Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Welcome (1 minute)

Hello, everyone! We have a new Superbook adventure today about a man named Lazarus. He lived with his two sisters, and they often had a very special guest come and visit them. We’ll see this special guest in a moment, and then also find out what is new with Chris, Joy and Gizmo.

Play Video 2: Chris and Joy’s Dilemma (5 minutes)

Chris and Joy's Dilemma

Joy’s school service club is chaperoning disadvantaged kids to an amusement park, but her mother’s car breaks down and she misses the bus. Joy hears that one of the little girls was too shy to come and also missed the bus. At first, Joy doesn’t see what she can do for the girl.

SuperTruth and Discussion (2 minutes)

Raise your hand if there is someone you’d like to spend time with every day if you could.

Yes, there are some people in our lives who we really enjoy being around, like a special friend or family member. I know someone who wants to spend time with everyone in this room—every day! Any ideas who I am talking about? Jesus, God.

The SuperTruth today is: “I will spend time with Jesus.” Let’s say that together. “I will spend time with Jesus.”

Jesus is always near and never too busy to spend time with us.

Who was Joy in a hurry to spend time with? A little girl named Matty.

What happened that didn’t allow Joy to go to the theme park with Matty? Joy’s mother’s car wouldn’t start and she couldn’t get to the school before the bus left the parking lot.

Yes, Joy was very disappointed. Let’s watch the rest of our video to see what she does.

Video 3: Bible Story and Resolution (19 minutes)

Bible Story and Resolution

Superbooktakes Joy, Chris and Gizmo to meet Jesus, who is told that his friend Lazarus is sick. Jesus delays visiting, and when He arrives, Lazarus has died. Jesus gives Lazarus an even greater miracle than healing—by raising him from the dead. Learning that God’s timing is always right, Joy, Chris and Gizmo visit the shy girl and create a memorable experience.

Play Video 10A: SuperVerse Graphic 1

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

SuperVerse Graphic 1

SuperVerse Discussion (1 minute)

Our SuperVerse today is Luke 10:42:

“There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Do you remember who said this in the video? Jesus.

What important thing did Mary choose to do? Sit at Jesus’ feet and spend time with Him. Listen to His teaching.

Spending time with Jesus is very important. Our hearts should be open to the Word of God every day!

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)

Heavenly Father, we are so thankful that You sent Jesus to earth to die for us, to rise from the dead, and to live with us. The Bible tells us that He will never leave us or abandon us. He is our Good Shepherd, our Lord, and our friend. Help us to take time each day to spend with Him. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Do you remember what Chris was doing when Joy called him on the phone? He was attempting to set a world record for the most pogo stick bounces.

Yes, you won’t be setting any world records; however, you will be bouncing in our Small Group game. Let’s go see what that is all about.

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

Jump up and down if you have ever been on a pogo stick.

Do you remember how close Chris was to the world record before he stopped to help Joy? He was halfway to the record.

Why wasn’t Chris feeling so good after he got off of his pogo stick? His stomach was doing flip flops from all of the jumping.

Martha wasn’t doing any bouncing, yet she was busy doing something else; do you remember what that was? Preparing to serve a big meal to Jesus and His disciples.

Yes; and we have combined both of these things into one game called Pogo Relay!

Have you ever seen a server in a restaurant carry two trays at a time? How do they carry the trays? Let a child demonstrate balancing the plates in the palms of their hands.

Very good; you would be an awesome server! Take the plates and balance them in the palms of your hands as you explain the game.

You will take a turn holding one plate in the palm of each hand. You cannot use your fingers to grip the plates; they must only be balanced on flat palms. The plates represent Martha, who was busy serving. Now let me think: what part do Chris and the pogo stick play in this game? Oh yes! You must hop or jump up and down as you balance the plates while moving from one line to the other. Demonstrate hopping with the plates from one line to the other.

Are you ready to bounce and serve?

Divide the children into even teams of 4 or 6 children. One child may need to take two turns if necessary.

Divide each team in half. The team halves stand at opposite ends behind the lines directly across from each other.

Give two plates to the first player of each team at one end.

The players place one plate on each palm. Start the game.

Players balance the plates while hopping/jumping to the other line.

They place the plates on the palms of the next teammate, who hops/jumps to the other line.

Continue this way until all players have taken one or two turns.

The team that finishes first wins.

Optional for Grades 1–3: Use only one plate if children find it too difficult to balance two plates.

Conclusion: Was it difficult to concentrate on doing both things at one time?

That is why Jesus said Mary made the right choice, to focus on the most important of all—spending time with Him. Let’s learn more about that now!

