Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Welcome (1 minute)

Hello, and welcome to everyone! Today, we start a new Superbook adventure called “Jesus Heals the Blind.” On earth, Jesus opened two different types of blind eyes. We’ll find out what that means after we check in with Chris, Joy and Gizmo to see what they are doing today.            

Play Video 2: Chris and Joy’s Dilemma (4.5 minutes)

When Joy and Chris go to a Christmas pageant, Chris recognizes it as the same church that his grandfather once took him. He wonders why his family doesn’t attend church.

Chris and Joy's Dilemma

SuperTruth and Discussion (2 minutes)

Why did Gizmo become excited about the Christmas pageant? He thought he could play the role of an angel.

What did Chris remember after he arrived at the church? He remembered going to the church with his grandpa.

What did Chris remember when he saw the nativity set at the church? He remembered seeing Jesus’ birth and death during Superbook adventures.     

The SuperTruth today is: “The Holy Spirit opens my eyes to the truth.”

Earlier, I said that Jesus opened two types of blind eyes. One type is physical blindness—when someone literally cannot see with their eyes. The other type is spiritual blindness—when people can’t see something with their hearts. People can have great vision with their physical eyes, yet they can be blind to the truth of God’s Word—specifically that God sent His Son Jesus to be the Savior of the world. Many people see Him as a good man and teacher, even a prophet. Yet they do not see the whole truth—that Jesus is the Son of God and the Messiah. For that, you need eyes of faith. And that’s what our SuperTruth is talking about.        

Let’s say it together. “The Holy Spirit opens my eyes to the truth.” 

We need the Holy Spirit to reveal truth to us. Without Him, we are spiritually blind.   

Let’s watch the rest of our video to see how Jesus cured both kinds of blindness—physical and spiritual!  

Video 3: Bible Story and Resolution (19.5 minutes)

Superbook takes Chris, Joy and Gizmo to meet Jesus as He cures three people who are physically blind, and also opens the eyes of others who are spiritually blind. Chris returns with a desire to go to church with his mom and dad.

Bible Story and Resolution

Play Video 10A: SuperVerse Graphic  

Graphic loops 1.5 minutes without audio; turn off or freeze video after children repeat the verse.

SuperVerse Graphic 1

SuperVerse Discussion (1 minute)

Our SuperVerse today is John 15:26:

“I will send you the Spirit who comes from the Father and shows what is true. The Spirit will help you and will tell you about Me.”

Who do you think spoke these words? Jesus.

In the verse, where does the Spirit come from? From God the Father.

The Holy Spirit will speak God’s truth to our hearts and give us a deeper understanding of Him.     

Let’s say the SuperVerse together. John 15:26:

“I will send you the Spirit who comes from the Father and shows what is true. The Spirit will help you and will tell you about Me.” 

Children will have more time to learn the SuperVerse in Small Group. If younger children are not able to memorize the entire verse, be sure they understand its meaning.

Prayer and Send-Off (1 minute)

Dear God, thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit to live inside us and speak Your Word into our hearts. Help us listen to You and apply Your truth to our lives every day. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.  

Have you ever played a game where you must hit a target or mark?

In Small Group today, you will have a chance to hit a very important target because it represents following Jesus’ example. Let’s go find out how to play!   

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. 

Game

Let’s say our SuperTruth together: “The Holy Spirit opens my eyes to the truth.”

The religious leaders in the story thought they could see, but Jesus revealed that they were spiritually blind. They rejected the truth that Jesus is the Son of God even when He stood right in front of them! They thought God was pleased with them because of all their religious activity and self-righteousness. Instead, they missed the mark by not following the way and the truth God provided through Jesus! When we know the truth, the closer and more accurately we can follow Jesus and hit the mark as we strive to follow His example.          

Today, we are going to play a fun game to show what it means to hit the mark. The goal is to try to throw the bags into the target hole. As followers of Christ, we aim to follow His example and live to please our heavenly Father.

Divide the class into two equal teams—one child may need to play twice. Teams stand in two separate single-file lines behind the mark or starting line, and in line with their box at the other end.

Place three beanbags—same color/number in a pile—on the line beside each team. 

Start the game with the first player on each team simultaneously trying to hit the mark by tossing a beanbag toward the team's box hole. The players will toss a bean bag at each line—moving closer to the box with each toss. 

