Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Welcome (1 minute)

Welcome! We are beginning a new Superbook adventure today called “Let My People Go!” This Bible story has so many ups and downs, you’ll feel like you’re riding on a roller coaster. It is one of the best Bible stories ever! Let’s watch to see what Chris, Joy and Gizmo have to say about their favorite Bible adventures.

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

Chris and Joy's Dilemma

Chris and Joy discuss which Superbook adventure was the best.

SuperTruth and Discussion (2 minutes)

Our SuperTruth is “God sees, hears and understands me.” Think about that! God created the world and put the planets and stars in place. He made the entire universe—and He also made us! God understands our problems, He hears our prayers, and He loves us. So, do you think God was concerned about His people when they were slaves in Egypt?

Let’s watch our story to see how He helped them. 

Play Video 3: Bible Story and Resolution (20.5 minutes)

Bible Story and Resolution

Superbook takes Chris, Joy and Gizmo to meet Moses, who is chosen by God to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. They witness the plagues, the exodus from Egypt, and the parting of the Red Sea.

Play Video 10A: SuperVerse Graphic 1

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

SuperVerse Graphic 1

SuperVerse (1 minute)

Today’s SuperVerse is Exodus 3:7. This is what God tells Moses about His people. Let’s read it together:

“I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.”

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

Prayer and Send-Off (1 minute)

Dear Father, we praise You for seeing us, hearing us, and caring about us. Thank You that we can come to You for strength and wisdom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.  

In our small groups today, we will explore more about the story of “Let My People Go!” 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

What kind of work do you think the people of Israel were doing in Egypt? Hard work—digging, lifting heavy weights, making bricks.

Do you think that God knew what was going on—why or why not?

Yes, our SuperTruth has the answer! Let’s say it together: “God sees, hears and understands me.”

The Israelites needed help, and quickly! They were forced to do backbreaking work every day under a cruel taskmaster, Pharaoh! They desperately needed someone who could see their misery, hear their cries for help, care about their suffering, and be powerful enough to save them! Who could they cry out to; could it be a normal man or woman?

How about a superhero?

Well, superheroes are exciting and fun to watch, but they aren’t real. The only one who had the power to help them was God! And God chose Moses to rescue them! Moses was powerless on his own; but with God’s help, he could get the job done!

Let’s play a relay game to remind us of the Israelites’ hard work under Pharaoh. God saw their oppression, heard their cries, and knew their sorrows! He understood their need for His help!

Divide the children into two teams. Each team lines up behind the starting line. Give a bucket containing a jug of water, or a bag of gravel, dirt or sand to the first child on each team. At your signal, both players race to their other bucket and put what’s in their bucket into the empty bucket. Each player then shouts the SuperTruth and takes the full bucket back to the next person in line. If a player forgets to say the SuperTruth, he or she must stop immediately and shout it out. The second child takes the full bucket, races to the team’s empty bucket, repeats the SuperTruth, then carries the full bucket back to the next player in line.

Each child actually carries the same load back and forth, but in different buckets—symbolizing the endless toil of the Israelites. The process of filling and emptying the buckets continues until each team member has taken a turn. The first team to complete the bucket relay is the winner.

Wow, you are hard workers! The Israelites cried out to God and He answered their prayer! Let’s shout the SuperTruth one more time, all together: “God sees, hears and understands me.”

Teaching

That was an exciting Bible story we watched! God did some humanly impossible things to rescue His people. Our SuperVerse is found in Exodus 3:7:

“I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.”

What does oppression mean? Cruelty and suffering.

What is a taskmaster? Someone who places a heavy burden or workload on others.

Who is saying these words? God.

God was telling His people that He saw their terrible suffering, He heard their cries because of their cruel taskmasters, and He understood their sorrows.

That is why our SuperTruth says, “God sees, hears and understands me!” God created the whole universe, yet He loves each of us and cares about our needs.

Note: For Grades 1–3, you may omit reading the Bible verses below and simply discuss the concepts.

Point to your eyes and say:

God saw the Israelites in Egypt. He also saw Moses in the wilderness watching his flock of sheep. He knew where he was and appeared in the burning bush. God sees us, too!

Read Hebrews 4:13a:

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God.

Have children look up Psalm 139:1–3. Choose three children to each read one verse aloud:

¹OLord, You have examined my heart and know everything about me. ² You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. ³ You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do.

Keep your Bibles open because we’ll read the next verse in a minute.

Point to your eyes again as you say:

God sees us no matter where we are or what we do! Point to your ears and say: God not only sees us but He hears us, too. God heard the Israelites’ cry for help. Have you ever had trouble hearing someone talk to you when there was a lot of noise? It’s hard isn’t it—sometimes impossible! Think of all the voices and sounds on Earth, yet God hears every word and prayer we speak.

