Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Welcome(1 minute)

Welcome back to the second lesson of our Superbook adventure called “Love Your Enemies.” In our last lesson we learned that nothing can separate us from God. In today’s lesson, we will learn how to respond to enemies like Jesus did!     

Now, it’s time to stand and praise Jesus who is our example and our Savior!

Play Video: (Song) Free (2 minutes)

Preview the song so you can help the children sing along with the music.

Free

SuperTruth and Discussion(1 minute)

Sometimes we can react quickly without thinking. Raise your hand if you have ever responded to someone or something in a way that you regret. Children respond.

Before we do something we’ll be sorry for, it’s important to take a moment to pray and listen for God’s voice in our hearts. When we obey Him, we will respond in a way that represents Christ.

Our SuperTruth today is: “I will respond in love like Jesus.” Let’s say that together: “I will respond in love like Jesus.”

We will discuss this more a little later. Now, let’s watch a short version of our Bible story. If you have seen the video before, Chris tells Pastor Aaron that if he becomes afraid or feels sorry for himself while suffering, something will stop. What is it that Chris doesn’t want to stop? You can share your answer in Small Group.      

Introduce Condensed Bible Story (1 minute)

If all children watched the Bible story video in the previous lesson, you may skip it here and go straight to the Bible Background Video.

Play Video 4: Condensed Bible Story (11 minutes)

Condensed Bible Story

*Caution: In following the biblical narrative, this video may be too intense for some children. Be sure to preview it before showing the class. You may also want the parents to see it before showing it to their children.

First, Superbook takes Chris, Joy and Gizmo to see that when Jesus is arrested, He is still willing to heal a soldier whose ear is cut off by Peter. Next, they see Jesus praying in agony on the cross, “Father, forgive them.” Then they witness Stephen quoting Jesus' words of forgiveness as he is brutally stoned to death. The children learn to trust God when being mocked or persecuted.

Discussion(2 minutes)

Why is it difficult to respond like Jesus when you are treated unfairly or wronged? Because you don’t want to look weak or be taken advantage of. You want to get even and teach someone a lesson.  

If you saw the full-length video last time, how did Chris surprise Kane at the end? Chris gave Kane his extra soccer ball so he could make the required number of goals to qualify for the All Star team.

How do you think the story may have ended if Chris had decided to teach Kane a lesson and taken revenge for being bullied? He might have gotten some satisfaction for a moment but destroyed his witness. Kane would not have experienced the love and mercy of Jesus. Chris would have felt guilty and would need to ask Jesus for forgiveness. Kane would have gotten angrier and wanted to get even.      

Introduce Bible Background Video (1 minute)

Now let’s watch our Bible Background video to learn more about what the world was like when Jesus walked this earth. When Gizmo asks some questions, wait for him to give four possible answers, then call out the one you think is correct!

Play Video 5: Bible Background (8 minutes)

Bible Background

Play Video 10B: SuperVerse Graphic 2

SuperVerse Graphic 2

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

SuperVerse Discussion(1 minute)

The SuperVerse today is Matthew 5:44:

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

Let's say Matthew 5:44 together:

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

Children will have more time to learn the SuperVerse in Small Group. If younger children are not able to memorize the entire verse, be sure they understand its meaning.

Prayer and Send-Off(1 minute)

Let’s pray. Dear Jesus, when You lived in this world, you modeled how we should respond to others in love, even our enemies. We cannot do this in our own strength. Please fill us with Your love and the power of Your Holy Spirit so we can show others the joy, peace and mercy that You show to us. In Your loving name we pray, Amen.
Our game in Small Group is all about responding with love and prayer when we are mistreated. Let’s go find out how to play!     

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

In Large Group, you were asked to listen for something Chris said that would stop if he became afraid or felt sorry for himself. Raise your hand if you know the answer. His witness (as a Christian for Jesus).       

Chris changed his plan for revenge and wisely decided to respond in love like Jesus and Stephen did.   

Let’s say today’s SuperTruth together: “I will respond in love like Jesus.”

We are going to play a game to respond with love and prayer to any form of persecution that we may face as followers of Christ.      

Hold up balloons and point to the boxes as you talk. In this game, you will pass PERSECUTION balloons from the boxes marked OTHERS and respond by passing LOVE and PRAYER balloons from the boxes labeled ME. You will do this by batting the balloons in the air to each other.

