Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Welcome (1 minute)

Welcome back for the last lesson of our Superbook adventure called “Revelation.” Have you ever prepared for an important event in the future?

What was it?

There is an event coming in the future that we need to prepare ourselves for—and prepare others, too! Jesus is coming back again! We need to tell everyone we can! Let’s stand up to thank and praise Him as we sing The Salvation Poem. As we sing, let’s really think about what Jesus has done for us and dedicate our lives to Him in a fresh way.

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

*Be sure to preview the video, as it contains intense imagery that may be disturbing for some children.

The Salvation Poem

SuperTruth and Discussion (3 minutes)

Our SuperTruth for today is: “I will prepare others for the coming of the Lord.” This is so important that I think we need to shout it out! Let’s have grades 4-6 shout it out together one time. Children shout the SuperTruth.

That was really loud! Now, grades 1-3, try to shout it even louder! Okay—go! Children shout the SuperTruth.

We want everyone to be ready when Jesus comes back so they can go to heaven with Him!

Introduce Condensed Bible Story* (1 minute)

*Be sure to preview this video, as it contains intense imagery that may be disturbing for some children. 

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

Who remembers what happened when Chris disobeyed his father’s rules? He accidentally burned down his house.

Chris thought he could never be forgiven. There are many people in the world who believe that God could never forgive them! We can share God’s love and forgiveness with them so they can look forward to Jesus coming again, too! Now, for the children who haven’t seen our Bible story yet, we are going to watch a short version of the video. If you’ve already seen it, then this time as you watch, look for ways that Joy and Gizmo are loyal friends to Chris, even after he made an unwise choice.

Play Video 4: Condensed Bible Story* (11 minutes)

Condensed Bible Story

Superbook takes Joy and Gizmo to meet the Apostle John in heaven, while Chris encounters Satan in the desert just before the Lord vanquishes His enemies in a final battle. The children learn that all who ask God’s forgiveness in Jesus’ name are granted eternal life with Him.

Play Video 10C: SuperVerse Graphic 3

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

SuperVerse Graphic 3

SuperVerse Discussion (2 minutes)

Our SuperVerse, Revelation 22:12, says:

“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.”

Have you ever looked forward to seeing someone you haven’t seen for a long time?

It is hard to wait, isn’t it?

Would it be easier to wait if you knew they were bringing a gift with them for you? No—harder!

Yes, that would make it even harder to wait. I think that Jesus’ disciples probably thought Jesus would be back in their lifetime—He said He would come quickly! But, no matter how many years go by, Jesus’ promise will be kept—He is coming again and He is bringing a reward for His followers! Let’s say the SuperVerse together.

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

Introduce Signposts Video (1 minute)

Now let’s watch our Signposts video to learn more about the prophecies that will be fulfilled when Jesus comes again!

Play Video 6: Signposts Video* (4 minutes)

*Be sure to preview the video, as it contains intense imagery that may be disturbing for some children.

Signposts Video

Prayer and Send-Off (2 minutes)

Let’s pray. Dear Jesus, thank You for going to heaven and sending us the Holy Spirit to help us live obedient lives until You come again. Help us to look for others who we can tell about Your coming. In Your name, Amen.

Today in Small Group, we are going to play a game about bringing people to heaven! That sounds interesting, doesn’t it! 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

When we go to heaven someday, what kinds of things can we bring with us—can we bring a house, or a car, or a bicycle?

No, we can’t bring any “thing.” But there is something we CAN bring. Can you guess? It’s other people!

Our SuperTruth says: “I will prepare others for the coming of the Lord.” How can we do that?

Yes, we can help others and show them God’s love. We can share the Gospel and tell them that Jesus is coming again!

Have children think of five people they would like to show God’s love to, share the Gospel with, and tell them about the Second Coming of the Lord. Have the children write one name and draw a face on each sheet of paper. Then have them crumple the sheets into balls and place them in a pile on the floor at one end of the room.

Divide the children into pairs. Line them up at the opposite end of the room about 15–20 feet away from the pile of balls. Place the basket or box on the floor half way between the balls and the children.

The people we thought of are precious in God’s sight. They have so much value that Jesus died for them. These are people we would like to bring to heaven! The extra sheets I crumpled up do not have names or faces; this was done on purpose. These balls represent people we don’t know. We may not know their names or what they look like, but God does—and He wants them to know that He loves them and He’s coming back again!

