Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Welcome (1 minute)

Hi, everyone! This week we start a new Superbook story called “A Giant Adventure.” As you’ll soon learn, a boy named David is faced with a B-I-G problem! Raise your hand if you’ve ever faced a big problem. Children raise hands.

Let’s see what happens when Chris faces a problem of his own.

Play Video 2A: Chris and Joy’s Dilemma (4 minutes)

*Note: Video 2A: Chris and Joy's Dilemma is meant to accompany Video 3: Bible Story and Resolution in this lesson. Please preview Video 3. Should you feel that some scenes are too intense for young children, please play Video 2B: Chris and Joy's Dilemma Alternate instead of Video 2A Also see note under Video 3.

Chris and Joy's Dilemma

Video 2B: Chris and Joy's Dilemma Alternate (4 minutes)

Chris and Joy's Dilemma - Alternate

SuperTruth and Discussion (2 minutes)

How was Chris feeling?

How did Chris deal with his problem?

Do you think he felt like his problem was just too big to handle?

Have you ever felt that way?

I’m glad you’re here, because today’s story will help us see that no problem is too big—and nothing is impossible—for God.

Our SuperTruth for today is, “God will help me when I face giant problems.” This definitely proves to be true for a young shepherd boy named David. Let’s watch.

Play Video 3: Bible Story and Resolution (15 minutes)

*Note: Video 3: Bible Story and Resolution is meant to accompany Video 2A: Chris and Joy's Dilemma in this Lesson. If you opted to play Video 2B: Chris and Joy's Dilemma Alternate please play Video 4: Condensed Bible Story and Video 8: Chris and Joy's Resolution together instead of Video 3.

Bible Story and Resolution

Superbook takes Chris, Joy and Gizmo to meet a shepherd boy named David. Goliath challenges anyone in the Israelite army to fight him, but all are afraid—except David, who trusts God and slays the giant Philistine. Chris realizes that when we trust God, we can conquer every fear.

Video 4: Condensed Bible Story (9 minutes)

Condensed Bible Story

Video 8: Chris and Joy's Resolution (2 minutes)

Chris and Joy's Resolution

Play Video 10A: SuperVerse Graphic 1

Graphic loops for 2.5 minutes without audio; turn off or freeze video after children repeat verse.

SuperVerse Graphic 1

SuperVerse (1 minute)

Our SuperVerse, Joshua 1:9b, says,

“Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

During the video, David told Chris, “It’s not the size of your problem that matters, it’s the size of your God that counts.” As our verse says, God is with us everywhere we go. So, whether you have a small problem or a giant problem—God will give you the strength to face it.

Children will have more time to learn the SuperVerse in Small Group.

Prayer and Send-Off (1 minute)

Let’s pray. Dear God, help us remember that You are bigger than any problem we face. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

God gave David strength—and accuracy—to fight Goliath. I hope your accuracy is as good as David’s—you’ll see why in Small Group. Have fun!

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

A GIANT welcome to everyone! How did God handle David’s GIANT problem? He gave him strength—and accuracy—to defeat the mighty giant Goliath.

This game will show us how hard it is to hit just the right spot on Goliath’s forehead to cause his downfall. How many stones did David have? Five.

You will each have a chance to throw five “stones”—erasers—at our giant to see if you can hit the mark!

Divide the children into two teams and have the teams stand single file behind the starting line. Give the first child on one team the five red erasers, and the first child on the other team the five black erasers. The two children take turns quickly throwing their erasers one at a time at the red mark on the giant’s forehead. The game is played something like shuffleboard, where one player’s eraser can bump another player’s eraser off the mark. At the end of play, a helper should score one point for each eraser on the red mark, keeping a tally for both teams. Other helpers quickly pick up the erasers and race to give them to the next child on each team, continuing until all children have played. Keep the game moving quickly and play again as time permits. The team with the most points wins. Leave the giant outline on the floor for the next activity.

Wow, that was really difficult, wasn’t it? Now, try to put yourself in David’s shoes—or sandals! Imagine putting a pebble in your sling, and you look up at a living, moving giant who tells you he is going to feed you to the birds and wild animals when he is done with you! Do you think you might be just a little bit nervous?

Let’s read what David told King Saul about why he had faith God would help him:

Read 1 Samuel 17:34–37:

“I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’[ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!”

Isn’t that wonderful? David already had experience in trusting God to handle difficult situations. His faith was strong because he had seen how God worked in the past. He knew that God would help him face the giant, just as He always helped David face danger while caring for the sheep. David knew what our SuperTruth tells us today! Let’s say it together out loud: “God will help me when I face giant problems.”

Teaching

Hold up or point to the outline of the young boy: This outline represents David. The meaning of the name David is “beloved.” What does “beloved” mean? Adored, loved very much.

