Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Welcome (1 minute)

Hello, everyone! Today we will watch a new Superbook adventure called “Elisha and the Syrians.” In it, we will meet two men with names that sound a lot alike: Elijah and Elisha. Let’s all say Elijah. Emphasize the “j” sound. Elijah.

Now let’s say Elisha. Emphasize the “sh” sound. Elisha.

Elijah was older, and a mighty prophet of God. Elisha was younger, and God had chosen him to be Elijah’s assistant. After Elijah was taken to heaven in an amazing way, Elisha became a powerful prophet like his master. Let’s meet these two men, and also see what is happening today with Chris, Joy and Gizmo!

Play Video 2: Chris and Joy’s Dilemma (7 minutes)

Chris and Joy's Dilemma

Joy is furious when someone posts an embarrassing video of her, and she knows the perfect way to get even—but should she?

SuperTruth and Discussion (2 minutes)

Let’s say today’s SuperTruth together. “God is always for me.”

Sometimes people talk about God as if He is always against us. They think He is just waiting for people to make a mistake so He can punish them. Yet that is not really true! What does our SuperTruth say? “God is always for me.”

How does that make you feel? Happy, comforted, etc.

God is always with us, even when we go through hard times. In our video, why was Joy hiding behind the curtain? A girl posted an embarrassing video of her on the Internet.

How was Joy planning to respond? She wanted to post an embarrassing video of the girl.

Raise your hand if you think Joy will post that video. Children raise hands.

Raise your hand if you think Joy will change her mind. Children raise hands.

Well, let’s watch to see what happens!

Play Video 3: Bible Story and Resolution (17 minutes)

Bible Story and Resolution

Superbook takes Chris, Joy and Gizmo to meet the prophet Elisha after his master, Elijah, has been taken up to heaven. Witness how the Syrians try to capture Elisha—and what he does after trapping their army inside an Israelite city! The children discover that mercy can accomplish much more than revenge.

Play Video 10A: SuperVerse Graphic 1

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

SuperVerse Graphic 1

SuperVerse Discussion (1 minute)

Our SuperVerse today is 2 Kings 6:16.

“Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!”

This verse was in the video. Who was Elisha speaking to? His servant.

Why was the servant afraid when he went outside in the morning? The Syrian troops, horses, and chariots were everywhere.

Elisha prayed and the servant was then able to see the army of God’s angels and chariots of fire on the hillside. Today, we don’t need to be afraid, for we are surrounded by God’s presence and protection. God is always with us!

Children will have more time to learn the SuperVerse in Small Group. If younger children are not able to memorize the entire verse, be sure they understand its meaning.

Prayer and Send-Off (1 minute)

Dear God, You are always on our side so we are never outnumbered! Open the eyes of our faith to reveal Your presence and let us experience Your peace regardless of any situation or circumstance. In Jesus’ mighty name we pray, Amen.

In Small Group, you’ll play a fun game to help you remember today’s SuperTruth.

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 part of the video was the most amazing to you? The floating ax head, Elijah and the chariot of fire, the angels in their chariots that surrounded the enemy, etc.

Yes, God was with Elisha and enabled him to do some amazing miracles. It is exciting to know that God is always with us, too! Will we always see God’s help and protection with our physical eyes? No.

How do we know that God is with us? By faith in His Word. We can’t physically see His protection and presence unless Godopens our eyes to see into the spiritual realm as He did with Elisha’s servant.

Now it’s time to play the game!

Divide the class into two teams. Teams do not have to be equal.

Teams line up behind the marks farthest from the boxes so they face each other on opposite sides of the boxes.

The goal is to bounce a ball into each box in the correct order of the SuperTruth. Balls that go into a box out of order do not count. The whole team shouts the word when the ball lands in the box.

Give two balls to the first player on both teams.

Start the game with 5 minutes on the timer.

The first player on each team moves quickly to the line nearer to the box and bounces one ball toward the first box (“GOD”).

If the ball lands in the box, the team shouts the word on the box and the player goes to the end of the line, giving the second ball to the next player.

If the first ball does not land in the box, the player tries again with the second ball.

If neither ball goes the box, the player should retrieve a ball, run to the box and drop it directly down into the box as the team shouts the word.

The next player then tries to bounce a ball toward the next box, etc.

Sixth grade helpers or other volunteers should continually retrieve and return the balls to the next players in line.

A team scores a point each time the SuperTruth is completed. Make sure all children have a turn before stopping the game. The team with the most points when time ends wins.

Conclusion: That looked like a lot of fun. We can walk in boldness and confidence knowing that God is for us; we are never outnumbered!

