Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Welcome (1 minute)

Welcome to the last lesson of our Superbook adventure, “The Birth of Moses.” Jesus is the way God provided for us to receive eternal life. Let’s stand and praise Him as we sing The Salvation Poem!

Play Video Song: Armor of God(3 minutes)

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

Armor of God

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 next clip.

Let’s watch a short version of the video about the birth of Moses. If you’ve already seen it, listen carefully for what Joy says Moses will do someday.

Play Video 4: Condensed Bible Story (10 minutes)

Superbook takes Chris, Joy, and Gizmo to ancient Egypt. When Pharaoh decrees that all Hebrew baby boys must be thrown into the Nile, Moses’ parents hide him at home, then put him in a floating basket on the river. Pharaoh’s daughter discovers and adopts the baby, then Miriam arranges for their own mother to become his nurse.

Condensed Bible Story

Introduce Video 12: Clip of Moses and the Burning Bush (1 minute)

Because the SuperVerse and SuperTruth refer to Moses’ encounter with God at the burning bush, you may wish to show a video about it here.

What did Joy say Moses would do someday? Set the Israelites free from slavery.

When Moses was grown up and was a shepherd in the wilderness, God called to him from a burning bush and gave him a big assignment! Let’s watch to see what happened.

Play Video 12: Clip of Moses and the Burning Bush (3 minutes)

While Moses was a shepherd in the wilderness, God called to him from a burning bush and told him to set the Israelites free from slavery in Egypt.

The Burning Bush

Play Video 10C: SuperVerse Graphic

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

10C SuperVerse Graphic

SuperVerse Discussion (2 minutes)

Our SuperVerse today is Exodus 3:14:

When God spoke to Moses from a burning bush, He told Moses to set His people free. Moses asked God’s name, and our SuperVerse is God’s answer!

Let’s say it together: God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you.”

If a person called you on the phone and said his name was “I Am,” would you be surprised? “I am” is not a common name, is it? There is nothing common about God. He has no comparison or equal. There is no other; He is all in all. Everything exists because of God.

Let’s say the SuperVerse again:

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.

SuperTruth and Discussion (1 minute)

God revealed Himself to Moses, and our SuperTruth today is “God will reveal Himself to me.” Let’s say that together. “God will reveal Himself to me.”

How do you think that God reveals Himself to us today? Does it have to be in a burning bush? Children respond.

God can choose to reveal Himself to us in countless ways. The most common ways are through prayer and His Word, the Bible. As we read the Bible and pray, we discover who God is. As we follow Christ, we will never run out of things to learn about God. The longer we serve Him, the more He will reveal new things about Himself to us.

Introduce Signposts Video (1 minute)

Let’s watch the Signposts video to learn how the life of Moses pointed to Jesus. We will also learn some of the ways that Jesus identifies Himself as “I AM.”

Play Video 6: Signposts Video (5 minutes)

Signposts Video

Prayer and Send-Off (2 minutes)

Let’s pray. Dear God, we are so glad that You want to reveal Yourself to us! Help us to read Your Word and seek You every day to discover more about You. In Jesus’ mighty name, we pray, amen.

In Small Group today, you will play a matching game about our matchless God! Are you confused? Let’s go find out what the game is 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

Matchless Names: Play an active matching game.

Who can say our SuperTruth today? “God will reveal Himself to me.”

After Moses grew up, he left Egypt and lived in the wilderness. There, God called him to go back to Egypt to set God’s people free. When Moses asked for God’s name, God answered, “I AM.”

Optional: read Exodus 3:4–6:

God referred to Himself as “I AM.” Jesus is the fulfillment of “I AM.” He referred to Himself using several “I AM” names. Jesus will reveal Himself to us in these different names as we pray, worship, serve, seek, and experience Him at work in our lives. This game is played like a matching game, but it is more active. You will select two plates and turn them over to find matches of the seven “I AM” names of Jesus and three other names He is known by.

Divide the class into two teams; they do not need to be even. Teams will make two separate lines near one end of the room. Have an assistant or sixth-grader volunteer help you arrange the plates to make a “game board” on the floor near one end of the room. See the illustration for the set-up of rows and columns. Important—leave enough space between the plates to walk through.

Players walk from the starting line and flip over two plates—one at a time—holding each up for all to see. If both plates match, the player keeps the matching plates and puts them in a pile near the team. If the plates do not match, they are turned face-down again in the same spots. The player returns to his/her team, and the next player from the other team takes a turn. The team with the most matches when all of the plates are revealed wins.

