Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Welcome (1 minute)

Welcome back for the last lesson of our Superbook adventure, “Elisha and the Syrians.” Elisha could have asked his master, Elijah, for anything—yet he chose to ask for more of God’s Spirit. God gives us the Holy Spirit when we believe in Jesus as our Savior. So let’s stand and worship the Lord as we sing The Salvation Poem!

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

Be sure to preview the song so you can sing along with the children.

The Salvation Poem

SuperTruth and Discussion (2 minutes)

Our SuperTruth for today is: “I will seek more of God.” Let’s say it together. “I will seek more of God.”

What does seeking more of God mean to you? Allow a few children to share their ideas.

Seeking more of God means to desire more of His presence. It means to open your heart so you can discover more of His love, power and wisdom. Every day, we want to better understand His heart and His will. Seeking God is a continual process and should never end—until we meet Him face to face in heaven! Let’s say the SuperTruth together again. “I will seek more of God.”

Introduce Condensed Bible Story (1 minute)

If most or all children watched the Bible story video in a previous lesson, omit it here and go straight to the SuperVerse.

What did we learn last time? Showing mercy and kindness to others; loving and praying for our enemies.

If you saw the full Superbook video in Lesson 1, why was Joy upset? A girl posted an embarrassing video of her.

What did Joy want to do? Post an embarrassing video of that girl.

That’s when Superbook took Joy, Chris and Gizmo back to ancient Israel to meet Elisha. Let’s watch a short version of the video now. And if you’ve already seen it, notice the reaction of the Syrian commander and soldiers, as well as the king of Israel, when Elisha shows kindness and mercy.

Play Video 4: Condensed Bible Story (11 Minutes)

Condensed Bible Story

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 10C: SuperVerse Graphic 3

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

SuperVerse Graphic 3

SuperVerse (2 minutes)

Our SuperVerse today is 2 Kings 2:9:

“Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.”

Who said this in the video? Elisha.

Emphasize the pronunciations so children understand the distinction. Yes, Elisha said this to his master, Elijah. Elijah was a mighty prophet of God, and Elisha was his assistant. What did Elijah say when Elisha asked him for a double portion of his spirit? If Elisha saw him leave the earth, he would receive his request.

Elisha had seen God work powerfully through Elijah, yet now Elisha wasn’t satisfied just to watch. Elisha wanted to experience God’s Spirit flowing through him—just like his mentor and teacher that he served faithfully. Have you ever witnessed God’s Spirit move powerfully through someone as they prayed or taught? Perhaps you heard someone share a story of something God had done in their lives, and that made you hungry to experience God in a deeper way, too. When we seek more of God and desire His Spirit—He will fill us!

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

Introduce Signposts Video (1 minute)

In our Signposts Video, we will see how Elisha helps us understand our relationship with Jesus and the blessings that we inherit from God as His children.

Play Video 6: Signposts Video (5 minutes)

Signposts Video

Prayer and Send-Off (2 minutes)

Let’s pray before we move to Small Group.

Dear God, thank You for the Holy Spirit who fills us and empowers us to do mighty things for You. Today, we want to seek more of You! Jesus tells us that if we keep seeking, we will find. (See Matthew 7:7.) Help us learn more about You and experience more of Your love and power. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

In your Small Group today, you will play a game about seeking more of God. Let’s go!

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

Let’s say the SuperTruth together: “I will seek more of God.”

Can you think of some ways to seek God? Through prayer, reading the Bible, praise and worship, obeying Him, trusting Him, serving Him.

Yes; there are many ways to seek God. God wants each of us to find Him in deeper and more personal ways. He promised that we will find Him when we look for Him!

Read Jeremiah 29:13:

“If you look for Me wholeheartedly, you will find Me.”

We are going to play a match card game. Some of the cards have words from the SuperTruth and others have ways that we can seek God. As a bonus, there is also a hidden phrase on the board behind the cards. It will be revealed as cards are matched and removed.

Divide the children into two teams. Teams will alternate turns. A team’s turn consists of one child choosing two cards. Flip over each card as it is guessed to show the children, and read it aloud. If the cards do not match, lay the card back down on the board. If the cards match, remove them from the board and give them to the player who matched them. On any turn, the player may also attempt to guess the hidden phrase on the poster board to win a bonus point. Play until all pairs are removed from the board. The team with the most pairs wins.

Conclusion: When we seek God we will always find Him, for He desires to reveal Himself to us. The Bible tells us that when we come close to God, He will come close to us! (See James 4:8.) He sent Jesus into the world to reveal Himself to us. The more we discover and experience God, the more we will love Him and want to share His amazing love with others!

Note: You may substitute the game “More of God,” found under Additional Activities.

Teaching

Have a child select the first Signpost card and read it aloud. Tape the card to the wall or prop it against the wall 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 - Ascended to Heaven

The Superbook adventure helps us understand our relationship with Jesus. Just before Elijah was taken up to heaven, who was with him? Elisha.