David was a beloved child of God. You, too, are a beloved child of God!

Read Romans 5:8 nasb:

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

This verse tells us that God loves us so much that He sent Jesus, even though we have all sinned and disobeyed Him. Let’s think about what that means for us. Have you ever not asked God for help because you thought you weren’t good enough? 

I think that happens a lot. We hesitate to ask God for help because we feel guilty for doing bad things.

Did you know David was just a regular person like you and me? He made mistakes and sinned, too—even after he became the king of Israel! But God still loved David and helped him deal with big problems. That tells me that God will do the same for us!

Have you ever thought your problems were either too small or too big for God?

The good news for us today is that God wants to help us conquer any size problem!

Our SuperTruth for today says: “God will help me when I face giant problems.”

If you sketched the outlines on paper, place David’s outline near the giant’s, then hand out pencils to the children. Divide the class into two groups and have one work on David while the other works on Goliath. If you have a small class, they all can work on both. If you did not make paper sketches, simply discuss the following.

God helped David handle all sorts of problems. David had some little things to deal with and some big things, just like we do. Let’s think of some words and phrases to describe David and write them on this outline. Brave, faithful, fought a lion and a bear, tended sheep as a boy, youngest child, went before the king, fought Goliath, ordinary boy, human, made mistakes.

Now, let’s think of words and phrases to describe Goliath! Have each child write something descriptive on the giant’s outline. Giant, bully, proud, fearless, did not honor or show respect for God, strong, human with weaknesses, Philistine, struck down by David.

Point out the size difference between David and Goliath.

Goliath had strong armor to protect him. Now, do you think David, in his own strength and might, could defeat Goliath? No way! But David had the world’s most powerful weapon: God! It’s just like our SuperVerse says: Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. David was not afraid like his brothers or the entire Israelite army! David knew God was with him as he stepped forward to face the giant.

What happened when Saul gave David his armor to wear? It was too big and heavy.

David didn’t need Saul’s armor. David had his own armor; he was covered by his faith in the all-powerful God! God can help us defeat our giants, too, no matter what they are.

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

God gives us special “invisible” armor to protect us. Have you ever seen invisible armor? No!

We can’t see it because it’s invisible! But we can read about it in the Bible!

Have children look up and read Ephesians 6:13–18a:

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion.

Pass out the Invisible Armor Booklet Patterns. You may trim off the edge of each pattern along the dashed line ahead of time, or give children scissors to carefully cut it off. They should then fold the pattern lengthwise along the longest dotted line, with the print side showing. Next, have them fold the page in half the other way, so the Superbook title page and “Belt of Truth” sections are on the front. Finally, they should fold the “Belt of Truth” and “Sword of the Spirit” sections inward on the other dotted lines, forming a small booklet with the Superbook title page on the front. Have them write their names on the booklets to take home.

Today and for the next two lessons, we are going to work on memorizing all the parts of the invisible armor that God gives us!

If there is time at the end of the lesson, children may look up the verses to describe each piece of armor and write them inside the booklet, or they may take them home to complete. Have extra copies available in Lessons 2 and 3 for children who are absent today.

SuperVerse

Our story today comes from the Old Testament, in the book of First Samuel, chapter 17. We can find our Bible verse in the book of Joshua. Have the children open their Bibles to Joshua 1:9, and ask a child to read it aloud.

“This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

How does this verse relate to our Superbook story today? It seemed humanly impossible for a young boy to defeat a giant; but David was strong and courageous because He knew God was with him!

Divide the class into two equal groups. You may want to have boys against girls.

Today, we are going to have a contest to see who can memorize the SuperVerse. Everyone on your team will work together to memorize our verse. Then each team will choose a champion to represent the team in saying the verse in front of the whole class.

Give the teams a minute or two to memorize the verse, have them choose a champion, and let each champion try to recite it to the class.

Note: If younger children are not able to memorize the entire SuperVerse, simply have them repeat it several times and be sure they understand its meaning.

Prayer

Today, we will talk with God through “Praise Prayers.” What do you think a Praise Prayer includes? Thanks and praises to God for who He is, what He has created, and what He can do!

David wrote many songs of praise. We call them “Psalms.” One of his most famous is Psalm 103. I’ll read parts of it to you now. You may pause after each line to discuss its meaning.

¹Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise His holy name.

^2bMay I never forget the good things He does for me.

³ He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.

^4a He redeems me from death.

^5a He fills my life with good things.

¹⁰ He does not punish us for all our sins; He does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.

^13a The Lord is like a father to His children.

²²Praise the Lord, everything He has created, everything in all His kingdom. Let all that I am praise the Lord.