Players toss until they hit the mark—bag goes totally in the hole. If the player misses the mark at a line, the player continues to toss at a closer line or until he/she is successful.   

As soon as all three bags are in the target, the player retrieves them, walks back to the starting line, and gives them to the next player. Or, if a sixth grade helper or another volunteer is retrieving the bean bags, the player simply walks to the end of the line.

The next player immediately begins to throw.  

The team that hits the mark first—throwing all bags in the hole—wins the game.

Play again as time permits; all children should get at least one turn.   

Conclusion: Was it easier to hit the mark when you were far away from the target or closer to it? Closer.

It is much easier to hit the mark when you were closer! And it’s the same way with pleasing God. The closer we are to Jesus, the more our eyes are opened to the truth and the better we can follow His perfect example. However, no matter how hard we try, we will fail to hit the mark sometimes. When that happens, should we just give up and quit? No.

No, we should ask Jesus to forgive us, then keep on going, and stay as close as possible to Him!

Teaching

When Chris returned from the Superbook adventure, what did he want for Christmas? He wanted his family to go to church together. 

Chris’s eyes were opened to the truth. Even though he had seen Jesus on other Superbook adventures, now he was beginning to understand what his grandpa knew—that Jesus is the Messiah sent by God.    

Let’s say our SuperTruth together. “The Holy Spirit opens my eyes to the truth.” 

Can’t we just understand things on our own, with our human minds?

No, our spiritual eyes are blind to the truth until Jesus comes into our hearts and fills us with His Spirit. The Jewish people expected the Messiah—the Anointed One, the one chosen and sent by God—to be much different than Jesus. They expected to see a mighty king who would conquer their enemies and establish His kingdom on earth. Later, as Jesus performed miracles, some people wanted to make Him a king; yet, Jesus knew this wasn’t His purpose. (See John 6:14–15.)   

God planned from the beginning that no one could know Him through human wisdom. (See 1 Corinthians 1:21.) As the SuperTruth tells us—we must have God’s Spirit to open our eyes to His truth.

Hold up the grocery bag. Inside this bag is a picture. Raise your hands if you think you know who it is. Allow several children to guess.

Are you sure? Why is it impossible to really know? There is no writing on the bag; we can’t see inside, it is hidden.

Remove the folded picture from the bag without letting the class see it.

Who would like to see the picture?

Without letting the class see, unfold the picture and carefully show it to just one child who raised a hand. Don't let anyone else see it. Then say to that child:

Don’t tell the class who is in the picture; but do you know who it is? Yes.

For sure? Yes.

How do you know who is in the picture? Child answers.

You know who is in the picture because I revealed it to you! Would anyone else like to see who is in the picture? I will show it to anyone who raises a hand.

Show the picture to each child who raised a hand.

The only way for you to know the truth is for me to reveal it to you. That is what the Holy Spirit does for us. God sends the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth that we can’t see with our eyes or know with our understanding. Jesus looked like a regular human being. He did not have a name tag saying “King Jesus,” and He did not wear a crown or a royal robe or a suit of armor. He did not walk around with a halo over His head or a supernatural glow around His body. Nothing about His outer appearance revealed that He is the Son of God.    

John 1:10–11 says:

After healing a man who was blind, Jesus and His disciples left Bethsaida to travel to Caesarea Philippi. Along the way, He asked His disciples who people said He was. They answered, John the Baptist, Elijah, or another prophet. The people saw Him as another prophet—not the Messiah. Their eyes were not open to the truth. Then Jesus turned to the disciples and asked directly who they said He was.

Who answered? Peter.

What was Peter’s answer? The Messiah.

Read Matthew 16:17: 

Jesus was pleased with Peter’s answer because it wasn’t based on what others said, only on what God had revealed to him. How do you think Peter felt? Happy, proud.

Soon after, Jesus told His disciples that He would suffer and die. Peter scolded Jesus and said it would never happen! What did Jesus say?

Read Matthew 16:23:

How do you think Peter felt now? Totally wrong, sorry, embarrassed.

Jesus said that this time Peter did not hear truth from God—Peter had based his answer on his own human thinking. Peter gave two answers—one completely right and one completely wrong. It’s an example of how much we need the Holy Spirit to reveal truth to us! 

What if Jesus asked you the same question: “Who do you say that I am?” What would you answer? Allow time for children to answer.

