Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Welcome (1 minute)

Welcome back to the second lesson of our Superbook adventure called “Elijah and the Widow.” It’s an amazing story of how God provides for His people. God provides for us, too! That makes me want to shout aloud! In fact, let’s all stand and sing the song, “Shout Aloud!”

Play Video: (Song) Shout Aloud! (2:12)

Shout Aloud Music Video

Preview the song so you can help the children sing along with the music.

SuperTruth and Discussion (2 minutes)

Our SuperTruth today is: “I will share what I have with others.”

Have you ever been asked to share a favorite food or drink when there was just a little left? What did you choose to do?  Children answer.

It can be difficult to share—especially if something is valuable or in short supply. It helps to know that we serve a generous, loving God who will reward us and give us all that we need.

Let’s watch a short version of our Bible story about Elijah and the widow. If you have seen it before, the widow had only a handful of something—watch carefully to see what it was.         

Introduce Condensed Bible Story (1 minute)

If all children watched the Bible story video in the previous lesson, you may skip it here and go straight to the Bible Background Video. 

Play Video 4: Condensed Bible Story (12 minutes)

Condensed Bible Story

Superbook takes Chris, Joy and Gizmo to meet Elijah, who is fed by ravens during a famine. In Zarephath, a widow gives Elijah bread even though she and her son are starving—then God miraculously provides food for them until the famine ends. Later, when the boy dies, Elijah raises him to life. The children learn to obey even when they don’t understand.

Discussion (2 minutes)

What was the widow gathering when Elijah saw her? Sticks to cook her family’s last meal.

What was the first thing Elijah asked her for? A cup of water.

Why might it have been hard for the widow to share a cup of water? Since it hadn’t rained, there was very little water.

What can happen during a drought? Crops don’t grow without water. People and animals go hungry and even die.  

Elijah had spoken a word from the Lord to the wicked king, saying there would be no rain—and that word came true. The crops had died. The area where the widow lived was famous for producing lots of olive oil. Since the widow’s oil was completely gone, it shows how severe the drought and famine were.

In addition to water, what else did Elijah ask for? A bite of bread.

What Elijah asked the widow to do was a true test of her obedience and trust. When we obediently share what we have, we demonstrate our trust in God to provide all we need. 

Introduce Bible Background Video (1 minute)

In today’s Bible Background video we’ll learn more about Elijah, the city of Zarephath, and the widow. We’ll also find out about wicked King Ahab and his wife Jezebel who worshiped the false god named Baal. Be ready for Gizmo’s questions! Wait for him to give some answers, then call out the one you think is right!

Play Video 5: Bible Background (8 minutes)

Bible Background

Play Video 10B: SuperVerse Graphic

SuperVerse

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

SuperVerse Discussion (1 minute)

The SuperVerse today is Luke 6:38. Let’s say it together:

Can you guess who said these words in the Bible? Jesus.
In this verse, Jesus teaches us about sharing what we have with others. What does He say will happen when we give? We will receive back.

This does not mean that we will always get back exactly the same thing we gave. It means that God will generously bless us in any way He chooses.           

Let’s say the SuperVerse again. Luke 6:38: 

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

Prayer and Send-Off (1 minute)

Let’s pray. Heavenly Father, the widow had little to eat, yet she trusted Elijah’s words from You that she would continue to have enough. Help us to be willing to share what we have, trusting that You will give us all we need and even more; pressed down, shaken together, and running over! Thank You for Your Word that is always true and never fails. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.    

In Small Group today, you will play a game where you will give what you receive to others. Let’s go play!       

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

Give It Up! Play a game to reinforce the SuperVerse.

In Large Group you were asked to notice something. The widow had only a handful of what to share? Flour.

What did she tell Elijah she was going to do with it? Cook a last meal for herself and her son.  

Even so, the widow shared her tiny bit of food with Elijah. And because of her willingness to give, she received back even more from God.  

You might think at your age that you don’t have much to give—this is far from the truth! 

Hold up each of the six different balloons so the children can see the words written on and name each one of them: Love, Mercy, Possessions, Salvation, Help, Wisdom.

These balloons represent just a few of the many things that God gives us that we can then share with others. In this game, you will receive a balloon and then immediately give it to the person next to you. 

Divide the children into two equal teams—ideally of eight or fewer children. If teams are unequal, a leader should play. 

Have the teams form separate lines. The two teams will face each other, with several feet between the lines.   

The players of each team will line up side by side, about an arm’s length between players.

Place a box at both ends of each line.

Place three balloons of one set on the floor at each end of a team’s line. Repeat for the other team.

Give a paper plate to each player.

