Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Hello and welcome everyone! Today, we continue with the second part of our Superbook adventure, “Paul and the Unknown God.” If you missed part one of this adventure, no worries; the first part of today’s video will bring you up to speed! Then, we’ll find out where Superbook takes the children as their adventure continues!     

Play Video 2: Chris and Joy’s Dilemma (4.5 minutes)

Chris and Joy's Dilemma

Chris, Joy and Gizmo are in Athens with QBIT, the high-tech drone from Space Camp who has disguised himself as a bull—and is unwittingly being led away to be sacrificed. When Chris hears this, he is listening to Paul preach at the Areopagus.

SuperTruth and Discussion (2 minutes)

The city leaders in Athens seemed to accept what Paul was saying about Jesus until he spoke about something; what was it? Jesus had risen from the dead.   

Why was Chris encouraged when he saw some of the city leaders talking with Paul? He thought some of them actually listened to Paul as he spoke about Jesus and did not reject Him.      

After Paul defended his faith in Athens, where did Paul travel? A city called Corinth.  

Paul shared his faith with anyone who would listen— common people, as well as philosophers and religious leaders who thought themselves wise. He knew that the wisest thing anyone can ever do is to experience the One True living God and the saving power of Jesus.      

Today’s SuperTruth is “True wisdom begins with knowing God.” Let’s say it together: True wisdom begins with knowing God.

Let’s watch Part 2 of the video as Paul inspires Chris with an approach to defending his faith in Jesus Christ.  

Video 3: Bible Story and Resolution (19 minutes)

Bible Story and Resolution

Superbook takes Chris, Joy, Gizmo, and QBIT to meet Paul in Corinth. They see how Paul speaks about God with people who don’t believe. When Superbook returns them to Space Camp, Chris and Joy defend their faith in Christ through their end-of-camp presentation to Commander Conrad. 

Video discussion

Was Commander Conrad fully convinced that God exists after Chris and Joy’s presentation? No, but it caused him to think deeply and consider their argument.  

As we share the Gospel with others, why is it important to understand that not all people will agree with us and accept what we say? We could be discouraged and give up. We could think we did or said something wrong and feel we failed. We need to be led by the Holy Spirit as we share our faith, and it is up to Him to draw and convince people.  

Play Video 10A: SuperVerse Graphic 1

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

SuperVerse Graphic 1

SuperVerse Discussion (1 minute)

Let’s say today’s SuperVerse together, Proverbs 9:10:

What does fear mean in this verse; does it mean we should be afraid and hide from God? No.  

It means to show honor, respect, and stand in awe of Him. It means to acknowledge that we are His creation and we exist only because of Him. He is Almighty God; there is no one like Him!   

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

Prayer and Send-Off (1 minute)

Dear God, help us realize that knowing and serving You is the wisest thing we can ever do. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.     

In today’s Small Group game, you will work in groups to find all the pieces to form a word. Are you ready to be puzzled?          

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.

Relay Game

Let’s say the SuperTruth together: “True wisdom begins with knowing God.”

Once we find God, our journey does not end; it begins! The more we seek God, the more we learn about His character and nature. In this game, you will build a puzzle to form the word “GOD.” You will find the pieces at the other end of the room. Each letter of “GOD” has four pieces. You will need to form each letter and place the letters in order. 

Demonstrate the game as you talk. One by one, when it’s your turn, you will travel from the starting line to the table. Then you will find the bag with your team number and get one puzzle piece and bring the piece to your team. I will announce how players from each team will travel, such as hop, skip, walk sideways, etc. All players will travel this way until I announce a different way. I can announce a new way at any time, even 2–3 times during a player’s turn. So, be alert and be ready to adjust!   

Divide the children into teams of 2 or 3. Assign each team a number. Teams do not need to be even. Children will take multiple turns traveling back and forth. 

Each team will form a single-file line behind the starting line.

Start the race and announce how the players will travel: hop, skip, tip toe, shuffle, walk backward, hop backward, giant steps, baby steps, sideways, etc. Change the mode of travel often for added fun.    

Once a player returns to the team, the next player starts. The rest of the team puts the puzzle together. The first team to put its puzzle together in the right order wins!

Conclusion: That looked like fun! You kept seeking and finding more of God and adding to your foundation of wisdom! In this game, you found all of the pieces and completed the puzzle. In real life, we will never stop seeking God because we will never complete the whole picture of Him—it’s impossible until we get to heaven! The more time we spend pursuing Him, the more wisdom He can give us.     

