Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Welcome (1 minute)

Hello, everyone! Today we will watch a new Superbook adventure called “Peter’s Denial.” Our video begins with Jesus, Peter, and the other disciples at the Last Supper. This was the last meal Jesus ate before He died on the cross. Listen closely to what Peter and Jesus say. Then we will check in with Chris, Joy and Gizmo to see what they are doing. Are you ready to watch?

Play Video 2: Chris and Joy’s Dilemma (4 minutes)

Chris and Joy's Dilemma

Chris is desperately trying to impress some basketball players when Joy excitedly announces she is the new president of the chess club. Afraid of what the group may think, Chris pretends he doesn’t know her.

SuperTruth and Discussion (2 minutes)

Our SuperTruth today says: “Jesus knows my weaknesses.” Do we usually like to tell people our weaknesses?

No, we usually want to keep them secret. We don’t want others to know our weaknesses. So, let’s whisper the SuperTruth together. “Jesus knows my weaknesses.”

Now, listen to this: Jesus knows all about us—including every one of our weaknesses—yet He still loves us and wants to be with us! There is no reason to try and hide any weakness from the Lord! Jesus wants to give us His power to defeat our temptations and overcome our weaknesses. Now that we know this, we don’t need to whisper anymore. Instead, let’s shout the SuperTruth together! “Jesus knows my weaknesses.”

Joy was very hurt when Chris denied knowing her. Why did he pretend not to know her, when they are such good friends? He was afraid of what the basketball players would think.

Was Chris being strong or weak and afraid? Weak and afraid.

Has a friend ever denied knowing you or turned his/her back on you?

How did it make you feel?

Do you think this is the end of Chris and Joy’s friendship?

Let’s finish our video and see what happens!

Play Video 3: Bible Story and Resolution (18 minutes)

Bible Story and Resolution

Superbook takes Chris, Joy and Gizmo back in time to meet Peter, a disciple of Jesus. When Jesus is arrested, Peter denies knowing Him three times. After Jesus’ death and resurrection, He forgives Peter three times and their relationship is restored.  

Play Video 10A: SuperVerse Graphic 1

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

SuperVerse Graphic 1

SuperVerse Discussion(1 minute)

Let’s say our SuperVerse, Hebrews 4:15:

Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because He was tempted in every way that we are. But He did not sin!

Jesus willingly laid aside His supernatural abilities and lived on Earth as a human. He was tested and tempted in every way possible, yet He never gave in to the temptations and sinned! No other person can say that. Because Jesus experienced every kind of temptation, He understands what we face in the world.  

Children will have more time to learn the SuperVerse in Small Group. 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 and Send-Off (1 minute)

Let’s pray before we break into our Small Groups. Dear Lord Jesus, You knew Peter’s weaknesses and loved him anyway. You see our weaknesses, too; and You love us and want to help us overcome them. In Your wonderful name we pray, Amen.

How many of you like to fish?

Today in our Small Group time we are going to play a fishing game with nets—well, with make-believe nets! I hope the fish are biting today!

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

In our Superbook story today, what miracle did Jesus perform? After the disciples had fished all night and caught nothing, Jesus caused their nets to be suddenly filled with fish.

That really was a supernatural miracle! Today, we are going to play a game about filling our nets with fish, but we will do it with our own hands.

Hold up a fish and a net. Two players on each team will throw the fish while two other players on your team try to catch it in a net.

Divide the children into two teams. Have each team form a line, with players standing in pairs side by side behind the mark near the end of the room. Choose a pair of children from each team to be net holders. Give each pair a net and have them stand behind the other mark. They will hold the net between them to catch the fish as they are thrown.

Give the first pair in line for each team six fish—three per child. They each may throw them toward their team’s net one at a time, or they may alternate their throws. They should throw as quickly as possible to keep the game moving. The children holding the nets can move around to catch the fish, but their feet cannot cross the line. A round consists of each pair for each team throwing six fish—three fish each.

One point is scored for each fish caught in the net. If all six fish are caught in a round without being dropped, that is a full net and the team receives 10 points for that round. If a fish falls out of the net during a round, the point is lost. Have a scorekeeper for each team tally each round on the board. Have the throwers quickly gather the fish and bring them to the next pair to throw. Be prepared to help children with special needs. Play until all pairs have thrown their fish. The team with the highest score wins. Play again if time permits, with other pairs of children serving as net holders. 

