Leader Guide
Teaching
- Trouble Page
- One Packet of seeds (any kind)
- One packet of flower seeds
- Two small flowerpots
- Clean soil or potting soil; just enough to fill one flowerpot
- Tape
- Scissors
- Marker
- Index card or large blank sticker
- Whiteboard and marker, or chalkboard and chalk
- Bibles or the Superbook Bible App
- GizmoNote (optional take-home note)
Discipleship Challenge materials:
- Conqueror Girl Page and Conqueror Boy Page for children who missed Lesson 1
- Armor of God Page for children who missed Lesson 1
- Sample craft made in Lesson 1
Make one copy of the Trouble Page on cardstock.
Cut apart the four individual strips.
Fold the strips and put them inside one of the flowerpots.
Cut the index card or large sticker so it covers the front of the seed packet.
Using the marker, write “ENDURANCE” on the index card or sticker, then tape or stick it to the non-flower seed packet.
Put the soil in the empty flower pot.
Write the SuperVerse on the board. James 1:2–3:
Optional: Print the GizmoNote, one per child to take home after class.
Make copies of the Discipleship Challenge materials for children who missed Lesson 1; see Lesson 1 for details.
Just Admit it! Discuss everyone's need for Jesus
Raise your hand if you have ever had a pop quiz? Children respond.
If
you raised you hand; please explain why you like or dislike them. No, I don’t have time to study; I don’t like any quizzes.
Pop quizzes aren’t fair, etc. Yes, they are easy if you have paid attention in
class and done the homework.
For those of you unfamiliar with pop quizzes, a teacher gives them to students unannounced. The goal is to help the teacher determine if the class is listening, if they understand the material being taught, or to see if the class has done the assigned homework. Students do not have a chance to study or prepare for a pop quiz.
The troubles we face are very similar to pop quizzes because they are often unexpected and catch us off guard. We don’t know they are coming and we haven’t had an opportunity to prepare.
This is what our Discipleship Challenge is all about; who can tell me what God gives us to put on each day? Spiritual armor, the Armor of God.
Can you actually see this armor? No, it’s invisible.
When we put on God’s armor, we can prepare for the unexpected trial or test. Whatever and whenever they come, we won’t fail because we are more than conquerors through Jesus!
Let’s say today’s SuperVerse together. James 1:2–3:
Wow! Troubles and trials are an opportunity for great joy! If we ever wonder where God is when something bad happens; the answer is that He is right beside us and inside us—loving us, helping us, and empowering us! Deuteronomy 31:6 says:
Knowing
I am in God’s presence gives me joy, how about you?
We
also know that when our faith is tested, our endurance has a chance to grow.
What is endurance? Children
answer.
Endurance
is the ability to withstand hardship, troubles and trials. To endure means to
make it through a challenging or difficult time and come out on top.
If we are never tested or face hard times, our endurance can’t grow. Consider a marathon runner. Does anyone know the distance of a marathon race? 26.2 miles or 42.195 kilometers.
Marathon runners must train and build their strength and endurance to be successful. It is only through challenging their bodies on different terrains and in conditions such as hills, sand, wind, and heat, that their endurance has a chance to grow. It is the same with our spiritual endurance. Our endurance grows as we trust God in different trials, troubles, hardships, and challenges.
Paul kept his faith and grew spiritually by enduring unspeakable hardships. He found great joy in suffering for Jesus as he spread the Gospel.
Optional: Paul encouraged a young minister named Timothy to do the same in
2 Timothy 4:5:
Hold up the flower seed packet and the pot filled with soil. If I wanted to grow these flower seeds, what
would I put in the pot first? Dirt, soil
Tilt the pot just enough for children to see or pinch some soil and drop it back in the pot.
You place the seed in the soil and then add some sunlight and water. I could not expect the seed to grow unless I provided those elements.
Hold up the “Endurance” packet. These are different seeds. What type of seeds are these? Endurance seeds.
Hold up the pot with the strips of paper inside. What do you think we would put inside this pot if we wanted these endurance seeds to grow—more dirt or soil? Children answer.
Let’s find out.
Take the pot to four different children. Have them each remove one of the strips and read it aloud. Suffering, Trials, Troubles, Hardships.
This sounds a lot like today’s SuperVerse. When troubles come our way and our faith is tested, endurance has a chance to grow.
Hold up the flower seed packet. Will this flower be fully grown the next day after we plant the seed? No.
Of
course not! We need to be patient and, over time, the seeds will slowly grow.
In the same way, we don’t just pray for endurance and receive it the next day. It is only through hardships, troubles, trials, and suffering that endurance grows.
When trouble comes, look at it as an opportunity to trust God so you will grow. James 1:4 (CEV) says:
But you must learn to endure everything, so you will be completely mature and not lacking in anything.
Optional: There is one more verse I will read that sums up the benefits of trusting God through difficult circumstances and times. In Chapter 5:3–5 of Paul’s letter to the Romans, he wrote:
3We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love.
It’s now time for the Discipleship Challenge where we will continue to learn
how to dress to be a conqueror over all that we may face in this world!
Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application
Give any child who missed Lesson 1 the appropriate Conqueror Page and an Armor of God Page. Show children the sample craft made in lesson 1 and have them assemble the craft at home.
Use the model craft as you discuss the challenge. The challenge last time was to learn the first two pieces of God’s invisible armor. What are they? Belt of truth, breastplate or body armor of righteousness.
You had one other important challenge to do daily; what was that? Pray.
Who modeled the importance of daily prayer to live a victorious life as a conqueror? Jesus.
Who leads us into all truth? The Holy Spirit.
Righteousness is a big word that means being right with God. Can we do that on own? No, only through Christ.
Would anyone like to share an experience from the challenge? Children respond.
Hold up the Conqueror Page. We will continue with our challenge to learn and apply the next two pieces of invisible spiritual armor that God gives to enable us to be conquerors through Christ! When you have completed this challenge, glue the two pieces to your Conqueror Page.
Remember to pray daily—it is the key to being a conqueror! We will discuss your experience next time we meet!