Teaching

Write the SuperVerse on the board: Proverbs 9:10: 

Make one copy of the START HERE: MEET JESUS sign and KNOW GOD sign on cardstock. 

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

Discipleship Challenge:

Make a sample craft to display in class. 

Make a copy of the Planetarium Challenge Card on cardstock, one for each child plus extras.  

It’s recommended that an adult precut the Gizmo compartment slot before class.     

Let’s say our SuperTruth together: “True wisdom begins with knowing God.” 

There is no shortage of knowledge and wisdom in the world today, especially with the internet. We can consume information, knowledge, and opinions from the time we wake up until we go to bed—and even in bed! People can fill themselves with knowledge on any topic, yet still be empty of true wisdom. 

In Paul’s journeys, he interacted with and defended his faith to many wise people, including philosophers and government and religious leaders. Paul grew up as a well-educated Jewish Pharisee, filled with the world’s knowledge and an expert in Jewish Law. But after coming face to face with Jesus, he realized that his worldly and religious wisdom was nothing compared to the true wisdom of God in Christ. (See Philippians 3:4–8.)

Hold up the game board. Let’s say you have played this game many times. You have gotten really good at it and are about to play against someone who has never played before. Where will you begin? On START, on the space/square labeled START. 

Where will the first-time player begin? On START, the same place/square. 

You mean that the expert must begin at the same square as the beginner? Yes! 

You are correct; the creator of this game made the rule that everyone must begin at the START space. This rule is for everyone—no exceptions.  

It is no different with true wisdom. If you desire true wisdom, according to God’s rules, there is a START space and it is labeled KNOW JESUS. Hold up the START HERE: MEET JESUS sign so the children can read it, then place it on the floor in front of you.      

It doesn’t matter how educated or famous people are. It doesn’t make a difference how young or old they are, the journey for true wisdom begins here. Step onto the START HERE: MEET JESUS sign and remain on it as you continue to talk.   

Today, if you have met Jesus and love Him, you are already off to a good start! 

Hold up the KNOW GOD sign, place it on the floor several feet ahead of you, then step on it. Sadly, many people just think they can know God without coming to Jesus Christ first. They are skipping the most important step—the START—where they meet Jesus! 

Jesus reveals God to us, so we can’t know God until we know Jesus. He told His disciples in John 14:9: 

“Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father.” 

Before Paul became a Christian, he thought he knew God. He thought he was doing God’s will by hunting down and hurting Christians. But once Paul met Jesus, he realized he had been completely wrong. Paul found out that he was totally in the wrong place spiritually! 

Take a dramatic step back to stand on the START HERE: MEET JESUS sign.   

Jesus gave Paul a fresh revelation of God and His plan for salvation and true wisdom. 

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:24:  

Wow, what a revelation! To truly know God, we must know Him through His Son, Jesus Christ!      

Step forward to the KNOW GOD sign. For those who think they can know God without knowing Jesus Christ, they are mistaken, just like Paul before he met Jesus. They must take a step to know Jesus Christ first.  

Pick up the START HERE: MEET JESUS sign and place it on top of the KNOW GOD sign, then step on both signs together. Paul said that Jesus Christ is the power and wisdom of God! If we want true wisdom, God grants it through Christ! 

Jesus said in John 14:6: 

There is no way around it, true wisdom begins with knowing God, and knowing God begins with knowing Jesus Christ! Once we have accepted Christ, we truly can know God and His heart for us, and we can begin our journey with true wisdom.    

Now, it’s time for our Discipleship Challenge.  

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application 

Give each child a Planetarium Challenge Card, pencil, and children’s scissors. Provide tape or glue sticks. 

Have each child cut the challenge card on the dashed line. 

Children will then carefully cut out the earth, sun and moon, Gizmo, and the compartment door. Assist children as necessary.

If the slot has not been cut out in Gizmo’s compartment area, punch a hole or two with the pencil lead to start the cut on the dashed line and then children can use their scissors to cut out the entire slot. Caution children to not cut beyond the dashed line.   

Demonstrate how to fold the flap on the compartment door and then glue it in the appropriate location under Gizmo’s compartment. 

Have children place the earth, moon and sun about halfway into the slot.   

Children can then write their names on the back of the card. 

In the video, Qbit and Gizmo projected images in the planetarium to show how all things exist because of God. One of the things they displayed was the galaxy with the stars and planets.  