Optional Play:

• Have older children turn their backs toward the nets and throw the fish over their shoulders or heads.
• After each round, have the throwers quickly move to become the net holders. The net holders should gather the fish, bring them to the next pair to throw, then stand at the end of their team’s line.        

That was a fun game! Peter and some of the other disciples were professional fishermen until Jesus called them to be fishers of men! Now let’s learn more about Peter and how Jesus loved him—despite his weakness and failure.  

Teaching

In our video today, why did Chris say he didn’t know Joy?

Chris made a bad choice because he wanted to fit in with the boys. Sometimes we struggle with difficult decisions and make bad choices that we regret. Why did Peter say he didn’t know Jesus?

Jesus had been arrested and was being questioned by powerful men who hated Him and wanted to kill Him. Do you think Peter was afraid that if these men found out he was Jesus’ friend, they might kill him, too? 

For Grades 1–3, or if time does not permit for Grades 4–6, skip these optional teaching points and go directly to the object lesson below: 

• Let’s look at Peter’s life. Before he met Jesus, Peter was a professional fisherman. When Jesus called Peter to follow Him, Peter immediately left everything behind to follow the Lord! That took a lot of courage! Why do you think he instantly gave up everything to follow the Lord? He felt called by God; he admired Jesus; he wanted to devote his life to Jesus.
• Peter was bold, confident, and ready to jump into any situation.
• Once, when the disciples were in a boat during a big storm, they saw Jesus walking toward them on the water. Who do you think got out of the boat and began walking on the water toward Jesus? See Matthew 14:24–33. Peter didn’t get very far while walking on the water, but at least he tried! All the other disciples stayed in the boat.
• Peter was one of Jesus’ closest friends. When Jesus went up a mountain to meet with God, He chose just three disciples to go with him. Can you guess which ones? Jesus chose Peter, James and John to go with Him. They saw Jesus’ face shine like the sun, and His clothes became as white as light. Jesus allowed these three disciples to have a glimpse of His great glory. See Matthew 17:1–2.
• When Jesus asked the disciples who they thought He was, Peter was the first one to come up with the correct answer. See Matthew 16:13–17. Peter boldly declared the truth: that Jesus is the Christ—the Messiah—the One God promised would come—the Son of the Living God. Jesus said that Peter hadn’t learned this from any human being, but from God the Father.
• Yes, Peter was very bold—but sometimes he relied on his own strength and wisdom instead of God’s. When Jesus told the disciples that He would die and rise again, Peter argued with Jesus! See Matthew 16:22–23. Peter thought he knew better than Jesus!
• And on the night before Jesus died, when He warned Peter that he would deny Him three times, what did Peter say? See Matthew 26:35. Peter said he would never deny Jesus, even if he had to die!

Hold up the opaque cup high enough so children can’t look down into it. Can anyone tell me what is inside this cup? 

Yes, there is something inside, but you can’t see it with your human eyes.   

We can sometimes hide our weakness from others—like this cup hides what is inside. Sometimes even we ourselves don’t realize we are weak until we are tested or face a difficult decision. Peter boldly proclaimed that he would never deny Jesus, even if he had to die! Yet, when the time came to stand up for the Lord, Peter turned his back on Jesus because of fear. When Peter realized what he had done, how did he feel?

He wept deeply! He was absolutely crushed to know he did something terrible that he had thought he would never do! Sometimes we try to hide our weaknesses, fears and failures from God, but that is impossible! God knows us inside and out.

Hold up the transparent cup so children can read the slip of paper. This cup represents how Jesus sees us. He can see right into our hearts. He knows all of our failures and weaknesses—and He loves us anyway! 

Peter denied Jesus and turned his back on Him, but was that the end of Peter’s story?

No, after the Resurrection, Jesus came to him and offered restoration, love and forgiveness. After Jesus went up to heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit on Pentecost to fill His followers with strength, comfort and wisdom. On that day, Peter was filled with such boldness that he preached about Jesus in the very same city where people had recently crucified the Lord! Instead of relying on his own strength, which failed him, Peter was filled with God’s strength, which will never fail! For the rest of his life, Peter would never deny Jesus again. He boldly proclaimed the Gospel and eventually died for Jesus! Peter’s weakness was replaced by God’s strength! And instead of trusting in his own power, Peter trusted in God’s strength, grace and forgiveness.

