Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Welcome (1 minute)

Hello everyone and welcome! Today, we are going to watch an exciting Superbook story about the life of Joseph. His life had many ups and downs; but in all things, Joseph trusted God’s plan for him. Now, let’s watch our video and see what adventure Chris, Joy and Gizmo are involved in today!

Play Video 2: Chris and Joy’s Dilemma (3 minutes)

Chris and Joy's Dilemma

Chris has a precise plan for how to get the best seats at a big soccer match and is upset when things go wrong.

SuperTruth and Discussion (2 minutes)

Chris thought nothing could go wrong with his detailed plan. But as he soon found out, unexpected problems can arise!

Today’s SuperTruth says, “I will trust God and His plan for me.” Let’s say that together.

Is it easy to trust someone else; why or why not?

Now, let’s watch the rest of today’s Superbook video to see what happens!  

Play Video 3: Bible Story and Resolution (19 minutes)

Bible Story and Resolution

Superbook takes Chris, Joy and Gizmo to meet Joseph, who is sold into slavery by his brothers, then rises from prisoner to governor of Egypt. The children learn to trust God’s plans instead of their own.

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 Discussion (1 minute)

Now, let’s say our SuperVerse together. Proverbs 3:5:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.

We can trust God completely. The more we read the true stories in the Bible and see how God protected and provided for His children, the more we can be convinced to trust Him and His plan for us!

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

Prayer and Send-Off (1 minute)

Let’s pray together. Dear God, thank You for creating a special plan for every single person in this room! We praise You that when we trust You and Your plan, we will have Your favor, provision and protection in our lives—and we will play an important part in Your bigger plan for the world! In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

The plan for Joseph’s life was not an easy, straight path. Today in Small Group, you will start out with a game where you each have to follow a plan just for you! If you are ready, shout “Let’s go!” on the count of three—1, 2, 3!

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 was Chris’ big plan that he was rushing to complete? Clean his room and have his dad follow a route to get them to the soccer game on time to buy tickets.

Did the plan work; why or why not? No, Chris’ dad stopped to help someone.

After their journey to see Joseph, what did Chris say he was going to start following instead of his own plan? God's plan.

Our SuperTruth says: “I will trust God and His plan for me.” Joseph trusted God’s plan for his life even though he could not understand what was happening! Joseph made the best of every situation he was placed in and honored God. Because of that, Joseph had God’s favor in all that he did. We are going to play a game where each of you will follow a plan. The plan is unique to you, so you can’t follow someone else’s steps.

Divide the children into two equal teams. Hand a Plan Card to each player. Explain that they must follow the numbers in order: this is the plan designed just for them. Point out the number cards that are in five different places in the room.

Begin the game. The first player from each team will start the game and follow their individual plan, walking quickly from number to number in order. The player will then return to the back of the team’s line. Be ready to assist children with special needs. The first team to complete their plans wins.

If time permits, play another round. Gather the cards, shuffle them, and hand one to each player. As the game progresses—sometimes twice during a player’s turn—call out a new way to travel: walk backward, skip, hop on one foot, etc. Discuss how we are sometimes thrown curves in our plans and have to adjust and deal with them.

Okay, that was a great race. Did any of your plans take you in a straight line? No!

Sometimes we may not understand God’s plan for us, but we need to trust and follow anyway! Let's learn more about Joseph and how he trusted God completely. 

Teaching

Our SuperTruth says: “I will trust God and His plan for me.” It is easy to trust God when things are going well and His plan lines up with our plan, right? Joseph was very excited about his dreams. He couldn’t wait to share the dreams God had given him with his family. Joseph must have thought that his life was going to be a successful adventure from that point on. But what was the reaction of his older brothers?Anger, jealousy.

When we create our own plans, do we like to include difficult tasks, hard times, ups and downs, and twists and turns? No!

Lay out the rope between you and the children in a straight line, then walk from one end to the other as you say: Our plan is for things to go as quick and straight as possible from start to finish—like this rope. If your plan is to become a professional soccer player, would you put in your plan to spend five years in a junior league before you went to the pros? No!

Would you put in a delay of a year for a bad injury? No!

You wouldn’t purposefully put those things in your plan! But, more often than not in life, things happen that you didn’t plan for.

