Leader Guide

Teaching

Persecution Cards
One sheet of cardstock
Large towel such as a bath or beach towel
Six unopened cans of soup, vegetables, fruit, etc
Table
Scissors
Cellophane tape
Bibles or the Superbook Bible App
GizmoNote (Optional take-home note)

Discipleship Challenge Materials:
• Love Cover Page for children who missed Lesson 1
• One sheet of cardstock for each Love Cover Page

• Sample craft made in Lesson 1

Make one copy of the PERSECUTION CARDS on cardstock.

Cut apart the six individual cards.

Tape one card on each cans so children can read the words.

Optional: Print the GizmoNote, one per child to take home after class.

Make double-sided copies of the Discipleship Challenge materials for children who missed Lesson 1; see Lesson 1 for details.

Stand behind the table, facing the children. Place the cans on the table with the labels turned toward you and away from the children, with Can #1 on your right and ending with Can #6 on your left. This will allow the children to read the cans in numerical order from left to right (1–6).

Today’s SuperTruth is “I will respond in love like Jesus.”

Raise your hand if you’ve ever heard someone say, “Practice what you preach.” Children respond.

What does it mean? You should do what you tell other people to do.

The Pharisees were religious leaders who liked to tell everyone else what to do, but they didn’t do it themselves. Jesus said this about them in Matthew 23:3 (NIV):

You must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.

Jesus was very different. “He practiced what He preached.” Actually, you could say that He preached what He practiced! Jesus was the perfect example of how we should speak and act in all circumstances. Let’s consider some things that Jesus said and modeled about love.

Jesus said in today’s SuperVerse, Matthew 5:44:

“But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!”

How did Jesus put this into practice? He spoke kindly to Judas even when Jesus knew he was about to betray Him; He healed the man’s ear that Peter cut off; He obediently submitted to God’s plan to save us by dying on the cross instead of calling angels to save Him; He prayed for His enemies who persecuted and crucified Him.

In John 13:34–35, Jesus told His disciples:

³⁴“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. ³⁵Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples.”

What was the new commandment? Love one another.

This doesn’t mean just a lukewarm love or tolerance, but an unconditional, deep love—like His!

Jesus also taught that the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. (See Mark 12:31.)

We must respond in love to everyone—whether they are our friends and our enemies! Let’s demonstrate why responding in love is so effective and powerful.

Turn one can around at a time so the children can see the card. Ask the children to read it aloud. Briefly explain each card using the information below.

1. Prejudice: Jesus’ family was from a little village called Nazareth. When Nathaniel was introduced to Jesus, he asked if anything good could come from Nazareth! (See John 1:46.) Was that nice to say? No! And some Samaritans showed prejudice by not letting Jesus and the disciples into their town. Jesus understood what it was like to be discriminated against.

2. Hatred: Jesus was hated so much by Jewish religious leaders that they plotted to kill Him.

3. Rejection: Jesus was rejected by the very ones He came to save: His own people. He also suffered rejection as His closest disciples abandoned Him when He was arrested. Peter, one of His three closest friends, denied even knowing Jesus three times.

4. Betrayal: Judas, one of the disciples who Jesus chose, showed Jesus’ enemies which man to arrest by kissing Jesus.

5. Mockery: Jesus was insulted, laughed at, and spit upon. Roman soldiers blindfolded Him, hit Him, then told Him to guess who did it. They also mocked Him by calling Him a king and placing a horrible crown of thorns on His head. A sign was placed above His head on the cross to mock Him, saying: “This is Jesus, King of the Jews.”

6. Cruelty: He was stripped of His clothes, brutally whipped and beaten, and forced to carry His own cross up a hill. He was nailed to that cross and crucified (killed).

These are just a few of the types of persecution that Jesus experienced. 1 Peter 4:8 says:

Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins

Carefully place the towel over the cans to completely cover them.

This is the reason that Jesus and Stephen could pray for God to forgive their enemies as they were persecuted and killed. They were full of God’s love instead of anger and bitterness. They had God’s love to cover or forgive those sins.

Pull the towel back to partially uncover some sins. In Romans 12:9, the Apostle Paul said don’t just pretend to love others, but really love them with genuine affection. Any kind of fake love doesn’t fully cover or forgive as we choose to hold on to the offense.

Pull the towel back over the cans to completely cover them again. God’s supernatural love is the only kind of love that covers sins. God demonstrated His love when He loved us and sent His Son, Jesus, to save us. He knew we could never clean ourselves up; He loved us while we were still sinners! (See Romans 5:8.)

Conclusion:

God demonstrated His love by sending Jesus to save us. Jesus demonstrated His love by dying for us. Shouldn’t we demonstrate our love for Him by loving others as He did? Let’s put this into practice with our Discipleship Challenge.

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Give any child who missed Lesson 1 a Love Cover 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.

Lead a discussion asking children to share their experience with Challenge #1.

Ask for volunteers to say 1 Peter 4:8 from memory.

Open the flap on the craft. For Challenge #2, you will continue to put Matthew 5:44 in action.

1. In the Challenge #2 middle block, write down another offense, struggle or trouble you currently have or may encounter.

2. Look up and read Matthew 5:44; or even better, memorize it and say it aloud. Write down a short prayer to forgive anyone who has offended you. Ask for God’s strength to help you endure and overcome any offense. Each day, read Matthew 5:44 to begin your prayer time.
3. The last step is to fold over the back-page flap with the Challenge #2 verse—Proverbs 10:12. This is a reminder that you have chosen to cover any offenses in love and you are extending forgiveness instead of seeking vengeance. Try to memorize Proverbs 10:12 (NKJV). If time permits, read it out loud:

Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins.

Next time we meet, you will have an opportunity to discuss your experience with this challenge.