Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Welcome (1 minute)

Welcome to the last lesson of our Superbook adventure about Nicodemus. As Jesus explained to Nicodemus, when we believe in Jesus, we receive eternal life and the Holy Spirit gives us a new life in Christ. Let’s celebrate this gift from God as we stand and praise Him by singing The Salvation Poem!

Play Video 7: The Salvation Poem (Life of Jesus) (3 minutes)

Be sure to preview the song so you can sing along with the children.

The Salvation Poem

SuperTruth and Discussion (2 minutes)

Jesus did many signs and wonders when He was in the world as a man. He spoke God’s Words with authority and healed all sicknesses and diseases. He even knew people’s thoughts! How do you think He was able to do this even though He was a man? Children respond.

The Bible says this about Jesus in John 3:34:

Jesus was full of God’s Spirit! Can you imagine having God’s Spirit in you? Guess what—if you are born again, you already do!

Our SuperTruth today is, “God’s Spirit is alive in me.” Let’s say the SuperTruth together—even better, this is something that is worth standing and shouting about. Are you ready? God’s Spirit is alive in me!

Being born again isn’t the end of our journey with Jesus—it’s only the beginning! Because God’s Spirit lives in us, we have the power and authority to do as Jesus did!

Introduce Condensed Bible Story (1 minute)

If most or all children watched the Bible story video in a previous lesson, omit it here and go straight to the SuperVerse.

Let’s watch a short version of the video about Nicodemus. If you’ve already seen it, Jesus says that Moses lifted up something in the wilderness. Watch and listen carefully to find out what it is.

Play Video 4: Condensed Bible Story (10 minutes)

Superbook takes Chris, Joy, and Gizmo to Jerusalem, where Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader, secretly meets with Jesus. The children learn that everyone must be born again to see the kingdom of God, and Chris prays for salvation.

Condensed Bible Story

Play Video 10C: SuperVerse Graphic

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

10C: SuperVerse Graphic

SuperVerse (2 minutes)

Our SuperVerse today is Ezekiel 36:26a:

I would like you to hold your hand over your heart—can you feel it beating? I hope so! In today’s SuperVerse, is God talking about this heart you feel beating right now? Children respond.

This verse is talking about your spiritual heart; it is made new to be drawn toward what God desires. Our physical or human hearts don’t change when we accept Jesus, but our spiritual heart does, and we begin to grow in our faith and desire to please God.

Let’s say the SuperVerse together. Ezekiel 36:26a:

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

Introduce Signposts Video (1 minute)

Let’s watch the Signposts video to learn about a spiritual birth that we all can experience to receive salvation through Jesus.

Play Video 6: Signposts Video (4 minutes)

Signposts Video

Prayer and Send-Off (2 minutes)

Let’s pray before we move to Small Group. Dear God, how exciting it is to learn that we are made new through Christ and that Your Spirit lives inside us. Thank You for Your gift of life, love, and power! In Jesus’ mighty name, we pray, amen.

How would you like to be able to move a ball down a table—invisibly? In Small Group today, that’s exactly what you will be doing! 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 for Small Group time.

Game

Gone With the Wind: Play a game to move balls with air.

In Large Group, you were asked to watch and listen for something Moses lifted up in the wilderness. What was it? A snake on a pole.

When the Israelites looked at the bronze snake, they were saved from the poisonous snake bites. Jesus said that in the same way, when He is lifted up for all to see, they will be saved from their sins and be spiritually reborn.

See if you can fill in the missing word in this verse: The wind _____ wherever it wants. (Blows)

Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:8:

Divide the class into two equal teams. One player may need to play twice. Have each team make a single-file line behind a table at the end opposite the box.

In this game, you will move the ball using a plate. Hold up the paper plate. It would be easy to move the ball by pushing it with the plate, wouldn’t it? But Jesus was talking about the wind. So, you will move the ball with the wind!