As the balloons reach the opposite ends, they are dropped into the boxes to represent what was received. ME receives persecution, OTHERS receive LOVE and PRAYER.

Now, let’s make it even more challenging. A balloon will be passed at the same time from both ends of a team’s line. Somewhere in the middle, the balloons will need to cross over each other—that should be more interesting and fun!

Divide the children into two equal teams. If teams are uneven, a leader may play.

Team members stand side-by-side about an arm’s length apart, with the two teams facing each other several feet apart.

At one end of each team, place a ME box containing a LOVE balloon and PRAYER balloon.

At the other end of a team’s line, place a box labeled OTHER containing two persecution balloons.  

Divide the children into two equal teams. If teams are uneven, a leader may play.

Team members stand side-by-side about an arm’s length apart, with the two teams facing each other several feet apart.

At one end of each team, place a ME box containing a LOVE balloon and PRAYER balloon.

At the other end of a team’s line, place a box labeled OTHER containing two persecution balloons.    

Say, “Go!” The first player at both ends of each team’s line grabs a balloon and bats it to the next player, and so on, down the line. Players cannot catch or hold the balloons; they must bat or volley them in the air to the player directly next to them; no one can be skipped!

Players pass each balloon until it reaches the end of the line, where the last player drops it into the box. As soon as the balloon is dropped into a box, the second balloon is started down the line.

If a balloon falls to the floor, the player who was to receive it must pick it up and pass it on from there.

The first team to finish passing all four balloons wins!

Play additional rounds as time permits.

Conclusion: Good job in treating your enemy as the Bible tells us to! It isn’t easy to show God’s love to our enemies who persecute us. During difficult times, we need the Holy Spirit’s help to show others God’s love!   

In this game, it was important that no one was allowed to be skipped. Can you guess why? Children respond.

The Bible says ALL of us will experience persecution, and that ALL of us should respond in love and pray for our enemies! (See 2 Timothy 5:12.) 

Let’s learn more about showing love in times of persecution in today’s Teaching!

Teaching

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):

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.

SuperVerse

I think that today’s SuperVerse is short enough that at least two of you can already say it with your eyes closed. Raise your hand if you would like to try it. Matthew 5:44:

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

The dictionary defines persecution as harassment or cruel and unfair treatment of someone based on race, religion, or political beliefs.  

Now, let’s say Matthew 5:44 together; you can do it with your eyes closed or open!

Jesus did not seek vengeance when He was persecuted, even though He possessed supernatural power and could have destroyed His enemies! Instead, He showed love and mercy and prayed for them. As followers of Christ, we are to love like He loves.

OPTION 1: Divide the class into two groups. (It can be girls in one group and boys in the other, or another arrangement.) Have them all sit down. Have the first group jump up and say the first sentence of the verse, then quickly sit down. Immediately, the second group should jump up and say the second sentence, then sit down. Have them say it in different ways: slow, fast, shouted, whispered, and with actions. Then switch parts and repeat!

OPTION 2 [WITH BALLOONS]: Divide the class into pairs and give each pair a balloon. Try to place children together of different genders and ages if possible.     

Each team’s two players will face each other, about 10–12 feet apart. Teams must stand so both players can read the verse on the board.

Set the timer for 2 minutes.

Start the time. A player for each team will shout the first word of the verse and bat the balloon to the other player.

That player will say the second word of the verse and bat the balloon back to the first player.

Play continues this way with the goal to complete the verse as many times as possible before the clock runs out.

Each time the verse is completed, teams will immediately begin the verse again.  

If the balloon falls to the floor at any point before the verse is completed, the team must start over from the beginning of the verse.

Optional: teams may continue from the last word shouted before the balloon touched the floor. 

When the time ends, ask each team how many times the verse was completed. 

Optional play for a gymnasium or larger room: teams stand with several feet between them and away from walls or other objects in the room. Players will take one step backward each time they shout a word. This increases the distance between the players and provides an additional challenge. 

If children cannot memorize the SuperVerse, be sure they understand its meaning. Remind them to keep working on the verse at home.

Prayer

During Jesus’ time on Earth, He constantly modeled a life of prayer. Jesus made it a priority to spend time with His heavenly Father. In His final hours, He was suffering and dying on the cross as His enemies mocked Him. He didn’t deserve to die—He was innocent! We simply can’t imagine the pain and anguish He felt. Jesus could have called down armies of angels from heaven to save Him and destroy His accusers, but He chose to respond in love so He could fulfill God’s plan to save us.

