Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Welcome (1 minute)

Welcome back for the last lesson of our Superbook adventure, “Isaac and Rebekah.” Today, we are going to learn how important it is to stay on God’s path, the one that He has prepared for us. Let’s worship God now, for the path He prepared for our salvation as we stand and sing, The Salvation Poem!

Play Video 7:(Song) The Salvation Poem (3 minutes)

Game

First, let’s answer the questions from Large Group. What are some ways that Eliezer obeyed Abraham’s instructions? See Genesis 24.

Second, what questions did Eliezer ask Rebekah at the well—and what answers did she give? See Genesis 24:17,23.

Third, what is today’s SuperTruth? “Obedience leads to blessings.”

Read James 4:17:

Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.

Failing to obey God is sin. The meaning of sin is literally to miss the mark—like shooting an arrow and missing the target. God wants us to obey Him because He knows what is best for us. He understands the problems that our disobedience and sin will cause. What can happen when we are disobedient? Guilt, fear of punishment, hurt someone, cause others to lose trust in us.

According to our SuperTruth, obedience leads to blessings. So, think for a moment; where will disobedience lead us? Away from God’s blessings!

Yes; so we don’t want to miss out on all the blessings God intends for us to have!

Today, we are going to play a game to show what it means to hit the mark. The goal is to try to throw the beanbags into the target hole. As believers in Christ, the mark or target that we aim for is to honor God by our obedience and to stay on His path. When we choose to go our own way, we disobey God’s Word, and we miss the mark.

Divide the class into two equal teams. If they are not exactly equal, have a helper play, or have one child play twice.

Teams stand next to each other, in single file, behind the line.

Place a pile of four beanbags—same color/number in each pile—on the line beside each team.

Start the game with the first player on each team simultaneously trying to hit the mark by tossing a beanbag toward the box hole.

Each player gets one toss. If a player hits the mark and the bag goes totally into the hole—the player runs to the back of the line, and the next player takes a turn.

If the player misses the mark and the bag doesn’t go in the hole—he or she must try again with another bag. The player may take a step closer to the target to have a better chance of success. Players should continue trying—standing closer and closer to the target as necessary—until they succeed.

The team with all of its players hitting the mark first wins the game.

Continue playing until all players have had a turn.

Note: This should be continuous, fast-paced action. Teams do not wait for the other team to retrieve missed beanbags. Sixth grade helpers or other volunteers should retrieve and return beanbags.

Play again as time permits.

Conclusion: It is impossible to hit the mark every time, right? As hard as we may try to perfectly obey God’s directions, we will fall short of the mark! However, Jesus gives us new hope! He hit the mark every single time and never sinned—not even once! Because of His obedience, we are righteous and blessed in God’s eyes!

Now, let’s find out more about how obedience leads to blessings in our Signpost video!

Teaching

Have a child select the first Signpost card from the pile and read it aloud. Tape the card to the wall or prop it up so children can see it. Lead a discussion with the information below. Repeat for the two remaining Signpost cards. Additional material is included for Grades 4–6 to look up and discuss.

Signpost 1 The Covenant Promise

The Bible tells us that Isaac loved his bride, Rebekah, deeply. We are called God’s bride. He loves us and waits for us like Isaac waited for Rebekah. God loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die for us!

The search for Isaac’s wife began with a covenant promise. Abraham asked Eliezer to promise not to take Isaac out of Canaan, the land God promised to give Abraham and his descendants. God gives us a promise in the New Covenant through Jesus. By this promise, we receive an eternal inheritance.

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4–6

Genesis 24:67b (niv):

So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.

Isaiah 54:5a:

For your Creator will be your husband; the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is His name!

John 3:16:

“For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”

Genesis 17:8:

“And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.”

Hebrews 9:15a:

That is why He is the One who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them.

Signpost 2 The Journey

Abraham’s servant, Eliezer, went on a long and difficult journey to keep his promise to Abrahamto find a wife for Isaac. God’s Son, Jesus, came from heaven to Earth to find us, save us, and bring us back to God, to live with Him forever! Eliezer found Rebekah at the well, where she drew water to give him a drink. Jesus also met a woman at a well. He asked her for a drink, too. Jesus then offered to give her a drink of living water so she would never thirst again!

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4–6

Acts 3:26:

“When God raised up His Servant, Jesus, He sent Him first to you people of Israel, to bless you by turning each of you back from your sinful ways.”

