Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Welcome (1 minute)

Hello everyone and welcome back! How many of you love Christmas?

I’m especially excited after being reminded last week that Jesus is the reason for the Christmas season. Let’s worship Him as we sign Joy to the World.

Play Video 11: (Song) Joy to the World (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.

Joy to the World

SuperTruth and Discussion (1 minute)

Our SuperTruth for today says “I want Jesus to be Lord of my life.” Does anyone know what Lord means?

Lord means master or ruler. When we submit to Jesus’ Lordship—to His power and authority in our life—we allow Him to lead our lives according to God’s will. We can trust Jesus with our lives because He knows everything about us—inside and out!

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.

Last time, we saw how Chris was too busy to help his family set up the nativity scene. Now, for the children who weren’t here last time, we are going to watch a short version of our Superbook story to see how Chris learned the true meaning of Christmas. For those of you who have seen the full video, watching this short version will help refresh your memories!

Play Video 4: Condensed Bible Story (9 minutes)

Condensed Bible Story

Superbook takes Chris, Joy and Gizmo to ancient Bethlehem to meet Mary and Joseph. There, they experience the true meaning of Christmas—the gift of God’s Son, Jesus.

Introduce Bible Background Video (1 minute)

What was God’s gift that He gave to the world? His Son, Jesus.

How do you think this influenced Chris to give his gifts away?

Let’s watch our Bible Background video to learn more about King Herod, the Wise Men, and the town of Bethlehem in Bible times. When Gizmo asks a question in the video, wait for him to suggest some answers, then shout the one you think is right!

Play Video 5: Bible Background (9 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, Isaiah 9:6, together:

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

That’s a lot of names for Jesus—and there are many others in the Bible as well! Let’s have the girls say the first sentence of our SuperVerse, and then the boys say the second sentence—as loudly as you can! Children say the verse.

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

Prayer and Send-Off (1 minute)

Dear God, thank You for sending Your gift of Jesus, who is all things to us—Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace! In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Next, you will play a game about the symbols of Christmas in our Small Groups. Go have some 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

In our video, we saw how the star drew the Wise Men to find Jesus. Matthew 2:2 tells us that the Wise Men went to Jerusalem and asked King Herod,

Where is the newborn King of the Jews? We saw His star as it rose, and we have come to worship Him.

The Wise Men were from the East, where a prophet named Balaam had lived many centuries earlier. The Bible tells us in Numbers 24:17 that Balaam gave this prophecy:

A Star will rise from Jacob; a Scepter will emerge from Israel.

Jacob is another name for Israel. Does anyone know what a scepter is? A special staff or wand or stick that a king held to show authority.

So, when the Wise Men saw that special star rise in the heavens, they were probably reminded of the ancient prophecy saying that a King would come from Israel. The Bible tells us what happened after they left King Herod in Jerusalem. Read Matthew 2:9–10.

After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the East guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!

Point to the Nativity Skyline on the poster board on the floor in front of the chair.

Do you see a star in the picture? No, it’s missing.

Let’s play a game where you must place a star over the scene! Hold up the flying discs with stars on them. For every “star” that lands in the seat above the picture, your team receives one point!

Divide the class into two teams and have them line up, single file, at the starting mark or line. Ask one team a question from the list of questions. Team members may briefly discuss the answer before giving it. If the team gives the correct answer, the first three children on that team each have one chance to toss a star disc so it lands on the chair seat above the Bethlehem poster. Have the players who tossed the discs retrieve them, give them to the next players, then go to the end of their team’s line.

Each team may score a maximum of three points per turn. If a team answers incorrectly, the other team has a chance to answer correctly and score up to three points. Tally points on the board. Continue asking questions, alternating between teams, as time allows. Be prepared to help children with special needs. The team with the most points wins.

“Where’s the Star?” Questions for Grades 1–3

Shortened or paraphrased answers are also correct.

Name two things that you would find in a Nativity scene. Manger, animals, angel, Jesus, Joseph, Mary, shepherds, Wise Men, stable, straw, star.

Name two other things that you would find in a Nativity scene. Manger, animals, angel, Jesus, Joseph, Mary, shepherds, Wise Men, stable, straw, star.

Who told Mary she was going to have a child? An angel, Gabriel.

What did the angel tell Mary her son would be called? Jesus, the Son of God.

In what town was Jesus born? Bethlehem.

What guided the Wise Men to Jerusalem? The star seen in the east.

Where did the shepherds find Jesus? In a manger.

What is a manger? A feeding trough.

What did Mary use to keep Jesus warm? She wrapped Him in strips of cloth.

Who did the Wise Men meet with before they found Jesus? King Herod.

What was the name of Mary’s husband? Joseph.