Now let’s go around the circle and each offer a short sentence of praise. If you do not wish to pray out loud, just say, “Praise God!”

Begin by praying:

God, we praise You for helping us with our problems and making all things possible!

After the children have prayed, conclude with a closing praise.

Guitar Craft

Hand out materials and have children cut out the guitar pattern, then glue the craft sticks onto the back, as shown in the illustration below.

As they work, ask:

Why was Chris afraid at the beginning of our story today?

Have you ever been afraid to give a speech or perform in front of others?

Why did Chris change his mind and decide to play his guitar?

God has given each of us special talents, and He wants us to use them to give Him honor and glory. Take your guitars home today as a reminder to use your special talents for the Lord.

Application Exercise

Review the SuperTruth: God will help me when I face giant problems.” God helped David with his giant problem, and He is strong enough to handle our problems, too! We may not face a 9-foot-tall Philistine, but we will face other kinds of giants—so let’s talk about how to deal with them. Find someone you don’t know very well to be your partner, today. We are going to tackle some giant problems together!

Give each pair a pencil and sticky note pad or some slips of paper and tape. As you read each situation out loud, the children should respond creatively and write various answers on sticky notes. They will then stick the notes on the figure of David, if they think it’s a good choice, or on Goliath, if it’s a bad choice. You may do the first one together, then read the other situations out loud for the children to answer as pairs.

When Chris got stage fright in today’s Superbook story, what were some choices he could make? Quit, pretend to be sick, faint, ask for another chance, blame someone else, lie.

If someone at school makes fun of a child who is a little different or who has special needs, what are some choices you could make?

If you see someone steal something from a student’s book bag, what are some choices you could make?

Discuss their responses, helping them evaluate good and bad choices. Remind them to pray, trust God, and ask advice from trusted adults.

What are some other examples of giant problems that a child your age might face?

Work through those together, as well.

Have children look up in their Bibles and read Isaiah 43:2–3a:

² “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. ³ For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”

In this verse, God is talking to His people through His prophet Isaiah. A prophet is God’s spokesperson who speaks a message from God. Think about our Bible story today. What do these verses tell us about God when we face problems in our life?

Yes, God is with us in the midst of anything we go through, good and bad, big or small! My guess is that the Israelite army was praying God would just take Goliath away so they wouldn’t have to face him any longer. They listened to his taunts and challenges for 40 days. But then came David—with the courage to trust God and face that giant. Yes, God doesn’t always take the problem away immediately. Yet we know He will always be with us as we go through our problems.

Tossing Game

Divide the class into two teams, which will alternate turns. Team 1 sends a champion, David, to stand behind the line. Team 2 sends three giants to each stand on a square on the floor. David gets 5 underhand tosses to try and hit any of the three giants with the paper pebbles. One point is scored for each hit. To make things interesting, the giants must keep at least one foot on the cardboard at all times and try to avoid the paper pebbles. If one steps off, the other team scores one hit. After the five paper pebbles are tossed, Team 1 sends three giants to stand on the squares and Team 2 sends a champion to toss the paper pebbles. Play the game until all children have had a chance to be the champion, David. The team with the most points wins.

You all did really well! Did you like being David or a giant? 

We had three giants in this game, not just one. The fact is, we all have many giants or problems that we face each day. The good news is that God can easily handle not just one giant, but all of them, at the same time!

Goliath was a huge, strong man. He had faith in his own strength and laughed at David because of his size and faith in God. Goliath was defeated and fell to the ground with just one stone from David’s sling. Proverbs 16:18 says,

Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.

The word haughty means arrogant or feeling superior to someone else.

Do you think this verse describes what happened in the Bible story; if so, how? 

Yes, God wants us to trust in His strength and power, not our own!

Let’s shout our SuperTruth for today: “God will help me when I face giant problems.”

Finding Game

How many stones did David gather before he went out to meet Goliath? Five.

Today, we are going to hunt for five special stones, which I’ve hidden all around the classroom. I have also hidden some plain stones, too! When I say GO, you may all begin looking. If you find one, pick it up and bring it to the front of the classroom while the others continue to look.

When all the stones have been found, have the children who found stones with words stand in a line and hold them up for the class to see.

Now let’s unscramble the message on the stones.

Have the class work together to put the five children in the correct order until the words read: “God helps me face giants.”

That reminds me of our SuperTruth: “God will help me when I face giant problems.”

David and Goliath Figures

Hand out materials and tell children to color and cut out their David and Goliath patterns. Have them put their names on the back of each figure. Follow the instructions to make and tape circle bases for each figure so David and Goliath can stand up. Talk about how small David seems in comparison to Goliath, but how David’s faith in God helped him defeat the giant. Have the children take home the figures as a reminders that God can help them defeat the “giants” in their lives.