Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Welcome to the final lesson of our Superbook adventure, “Paul and the Unknown God.” Although God is in heaven, did you know that the Bible says He is not far from us? In fact, God wants everyone to find Him and come closer to Him! 

Now, let’s stand and sing The Salvation Poem to praise Jesus for coming to Earth to seek and find the lost so we can know Him and live with Him forever.

Play Video 7: (Song) The Salvation Poem (3 minutes)

Be sure to preview the song so you can sing along with the children.

The Salvation Poem

SuperTruth and Discussion (2 minutes)

Raise your hand only if you have NEVER played a game called Hide and Seek. Children respond. 

Hide and Seek is often one of the first games that a child learns to play. What is the object of the game if you are IT? To find the other players who are trying to hide from you. 

The good news is that God does not play hide and seek with us. He wants everyone to find Him! Not only that, He wants us to know Him—in a deep way. 

Our SuperTruth today is, “God wants everyone to find and know Him.” Let’s say that together: “God wants everyone to find and know Him.” 

Introduce Condensed Bible Story (1 minute)

If most or all children watched the Bible story video in a previous lesson, omit it here and go straight to the SuperVerse.

Let’s watch a short version of the video about the Apostle Paul as he continues to defend his faith and tell others about salvation through Jesus. If you have seen the video, listen closely for the names of two men who joined Paul in the city of Corinth. (Silas and Timothy.)      

    

Play Video 4: Condensed Bible Story (11 Minutes)

Condensed Bible Story

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. 

Play Video 10C: SuperVerse Graphic 3

Graphic loops 3 minutes without audio; turn off or freeze video after children repeat the verse.

SuperVerse Graphic 3

SuperVerse (2 minutes)

Our SuperVerse today is Acts 17:27: 

Have you ever heard of long-distance relationships? Children respond. 

This type of relationship usually happens when someone moves away to another city, state, or even another country. Long-distance relationships are usually difficult to maintain or keep strong. God does not want a long-distance relationship with any of us. He is near to each of us and longs for us to draw closer to Him so that we might know and experience His love to the fullest!            

Let’s say Acts 17:27 together: 

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.

Introduce Signposts Video (1 minute)

Let’s watch the Signposts Video to learn about how God reveals Himself to us.   

 

      

Play Video 6: Signposts Video (3.5 minutes)

Signposts Video

Prayer and Send-Off (2 minutes)

Let’s pray before we move to Small Group. Dear God, You chose to be close to us. We don’t have to worry that You will hide from us or abandon us. Help us seek You every day so we can know Your perfect faithfulness, love and mercy in new ways. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.  

It’s time for Small Group, where you will need to seek and find something. Let’s go see what you will look for.   

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.

Seeking Game

In Large Group you were asked to listen carefully for the names of two men who traveled to join Paul in the city of Corinth. Name one or both. Silas and Timothy. 

Where did these two men travel from? Macedonia.         

The game we are about to play is based on Acts 17:27, today’s SuperVerse; let’s say it together: 

Give a sticky note and a pencil (or share) to each child to write his/her name on it.   

Hold the “God” sign up. In this game, you will literally “feel for” the “God” sign to locate it. This represents searching for Him and finding Him. Once you locate the sign, you will stick on the note with your name on it to indicate that you have found Him and are “in” Him.   

You will be working together as a large group until all have searched for and found the sign. Does that sound easy enough? Oh yes, I almost forgot, you will need to do this blindfolded (or without peeking), which represents searching for God by faith. You will do this relay style. Once players have been blindfolded (or close their eyes), the sign will be re-located to a different position on the wall, or maybe it will stay the same; you do not know! You will then carefully walk toward the wall with your hands out and feel for the sign until you find it, then stick your note on it. You may remove the blindfold (or open your eyes) to return to your team.  

Have the children stand behind the line or mark. Give the first child a blindfold and have the leader or volunteer position the sign on the wall. Start the time and say “Go!” 

Continue until all the children have taken a turn and then stop and record the time. Play again to try to beat that time.  

Conclusion: Sometimes it may seem like God is far away or even as if He has left; especially in times of trouble or uncertainty. But one thing is certain, He will never abandon us, and He is always near. We can be certain to find Him when we search for Him with all our heart! His purpose is for everyone to find Him and have our being in Him. 

In our Signpost Teaching today, we’ll explore different ways in which God makes Himself known to us. 

Teaching

Have a child select the first Signpost Card and read it aloud. Tape or prop up the card so children can see it. Lead a discussion with the information below. Repeat for the second Signpost Card. Additional material is included for Grades 4–6 to look up and discuss.        

