Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Welcome (1 minute)

Hello everyone! The last time we met, we started a new Superbook adventure called “The Road to Damascus.” God wants to save everyone, right? What does the word transform mean?

It means a total change. This happened to someone in our Bible story—do you remember who? Saul/Paul.

Now, let’s worship a God who transforms us and makes us new creatures with the song, Put Your Faith In Jesus.

Play Video 11: (Song) Put Your Faith In Jesus (3 minutes)

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

Put Your Faith in Jesus

SuperTruth and Discussion (2 minutes)

Today’s SuperTruth says: “The more I read the Bible, the more I can become like Jesus.” Have you ever wanted to grow up to be like someone? What did you do to become more like that person?

You watched and listened and tried to imitate him/her, right? As followers of Jesus, our goal is to be more like Him! The SuperTruth tells us we can do that by reading the Bible. Many books in the New Testament were written by Paul after God changed his life so dramatically.

Introduce Condensed Bible Story Video (1 minute)

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

Now for the children who haven’t seen our Bible story yet, we are going to watch a short version of the video to see how God turned Saul’s life around. For those of you who have seen it before, watching it again will help refresh your memories!

Play Video 4: Condensed Bible Story (9 minutes)

Condensed Bible Story

Superbook takes Chris, Joy and Gizmo to meet Saul of Tarsus, who is on his way to persecute Christians in Damascus. The children witness Saul’s miraculous conversion, healing, and baptism before he must escape persecution himself.

Discussion (1 minute)

Why do you think God gave Saul a second chance?

It is amazing to see how God transformed Saul from someone who was chasing down Christians to persecute them, into a famous apostle who later traveled to many countries to preach about Jesus! Let’s watch a video to learn more about Paul.

Play Video 5: Bible Background (7 minutes)

Bible Background

Play Video 10B: SuperVerse Graphic 2

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

SuperVerse Graphic 2

SuperVerse Discussion (1 minute)

Our SuperVerse today is from Romans, a book of the Bible written by Paul. Let’s say our SuperVerse together. Romans 12:2: 

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Have you ever done something just to fit in with other kids—even though you didn’t want to do it? That’s being conformed to the world—and that can lead to trouble! With God’s help, we can be transformed to become like Jesus!

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

Prayer and Send-Off (1 minute)

Dear God, thank You for giving us the Bible to guide our paths and change our lives. The more we read Your Word, the more we can become like Jesus! Give us Your power so that we are not conformed to what the world wants us to be, but instead, are transformed so we can follow Your will for our lives. In Jesus name, Amen.

Have you thought about what it was like for Ananias to go meet Saul? You will have a chance to be both Saul and Ananias in a game you’ll play in Small Group. I know you will have lots of fun!

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

After Saul was blinded on the road to Damascus, Ananias did something very brave!

Read Acts 9:11–18:

The Lord said, … “Ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to Me right now. I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him so he can see again.” “But Lord,” exclaimed Ananias, “I’ve heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem! And he is authorized … to arrest everyone who calls upon Your name.” But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is My chosen instrument.” … So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized.

Why did God tell Ananias to visit Saul? To lay hands on him so he would receive his sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit and then be baptized in water.

Why was Ananias surprised at what God asked him to do?

While Saul was still in Jerusalem, he watched over the coats of people who were stoning Stephen to death. This showed that Saul agreed with killing Christians. Now Saul was on a mission to arrest Jesus’ followers in Damascus and put them in prison. Ananias may have wondered if Saul was just pretending to be blind so he could trick the Christians and then put them all into in prison. Why do you think Ananias did what God asked? He believed and trusted God. He loved God more than his own life, and he was willing to obey God, no matter what happened.

Let’s play a game about Ananias and Saul.

Divide the class into two equal teams. If teams are uneven, have one child go twice.

The first player on Team 1 is Saul, who sits blindfolded in the chair. The first player on Team 2 is Ananias, who stands just past the mark on the floor that is farthest from Saul.

The object of the game is for Ananias to try to tap Saul’s shoulder before Saul shouts, “Is that you, Ananias?” However, the closer that Saul lets Ananias get before shouting the question, the more points Saul wins for the team. When Saul shouts the question, Ananias must freeze. Use the markings on the floor to award points to Saul’s team according to where Ananias stopped: from 0 points for the mark farthest from Saul, to a maximum of 5 points for the closest mark.