What did King Herod tell the Wise Men he wanted to do when he found where Jesus was? Worship Him.

Why was Jesus born in the stable? There was no lodging available for them; no room at the inn.

How did the shepherds learn about the birth of Jesus? An angel of the Lord.

“Where’s the Star?” Questions for Grades 4–6

Shortened or paraphrased answers are also correct.

What was the name of the angel who told Mary she was going to have a child? Gabriel.

Where did Joseph and Mary begin their trip? Nazareth.

Why were Mary and Joseph going to Bethlehem? Everyone was required to return to his/her place of birth.

Who was Caesar Augustus? The ruler of the Roman Empire.

What order did Caesar Augustus give? A census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire.

What is a census? A count by the government of the people who live in a place.

What is another name for Bethlehem? The City of David.

What is a manger? A feeding trough for animals.

Name three things you might expect to see at Jesus’ birthplace. Stable, animals, straw, etc.

Who were the first people to visit Jesus after He was born? Shepherds.

How did the shepherds learn about the birth of Jesus? An angel of the Lord.

What did the angels say when Jesus was born? Glory to God in the highest.

What did the Wise Men ask King Herod? Where is the newborn king of the Jews?

Why did King Herod want to know when Jesus was born? He was afraid Jesus would take over his kingdom.

Teaching

Have children sit in a circle if possible.

Let’s say our SuperTruth today: “I want Jesus to be Lord of my life.”

That sounds very nice—but what does Lord mean?

Lord means a master or ruler; someone with power and authority over others. When we ask Jesus to be our Lord, we are saying that we will obey Him, we will respect His power and authority in our lives, and we allow Him to guide our lives according to God’s will. Who gave Jesus His authority and appointed Him Lord?

Read Acts 2:36:

“So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!”

Messiah means “Anointed One” or “Chosen One.” God Himself appointed Jesus to be Lord of all!

Hold up the “No Vacancy” sign for the children.

What does this sign mean? There is no room available.

Where might you find this sign? Hotels, motels, campgrounds, and other lodgings.

How would you connect this sign to the first Christmas? Mary and Joseph couldn’t find a room to stay in when they arrived in Bethlehem.

Put the sign around your neck.

What would you think if you came to talk to me, and I put this sign on?

You wouldn’t feel very welcome, would you? No.

You would think I didn’t have a place for you in my life. Sometimes we can wear an invisible No Vacancy sign, telling Jesus that we don’t have a place for Him in our hearts or time for Him in our lives. We want to control our lives and be our own lord. Or, sometimes we only let Him be Lord of a tiny bit of our lives: “Here, Jesus, You can be the Lord of my life every Sunday morning, and I’ll control the rest of my time!”

Our SuperTruth says, “I want Jesus to be Lord of my life.” Your whole life—every piece and every moment!

Read Proverbs 3:6 (nkjv):

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

In how many ways should we recognize Jesus as our Lord? In all our ways.

We want Him to rule in every part of our life! That means taking this sign off. Take off the sign and dramatically tear it up, then hold up the Welcome Mat sign for children to see. Have you ever seen a sign like this on a building, or on a mat by someone’s front door?

Making Jesus Lord means welcoming Him into every area of our lives.

Place the Welcome Mat in the center of the class circle.

Let’s welcome Jesus among us as we pray! Lord Jesus, it’s sad to think that the innkeeper in Bethlehem had no room for You. God, show us ways that we can welcome You and make room for You in every area of our lives each day. Allow children some time for God to speak to their hearts. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Did anyone sense God speaking to their hearts about how we can put Him first?

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Let’s talk about the Discipleship Challenge we started in our last lesson.

Hand out invitations and supplies to any child who did not receive them or who already gave them away. Briefly explain what the challenge consists of for these children.

Jesus came to be Lord in everyone’s life, but sadly not everyone knows that the gift of Jesus, who God sent to Earth, is for them! Has anyone thought of two people you would like to invite to church or given out the invitations?

Please continue to pray and give them out in the next couple of days.

Close in prayer, asking God to bless the invitations that the children are giving out so that others will come to know Him.

Prayer

Our SuperVerse lists some names of Jesus that we just discussed. Let’s use our prayer time to thank and worship Jesus for His characteristics. The names we learned are on the board. Let’s say them together before we pray. Point to the board and say Jesus’ names together.

I would like each of you to use one of Jesus’ names in a short sentence prayer as we go around the circle to worship and praise Him. I’ll start. Dear Jesus, I praise You for giving me Your peace when I’m having a hard day. If children are shy, they may simply say, “Thank You, Jesus.”

Pray: Thank You, Jesus, that You are everything to us: Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace! Help us trust in You in every situation we encounter so that we may experience each name personally. In Your name, Amen.