Teaching

Let’s say the SuperTruth together: “I will spend time with Jesus.”

In our game we saw how it’s easier to focus on just one thing instead of trying to do two things at once. In the Bible story, both Mary and Martha had a close relationship with Jesus—yet when Jesus visited their home, the women made different choices. What did Mary do? She sat at Jesus’ feet.

And what did Martha do? She worked to prepare a meal.

Do you think the purpose of this story is to show us that serving others and doing good deeds are not important? No!

Absolutely not! Jesus came to the earth to serve. He taught His disciples to do the same. The Bible teaches that faith without good deeds is dead or useless! (See James 2:17.) So we are definitely supposed to do those things—at the right time. Yet Jesus shows us in this story that the most important thing we can do is spend time with Him and listen to God’s Word. Our relationship with Jesus is our highest priority!

Jesus told Martha that she was worried and upset over all of the details of the meal. In other words, Martha was doing too much. The preparations were more than what was really needed at the time. If she kept things simple, she too could have spent time with Jesus. Martha welcomed Jesus into her home, yet she placed a higher priority on serving a meal instead of spending time with Him.

Read Luke 10:38–40:

As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what He taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to You that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”

Notice how she said Mary was just sitting. How did Martha view Mary’s decision to sit at Jesus’ feet? It was not the right choice. Listening was less important than her duties and responsibilities. She thought Mary’s priorities were wrong.

Did Jesus agree with Martha? No.

Read Luke 10:41–42:

But the Lord said to her, "My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.ˮ

Stand behind the bowl of water on the table and hold up the paper towel labeled “Mary.” This bowl represents Jesus. The water represents His Words. In the Bible, the Word of God is sometimes symbolized by water. Jesus was teaching His disciples as Mary sat at His feet. Fold the “Mary” towel loosely and place an edge in the water bowl and let it remain there. Hold up the towel labeled “Martha.”

Martha didn’t sit at Jesus’ feet; she was too busy for that! She moved back and forth, here and there, with the meal preparations. Move the towel dramatically around the table and bowl but never touch the bowl of water.

Perhaps Martha thought she could do both and multi-task; she could listen to some of Jesus’ words as she worked. Have you ever tried to spend time or talk with someone as they text or do something else? Does it work well? No; it can be disrespectful and rude. They miss some of what is said; their attention is divided.

I think we all have experienced this. We have probably done the same thing to other people—we’ve been too busy doing something to truly stop and listen to them. Imagine how Jesus must feel when He tries to share words of love and encouragement with us—yet we don’t really pay attention. Hold up the “Martha” paper towel again to show it is dry.

Does it look like Martha absorbed or soaked up any of Jesus’ words? No!

Hold up the Mary towel. Now, let’s look at Mary; this towel looks very different. In fact, it is saturated! Do you think she absorbed what Jesus said? Yes!

Yes, she soaked up Jesus’ Words. That is why Jesus said it would not be taken from her; the Word penetrated deep into her heart!

In Bible times, pupils sat at their teacher’s feet. The apostle Paul sat at the feet of a rabbi named Gamaliel to learn the Jewish customs and laws. (See Acts 22:3.) Sitting was a position of a true disciple that demonstrated devotion, respect, and a sincere desire to learn.

Are we willing to do what Mary did; to take the position of a true disciple? Will we stop and listen when Jesus is speaking to our hearts? Will we give Jesus a higher priority in our lives over the many tasks and activities of each day? The things of this world will pass away, but Jesus’ Words remain forever. (See Matthew 24:35.)

This is what our Discipleship Challenge is about; identifying and correcting things that can hinder, or hold back, our growth and relationship with Jesus.

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Display the model craft. Give each child a Lazarus Tomb Pattern, a small envelope, a pencil, and children’s scissors. Have tape available for children to tape the stone cut out from the Pattern onto back of the envelope. Optional: if the pattern is black and white, distribute crayons, colored pencils, or washable markers for children to color their crafts. Have children place the three Scripture Cloths in the envelope and close the stone (envelope flap) over the entrance, but do not seal it closed. Children can write their names on the back of their crafts. Assist any children with special needs.

In our video, how was Lazarus able to come out of his tomb? By God’s power. Jesus told the people to roll the stone aside, and He shouted for Lazarus to come out.

Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead by the power and authority of His word. Jesus is the source of life. His Words gave Lazarus new life. When Lazarus came out of the tomb, what did Jesus tell the people to do? Jesus told the people to unwrap Lazarus.