John 4:7,13–14:

⁷ Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give Me a drink.” ¹³ Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. ¹⁴ But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

Signpost 3 The Fulfillment

Eliezer gave gold, silver, and other gifts from Abraham to Rebekah and her family. Jesus paid dearly for His bride; He gave up His life to save ours. By doing this, He fulfilled God’s covenant promise. Rebekah was chosen and the price was paid. Yet, Rebekah still needed to agree to go with Eliezer to be Isaac’s wife. She made the decision to go with Eliezer to become Isaac’s bride. God has chosen you. Jesus has made the journey and paid the price so you might have eternal life. Will you say “Yes” to following Jesus today?

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4–6

Genesis 24:52–53:

⁵² When Abraham’s servant heard their answer; he bowed down to the ground and worshiped the Lord. ⁵³ Then he brought out silver and gold jewelry and clothing and presented them to Rebekah. He also gave expensive presents to her brother and mother.

Matthew 20:28:

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

John 10:18:

“No one can take My life from Me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what My Father has commanded.”

Romans 10:9 (esv):

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Now, let’s see if anyone has some wise words to share with us from the Discipleship Challenge!

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Give the patterns for the Wisdom Chest and Coins, plus Choices Cube and Scenes Card, to children who missed Lessons 1 and 2. Have them follow the instructions on the pattern to assemble their crafts at home. Show them the sample crafts that are assembled.

Your challenge for this lesson is to read Scenes 5 and 6 on the Scenes Card at home with your family, if possible. For each scene, take turns rolling the Choices Cube and discuss different ways you could respond to that particular scene. Next, find the Scripture Coin with the same number as the scene, and look up the Bible verse on it to find God’s wisdom for that scene. Then, place the Scripture Coin in the Wisdom Chest.

For those of you who have already started doing this challenge at home—would anyone like to share a funny or wise response from your family discussions about this?

Have you ever experienced a situation similar to one of the scenes that you discussed?

So, what do you think is the wisest thing anyone can do?

Read Proverbs 4:7a:

Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do!

SuperVerse

Have the children sit facing the board. In the verses before our SuperVerse, Moses had listed the Ten Commandments that God gave on Mt. Sinai. Moses told the people that they must obey God’s instructions in every detail. If you were here for the first lesson, what did Chris’ father tell him to do? Follow the procedure exactly.

Did Chris follow the procedure exactly?

No, he didn’t even look at the instructions! God doesn’t want a half-hearted effort from us. He wants us to follow His commands in detail—exactly! Now, God knows that no one can follow His commandments 100 percent perfectly, 100 percent of the time. That’s why He sent His Son, Jesus, who paid the price for our sins by dying on the cross. And then He sent His Holy Spirit to give us His power and wisdom to live for Him! Thank God for His mercy and love!

Let’s say our SuperVerse together. Deuteronomy 5:33a:

“Stay on the path that the Lord your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives.”

Have the children turn their heads and cover their eyes so they cannot see the board. Using the list below, change a word or phrase of the SuperVerse to alter its meaning, then have the children look at the board and raise their hands to say what needs to be fixed. You may change or vary the order of the list. Write the corrections, then repeat the process.If there is more time after you complete the list, erase several words at a time.

• Change “Stay on” to “Wander off”
• Change “commanded” to “suggested”
• Change “long” to “short”
• Change “the LORD your God” to “your best friend”
• Change “follow” to “ignore”
• Change “Deuteronomy” to “Genesis”
• Change “prosperous” to “poor”
• Change “path” to “river”

That was fun. You were very good at spotting the errors. That is showing you care about the details! Remember, God has given us Jesus to forgive us when we stray off His path. And, He has given us His Holy Spirit to help us follow His Word!

Note: 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. Children with disabilities may just say the word without standing.

Prayer

Have children sit around you in a circle. Eliezer asked God for success. This was not a selfish prayer at all. His desire for success was to fulfill the request of His master, Abraham. The answer came quickly—so quickly that he hadn’t finished praying!

Read Genesis 24:15:

Before he had finished praying, he saw a young woman named Rebekah coming out with her water jug on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel, who was the son of Abraham’s brother Nahor and his wife, Milcah.

Sometimes God does not reveal His answer quite so fast, but that doesn’t mean He hasn’t heard our prayers. Last time, we learned Psalm 116:2 which says that God bends down to hear our prayer! So we must have faith that He hears us, then patiently wait and not give up!

Read Luke 11:9–10:

“And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Today, let’s pray for success—not for selfish reasons, or to be better than other people, but for God’s glory. So take a minute and think: Are you facing a problem at home or at school?

God wants to give you the answer and help you solve the problem. Do you want to spend more time in prayer or read the Bible more often?

God wants to help you succeed in doing that. Are you struggling with a temptation?

God wants to give you the power to overcome it. So let’s take a few moments and pray silently, asking God for success in that area.