Demonstrate how to move the ball by waving the plate over and behind it as you explain the game. The object of the game is to move a ball from one end of the table to the other end and into the box. You will then quickly take the ball and plate back to the next player on your team. Be careful to keep it on the table until it gets to the other end. If the ball rolls off the side of the table or misses the box, you can pick up the ball and continue at the spot where the ball dropped off.

You cannot touch the ball with your finger, hand, or plate—if this happens, you must begin again. Only the wind can move the ball! The first team to have all its players finish wins.

If there is time to play a second round, place two to three books in different locations on each table as obstacles for the children to maneuver the ball around.

Variation:

• Play as above but to make things quicker and easier, remove the boxes. Players only need to make the ball roll off the end of the table.
• Play as above, but players must play with two balls at the same time.
• Play as a large group for smaller classes on one table for the fastest time for all to finish.

Could you see the wind? No.

We can hear the wind blowing and see the effects of it on the leaves of a tree or a flag, but we cannot actually see it. That is how God’s Spirit moves inside us and in the world.

Teaching

No Ordinary Man: Jesus came to save us.

Have a child select the first Signpost Card and read it aloud. Tape the card to the wall or prop it up so children can see it. Lead a discussion with the information below. Repeat for the other two Signpost Cards. Additional material is included for Grades 4–6 to look up and discuss.

Signpost 1 No Ordinary Man

The Pharisees were not impressed with Jesus’ physical appearance. They believed He was just an ordinary man. The Bible tells us that while in the Pharisee’s home, He was carefully _____. (Watched)

They wanted to see if He would break one of their laws or traditions. Jesus did not disappoint them! He showed them that He was no ordinary man by healing a man who had a disease that caused his legs and feet to swell. The reason the religious leaders were upset is that Jesus healed the man on the ____ day. (Sabbath)

Their religious laws and traditions considered this to be work, which was forbidden on the Sabbath.

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4–6 Luke 14:3–6 (NIV):

Signpost 2 You Must Be Born Again

Most of the religious leaders were stuck in their way of thinking. They refused to accept Jesus’ message of love and salvation. Nicodemus was unusual. He wanted to know more. He came to Jesus one night to speak with Him alone. Jesus wasted no time in speaking the truth to Nicodemus in John 3:3 (NLT):

Nicodemus was surprised. He thought Jesus was speaking of natural birth, one in which he would need to be born again as a human baby. But Jesus was not talking about earthly things; He was talking about heavenly or spiritual things and the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus explained to Nicodemus what he must do to be a true follower of Him and enter God’s kingdom. Jesus said in John 3:5–7 (NLT):

Jesus said the first step is to be baptized in water. This is an outer representation of asking for forgiveness of sins and having them washed away. The second step is to be spiritually reborn to be changed on the inside. This is a supernatural work that only the Holy Spirit can do. The Prophet Ezekiel had predicted this, saying God would give them a new heart and Spirit.

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4–6 Acts 22:16 (NLT):

Ezekiel 36:26–27 (NLT)

Signpost 3 Jesus—Our Savior

Nicodemus understood that everyone has sinned and is spiritually unclean. The sacrifices the religious leaders made for sin were temporary. They had to be done over and over again. The sacrifices covered the sin but did not remove it. Because of this, Nicodemus did not understand how Jesus could say someone could be made into a whole new spiritual person.

In our Superbook adventure, we saw a young man reading a passage from the Bible—but it wasn’t written in a book. What was it written on? A scroll.

What was the book of the Bible he was reading from? Isaiah.

In the passage, people are compared to what animal? Sheep.

Yes, it talks about people who are like sheep that have gone astray. They have wandered away in their disobedience to God. God sent Jesus to save the world from their sins. Jesus carried every sin from the beginning of the world until the world ends—and took all those sins to the cross!