Yes, Joseph must have thought God’s plan for his life would look like this straight rope—smooth sailing! But, then what happened? Let’s look at God’s plan for Joseph. Joseph was his father’s favorite son; he had just gotten a gift of a beautiful, colorful coat!

As you describe Joseph’s life below, adjust the rope’s position, moving it up, down, and sideways, with twists and turns to indicate the ups and downs of Joseph’s life. See illustration for an idea.

• When Joseph received that coat, life was good! God gave him two dreams that meant he would someday rule over others, including his family. Curve rope up for a high point.
• Joseph was thrown into a well by his brothers and sold into slavery in Egypt. Curve rope down to a low point.
• Even so, Joseph was faithful and became head of Potiphar’s household. Curve rope up higher but not past the middle area, as he was still a slave in Egypt.
• He was falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife and thrown into prison! Curve rope lower. Joseph was put in charge of an area of the prison. Curve rope up to middle again.
• Joseph interpreted a dream for the Pharaoh’s cupbearer who was under his charge in jail. Joseph hoped the cupbearer would tell Pharaoh about him so he could be freed! Curve rope up a bit.
• But, the cupbearer forgot Joseph for 2 whole years! Curve the rope down. 
• When Pharaoh had a dream, the cupbearer finally remembered Joseph, who interpreted Pharaoh’s dream and was made second in command to Pharaoh. Curve the rope up past the middle.
• Joseph was re-united with his brothers and father, and they lived together in Egypt. Curve the rope up to finish.              

Is this rope straight anymore? No!

God’s plan for Joseph’s life really had some ups and downs! You see, God sees a much bigger picture than we do. We often see just the world directly around us—a very small picture compared to what God sees. We must be patient and trust God and His will for our lives, like Joseph did! When we do, God will bless us; and we will accomplish God’s plan—not only for us, but others, too! Read Genesis 45:7–8:

Joseph said, “God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. So it was God who sent me here, not you! And He is the one who made me an adviser to Pharaoh—the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt.”

Joseph now recognized that he had to go through all he did for a much bigger purpose than he ever imagined! He was put in a position by God to save thousands of people from starvation, including his own family!

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Distribute a Trust Necklace Pattern and a 24-inch piece of gold ribbon, yarn, or string to each child. Have the children write their names on the back of the pendant and assemble the necklace according to the instructions. Be prepared to help children with special needs. Assist them as necessary with tying the ribbon. Read Genesis 41:41-42:

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt.” Then Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his hand and placed it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in fine linen clothing and hung a gold chain around his neck.

Pharaoh placed his own ring on Joseph’s finger and put a gold chain around his neck. The ring and necklace represented Pharaoh’s authority. Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of preparing Egypt for the famine that Joseph had predicted. When we see this necklace, let’s remember that God has a plan for us and that we can put our complete trust in Him.        

Our challenge for these three lessons is to notice when you encounter any kind of difficult situation—such as when someone hurts your feelings, or you are tempted to do something wrong. Instead of reacting the way you normally do, stop and take time to pray. Ask God to show you how to respond in a way that will please Him and bring Him glory.

For example: You hear that a friend said something unkind about you. Perhaps you would normally react by saying something unkind about that person! Instead, stop and pray, then trust God for His answer. He will show you how to act with kindness, forgiveness and love instead of getting mad or upset. You will have a chance to share your challenge results with the class the next time we meet.   

Joseph trusted God and responded in a godly way to difficult events in his life. Because Joseph trusted God and followed His plan, God blessed him, brought favor to his life, and accomplished His will. 

SuperVerse

Our SuperVerse is Proverbs 3:5:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 

Say the verse together, looking at the board. Our SuperVerse tells us to trust in God completely with all of our heart instead of depending on our own wisdom and understanding. This is what Joseph did for many long years. He was taken from his father, betrayed by his older brothers, thrown into a well, and sold into slavery after he had two amazing dreams from God that he was going to be a leader and ruler! What a shock this must have been to Joseph! He could not depend on his own understanding because none of it made any sense. Joseph had to trust in God and His plan for him!

Let’s stand in a circle! Have you ever played a game where you take turns spinning an arrow to move on your turn? Today, I am going to be a human game spinner—and whoever I point to should say one word of our SuperVerse!