If you don’t know how to answer, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth about Jesus to you. Also, please come to me after class, because I would be happy to talk about this with you.

OPTIONAL DISCUSSION FOR GRADES 4–6

Today, there is an amazing amount of information on the internet, TV, and in books. Much of it is based on human wisdom and opinions instead of God’s truth in the Bible.

If you did a search on the internet or asked friends at school who Jesus is, you would get many different answers—like the ones the disciples shared with Jesus. So, how can we know what is true and what is false?

God gave us the Holy Spirit to reveal truth to us! 

It’s now time for the Discipleship Challenge where you will be challenged to focus on living for Jesus rather than yourself.

Jesus said we should pick up our crosses and follow Him. This means we should do and say the things He wants us to, rather than what we would choose to do on our own. And that’s what our Discipleship Challenge is all about!

Display the sample craft. Give each child a Follow Jesus Challenge; children’s scissors; pencil; glue or tape; three roundhead paper fasteners; and crayons, colored pencils, or washable markers. First, have children use their pencils to personalize the figures to look like them, then lightly color the pieces, leaving the text visible. Have them carefully cut out all of the pieces on the page. If you did not pre-cut the slits or punch the holes before class, you may need to assist children in doing so. Demonstrate how to fold and assemble the base, place the crosses in the slots, and attach the figures to the base. Be ready to assist any children with special needs.

Hold up the craft. This challenge helps us learn what it means to give up our own ways, to take up our crosses, and follow Jesus.

Rotate the figure beside Cross #1 so that it is hidden behind the base. When you move the figure of the person behind the cross, it represents dying to yourself and crucifying your old life to let Christ live in you. Then, as Jesus said, pick up your cross! Remove Cross #1 and carry it in your pocket or purse all day as a reminder that you are following Jesus’ example instead of your own desires. Let’s read what the first cross says. Live for Christ. Galatians 2:20. 

Your first challenge is to read Galatians 2:20 every day and try to memorize it. If possible, discuss the meaning of the verse with your family. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you act and speak as Jesus would. Remember, Jesus did not come to earth to please Himself; He came to serve God and others.

If time permits, look up and read Galatians 2:20:

Take this craft home and place it where you will see it when you have breakfast every morning. Carry the cross with you in your pocket or purse during the day as a reminder to follow Jesus’ example. Next time, I’ll ask who remembered to do this challenge—and what happened when you did!

SuperVerse

Have the children stand side-by-side in a single row, facing the board so they can see the SuperVerse.

Let’s all read the SuperVerse together from the board. John 15:26:

“I will send you the Spirit who comes from the Father and shows what is true. The Spirit will help you and will tell you about Me.”  

When Jesus’ time on earth was coming to an end, He knew the disciples would still need Him to guide them and encourage them. He knew that He would not be with them physically anymore, so He promised to send the Holy Spirit to show them God’s truth. We can trust what the Spirit says because He is sent by God, the source of true wisdom.

We are going to learn the SuperVerse by saying it aloud in different voices. We will start at one end. I will tell each person the type of voice to use in saying a phrase as it appears on the board.

Start at one end and tell each child a different voice to use on his/her turn. You may tell the children so everyone can hear, or you may quietly whisper to each child so the others cannot hear.

Choose from the following voices in random order, plus add your own.

Robot voice, shout, deep bass voice, high squeaky voice, opera singer, baby talk, preacher, whisper, etc.

Starting at one end of the row, have each child say a phrase in their assigned voice. Keep repeating the verse until all children have had a turn. If time allows, repeat the activity, allowing the children to choose the voices they’d like to use on their turn.

If children cannot memorize this verse, make sure they understand its meaning.

Prayer

Jesus asked a man who was cured of blindness if he believed in the Son of God. The man asked Jesus who the Son of God was so he could believe. Jesus responded, “You have seen Him, and He is speaking to you!” The man then said, “Yes, Lord, I believe!” (See John 9:35–38.)   

The man’s physical eyes had been healed; now his spiritual eyes were also opened, and he believed. Let’s say the SuperTruth together. “The Holy Spirit opens my eyes to the truth.”