Start the time. Each pair will have ten seconds—add time for younger children or those with special needs—to bring as many balls as possible to the basket/box that represents heaven. Count the balls after each turn and see which team can bring the most to heaven! Return balls to pile after they are counted. Play additional rounds as time permits.

Read Daniel 12:3:

Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever.

I want to shine, don’t you? When we model God’s love and share the Gospel with others, we draw them toward righteousness, which is God! Who wants to shine like a star forever? 

Me too! The only thing we can bring to heaven is other people. We don’t want to go empty handed! Let’s get busy!

Teaching

Let’s dig deeper into the scriptures in our Signposts Video. The balloons in the four corners of the room represent the whole Earth. Near each balloon is a sign that represents the past, present or future. Inside each balloon is a prophecy Jesus will fulfill by returning to Earth. Are you ready to pop some balloons?

I will read the sign near a balloon, then ask a volunteer to cut the string so it falls to the floor. What does the balloon falling from the sky represent? Jesus’ Second Coming.

Next, I will ask someone else to pop it to reveal what is hidden inside. You must pop it by stepping on it or sitting on it, so that won’t be easy—it might even be a battle, although perhaps not as exciting as our video! Then I’ll ask someone else to read the slip aloud so we can all discuss it.

1.  Signpost—Past and Present: The world needs to be rescued.

Fulfillment—God sent His Son to save us.

Ever since Satan tempted Adam and Eve to sin, the world has been full of evil; yet God had a plan to save us from our sin. He sent Jesus to Earth the first time to forgive our sins and defeat sin and death. We will still have trials, suffering and temptation until Jesus returns. However, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to help us overcome every problem. God’s power is much greater than Satan’s. God will never leave us and will always forgive us—if we will only ask! In Jesus, we have victory over sin and evil now, and the final victory over Satan when Jesus comes again!

ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION FOR GRADES 4–6:

Read John 3:16 and Romans 8:35-37, then discuss how we can have peace and confidence.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For Your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

2.  Signpost—The Future Revealed: Satan’s defeat.

    Fulfillment—Jesus defeats the devil in a final battle.

Many prophets in the Bible were inspired by the Holy Spirit to write about Earth’s final days. God specifically revealed to the Apostle John what would take place at the end of the world in the book of Revelation.

Read Revelation 1:1–2:

This is a revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants the events that must soon take place. He sent an angel to present this revelation to His servant John, who faithfully reported everything he saw. This is his report of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

In the final battle, Satan will be defeated, once and for all, by an army of heaven’s angels led by Jesus, the King of kings! Once Satan is defeated, Jesus will bring healing to a corrupt and broken world. The Old Testament Prophet Daniel spoke of the final days when he revealed that God’s chief angel, who stands guard over the nations, will arise and come with Jesus to rescue all those who believe and follow Jesus. When you believe in Jesus, your name is written in God’s Book of Life—never to be forgotten. Isn’t that exciting?

ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION FOR GRADES 4–6:

Read Daniel 12:1-3 and discuss how it feels to know that any work you do for God now will not be forgotten.

“At that time Michael, the archangel who stands guard over your nation, will arise. Then there will be a time of anguish greater than any since nations first came into existence. But at that time every one of your people whose name is written in the book will be rescued. Many of those whose bodies lie dead and buried will rise up, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting disgrace. Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever.”

Read Zechariah 12:10 and discuss how God shows His love and patience.

“Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on the people of Jerusalem. They will look on Me whom they have pierced and mourn for Him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for Him as for a firstborn son who has died.

3.  Signpost—Restoration: The Lord restores all things.

Fulfillment—Jesus brings peace and order.

God did not want us to live in an evil and corrupt world. God will restore peace and order again after the final battle and Satan’s defeat.

ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION FOR GRADES 4–6:

Read Isaiah 2:4:

The Lord will mediate between nations and will settle international disputes.
They will hammer their swords into plowsharesand their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will no longer fight against nation,nor train for war anymore.

Weapons will no longer be needed after Satan’s defeat—that is the final battle the world will ever see. This scripture from Isaiah is on a statue inside the United Nations building in New York City. The United Nations is an organization that tries to work out problems between nations. Though the world tries to maintain peace, it will never really be possible until Jesus returns and Satan is defeated.

Read Isaiah 65:25 and discuss the authority and power of God’s Word.

“The wolf and the lamb will feed together. The lion will eat hay like a cow. But the snakes will eat dust.
In those days no one will be hurt or destroyed on My holy mountain.I, the Lord, have spoken!”