Even though Jesus gave Lazarus new life, he was still bound in his grave clothes. That is what our Discipleship Challenge is all about. Roll the stone aside on your tomb and take out the burial cloth with the Number 1. What does it say? Hindrances; Hebrews 12:1-2a.

If you are a runner in a race but you have chains or weights around your legs, how well will you do? Not very well!

Read Hebrews 12:1–2a:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.

When we accept Jesus as our Savior, He gives us new life. However, we may still be bound by things that can hold us back.

What are some things that can hold us back in our Christian walk? Not praying, not going to church, not reading the Bible, getting angry quickly, fighting, disobeying our parents or teachers, laziness, watching videos we shouldn’t see, spending time with people who tempt us to do bad things, etc.

We need to be set free from everything that distracts us or holds us back. We want Jesus to be the Lord—the boss—of every aspect of our lives.

Your challenge for Lesson 1 is to think about what weights or chains are holding you back in your Christian walk. Take your craft home, then read and discuss these verses with your family. Ask God to help you identify things that may weigh you down in your daily walk with Jesus.

Pray and ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom and strength to make changes in your life to “unwrap” you from the things that He shows you. Continue to pray each day for help. Next time, you’ll have a chance to share your experience with the class, if you’d like.

SuperVerse

Let’s read the SuperVerse together from the board: Luke 10:42:

“There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Who said this in the Bible story today? Jesus.

What was Martha so worried about doing? Preparing a big meal.

What did she ask Jesus to do? Tell Mary to come help her.

What does Jesus’ answer in our SuperVerse mean? Mary had discovered the most important thing in the world that would last forever; spending time with Jesus.

We should never let our busy schedules become more important than spending time with Jesus. This will only cause us stress and worry. Spending time with Him will fill us with God’s truth and strength. Jesus came to give us peace that the world cannot give. (See John 14:27.) The things of God are eternal; no one can take them away.

Have the children turn their heads and cover their eyes so they cannot see the board. Using the list below, substitute one word or phrase of the SuperVerse on the board at a time to alter the meaning of the verse, then have the children look at the board and raise their hands to tell you what word should be fixed. Write in the correct word, and then repeat the process. You may wish to vary the order of the list or change more than one word or phrase at a time as children become familiar with the verse.

• Change “one thing” to “nothing.”
• Change “concerned” to “cornered.”
• Change “Mary” to “Martha.”
• Change “discovered” to “covered.”
• Change “not” to “always.”
• Change “taken” to “tossed.”
• Change “her” to “him.”
• Change “Luke” to “John.”
• Change “10:42” to “42:10.”

Conclusion: When we choose to listen to Jesus and spend time with Him, it is always the correct choice!

Younger children may not be able to memorize the entire SuperVerse. Be sure all children understand its meaning.

Prayer

Presence Prayers: Communicate with God

Let's say the SuperTruth together: I will spend time with Jesus.

Martha chose to be busy with preparing a meal for important guests, while Mary recognized that the preparations could wait.

 Each day, even when we don’t realize it, we make a choice to spend time with Jesus or not. Will we choose to include Him in our busy schedule? Are we willing to drop some things or reschedule them? When the Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts, will we hear Him? Or, are we too busy?

Let’s close our eyes and spend time with Jesus right now. First, let’s thank God that He wants to spend time with us – His children. Allow children time to pray silently or out loud if desired.

Now, let’s thank Jesus for dying on the cross to pay the price for our sins, so that we may enter into God’s presence and have a relationship with Him and God the Father. Allow time to pray.

Last, I invite anyone who would like to make a commitment to spend time with Jesus each day to say the SuperTruth out loud. “I will spend time with Jesus” 

Close in prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, please remind us each day to spend time with You. What we receive from You is the most important thing in life and can never be taken away from us. In Your name we pray, Amen.

Action Game

Jesus said that Mary discovered the one thing worth being concerned about; what was that? Spending time with Jesus and listening to what He taught.

Read Luke 10:41–42:

But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

While Mary had discovered the most important thing, Martha was struggling to do many things at one time. This caused her to become upset with Mary and to ask Jesus why He didn’t send Mary to help her! To represent Martha’s big meal, we will stay with the theme of plates, cups and spoons. Our game consists of two parts. I will reveal one part at a time. In the first part, a player will toss paper balls to a teammate to catch. Does that sound simple? Well, not as easy as you may think; like Martha, you will be distracted by many things at one time.

Divide the class into even teams of 4–6 children. One child may need to take two turns if necessary.