Teaching

Let’s say today’s SuperTruth together: "God is always for me.”

In the beginning of the video, do you think that Joy felt like anyone was for her; why or why not? No, it seemed like everyone was against her. She was hiding from everyone and it seemed they all were laughing at her because of the embarrassing video.

Yes, we’ve probably all felt like everyone is against us at some time. Yet we can be encouraged and strengthened to know that God is always for us!

Please stand up if you like to lose.

Yes, that’s what I thought; we all like to win, don’t we?

Let’s pretend we are going to play a basketball game. I will pick Team 1. Choose a mixture of five boys and girls to stand beside you. Hand the basketball to a player.

Now, who would like to be on Team 2? Choose just one girl or boy to stand on the other side.

Okay, here are the two teams. Are you ready to play? The children should object at this point and say the teams aren’t fair.

Ah, you’re right, Team 1 outnumbers Team 2. I doubt Team 2 has much of a chance to win. The odds are definitely not in Team 2’s favor! Have the children sit down.

If time permits after the lesson is over, you may have the class play Uneven Dodge Ball, listed under the Additional Activities for this lesson.

Can you tell me a situation in the Bible story today where the odds were not fair? Elisha was surrounded and outnumbered by the Syrian soldiers who came to capture him.

Imagine walking outside in the morning to wait for the school bus and seeing your house surrounded by an enemy army. Elisha’s servant did not have a very good start to his morning, did he?

No wonder the servant was afraid!

Elisha wasn’t filled with fear. What do you think he was filled with? Faith!

Yes; he didn’t focus on the enemy army and the fact that he was outnumbered by trained professional soldiers. What did Elisha see instead? He saw the hillside filled with horses and chariots of fire from heaven.

Elisha then encouraged his servant. Let’s say our SuperVerse together, 2 Kings 6:16:

“Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!”

God opened the servant’s eyes so he could see the heavenly army that outnumbered the Syrian soldiers. No matter how many seem to be against us, there are more on our side than on theirs! With God on our side, we have the victory. As we discussed earlier, we don’t normally see God’s presence and protection with our physical eyes. We see by faith; by believing that God is always with us and for us. Have a volunteer read 2 Corinthians 5:7:

For we live by believing and not by seeing.

Ask for a volunteer who can dribble very well in soccer. Give the child the ball to demonstrate the skill.

Turn to the rest of the class. Let’s say you all are the fans in the bleachers or stands. Let’s hear you cheer on this player. Children cheer.

Good! Now, if you are a player and hear the cheers, how does that feel; what does it do for you? It encourages you to know the fans are there with you and for you.

Yes, it feels really good to know you are not alone. Even when you might be losing or have made some errors, they continue to support you. It makes a big difference; it keeps you energized to play on. That’s great, however, that’s all they can do. They can’t come out on the field and help you, can they? No.

That isn’t the way it is with God. He not only supports and encourages us; He also helps us to be victorious in all the battles and struggles we face. No matter the opposition, God is on our side! Have a volunteer read Philippians 2:13:

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.

The New Testament was originally written in Greek. In this verse, the word “working” in Greek is “energos.” Can you guess what modern word comes from that? Energy.

The word “energy” comes from this word. So the phrase, “God is working in you” means God is not just a spectator in the stands cheering us on. He is inside us and energizing us! He fills us with strength to press on. No matter what you may face, you’re not alone. God is with you, in you, and always for you!

Have a volunteer read Psalm 118:6–7:

⁶ The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? ⁷Yes, the Lord is for me; He will help me. I will look in triumph at those who hate me.

Elisha looked beyond the people who came to capture him—and he saw triumph! Even though there were many soldiers, they were just people. When God Almighty is for us, we have the victory!

Whenever we are afraid or have a need, God will protect us because He is always for us!

It’s time now for our Discipleship Challenge where we will be challenged to seek more of God!

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Display the model craft that you made. Give each child a Chariot and Cloak Pattern, children’s scissors, crayons, colored pencils, or washable markers, and two brass roundhead paper fasteners. Have children color the chariot, wheels and cloak, then cut out each item. Explain how to attach the wheels using the brass fasteners. Show how to assemble the cloak. Have the children write their names on their craft with a pencil. Assist any children with special needs.

Elisha desired more of God’s Spirit. Why would he want more? To continue to do the mighty works that Elijah did as God’s prophet.

Can you think of some ways we can seek more of God—to know more about His character and nature, His love, His ways, and His will? Through praying, obeying, trusting, reading, worshiping, etc.

How could knowing more about God help us in our daily walk with Him? It can help us know what pleases Him, keep us from doing things that hurt Him; we can imitate His ways and be more like Him so we can bring glory to Him.