We may make bad choices sometimes, just like Peter. It doesn’t mean we don’t love Jesus—it means we are human and weak. As our SuperTruth says, “Jesus knows my weaknesses”—and He gives us the power of His Holy Spirit to help us overcome them. He loves us in our weaknesses and is ready to forgive and restore us, just like with Peter!

Hold up the clear cup. We should never try to hide our weaknesses from God—it is impossible. Instead, we should bring them to God for help and strength to overcome them!

Optional: read Hebrews 4:16 (cev):

So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved kindness, and we will find help.

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Give each child a Quick to Listen Pattern and a pencil. Help them make their crafts and put their names on the back.

Peter often did and said things quickly, probably before he stopped to think about it! Have you ever said something and then immediately thought, I wish I hadn’t said that? That’s why our craft has these words from James 1:19b:

You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.

God gave us two ears, and just one mouth. That should remind us that we should listen twice as much as we speak. We should listen carefully to hear what others are saying so we can truly understand them—then we should also listen carefully to God, to hear what He is telling us to do. For our Discipleship Challenge, we are going to make a craft to remind us to take time to think and pray before we say or do something that we shouldn’t.

Ask the children to turn the wheels of their crafts to find possible answers to different scenarios that you suggest, such as if someone says something mean, etc. Take this craft home and use it as a reminder to listen carefully—then stop and pray before you respond too quickly or out of anger. Next time we meet, I’ll ask you to share what happened when you did!   

SuperVerse

Let’s say our SuperVerse. Hebrews 4:15:

Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because He was tempted in every way that we are. But He did not sin!

Jesus not only knows about every weakness we have; He also understands the struggles we face because He experienced them, too! Yes, Jesus went through the same kind of temptations we have, but He did not sin! When we come to Jesus in our times of weakness, He will give us the strength we need to be victorious over any temptation that we face. Jesus did not sin by giving in to temptation—and when we rely on His strength, we can win, too!      

I will read the verse aloud and stop at certain parts. I want you to shout the next word that follows in the verse. We will do the first round facing the board. For the next rounds, you will turn around with your backs to the board, and we will see how much of the verse you can remember without looking. 

Read the verse out loud and stop before key words like “understands,” “tempted,” etc. Have the children turn around so they can’t see the board. For subsequent rounds, leave out different words.

Conclusion: You did really well filling in the blanks! Remember, when we are weak and struggle with temptation, Jesus understands what we are going through and can help us overcome each and every one!

Prayer

We will all face decisions in a moment of weakness as Peter did; and at times, we may fail. As we discussed earlier, this does not mean we don’t love Jesus, it means we are weak and make mistakes. Jesus knows what it means to face temptation as a human being. He can help us because He won against every temptation—He never sinned!

Let’s take a moment to close our eyes and you can silently ask God to help you with any weakness that you may experience. Maybe there is a particular temptation that you struggle with that you would like Jesus to help you have victory over. Allow time for children to pray silently. 

Close in prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for hearing our prayers. We praise You that we don’t have to try to hide our weaknesses from You, because You made us, You know us, and You understand us. We have silently shared our weaknesses with You today; now we ask for Your power and strength so we can obey and serve You. In Your name we pray, Amen.

Word Game

Let’s say our SuperVerse together. Hebrews 4:15:

Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because He was tempted in every way that we are. But He did not sin!

We may think we can hide our weaknesses, but God can see them all. We are going to play a game to reveal some common weaknesses that many people struggle with.

This is played as a class. For the first word, GREEDY, draw six blanks on the board, one for each letter. Have children take turns trying to guess a letter that is in the word—one guess per child per turn. If it is correct, write in the letter above the line/s and go to the next child. If the letter is not correct, write it at the bottom of the board so other children will not guess it again. Children may try to guess the complete word only on their own turns, with just one guess per turn. If it is correct, congratulate the children, fill in the blanks to write the word on the board, then ask, “Will Jesus forgive us if we—are greedy?” As children say “Yes,” erase the word, then draw blanks for the next word.

If children cannot guess a word in about 90 seconds, allow a few children to raise their hands and guess the word. Do not allow children to shout words while others are playing, as this takes away from the game experience. If no one guesses correctly, write in the word, then ask, “Will Jesus forgive us if we—?” As children say “Yes,” erase the word.

Options:

• To make the game easier, begin each round by filling in one or two letters of the word.
• To make the game longer, add your own words to the list.  

