Superbook Celebration Option One

Opening Time

Welcome and Prayer (2 micnutes)

As families gather for the Superbook Celebration, you may play Video 1 or 9 or have them do a simple activity such as tossing beach balls.

Hello, and welcome to all of our families! Thank you for accepting our invitation to join our Superbook Celebration. If your group is not too large, allow time for the children to introduce their families.

In the next hour we will watch some exciting Superbook videos, sing some worship songs, and participate in some fun activities like the ones the children enjoy in our Superbook curriculum. First, would two or three children please share something you have learned from our Superbook lessons?

Wonderful! Let’s pray. Dear God, thank You for teaching us the truth of Your Word, the Bible. We are so thankful to have these families with us now to celebrate everything we have learned. Thank You for Your presence here as we gather to honor You and learn more about the strength we receive to accomplish Your work on Earth. We ask that Your Holy Spirit would flow freely in this room, blessing each person today. In Jesus’ saving name we pray, Amen. 

Now, let’s stand and sing Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho. Adults, see if you can keep up with your children as we all do the motions together!

Play Video: Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho (2 minutes)

Be sure to preview the song so you can sing along and do the motions with the children. If you cannot stream the videos for this lesson, use Video 11 from any Superbook Academy Church course. Song titles vary.

That was wonderful! One of my favorite things is to worship God with the children. Adding the voices of our families today is an extra-special treat!

SuperTruth

Display Slide 1: Piano keys

Raise your hand if you can play the piano.

Okay; name some keys on a piano.

Very good! There are a lot of keys on a piano. Now answer this: which key on the piano is the most important?

Allow several children to answer, do not reveal the answer.

Display Slide 2: Soccer field and players

What is this? 

Soccer field.

Raise your hand if you can play soccer.

What position do you like to play? 

Forward, midfielder, defender, goalkeeper.

Now, what is the most important position in soccer?

Allow several children to answer, do not reveal the answer.

Thank you for sharing your answers with us. A piano has many keys and notes. When you play certain keys at the same time or a series of notes in a row, you can make beautiful chords and music. There is no key that is more important than the other keys. Each one is important and needed to play music.

Now, after learning about the piano keys, would anyone like to change their answer about which soccer positon is the most important?

Yes, it is the same with soccer players as with the piano keys. One position is not more important than the other. Each individual player has a different yet important role and responsibility on the team.

Display Slide 3: SuperTruth

Let’s say our SuperTruth together: “I play an important part in God’s plan.”

Continue displaying the SuperTruth as you assign each of its eight words to eight children or adults standing in different parts of the room. The rest of the class should sit.

Let’s demonstrate the SuperTruth. When I say “Go,” each of these eight people will shout their word at the proper time to complete the SuperTruth. You may look at the SuperTruth to know when it is time—then shout your word as loudly as you can. Parents, if your child was chosen, be sure to shout with them! Are you ready? Ready, set, GO!

Do you see how each word is important? Every word is needed to complete the SuperTruth! God gives each of us an important part to play in His plan! Let’s all say the SuperTruth together now on the count of 3—1, 2, 3!

Introduce Bible Background Video(1 minute)

Now let’s watch a Superbook video to see how someone in the Bible played an important part in God’s work. Parents, you probably know that in Lesson 1 of each three-lesson course, we watch a Superbook adventure about the Bible story. In Lesson 2, we watch the Bible Background video, which gives a fun presentation about the archaeology, history and culture of that Bible story. This helps children discover that the ageless stories in Scripture are real events that occurred in a historical time and place. This also helps them incorporate God’s living Word into their everyday lives.

Play a Bible Background video (8 minutes)

Choose a Bible Background video from a Superbook Academy course, such as “Rahab and the Walls of Jericho” or “Paul and the Shipwreck.” After the video, briefly discuss how that Bible character had an important part in God’s plan.

Bible Background

Introduce Signposts Video (1 minute)

In Lesson 3, we see a Signposts video to help us understand how that Bible story points to God’s plan of salvation for the world through His Son, Jesus Christ. Long before Jesus was born, God spoke many times through many prophets in the Old Testament, promising to send a Savior into the world. Jesus is the only person who could ever fulfill every single one of those promises and prophecies! Let’s watch our Signposts video now.

Play Video 6: Signposts Video: Genesis to Revelation (4 minutes)

Play Signposts Video: Genesis to Revelation, which gives an overview of God’s plan of salvation throughout Scripture. Or, choose a Signposts video from any Superbook Academy course, such as “Rahab and the Walls of Jericho” or “Paul and the Shipwreck.” After the video, briefly discuss how Jesus fulfilled God’s plan of salvation.