Yes, one way we can seek more of God is by praying and spending time in His presence, asking Him to reveal more about Himself to us. We will never be able to learn and understand all there is to know in the world. Yet, we must continue to seek Him as long as we are here! Have children open their cloak to see the Lesson 1 verse.

For the Lesson 1 challenge, you will look up and read Jeremiah 33:3. Then you will discuss the meaning of the verse with your family. As part of this challenge, you will also seek more of God in prayer. Set aside time to specifically ask God to reveal something about Himself to you each day. Next time, I’ll ask you what happened when you did that!

SuperVerse

Say the SuperVerse aloud together.

“Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!”

Elisha’s servant cried out in fear when he saw that the Syrian soldiers were everywhere! Elisha told him to not be afraid. Elisha prayed for the servant’s eyes to be opened so he could see what Elisha saw—heavenly horses and chariots of fire! God’s army of angels outnumbered the Syrian soldiers.

What happened to the Syrian soldiers after Elisha prayed? The Lord struck them with blindness as Elisha had asked.

Yes, the soldiers were blinded by God. Then, when Elisha led the soldiers into the city of Samaria and Elisha prayed again, what happened? The Lord opened their eyes so they could see again.

In this activity, you are going to close and open your eyes. When your eyes are closed, I will erase a word or two and then tell you to open your eyes. You may then raise your hands to tell me what word or words are missing from the SuperVerse.

Have children lower their heads and close their eyes as you erase. Write the word(s) back on the board as the children answer. Begin with key words like “Elisha,” “more,” “side,” and “afraid.” As children become familiar with the game, erase more than one word at a time.

Conclusion: God answered Elisha’s prayer to stop the Syrian soldiers. God is always with us and ready to answer our prayers.

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. Make sure that all children understand the verse.

Prayer

Like Elisha’s servant, we cannot see God’s protection around us in the spiritual realm with our physical eyes; yet He is there!

This reminds me of God’s promise to us in Psalm 34:7:

For the angel of the Lord is a guard; He surrounds and defends all who fear Him.

God is our defender; He is for us and protects us. With God by our side, we are never outnumbered. No matter whether we are at school, on the bus, or somewhere new or unfamiliar to us; God is with us and for us.

Let’s take some time to pray silently and thank God for being for us and with us. Share with Him any places or situations that may cause you to be afraid. By faith, see God and His angels surrounding you. Ask Him to defend you, to remove any fear, and to replace it with His peace.

After children have had time to pray silently, close in prayer. Dear God, You are always with us even when it seems everyone is against us. We do not need to be afraid! Help us to remember we are never outnumbered because of Your presence in our lives. You promise to personally go before us, and to never leave or abandon us. Thank You, Heavenly Father, for Your protection. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Experiment

In the Bible story, Elisha performed a miracle and caused the iron ax head to float. Why was it a miracle? Iron doesn’t float.

Exactly! Now we all are going to participate in a fun experiment. Hold up the bag of items. In this bag are a number of items. Some will float and some will sink. You will each have a turn to select an item from the bag and guess whether it will float or sink. Then everyone will vote by raising your hands if you think it will float. If you don’t think it will float, keep your hands down. Ready?

Have the child on your left stand and select an item from the bag.

Optional: you may have each child reach into the bag without looking to select an item.

The child will then guess out loud whether the item will float or sink.

Now take a “float vote”: ask the other children to raise their hands if they think the object will float. They should keep their hands down if they think it will sink.

The child will then place the object in the water so everyone can see if it floats or sinks. Continue this way for each object until everyone has had a turn.

Leave the objects in the water if possible; to make room, you may need to remove some items and place them on a towel.

That was really interesting! Did anyone guess all of the items correctly?

Which items surprised you with the results?

How are all of the metal objects alike? All of the metal objects sank.

Most metal objects cannot float, unless they are shaped like a boat. An iron ax head is a solid chunk of heavy metal; it is not physically possible for it to float. However, God caused it to float! Why would God do this? To help one of His followers, to show His power, to show others that He was with Elisha, etc.

Good answers! God did a miracle and brought glory to His name. God can do anything, even what is humanly impossible!

Dodge Ball Game

Explain the game to the 5^th or 6^th grade helpers; do not let the rest of the class hear your instructions. The three helpers should enter the court when you signal them. They will play every round, once for each player.

Let’s say the SuperVerse together. 2 Kings 6:16:

“Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!”

The Syrian commander must have thought he had a big advantage over Elisha. He had many trained soldiers with weapons, horses and chariots. He also had the element of surprise—meaning that his army had sneaked up without being seen. Little did he know that Elisha actually had the advantage over him, with the army of heaven on his side!