Stand in the middle of the circle, turn around, then suddenly point at a child who should immediately say the first word in the verse. As you keep turning—as fast or slow as you like—keep pointing quickly to various children, who should immediately say the next word, until the verse is finished. For the first few words, pick children who know the verse and won’t be shy to shout out the word. Children can look at the board if they forget a word. Repeat as time allows, allowing some children to be “spinners.” Praise the children each time the verse is completed correctly. Close by asking everyone to recite the verse together from memory.

Prayer

What do you think Joseph thought when he was thrown into the well? Children answer.

Can you name some times that you might have been afraid, if you were Joseph? Seeing his brothers’ anger and jealousy; in the well; sold into slavery; falsely accused; in prison; away from his father; in a different country.

Yes, there were probably many times when Joseph felt alone and afraid.   

Here is what the Bible tells us. Read Psalm 56:3–4 (cev):

Even when I am afraid, I keep on trusting You. I praise Your promises! I trust You and am not afraid. No one can harm me.

Joseph trusted in God, despite the hard times in his life, and we can, too! Are you going through a hard time? Maybe you are confused and don’t understand how you fit into God’s big plan. Maybe you have been hurt and mistreated. You can come to me or another trusted adult and talk privately about any of these things—and you can always go to God with your problems, 24/7. What does 24/7 mean? 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Yes, God is available 24/7!

Let’s take a few moments right now to pray quietly and open our hearts to God. Allow a few moments of silence. Tell God how you feel right now. Allow a few moments of silence. Ask Him to show you how much He loves you. Allow a few moments of silence. Ask Him what you would like Him to do, then ask Him what He would want YOU to do. Allow a few moments of silence.  

Close in prayer: Dear God, thank You for always being with us through every type of situation. No matter what happens, we can trust that You will answer when we call upon Your name. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Relay Game

Divide the class into two teams and have them line up next to the filled containers. Read Genesis 41:33-36:

“Therefore, Pharaoh should find an intelligent and wise man and put him in charge of the entire land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh should appoint supervisors over the land and let them collect one-fifth of all the crops during the seven good years. Have them gather all the food produced in the good years that are just ahead and bring it to Pharaoh’s storehouses. Store it away, and guard it so there will be food in the cities. That way there will be enough to eat when the seven years of famine come to the land of Egypt. Otherwise this famine will destroy the land.”

Joseph had just been released from jail. God filled Joseph with wisdom to accurately interpret Pharaoh’s dreams. Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of carrying out God’s plan to save the people during the 7-year famine. Today, we are going to play a fun game and fill the storehouses up! The two empty containers represent the storehouses in Egypt where the grain will be stored during the 7 years of plenty.

Pretend that we are in the 7 years of plenty in Egypt. Our job is to quickly fill the storehouses with grain before the 7 years of famine begin. This is a relay race where you will fill your cup/scoop with “grain” and walk quickly to your team’s storehouse and pour the cup/scoop of “grain” into it. You will then return to the line and hand the cup/scoop to the next player on your team who then takes a turn. The first team to move all of their “grain” to the storehouse wins.

Play additional rounds as time permits.

Discuss:

• How did Joseph have the wisdom to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams and put a plan in place to store enough grain to last 7 years for an entire nation?
• How would you feel if you were Joseph—you were a slave for many years and suddenly you are second in command in Egypt?
• Do you think Joseph ever wondered if the 7 years of famine would come, and if it did, would the grain stored be enough? Or, do you think Joseph trusted God’s plan and had no doubts?

Do you think that as Joseph looked back on his life, he was happy and thankful to be a part of God’s plan despite all the hardships he endured?

Object Lesson

Let’s say our SuperVerse together. Proverbs 3:5:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.

Joseph had to trust God through some very tough times, didn’t he? Can you name some of the times that Joseph had to trust in God and His plan for him?

Yes! Joseph could not depend on his own understanding of what was happening to him for those long, difficult years!

Point to the two chairs. These chairs represent our trust in God and our trust in ourselves, other people, or things. Trust means to place our confidence and belief in a person or thing to benefit us in some way. Sit in the “God” chair. When we sit in a chair, we trust it will hold us up, don’t we? You see, I trusted this chair to hold me safely and keep me from falling to the ground, and it did what it was made to do. 

