Leader Guide

Teaching

Four Signpost Cards
Four sheets of card stock or paper
Small potted plant
Bibles or the Superbook Bible App
GizmoNote (optional take-home note)

Discipleship Challenge materials:

Make copies of the four Signpost Cards on cardstock, in color or black and white.

Place the cards in a pile face down, with Card #1 on top.

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

Make copies of both Discipleship Challenge pages for children who missed the previous lessons; see Lesson 1 for details.

Have a child select the first Signpost Card and read it aloud. Tape the card to the wall or lean it against the wall on the floor so children can see it. Lead a discussion with the information below. Repeat for the remaining three Signpost Cards. Additional Scriptures are included for Grades 4–6 to look up and discuss.

Signpost 1 Believe Through an Encounter

In this image, who encounters Jesus outside His tomb? Mary (Magdalene).

Did Mary immediately recognize Jesus? No, not until He spoke with her and revealed Himself.

Jesus fulfilled God’s plan to save us from our sins. He died on the cross and rose again to life. He conquered sin and death for us, yet many found this hard to believe because they didn’t actually see Him on the cross or walk out of the tomb after His death. (See Romans 6:23, 1 Corinthians 15:57.)

This was not the case with Mary; she witnessed Jesus’ death on the cross and then saw Him outside the tomb—alive! Mary believed without doubt that Jesus had died and had risen again.

Jesus has not changed—He is alive and can choose to come to us and speak to us directly. However, in our next two Signposts, we will see how He most frequently reveals Himself to help us believe.

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4–6

1 Corinthians 15:57:

But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

John 20:14–16,18:

¹⁴She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize Him. ¹⁵“Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?” She thought He was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if You have taken Him away, tell me where You have put Him, and I will go and get Him.” ¹⁶“Mary!” Jesus said. She turned to Him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).
¹⁸Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them His message.

Signpost 2 Believe Through Scripture

In the video, Jesus could have instantly revealed Himself to the two men walking on the road to Emmaus. However, He chose to spend time with them, listening to their conversation and concerns, and then guiding their faith through the Scriptures. What does “Scriptures” mean? The Bible, specifically the books of the Old Testament (since the New Testament hadn’t been written yet).

Jesus said to the two men in Luke 24:26–27:

²⁶Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering His glory?” ²⁷Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

Here are just a few of the prophecies from the Old Testament of the Bible that Jesus fulfilled concerning His life, crucifixion, and resurrection:

1. In the book of Isaiah, the prophet said that a shoot would grow out of the stump of (Jesse) David’s family and the Spirit of the Lord would rest on Him.

Hold up the plant. Discuss how the smaller branches or shoots grow from the main stem of the plant.

2. Psalm 22 describes Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion, saying He was hated and rejected. His hands and feet were pierced as they nailed Him to the cross where He died. (See Psalm 22:6,14,16.)

3. Psalm 118:13,17,22 predicts Jesus’ resurrection following His death on the cross saying:

¹³My enemies did their best to kill Me, but the LORD rescued Me. ¹⁷I will not die; instead, I will live to tell what the LORD has done. ²²The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.

Jesus and His disciples likely sang this Psalm on the night Jesus was arrested! (See Matthew 26:30.)

How did the men describe the feeling they had as Jesus shared Scriptures with them? They said that their hearts burned inside them.

The Bible clearly provides us with all we need to understand and believe about Jesus. The more we commit to reading the Bible, the more Jesus will be revealed. The more we know, the easier it is to believe without seeing! The Bible was written to give us understanding and hope as we live our lives for Christ, knowing that our future is secure in Him—forever! Jesus wants to be present in every part of our lives. He wants to walk and talk with us every day!

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4–6

Isaiah 11:1–2:

¹Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. ²And the Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.

Psalm 22:6,14,16:

⁶But I am a worm and not a man. I am scorned and despised by all! ¹⁴My life is poured out like water, and all My bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, melting within Me. ¹⁶My enemies surround Me like a pack of dogs; an evil gang closes in on Me. They have pierced My hands and feet.