Read Psalm 34:15:

The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right; His ears are open to their cries for help.

Yes, God sees us and hears us!

Now let’s look at the next verse in Psalm 139. Have a child read verse 4 aloud:

You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.

Wow, God not only hears our words, but our thoughts, too! Point to your eyes, then ears, then heart as you say:

God sees us, hears us—and He also understands us. Think about it—God created this gigantic universe, and we are just tiny little people on this big planet. Yet God loves us so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to live on Earth and experience everything we do in life and to be our Savior.

Read Hebrews 2:18:

Since He Himself has gone through suffering and testing, He is able to help us when we are being tested.

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Now it’s time for our challenge activity. God set the Israelites free so they could serve Him freely! The Bible tells us in Galatians 3:22 that we are prisoners of sin. Prisoners sometimes wear chains, don’t they? The good news is that Jesus came to set us free from sin! Today, we will each make a paper chain to remind us that Jesus set us free from sin so we can freely serve God!


Pass out the Chain Link Challenge Patterns, scissors, and tape or stapler. Have children cut out the strips and write their names on the first link as shown. Display the sample chain you made and help them assemble the links in the correct order to make their own chains.

Link 8 says, “So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.” Jesus died on the cross for our sins. When we ask Him to forgive us, He washes away everything we have ever done wrong, setting us free from guilt and fear and shame! We are then free to live for God and serve Him with all our hearts!

Take this chain home, and before we meet next time, do Challenge #1 and tear off that link. What does Challenge #1 say? Ask God to show you people you can help by doing a task or chore to relieve their burdens.

Next time, I’ll ask who remembered to do it—and what happened when you did!

SuperVerse

Our SuperVerse today is Exodus 3:7:

“I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.”

Distribute Bibles to your group.

Our story today came from Exodus, the second book in the Old Testament.

Open your Bibles to the book of Exodus. What do you think the word “exodus” means? Depart, exit, or go out.

Why is Exodus a good name for this book? Because the Israelites went out, or exited Egypt.

Have the children look up Exodus 3:7 in their Bibles, then stand up. To help us learn the SuperVerse today, we are going to do some hand motions together.

Read the lines below, demonstrate the motions, and pause to allow the children to copy you. Do this activity a few times so children can become familiar with the verse.

Ready?

“I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt,

Hold hand up, palm in. Make a “V” with index and middle finger—place near eyes and move hand outward from face a few inches and stop.

and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters,

Hold up one hand to ear and tap it twice with index—pointing finger.

for I know their sorrows.”

With hand in a flat shape—touch the side of head with tips of fingers.

You did a great job! Next, I will say the words but NOT do the motions. Let’s see if you can do them on your own!

Children do motions while you say the words.

Now here’s our final challenge: I will do the motions while you say the words by yourselves! Children say the words while you do the motions.

Note: Do not expect younger children to memorize the SuperVerse. Grades 1–3 may simply repeat it several times, while Grades 4–6 may memorize it. Be sure all children understand its meaning.

Prayer

Our SuperTruth says that God sees, hears and understands me. So, He has the best wisdom for how I should live each day of my life. Our prayer today is from a prayer of Moses in Psalm 90:12:

Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.

Brevity means shortness. Moses is asking God to teach him to understand how short life is on Earth and to make the most of the time he has. Sometimes it feels like we will be here forever, right? Yes, sometimes.

The Contemporary English Version of the Bible says:

Teach us to use wisely all the time we have.

Hold up the rope and stretch it out.

Look at this very long rope. This is our life. The red part represents our life on Earth—and the rest of the rope represents our life with Jesus in heaven! Compared to eternity, our life on Earth is extremely short, isn’t it? Yes!

I am going to lead us in prayer as Moses prayed. Have children close their eyes as you pray.

Dear God, the world we live in is not going to last forever. Help us seek You for wisdom to live each day and make the most of every opportunity You set before us. God, You hear us, see us, and understand us better than anyone. You know the plans You have for us. Give us the wisdom to follow those plans and to accomplish all that You have given us to do! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Wilderness Game

Moses was not a trained leader; he was a shepherd in Midian. Moses was not confident that he could accomplish all that God had planned for him. But God saw and heard Moses. God understood Moses and his fears. God loved Moses and provided everything that Moses needed to do what He asked. God provided his brother Aaron as his helper, and God became Moses’ guide to lead him though the wilderness. Yes, God understood Moses. All Moses had to do was trust and obey. Moses had to trust someone he couldn’t see to lead the Israelites through the wilderness!

Read Hebrews 11:27:

It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the One who is invisible.

By faith, Moses followed an invisible God. He trusted in a guide he could not see to lead all of the Israelites out of Egypt and through the wilderness. Name some obstacles Moses faced after leaving Egypt. Crossing the Red Sea, lack of food and water, grumbling people, and the Egyptian army.