Elisha was Elijah’s assistant. He was chosen to follow in Elijah’s footsteps as God’s prophet. Do you remember who was with Jesus when He ascended to heaven? Jesus’ disciples.

The disciples were chosen to follow in Jesus’ footsteps when He left the earth. Like Elisha, they watched as the One they loved and followed was taken to heaven. One day, Jesus will come back for us. We, too, will ascend through the clouds to be with Him in heaven forever!

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4–6

2 Kings 2:11:

As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven.

Acts 1:9–11:

⁹After saying this, He was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see Him. ¹⁰ As they strained to see Him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. ¹¹“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday He will return from heaven in the same way you saw Him go!”

1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 (cev):

¹⁶ With a loud command and with the shout of the chief angel and a blast of God’s trumpet, the Lord will return from heaven. Then those who had faith in Christ before they died will be raised to life. ¹⁷ Next, all of us who are still alive will be taken up into the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the sky. From that time on we will all be with the Lord forever.

Signpost 2 - Spirit-Filled Heirs

Before Elijah was taken to heaven, Elisha asked him for a special blessing—a double portion of his spirit. Did this mean that Elisha was being greedy or disrespectful? No.

In Bible times, the oldest son would inherit a double portion of the inheritance—twice as much as anyone else in the family. (See Deuteronomy 21:17.) Elisha wanted to be Elijah’s heir and to inherit his ministry. God had shown Elijah that he should have Elisha to help him and eventually replace him as God’s prophet. Elisha affectionately called Elijah his father. So as his follower, Elisha was asking for his rightful inheritance. When you inherit something from someone, you are called an “heir” of that person. As followers of Jesus, we are God’s children and become heirs of God. With Christ, we inherit all of God’s wonderful blessings.

What did Elisha pick up from the ground when Elijah was taken to heaven? His cloak.

Yes, the cloak is symbolic of God’s calling and ministry.

What did Elisha do with the cloak? He used it to strike the Jordan River and divide it as Elijah had done.

The cloak itself had no power—it represented the anointing of God’s Spirit. Elisha called out for God’s Spirit and the water divided. The other prophets declared that the Spirit of God now rested upon Elisha! Yes, Elisha had accepted the call of God and was following in Elijah’s footsteps to carry on the work of God!

The Bible says that Jesus was filled with God’s Spirit without measure! When Jesus ascended to heaven, He promised that God would send the gift of the Holy Spirit to all of His followers. The Holy Spirit would anoint them with power to be His witnesses and to carry on His ministry. The promise was fulfilled, beginning on the Day of Pentecost. Those who heard and saw Jesus’ followers, after the Holy Spirit came, knew that God’s Spirit rested upon them!The gift of the Holy Spirit is still given to all believers today—giving us His power to be His witnesses, and giving us spiritual gifts to carry on His ministry!

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4–6

2 Kings 2:9–10:

⁹ When they came to the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken away.” And Elisha replied, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit and become your successor.” ¹⁰ “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah replied. “If you see me when I am taken from you, then you will get your request. But if not, then you won’t.”

1 Kings 19:16,19:

¹⁶ Then anoint Jehu grandson of Nimshi to be king of Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from the town of Abel-meholah to replace you as my prophet. ¹⁹ So Elijah went and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field. There were twelve teams of oxen in the field, and Elisha was plowing with the twelfth team. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak across his shoulders and then walked away.

Romans 8:16–17:

¹⁶ For His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. ¹⁷ And since we are His children, we are His heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share His glory, we must also share His suffering.

Acts 1:8:

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be My witnesses, telling people about Me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Acts 2:42–43:

⁴² All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. ⁴³ A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.

1 Peter 4:10:

God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.

John 3:34–35:

³⁴For He is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God gives Him the Spirit without limit. ³⁵The Father loves His Son and has put everything into His hands.

Signpost 3 - I Can See!

Elisha knew that—even when he was surrounded by enemies—he was not alone. He could see the angels of heaven far outnumbered the Syrian army. Even though the Syrian captain could see with his physical eyes when he was attacking Elijah, he was blind to the spiritual world around him. He could not see that he was outnumbered! Soon he and his troops’ physical eyes would be blinded, too. Later, Elisha prayed for their eyes to be opened again, showing them love and mercy. The Syrian captain recognized the kindness and mercy God’s prophet had shown to them.

We, too, are blind to the spiritual world without Jesus. We must be born again to see the kingdom of God. Jesus is the Light of the World. He came to restore our sight so we could experience firsthand God’s goodness and mercy. We were lost and Jesus came to find us; we were blind and now we see!

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4–6

John 3:3:

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

John 1:4–5:

⁴ The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone.
⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

2 Corinthians 4:6:

For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

Now, let’s move on to the Discipleship Challenge and talk about another way to seek more of God.