Word List and number of letters:

1. GREEDY—6
2. UNKIND—6
3. PROUD—5
4. SELFISH—7
5. HATE—4
6. ANGRY—5
7. LIE—3
8. CHEAT—5
9. BRAG—4
10. FEAR—4
11. CURSE—5
12. GOSSIP—6
13. BULLY—5
14. DISOBEY—7
15. STEAL—5
16. LAZY—4
17. IMPATIENT—9
18. FIGHT—5
19. DISRESPECT—10
20. SIN—3

Jesus knows all of our weaknesses, He does not need to guess or be given a clue! He knows all about us, just like He knew Peter. We are all human, and we all struggle with various sins and temptations. He understands our weaknesses, our struggles and temptations, because He faced them, too, when He lived on Earth as a human being. Jesus faced every temptation and did not sin!

Jesus forgave Peter and removed the shame he felt for his failure. Jesus will do that for you, too! None of us can beat temptation in our human weakness; we all need God’s help!

Let’s take a moment right now to ask God to forgive us for the things we have done wrong.  

Let’s pray. Dear Jesus, we confess that we have done things that we shouldn’t have. We have given in to certain temptations. Allow a few moments for children to think and pray silently. Thank You for dying on the cross to pay the price for our sins. Please forgive us, and give us Your strength to stand strong when we are tempted again. We love You, and we want to live for You. In Your name we pray, Amen.

Fish Game

Jesus knew Peter would be tested, and that in a time of fear Peter would fail. Yet Jesus also prayed for Peter to become even stronger after the test. 

After Jesus rose from the dead, He came to the disciples when they had fished all night but caught nothing. What miracle did He perform?

He provided 153 large fish in their nets! Jesus prepared a meal for Peter and the disciples and invited them to breakfast. We have been talking about a catch of fish; now we are going to play a game of catch fish! You will put the fish on the plate for breakfast and say the SuperTruth at the same time! Let’s say it now together: “Jesus knows my weaknesses.”  

Divide the class into groups of four. Give each group one fish and each child one plate. Have each group form a square with a child standing at each corner, about 3 to 5 feet away from each other. Small classes may form groups of three and stand in a triangle pattern. Children will lean and stretch their arms out to flip and catch, so adjust the distance to be challenging but not too difficult. Children should not be close enough to touch plates or slide the fish between plates.

Each round is 30 seconds. When the timer starts, a player on each team begins by placing the fish on the plate. With an underhand motion, they will flip it to a child next to them. That child then flips it to the next child until everyone in the group has taken a turn. Before each flip, each child must say a word of the SuperTruth in order. When the SuperTruth is completed, the group immediately starts over and keeps track of how many times the SuperTruth is completed during the time period without the fish falling to the ground. If a fish does fall to the ground, the player who last flipped it must start the SuperTruth over again; however, the number of successful completions still counts for that round. Be prepared to help children with special needs. When time expires, each group will say their score to be recorded on the board. Play as many rounds as time permits. You may tally each round’s scores for a grand total.

Optional: To make the game more difficult for Grades 4–6, have them say the SuperVerse, Hebrews 4:15, instead of the SuperTruth,  as they flip the fish.

Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because He was tempted in every way that we are. But He did not sin! 

Shield Skit

Place the shield and the container of balled-up socks or paper balls near you, on one side of the front of the room. 

Have Actor 2 go into the hallway with the teen or adult assistant. Leave the door open for safety, but be sure they stay out of view so they cannot see what happens to Actor 1. Do not tell Actor 2 exactly what will happen beforehand; just say to follow the directions Actor 1 will give in the hallway.

Do the short skit without explaining what is happening to the class. This will catch them off guard and grab their attention. You will discuss what happened after the skit is over.

Have Actor 1 stand in the front of room several feet away from you. Suddenly shout, “It’s time for a test!” Immediately begin throwing the paper balls at Actor 1, avoiding head shots. Actor 1 should act surprised and try to avoid getting hit, but basically must endure the “attack.”

Loudly enough for the whole class to hear, tell Actor 1 to go into the hallway and get Actor 2. In the hallway, where the class cannot hear, Actor 1 should tell Actor 2 that when you say: “It’s time for a test,” Actor 2 should quickly pick up the shield and use it for protection. Actor 1 should not mention the balls.

Gather the balls from the floor into the container, then stand where Actor 1 had originally stood.