As each match is made, briefly discuss what the name means from the list below:

1. Bread of Life—He provides for all our needs: spiritual, physical, and emotional.

2. Light of the World—He is our spiritual light in the darkness.

3. Gate—He is the only way to enter into salvation.

4. Vine—He is our connection to God; without Him, we can do nothing.

5. Good Shepherd—He cares for us; He died for us, and He is our protection and defense.

6. The Resurrection and the Life—He gives us eternal life.

7. The Way, the Truth, and the Life—He is the only way God provided to live in heaven.

8. Jesus—Savior.

9. Lord—Master or Ruler.

10. Emmanuel—God with us.

Conclusion: We will never discover all there is to know about the Lord! His many names are revealed throughout the Bible as He accomplishes His will and interacts with His people. Let’s learn more about how Moses’ life points to Christ and how Jesus referred to Himself as “I AM.”

Teaching

Jesus, the Fulfillment of “I AM”: Moses’ life points to Christ.

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 Signpost Card. Additional material is included for Grades 4–6 to look up and discuss.

Signpost 1 A Savior Is Born

In many ways, the life of Moses points us to Jesus. The Israelites were slaves in Egypt and began to think that God had forgotten them. God had not forgotten His people. Moses’ birth was a ray of hope in this dark time.

Did you know that the Bible calls people slaves to sin? Much like the Israelites in Egypt, we need a savior to free us. God sent His only Son, Jesus, to do just that! 

Romans 8:2 says,

When Moses was born, Pharaoh tried to control the Hebrew slaves because he was afraid that they would join with Egypt’s enemies. Pharaoh ordered all the newborn Hebrew boys to be thrown into the Nile River.

Does anyone remember what King Herod did that was similar in Jesus’ time? He ordered all the male children in Bethlehem, 2-years-old and younger, to be killed.

King Herod was jealous of Jesus! He didn’t want another king around! He did not understand that Jesus’ kingdom is a spiritual kingdom, not an earthly kingdom.

Were you surprised that God saved Moses through Pharaoh’s daughter? The savior for the Israelites grew up in Pharaoh’s own palace! Can anyone tell me how God saved Jesus from Herod’s evil plan after His birth in Bethlehem? God warned Joseph in a dream one night to flee from Bethlehem and go to Egypt.

Moses would grow up to be a savior to his people. Jesus would grow up to be a Savior to all people! That’s Good News!

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4–6

Matthew 2:13:

Luke 2:10–11:

Signpost 2 I AM Who I AM

When Moses was a shepherd in the wilderness, God appeared to him in a burning bush. God identified Himself as “I AM.” This name of God was later fulfilled by Jesus. He used this name to identify Himself several times.

Let’s see what you remember from the Signpost Video, lessons, and Discipleship Challenge! The game we just played will also help you fill in the blanks as we go along!

In John 6:35, Jesus said,

Another time, Jesus said that whoever believes in Him will never be thirsty again! Jesus was talking about spiritual hunger and thirst—not physical. Jesus offers us a full and rich spiritual life; He came to fill us with joy!

Jesus also said He is the ____ of the world. (Light) He said in John 8:12b,

The sun provides light and heat to the earth to bring life. Jesus provides life to our spirit! 

In John 10:9, Jesus said,

Here, Jesus is talking about a door into a sheep pen. A pen was a circle of rocks with an opening for the sheep to enter. The shepherd actually became the gate when he lay across the opening at night to protect the sheep from harm.

Jesus calls Himself the Good _____. (Shepherd)

Sheep get lost easily and must be defended. We are referred to as His sheep. He loves us so much that He sacrificed His life for His sheep—us! He is our defense. He finds us when we are lost and brings us home.

Next, in John 11:25, Jesus identified Himself this way:

Jesus spoke these words to Martha when her brother, named Lazarus, died. Do you remember what Jesus did for Lazarus? He raised him from the dead!

Jesus promises eternal life for all who believe in Him!

In John 15:5, Jesus then said,

When we stay connected to Jesus, we have life and hope. Without Him, we can do nothing! Jesus gives us His Spirit, and He produces spiritual fruit in us. The fruits are great gifts that display to the world God’s goodness and love. Before Jesus left the earth, He told His disciples how to get to heaven.

In John 14:6, He said,

We know the way to heaven. Jesus is the ONLY way! Jesus came to protect us and to give us abundant life here and in heaven! That’s Good News!

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4–6

John 6:35:

John 10:10:

John 10:11:

Luke 15:4:

John 11:25:

John 15:5:

Galatians 5:22–23:

Now, it’s time for the Discipleship Challenge, where we will continue to learn the “I AM” statements of Jesus we just discussed!

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Give any child who missed Lessons 1 and 2 an “I AM” Wheel. 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 #3 and #4 “I AM” statements of Jesus on our Wheels. Who can name them? I am the Gate; I am the Vine.