Each day we make choices about what to trust. Our SuperVerse tells us to trust God with ALL, not just part of our heart. Joseph did this, even when he didn’t understand what was happening to him. Joseph was completely in God’s care. You see, with us, it is easier to trust God with all of our heart when things are going smoothly. Slide over carefully so you are partly on the “God” chair and partly on the “Other” chair. But, when things start to get a little tough, it is tempting to put some trust back in other things. Slide completely over to the “Other” chair. Sometimes things are so disappointing or confusing that we start to doubt God, and we abandon His plan for our lives. Joseph did not do this. Slide back to “God” chair. Can you name another person in the Bible who trusted God’s plan completely even when it meant that He would die? Jesus!

Move halfway between chairs. Did Jesus trust God with only part of His heart? No!

Slide to “God” chair. He trusted God with all His heart just like our SuperVerse says!

Let’s decide what we are going to do! How much are we going to trust God and His plans for us? Adjust your position on the chairs to represent the amount of trust before asking each question. Are we going to trust God with our heart 25 percent? No!

50 percent? No!

75 percent? No!

Well then, how much are we going to trust God? 100%, all the way.

Move completely onto the “God” chair. Yes! Praise God that He is always worthy of our faith and trust!

Activity

In our Bible story presentation earlier, we used a rope to show us the ups and downs of Joseph’s life. God was with Joseph every step of the way although it may not have seemed like that during the hard times. Our lives may not have Joseph’s extreme ups and downs, but we will have good and bad times as we serve God and grow up. We are going to do an activity where you will actually experience the ups and downs in Joseph’s life! l will read the events in the Bible story and you will decide whether it is a good or hard time in the path of God’s plan for him. If it is a happy time, you will jump up and shout, “Joseph trusted God in good times.” If I read a difficult thing, you will sit down and shout, “Joseph trusted God in hard times.” 

Read the following events to summarize Joseph’s life in the Superbook story today. Children will jump, sit and shout accordingly. Keep the activity moving as quickly as possible.  

Read:

• Joseph had a father who loved him dearly. Children jump up—shout: Joseph trusted God in good times.
• God gave Joseph two exciting dreams about his future. Children jump up—shout: Joseph trusted God in good times.
• Joseph told his brothers the dreams and they hated him. Children sit down—shout: Joseph trusted God in hard times.    
• Joseph’s father made him a coat of many colors. Children jump up—shout: Joseph trusted God in good times. 
• Joseph’s brothers were jealous of him getting the coat. Children sit down—shout: Joseph trusted God in hard times.
• Joseph’s brothers threw him in a well to die. Children sit down—shout: Joseph trusted God in hard times.
• Joseph was rescued out of the well. Children jump up—shout: Joseph trusted God in good times.
• Joseph was sold as a slave and went to Egypt. Children sit down—shout: Joseph trusted God in hard times.
• Joseph was promoted because he was faithful and God’s favor was on him in Potiphar’s house. Children jump up—shout: Joseph trusted God in good times.
• Joseph was falsely accused and thrown into prison. Children sit down—shout: Joseph trusted God in hard times.
• Joseph interpreted a dream and had hope that he would be released from prison when the cupbearer told Pharaoh about Joseph. Children jump up—shout: Joseph trusted God in good times.
• The cupbearer forgot about Joseph for two whole years! Children sit down—shout: Joseph trusted God in hard times.
• Pharaoh released Joseph from prison to interpret his dream for him. Children jump up—shout: Joseph trusted God in good times.
• Pharaoh was pleased and made Joseph second in command in Egypt. Children jump up—shout: Joseph trusted God in good times.
• There was a famine for 7 years in Egypt. Children sit down—shout: Joseph trusted God in hard times.
• Joseph, by God’s wisdom, had stored up 7 years of grain to feed everyone. Children jump up—shout: Joseph trusted God in good times.
• Joseph saw his brothers but didn’t know if they were still filled with hatred and jealousy. Children sit down—shout: Joseph trusted God in hard times.
• Joseph’s brothers passed his tests and asked for forgiveness and their relationship was restored. Children jump up—shout: Joseph trusted God in good times.
• Joseph, his brothers, and his father were all united and lived in Egypt. Children jump up—shout: Joseph trusted God in good times.

Good job! You had quite a workout! Joseph trusted God’s plans no matter how good or how bad things were. Let’s shout out our SuperTruth together: “I will trust God and His plan for me.”  