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Display the model craft that you made. Give children who missed Lesson 1 a Chariot and Cloak Pattern. They can then assemble their craft at home.

The challenge for Lesson 2 was to read Psalm 119:18:

Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in Your instructions.

Did you think or talk about this verse at home?

Can you share something you learned about God from your Bible reading?

Continue to read your Bible each day to seek more of God. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your spiritual eyes to the wonderful truths about God so you can know Him in a greater way.

Our third challenge shows us another way that we can seek more of God: by trusting Him—especially in difficult or discouraging times. When we trust God in hard times, we will discover the depths of His faithfulness and strength. Our challenge is to look up and discuss Deuteronomy 31:8 at home. Also, ask God to help you trust Him in times of fear, discouragement, disappointment, or in the midst of a trial or test. By doing this, you will experience God’s protection and strength in a deeper way.

SuperVerse

When Elisha said the words of our SuperVerse, he was expressing his desire to operate under the power and anointing that God had given Elijah. We also should desire that the Holy Spirit will fill us and empower us as we step into God’s calling. It is by God’s Spirit that we live victorious lives and fulfill His plan for us.

Have the class sit in a circle. Go around the circle, with each child saying one word of the verse. The child who says “double” should shout the word. Repeat several times, going faster each round.

Optional: Go around the circle and have two children say each word at a time.

Note that there is an alternative SuperVerse activity, “Double Up,” in the Additional Activities.

Prayer

Have children remain in a circle. Let’s say our SuperTruth together: “l will seek more of God.”

Elisha asked for more of God’s Spirit to do what God called Him to do. Today in our prayer time, we are going to seek more of God.

Jesus taught about seeking and asking God for things in prayer. Read Matthew 7:7–11:

⁷ “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. ⁸ For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. ⁹ You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? ¹⁰ Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! ¹¹ So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him.”

As we pray today, remember that when we seek, knock or ask, God will give good gifts to His children. He wants to give more of Himself to us! Let’s not ask God for physical things today. Instead, let’s ask for more of Him—His character and nature, who He is. I will begin the prayer and ask God for more of Him. We will then go around the circle to my left and you can pray saying things like, “Please God, let me have more of Your grace, or more of Your love, or more of Your wisdom”—or whatever it is that you desire from God. We will continue around the circle until everyone has an opportunity to pray. If you do not know what to pray, simply say something like, “I want more of You, Lord” or “Thank You, God.” Begin the prayer and then allow each child time to pray. Close in prayer after everyone has had an opportunity to pray.

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving good gifts to us, Your children. Help us to seek more of You in every part of our lives. Fill us with Your Spirit so we can accomplish Your will in our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Puzzle Game

In Large Group, we asked you to notice the reaction of the king of Israel and the Syrian commander and soldiers when Elisha showed them kindness. How did they react? The king was surprised because he thought he would be told to kill their enemies. The Syrian commander and soldiers were overjoyed and surprised at the kindness and mercy shown by Elisha.

Let’s say the SuperTruth together: “I will seek more of God.”

Yes, the more we seek God, the more we learn about His character and nature. In this game you will build a puzzle to form the word “GOD.” You will find the pieces at the other end of the room. Each letter of “GOD” has four pieces. You will need to form each letter and place the letters in order.

Demonstrate the game as you talk. One by one, when it’s your turn, you will gallop like a Syrian soldier on a horse from the starting line to the second line. There, stop and say, “WHOA!” Then close your eyes and carefully walk straight forward three steps like a Syrian soldier who was blinded. Count those steps aloud: “One, two, three!” Then stop again, open your eyes, and walk quickly to the table. Find the bag with your team number and get a puzzle piece. Then return to your team in the same way you came—gallop to the line where you stop and say “Whoa,” walk forward three steps with your eyes closed, then walk quickly back to your team.

Divide the children into teams of 4–6 children, and assign each team a number. Teams do not need to be even. Children can take more turns in smaller teams.

Each team will form a single-file line behind the starting line.

Start the race, following the instructions above.

Once a player return to the team, the next player starts. The rest of the team puts the puzzle together.

The first team to put its puzzle together in the right order wins!

Conclusion: That was fun! You kept seeking and finding more of God. In this game you found all of the pieces and completed the puzzle. In real life, we will never stop seeking because we will never complete the whole picture of God—it’s impossible!

Read Job 11:7:

“Can you solve the mysteries of God? Can you discover everything about the Almighty?”

The answer to Job’s question is no; we can never know everything about God! Yet He loves to reveal Himself to us when we seek Him.

Seeking God Game

Who can say today’s SuperTruth? “I will seek more of God.”

We are learning how it is important to seek more of God. We will never run out of new ways to know and experience God! Seeking God is an exciting adventure. He may lead us on a straight path; yet, other times there may be twists and turns we don’t expect or understand.