Did someone accept the bonus challenge of memorizing one or both of the verses? If so, would you like to try to say one or both now?

#3: John 10:9

#4: John 15:5

Can someone share what it means for Jesus to be the Gate? Children respond. And how about the Vine? Children respond.

Hold up the model wheel. Our last challenge is to look up the verses for #5, #6, and #7 on the “I AM” wheels and then fill in the blanks. Try to add these statements to the first four statements and say them from memory. If you are up for it, you can also memorize each verse if you can.

Knowing these statements that Jesus made about Himself can lay a strong foundation for us to grow spiritually and also help us share with others about Jesus. Also, these statements can help us when we pray to trust that Jesus can meet every need! Even though this is the last challenge, continue to learn Jesus’ statements and use them to remind yourself of our powerful God and to build faith in your prayer time.

SuperVerse

Superbook Fill in the Blanks: Memorize the SuperVerse with a group activity.

The Israelites had been in bondage for many years in Egypt. They had only heard stories of God’s mighty acts and provision for their ancestors. God told Moses to tell the people He is “I AM,” the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He was still with them and was sending Moses to rescue them!

(See Exodus 3:13–20.) Read the verse aloud and stop at certain parts. Children will shout the next word in the verse. Do the first round facing the board. After a few rounds, have the children turn around with their backs to the board and see how much of the verse they can remember without looking. When finished, say the verse aloud together.

This game can be a reminder that God wants to reveal Himself to us. As we discover new things about God, it is like filling in the blanks of our knowledge and understanding of Him. No matter how much we study the Bible or how old we get, we can always discover something new about our wonderful, loving God!

If any children are not able to memorize the entire verse, be sure they understand its meaning.

Prayer

Revealing Prayers: Communicate with God.

Have children sit in a circle. God revealed Himself to Moses in the wilderness. What was unusual about how God spoke with Moses? He talked to him from a burning bush.

God wants to reveal Himself to us, too. Jeremiah 29:13 says:

When we are hungry to discover more about God, He will reveal Himself to us. God is with us in all situations, no matter where we are or what we are doing. Through our trials, successes, and even our failures, God never leaves us.

In this time of prayer, let’s commit to seeking God with all our hearts. That means keeping our spiritual eyes and ears open to Him, that He might reveal Himself to us in any situation or circumstance. Allow time for children to pray.

Next, let’s commit to seeking God each day by reading His Word. This can be just one verse we read and meditate on in our Discipleship Challenge. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal something about God as you read. Allow time for children to pray.

Finally, let’s commit to seeking God through prayer each day. When we pray, we shouldn’t just tell God what we want and then say, “Amen.” Instead, we should spend time listening to His Spirit speaking to our hearts. Allow time for children to pray.

Close: Lord God, we want to know as much as we can about You. Help us to make time to seek You in prayer and in reading Your Word. Open our spiritual eyes and ears to see You at work in our lives and the world. Thank You, heavenly Father. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen!

Drawing Game

Who or What? Play a game to guess things from the Bible story.

We have learned about Moses’ birth and his calling when God revealed Himself to him. Now, it’s time to put your drawing and acting skills to work! In this game, we will play as one large group. When it’s your turn, I will whisper something from our video or our lessons about The Birth of Moses. You can choose to draw it on the board or act it out as the class guesses; however, you cannot say a word!

If they can’t guess in thirty seconds, I will choose another volunteer to draw or act out the same thing. If it still isn’t guessed correctly, I will reveal it. Let’s play!

A different player will draw or act out each time. Whisper the item or event to the player and allow a few seconds for the player to think before you start the time. Players have thirty seconds to draw or act out their item or person. Try to give more challenging topics from the list to older players. If time permits: after each answer is revealed, discuss how it connects with the story.

Word List

1. Basket

2. Crocodile

3. Nile or river

4. Brick

5. Egyptian soldier or taskmaster

6. Burning bush

7. Baby

8. Princess

9. Pharaoh’s palace

10. Tar; waterproofing the basket

11. Baby blanket or blanket

12. Jochebed, Moses’ mother

13. Amram, Moses’ father

14. Man carrying large stones or bricks

15. Riverbank

16. Bread or Bread of Life

17. Light or Light of the World

18. Gate

19. Shepherd or Good Shepherd

20. Resurrection

21. Vine

22. Branches

23. The Way

Conclusion: You did an excellent job with your drawing and acting. The story of Moses is a reminder of how we are safe in God’s hands. He has a plan for us and will go with us as we do our part and submit to His will.

Craft Activity

God’s Name: Handle with care.