If Saul shouts the question before Ananias has started to move, or if Ananias taps Saul on the shoulder, Saul wins no points. Ananias can choose to step silently, noisily, or vary it for a challenge.

To keep the game moving quickly, use a timer to limit each pair’s turn to 30 seconds. For smaller classes, you may play without a time limit. After the first pair is finished, have a player from Team 2 become Saul while a player from Team 1 is Ananias, alternating for each turn. Keep a running tally of points for each team on the board. If time permits, continue the game until each child has been both Saul and Ananias. The team with the highest points wins!

Congratulations everyone, that was really exciting!

OPTIONAL DISCUSSION

Did you like being Saul or Ananias more?

Was it hard to wait longer to score more points?

How do you think Saul felt waiting in the dark for someone he didn’t know to come and lay hands on him? Think of how he had persecuted the followers of Jesus and now he was alone and helpless to defend himself as he waited. Do you think he was scared?

Teaching

A different Bible version of our SuperVerse, Romans 12:2, says:

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind ...

The word conform means to shape or squeeze something into a pattern or standard. What do you think the pattern or standard is in our SuperVerse? The world.

Yes, God does not want us to behave and think like the world—people who don’t follow Jesus or God’s Word. Many of the world’s teachings and standards do not agree with God’s Word. The world will try to shape us and squeeze us into something outside of God’s will for us.

Hold up the lump of dough or clay.

We are like this dough—and this is what the world wants to do to us.

Smack the dough down hard onto the table, then begin vigorously rolling it with the rolling pin or cylinder.

The world wants to squeeze us into its idea of what we should be like. It wants us to conform to its standards and ways.

Hold up the cutter or cup.

Let’s say this is the pattern of the world.

Begin to stamp the cookie cutter or cup into the dough, making as many identical shapes as possible. Hold up one shape at a time.

You see, they are all the same shape. This is not God’s will for us. God didn’t plan for us to be like the world and follow its customs and standards. Paul wrote about this to the Galatian church.

Read Galatians 1:10:

Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.

Paul said that he wasn’t interested in conforming to the world’s ways and pleasing those around him. He wasn’t following the crowd to fit in! Paul’s mind was being renewed and his life was being transformed to serve and please Jesus! God changed Paul and gave him a new purpose. Paul’s life was turned upside down to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ! He knew God’s perfect will for his life and he was determined to fulfill it!

Yes, God created us to be unique and special. He made us in HIS image—to be like Him—not the world’s idea of what we should be like! He has a special plan for each of us.

Dramatically gather up all of the shapes and the extra dough, then combine them all into one big piece. Select five children to come up to the table. Hand each child a piece of dough or clay. Give them a few seconds to create any kind of shape they choose. For fun, ask the children to share with the class what their shape is or represents.

Each shape is different, special, and unique. The shapes that used to be molded by the world have been transformed and renewed!

Jesus died on the cross to forgive our sins, to set us free from the world’s demands, and to give us new life. When we trust in Jesus, He makes us new and perfect in His sight. We cannot change ourselves, but He changes us by His power! He gives us a fresh start so we can begin again! Doesn’t that sound like what happened to Saul? That is exciting isn’t it? I don’t want to be conformed to the world and live in disobedience to God’s Word! I want God to shape me according to His Word and will! He has a special plan for each of us. He has placed gifts and talents in us for His service.

How can we be transformed; how do we renew our minds?

We are renewed by God’s Word like our SuperTruth says! Let’s say it together: “The more I read the Bible, the more I can become like Jesus.” We read God’s Word, and it comes alive in our hearts as the Holy Spirit reveals the meaning to us. God gives us His power and wisdom to apply His Word in our lives, so we know what to do and to say in every situation—if we ask Him!

We have been talking about being transformed into a new person to be like Jesus. This is only possible through the power of God’s Holy Spirit working inside us as we apply God’s Word in our daily walk.

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Let’s talk about the Superbook challenge we began in the last lesson—our New Name Tags.

Show the sample New Name Tag to the children.

Last time, we each chose a godly quality that we would like to grow in our lives. Who remembers some of the good character qualities that we mentioned? Courageous, selfless, humble, obedient, kind, faithful, brave, patient, loving, caring, gentle, honest, bold, friendly, generous, trustworthy, diligent, wise, respectful, joyful, etc.

We wrote our special characteristic down on the inside of our New Name Tags to remind us to pray about how these special qualities can grow in our lives. Does anyone want to share how you saw that change working in your life since our last lesson? Allow time for students to share.