Divide each team in half. Each half will stand at opposite ends behind the lines directly across from each other. Explain that one half of each team will be the catchers and the other half of each team will be the throwers.

Give a cooking pan or paper grocery bag to the first player on the catchers’ side of each team.

Give a paper plate, cup, and spoon to that same player on the catchers’ side of each team.

With one hand, the player holds the plate with a cup and spoon on it.

With the other hand, the player holds the paper bag or cooking pot.

Give two sheets of scrap paper to each player on the throwers’ side. Have themwad the paper into balls.

Start the game. All teams play at once.

The first thrower tries to toss the two paper balls, one at a time, into the bag or pot held by the team’s first catcher.

The catcher tries to catch the ball in the bag or pot without dropping the plate, cup or spoon. If any item from the plate falls to the floor, the catcher must return it to the plate before another ball is tossed.

Optional for Grades 4–6: for an even greater challenge, the catchers must also walk or jog in place as they attempt to catch the balls.

Balls must remain where they land for the entire round: in the pot or bag, or on the floor.

After the first thrower tosses two balls, that player goes to the end of the throwers’ line, while the first catcher gives the next player in the catchers’ line the bag or pot, along with the plate, cup and spoon.

Play commences with the next set of players.

Play until all throwers have tossed their balls.

Count the balls in the pots or bags and mark each team’s score on the board.

Retrieve all balls and give them to the players on the opposite side so the catchers are now the throwers. Play again and record each team’s points.

Next, play two more rounds—with both sides acting as throwers and catchers—except do not use the plates, cups and spoons. Each catcher may hold the bag or pot with both hands.

Tally all points and declare a winner.

Conclusion: Was it difficult to do so many things at one time in the first part of the game?

Were the scores higher for the first way we played the game or the second way we played? Why? It’s easier to focus on doing just one thing at a time.

How does this apply to our Bible story today? Martha was busy trying to do too much, while Mary chose to spend time with Jesus and focus completely on Him.

Object Lesson

Give the volunteer the script and go over it before class. Just before the presentation, the volunteer should slip out of the room, close the door, then listen carefully to know when to knock. Speak loudly so the volunteer can hear you through the closed door. The volunteer should knock very softly—just barely loud enough for the children to hear—when indicated in the script.

You will need to address the children’s curiosity and desire to answer the door. You may say things like: “They can wait for a little while,” or, “What we are doing is very important.”

In our lesson today, who came to Mary and Martha’s home to visit? Jesus and His disciples.

Read Luke 10:38:

As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home.

Jesus had a close relationship with this family. Do you know that Jesus wants to do the same with us today?

Read Revelation 3:20:

“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear My voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.”

Jesus is not talking about a physical meal in this verse. He knocks and calls out to us to open the door to our heart. The door isn’t an actual door like this one. Put your hand on the room door.

The door Jesus is talking about represents the door of our hearts. He wants us to open up our hearts and lives to have a relationship with Him. This verse is often used to show how Jesus knocks on the doors of people’s hearts so they will accept Him as their Savior. This verse was actually written to people who were already Christians, yet they had disobeyed God’s word. Jesus was calling out to them to return to Him.

Volunteer knocks on door.

This is very important; I’m sure that person can wait a minute. Yes, Jesus pursues us patiently because He wants to be included in our lives now on earth and to then live with us in heaven for all of eternity—that means forever! This verse tells us that Jesus stands and waits for us to open the door. He will not come in unless we allow Him to—He will not force His way in. Jesus is someone we can trust to enter every part of our lives.

Volunteer knocks on door.

We are busy right now and can’t be interrupted. You see, as we follow Christ, He will never stop knocking and He will never stop lovingly and gently calling out to us. Does anyone have an idea why? He wants us to have a closer relationship with Him. He wants to enter different areas or “doors” of our lives.

He wants to spend time with us as close friends. He desires to talk with us, and we with Him just like you would with a close friend or a family member. He wants to know our questions and disappointments, our victories and successes, our plans and dreams.

Volunteer knocks on door.

I’m not quite done yet. God created us to be in a close relationship with Him. However, He also gives us a free will to make our own choices. What do you think we should do about that person knocking on the door of our classroom!

Volunteer knocks on door. Choose someone to open the door and let the volunteer in.

Welcome! Thanks for being so patient with us until we opened the door for you! We don’t want to keep Jesus waiting that long, do we!

The question is—will we allow Jesus to enter our lives to share in these personal experiences? He gently knocks and calls out to us today!