Signpost 1 No Excuses                    

Raise your hand if you’ve ever been told to do something, but you didn’t do it. Children respond.  

What are some excuses somebody could give for not doing what they’re told? I’m too busy; I don’t want to; I forgot; someone else can do it better than I can; I don’t know how to do it; etc. 

God wants us to know Him. The Apostle Paul said there is no excuse for not knowing God! (See Romans 1:20.) In this teaching we are going to discover some ways that God makes Himself known to us. Today’s SuperVerse tells us that God’s purpose is for the nations to find Him. (See Acts 17:27.) God’s throne is in heaven, yet because He is Spirit, He also is near to each of us. He not only CAN be found—He WANTS to be found. Even better, the Bible tells us that we know Him because He lives inside us! (See John 14:17.)  

Let’s look at different ways God reveals Himself to us.  

1. God can speak to us directly. 

Just like I am doing right now, God can speak to us directly if He chooses. There are many examples of this in the Bible. God spoke to His prophets and leaders to call them and to give them instructions. Jesus spoke directly to Paul on the road to Damascus, and He spoke to Peter on a rooftop to give them fresh revelation of who He is! 

2. God reveals Himself through leaders, prophets and teachers.  

God spoke directly to His prophets to deliver information, instruction and warnings to His people. These prophets were God’s mouthpiece. People like Abraham, Isaiah, Moses, and Samuel all heard from God directly and then spoke His message to His people. King David said in 2 Samuel 23:2:

What did God give Moses on Mount Sinai? The Ten Commandments. 

God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses to carry down and give the people. God revealed what pleases and honors Him through His laws. 

3. God reveals Himself through creation. 

Paul said in Romans 1:20:  

What kinds of things can you look at and say, “Wow! God made that!”? The sun, moon, trees, flowers, animals, birds, people, etc.

By observing these things, we see the magnificent hand of our awesome Creator! The earth and sky are clear reminders of His existence and His continuing participation in His creation. 

4. God reveals Himself through the Bible—His Word. 

God reveals Himself clearly in the Bible. The words we read are not opinions or ideas from people. The authors of the Bible were inspired and guided by the Holy Spirit as they wrote! (See 2 Peter 1:21.)  

Open the Bible and hold it as you speak. Have you ever heard someone described as an “open book”? That means the person doesn’t hide personal things and is easy to understand. 

God has deliberately chosen to be an “open book” to us. When we read the Bible, we learn about God from God Himself, because He wants us to know more about Him. 

Have you ever read a book that was so good, you wished it would never end? That’s what God’s Word is like—a book that will never end! That’s because no matter how much we read the Bible or no matter how many times we read the whole thing, there is always something new and exciting to discover about God in the Bible!     

5. God reveals Himself by His Spirit. 

God’s Spirit reveals truth to us. By knowing the truth, we can strengthen and defend our faith against doubt, false information, and skeptics. The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit is our Guide and Teacher. (See John 14:26, 16:13.) The Holy Spirit lives inside every believer and reveals the deep, secret things of God that we could not possibly know without His help! (See John 14:17.) 

6. God reveals Himself through prayer. 

What is the best way you can get to know someone? By spending time together, by talking with that person.  

It is the same with getting to know God. Prayer is spending time with Him. Prayer is a two-way conversation. It is not only talking to Him, but also listening to Him. God will reveal Himself to us in our special times of prayer when we give Him time to speak to our hearts. For example, God can reveal His love, His forgiveness, His joy, and His will to us as we quietly wait for Him to speak!    

7. God reveals Himself through Jesus.

Do you want to know God? Then get to know Jesus. The Bible tells us that Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. (See Colossians 1:15.) God is invisible, but Jesus was visible when He walked on Earth—and He reveals Himself to us so we can know God. 

Jesus said in John 12:45: 

The closer we walk with Christ, the more we can know and experience God. 

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4–6   

2 Peter 1:19–21:

Our SuperVerse, Acts 17:27: 

1 Corinthians 2:10: 

John 16:13: 

John 14:26: 

John 14:17: 

Hebrews 11:1: 

Colossians 1:15: 

John 12:45:

John 8:19:

John 14:9: 

Romans 1:19–20: 

Signpost 2 Ambassadors for Christ             

Jesus revealed God to the world and now Jesus will help US reveal God to the world! 

Do you remember from the video what Paul is doing on this Signpost card? He is in the synagogue teaching the Jewish and Gentile people about Jesus. 