That is what your challenge card is about. In Gizmo’s compartment, you will find three numbered objects. What is the first one? Earth.     

Earth and everything in it exist because of God. We have been learning how God actively participates in His creation. Without His ongoing involvement, we would cease to exist. 

We also learned that wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord. So, let’s talk about how we can practically apply this in our daily lives. 

What is the verse written on Planet Earth? Proverbs 1:7. 

Optional: Read Proverbs 1:7:

To fear the Lord does not mean to tremble and shake and hide under the bed. In this verse, Solomon, the wisest man in the world, tells us that true wisdom begins with fearing the Lord—respecting and honoring Him, desiring His ways, doing what He loves, and not doing what He hates. 

Hold up Planet Earth. For Challenge #1, you will:

1. Read Proverbs 1:7 each day and, if possible, memorize it.  

2. The second part of this challenge is to pray for true wisdom and knowledge. Ask God to show you any way that you are not listening to His wisdom or doing anything that may offend Him. Tell Him you’re sorry, receive His forgiveness, and ask Him for the strength to follow His ways instead of your own. 

As you accept this challenge, glue or tape the Planet Earth onto the Planetarium Challenge Card.     

SuperVerse

Let’s look at the board and say the SuperVerse together: Proverbs 9:10:

God is our loving heavenly Father, and we are to respect and obey Him. We need to follow His ways so we can grow in wisdom and understanding. When we ask Jesus to come into our hearts, His Spirit lives in us and helps us to make wise choices and use good judgment.     

Have the children sit in front of the board. Say the SuperVerse aloud together. Have the children cover their eyes and/or look down as you erase a random keyword in the verse. Ask children to raise their hands to tell you what word has been erased, then write the word on the board again. Continue in this fashion for two more words, including the Bible reference. Then, begin to erase more than one word at a time at random places or erase entire phrases.  

Conclude the activity by saying the verse aloud together, then erase the entire verse and try to say it as a group from memory.    

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

Prayer

We’ve been talking about what it means to fear God. Who would like to describe that for us? Allow children time to answer in their own words.

Fearing God is being aware of who He is and who we are in respect to Him. God is holy and the Creator of everything in the universe. We are His creation—but He is perfect and we are not! It is impossible for God to look upon sin. That’s why we need Jesus so much! Jesus died on the cross to pay the price for our sins. Jesus gives us His righteousness so we can come to God and receive His mercy and grace.

The prophet Isaiah described a vision he was given from God as He saw Him on His throne in Isaiah 6:5:    

Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.”  

Isaiah was aware of his own imperfection and sin in the presence of the holy and perfect God. God cleansed Isaiah and removed his guilt and sin. This is the beauty of what Jesus does for us today. We are not to be afraid of God, but we are to give Him the highest honor and respect, and understand who He is and who we are. When we acknowledge these things and desire to obey and serve Him, this is the beginning of wisdom.  

Let’s take a moment to close our eyes and get a fresh glimpse of God on His throne as Isaiah did—to have a picture in our minds of Almighty God, high and lifted up in His glory and holiness. If you feel comfortable, raise your hands toward heaven and just focus on God. This is not a time to ask Him for anything, but to just honor Him and be in awe of His greatness.  

Allow children time to meditate on God and His awesomeness. 

Close in prayer. Heavenly Father, You are holy and righteous. You are the Almighty God, the Creator of everything. Our lives are dependent on You. Reveal Yourself to us each day as we focus on who You are. Although You are totally perfect and completely holy, You have chosen to love us and save us through Your Son Jesus. Help us to spend time in Your presence each day so we can know You in a greater, deeper way. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.  

Choosing Game

Paul observed that there was no shortage of worldly wisdom in Athens and Corinth. However, just knowing things is not the same as true wisdom, which comes from God. In all of their knowledge, the people of Athens still worshiped an unknown god. 

In some cases, worldly wisdom is not harmful, but it will not deepen your relationship with God or help you make choices that will please God.  

Other times, however, worldly wisdom actually opposes true wisdom and can be evil, prideful and selfish. If we are filled with the world’s wisdom, we can even believe that we have no need for anyone’s guidance, including God!  

These pompoms represent both true wisdom from God and the world’s wisdom. We cannot grow strong spiritually with a foundation of worldly wisdom. In this game, you will need to choose true wisdom instead of the world’s wisdom. 