Who did not receive a New Name Tag last time?

Give a New Name Tag Pattern with optional magnet to each child who did not receive the challenge in the previous lesson. Tell children to follow the directions on the pattern to create their name tags.

Let’s all keep focusing on asking God to change us into His image, day by day.

SuperVerse

Our SuperVerse this lesson is Romans 12:2:

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Have children look up Romans 12:2 in their Bibles and read it aloud, from the board if their Bibles aren't NLT.

What is meant by “changing the way you think”?

It means to replace worldly or natural thinking with God’s truth and spiritual thinking. Can anyone give an example of how Saul’s thinking changed in our Bible story?

Divide children into four groups to create motions for the SuperVerse. If your class is small, you can do this activity as one large group.

Ready?

• Group 1: Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world,
• Group 2: but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.
• Group 3: Then you will learn to know God’s will for you,
• Group 4: which is good and pleasing and perfect
• All groups: Romans 12:2

Remind the groups that they do not need a motion for every word—just one or two motions to animate the main idea of the phrase. Give each group a couple of minutes to make up the motions and then have them teach the rest of the class. Practice saying the verse together with the motions. Invite individuals to try to demonstrate the whole verse on their own.

Christians need to allow the Spirit of God to renew their minds so they think and act more like Christ. What do you think is the best way to learn God’s ways?

Let’s say our SuperTruth together to give us the answer! “The more I read the Bible, the more I can become like Jesus.”

Note: 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. Be sure all children understand its meaning.

Prayer

Have the children sit in a large circle.

Paul wrote many books of the Bible, including Romans. In it, he prays this prayer for fellow believers.

Read Romans 15:5-6

May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Isn’t that a beautiful prayer? Paul was praying for the people to be like-minded and to grow and be more like Jesus. His desire was for them to represent Christ; to think and act like Jesus so the world would be attracted to Christ. Let’s all take a moment and think of some reasons we can join together in praise to God.

Allow a few moments for thought.

Let’s go around the circle, and each one thank God for something. After each person prays a sentence, we’ll all agree by saying Amen. I’ll start.

Offer a simple sentence prayer of praise, then coach the class to say Amen. If children are too shy to pray in front of the group, they can simply say, “Praise God,” or “Thank You, Jesus,” after which everyone will say Amen.

Guessing Game

When Saul was on the road to Damascus, he heard a voice from heaven that changed his life forever! Saul asked, “Who are You, Lord?” Saul did not recognize Jesus’ voice yet! However, when the Lord spoke Ananias’ name, Ananias immediately said, “Yes, Lord.” That’s because Ananias immediately recognized the voice of the Lord!

Today, we are going to play a game about recognizing voices. Saul could hear but not see as Jesus spoke to him. You are each going to be blindfolded as you listen to voices and try to guess who says the SuperTruth to you.

The first child should be blindfolded and sit as far away from the class as possible. Select a child to say the SuperTruth aloud slowly—either in a normal voice or disguised. Have the blindfolded child remove the blindfold and try to guess who spoke. If you have a small class, a single speaker may be too easy to guess. Vary the game by having two children—two boys or two girls—disguise their voices and say the SuperTruth one after the other. The blindfolded child then guesses who said it the first and who said it second. Play the game until each child has taken a turn being blindfolded.

It is so important for us to be able to recognize God’s voice in the midst of all the other voices in the world. This comes by spending time drawing close to Him. What are some ways God speaks to us today? The Bible, prayer, Holy Spirit speaking to our heart, our parents, other Christians, dreams, etc.

Matching Game

Divide the class into two teams. Have each team sit together as a group.

We are going to play a matching game to compare God’s ways to the world’s ways. You are going to try and match a “godly” card to the opposite “worldly” card.

Teams will alternate turns. A turn consists of two guesses by the same player. The player chooses one card number. The teacher lifts up the card so all can see the words underneath. The same player then chooses a second card number, trying to match the opposite characteristic of the first card. A match will always consist of one “Worldly” and one “Godly” card. If the cards match, the cards are taken out of play and given to the player who matched them. If there is no match, the cards are left taped to the wall, number side out. Team two then takes a turn. Continue until all cards are matched. The team with the most matches wins.

Note: There are four blank cards to make the game more challenging. They must remain in play the entire game.