Signposts Video

Introduce SuperVerse:

Display Slide 4: SuperVerse.

Let’s all say our SuperVerse together. 1 Timothy 1:12a:

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do His work.

In this verse, the Apostle Paul is writing a letter to a young man named Timothy. Paul called Timothy his “true son in the faith” and helped him grow to become a leader in the church. Paul encouraged Timothy to boldly fulfill his part in God’s work. Paul knew that his strength to do God’s work came from Jesus—so Paul wanted Timothy to understand that he must rely on Jesus to accomplish the work God gave to him. This is important for us to understand, too. God not only gives us an important part to play in His work; He also gives us the strength and ability to accomplish it! Let’s say the SuperVerse again. 1 Timothy 1:12a:

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do His work.

There is another part of this verse that we won’t memorize today—yet I want to show it to you because it’s important for you to understand.

Display Slide 5. 1 Timothy 1:12b:

He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve Him.

God has appointed us to serve Him! Isn’t that awesome?

Paul had shown that he could be trusted with God’s work. As God’s children, we want to be trustworthy, too. However, we can’t do God’s work in our own strength. What do we need? 

His strength!

We need His strength—just like our SuperVerse says! 

Display Slide 4: SuperVerse

Let’s have everyone who is older than 12 shout out the SuperVerse together.

That was pretty good. Now, how about everyone 12 and younger—can you shout the SuperVerse louder than that? Ready, get set, go!

That was incredible! Now let’s all stand and say it together, and shout the word “strength” with all of our might. Go!

It was fantastic to hear all of your voices together! We all have an important part to play in God’s plan, and He gives us the strength to do it!

Balloon Game

Our SuperTruth says, “I play an important part in God’s plan.” Let’s play a game to demonstrate that. Hold up a ball/balloon. Each ball we will use in this game represents a job that God has given us to do. 

Depending on group size, divide them into three to five teams. If the group is too large for everyone to play at once, you may play additional rounds until everyone has a turn. Teams play at the same time and must have an equal number of players.

Have each team stand single file in separate lines. Place a container of balls or balloons in front of the first player of each team. Set the Video Countdown Timer to 30 seconds, or adjust the time as desired. Start the time and say “GO!” The first player on each team grabs a ball from the container and hands it backward over his/her shoulder to the next player. Players continue passing the ball until the last player tosses it over the shoulder to the floor behind them or into a second container that you have provided.

Each time the first player hands the ball to the second player, the first player grabs another ball to continue the flow of the game. If a ball drops to the ground, the player must retrieve it and put it back into play. When time ends, count the number of balls left in each container. The team with the fewest wins! 

If balls are on the floor, have the players return them to the containers. Allow other teams to play, or play additional rounds with the same teams if time permits.

Wow—what great teamwork, everyone! That was fun! Now, let me ask you a question; which player had the most important job?

Every player was important!

Whisper the SuperTruth to the person next to you. “I play an important part in God’s plan.”               

Teaching

The Bible is filled with true stories of how God uses ordinary people like you and me to accomplish extraordinary things! The Superbook adventures show us how God used people like Paul, Noah, Rahab, Esther, and Gideon. When God asked them to do something, they said “Yes.” They obeyed God and trusted in His mighty power.

If God gives us a job, should we worry about how important it seems?

No, we should just do our part and trust Him to work out His plan.

The Bible tells how people in a church were arguing about who was most important—the Apostle Paul, or another teacher named Apollos. Some people in the church said, “I follow Paul!” Let’s have everyone on this side of the room shout that: 

"I follow Paul!”

Other people in that church said, “I follow Apollos!” Let’s have everyone on the other side of the room shout that: 

“I follow Apollos.”

You may have both groups shout back and forth a couple of times.

As you can see, this would cause a huge problem in the church! So Paul wrote a letter to this church that we can still read today, called 1 Corinthians.

Display Slide 6: Seed and Watering Can

Paul explained that he had planted the seed—meaning that He preached the Word of God so that many people believed in Jesus. And Paul said that Apollos watered the seed—meaning that Apollos helped the new Christians grow in their faith. Can seeds grow without water? 

No.

Can water grow plants if no seeds are planted? 

No.

Optional: Have everyone look up 1 Corinthians 3:6. Paul wrote,

I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow.

