Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Welcome (1 minute)

Welcome everyone! Today is the second lesson of our Superbook adventure, “Peter’s Denial.” I would like to have someone in grades 4–6 tell me something about the Superbook video we watched in our last lesson.

Now I would like someone from grades 1–3 share something you remember about the video.

Great! Let’s stand up to worship the Lord as we sing “‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus.” 

Play Video 11: (Song) ‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus (3 minutes)

Be sure to preview the song so you can sing along and do the motions with the children. They may clap and do freestyle movements during the animation sections.

Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus

SuperTruth and Discussion (1 minute)

Our SuperTruth today says: “Jesus calls out to me when I fail.” No one likes to fail—but the truth is that we all will. Jesus doesn’t reject us when we fail. No, He calls out to us and wants us to know we are still loved and have a purpose to fulfill with Him. Let’s have all the boys shout the SuperTruth as loud as you can! “Jesus calls out to me when I fail.”

Okay, girls; let’s hear you shout the SuperTruth! Do you think you can shout louder than the boys? “Jesus calls out to me when I fail.”

Introduce Condensed Bible Story (1 minute)

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

For those of you who were here last time, why did Chris deny knowing Joy? He was trying to impress the boys playing basketball, and they didn’t think Joy being in the chess club was very cool. 

Now, for those who weren’t here, we are going to watch a short version of the video. If you have already seen it, be on the lookout for the answer to the bonus question that we will ask in Small Group. After Peter realized that he had denied Jesus, what exactly did he do?

Play Video 4: Condensed Bible Story (9.5 minutes)

Condensed Bible Story

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 and their relationship is restored.

Discussion (1 minute)

Why do you think Peter and the other disciples were afraid to say they knew Jesus? 

Why do you think some people today may be afraid to say they are followers of Jesus?

Introduce Bible Background Video (1 minute)

Now let’s watch our Bible Background Video and learn more about Peter. When Gizmo asks a question in the video, wait for him to suggest some answers, then call out the one you think is right! 

Play Video 5: Bible Background (9.5 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)

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

“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won't he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?”

Jesus told this story when some religious leaders complained He was spending time with sinful people. Jesus wanted them to understand how important each person is to Him, no matter how they have failed and no matter what things they have done wrong. Jesus often referred to people as sheep—and He called Himself the Good Shepherd. He cares about everyone, no matter what they have done—and He goes out to search for those who are lost. How does that make you feel?

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

Prayer and Send-Off (1 minute)

Let’s pray: Dear God, thank You for not abandoning us when we fail. We praise You for calling out to us and seeking to restore us to a closer relationship with You! Thank You for Your love, mercy and forgiveness. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

It is now time to move to our Small Groups. We are going to play a game to find things that are lost!  

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

If the condensed version of the video was not shown in Large Group, omit this question:

First, let’s answer the bonus question from the video. After Peter denied knowing Jesus and he remembered Jesus’ words about the rooster, what did Peter do? Went outside and wept.

Raise your hand if you have ever lost something that was very valuable to you. If you got it back again, how did you feel when you found it?

Our SuperVerse today talks about how each sheep is valuable. If a shepherd has 100 sheep and loses one, will he say, “Oh well, 99 sheep are enough”?

No, he will go out and search for the lost sheep. Our SuperVerse is Luke 15:4:

“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won't he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?”

After Jesus restored Peter, the first task Jesus gave him was to feed and care for His lambs and sheep. Who are Jesus’ lambs and sheep?

Can you say “Baaaaa”?

We are His lambs and sheep! What’s the difference between a lamb and a sheep?

Lambs are young, and sheep are full-grown. Jesus cares for all of us, and He especially mentioned His young lambs—that’s all of you! He doesn’t want to lose any of His flock!

We are going to be shepherds today and each look for one lost sheep. The sheep you look for and bring back to the flock will be YOU!   

Divide the children into teams or “flocks” of 4–8 children. Number the teams from 1 to 4. Have the teams stand in the four corners of the room. Give a pencil and a Sheep Card to each child. On the blank side of the cards, have them write their names and draw themselves. Gather the cards for Teams 1 and 2, then add eight additional cards that children have not drawn on. Shuffle all the cards together, then place the pile between Teams 1 and 2, with the sheep pictures facing up. Repeat this for Teams 3 and 4. See illustration.  