SuperVerse

Have children look up and read aloud our SuperVerse, Isaiah 9:6 (nkjv):

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

You have probably heard our SuperVerse read during the Christmas season. God gave us a Child—His Son! This verse says that the government was placed upon His shoulder. This means that God gave Jesus all authority as the head of the Church. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords! His reign will never end, as all earthly kings’ reigns will. The world has its governments, but they will not last. Many people believed the Messiah would come to be an earthly king, but Jesus came to establish God’s spiritual Kingdom on Earth. Jesus came to rule and reign in the hearts of all His followers as Lord and Savior! Now, let’s take a look at the names of Jesus that are in this verse. Discuss each name, jotting down brief notes next to each one on the board.

Wonderful: The true word here means full of wonder. Wonder that is beyond understanding! Jesus is full of wonders!

Counselor: Jesus is the best counselor in the world! He holds all wisdom and knowledge. He can guide and direct us in God’s perfect will for our lives. He came to Earth as a man, so He understands everything we will encounter. He knows us inside and out, so He alone can provide perfect wisdom and advice to us.

Mighty God: Jesus came as a baby, but He was still Almighty God. Another name for Jesus is Immanuel—meaning “God with us.” Jesus has all power in the universe, but He chose to lay it aside temporarily to fulfill God’s plan by coming to Earth as a baby. Jesus displayed glimpses of His might on Earth with signs and wonders like healing sickness, raising the dead, and calming the sea.

Everlasting Father: Jesus told the disciples that He and His father were one. Jesus was with God from the beginning and He is without end. God has adopted us into His family, and He is our Father in heaven.

Prince of Peace: Jesus gave us peace with God by His sacrifice on the cross. We don’t have to worry that God is angry with us! When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we know He has forgiven our sins and will take us to heaven someday. Jesus fills us with an inner peace that cannot be shaken or taken from us.

Let’s say our SuperVerse, Isaiah 9:6 (nkjv), together again, now that we have a deeper understanding of it!

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Note: Younger children may not be able to memorize the 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.

Do not erase the content on the board, as it will be used in the Prayer section.

A Gift for the Taking

What does it mean to accept the gift of salvation? Ask Jesus to forgive your sins and come into your heart.

Why do you think some people may refuse to accept the free gift? They may be afraid they will have to change their actions; or they may feel that since they can’t see God, they can’t believe in Him.

In order to accept Jesus, we must take a step of faith and say we believe in Him.

Use this demonstration to show how you can’t receive salvation until you take a step of faith. Select a child to be the first “gift taker.” Have the child stand with his or her back and heels pressed flat against the wall. Place the small gift on the floor about 12 inches in front of the child.

You can have the gift, if you can bend down and pick it up — without moving your feet at all! It’s impossible.

Give everyone an opportunity to pick up the gift. Continue the conversation to explain that God’s gift of salvation through Jesus is right there for us. We just need to take a step of faith to receive it. Now, select a child to move their feet and pick up the gift successfully this time.

Now let’s open the gift. Have child open the gift and show children what it is. Let’s share how the candy cane symbolizes Jesus:

Shaped like a J for Jesus or a shepherd’s crook or stick. He is our Good Shepherd.

Striped like His back after He was whipped.

The color red symbolizes the blood He shed for us.

The color white symbolizes His pure, sinless life.

Read Ephesians 2:8–9:

God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

Salvation is a true gift from God. We can’t earn it in any way. The only way to receive it is by taking that step of faith!

Object Lesson

Our SuperTruth says: “I want Jesus to be Lord of my life.” That means more than just saying we want Jesus to be Lord.

Read Jesus’ words in Luke 6:46

“So why do you keep calling Me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?”

Jesus was speaking to people who heard His teachings but did not apply them. Is Jesus really the ruler or Lord of your life if you do not obey Him completely? No.

Can we pick and choose what we want to obey from the Bible; is that making Him Lord over our lives? No.

Display the puzzle with the pieces missing.

What would you think if I gave you this puzzle as a present? 

Oh, are there some pieces missing? Add a couple pieces. You’re right; I was holding some pieces back for my own. How about now—is this good? No, there still are pieces missing.

Okay, I was still holding back, wasn’t I? Place all the pieces in the proper place in the puzzle to complete it. How about now? Yes, the puzzle is complete.

In the same way, it isn’t right to call Jesus Lord and not give ourselves completely to Him! When we give ourselves to Him, He is interested in every piece of our lives! He cares whether we are upset with our brothers and sisters, or if we are angry with our friends. He cares whether we feel jealous or hurt or lonely. So, we shouldn’t hold anything back from Him—we should give every part of our lives to Him so He can change us to be like Him!