Neither man was more important—they both obeyed God and did what He called them to do. So who is most important? 

God!

Yes, God is most important of all—and He wants to use each of us in His plan! Now you may think, I’m too young, or too small, for God to use me. Is that true? 

No!

Or you may look at other people and think, “Well, if I were only like that person—then God could use me.” Is that right? 

No!

God made you just the way you are, and He has a special purpose for your life. When we become Christians, we all become part of the body of Christ. Think about it! Jesus is up in heaven, yet He says that we are His body here on Earth! We are His eyes, looking around us to see who needs His love. We are His ears, listening to others share their hurts and fears so we can encourage them. We are His arms, reaching out to hug lonely people. We are His hands, serving the poor. We are His feet, going out into the world to share the Gospel.

Each of us plays a very important part in the body of Christ, so we shouldn’t be jealous of what some people do, or look down on other people for what they do in God’s kingdom. We all need each other to fulfill God’s plan.

The Apostle Paul wrote about this in that same letter to the Corinthian church. Let’s read 1 Corinthians 12:14–18.

Optional: Have everyone look up the scripture and ask several children to take turns reading the verses.

¹⁴ Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. ¹⁵ If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? ¹⁸ But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where He wants it. 

Display Slide 7: Chris and Joy

Imagine if Chris didn’t have a regular body but was made of one big ear—how would he see or talk?

Or what if Joy was made of one big eye—how would she hear or walk?

God is our Creator, and He made our bodies in a wonderful way. He gave each of us a head with eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. He gave us arms with hands, and legs with feet. He gave us stomachs to digest food so we have energy. He gave us hearts that beat, and lungs that breathe to keep us alive. Isn’t our Creator amazing?

In the same way, God gives each of us special talents and abilities to serve Him. He also asks us to do certain jobs or tasks in His kingdom. Some people may preach or teach, while others may serve or pray. Some of these jobs get more attention than others, but all of them are equally important in God’s eyes. The key is that we must listen to what God tells us to do, then obey Him! That’s how we are an important part of His plan, just like our SuperTruth says!

Big or small, every job in God’s kingdom is important! And God wants to use each of us to do His work in the world. Raise your hand if you want to be part of God’s plan!

Yes, I think all of us do! And here is what the Bible says is the most important work we can ever do.

Display and read Slide 8: John 6:29 (nkjv)

Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

Who did God send? 

Jesus.

So the most important work we can ever do is to believe in Jesus. How do we do that?

We admit we have sinned and ask God to forgive us. Jesus paid the price for our sins by dying on the cross, so we ask Him to come into our hearts and be our Savior. We also ask Him to be our Lord, which means that He is our master and our boss! So, if He asks us to do something, we want to obey Him so we can be part of His wonderful plan!

Let’s worship God by singing The Salvation Poem. The first time it’s sung on the video, the song is in many different languages to show how children all around the world love to watch Superbook! The second time, we can join and sing in our own language to thank God for His gift of Salvation through His Son, Jesus!

Play Video 7A: (Song) The Salvation Poem Multilingual: 39 Languages (5 minutes)

Invitation, Prayer and Closing

This is a time to give an opportunity for everyone to receive salvation, to pray and to gather names and contact information for follow-up discipleship.

For the salvation invitation, you may play the Gospel Presentation Video and/or lead the suggested prayer below.

We recommend having a prayer team in place to pray with any families who might request special prayer following the service. Consider giving Superbook Bibles or scripture tracts to anyone who prays.

Play Video : Gospel Presentation with Chris (4 minutes)

Gospel Presentation with Chris

Let’s pray. Dear God, we want to give our hearts to You today. Thank You for dying on the cross to take away our sins. Thank You for rising from the grave and winning the victory over death to give us new life. Thank You for Your promise to take us to heaven someday so we can live with You forever! And we praise You for giving us Your Holy Spirit to live inside us and give us the power to obey You and follow Your will for our lives. And now, Lord, we pray for many other people to come to know You. We pray for our family and friends here and at home, and we pray for other people in faraway countries. Show us each day how we can show Your love and share Your Good News with others. We praise You that we are part of Your marvelous plan. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Praise God! If you asked Jesus into your heart for the very first time today, please come and see me afterward so we can talk about this important decision. We have been set free from all sin and guilt and shame. We have a new start in life—today and every day! And we have an important part to play in God’s plan! Now that is worth celebrating! Thanks for joining our Superbook Celebration—let’s close by clapping and shouting in thanks and praise to our wonderful Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!