Game play: The object of the game is for each child to find the card with his/her name and picture on it. This represents being so valuable that when you are lost, the shepherd looks for you and doesn’t return until you are found. Start the game. All teams play at the same time. The first players—shepherds—for each team will walk quickly to their piles and search until they find their own sheep cards, then walk quickly back to their flocks again. The next players become the shepherds and repeat the procedure to find their cards. Between turns, a Sixth Grade helper or leader should make sure all cards have the sheep pictures facing up. The extra sheep cards remain in the piles for the entire game to increase the challenge. The first team to find and return all of their lost sheep wins. If time permits, have Teams 1 and 3 and Teams 2 and 4 play each other. You may also have all four teams play using the same pile of cards.    

Conclusion: You did a great job searching for the lost sheep. The Good Shepherd calls out to His lost sheep and finds them. Let’s say our SuperTruth together: “Jesus calls out to me when I fail.”

Let’s find out more about how Jesus restored Peter. 

Teaching

We just played a game about finding lost sheep. Before Jesus was arrested, He spoke about His sheep—His followers—being scattered and lost.

Have five children look up and read one verse each of Matthew 26:31–35:

³¹ On the way, Jesus told them, “Tonight all of you will desert Me. For the Scriptures say, ‘God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ ³² But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.” ³³ Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts You, I will never desert You.” ³⁴ Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know Me.” ³⁵ “No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with You, I will never deny You!” And all the other disciples vowed the same.

In these verses, Jesus referred to a prophecy in Zechariah 13:7 about how the shepherd would be struck down and the sheep would be scattered. Yet Peter boldly declared that he would never deny Jesus, even if it meant his own death! Many people talk about Peter’s failure—however, the other disciples all made the same promise! They all loved Jesus, yet they failed when faced with a difficult decision in their human weakness.  

How many times did Peter deny knowing Jesus? Three times.

Write three large minus signs on the board with space between them, like this:  –  –  – . These minus signs represent Peter’s three failures or negative actions.

Jesus warned Peter that he would do that, yet Peter did not believe it was possible. Peter was very confident in his own strength and abilities.

Afterward, Peter was heartbroken at what he had done. He was devastated to realize he had turned his back on Jesus. Perhaps Peter thought his life had no more direction or purpose. He returned to the one thing he knew—fishing. That’s where Jesus came to Peter and called out to him.

When Peter realized it was Jesus on the beach, he was so excited that he swam to shore ahead of all the others. After Peter and the disciples ate the meal Jesus had prepared for them, Jesus asked Peter three questions to search his heart.

Three times Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him. The first two times, Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him using the Greek word Agapao, which means unconditional love—the highest kind of love that always continues, no matter what happens.

Before Jesus died, Peter had boasted about loving Him—yet he had failed and his heart was broken. Peter answered that he loved Jesus using the Greek word Phileo, which means brotherly love.

Jesus then asked Peter a third time, using the Greek word Phileo for brotherly love instead of the word Agapao for unconditional love. The Bible tells us that Peter was deeply hurt when Jesus asked him if he loved him for the third time. Peter answered that Jesus knew everything and that yes, he loved Jesus, using the word for brotherly love.

As you discuss each assignment Jesus gave Peter, draw a vertical line through a minus sign on the board to make it a plus sign.   

Each time Peter answered, Jesus gave him an assignment—a new purpose in life. The first time, Jesus told Peter to continuously feed His lambs. These are young sheep, like all of you—young and growing! Jesus wanted Peter to feed young children and young believers with the Word of God to help them grow. 

The second time, Jesus told Peter to take care of His sheep. This means to watch over and protect adults and mature believers.

The third time, Jesus told Peter to feed His sheep; to teach believers God’s Word and help them grow to be more like Jesus. Jesus forgave and restored Peter three times; one for each time he denied Jesus!

Point to the board. What have these minus signs become? Plus or positive signs.

Do the plus signs remind you of something else? Crosses.  