He paid the penalty of sin for us with His life! He was the perfect sacrifice, once and for all. We will never need a sacrifice again! Hebrews 10:14 says:

 God loved us so much that He sent His only Son to save us! Through Jesus’ death on the cross, He made the perfect sacrifice. Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:14–15:

Jesus paid for our sins on the cross so that we could become spiritually clean in God’s eyes. When we look to Him, we are healed and made whole—emotionally, physically, and spiritually—from loneliness and guilt, heartache and shame, and sadness and sin. Jesus came to take our pain away—now and forever! All we must do is believe in Him! Now, that’s Good News!

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4–6 Hebrews 10:10–12:

Isaiah 53:6:

1 Peter 2:24:

John 3:17:

Romans 10:9:

Now, it’s time for the Discipleship Challenge, where we will learn another important truth that Jesus revealed to Nicodemus!

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Give any child who missed Lessons 1 and 2 a Jesus Reveals Truth Page. Show children the sample craft made in Lesson 1 and have them assemble the craft at home. Hold up the sample craft.

Last time, your challenge was to learn the second truth that Jesus revealed to Nicodemus when they met one night. What scripture were we supposed to learn? I think it was Genesis 3:16; yes, that’s it! No, it’s John 3:16. I don’t know, let’s see.

Pull up the second strip to reveal John 3:16. Oh, you are correct again; I need to do this challenge all over again! Who learned John 3:16 and can say it from memory? Allow volunteers to try to say the verse.

John 3:16 (NLT):

Did anyone receive any new or deeper understanding of the verse from the Holy Spirit? Children respond.

Hold up the model craft. Our last challenge is on the third strip. What is Gizmo doing in the window? He sure gets around, doesn’t he? Pull up the strip to reveal the verse. Where in the Bible is our next truth revealed? John 3:6.

Your challenge is to look this verse up in your Bible at home and to learn it. Where does the Holy Spirit live? Inside us! Yes, you remember! He is our teacher and will reveal the truth to us. Ask Him to give you a deeper understanding of this verse. You will have a chance to share what He shows to you the next time we meet. If time permits, look up and discuss John 3:6:

SuperVerse

Superbook Inside Giving: Memorize the SuperVerse with a group activity.

The SuperVerse is what God said through the Prophet Ezekiel in the Old Testament. God was calling His disobedient people back to Him. He promised to take away their resistant, stubborn heart and replace it with a tender, responsive heart—a heart that would accept and obey God’s will. Today, God places His Spirit inside everyone who believes in Jesus. His Spirit enables us to walk in His way and do His will. What we need to do then is listen and follow His leading.

Have the children face the board. To help us learn the SuperVerse, I would like the girls to “give” and say lines 1 and 3. The boys will “receive” and say lines 2 and 4. Let’s try it. Children say their lines.

Now, I would like you to turn so you cannot see the board. This time, I would like you to try to repeat your parts by memory. Children say their lines from memory.

Optional: Have the girls and boys exchange lines and repeat the activity again. If any children are not able to memorize the entire verse, be sure they understand its meaning.

Prayer

Living Prayers: Communicate with God.

God’s Spirit is alive in us. He will guide us into God’s truth, so we can live in a way that pleases God. (See John 16:13.) He will never steer us wrong or lead us down the wrong path! However, God has given us free will. He will not force us to follow His direction. That is a choice we must make.

Galatians 5:25 says:

In this time of prayer, let’s make a choice to commit to following the Holy Spirit’s leading—not just in some areas of our lives but in all areas! Let’s bow our heads and close our eyes. Let’s pray silently and commit to following the Holy Spirit’s leading. That means when He speaks to your heart, you will follow.

Allow children time to pray. Sometimes it is difficult to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading—like at school, or when you are with friends who don’t know Jesus. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the desire and strength to obey, even when others make unwise choices that are contrary to God’s Word.

Allow children time to pray. Finally, let’s commit to allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us when we pray. Our prayers should not just consist of telling God what we want and then saying, "Amen." Instead, we should spend time listening to His Spirit speaking to our hearts. He lives in us and will show us what to pray in a way that pleases God and according to His will. Allow time for children to silently pray and listen.