Round 1 (easier):

One end player on each team puts a balloon on the plate, shouts the word on the balloon and then carefully passes it to the next player’s plate. That player shouts the word and passes it to the next player, and so on. The balloon is received and given this way until it reaches the player at the other end of the line. That player shouts the word, then slides the balloon from the plate into the box.   

As soon as the first player passes a balloon, another balloon is immediately put on the plate to pass again.

If a balloon falls to the floor at any time, it must be picked up by the player and put on a plate before play resumes.  

Once all three balloons from one end have been passed, the last player passes the three balloons on the floor in the opposite direction to the other box. The first team to put three balloons in each box wins. 

Round 2 (harder):

Both end players on each team start a balloon at the same time, shouting the word on the balloon. Players continue passing balloons from both sides and shouting the words. When two balloons meet in the middle, players must shout the words and exchange the balloons by tossing one in the air and catching the other simultaneously. The rest of the game play is the same.

Conclusion: How did it feel to keep giving what you received? Children answer.

God gives us good things so we will share what we receive with others. When we do, like the widow in the Bible story, we will receive blessings from God. Let’s find out more about giving and sharing in today’s teaching!

Teaching

Soak and Share: Demonstrate how we should receive and then give.

Let’s say our SuperTruth together: “I will share what I have with others.”         

Last time, we discussed how Elijah trusted and obeyed God. The widow showed her faith by giving Elijah water and bread, even though she and her son were starving. This is especially amazing when you consider that she was not a Jew who served the one true God. Many years later, Jesus talked about how God sent Elijah to her.

Optional: read Luke 4:24–26:

Slowly pour the measuring cups of oil and flour into the bowl as you speak. The widow gave the last of her oil and the last of her flour to make bread for Elijah to eat.

Hold up the clear bowl so children can see the contents. Does this look like enough to make a meal for even one person? No.

Think about it: the widow had to feed three people with just a tiny amount of oil and flour! Yet because she generously shared what little she had, God performed a miracle to return much more than she gave!

Optional: have a child read 1 Kings 17:13–16: 

This is what today’s SuperVerse is all about. Let’s say it together. Luke 6:38: 

This verse is often used to talk about giving money, and it certainly applies. Yet in the verses immediately before it, Jesus is teaching about giving love, compassion, kindness, forgiveness, and mercy—even to our enemies!   

Stand behind the paper balls and the tall container. Raise your hand to guess how many paper wads will fit into this cup. Children guess.

Let’s see if anyone guessed correctly. Count aloud as I place the balls in the cup. Slowly place balls into the cup as they count. Add only enough to fill to the rim—not over.

Raise your hand if you guessed {correct number} balls.

I am still not sure if that number is correct! Let’s see. Press down on the paper balls and tap the bottom of the cup on the table to make room for more. Count aloud as you add one ball at a time until the cup is full, then compress the balls again. Repeat, adding and counting until the balls are above the rim and overflowing the cup.

Look what happens when we do what the SuperVerse says. Pressed down and shaken together, {number} balls filled the cup until it overflowed! This is how God promises to give back to us!

What did Elijah share with the widow?  His faith, God’s Word, God’s gift of healing, and God’s miraculous power to provide.  

What did the widow share? Water and her last bit of flour and oil; a room in her house for Elijah to stay.

The widow did not just receive a few drops of oil and a tiny handful of flour —she received enough to make food during the famine. She also received God’s mercy and the gift of life when her son was raised from the dead! 

Is God generous toward us so we can keep everything to ourselves? Read 1 John 3:17 (NKJV):  

We have so many things to share: possessions, spiritual gifts, talents, abilities, forgiveness, mercy, hope, the Good News of salvation, and the many blessings we are given in Christ.

Pour the paper balls into the empty cup. He gives generously to us so that we can generously and cheerfully share what we have with others.     

Now let’s think of ways to cheerfully share as part of our Discipleship Challenge! 

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Give any child who missed Lesson 1 a Raven Pattern and Cloud Hanger to assemble the craft at home.

Hold up the sample craft. Last time, your challenge was to learn to do a task you have never done before, then do it cheerfully. Would anyone like to share what task you did and what happened as you did it?

The challenge was also to memorize Proverbs 3:5, which was our SuperVerse last time. Can anyone say it for the class? 

Now let’s read the challenges on Raven #2. Joyfully share something with someone. Memorize Luke 6:38. 

Your challenge is to give or share something that you have with others. Even better, share something you wouldn’t usually think about sharing with others. Of course, if it’s valuable, get your parents’ permission to allow someone else to use it. But even if you may think it is too small to be important, God can use what you share to help others, to bring glory to Himself, and to give blessings back to you. I’ll ask you how it went the next time we meet.

The other part of your challenge is to memorize Luke 6:38a, our SuperVerse today, then if possible, discuss what it means with your family. Let’s start working on that right now.