Let’s pray. Dear Lord Jesus, we love You and want You to be our closest friend. Help us to open the doors of our hearts to You right now. Please lead us and guide us every minute of every day. Show us what is right and what is wrong. Remind us to spend time reading the Bible and praying so we can clearly hear Your voice speaking to our hearts. In Your name we pray, Amen.

Conclusion: The exciting thing to us is that Jesus wants to spend time with us! He stands at the door and knocks continuously, without end! Like a close friend, He wants us to be able to share our joys and our heartaches with Him. Even if we have sinned and done things wrong, He still wants to be with us! He wants to speak words of life to encourage us and forgive us and strengthen us. Will we make the choice Mary did to spend time with Him?

Craft

Give each child a copy of the Wise Choice Coloring Pattern and crayons, colored pencils, or washable markers. Have children write their names at the bottom. Lead a discussion using the questions below as the children color.

• In this picture, can you identify Mary and Martha? Have children point to them.
• In the picture, what is different between Mary and Martha? Martha is serving food and does not look happy and Mary is spending time listening to Jesus.
• Who do you think made the better choice?Mary.
• Why should we spend time with Jesus every day? The activities, pressures and responsibilities of this world can weigh us down and take away our joy and time from more important things. They can cause us to worry and be anxious. They can also cause us to be upset and angry. Time with Jesus gives us peace, joy, strength, and wisdom. We are to love God more than this world. This is not our final home and the things of this world will not last — Jesus’ Words will last, they will not pass away.

Conclusion: Take your pictures home and talk with your family about how we should spend time with Jesus every day.

Bible Study

Let’s say our SuperVerse together: Luke 10:42:

“There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Mary placed importance on spending time at Jesus’ feet over tasks that could be done when Jesus finished teaching. Let’s look at some other Scriptures to learn why we should make that same choice.

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

1. Mark 6:45–46 (niv):

⁴⁵Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to Bethsaida, while He dismissed the crowd. ⁴⁶ After leaving them, He went up on a mountainside to pray.

• What was most important to Jesus in this Scripture? Spending time with His Father, God, alone.
• What can we learn from Jesus’ example? Jesus placed importance on spending time with God. He did what was necessary to be alone with God and do away with distractions so He could hear His voice. Jesus, as a man on the earth needed rest and strength from God — we do, too!
• Can you share a time when you spent time alone with Jesus?
• Do you think it is important to set up a specific time each day, like in the morning, to spend time with Jesus? Please explain. Yes, it demonstrates to God that we have discovered what is most important — as Mary did. We are less likely to forget or miss our time because of other things that come up. When we set a time, we can look forward to it as we experience growth and a deeper relationship with Jesus. It becomes a good habit.

2. John 1:1–2,14:

¹ In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He existed in the beginning with God.¹⁴ So the Word became human and made His home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen His glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

• Who is the Word in this passage? Jesus.
• What does it mean that the Word became flesh? Jesus, who is God, became a human being.
• Take a moment to think and apply what we just learned. If Jesus is the Word, what is another way we can spend time with Jesus? By reading the Bible or listening to God’s Word.
• Yes, when we read the Word, we come into Jesus’ presence. He lives among His people and has a relationship with us. What did Jesus say about the time Mary spent with Him, listening and learning? It would not be taken from her.
• What can we then say about our time with Jesus—praying, reading, waiting, and listening? It is never time wasted or lost. It is time invested. No one can ever take the Word we receive in our heart away from us.

3. John 15:4–8:

⁴ Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in Me. ⁵ “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing. ⁶ Anyone who does not remain in Me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. ⁷ But if you remain in Me and My words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! ⁸ When you produce much fruit, you are My true disciples. This brings great glory to My Father.

• Who is the vine, and who are the branches? Jesus is the vine and we are the branches.
• What does Jesus tell us to do in verse 4? Remain in Him.
• What do you think it means to remain in Jesus? To spend time with Him, to have a relationship, to live in His presence, to stay close to Him all the time.
• If we remain in Him, what will He do? Remain in us.
• Why can’t a branch produce fruit when is severed, or cut from the main vine or tree? It is cut off from the source and life giving food and nutrients. It dies.
• In verses 5–6, what happens if we are separated or apart from Jesus? We can do nothing. We are not fed and dry up spiritually. We are not in a condition to be used for God’s work.
• In verse 7, what happens when we spend time with Jesus, and His Words are in us? Our prayers will be answered. We will receive what we ask because it is according to God’s Word and will.
• What happens when we remain connected to Jesus and produce fruit for His kingdom? We bring glory to God as His disciples.

Conclusion: Why spend time with Jesus? So we can be a true disciple who produces fruit which brings glory to God!