Close: Heavenly Father, thank You for placing Your Spirit inside us to guide, strengthen, and help us to pray according to Your desire and heart. Help us to follow where He leads so we will walk in Your truth every day. Thank You, heavenly Father. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen!

Relay Game

Old for New: Play a game to exchange your heart.

Let’s read a sign on a box together: “And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you.”

In this game, you will exchange your old heart for a new one! Let’s play!

Divide the children into two equal teams. One child may need to play twice. Give each child an “Old Heart” and a “New Heart,” plus a crayon. Have them write their names in large letters on the back of each heart with the crayon. If a child is playing twice, he/she must make a second set of hearts. Have each team member place their “New Hearts” in their labeled team box with the paper balls.

Do not crumple these hearts. Mix up the “New Hearts” and paper balls. Team members should keep their “Old Hearts” for their turn. Have each team line up behind the starting line, opposite their team box. Explain that the “Old Heart” represents a hard heart before following Christ. Start the game.

The first player for each team will crumple their “Old Heart” into a ball and then try to throw the ball into the unlabeled box. If it misses, the player will retrieve it and toss it again from the point where it lands until it goes into the box. Once players successfully throw their ball in the box, they will move to their team’s labeled box and find the new hearts with their names on them. Then the players will quickly return to their teams, and the next player will take a turn. The first team to find their “New Hearts” wins. Continue playing until all children have their “New Hearts.”

Object Lesson

A Responsive Heart: Demonstrate the SuperVerse.

Let’s look at the board and say our SuperVerse together. Ezekiel 36:26:

Hold up the heart sponge. Have a few children tap it with a finger or knuckle so they can feel and hear how hard it is. Scratch it with your finger. This is definitely NOT tender; it is hard and scratchy. Can you believe that this is even a sponge? It doesn’t appear or act like one, does it?

In the second part of Ezekiel 36:26, immediately following the SuperVerse, God says this:

This sponge represents the stubborn, stony heart. God’s people had turned away from Him. They were disobedient and chose to worship idols instead. Tap on the sponge.

This is a heart that isn’t tender or responsive toward God. You could say it isn’t soft toward God. Now, let’s read the verse that precedes the SuperVerse, Ezekiel 36:25:

What do you think the filth is in this verse? Is it dirt on people’s skin? Children respond.

The filth is from sin; the verse is talking about cleansing us on the inside, not the outside. Hold the hard sponge horizontally over the bowl with one hand and lift the salt (or spice) shaker with the other hand. Or, choose an older child to hold the shaker.

When we are born again, our hearts are cleansed by God’s Word and the work of the Holy Spirit. In many places in the Old and New Testaments, the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit is compared to water.

Begin to pour/sprinkle water on the sponge. Continue until the sponge completely expands to its full size and is saturated with water. Hold it up so the children can see it clearly.

This is what Jesus was referring to when He was talking to Nicodemus in John 3:5:

Walk around with the sponge over the bowl and allow children to touch and press it gently. Is the sponge still hard? No!

Would you say that it is tender and responsive when you press it? Yes!

This is what happens inside when God washes away our sins. He puts a new heart and Spirit in us. Our hearts become soft, responsive, and tender toward Him. Press the sponge a few times.

Can you see how this moves and doesn’t resist now? That is how we should respond to God’s touch as He molds and changes us into what He created us to be!

Pray: Heavenly Father, let our prayer each day be that our hearts remain tender and responsive to You! In Jesus’ precious name, amen.

Craft

Tender and Responsive: Make a craft based on Ezekiel 36:26.

God’s message to Ezekiel was that He would replace the people’s hard, stony, stubborn hearts with new, soft hearts. These hearts would be tender and responsive toward God. That is what this craft is all about. You are going to make a new heart!

Show the model craft. Be ready to assist children who need help with any step. Have children carefully cut out the two hearts on their pages. Have children color their “Old Heart” gray outside the text border.

