Leader Guide
SuperVerse
- Whiteboard and marker or chalkboard and chalk
- Round balloons, one per two children
- Bibles or the Superbook Bible App
Blow up the balloons and tie them closed.
Write the SuperVerse on the board:
Luke 7:47:
Superbook Volley: Memorize the SuperVerse with a group activity.
Let’s say today’s SuperVerse together: Luke 7:47:
The verse today is very short. Raise your hand if you think you can already say it from memory with your eyes closed. Children respond.
Who showed Jesus much love in our Bible story? The sinful woman.
Why did she do this? She was so thankful to Jesus for accepting her and showing love, mercy and forgiveness, especially when others looked down on her.
Did Simon the Pharisee show Jesus as much love? No, he showed very little or none.
Why do you think his attitude and gratitude was different than the woman’s? He didn’t believe he was a sinner. He was self-righteous and believed he was good and didn’t need God’s forgiveness and even less, forgiveness from Jesus!
Yes, the Pharisees didn’t want to believe that Jesus was God’s Son, so they didn’t think He had the authority to forgive sins. In Luke 7:49, after Jesus forgave the woman’s sins:
“The men at the table said among themselves, “Who is this Man, that He goes around forgiving sins?”
To help us learn the verse today, let’s play a fun game with balloons.
Divide the children into teams of two. Try to place different ages and genders together as partners.
Have the teams stand several feet away from each other and parallel to the board so each child can see it as they play. Have the partners stand about 8 feet apart (adjust this as desired).
The partners will volley the balloon back and forth in the air as each player shouts one word of the verse in order as each hits the balloon back to his/her partner. Once the verse is completed, immediately begin again. The teams will try to say the complete verse as many times as they can before the balloon touches the ground.
When the activity is complete, ask the teams how many times they were able to complete the verse in a row.
Conclusion: The Pharisee showed Jesus little love because he didn’t realize he was a sinner. The Bible tells us that we all have sinned and need forgiveness. Jesus died for our sins. We have much to be thankful for and much love to show to Him!
If children cannot memorize the SuperVerse, be sure they understand its meaning. Remind them to keep working on the verse at home.