SuperVerse

Superbook Correction: Memorize the SuperVerse with a group activity.

Imagine a container that is packed with good things from God; so many that it overflows! In garments or robes worn in Bible times, there were no pockets. Instead, there was a large fold in a robe or garment that could be formed into a pouch to hold grain or other dry items that were purchased. The merchant or seller would pour the grain into the purchaser’s robe. This is what “pouring into your lap” most likely means in this verse.             

When we appreciate what God has given us, we want to share His blessings with as many people as possible.

Let’s read our SuperVerse together.  Luke 6:38: 

Have the children turn their heads, then lower and/or cover their eyes so they cannot see the board. Using the list below, change one word of the SuperVerse on the board at a time to alter the meaning of the verse, then have the children look at the board and raise their hands to tell you what word should be fixed. Write in the correct word and then repeat the process. Vary the order of the list to make it more challenging. As they become familiar with the verse, erase more than one word at a time. 

• Change “Give” to “Take”
• Change “receive” to “lose”
• Change “gift” to “grief”
• Change “full” to “half”
• Change “pressed” to “turned”
• Change “together” to “apart”
• Change “more” to “less”
• Change “running” to “skipping”
• Change “over” to “out”
• Change “lap” to “lamp”
• Change “Luke” to “Leviticus”

God wants us to share with others; when we do He will give back to us here, in heaven, or both places! Let’s say the SuperVerse together again— with the correct words. Luke 6:38:

If children cannot memorize the SuperVerse, be sure they understand its meaning. Remind them to keep working on the verse at home.

Prayer

Persistent Prayers: Communicate with God.

When Elijah prayed for God to stop the rain, a drought began that lasted over three years. Let’s read how the drought finally ended. Read 1 Kings 18: 42b–45a:

Did Elijah give up when his servant said there was no sign of rain? No.

Elijah prayed with persistence. This means he continued to pray without giving up. How many times did Elijah tell his servant to look for rain? Seven times.

The Bible tells us that Jesus encouraged His disciples to pray and not give up. (See Luke 18:1.) 

When we ask for something that pleases God, He promises to hear and answer. (See 1 John 5:14–15.)

Let’s close our eyes and bow our heads. Think of something that is really important to you; something you have asked God for and haven’t seen the answer yet. Now, pray silently and share your request with Him. Be persistent and don’t give up! Allow time for children to pray, then close in prayer.

Dear God, we praise You for hearing each one of our prayers today. Give us the strength to pray with persistence—never giving up or doubting, even if the answer doesn’t come quickly. We want to be like Elijah, praying with faith and then watching confidently for the answer. By faith we pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Action Game

Give and Receive: Teams share what they have to build the SuperTruth.

Let’s say our SuperTruth together: “I will share what I have with others.”   

This game is about sharing and receiving from others in return. If the widow had not shared what she had, she would not have received a miracle from God to provide for her needs many times more than she gave. Sometimes it is difficult to give. Yet by holding on to what we have, we can miss a bigger blessing from God. 

Divide the children into six teams of 2–5 children. Teams do not need to be equal.   

Assign each team a number from 1–6. It is important for each player to know their team number! Be prepared to help children with special needs. 

Have each team sit in their own circle in the four corners of the room, and two in the middle. 

The game is played like “Go Fish.”

Shuffle all the sets of cards together, then give each team six random cards.

Each team places any cards with their own team number face-up near the middle of their circle.

Cards with other numbers are turned over and placed in a pile near the center of the circle. (For example, if Team 1 has two cards with the number 1, the team places those two cards face-up, in the order they would be spoken in the SuperTruth; then turns all the extra cards with different numbers face-down so other teams cannot see them.)

The goal is for each team to build the complete SuperTruth using only cards with their team’s number. To accomplish this, teams must share their cards with each other.  

Start the game. One player from each team will go to another team and ask, “Do you have any team number __ cards?” (They only ask for their team number.)

The team checks their extra cards without revealing the card numbers. If they have a card with the requested number, they must give it to the player. If they have more than one card with that number, they should not say so, and only give one card to the asking player.

The asking players then return with the card to their teams and the next players go to ask for a card from a team—either the same team as before or a different team.

Once a team has built the SuperTruth with their cards, they stand up and shout it together.  

Continue until all teams have built the SuperTruth. If time permits, shuffle the cards and play again.          

Conclusion: In this game, your teams could not build the SuperTruth with only the cards you were initially given. You needed to share what you had and also receive cards that others shared with you. That is what our SuperVerse says, “Give, and you will receive.”

Guessing Game

Share a Guess: Children act or draw ways to give.

There are many things you have now that can be given or shared with others to help them; you don’t need to wait until you are an adult. The widow did not think she had enough to share; yet, she shared all she had, and God gave back much more than she gave.  