Revelation 3:20:

“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear My voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.”

John 20:31:

But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in Him you will have life by the power of His name.

Signpost 3 Believe Through a Witness

Who is in this image from the video? The two men on the road to Emmaus and the disciples.

The two men could not wait to witness about their encounter with Jesus—that He is truly alive! This is what witnessing is about—sharing about Jesus, our personal experiences with Him, and what we know through Scripture about Him. It is exciting when the Holy Spirit opens our hearts and we receive new understanding about our Lord and Savior!

God’s Word is alive! The Old Testament prophet named Jeremiah described God’s Word as fire shut up in his bones; he could not keep it inside! (See Jeremiah 20:9.) When we understand God’s Word about Jesus, the Holy Spirit gives us the power to share the Gospel with others!

Thomas still had doubt that Jesus was alive—even with Mary’s witness, the witness of his fellow disciples, and the two men on the road to Emmaus. It is the same today; many people have trouble believing even after hearing the witness of others and reading Scripture. Still, Jesus continues to knock on the door of their hearts. Jesus knows it is difficult to believe without seeing Him face to face. But Jesus says we are blessed when we believe by faith. He told Thomas in John 20:29b:

“You believe because you have seen Me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing Me.”

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4–6

Acts 4:19–20:

¹⁹But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than Him? ²⁰We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.”

Jeremiah 20:9:

But if I say I’ll never mention the LORD or speak in His name, His word burns in my heart like a fire. It’s like a fire in my bones! I am worn out trying to hold it in! I can’t do it!

Acts 1:8:

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be My witnesses, telling people about Me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Signpost 4 Will You Believe?

One day as Jesus walked with His disciples, He turned and asked them who others said He was. They answered that some said He was John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or other prophets. Then Jesus said, “But who do YOU say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (See Matthew 16:13–16.)

Jesus told Simon Peter that only God could have revealed this to Him, not man.

In today’s Bible adventure, Jesus helped Thomas overcome his doubt, and Thomas finally had all the evidence he needed to believe.

Do you have enough evidence to believe and not doubt? Can you believe without seeing? Today, Jesus asks us the same question that He asked His disciples; “Who do you say that I am?” The Bible tells us in John 3:16 (NKJV):

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4–6

Matthew 16:13–17:

¹³When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is? ¹⁴“Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” ¹⁵Then He asked them, “But who do you say I am?” ¹⁶Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
¹⁷Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because My Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being.”

Now it is time to learn about the final part of the Heart Challenge!

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Give each child who missed the previous lessons a Heart Challenge Page and a Flame Page. Display the sample craft and encourage them to assemble their crafts at home and begin the challenge!

In the previous challenge, you were asked to learn Romans 15:13. Would anyone like to try to say this verse from memory? Romans 15:13:

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

This verse is one of Paul’s prayers for believers in Christ. It is a powerful prayer to pray over yourself and others each day.

Would anyone like to share how many flames you were able to place in Heart #2? Children answer.

Would anyone like to share your experience in your prayer time? Children answer.

Is there an experience of living by faith and not by sight that you would like to share? Children respond.

Hold up the sample Heart Challenge Page. The next challenge for you is Heart #3. Your challenge is to pray daily for the power to obey God’s Word and demonstrate God’s love to others. When we receive God’s love, we should not be content with keeping it inside. We must demonstrate His wonderful love to others so they can experience it!

As part of this challenge, you will also read and learn John 14:21 which tells us of God’s love.

Optional: read John 14:21:

“Those who accept My commandments and obey them are the ones who love Me. And because they love Me, My Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal Myself to each of them.”

Each time you work on the challenge, cut out a flame and glue it to Heart #3. As we fill our hearts with His Word, spend time with Him in prayer, and obey His commandments, we will experience Jesus’ love and be able to share it with others!