In our teaching time, we had an illustration with uneven basketball teams. In this game, we will have some fun with uneven dodge ball teams. Hold up a foam ball. The balls are made of foam and won’t hurt. Each of you will play by yourself. You will play two rounds of 30 seconds each. In this wacky game of uneven dodge ball, you do not leave the game if you are hit! You score points by hitting an opponent with a ball or catching a ball that has been thrown at you. Everyone who isn’t playing should help me keep score for each game.

Have the children sit safely back a few feet to the side of the court.

Two children play at a time.

Place three balls on each side of the line.

Choose two players and have them stand on opposite sides of the line. Start the game by shouting, “Play ball!”

A few seconds after the game starts, signal the three older players to enter and play on one side of the court.

Play continues until the time expires. Ask the children for the number of points each side scored.

Have the three older players leave the court.

Play a second round with the same two players. The three helpers again enter the court, this time playing for the other player on the opposite side.

Stop the game when time expires and ask the class for the score.

Have each player remember only their own total score for the two games they played.

Continue until all children have a chance to play.

Ask the children their scores to find the winner.

What did you think of the game; was it different than you expected? Yes, it was surprising and confusing to see the three players come into the game unexpectedly.

Were the sides fair? No; the side the three players were on had an advantage.

How did it feel when you were alone against the four players? Overwhelmed, outmanned, hopeless, odds were against me, wanted to give up. Too much to keep track of and watch out for by myself.

How did it feel when the three players came to your side and played with you? Great, victorious, invincible, confident, I knew I would win and I had a big advantage. It was fun not to have to do everything by myself.

You each had a chance to feel what it is like to be alone and outnumbered. You also had a chance to experience what it feels like to have more than the other side. Which did you like better?

I know that I personally never want to face anything without God on my side! No matter what I face, I am not alone! Let’s say the SuperTruth together: “God is always for me.”

This game demonstrated how we have an overwhelming advantage with God on our side. In real life, we aren’t playing games; we face real situations and battles where God will stand with us and is for us! When the angels of heaven showed up to help Elisha, he knew that the victory was his and there was no reason to be afraid.

Read Romans 8:31b:

If God is for us, who can ever be against us?

Activity

We are going to play a fun review game in which you will have two chances to earn points. You will receive three points if you are the first to answer a question correctly. You will have a second chance to score points by rolling marbles to try to knock over the tubes. What do the tubes represent?

The tubes represent the trees the prophets were cutting down near the Jordan River. You are going to help cut them down! Now, if you are the first to answer the question correctly, you can roll the marbles while your eyes are open. If you aren’t the first to raise your hand, or if you guess incorrectly, you must close your eyes as you roll your marbles. Are you ready to play?

Divide the children into two teams. They do not need to be equal.

Have the first player on each team step up to the mark/line. Give each player two marbles. Ask a question from the True and False list. The first player to raise a hand can answer the question.

A correct answer scores three points and the player can roll the marbles with eyes open.

The other player must roll the marbles with eyes closed—like a blinded Syrian soldier.

If a player answers incorrectly, that player must roll the marbles with eyes closed. The other player may then roll the marbles with open eyes.

One point is scored for each tube knocked down.

The players must then retrieve the marbles and set up the tubes again as the next two players step to the mark.

After all the questions are asked, the team with the most points wins.

True or False Review Questions

1. Elijah struck the Jordan River with his ax to divide it. (False—his cloak.)
2. A large bird appeared in the sky to take Elijah to heaven. (False—a chariot.)
3. Elisha asked for a double serving of stew. (False—double share of Elijah’s spirit.)
4. Elisha picked up Elijah’s sandal that fell when he was taken to heaven. (False—Elijah’s cloak.)
5. A man lost his saw in the Jordan River. (False—ax head.)
6. Elisha performed a miracle by God’s power so the ax head floated to the surface. (True.)
7. The Syrian king was upset because Elisha kept warning the king of Israel about the Syrian army’s location. (True.)
8. The Syrian soldiers surrounded the town of Bethlehem to capture Elisha. (False—the town of Dothan.)
9. Elisha’s servant woke in the morning and saw the Syrian army. (True.)
10. Elisha told his servant not to be afraid. (True.)
11. Elisha prayed that the Syrian soldiers would be blinded. (True.)
12. Elisha led the blinded Syrian soldiers to the Jordan River, where they drowned. (False—he led them to Samaria.)
13. Elisha asked God to open the soldiers’ eyes once they were inside Samaria. (True.)
14. Elisha told the king to give the Syrian soldiers food and drink. (True.)
15. Following the feast, the Syrian soldiers were thrown into jail. (False—they were sent home.)