Jesus didn’t just tell us to love our enemies, He showed it on the cross saying: “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” (See Luke 23:34.)

Stephen followed Jesus’ example and responded in love by praying for his enemies as they persecuted and stoned him to death for telling the truth about Jesus. (See Acts 7:60.)

Today, we are going to put the SuperVerse into action. We are going to pray for those who may have made fun of us or mistreated us, especially because of our faith in Christ. It’s not easy to respond in love when others mistreat us! We must choose to lay down our own will and show the supernatural love of God that the Holy Spirit produces in us.

In Romans 5:5b, the Apostle Paul wrote:

For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love.

Please close your eyes for a moment and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any hurt or bitterness you may hold in your heart toward someone who has mistreated you with words or actions. Maybe you have endured rejection or have been insulted, criticized, misunderstood, or made fun of because of your faith. Ask God to show you if you have any bitterness or anger in your heart. Allow children time to pray.

Now, silently ask the Holy Spirit to dissolve the bitterness and anger and replace it with His supernatural love and forgiveness. Then, pray for those who have wronged you in some way. Allow children time to pray.

Continue to close your eyes as I pray. Heavenly Father, Jesus endured more than we can imagine. He showed love and mercy instead of judgment and revenge. We need Your help, as we cannot respond in love without the Holy Spirit’s strength and love inside us. Please fill us with Your power to love others. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.     

And remember, children, just because we forgive people doesn’t mean they can keep on hurting us. If someone is hurting you or doing something that is wrong to you, don’t keep it a secret. Be sure to tell a parent, a teacher, or an adult you trust.

Additional Activities

Read 2 Corinthians 4:17-18:

“For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever."

In the verses I read, do you remember what the Apostle Paul told us to fix our gaze on, or to focus on? The things that can’t be seen.

Only the things of God will last! To respond in love like Jesus did, especially to our enemies, we can’t focus on the present trouble. Instead, we are to focus on what can’t be seen, which is permanent!  

In this game we are going to match two types of things—temporary or permanent.

Divide the children into two teams. Try to mix each team with a variety of ages.

Have the teams sit together and alternate turns.  

As different plates are chosen, discuss whether it is something that lasts forever (God and His things) or is temporary and will end (things of this world).   

The first player for one team begins by walking to the rows of plates, choosing one, and turning it over for all to see. The plate is then placed face up in the same location on the floor.

The player then chooses a second plate and turns it over for all to see.

If the two chosen plates match, the player keeps them and returns to sit with the team.

If the plates do not match, both are turned face down again in the same locations and the player returns to sit with the team.

The first player for the opposing team now takes a turn. Play continues until the eight sets of temporary plates and the eight sets of permanent plates are paired successfully.   

The team with the most matches wins.

Conclusion: Remember that the things of this world will always fade away and only the things of God will last forever! By keeping this in mind, we can look past our present troubles and show Jesus’ love even in the most difficult times. 

Game

As we discussed in today’s Teaching, 1 Peter 4:8 says:

It’s easy to love people who are kind to us and love us in return. Jesus went further and told us to love our enemies and to pray for them! When we are mistreated and suffer persecution for our faith, it is only by God’s love that we can cover or forgive and COVER those sins. That is what this game is all about.

Point to the tablecloth and hold up a plate. You are going to cover your enemy’s sins with love.

Divide the children into two teams; they do not need to be equal. Try to mix genders and ages.

Have each team stand behind a line at opposite ends of the room.

Start the game. The first player from each team tosses one plate to try and cover a word on the sheet with “love.” If a plate covers over at least half the word, it counts as covered.

Once the first player has tossed a plate, the next player immediately takes a turn. This is a race to cover all of the words before the other team, so teams should move as quickly as possible.

If all of a team’s plates are tossed before their words are covered, two players from the team should retrieve all of the plates that are NOT touching a word and bring them back to use again. 

If a plate lands on an opponent’s word, it counts for the other team and must remain there!

The first team to cover all of the “sins” on their sheet wins.

Play more rounds as time permits.   