Place an empty plastic bowl right-side-up on the top of your head and hold it in place with one hand. Hold a spoon in your other hand and demonstrate as you speak. 

The players will have one minute to use a spoon to pick up God’s wisdom which is represented by the {color} and {color} pompoms and place them in their bowls. This represents believing God’s wisdom and filling our minds and hearts with what is true. All of the other colors are the wisdom of the world. You must leave them in the bowl. 

Each pompom of God’s wisdom successfully placed in the bowl on your head scores five points. If you accidentally place a false wisdom pompom into the bowl, you lose five points. Pompoms that fall to the floor don’t count.

Divide the children into two equal teams; one player may need to play twice.

If any players are colorblind, pair them with teammates who can coach them on what colors to pick. 

Have teams form two lines a few feet away from the front of the table so they can all watch and cheer for their teammates.

Have the first player on each team sit in the chair directly across from their team.

The players will each hold an empty bowl with one hand on top of their heads.

Shout, “Choose true wisdom!” and start the timer for 60 seconds (or a time that you choose).

Players try to put as many true wisdom pompoms into the bowls on top of their heads.

After time expires, players and teams count the pompoms that were picked. Score five points for each pompom representing God’s wisdom; subtract five points for each of the world’s wisdom pompoms. Record the scores on the board for each team.

Return all of the pompoms to the original bowls and mix them up again.

Repeat for each set of players. The team with the most points wins.

Alternative play to save time: do not count the pompoms until each entire team has played and then count the pompoms and record the scores. 

Conclusion: Great job choosing true wisdom! Remember, not all wisdom from the world is bad or evil. However, only true wisdom will build a sure foundation in God where we can grow spiritually and make wise choices. We can always trust God’s wisdom to lead us on the right path so we can grow strong in Christ!

Object Lesson

Let’s say today’s SuperVerse together. Proverbs 9:10:  

The verse says that knowing God, who is the Holy One, results in good judgment. How can we apply that practically in our lives? 

The more we know about God, the more we know what pleases Him. This helps us to make better decisions and choices. So how can we know more about God? Reading the Bible.

The best way to learn more about God is in His Word, the Bible. Psalm 119:11 says: 

When we read the Bible, we are filled with knowledge about God and from God. The Holy Spirit can then help us to understand what we read and guide us in how we can apply His wisdom in our lives to make wise choices and good decisions.  Let’s consider some common decisions we may face.   

Place the box on the table. 

1. Position the LIE and TRUTH Cards upright against the box so the children can read them. Raise your hand if you have ever needed to choose between telling a lie and telling the truth. Children respond.   

Let’s learn what the Bible says about God and what choice will please Him. Proverbs 12:22 says:

Based on what we know about God from this verse, what is the wise choice? To tell the truth.    

Stand behind the box and hold the God’s Wisdom Card (writing visible to the children) over the top of the box and move it slowly over the two Choice Cards. The TRUTH Card will stick to the magnet. Remove the card and have the children read it aloud. 

You made the right choice! When we know God and are filled with His wisdom, we can choose to tell the truth because we know He delights in us when we do!   

2. Position the LOVE and HATE Cards against the box. Raise your hand if you have ever needed to choose between showing love to someone, or showing hate, prejudice, judgment, or unkindness. Children respond.   

Let’s learn what the Bible says about God and which choice will please Him. 1 John 4:7–8 says:

Based on what we know about God from this verse, what is the wise choice? To love.    

Stand behind the box and hold up the God’s Wisdom Card (writing visible to the children) over the top of the box and move it slowly over the two Choice Cards. The LOVE Card will stick to the magnet. Remove the LOVE Card and have the children read it aloud. 

You made the correct choice! When we know God and are filled with His wisdom, we can choose to love others because we know that God is love and He calls us to love as He does.   

3. Position the FORGIVE and ANGER Cards against the box. Raise your hand if you have ever needed to make the choice to forgive someone who has hurt you, or to be angry and hold a grudge and want to punish the person? Children respond.   

Let’s read what the Bible says about God and which choice will please Him. Ephesian 4:32 says:

Based on what we know about God from this verse, what is the wise choice? To forgive.    

Stand behind the box and hold up the God’s Wisdom Card (writing visible to the children) over the top of the box and move it slowly over the two Choice Cards. The FORGIVE Card will stick to the magnet. Remove the FORGIVE Card and have the children read it aloud.