Conclusion: Great job everyone! You remembered a lot from the Bible story. Elisha is a powerful example of God’s Spirit giving us protection and power!

Craft

Give each child a copy of God’s Army Pattern and crayons, colored pencils, or washable markers. Have the children find the hidden army in the picture, then color the page.

Lead a discussion using the questions below as the children work on their pictures.

• Imagine you are Elisha’s servant. It is early in the morning and you have just woken up. You look outside and see the Syrian soldiers surrounding Dothan. What would you do first? Panic, freeze, yell for Elisha, run inside, pray.
• Have you ever been in a situation where you felt outnumbered; how does that feel? Hopeless, scared.
• What should we do when we find ourselves in an uncomfortable situation? Pray and trust God, ask for His help. Believe that He is with you even though you can’t physically see Him.
• Can you describe a time when you felt God’s presence and protection even though you couldn’t see anything with your physical eyes?

When children are finished, allow them to share their pictures with the class

Bible Study

Let’s say the SuperTruth together: “God is always for me.”

Now let’s say the SuperVerse together. 2 Kings 6:16:

“Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!”

By the power of God’s Spirit, Elisha walked in total confidence that God was for him. This is true for us today; God is for us and we do not need to be afraid of anything!

Have children look up the verses and read them aloud. Then lead a discussion with the questions below.

1. Romans 5:5–6:

⁵ And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love. ⁶ When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.

• According to verse 5, how can we be sure God loves us and is for us? He gave us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love.
• In verse 6, did we do anything to deserve this amazing love? No; we were still sinning and we were totally helpless to help ourselves!
• How can Christ’s death assure us that He loves us and is for us even when we sin and make mistakes? God would not send His Son to die for us if He didn’t love us or planned to destroy us. He sent Christ even when we were disobedient and not seeking Him. Because of this, we can be assured that when we fail in the future, He will still love us and support us. He placed His Spirit in us to help us live for Him.

2. Romans 8:31–32:

³¹ What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? ³² Since He did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for us all, won’t He also give us everything else?

• What does verse 31 mean in your own words? God is so great and powerful; if He is on our side, it doesn’t matter who opposes us - they are powerless and cannot stand against Almighty God.
• Did God hold anything back from us? No; He didn’t even spare His Son’s life for us.
• How does that make you feel about asking God for help? It gives confidence to believe He will provide anything I need.

3. Psalm 34:4–8:

⁴ I prayed to the Lord, and He answered me. He freed me from all my fears. ⁵Those who look to Him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. ⁶ In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; He saved me from all my troubles. ⁷ For the angel of the Lord is a guard; He surrounds and defends all who fear Him. ⁸ Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in Him!

• In verses 4 and 6, what did God do for David when he prayed? He freed David from all his fears. He saved him from his troubles.
• In verse 5, when we look to God for help, what can replace our fear? God’s joy.
• According to verse 6, does God hear our prayers when we need help? Yes, the Lord listens and takes action.
• According to verse 7, what does the angel of the Lord do for those who fear God? He surrounds and defends us.
• What do you think it means to taste and see that the Lord is good? To experience God personally; to trust Him and give Him a chance to show Himself.
• According to verses 7–8, if we run to God and put our trust in Him, what can we experience? His presence, protection, and joy.
• Can you share a time when you trusted God and experienced His presence?

4. Joshua 23:8–11:

⁸ Rather, cling tightly to the Lord your God as you have done until now. ⁹ “For the Lord has driven out great and powerful nations for you, and no one has yet been able to defeat you. ¹⁰ Each one of you will put to flight a thousand of the enemy, for the Lord your God fights for you, just as He has promised. ¹¹ So be very careful to love the Lord your God.”

• In verses 8 and 11, what was Joshua encouraging his people to do to defeat their enemies? Cling to the Lord; continue to love the Lord.
• Yes, he wanted them to stay away from idols. According to those verses, what do we need to do to experience victory in our lives? Love and dedicate ourselves to God over anything else. Put our total trust in Him.
• According to verse 9, what did God do for them? Gave them total victory over powerful nations.
• What does verse 10 say we can do with God’s help? Each of us can put to flight, cause to flee, or rout 1,000 of the enemy.
• What does this tell us about being outnumbered? It doesn’t matter when God is for us.
• According to verses 9–10, who is doing the actual fighting? God, not the people.

Conclusion: What we learned in these verses should excite every child of God. No matter who is against us; God is always for us! There is nothing we did to earn His love and support, and there is nothing that we can do to lose it! God is so much for us that He sent His only Son to die for us even when we weren’t obeying or seeking Him.