While Paul was on the road to Damascus, Jesus revealed Himself to him very powerfully and dramatically. Paul then made it his life work to reveal Christ to other people!     

Did you know that God calls us to be ambassadors? An ambassador is a representative of someone and speaks on his/her behalf. As followers of Christ, we are called to represent Him and to be His voice calling others to God! 2 Corinthians 5:19–20 says:     

Through the Holy Spirit, we have the power and wisdom of God to invite others to know Him!  

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4–6 

2 Corinthians 5:19–20: 

1 Corinthians 1:24: 

Now, it’s time for the Discipleship Challenge where we will continue with our Planetarium Challenge to learn how we can live our lives to honor God.    

 

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

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

What was pictured on Challenge #2? The Moon. 

Hold up the Moon from Gizmo’s compartment. In this challenge, you were asked to read and if possible, memorize Deuteronomy 13:4. Would anyone like to try to say this verse from memory? 

Serve only the LORD your God and fear Him alone. Obey His commands, listen to His voice, and cling to Him.  

Our wonderful, powerful God rightly requires that we honor and serve Him alone. He alone is worthy of our devotion and praise. In Deuteronomy 13:4, we learned that an important part of fearing the Lord is obedience to His Word, listening to His voice as He speaks to your heart, and holding tightly to Him. The more we do this, the more we can serve Him and avoid the temptations of this world. 

Your challenge was to listen closely for His voice in your heart and to hold tightly to Him in all circumstances, good or bad. Would anyone like to share your experience with this challenge? Children respond. 

Remove and hold up the Sun, Challenge #3. What is the verse on the Sun? Micah 6:8b–9a. 

Optional: Read Micah 6:8b–9a:

In this verse, we learn very clearly what God requires of us as we wisely choose to fear and live for Him.  

1. The first part of this challenge is to read these verses each day and if possible, memorize them. 

2. The second part of the challenge is to display the fear of the Lord by striving to think, do, and speak what is right and just, as well as showing love and mercy to others.      

As you accept this challenge, remove the Sun from Gizmo’s compartment area and then glue or tape it onto the Planetarium Challenge Card.      

In all of our challenges for this course, we are learning what it means to fear the Lord in our lives. It means to live in a manner that shows Him honor and respect. As we spend time with Him, we will develop a sense of awe of His greatness, His love, and His mercy. The goal is then to begin to think, act and speak like Jesus, doing what is right and showing love to others. That’s not just our challenge for the coming week, but for every day of our lives! 

SuperVerse

In revealing that God was who the people of Athens called the unknown God, Paul declared that from the time God created Adam in the Garden, it was His plan for all people of all nations to seek Him and to find Him. Paul said that God does not distance Himself from us to make Himself hard to find. On purpose, God stays near to each of us.  

In the Bible, people who worshiped idols did not believe that their gods interacted in their personal lives. Paul brought “strange ideas” to them which they had never heard or imagined could be true.     

Not only could they know God intimately, His PURPOSE was for them to find Him!  

   

Let’s say Acts 17:27 together: 

Divide the children into three teams Try to form teams with different ages and genders.  

Assign one of the numbered lines to each team. 

Designate a time frame for the teams to gather in different locations in the room (teams must still be able to see the board).

The teams will then practice saying their line together. This can be as a group, or by assigning a specific word or words to each team member. As a bonus, teams can add motions to their line.    

When the time expires, have the groups reassemble in front of the board to recite their lines in order until the entire verse is completed. 

Have all groups say the Bible reference together.

   

If time permits, have the children turn with their backs to the board and do this again from memory. Help groups out as necessary to complete the verse. 

Conclusion: Imagine the Almighty God, Creator of everything, wants each one of us to find Him and know Him. He is not far from us; His Holy Spirit lives in us!     

  

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

Prayer

Paul observed that the people in Athens were very religious and worshiped many gods. He saw that they even worshiped a statue to an unknown god. So he declared that he KNEW the unknown God they were worshiping. Paul’s mission was to have all people know the One True God! Paul continually prayed for the people who came to know Christ, and we can read some of his prayers in the Bible! Paul prayed for the believers in the city of Ephesus. He wrote in Ephesians 1:15–18:     

In our time of prayer today, you are going to pray as Paul did and then I am going to pray for you. 

Let’s close our eyes and pray silently, asking God to help you to continue to grow in the knowledge of Him as you follow Christ and seek Him each day. Allow children time to pray silently. 