Good job on matching the cards! When our minds are transformed by God’s Word, we become more like Christ. We begin to display His characteristics instead of conforming to the world’s characteristics. Let’s say our SuperVerse, Romans 12:2, again together:

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Demonstration

Today, we are going to demonstrate how the world can interfere with hearing God’s Word and His instructions. There are a lot of voices in this world that want to tell us what to do. Some are helpful, while others can be confusing, misleading, and even dangerous.

Choose one child to read the SuperVerse, three children to count from 1 to 30, three children to say the alphabet, and three children to recite the months of the year. If your class is small or large—add or subtract to the number of children in each group accordingly. The remainder of the class will be the listeners. Have the individual reader and the groups stand in front of the class, facing away from the class.

Okay, let’s all listen to the SuperVerse, please!

Have the reader and all groups start reciting at the same time. When the SuperVerse has been completed, stop all the groups from speaking.

Wow! I was starting to get a headache with all of that noise. Was it easy for you to hear the SuperVerse?

Why or why not?

It was hard for me to pick out the words with all of the other voices saying something different!

Have the reader repeat the SuperVerse without any other sounds in the room.

Now, who thought that was easier, raise your hands.

Sometimes there is so much activity and there are so many voices in the world that we can have trouble hearing God and knowing what His will and directions are for us. What are some things we can do to change that?

Yes, we can find a place where we can be alone with God and hear His voice each day. We need to find a place and a time to pray and read God’s Word. We also need to learn to tune out and ignore instructions and actions that go against God’s Word. Learn to listen and quietly hold God’s Word close to you. When we do this, we fight against being conformed to this world and instead are transformed to be more like Christ through the power of God’s Spirit and His Word!

Now, let’s all repeat our SuperVerse, Romans 12:2:

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Bible Study

This Bible study today is based on our SuperTruth. Let’s say it together: “The more I read the Bible, the more I can become like Jesus.”

Have you ever asked yourself what Jesus would do in a certain situation? It is a question we can ask ourselves, and a reminder to make wise choices and decisions based on what we think Jesus would do in that situation. Every Christian’s goal should be to become more and more like Jesus until we join Him in heaven for eternity. One of the best ways to do this is to study God’s Word and learn what He says!

Have children look up verses, and have each verse read aloud by one child. Lead a discussion using the questions below. Feel free to add any questions that you think will facilitate deeper discussion with your particular group.

Ready?

1. Read Ephesians 4:11-13:

¹¹ Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. ¹²Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do His work and build up the church, the body of Christ. ¹³ This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

• What do these ministers do? Teach God’s Word.
• By teaching God’s Word, what does it do for the church body? Equips it and shows it what to do.
• What does learning God’s Word do for each of us? Helps us grow and mature as Christians.
• Who do we gain knowledge of when we study God’s Word? Jesus, God.
• What or who is the standard or goal we measure our growth by? Christ.

2. 1 Peter 2:1-3:

¹ So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. ² Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, ³ now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.

• What kind of thinking and actions are described in the first two sentences? The world’s, not God’s.
• What are we to do with them? Get rid of them.
• According to our SuperVerse, what would we be doing by getting rid of them? Transforming and renewing our minds.
• What do you think it means to crave spiritual milk like newborn babies? Babies must have milk to grow and thrive.
• What do you think the last sentence is saying? When you experience something good and satisfying—you want it again.

3. John 13:34

“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.”

• What does this verse tell you that must be done to be like Jesus? Love others as He did, unconditionally and completely.
• Is this an option or a suggestion? No, it is a commandment.
• Is it easy to love as Jesus did? Why or why not? No, He loved the unlovable and even those who hated and crucified Him.

4. John 4:30-34

³⁰ So the people came streaming from the village to see Him. ³¹ Meanwhile, the disciples were urging Jesus, “Rabbi, eat something.” ³² But Jesus replied, “I have a kind of food you know nothing about.” ³³ “Did someone bring Him food while we were gone?” the disciples asked each other. ³⁴ Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent Me, and from finishing His work.”

• Jesus was talking to a Samaritan woman—a person others may have thought too sinful to love. The disciples went to town to get food for their physical nourishment. Was this the same food Jesus talked about? No, Jesus talked about spiritual food.
• Did Jesus place more importance on physical needs or spiritual needs? Spiritual.
• Did the disciples understand what Jesus was talking about? Why do you think so, or why not?
• To be like Jesus, what must we desire more than anything? To do God’s will and finish the work He has for us.

These are just a few verses about how we are to mature and grow to be more like Jesus. I encourage all of you to continue reading the Bible to be transformed by the renewing of your mind!