weak foundation that was set in soft, unstable soil. As a result, people have had to work very hard to keep the tower standing! If builders hadn’t corrected the problem, the tower would have crashed to the ground long ago.

Conclusion: When we build our lives on God’s Word, we have a rock solid foundation that will never shift, sink or fail. No matter what comes against us, we can stand firm on God’s Word.

Magnetic Game

King Solomon asked for wisdom so he would know the difference between right and wrong. In this review game, you will need to decide if a statement about the Bible story is right or wrong. You will then step on the sign to “lock in” your answer. Each correct answer scores five points. The good news is that even if you don’t answer correctly, you still have a chance to score a point for your team! If you were here for the Superbook adventure in Lesson 1, you saw Gizmo become a giant electromagnet that attracted metal objects to himself. Even the shields of Solomon’s soldiers flew out of their hands and stuck to Gizmo!

Hold up the discs or plates. These represent the soldiers’ shields. You will toss them toward Gizmo as if he were a magnet. If it goes in the box, you score a point for your team!

Divide the class into two teams. Each team stands single-file behind a set of “Right” and “Wrong” signs.

The first player on each team steps up to the signs and picks up a disc or plate.

Read the first question from the list below for both teams. The players “lock in” their answers by standing on the corresponding sign.

The players then toss a disc toward the box to try to score a point.

Have players retrieve their discs and return them to the next players in line.

The team with the most points wins.

Right or Wrong Question List

1. David did not have any instructions for Solomon before he died. (Wrong)
2. David told Solomon to take courage and to be a man. (Right)
3. Solomon loved the Lord and followed the decrees of his father. (Right)
4. Solomon offered over 1000 sacrifices at a place of worship called Geronimo. (Wrong—Gibeon)
5. God asked Solomon what he wanted in a dream. (Right)
6. Solomon told God that he would like to be the wealthiest and wisest man on the earth. (Wrong—He asked for an understanding heart and to know right from wrong)
7. God was disappointed that Solomon asked for wisdom. (Wrong—He was very pleased)
8. God was so pleased with Solomon that He answered his prayer and also gave him what he didn’t ask for—riches and fame. (Right)
9. Solomon told God in the dream that he felt like a child who doesn’t know which way to go. (Right)
10. Two mothers came to Solomon and asked him to care for a baby they found in the river. (Wrong—They asked that Solomon judge who was the true mother of the baby)
11. One mother accidentally rolled over on her baby and the baby died. (Right)
12. As the mothers waited for his decision, Solomon asked for a sword. (Right)
13. The woman who cried out and asked Solomon not to hurt the baby was not the true mother. (Wrong—The true mother cried out)
14. Solomon said to give the baby to the mother who cried out for him to live. (Right)
15. Once all of Israel heard of Solomon’s decision, they were in awe and saw God’s wisdom upon him. (Right)

Conclusion: That looked like fun. It is important to ask for God’s help to determine right from wrong. The Holy Spirit and God’s Word will guide us into all truth!

Craft

Let’s say the SuperTruth together a little differently. The girls will say the first word and the boys say the second word, going back and forth until it is completed. Are you ready? Go! I will build my life on God’s Word.

Now it’s time to be creative and have some fun as you build your life on God’s Word!

Have everyone sit at a table.

Display the model craft.

Give each child some clay; at least two colors if possible.

Place the pencils or toothpicks in the center of the table to be shared.

First, have children form the shape of a Bible, which will serve as a strong base for their sculpture.

Have them carve “Bible” into the surface near the bottom as shown in the illustration.

They should carve their name or initials at the top, leaving room in the center for their sculpture.

They form clay figures to represent themselves, then place their figures on top of the “Bibles.”

Assist any children with special needs.

Allow children to show their craftsto the class.

Carefully place each craft in a sealable plastic bag for the children to take home after class.

Conclusion:Good job everyone. We want to build our lives on God’s Word! When we follow God’s wisdom, we will grow wise, strong and secure! Your craft can be a reminder to listen to Jesus’ Words and to follow them!

Activity

Let’s say the SuperTruth together: “I will build my life on God’s Word.”

The Bible verses we will discuss today are about Jesus, who is the Word of God!

Give each child a Bible. Have children look up the verse then lead a discussion with the information below.

1. John 1:14:

So the Word became humanand 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 do you think this verse is describing? Jesus.
• Why do you believe it is Jesus? The Father’s only Son is Jesus, Jesus became human and lived with people on the earth, Jesus displayed God’s glory, Jesus was faithful and full of love.
• What does the first sentence of this verse say that Jesus is? The Word.
• Yes, Jesus is the Word of God. God’s Word came to the earth and lived among the people. Jesus is God’s Message to us. Jesus didn’t just repeat someone else’s words, He taught with complete and total authority because He was then and is forever the living Word of God! So, knowing this, our SuperTruth says that we will build our lives on God’s Word; who are we actually building our lives on? Jesus, because He is the Word.

2. 1 Corinthians 3:10–11:

¹⁰ Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. ¹¹For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ.

• This was written by the apostle Paul. In verse 10, what was Paul able to do with the ability God gave him? He laid, or put down a foundation like an expert builder.
• In verse 11, who was the foundation Paul laid? Jesus Christ.
• How did Paul do this; by what method? He preached and taught about Jesus and lived his life in obedience to God’s Word.
• Was Paul the only one allowed to build on this foundation? No, he said others could build on it but they must be careful and not change it.
• Can you think of another foundation someone could lay? Salvation by works or good deeds, following the law, human righteousness.
• Can we also be expert builders like Paul? How can we build on the same foundation? Yes we can; by boldly sharing the Gospel and living a life like Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit in us. Speaking the truth of God’s Word.

3. 1 Peter 2:4–6:

⁴ You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but He was chosen by God for great honor. ⁵And you are living stones that God is building into His spiritual temple. What’s more, you are His holy priests.Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.⁶As the Scriptures say, “I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in Him will never be disgraced.”

• In verse 4, a cornerstone in Bible times was the most important stone of a building. It was placed at one corner and the rest of the stones were placed next to it. If the cornerstone was not true, or straight, the entire building would be out of line or crooked. If the cornerstone was removed, the entire structure could collapse. Who is the cornerstone of God’s temple? Jesus.
• Why do you think verse 4 says “living cornerstone”? This cornerstone is not an object, it is a person. Jesus is forever alive and will never be replaced or removed.
• What does it mean that Jesus was rejected? People did not believe He was God’s Son. They didn’t accept His teachings and that Heis the only way to God.
• Since people rejected Jesus, what does that mean to you and your decision to build on Jesus? People will reject Jesus today, too. Others may disagree and even make fun of or persecute us for our beliefs
• What does the writer call us in verse 5? Living stones and holy priests.
• How does this relate to the SuperTruth? When we follow Jesus’ teachings and He is our foundation, we grow up spiritually and God places us where He wants us to function in the world and in His church. Jesus gives us life and we grow up in Him.
• According to verse 5, can we please God on our own without Christ? No, only through Jesus can we please God and be acceptable to Him.
• What promise do we have in verse 6? If we trust in Jesus as our foundation, we will never be disgraced or put to shame.