Read Zephaniah 3:14-15 and discuss how it would feel to have no troubles or fears. 

Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!
For the Lord will remove His hand of judgment and will disperse the armies of your enemy.
And the Lord Himself, the King of Israel, will live among you!
At last your troubles will be over, and you will never again fear disaster.

4.  Signpost—Everlasting Joy and Peace.

Fulfillment—Jesus is preparing our heavenly home.

Read John 14:1–3:

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in Me. There is more than enough room in My Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with Me where I am.” When Jesus comes again, He will take us to be with Him, forever! Right now, He is preparing a place for us and for everyone else in the world who believes and trusts in Him! We must be ready for His Second Coming and prepare others, as well!

ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION FOR GRADES 4–6:

Read Mark 14:61-62, then discuss what it means to have the power of Jesus through the Holy Spirit available to you now.

But Jesus was silent and made no reply. Then the high priest asked Him, “Are You the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Display the God’s Plan Revealed Craft and hand out patterns to children who missed the previous lessons or those who would like extra copies to show their friends.

How many were able to learn all of the verses?

Did you share God’s Plan with anyone, and what happened?

Our challenge is to continue learning all the verses. Then pray for God to show you how to share His plan with your friends!

SuperVerse

Our SuperVerse says in Revelation 22:12:

“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.”

I like rewards, don’t you?

It is fun and fulfilling to work at a task you have been given and then receive a reward. Jesus is coming again and He has promised rewards for us according to our work. What kind of work do you think He is talking about?

We need to understand something about working for God. We do not work to earn our way into heaven. We are not saved by any work we do! That is a free gift from God when we believe in Jesus’ completed work on the cross! So what could it be? Let’s read a verse that will tell us what the most important work is that we can do until Jesus comes again! Here is what the Apostle Paul wrote in the book of Philippians. Read Philippians 4:1:

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work.

This joy and crown is Paul’s reward. And what is his joy and crown? “You are.”

It represents the people who Paul brought to Christ, trained in their Christian walk, and prepared for heaven. Our greatest reward is to know that we have shared the Gospel with others and to watch them live for God. This brings great joy to us and to the Lord!

Divide the children into three groups and assign each group one-third of the SuperVerse:

Group 1: “And behold, I am coming quickly

Group 2: and My reward is with Me,

Group 3: to give to every one according to his work.”

All Groups: Revelation 22:12 nkjv

Give them a minute or two to memorize their part of the SuperVerse and the scripture reference. Have the groups stand in one line in the correct order of the verse. Have each group shout their part aloud—one after the other. Then have all groups immediately shout together the scripture reference. Repeat this one or two more times. For fun, you may have the groups try to switch parts, with everyone joining at the end to say the scripture reference.

Prayer

Read 2 Corinthians 5:20:

So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making His appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”

Does anyone know what an ambassador is?

An ambassador is someone who is given the authority and power to represent someone in his or her absence. There are ambassadors to countries, organizations, and even to important people. When Jesus left Earth physically, He gave power and authority to His followers. As followers of Jesus, we have that same authority. We are His voice to prepare people and to share the Gospel until He comes again! We are His hands to help people and show His love until He returns to Earth. We have a wonderful privilege to speak His message and help others come to the Lord!

In the game we played earlier, you wrote the names of people on the papers that you would like to prepare for the coming of the Lord. Find a place to be alone with God and pray for these people you named. Ask God to give you the boldness and opportunity to show His love to them.

Allow time for children to pray, then close with a group prayer:

Dear Jesus, Your mission when You came to Earth was not to condemn or judge others but to save them. You came to seek and save those who were lost, to prepare them for the kingdom of God! You have given us the awesome privilege and authority to represent You as Your ambassador to seek others, that they might be saved before You come again to Earth. Help us to be faithful and diligent as Your ambassadors. In Your name, Amen.

Balloon Game

In our video, we watched as Satan’s army was defeated by heaven’s army with Jesus in command! We are going to play a game where teams will battle each other to get rid of Satan’s army from their territory. Both teams have some blue balloons to represent God’s heavenly army, and both teams have other color balloons that represent Satan’s army.

Divide the class into two teams. To start the game, say, “Let the battle begin!” The two teams must stay on their own side of the line. The object of the battle is for the teams to rid their land of Satan’s army—which is every color of balloon but blue—by throwing or batting the balloons to the other side. Each teams’ second objective is to try to keep the blue balloons on their side of the line—these represent heaven’s army. This isn’t as easy as it seems in the heat of the battle; it is easy to accidentally grab and throw a blue balloon to the other side. The battle will last 30 seconds. When the battle ends, count the balloons. A team receives a reward of five points for every blue balloon on their side and loses two points for every other color on their side. Play additional battles as time permits.