Close in prayer: Heavenly Father, accepting Christ as our Savior is just the beginning of our relationship with You. There is so much to learn about Your awesome love and mercy to us. God, I pray for the Holy Spirit to be the teacher of these children. Give them wisdom and insight so they can grow to know You more. I pray that their hearts would be flooded with light so they can understand the hope and richest blessings that they receive through Your Son Jesus. In His Holy name we pray, Amen!   

Review Game

In this review game, you will answer true/false questions about “Paul and the Unknown God.” 

In Part 1 of this adventure, we saw how Paul was troubled by all of the statues and idols of false gods in Athens. He confronted the people of Athens and preached about the One True God they could really know! Let’s play a review game for Part 2. 

I will read a true/false question to a player from each team. You will step onto one of the plates to answer true or false. Ten points are scored for each correct answer.  

You will also have an additional chance to score points by tossing your two sock balls to take down the bottles which represent the statues and altars to false gods. God calls us to “STEP UP” to defend our faith and declare to others the One True Living God, the Creator of heaven and Earth, who gives breath and life to all and wants everyone to find and know Him!        

Once a question has been answered, the players will each have a chance to throw two balls to knock down the idols and statues. One point is scored for each one knocked down.   

 

Divide the class into two teams. They do not need to be equal. 

A player from each team stands behind the mark. Give each player a set of T/F plates. 

Have the players place the TRUE and FALSE plates on the floor in front of them.   

Give each player two sock balls of one color. 

Ask the same review question from the list to both players. Feel free to add your own questions.

Players answer TRUE or FALSE by stepping on one of the plates. 

Ten points are scored for a correct answer, no points for an incorrect answer.   

Ask teams to give you the true answer to false questions. 

The two players will then stand up any bottles and retrieve the sock balls to give them to the next players.         

The team with the most points wins. 

NOTE: Questions 1 and 2 are review from Part 1 but are covered in the recap at the beginning of the Part 2 video.

Questions and Answers

1. T/F: The leaders in Athens seemed to listen to Paul until he spoke about Jesus rising from the dead. (True.) 

2. T/F: Paul told the council that he saw an altar titled “To a well-known God.” (False—to an unknown god.)     

3. T/F: After leaving Athens, Paul first traveled to the city of Rome. (False—Corinth.)     

4. T/F: In Corinth, Paul met a husband and wife named Abraham and Sarah. (False—Aquila and Priscilla.)

5. T/F: Aquila and Priscilla were carpenters, just like Paul. (False—all three were tentmakers.)  

6. T/F: In Corinth, Paul reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath with the Jews and Greeks to defend his faith. (True.)

7. T/F: Paul was joined by two co-workers named James and John. (False—Silas and Timothy.)

8. T/F: Paul told the Jews that Christ would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles. (True.)     

9. T/F: Paul said that Christ is the weakness of God. (False—the power of God.) 

10. T/F: Paul said that he became all things to all people that he could save some. (True—1 Corinthians 9:22.)   

11. T/F: Paul said that some things existed even before God. (False—God existed before anything else—Colossians 1:17.)    

12. T/F: Paul said God pulls all creation apart. (False—He holds it together—Colossians 1:17.)

13. T/F: Paul said that in God we live and move and have our being. (True—Acts 17:28.) 

14. T/F: Paul said that the worlds were framed by the Word of God. (True—Hebrews 11:3.)

15. T/F: Paul taught that the things which we see are all made from visible things. (False—they did not come from anything that can be seen.)

16. T/F: Today’s SuperTruth says that God wants only nice people to find Him. (False—everyone.)     

17. T/F: According to today’s SuperVerse, God lives far away and is hidden so we cannot find Him. (False—He is not far from us and His purpose is for us to seek and find Him.) 

18. T/F: At the end of Chris and Joy’s presentation, Commander Conrad was completely convinced that God exists. (False—he was not completely convinced.) 

Conclusion: Not everyone will believe that God exists and that Jesus is the only way to salvation. As believers, we are simply called to share our faith and allow the Holy Spirit to draw and convince them of the truth.  

Active Game

Let’s say the SuperTruth together: “God wants everyone to find and know Him.”

We are learning how it is important to seek more of God. We will never run out of new ways to know God and experience His love! Seeking God is an exciting adventure. He may lead us on a straight path; yet, other times there may be twists and turns we don’t expect or understand.

This game symbolizes how we need to continually seek God. In this game, you will follow after a bouncy ball. This represents following God wherever He leads you. That may seem easy; however, these are no ordinary bouncy balls.