Conclusion: Just as God demonstrated His love for us while we sinned against Him by sending Jesus to die and forgive our sins; we must follow His example and respond in love to those who sin against us! (See Romans 5:8.) Yes, love covers a multitude of sins and enables us to endure and grow as we follow Christ and respond as He did!

Coloring Activity

1. Who saw this vision of Jesus? Stephen.      

2. What did Stephen say Jesus was doing in the vision? Standing in heaven at the right side of God.

3. Who was Stephen witnessing to about Jesus at the time of his vision? The Jewish religious leaders and council.

4. What happened to Stephen after he described his vision to the council? They covered their ears and shouted at him. Then they attacked him, dragged him outside, and stoned him.

5. The Jewish leaders were actually religious leaders and priests who thought they were serving God! Why do you think they acted with such hatred and rage? They did not want to hear the truth about Jesus and admit that they had crucified the Messiah. They followed the law and religious traditions and were threatened by Jesus’ teachings and His followers.

6. How do you think spending time with Jesus can help you face difficult times and respond in love each day? We focus on His love, and who we are in Him, and the hope we have in Him. When we think on these things vs. the situation we’re in, it helps us to endure and overcome. It can strengthen us and help us to respond as He did, knowing we are secure in Christ’s love.  

Allow the children to share their finished pictures with the class. 

Bible Activity

In this activity, we will look at some Bible stories and discuss the character’s responses.  
I will write a Scripture reference on the board for you to look up. If you need assistance, please ask. This is not a competition or race. We will make sure everyone has found each Scripture before we begin the discussion. I will then select volunteers to read a verse of the Bible story.

1. Matthew 19:13–15:

1. What did the parents do to cause a response from the disciples? They brought their children to Jesus for Him to lay hands on (bless) them and pray for them.

2. How did the disciples respond? The disciples scolded the parents for bothering Jesus and wanted to stop them.  

3. How do you think you would have responded? Children answer.  

4. How did Jesus respond? He scolded the disciples and told them not to stop them from coming to Him. He laid His hands on the children and blessed them.

5. In verse 14, what do you think Jesus meant by saying the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like the children? Children come to Jesus and openly receive what He has for them; children trust Him and love Him; they are humble.      

Sometimes children can be viewed as less important than adults. However, Jesus set the disciples’ thinking straight! Children are valuable in God’s Kingdom, and we need to be more like!

2. Mark 10:46–52:

1. What did the man who was blind do to cause the crowd to react so strongly? He shouted for Jesus to show Him mercy.  

2. Did the people respond in love to Bartimaeus and help him to connect with Jesus? No, they yelled at him to be quiet!

3. Did Bartimaeus listen to the crowd? No, he shouted even louder.

4. What do you think your response to Bartimaeus would have been? Children answer.  

5. How did Jesus respond? He stopped when He heard his shouts for mercy. He told others to tell Bartimaeus to come to Him. Jesus asked Bartimaeus what he wanted Him to do. Jesus instantly healed him because of his faith.

6. What did Bartimaeus do after he was healed by Jesus? He followed Jesus.

The people did not show Bartimaeus any love until Jesus told them to! Jesus wasn’t annoyed by his shouts, He was moved by them. He responded in love and healed Bartimaeus. Bartimaeus’s life was changed—he became a follower of Jesus! When we take the time to respond in love as Jesus modeled, especially to those who are ignored or seen as inferior or insignificant, God can use us to touch them and change lives forever!

3. Luke 9:51–56:

1. What did the Samaritans do that angered the disciples? They refused to welcome Jesus into their town.

2. Why do you think they responded this way? They knew Jesus was passing through to Jerusalem. The Samaritan people hated the Jews who lived and worshiped in Jerusalem. The Jews also hated the Samaritans.

3. How did the disciples respond? They were angry. James and John asked if they could call down fire from heaven to burn all of the Samaritans up!

4. How do you think you would have responded to the Samaritans? Children answer.    

5. How did Jesus respond? He scolded the disciples for their response. Jesus showed mercy and love to His enemies because He came to save people, not to judge or punish them. He mercifully went around their town instead of through it.

Conclusion: It is easy to react and respond quickly as others did in these stories. However, an emotional, “knee jerk” response is not the answer. We can learn so much about forgiveness, love and mercy from Jesus’ Words and actions. When we respond to others as Jesus did, they can experience His love and be drawn to God’s Kingdom.