In this game you will continually seek God until you find Him. Read 1 Chronicles 16:11:

Search for the Lord and for His strength; continually seek Him.

When we seek God and faithfully follow Him wherever He leads us, we will find and experience Him in many different places and ways. This leads us to a deeper understanding and trust in Him.

In this game, you will follow after a bouncy ball. This represents following God wherever He leads you. That may seem easy; however, these are no ordinary bouncy balls.

Bounce a ball to demonstrate, if you wish.

Divide the children into two equal teams. If teams are uneven, one player may play twice. Try to mix younger and older children.

Have the teams stand at one end of the room.

The first players for each team stand together.

Show each team the color of ball they are to pursue.

Bounce the balls at the same time and say, “Go.”

The children pursue the balls.

The first player to return the ball to you scores one point.

Continue until all players have taken at least one turn.

Have a Sixth Grade helper or another volunteer keep score on the board.

The team with the most points wins.

Conclusion: What made following after these balls more difficult than regular balls?

You could not anticipate where it would go next. That was just a fun game of pursuing something. It is important to understand that seeking God may take us in different directions and to unexpected places; however, it is never random! There is always a purpose and specific reason wherever God leads us! By seeking and following Him, we will experience and learn more of God.

Word Search

The Syrian army was blinded after Elisha prayed. Would anyone like to try to say the SuperVerse with your eyes closed? If you get stuck, we will show kindness and help finish the verse, okay?2 Kings 2:9:

“Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.”

How can the Holy Spirit help us? He gives us power to live for God and tell others about Him; wisdom, strength, and guidance; power to show God’s love, kindness and mercy.

Divide children into groups of two. Give each child a word search sheet and a pencil. Try to pair older children with younger children. Explain that the words will either read from top to bottom or horizontally from left to right. There are no diagonal or backward words on this activity sheet. The children can work on their own sheet and share their word discoveries with their partners. Allow children a set amount of time to finish and then have the pairs of children share their results.

Conclusion: The more we are filled with the Holy Spirit, the more we can bring glory to God.

Activity

Let’s say the SuperTruth together: “I will seek more of God.”

The Bible verses you will find are about seeking God.

Have the children sit down in pairs and give each pair a Bible. Try to pair an experienced Bible user with a child that isn’t as familiar with the Bible. The experienced Bible user can quickly look up the verse while the other child can be the messenger. The messenger will write the answer on a sticky note and stick the note to the board. If both players are experienced Bible users, the players can alternate looking up a verse and being the messenger.

I will say the verse reference and write it on the board. You may start to look it up then. I will then read a fill-in-the-blank question for that verse. The messenger will write the team’s answer on the sticky note, bring it to the board and stick it on. You have 30 seconds to do that. Each team scores five points for a correct answer stuck to the board in time. The pair with the most points wins.

Allow spelling errors because of the fast pace of the game. Do as many verses as time allows. Be prepared to help any children with special needs.

1. Matthew 7:7 in the New Testament. Keep on seeking, and you will _____. (Find.)

“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.”

2. Jeremiah 29:13 in the Old Testament. If you look for Me _____, you will find Me. (Wholeheartedly.)

“If you look for Me wholeheartedly, you will find Me.”

3. Acts 17:27 in the New Testament. His purpose was for the _____ to seek after God. (Nations.)

“His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward Him and find Him—though He is not far from any one of us.”

4. Romans 3:11 in the New Testament. No one is truly _____; no one is seeking God. (Wise.)

No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God.

5. Hebrews 11:6 in the New Testament. He rewards those who _____ seek Him.(Sincerely.)

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him.

6. Proverbs 8:17 in the OldTestament. Those who search will surely _____ Me. (Find.)

“I love all who love Me.Those who search will surely find Me.”

7. 1 Chronicles 16:11 in the Old Testament. Search for the LORD and for His strength; _____ seek Him. (Continually.)

Search for the Lord and for His strength; continually seek Him.

8. Psalm 63:1 in the Old Testament. O God, You are my God; I earnestly search for You. My soul _____ for You. (Thirsts.)

O God, You are my God; I earnestly search for You. My soul thirsts for You; my whole body longs for You in this parched and weary land where there is no water.

9. Psalm 119:2 in the Old Testament. _____ are those who obey His laws and search for Him with all their hearts.(Joyful.)

Joyful are those who obey His laws and search for Him with all their hearts.

10. Luke 19:10 in the New Testament. The Son of Mancame to seek and _____ those who are lost. (Save.)

“For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”

Conclusion: The last verse you looked up wasn’t about us seeking God. It was about someone seeking us; who? Jesus.

Yes, isn’t it good to know that God loves us so much that He sent His Son to seek us! Even if we mess up and stray from God’s path, Jesus comes to us!