Bounce a ball to demonstrate, if you wish.

Divide the children into two equal teams. If teams are uneven, one player may play twice. Try to mix younger and older children.

Have the teams stand at one end of the room.

The first players for each team stand together.

Show each team the color of ball they are to pursue.

Bounce the balls at the same time and say, “Go.”

The children pursue the balls.

The first player to return the ball to you scores one point.

Continue until all players have taken at least one turn.

Have a Sixth Grade helper or another volunteer keep score on the board.

The team with the most points wins.

Conclusion: What made following after these balls more difficult than regular balls? You did not know where it would go next. 

This was a fun game to illustrate what it means to follow or pursue something diligently without giving up, no matter where it led you. It is important to understand that seeking God may take us in different directions and to unexpected places; however, it is never random! There is always a purpose and specific reason wherever God leads us! By seeking and following Him, we will experience and learn more of God.

Word Search Activity

  Let’s say our SuperTruth together: “God wants everyone to find and know Him.” 

In this activity you are going to find words that describe God so you can know Him better. There are ten words you can find in the midst of all of the letters on the Word Search Sheet. The words can be found vertically, horizontally and diagonally. Circle each word that you find. 

Determine the amount of time children will have to complete the activity. Once time is expired, go through each word and ask children to identify where they found it. If time permits, briefly discuss each word and the significance of it.  

Active Game

Let’s say the SuperTruth together: “God wants everyone to find and know Him.” 

Have children spread out along the walls of the classroom, leaving as much space as possible between them.  

Have children count off, starting with number 1 and going around the room until you have the correct count of children present. If the count is an odd number, a leader will need to participate. 

Select the correct number of Survey card pairs to match the count of the children. (i.e. 20 children will need 10 lettered pairs of Survey Cards). 

Shuffle the cards and then give one to each child randomly.           

In this activity, you will seek until you find the person with the matching letter written at the top of your Survey Card. You will then get to know each other better by asking the easy and fun questions written on the cards.  

Begin the activity and allow children time to locate one another and to ask the survey questions. Once everyone has completed the cards, go through the questions as a group to share what the children learned about their partners. 

Raise your hand if you learned something new about your partner. Children respond.    

Conclusion: Sometimes we may be near others, like in this classroom, but we know little about each other. God is near to all of us, but sadly, some people never take the time to find Him and know more about Him. We must desire to seek Him, find Him, and spend time in His presence to know Him more deeply. We will never run out of things to know about God. He is the most creative, loving, powerful, and wise being we will ever meet! The more we pray, worship, serve God, and read about Him in the Bible, the more we become aware of just how awesome and wonderful He is. There is no one like our God—not even close!    

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.  

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.

I will write O.T. for Old Testament and N.T. for New Testament and a Bible verse reference on the board. You may begin to look the verse up while I read a fill-in-the-blank question. One player in each group will write the 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 or answers; all other teams score 5 points for the correct answers stuck to the board within the time limit. Every pair will have a chance to finish, so don’t give up! The most important part of the game is to read God’s Word and familiarize yourselves with using the Bible. After points are awarded, we will take turns reading the entire verse. The team with the most points wins. The sooner we begin, the sooner we will learn the promises associated with seeking God! 

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. If time permits, after points are scored for each question, read the entire verse and briefly discuss it. 

1. O.T.—Jeremiah 29:13: God promises that we will find Him if we look for Him _____. (Wholeheartedly)

2. N.T.—Matthew 7:7: God promises that if we keep _____ Him, we will find Him. If we keep knocking, the _____ will be opened to us. (Seeking, door) 

3. O.T.—Psalm 119:2: When we _____ God’s laws and search for God with all of our hearts, we will be _____. (Obey, joyful)   

4. N.T.—Hebrews 11:6: God promises to ______ those who _____ seek Him. (Reward, sincerely)   

5. O.T.—Proverbs 8:17: God loves those who _____ Him. If we search for Him we will surely _____ Him. (Love, find)   

6. O.T.—2 Chronicles 7:14: God promises that if we humble ourselves, _____, and seek His face, He will _____ our sins and restore our land. (Pray, forgive) 

7. O.T.—Proverbs 8:35: God promises that whoever finds Him, finds _____ and receives _____ from Him. (Life, favor)   

8. O.T.—Psalm 9:10: God promises not to _____ those who search for Him. (Abandon)  

Conclusion: When we continually search for God and find Him, we are promised blessings and favor from Him.