Allow time for children to think and pray silently, then close in prayer. Dear God, sometimes You answer before we even finish praying. Sometimes we must keep knocking, asking and seeking before we see Your answer. No matter what, God, we believe that You hear every prayer—spoken or unspoken! We pray that You will grant us success by Your power, mercy, and unfailing love! In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

On the Path Game

Our SuperVerse, Deuteronomy 5:33a, says,

“Stay on the path that the Lord your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives.”

How do we know what path to follow, and where do we find God’s will? In His Word, in the Bible, the Ten Commandments.

Who lives inside every believer to guide you on God’s path? The Holy Spirit.

Walk along the path as you talk, then stop at each end. Did you observe something when I walked? You stopped at the end of each line or path.

Give a hint if no one guesses correctly. Here is a hint—where did I stop?

I stopped at the end of each line or path. That is important; in this game you must stay on the path as you bounce a balloon back and forth with your partner!

Two children will play at one time.

The object of the game is to volley the balloon back and forth as many times as possible without stepping off the path with both feet.

At least one foot must stay on the path at all times. Players may walk back and forth on their path to reach the balloon.

A leader or volunteer should act as a “spotter” for each team to watch the players’ feet.

Children not playing keep score by adding and shouting a point when the balloon is hit by a player.

Once the balloon hits the floor, or a player steps off the line with both feet, the game ends for those players and they must remember their own score.

Play until all children have taken a turn. The highest score wins.

Play additional games if time permits.

Option: to ensure all children have some success—each team must play long enough to have a minimum score of six points.

Conclusion: You did a good job staying on the path prepared for you! As we follow Jesus, we must try to stay on the path God has for us. Now, no one can do it alone—God gives us the Holy Spirit to strengthen and guide us. He helps us make wise choices to stay on the right path—like Eliezer!

Blessings Activity

Who can say the SuperTruth with your eyes closed?

When we obey God and stay on His path, we will experience God’s blessings! In this game, you will look for the blessings associated with obeying God’s Word.

Divide the class into two teams. Place some older and younger children on each team.

Place each set of eight bags in a different place at one end of the room.

Have the teams form two separate lines at the other end of the room.

Show each team which set of bags will be theirs.

Give each team leader an envelope containing a set of eight obedience slips.

The first player for each team randomly selects an obedience slip from the envelope and hands it back to the leader, then walks quickly to the team’s set of bags and picks any bag.

The player quickly brings the bag back to the team.

The leader then reads aloud the obedience slip that the player first picked. The player then opens the bag and reads the blessing slip. If a child is a beginning reader, the leader may read it. The slips may or may not make sense together!

Repeat this until all of the obedience and blessing slips have been read aloud.

The leader then mixes all of the obedience and blessings slips together into one pile.

The team works together quickly to match each obedience slip with the correct blessing slip.

The first team to do this wins.

The team leader may refer to the Bag Blessings Answer Key if needed.

Conclusion: Great job! Those are just a few of God’s promised blessings when we obey His Word! The Bible said that Abraham had grown very old, and God had blessed him in every way!

See Genesis 24:1. Abraham knew it was very important to obey God in order to receive all of His promises. Is that still true today?

And remember, we have the Holy Spirit living in us to guide us and strengthen us!

Coloring Activity

Give each child a coloring page, plus crayons, markers, or colored pencils. Have them put their names on it and color while you lead the discussion below:

1. What was Rebekah’s brother’s name? Laban.
2. How long did Rebekah’s family ask Eliezer to let her stay before leaving? Ten days.
3. Why do you think Eliezer waited to eat until after he had told the family why he came?
4. Imagine being Rebekah; how do you think it would feel to leave your family to travel to marry someone you had never met?

Conclusion: Abraham is an example of someone who tried to stay on God’s path and because of that, experienced a long and prosperous life. After Abraham’s death, Isaac continued to receive the covenant blessings promised by God to Abraham’s descendants.

Bible Game

Player 1 walks down the path, turns over an Obedience Card, and reads it aloud.

The child then selects a Blessing Card and reads the scripture reference aloud.

The class looks up the verse in the Bible; one child reads it aloud.

The leader writes the reference and an abbreviated version of the verse on the board.

The children discuss whether the two cards are a match. If so, remove the cards and briefly discuss the act of obedience and the blessing tied to it.

If the cards don’t match, they are placed back on the floor, this time FRONT SIDE UP.

Player 2 takes a turn, repeating the process.

Players can reference the board as cards are turned over to help find matches.

Play until all cards are matched.

Conclusion: These are just a few of the blessings tied to obedience in the Bible. Like with Abraham, when we seek to obey God and follow His path, our lives will be richly blessed!