The good news is that we already know the outcome of the battle—that is not in doubt!

Read Revelation 17:14:

These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings.

Gizmo Craft

We are going to make a cool craft today. 

Hand out the materials and help children follow the instructions on the pattern to make their Gizmo cups. Tell them to be careful when using the scissors to cut the slits in their cups. Help them poke a hole in the center of each cup. Cut the clips off the pen caps for the children, and show them how to insert the pens into the cups. 

Demonstrate how to spin the finished craft and look through the slits to see Gizmo “walking” inside cup.

Those are really fun; you did a nice job making them. You can take them home to show your friends and invite them to come to Sunday school!

Object Lesson

Who can tell me what our SuperTruth is today from memory? “I will prepare others for the coming of the Lord.”

It is important to be thinking about others and to help them prepare for Jesus’ return to Earth. What are some other things that we might prepare for? Birthday party, wedding, sports game, weather, concert/recital, test, trip, vacation, guests.

There are many things that we prepare for in advance. Hold up the test paper. How do you prepare for a test?

Hold up the textbook. Yes, we study the material and make sure we know the answers so we are prepared.

It is good to be prepared, but as our SuperTruth tells us, we need to prepare others for the coming of the Lord—not just ourselves! Hold up the textbook. We said that one way to prepare for a test is to study the textbook for the answers. Hold up the Bible. To prepare for the coming of the Lord, we need to read and study the Bible so we learn as much as we can about Jesus before He comes back. This book tells us how to live a life that is pleasing to Him. The Bible has the answers to not only prepare ourselves, but to prepare others. We need to be ready to share our faith and hope. Read 1 Peter 3:15–16:

And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way.

Hold up the Bible. 

I want to challenge you to learn as much as you can from this book so you are prepared to answer others when they see you make wise choices and live your life for Jesus, expecting His return. No one on Earth has all the answers, do they?

No, but we are responsible to learn all we can and to trust the Holy Spirit to give us the words to speak. Hold up the test paper. What is the reward for preparing well for a test? Know the material, pass, good grade.

Yes, you know the material and receive a good grade for your work. Who remembers our SuperVerse, Revelation 22:12?

“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.”

Jesus has promised us a reward for our work! This is why we made our craft for the Discipleship Challenge! Let’s do all we can to prepare ourselves to help others come to know Jesus!

Worship/Discussion

Did you ever wonder what we would do in heaven? Does anyone have an idea?

From the writings in Revelation, where the Apostle John got a glimpse into heaven, we can see that one of the main activities is worship!

John wrote what was revealed to him in heaven and described the worship of Jesus, who was on the throne after He had gone up to heaven. Remember that Jesus is called the Lamb of God—God’s perfect sacrifice who shed His blood and died on the cross to forgive our sins.

Read Revelation 5:11-14:

Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. And they sang in a mighty chorus: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.” And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang: “Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the One sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.” And the four living beings said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb.

Did you hear the part about all creatures in heaven and Earth will sing and honor Jesus in worship along with millions of angels? What do you think that would be like?

Do you think you would have to worry about being too loud or wonder what people thought of you? NO!

Heaven will be filled with worship, night and day! Jesus tells us how to worship God.

Read John 4:24:

“For God is Spirit, so those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

What does it mean to worship in spirit and truth?

We allow the Holy Spirit to guide us as we give God our thanks and praise. The Holy Spirit may lead us to stand, sit, bow, kneel, raise our hands, or clap. We also worship Him through Jesus, who IS the Truth. His Word never changes. However we worship, our goal is not to bring attention to ourselves, but to bring honor and glory to God.

Read Philippians 2:9–11:

Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Have children find a spot in the room to worship.

I am going to play a song, and I would like you to worship God as the Holy Spirit leads you.

Play “Revelation Song” or another worship song you think is appropriate for your children and conducive to worship. Allow several minutes and roam the room to encourage children and re-direct if necessary. After worship time, ask if any children would like to share their experience. Ask if anyone sensed the Holy Spirit speaking to their hearts as they worshiped. Close in prayer.

Jesus, we thank You for Your work on the cross to save us from our sin. You are worthy of all honor and praise for eternity! In Your precious name we pray, Amen.