Give each child a pencil and an index card or small piece of paper. Write down the names of people who need to know the truth about Jesus—that He is the Son of God, the Savior of the world. This could be a friend, a neighbor, classmate, or a family member—anyone whose eyes need to be opened. No one else will see this card; it is between you and God. When you have finished, fold your card in half. Allow time for children to write.

Now, hold your folded card up in the air to God and close your eyes while I pray for us.  

Close in prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for revealing the truth to us so we can believe in You. Today, the children have written down the names of people who need to know You. Open the eyes of these people so they can believe that You are the Son of God who loves them and died for them. Speak to their hearts and draw them close to You. Help us remember to pray for these people every day. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.  

Match Game

We are going to play a matching card game. On the cards are eight true declarations that Jesus made about Himself, often called the “I Am” statements of Christ. There are also six false statements that Jesus never said. Each type of statement will have a matching card. When you find a match, you will decide whether it is true or false. You will receive five points for a match, plus five more points if you are correct in saying whether the statement is true or false.

Divide the children into two teams. Teams will alternate turns. A team’s turn consists of one child choosing two cards. Flip over each card as it is guessed to show the children, and read it aloud. If the cards don’t match, lay the cards back down on the board. If the cards match, remove them from the board and give them to the player who chose them. Optional: for each true statement, look up the verse, read it, and briefly discuss it.   

The team with the most points wins.      

True statements with scripture references:

1.  I AM THE TRUE VINE. John 15:1   

2.  I AM THE BEGINNING AND THE END. Revelation 22:13

3.  I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. John 8:12 

4.  I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE. John 11:25

5.  I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD. John 10:14

6.  I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE. John 14:6

7.  I AM THE GATE. John 10:9  

8.  I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE. John 6:35   

Conclusion: Were you surprised that any of the statements were true or false? In the Bible, we can read about Jesus and learn the truth about who He is, and about His life and His purpose. When we read the Bible and pray, the Holy Spirit will help us know Jesus better and also help us understand and apply His Word in our lives. 

Repeating Game

Read Matthew 16:13–14:

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.

The people had different opinions about Jesus. It is likely that several of these people simply repeated what they had heard others say instead of really trying to discover His true identity. The religious leaders were blind to the truth and refused to believe Jesus was God’s Son.   

Have you ever played the Telephone Game? Our game today is like it. We will play in teams. One player on each team will be given a word or phrase. He/she will whisper it to the next player and so on down the line until it reaches the last player. The last player will stand up and say the word or phrase aloud, and we will see if it is accurate and matches the original word or phrase. Listen carefully—players can only say the word or phrase once, not repeating it, and it must be whispered so others can’t hear. If you don’t understand what someone whispers to you, you can’t ask them to say it again. Simply tell the next person what you thought you heard, even if it doesn’t make sense.

Divide the class into two or more even teams. For smaller classes, you may play as one large group.  

Each team stands or sits in a circle or straight line several feet from the other team.

Players must be close enough to lean over and whisper to the player beside them.

Whisper the same word or phrase to the first player on each team. Say it only once. Use the list provided below or make up your own. Use longer or more difficult phrases as children become familiar with the game, especially if they are older.  

Players cannot ask for the word or phrase to be repeated at any time.  

The first player whispers the word or phrase into the ear of the next player, who then whispers it to the next person. Repeat until the word or phrase reaches the last player on each team.    

The last players say the word or phrase aloud so all can see if it is accurate and matches the original word or phrase.

Play as many rounds as time allows. If you choose, you may award points to the team which matches the original word or phrase or is the closest.   

Word and Phrase List

• Bethsaida
• Blind Bartimaeus
• Galatians and Ephesians
• Jesus had twelve disciples.
• The Ten Commandments 
• The man washed in the pool of Siloam.
• Jesus is the light of the world.      
• Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John    
• Jesus preached to crowds of people. 
• Phillip, Matthew, Judas, and Mark were all disciples.  
• Jesus opens the eyes of the blind.   
• There are 27 books in the New Testament.
• Prayer, worship and thanksgiving
• Jesus asked, “Who do you say that I am?”
• The Old Testament has 39 books. 

Conclusion: In this game, the farther the information traveled from the source, the less likely it was to be true. As we discussed in our teaching today, we need to pray and read our Bibles so the Holy Spirit can speak directly to our hearts. God is the source of truth. 

Maze Activity

Give each child a copy of the maze and a pencil. Have children write their names at the bottom. Lead a discussion using the questions and answers below as the children complete the activity.  