God told Moses to go to His people. Moses asked God what he should say when they asked who sent him. God’s answer is today’s SuperVerse. Let’s say it together.

Exodus 3:14:

God then said, “This is My eternal name, My name to remember for all generations.” (See Exodus 3:15.)

This is exciting! It means that God’s name is the same today as it was then; He has no end! Many names describe His characteristics and nature, but this is His personal name. This name was considered by Jewish leaders to be so sacred that it should not be spoken. To do so would be breaking the third commandment to not take God’s name in vain, which means to misuse or carelessly use His name. In other words, we should handle or use God’s name with great care!

God’s name is represented in Hebrew by what is called the Tetragrammaton, which means “four letters.” In the English language, the letters look like this. Hold up the YHWH sign.

It is pronounced YAH-WAY. The root meaning of this word is “to be.” God wasn’t ever created—He has always existed, even before the beginning of time! He created everything, and He continues to sustain everything in the universe. This is how His name would appear in Hebrew, the language that the Jews spoke long ago, and which they still speak today.

Hold up the finished craft. Now, you will make a craft as a reminder that God’s name is like no other; He has no equal! Display the sample craft for children to see as they work.

Give a God’s Name Craft, plus a sheet of cardstock, pencil, glue, and scissors to each child. Provide crayons, colored pencils, or washable markers to share. Have the children color the letters on the page, and then cut out the letters and verse block. Have the children write their names on one side of the cardstock. On the other side, they should glue the Hebrew letters and verse block, following the correct order on the sample craft.

Conclusion: Our Almighty God is the “I AM.” He is the one who has always been and the Creator of all life. Revelation 1:8 says:

The amazing part is that Yahweh, the “I AM,” wants to be with us now and forever in heaven! He loves us and will reveal Himself to us as we live for Him and fulfill His plan for us.

Revealing Activity

God Is: Make a secret message about God appear.

Read aloud each statement on the board and ask the children to fill in the blank. It can be any word or any form of a word that they associate with God. As they name words, write them on the board. Examples: Love, mercy, safety, peace, comfort, power, strong, forgiving, faithful, good, holy, perfect, prayer, hears, sees, near, always, Father, etc.

Give a sheet of paper and a cotton swab or paintbrush to each child. Place a bowl of the baking soda and water mixture on the table within reach of a group of four children. Have children dip their cotton swab or paintbrush into the bowl and write one word from the list or their own word on their sheet of paper. Assist as necessary.

Remove the bowls and allow time for the secret words to dry. When the words are dry, place the containers with the lemon juice and food coloring mixture on the tables. Have the children dip their cotton swabs or brushes into the bowls and paint over their words. Watch as the secret words are revealed!

Option: If the class is small and time permits, have children reveal their words one at a time as the others watch. After the words are revealed, ask children to share how they have experienced God this way.

Conclusion: God wants you to know more and more about Him. The more we know, the more we will love Him!

Bible Activity

That’s Good to Know! Race to find verses that reveal traits of God.

Let’s say the SuperTruth together. “God will reveal Himself to me.”

God wants to reveal who He is to us. Job 11:7 says:

The answer is no—we will never run out of new discoveries about our Almighty God! In this activity, we are going to look up verses that reveal an attribute or characteristic of God.

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 notes are then stuck 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 verse reference and write it on the board along with O.T. or N.T. to designate the Old or New Testament in your Bibles. You may then start to look it up, and I will 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 discover more about God?

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. Malachi 3:6—Old Testament:

God does not _______. (change)

2. Psalm 95:3—Old Testament:

Our God is a great God and is above all _____. (gods)

3. Matthew 5:48—New Testament:

Our heavenly Father is _____. (perfect)

4. Numbers 23:19a—Old Testament:

God is not a man, so He doesn’t _____. (lie)

5. James 1:13—New Testament:

God is never _____. God never _____ us. (tempted; tempts)

6. 1 Timothy 2:4—New Testament:

God wants everyone to be _____. He wants everyone to understand the _____. (saved; truth)

7. (Note: four answers) Psalm 145:8—Old Testament:

The Lord is ______ and ______. He is also slow to get _____, and filled with unfailing _____. (merciful; compassionate; angry; love)

8. John 4:24—New Testament: God is _____. (Spirit)

9. 2 Thessalonians 3:3—New Testament:

The Lord will strengthen and guard us because He is _____. (faithful)

10. Acts 17:27—New Testament:

God is not _____ from any of us. (far)

Conclusion: Your challenge is to continue to read your Bibles at home as you would dig for a priceless treasure. Here is what God says about this in Proverbs: 8:17: “I love all who love Me. Those who search will surely find Me.”