Yes! Jesus turned Peter’s failures and negative actions into positives; He forgave and restored Peter, and gave him new purpose in life. Through the power of the cross, Jesus forgives our failures and strengthens our weaknesses! Satan desired to sift Peter and cause him to lose his faith forever; however, God used the sifting for Peter’s good, to mature and refine him. Three times Peter failed. Three times Jesus forgave. Three times Jesus restored and gave Peter a new assignment. So, if you ever feel as if God can’t forgive you or have a purpose for your life, remember that what He did for Peter, He will do for you!

OPTIONAL OBJECT LESSON: Uncover the materials on the table. Hold up the clear pitcher with pebbles and water. Coinciding with the presentation below, slowly pour all of the pitcher’s contents through the strainer into the other container. The strainer should allow only the water to pass into the clear container.

Let’s say that this pitcher represents Peter. He had many good and positive things, which are represented by the water in the container. He also had many impurities or undesirable things, represented by the pebbles. Like all of us, Peter was a mixture of positive things and negative things. God wants to purify us—to remove the negative things—so we can glorify Him with our lives.

Peter thought he was strong before he was tested; however, he found that he was weak when faced with a difficult situation. Through the test, Peter was humbled.

Being a follower of Jesus is not easy. As we follow Jesus, we will be tested and refined, too—not once but many times. Each time we can become stronger and grow closer to Jesus as we trust Him, and as the chaff or negative parts of our lives are refined and removed.   

Peter was strengthened by the testing in his life. After the test, Peter would be filled with the Holy Spirit and given power to follow Jesus with power and boldness as never before in his own strength. Jesus called Peter to strengthen others and to take care of His lambs and sheep. Jesus calls each one of us to do the same! 

We can be filled with faith and hope because we know that Jesus is with us through every trial and test we go through! He calls out to us, loves, forgives, and prays for us—we have His promise!  

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Hand out the craft supplies to any children who were not present for the previous lesson. Have them follow the directions to complete their craft. Display the sample craft for children to see. 

Our challenge is based on James 1:19b:

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

When we get excited or angry, it’s easy to say something quickly, without thinking. What does God want us to do?

Did any of you think about this scripture since we met last time? What happened when you did? 

Let’s continue to use our crafts as a reminder to stop, think and pray before we say or do something we shouldn’t. God will help us—if we trust Him! 

Note: For additional discussion on the lessons Peter learned and the letters he wrote to the New Testament church, see Additional Activities—Bible Study: Peter’s Books.  

SuperVerse

Let’s read our SuperVerse on the board. Luke 15:4:

“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won't he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?”

Jesus is our Good Shepherd and we are His sheep. How do you think this verse relates to Peter in the Bible story? Peter had failed and Jesus went to find him and restore him into a close relationship with Jesus again. 

We have all made wrong choices. Peter was ashamed of what He had done. He had failed Jesus; perhaps he thought Jesus would not want him to be a disciple anymore. Instead, Jesus came to find Peter and the other disciples as they were fishing. When Jesus had first chosen them to be disciples, He had called them to fish for people—not for fish! Do you think He wanted them to continue doing what He had asked?

Jesus does not leave us when we fail. He wants to restore us and send us out again to do His work!  

Have the class read the SuperVerse on the board again, then erase it. Choose nine children to stand side by side facing the class. Scramble the SuperVerse cards and give one to each child. If you have fewer than nine children, you may have each child hold two cards, or don’t cut the cards apart and have three children each hold one page. Starting on the far left from the class’s perspective, have the nine children create a “wave” by holding up and reading aloud their individual phrases, which will be out of order, then lowering their papers when done. Ask the class if that sounded like the correct verse.   

Have the rest of the class tell you which reader should be first, second, third, etc. Rearrange the nine children in that order and have them read their phrases again, creating a “wave” with their papers. Ask the class if the verse is now correct. If not, have the class rearrange the readers again until they can say the phrases of the verse in the proper order. Finally, have the entire class follow the “wave” to say the verse together two or three times, going faster each time.

Conclusion: It is exciting to know that Jesus is our Shepherd and He will call out to us when we fail or stray from His care!  

Prayer

Have children find a place in the room where they can pray silently with God.