• In the video, Jesus healed blind men in three cities. Can you remember one or more without any hints?

           Here is a hint for each one (if needed):

• Can you name two unusual ways that Jesus healed the men’s blindness? He spit on one man’s eyes. He smeared mud on the other’s eyes then told him to wash the mud off in the pool of Siloam.  
• Did Jesus touch Bartimaeus? No. What did Jesus do to heal him? He spoke and told him his faith had healed him.
• How do you think Bartimaeus displayed faith to Jesus? He would not give up even when others told him to be quiet—he got even louder. He was a beggar, so he could have just asked for money—but he was bold and asked Jesus to heal him.
• Have you ever prayed and asked God to heal you or someone else?
• Why do you think Jesus used different methods to heal the three men? God is all-powerful. He can do anything He wants, using any method He wants. He knows what each person needs, and He can do something different for each one of us.

Conclusion: Take your maze home and talk with your family about the different ways that Jesus healed the men who were blind. 

Bible Study

First, let’s say our SuperVerse together. John 15:26:

“I will send you the Spirit who comes from the Father and shows what is true. The Spirit will help you and will tell you about Me.”

Now let’s look deeper into how God reveals truth to people who are spiritually blind.            

Give each child a Bible. Have children look up the verses and each take turns reading a verse. Then lead a discussion with the information below. 

1. John 9:39–41:

³⁹ Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.”  ⁴⁰ Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard Him and asked, “Are You saying we’re blind?”  ⁴¹ “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.”

After the blind man was healed, the Pharisees had him removed from the Temple because he spoke truth about Jesus that they did not want to hear. Jesus heard what happened and found the man to speak with Him. Jesus had healed his physical eyes, and now He opened the man’s spiritual eyes. But some Pharisees were offended at what Jesus said. 

• In verse 39, what did Jesus declare His mission to be? To judge those who could see and not see.
• Is Jesus speaking only about human eyes in this verse? No, He is also talking about spiritual eyes and spiritual darkness. For those who don’t know Him, He will reveal Himself like He did to the blind man. (See verse 35–38.)    
• In verse 39, what does it mean that those who see may become blind? Some people are so sure they know the truth that they close their eyes to really seeing and knowing God.
• What do you think verse 41 means? If people didn’t know the truth, they would not be accountable for their lack of knowledge; but since they knew it yet ignored the truth, and they weren’t willing to believe in Jesus, they claimed they could see and God would hold them accountable. 
• Have you ever encountered someone like this, who won’t accept the truth about Jesus? How should we treat them? Don’t argue. Love them, be kind, and pray for them daily; invite them to visit a Christian website such as Superbook.TV, with the entire Bible and information about how to know God.

2. 1 John 1:5–7:   

 ⁵ This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in Him at all. ⁶ So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. ⁷ But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.

• Where did the disciples receive the truth they preached? From Jesus.  
• What does darkness mean in this verse? Sin, evil, wickedness.
• Does verse 6 apply to the Pharisees; why or why not? Yes, they claimed to be close to God and thought they were righteous, but really they lived in darkness because they were unwilling to believe in Jesus.    
• Do you know any people like the Pharisees today? Children discuss.
• What does it mean to have fellowship with God? To know Him intimately, to be close to Him and have a relationship with Him. To spend time with Him by reading the Bible, praying, and being with other believers. To walk in His ways and according to the truth of His Word. To choose to live in His light and be forgiven for all your sins.
• What does verse 6 call people who say they know God but don’t obey His Word? Liars.  
• Is it possible to become followers of Jesus and not change the way we live? Please explain. Children answer.
• In verse 7, what are the benefits or blessings we receive when we live in the light or according to God’s Word? We are connected together with other believers through Christ; we are forgiven and cleansed by Jesus’ blood because we hide nothing in darkness—we share all with Him.    
• When we sin and try to hide it from God, how does it make us feel? Guilty and bad inside; far from God.   
• What happens when we bring sin into the light and confess it to Him? It feels good to get it out in the open; guilt and shame removed. Feel close to God again.
• How does it make you feel to know Jesus is faithful and will always forgive and cleanse us? Children answer.

Conclusion: God calls us to come out of the darkness of the world and to live as children of the light. We can rely on God’s Holy Spirit to reveal His truth to us each day.