Listen closely because this is very important. We don’t become like Jesus overnight, but as we spend time with Him, reading His Word, and praying, we become more like Him, day by day. It is an ongoing process for every believer!

When Jesus asked,

“So why do you keep calling Me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?”

—He was speaking to people who heard His Word but chose not to obey! As we study God’s Word and pray, the Holy Spirit reveals areas of our life that we need to give to Jesus. For example, if we feel hurt and angry, God will speak to our hearts and tell us to forgive. When we willingly do this, we grow in Christ.

Let’s say our SuperTruth one more time: “I want Jesus to be Lord of my life.”

Seek and Find

Today, we are going to play a game about seeking the Lord with all our heart. As we learned, when we make Jesus Lord of our life, we must seek and find Him and then include Him in everything we do—not half-heartedly, but whole-heartedly! If I told you there was a special surprise hidden in this room for you, would you look for it with all your heart, or would you just casually look under a chair or two and then give up?

Right! You would give it all you had! Now, let’s play a game called Seek and Find.

Divide the class into two teams and alternate between the teams as you ask the questions below. You may have the children on that team race to see who can look up the verse first, read it aloud, then answer the question. However, if Bibles are not available, or if some children are not strong readers, you may simply have them answer the question from memory.

After a child answers correctly, he or she becomes the seeker. Ask the seeker to leave the room briefly — accompanied by a helper — while the rest of the class watches you hide a sealed envelope. The seeker then returns and looks around the room for the envelope. The seeker’s teammates help by calling out “temperatures”—freezing, cold, cool, warm, hot, or burning — warmer means closer!—to describe how close the seeker is to the envelope. To make the game more competitive, time how long it takes for the seeker to find the envelope. The seeker then gives you the unopened envelope. Repeat the process by asking these questions, alternating between teams, to determine who the seekers will be.

Team 1, here is your first question. Whoever answers this question first gets to be your team’s first seeker. According to Luke 2:1, who decreed there would be a census? The Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus.

Team 2, here is your first question. According to Luke 2:12, what was the sign the shepherds would find? A baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.

Team 1, here is your second question. According to Matthew 2:2, what did the Wise Men ask Herod? “Where is the newborn King of the Jews?”

Team 2, here is your second question. According to Matthew 2:8, what did Herod tell the Wise Men to do once they found the child they were seeking? “Come back and tell me so that I can go and worship Him, too!”

Once all four envelopes have been found, open them and give each team one of the two pictures in each envelope—face down. Each team should have a set of four different pictures.

Now let’s turn the papers over and race to see which team can put the pictures in the correct order!

You did a great job of seek and find!

Read Jeremiah 29:13:

If you look for Me wholeheartedly, you will find Me.

When you seek Jesus with all your heart, you will find Him! When we seek Jesus in all areas of our lives and obey Him, we truly make Him Lord of our lives! Let’s say the SuperTruth: “I want Jesus to be Lord of my life.”

Bible Study

Our SuperVerse talks about how Jesus will have the government placed upon His shoulders. Jesus came to establish God’s kingdom—not a nation that can be drawn on a map, but a spiritual kingdom. Let’s dig into some of the verses that talk about Jesus as Lord. Have children look up and read verses aloud. Lead a discussion using questions below. Feel free to add any questions that you think will facilitate deeper discussion with your particular group. 

Acts 10:36:

This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel—that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.

Paul was speaking to a Roman soldier named Cornelius. Cornelius was a Gentile who loved God and wanted to know about Jesus.

Who did Jesus come to save and be Lord over? All, everyone, Jews and Gentiles.

What is the Good News? That Jesus came to give us peace with God—restore a right relationship.

What does this tell us about Jesus’ Kingdom? Covers the world, He is truly Lord of lords.

1 Timothy 6:15–16:

For, at just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only Almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. He alone can never die, and He lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach Him. No human eye has ever seen Him, nor ever will. All honor and power to Him forever! Amen.

Paul was encouraging young Timothy to fight the good fight and to stay pure so no one could find fault with him. He wanted Timothy to know that Jesus would come back and all would know the truth.

Who will reveal Jesus to everyone as King of kings and Lord of lords? God Almighty.

How does this verse make you feel about Jesus?

Why is He worthy of being our Lord? He is worthy of our praise and obedience because God gave Him all authority and power and made Him Lord of lords and King of kings. He is everlasting and will never die. He cannot even be approached and looked upon by others, which includes earthly rulers and kings.

Philippians 2:9–11:

Therefore, God elevated Him to the place of highest honor and gave Him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Did Jesus appoint Himself as Lord? No, God elevated Him and gave Him His name.

What happens at the mention of Jesus’ name? Everyone will bow to Him.

Is this something that will happen only on Earth? No, on Earth, in heaven, and under Earth.