Bible Study

Have children look up and read each passage, then lead a discussion to help them put themselves in Joseph’s place. What would they do in the same situation?  

1. Read Genesis 37:1–11:

¹ So Jacob settled again in the land of Canaan, where his father had lived as a foreigner. ² This is the account of Jacob and his family. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he often tended his father’s flocks. He worked for his half brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah. But Joseph reported to his father some of the bad things his brothers were doing. ³ Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day Jacob had a special gift made for Joseph—a beautiful robe. ⁴But his brothers hated Joseph because their father loved him more than the rest of them. They couldn’t say a kind word to him. ⁵ One night Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him more than ever. ⁶ “Listen to this dream,” he said. ⁷ “We were out in the field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine!” ⁸ His brothers responded, “So you think you will be our king, do you? Do you actually think you will reign over us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dreams and the way he talked about them. ⁹ Soon Joseph had another dream, and again he told his brothers about it. “Listen, I have had another dream,” he said. “The sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed low before me!” ¹⁰ This time he told the dream to his father as well as to his brothers, but his father scolded him. “What kind of dream is that?” he asked. “Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow to the ground before you?” ¹¹ But while his brothers were jealous of Joseph, his father wondered what the dreams meant.

Ask:

• Do you think Joseph understood that his dreams were given to him by God?
• Have you ever had a dream you believe was from God?
• Would it have been easy or difficult to share your dream with your family?
• Do you think Joseph should have kept it to himself, or just shared it with his father; why or why not?
• Are there times we should just keep things that God shares with us to ourselves; why or why not? 
• Have you ever been affected by jealousy? How can you overcome it?

2. Read Genesis 39:1–6a:

¹ When Joseph was taken to Egypt by the Ishmaelite traders, he was purchased by Potiphar, an Egyptian officer. Potiphar was captain of the guard for Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. ²The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. ³ Potiphar noticed this and realized that the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did.⁴ This pleased Potiphar, so he soon made Joseph his personal attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned. ⁵From the day Joseph was put in charge of his master’s household and property, the Lord began to bless Potiphar’s household for Joseph’s sake. All his household affairs ran smoothly, and his crops and livestock flourished. ⁶ So Potiphar gave Joseph complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. With Joseph there, he didn’t worry about a thing—except what kind of food to eat!

Ask:

• What do you think was going through Joseph’s mind as he was attacked and then sold into slavery by his brothers?
• Do you think Joseph was angry at God; why or why not?
• How do you think Joseph felt, being sold to an important Egyptian like Potiphar? Would you feel that God had given you favor?
• Why did Joseph succeed? Do you think Joseph knew it was God and not his human ability that gave him success; why or why not? Look at verse 3.
• What do these verses tell you about Joseph’s trust and relationship with God?
• Would it be difficult for you to keep a good attitude with all the things that happened to Joseph?
• How do you think Joseph felt when he was promoted and put in charge of Potiphar’s whole house, while he was still a slave?
• What results can come to us and others when we trust God, do our best, and keep a good attitude regardless of the circumstances?

3. Read Genesis 39:19–23:

¹⁹ Potiphar was furious when he heard his wife’s story about how Joseph had treated her. ²⁰ So he took Joseph and threw him into the prison where the king’s prisoners were held, and there he remained. ²¹ But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the Lord made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden. ²²Before long, the warden put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that happened in the prison. ²³The warden had no more worries, because Joseph took care of everything. The Lord was with him and caused everything he did to succeed.

Ask:

• If you were Joseph, how would you feel if you did everything right, and with a good attitude, yet now you are in prison?
• Have you ever been falsely accused of something? What was the outcome, and how did you feel?
• Did Joseph react with anger and bitterness? What did he do? 
• Did God abandon Joseph when he was thrown into prison? What did God do?
• What does the fact that Joseph was put in charge say about his attitude and his service to God?
• Has God shown you favor when you were in a difficult situation? 
• What does this say about trusting God, serving Him faithfully, and giving Him all we have? What can the result be?

Pray: Dear God, You showed Joseph favor in his life even in Egypt and in a prison! Joseph trusted and served You even when he didn’t understand Your plan. Help us to faithfully trust and serve You so we can have favor in our lives and bring glory to You! In Jesus’ name, Amen.