Peter loved God very much. He was one of Jesus’ closest followers and friends. However, Peter failed Jesus by denying Him out of fear for his own life. There will be times when we fail, even though we love God and try very hard to obey Him. In those times, we may feel that the only thing we can do is run from God because we are ashamed, much like Peter was. Yet Jesus does not want us to run away from Him—He calls out to us so we will run toward Him! 

Ask the children to pray silently, telling Jesus about any times they may have sinned or made bad decisions. Have them ask God for His forgiveness and to receive His love, mercy and assurance that they will always be His children.

Allow a few moments for children to pray silently, then close in prayer.

Dear God, thank You for loving us and sending us the Good Shepherd, Jesus, to guide us and care for us. We praise You for loving us no matter how many times we fail. We are so glad that You are with us to strengthen us when we are weak, and that You have wonderful plans and purposes for us in Your kingdom. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Optional: Let me close by reading something Peter wrote in the Bible.

Read 2 Peter 1:2–3:

May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord. By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the One who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and excellence.

Strength Game

Peter believed he would defend Jesus and even die for Him! But Peter found out that he did not know his own heart. The strength he stood on was based in himself and not God. The Bible tells us not to think too highly of our own strength.

Read 1 Corinthians 10:12:

If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. 

Peter was weaker than he thought. When Jesus was arrested, Peter became so afraid for his own safety that he denied knowing the Lord. Yet this wasn’t the end for Peter, and failure isn’t the end for us! Jesus called out to Peter and restored him. God will use the sifting and testing process to refine us and help us grow better and stronger than before! This is what our game is about; to grow and become better than before!

Create teams of 3 to 5 children. Adjust teams according to class size, room size, and supplies available. Smaller teams allow more participation. Place teams in the corners and middle area as needed, allowing ample space to play the game without interfering with other groups.

Give each team ten cups and three sheets of paper to crumple into balls, or three pre-crumpled balls. Show the children the pyramid you built out of cups. Tape or place a mark on the floor for each team, and have each team put an upside-down cup on the floor approximately 8 to 10 feet from the mark. Adjust distances as desired. The players must stay behind the mark when throwing. Teams will all play at one time. This is a race to be the first team to complete ten rounds. Each team will add another cup per round, until all ten cups are in play for the tenth round. 

For each round, a player on each team gets three throws to try to knock down the cup/s. If that player cannot knock them down, another player gets three throws, etc. Once all the cups in that round are knocked down, another player on the team quickly puts the original cups back in place and adds an additional cup to the structure. This represents how—after we are knocked down or fail in life—we grow and mature to become better than before! 

Continue in this fashion until a pyramid of ten cups is built—4 cups on the bottom, 3 cups on the second row, 2 cups third row, and one cup on the top row. The first team to do this wins!     

Conclusion: That was fun! Each time the structure was knocked down, it was built back up or restored to be better than before! Peter was knocked down and humbled by his failure. Jesus called out to him and Peter became better, stronger and bolder in God’s strength. Jesus will always forgive and restore us, just like Peter. God wants us to grow from our failures and to be refined so we are better than before! We can then help and strengthen others in difficult times.   

Craft

Give a Fishnet Coloring Page and markers or crayons to each child. Give children time to color their pages while you lead the discussion below.

How do you think Peter felt when he chose to go fishing again; do you think he was looking forward to it?

Once before, Jesus had performed a similar miracle for the disciples when they were fishing. Why do you think Jesus performed a miracle like this again? So they would remember and know it was Him, as only Jesus could do this!

After choosing to follow Jesus, do you think you could ever be at peace and happy inside if you left Him to follow your own ways? Why or why not?

Jesus came to Peter and called out to him after he had failed in a time of weakness. How can that comfort us when we sin or make a bad choice?

Give a mesh square to each child and have them place it over the fish they have colored. Optional: give them goldfish-shaped crackers to place inside the net. Assist them as necessary to tape at least two sides of the net in place.

Let’s say our SuperTruth together: “Jesus calls out to me when I fail.”

Peter was sad and confused with all that had happened when Jesus was arrested and crucified. He had denied Jesus, and his life seemed meaningless. Yet Jesus wasn’t finished with Peter! After the resurrection, He came to Peter, while he and the other disciples were fishing, to perform a miracle and call Peter to follow Him again! Peter’s life changed when Jesus first came to him, and he could not go back to his old life! Even when we fail, Jesus calls out to us with grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness.