Children will now glue the backs of their hearts together to form one heart. Double-check that the writing is visible on both sides before they glue! Demonstrate how to use the heart to trace a heart on the piece of bubble wrap with a marker. Hint: If you place the heart underneath the bubble wrap and then trace, you will not get any marker on the heart! 

Children will now carefully cut out the heart on the bubble wrap. Have the children apply glue (sparingly) to the “New Heart” (uncolored). They should try not to glue over the text. It works well to just apply dots of glue rather than long lines of glue. Show how to position the bubble wrap over the heart with the glue and carefully press it into place. 

Great job! You now have a new heart! Why do you think we colored the old heart side gray? Here’s a hint—remember the verse we read before we started to make our crafts. Reread it if necessary. 

It represents a heart of stone or a stony heart. Stones are gray. Gently press on the bubble wrap side of the model heart. You can press gently on your new heart, too. Is it hard like rock or stone, like the old heart was? No, it is soft and tender—responsive. 

God can change any heart from a stony, stubborn heart that doesn’t respond to His touch to a new and tender heart that responds to Him.

Conclusion: As we follow Christ, we will make mistakes and sin. When this happens, we can always return to God and ask Him to forgive us and make our hearts new again. We should never try to hide our sins from God. Just like you can see through this bubble wrap, God can see our hearts!

When David messed up and sinned in the Bible, this was His prayer in Psalm 51:10 (NKJV): Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Remember, Jesus is always faithful to forgive and cleanse us! Use your heart to show others what Jesus does for you!

Bible Activity

The Inside Story: Race to find verses about God’s indwelling Spirit.

Let’s say the SuperTruth together. God’s Spirit is alive in me.

When we are born again, God places His Spirit inside of us. The Holy Spirit empowers and enables us to live a life that is pleasing to God. In this activity, we are going to look up verses about God’s Spirit inside us.

Have the children sit in pairs. Try to pair an experienced Bible user with a child who isn’t as familiar with the Bible. Give each pair a Bible. The experienced Bible user can quickly look up the verse while the other player writes the answer on a sticky note. The writer then rushes to stick the note to the board. If both players are experienced Bible users, the players can alternate looking up a verse and writing down the answer. Have children close their Bibles before you announce the next verse.

Note that the suggested answers are from the New Living Translation. If children are using different translations, their responses will vary.

I will say a Bible reference in the New Testament and then write it on the board. You may start to look it up, and I will then read a fill-in-the-blank question for that verse.

One player in each group will write the answer on a sticky note and then walk quickly to stick it on the board. You have thirty seconds to do that. The first team scores ten points for the correct answer; all other teams score five points for the right answer stuck to the board within the time limit.

Every pair will have a chance to finish, so don’t give up! The team with the most points wins. Are you ready to learn more about the Holy Spirit, who lives in all believers?

Allow spelling errors because of the fast pace of the game. Do as many verses as time allows. Be prepared to help any children with special needs.

1. 1 Corinthians 6:19: Our body is the _____ of the Holy Spirit. (Temple)

2. John 16:13: This is a two-part question. The Holy Spirit will guide you into all _____ (Truth) and tell you about the _____. (Future)

3. John 3:6: The Holy Spirit gives birth to _____ life. (Spiritual)

4. Galatians 5:18: When you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under _____ to the law. (Obligation)

5. 2 Timothy 1:14: The Holy Spirit gives us _____ to carefully guard the precious truth that is entrusted to us. (Power)

6. Romans 8:11: The Spirit of God, who _____ Jesus from the dead, lives in you. (Raised)

7. 1 John 2:27: The Holy Spirit teaches you _____ you need to know. (Everything)

8. Romans 8:9: If the Spirit of God lives inside you, you are not controlled by your sinful _____. (Nature)

9. Galatians 5:16: We should let the Holy Spirit _____ our lives. (Guide)