Hold up the pile of cards. On these cards are actions or items you can share, give, or do to help others. I’ll ask for volunteers. When it’s your turn, I’ll give you a card and you will have 30 seconds to decide how you will act out or draw what is on the card. You may even do a combination of acting and drawing, but you can’t make any sounds or write any words. If you need someone to help, you may choose a classmate to come up and assist you.

Some children may not be comfortable acting or drawing; so ask for volunteers.

You may have two children play at a time, acting and drawing as a pair.

You may give easier cards to younger children and harder cards to older children.

After you give a card, allow 30 seconds for the child to prepare to draw or act it out. If the child came up alone, he/she may ask another child to help.

Say, “Action!” and start the 30-second timer.

You may have the audience guess by raising their hands or simply shouting their ideas.

If the card is not guessed before time expires, choose a second volunteer to try. The player(s) who originally chose the card cannot play for this time only.

If the card isn’t guessed the second time, it is removed from the game and a leader will act out or draw it at the end of the game if there is time. 

After each card is identified, discuss how the children could practically share, give, or do it. Remind the children that some needs in real-life may be serious, and they should ask a trusted adult before trying to help.

Maze Activity

Elijah’s Journeys: Choose the correct routes for Elijah

Give each child a copy of the maze and a pencil. Lead a discussion using the questions and answers below as the children complete the activity.

Elijah always seemed to be “on the go”—traveling wherever God sent him. He did not have many possessions to share, yet he shared something more important with others. What did he share? God’s Word, wisdom and direction, healing. 

Have you ever felt like God was asking you to share something with someone? If so, can you explain?

What do you think the widow may have thought when Elijah told her to feed him first when she knew she didn’t have enough flour and oil for her family? She may have thought that he was uncaring or selfish. She might have been angry or frustrated.    

If you are at school and someone shares something with you that you need, how does it make you feel? Thankful, grateful, relieved, humbled. 

Conclusion: Elijah obeyed God and traveled when and where He directed him. Elijah shared God’s Word and power with the widow and her son. This confirmed that God was alive and in control—not the idol Baal. In return, the widow shared all that she had by faith to provide for Elijah. When we give, God will return blessings to us in many different ways.       

Bible Activity

Do Your Share: Look up verse to discuss examples of sharing in the Bible.

The Bible verses are about sharing with or giving what they have to others.

Let’s say the SuperTruth together. “I will share what I have with others.” 

Have the children sit down in pairs. Try to pair an experienced Bible user with a child who isn’t as familiar with the Bible. Give each pair a Bible. The experienced Bible user can quickly look up the verse. The other child can be the “messenger,” who writes the answers on sticky notes and sticks the notes to the board. If both players are experienced Bible users, the players can alternate looking up a verse and being the messenger. Have children close their Bibles before you announce the next verse.

Allow spelling errors because of the fast pace of the game.

Increase the time if necessary.

Do as many verses as time allows. Be prepared to help any children with special needs.

Note that the suggested answers are from the New Living Translation. If children are using different translations, their answers will vary. 

I will say a verse reference and write it on the board. Then I will write one or two simple questions for you to answer. You may start to look the verse up as soon as I say it. Once you find the answers, the messenger will write your answers on a sticky note, then quickly stick it to the board. You have one minute to do that. Each team scores five points for a correct answer on the board in time. The pair with the most points wins. 

If time permits, read the verses surrounding the passage so you can share the background of what is taking place and how to practically apply it in their lives today.      

1. Luke 21:2–4: 

1. Who gave?     

2. What was given?   

(Answers: 1. Poor widow.  2. Two small coins.)    

2. Acts 4:32: 

1. Who shared?    

2. What did they share?

(Answers: 1. Believers.  2. Everything.)    

3. Hebrews 13:15–16: 

1. Who is to share?   

2. Who do we share with?

(Answers: 1. Us.  2. Those in need.)    

4. Acts 3:6: 

1. Who gave?      

2. What did He give?  

(Answers: 1. Peter.  2. Jesus’ healing power.)     

5. Give additional time for this question. Luke 3:11: 

1. What things are we to give and share?     

2. Who do we give and share with? (Two answers.)

(Answers: 1. Shirts, Food.  2. The poor, the hungry.)    

6. Proverbs 22:9: 

1. What is shared?

2. What happens when we generously share?    

(Answers: 1. Food.  2. We are blessed.)    

7. Galatians 6:6:  

1. What should be shared?   

2. Who is it to be shared with?  

(Answers: 1. All good things.  2. People who teach God’s Word)     

Conclusion: It doesn’t matter how much or little we have; when we give it out of God’s love, He will give to us.