Bible Study

Peter’s failure to stand with Jesus showed his human weakness. However, Peter’s life also shows us how to boldly trust in Jesus. 

Have the children read the verses aloud. Lead a discussion with the questions listed below.

1. Pick three children to read one verse each of Matthew 4:18–20:

¹⁸ One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. ¹⁹ Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow Me and I will show you how to fish for people!” ²⁰ And they left their nets at once and followed Him.

• When Jesus called Peter, did he hesitate or put it off for another day?
• What does that show you about Peter?
• What did Jesus mean by learning to fish for people?
• As followers of Jesus, how can we apply Peter’s response to our lives? Trust Jesus; obey immediately; follow Him and His example; hear Jesus, no matter where we are or what we are doing; be willing to learn new things.

2. Pick four children to read two verses each of Matthew 14:24–31:

²⁴ Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. ²⁵ About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. ²⁶ When the disciples saw Him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!” ²⁷ But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” He said. “Take courage. I am here!” ²⁸ Then Peter called to Him, “Lord, if it’s really You, tell me to come to You, walking on the water.” ²⁹ “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. ³¹ Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” 

• Why were the disciples so afraid?
• What did Jesus tell the disciples?  
• What did Peter do to show his trust and faith in Jesus? He told Jesus to tell him to come to Him. He obeyed Jesus when He told him to come!
• Peter obeyed and actually walked on the water until what happened? He looked at the waves, not at Jesus.
• What example can we follow from Peter when we are in trouble or afraid? Call to Jesus! Pray for help, ask for help, keep eyes on Jesus.
• Do you think it is better to try and fail like Peter, or not to even attempt something like the other disciples; why? 

3. Pick five children to read one verse each of Matthew 16:13–17:

¹³ When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴ “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” ¹⁵ Then He asked them, “But who do you say I am?” ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷ Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because My Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. 

• Did Peter believe what other people said about Jesus?
• Who did Peter say Jesus is? The Messiah, the Son of the Living God.
• Who revealed this truth to Peter? He heard from God and believed the truth.
• What can we learn from Peter’s example here? Don’t depend on what other people say; read God’s Word; pray; and ask God to reveal the truth to you.

Conclusion: During the time Peter followed Jesus on Earth, his actions and words were a mixture of boldness and weakness. After Jesus rose from the dead and returned to heaven, Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit. By God’s power he declared the Gospel boldly to both Jews and Gentiles, who are not Jewish. By faith, Peter performed many miracles as he traveled from city to city. Peter was truly a changed man! He is a powerful example to show us how our weakness and failures can be transformed into strength as we trust in God and not ourselves.

Close in prayer: God, You have created us with a purpose. At different points in our lives, You will use us to accomplish tasks as part of Your master plan for us on Earth. Regardless of whether the task is big or small in our eyes, help us to always be willing to trust and do all that You purpose us to do. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Bible Study

Jesus told Peter to feed His sheep—which means to help Christians grow in their faith. To help feed the sheep, Peter wrote two letters, or epistles, to the church which we can still read today. Can anyone guess what these books of the Bible are called? 1 and 2 Peter. 

We can learn a lot from Peter! Before Jesus died, Peter bragged about his commitment to the Lord. 

Read Matthew 26:35a:

“No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with You, I will never deny You!”   

Yet after Peter denied Christ and was forgiven, he talked about God’s grace—which is His constant love, mercy and forgiveness. We can never earn God’s grace; it is a free gift that we do not deserve. 

For each passage, ask a child to read the scripture, then discuss how Peter learned that lesson himself and why he wanted others to learn it, too.

Read 1 Peter 5:12b:

My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God's grace for you. Stand firm in this grace.

Read 1 Peter 1:7:

These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. 

Read 1 Peter 4:12–13:

¹² Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. ¹³ Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in His suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing His glory when it is revealed to all the world. 

Read 1 Peter 5:10:

In His kindness God called you to share in His eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, He will restore, support, and strengthen you, and He will place you on a firm foundation.

Read 1 Peter 3:8:

Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.

Read 2 Peter 1:3–4:

By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the One who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and excellence. And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share His divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.