Let’s say our SuperTruth together: “God sees, hears and understands me.”

Now, let’s play a fun game and walk through our own wilderness. Does it look pretty easy to you? Well, there is one thing I haven’t told you yet; you must walk through the wilderness blindfolded!

Divide the children into two teams. Have each team line up behind the start line in pairs. Blindfold one player of each of the first two pairs. One child is the guide and the blindfolded child is the follower. Using their voices only, the guides will lead the followers around the wilderness obstacles in numerical order, 1–4, on the journey from start line to finish line. Each guide must pause to read aloud the paper obstacles in the path, and then the follower must reach down and touch it with one hand before going on to the next obstacle. Players may not touch their guides or other players on their journey. If they do, they return to the end of the line, and the next pair takes a turn.

The next pair of players starts as soon as the previous pair passes the second obstacle. This keeps the game challenging, since players must steer clear of other “travelers,” too! Do not have more than three or four pairs of players on the course at one time unless you have a very large course set up!

If time permits, give each child a chance to be a guide and a follower. When everyone has had at least one turn, ask the children:

How did it feel to trust a guide you could not see?

How did it feel to have the responsibility to be the guide?

Is it comforting to know God sees everything you do and all the problems you face each day?

Name a time that God answered a prayer you prayed.

Discussion Activity

Hold up the toolbox or bag filled with items related to various occupations or the Toolbox Pattern.

What kinds of jobs require a toolbox? Carpenter, electrician, plumber, repair person.

Now, take out the occupational items you put into your toolbox, one at a time. As you do, ask the group to name what occupation each tool may represent.

These items are called “tools of a trade″—equipment that helps with specific jobs. A trade is another word for a skilled job or occupation. In our Bible story, God gave Moses an important job to do. Moses objected because he didn’t feel he had the proper tools or skills needed to do the job. How did God equip Moses for the job of leading His people out of Egypt?He gave Moses courage and wisdom, as well as his brother, Aaron, to assist him. God also did miracles through Moses such as the plagues, parting the Red Sea, and providing water in the wilderness to make the Israelites’ exit possible.

How does God equip us? God gives each of us the wisdom, strength, abilities, and opportunities to do the job He has for each of us. He works through us like He did with Moses.

Let’s look at a few things that God did to prepare and equip Moses for his future role in guiding the Israelites out of Egypt and through the wilderness:

God kept Moses, a Hebrew baby, safe from the Egyptians. Moses was raised like a prince by Pharaoh’s daughter in the palace. During that time, Moses received the best education in Pharaoh’s palace! This prepared Moses to write the first five books of the Bible!

As a shepherd, Moses learned to care for and lead sheep. The Bible often refers to people as sheep. God prepared Moses to be a shepherd to the Israelites—God’s sheep.

Moses had many objections and was not confident in his ability to shepherd God’s people. But God knows us better than we know ourselves. He works through our weaknesses to accomplish His plan and purpose. God says in 2 Corinthians 12:9,

“My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.”

God provided Moses all he needed to accomplish his role as a leader—both physically and spiritually. God equips each of us with whatever we need to accomplish His purpose, too. When Jesus comes into our hearts, He gives His Holy Spirit—filling us with God’s unlimited love, power and wisdom. As it says in John 3:34,

“God gives Him the Spirit without limit.”

Our SuperTruth says that “God sees, hears and understands me.” He knows exactly what we are thinking. He knows our doubts and fears. He also knows exactly what we need to do, what He has called us to do!

Object Lesson

Have children look up Psalm 31:1–3, and select three children to read one verse each:

¹ O Lord, I have come to You for protection; don’t let me be disgraced. Save me, for You do what is right. ² Turn Your ear to listen to me; rescue me quickly. Be my rock of protection, a fortress where I will be safe. ³ You are my rock and my fortress. For the honor of Your name, lead me out of this danger.

Place the rock in front of the children.

Let’s wait a few seconds for this rock to move, okay? Watch it very closely. Wait several seconds. Did the rock move for anyone? 

That rock is not going to move!

The writer of this Psalm says,

Turn Your ear to listen to me!

How is God like a rock? He never changes; He is the same from beginning to end; we can always depend on Him.

How is God NOT like a rock? He is alive!

God can hear and see us! He is our fortress of protection. This rock doesn’t move and God isn’t going to, either! He will always be there for me, and I can put my faith and trust in Him. He will always see, hear and understand me. He knows exactly what is going on and knows exactly how to help me!

Let’s say our SuperTruth together: “God sees, hears and understands me.″

Craft

Have the children sit at tables, then hand out a Color Gizmo Pattern and crayons, colored pencils, or washable markers to each child. Have them put their names on their papers, then color and decorate Gizmo to take home after class.