You made the wise choice! When we know God and are filled with His wisdom, we can choose to forgive others just as He forgives us through Christ. 

4. Position the SELFISH and GIVE Cards against the box. 

Raise your hand if you have ever needed to choose between being selfish or giving. Children respond. 

It can be hard to share what we have with others. Let’s read what the Bible says about God and which choice will please Him. 2 Corinthians 9:7b–8 says:

Based on what we know about God from this verse, what is the wise choice? To give.    

Stand behind the box and hold up the God’s Wisdom Card (writing visible to the children) over the top of the box and move it slowly over the two Choice Cards. The GIVE Card will stick to the magnet. Remove the GIVE Card and have the children read it aloud.

You made the right choice! When we know God and are filled with His wisdom, we can choose to freely give instead of being selfish. God generously gives to us so we can be generous to others! 

Conclusion: The more we know God, the better we can make wise choices to please Him. True wisdom begins with knowing God! 

Connect the Dots Activity

As children connect the dots to reveal the characters in the video, lead a discussion with the following questions:  

1. What did Chris and Joy want to prove in their presentation? That God exists. 

2. What common belief did these scientists and others share that was important to Chris and Joy’s argument? They all believed in God.   

3. Did Joy say that you must believe in God to be a scientist? No, she said that belief in God is what gave rise to science.  

4. Can you recall any of the names of the famous scientists pictured in this scene from the video? Francis Bacon, Isaac Newton, John Locke.   

5. Chris named one God-fearing scientist who was very dear to him; can you remember who? His grandfather.  

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

Conclusion: There are many wise men and women in the world. Yet, true wisdom begins with knowing God. 

Bible Activity

Make sure there is a clear path between the children and the whiteboard. 

If you would prefer not to use sticky notes, have children raise their hands to answer.   

God calls us to fear Him but that does not mean to be afraid of Him. The verses we will look up are about fearing the Lord and how fearing Him helps us!         

Have the children sit in pairs. Try to pair an experienced Bible user with a child who isn’t as familiar with the Bible. Give each pair a Bible. The experienced Bible user can quickly look up the verse while the other player writes the answer on a sticky note. The notes are then stuck to the board. If both players are experienced Bible users, the players can alternate looking up a verse and writing down the answer. Have children close their Bibles before you announce the next verse. 

Note that the suggested answers are from the New Living Translation. If children are using different translations, their answers will vary.

All the verses you will find are in Psalms and Proverbs, which are both in the Old Testament—and both are near the middle of the Bible. I will say a Bible reference and then write it on the board. At this point, you may begin to find the verse. As you do this, I will read a fill in the blank question which you will find the answer or answers to in that Bible verse. 

I will repeat the question one more time if needed. The player who is not looking up the verse will write the answer or answers on a sticky note and then walk quickly to stick it on the board. You have 30 seconds to do that. The first team scores 10 points for the correct answer; all other teams score 5 points for the correct answer stuck to the board within the time limit. Every pair will have a chance to finish, so don’t give up! The team with the most points wins. Are you ready to learn more about the benefits of fearing the Lord?  

Allow spelling errors because of the fast pace of the game. Do as many verses as time allows. Be prepared to help any children with special needs. 

Read the verse reference but do not read the actual verse until after the questions are answered.  

If time permits, have a child read the verse. Do as many questions as time allows.  

1. Proverbs 10:27: The fear of the Lord _____ your life. (Lengthens)

2. Psalm 112:1: Those who fear the Lord and obey His command are _____. (Joyful)  

3. Proverbs 19:23: The fear of the Lord brings _____ and _____ from harm. (Security, protection)

4. Proverbs 8:13: All who fear the Lord _____ evil. (Hate)  

5. Proverbs 14:2: Those who fear the Lord follow the _____ _____. (Right, path) 

6. Proverbs 14:27: The fear of the Lord is a life-giving _____; it offers escape from the snares of _____.  (Fountain, death)   

7. Psalm 33:8: The whole _____ should fear the Lord and stand in _____ of Him. (World, awe)  

8. Psalm 115:13: God will _____ those who fear Him, both great and _____. (Bless, lowly)

9. Psalm 33:18: The Lord _____ over those who fear Him and rely on His _____ love. (Watches, unfailing) 

10. Proverbs 14:26: Those who fear the Lord are _____; He will be a ____ for their children. (Secure, refuge) 

Conclusion: The fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom and those who fear Him will be blessed!