Actors 1 and 2 should come in and stand where you had been standing by the shield. Shout, “It’s time for a test!” Pause for a moment as Actor 2 picks up the shield, then begin to throw the balls, which should be blocked with the shield.

Have everyone sit down to begin the discussion. 

Let’s read what Jesus told Peter. Read Luke 22:31–32:

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to Me again, strengthen your brothers.”

What does this mean?

Jesus told Peter that Satan was going to sift and test him, but also that Jesus had prayed for him. He said that after Peter had been tested and restored, he was to strengthen his brothers—meaning the other believers.    

In our skit, when I threw balls at Name of Actor 1, what did this represent?

Yes, this represented a test or trial. Now, when Name of Actor 2 came into the room and went through the same test, what happened that was different?

Yes, Name of Actor 2 picked up the shield and used it for protection. How do you think Name of Actor 2 knew to pick up the shield?

Yes, Name of Actor 1 went through the test and then helped prepare Name of Actor 2 by saying to use the shield!

Optional: read Ephesians 6:16:

In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.

Jesus wanted Peter to use his experience to help other people who may go through similar trials. And He wants us to do this, as well!

This skit was lots of fun, but tests in real life are not fun or easy. Yet God allows trials and tests into our lives to strengthen us, so we can mature and grow spiritually as followers of Jesus. Through testing, we can learn about ourselves and discover weaknesses and strengths under pressure in difficult situations. 

We may think we know what we will say or do; but until we are tested, we really can’t be sure. Peter found this out the hard way! And after Peter was restored, he strengthened others.

In the same way, we can share the lessons we learn from going through hard times to help other people. 

Bible Study

Have a child read Luke 22:31–32, then lead a discussion using the questions below.

³¹ “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. ³² But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to Me again, strengthen your brothers.”

Verse 31

• Jesus told Peter that Satan asked permission to sift YOU like wheat. “You” in the original Greek language is plural; some English translations of this verse say “each of you” or “all of you.” So who do you think Jesus meant by “YOU”? All the disciples. 
• What do you think it means to “sift as wheat”? Sifting is a vigorous action that shakes the wheat stock to separate the chaff, which is worthless, from the wheat grain, which is valuable and good. So in this case, Satan wanted to separate the disciples from their faith in Jesus. Satan would try to do this by testing them through trials and temptation. Satan wanted them to leave their faith in Jesus and fall away forever.
• What do you think is significant about Satan’s request in Verse 31? God is in control and more powerful than Satan. Satan cannot do anything without God’s knowledge and permission. God is completely aware of the test we are going through.
• How do you think this verse applies to us today? Satan still wants to separate us from our faith in Jesus. He tests us through temptations and trials.
• How do you think we can prepare ourselves against what Satan tries to do today? Be on guard; listen to the Holy Spirit’s warnings; read the Bible; pray; ask God for His help; strengthen your faith, knowing Jesus prays for us, too.

Verse 32

• How did Jesus help Peter, even before the test? Warned him to be on the lookout; prayed for him that his faith wouldn’t fail. 
• Why do you think God would allow us to be tested or tried at all? So we can grow stronger in our faith and rely on God; so we can help others who go through the same thing.
• In verse 32, it is interesting to note that the word “you” this time is singular—Jesus prayed specifically for Peter to be strengthened. How could he strengthen the other disciples? Peter would come through the test and then be able to help and encourage the others! That is one of the main reasons God allows our faith to be tested.
• What is the significance of Jesus saying, “When you have repented and turned to Me again”? He knows that Peter will pass the test and turn back to Him to receive His forgiveness and strength. Even though Peter denied Him, Jesus will forgive and restore him so he can help others. God prepared the way back for Peter. Jesus came to Peter to restore and forgive him, then send him out to care for the lambs and sheep—representing other followers of Jesus.

Satan’s desire is to harm us through sifting, and to separate us from God. But sifting has a very good purpose! All wheat must be sifted to remove the chaff, the useless part. You then must grind the wheat to make flour, which you can use to make bread to feed hungry people. The sifting process refines and forms useful, stronger disciples whom God uses to feed and care for His people. Jesus told Peter to feed and care for His sheep and lambs! Peter could not do that properly until he was sifted and his pride and reliance on his natural strength and ability was removed. Peter was refined, restored and filled with the Holy Spirit. After this experience, Peter’s faith was so strong that sick people were healed as his shadow touched them! That is truly miraculous. God is in control and allows us to be sifted to refine and to strengthen us for His use!