Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Hello and welcome everyone! Today, we begin a new Superbook adventure titled “Paul and the Unknown God.” Paul never backed down from defending his faith in Christ. Speaking of defending the faith, Chris is facing a tough challenge to prove God exists to someone he really admires at Space Camp. Let’s watch the video!            

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

Chris and Joy's Dilemma

In this first episode of a two-part adventure, Chris and Joy go to Space Camp with Gizmo, who is annoyed by a super-high-tech drone named QBIT. Chris is thrilled to meet his childhood hero, Commander Duke Conrad—who says there is no proof that God exists! 

SuperTruth and Discussion (2 minutes)

At Space Camp, Chris was thrilled to meet Commander Conrad! But why wasn’t Gizmo thrilled to meet QBIT? Gizmo was annoyed about how smart and high-tech QBIT was.    

What did Chris stop to do during the spacewalk exercise? He stopped to pray and ask God for help. 

The commander said that as a scientist, you must investigate everything to discover the truth about the universe. The Bible tells us the truth—that God existed before anything else. He created everything that we see, and even things we don’t see.  

Today’s SuperTruth is “Creation is evidence of the invisible God.” Let’s say that together: Creation is evidence of the invisible God.

Let’s watch the rest of the video to see how Chris and Joy learn to present evidence that God exists.

Video 3: Bible Story and Resolution (19 minutes)

Bible Story and Resolution

Superbook takes Chris, Joy and Gizmo—with QBIT the droid—to ancient Greece, where they visit Athens. They see how Paul is able to preach the Gospel to people who believe in many gods, and the children begin learning how to talk to those who don’t believe in the One True God. This first episode of a two-part series ends as QBIT suddenly finds himself in danger!

Video discussion

Raise your hand to answer. The commander told Chris, “No evidence, no …” —what? God or gods.

In Athens, Chris said the Greeks had the opposite problem of Commander Conrad; what did they believe in? They believed in all kinds of gods. 

When Paul debated with the leaders in Athens, what did he say that God gives to everything? Life and breath.  

Play Video 10A: SuperVerse Graphic 1

Graphic loops 3 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.

What does “proclaim” mean? To announce or declare; to tell everyone. 

What are some things we can see in the sky? The sun, moon, planets, stars, clouds, rainbows, etc.

All of these things announce the greatness of God!    

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 Jesus, everything You created is proof of Your greatness and glory. Help us to show others through our words and actions that You are the one and only living God. In Jesus’ name, Amen.     

In Small Group today, you will have the opportunity to work together to fill the skies with God’s handiwork. Are you up for the challenge?         

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 play a fun game to fill the heavens with God’s creations.      

The sheets on the floor represent the heavens or sky above us. The sky is empty, and it is up to you to fill it!    

Hold up a marble or a coin. Each of these represents a star that God created. 

Hold up a disc. The discs represent Earth, the sun, moon, and clouds that God created.  

Divide the children into two equal teams. One child may need to play twice or a leader may join in.  

Have the teams line up behind the first line. 

Give a set of four different discs (sun, moon, Earth, clouds) to an older player on each team. Note that throwing the discs accurately is harder than tossing the coins or rolling the marbles—so you may wish to ask for volunteers who want a harder challenge! Each of those players will have 2 discs (any 2 of the 4 discs). This gives each team a set of four different discs. 

Give the remaining players on each team two marbles or pennies. 

Tell the children that this is a relay, but not a race, so there is no need to hurry. 

Teams play at the same time. 

The first player from each team will walk from the starting line to the middle line. Each player will toss a coin, roll a marble, or throw a disc to try to land it on the sheet (sky).

The player then walks to the next line, which is closest to the sheet, and repeats the action with the second coin, marble or disc. 

The player returns to the team and the next player takes a turn. 

Each coin or marble that lands and remains on the sheet (sky) scores 5 points for the team. Any coin or marble that is partially on the sheet when play ends is awarded one point.

Each disc scores 10 points when it lands at least partially on the sheet (sky).   

The team with the most points after each player has taken a turn, wins. Play again if time permits.           

Optional: Give children one marble and one coin instead of two coins or two marbles; or give one child one disc and one coin or marble, etc.

Teaching

Write the SuperVerse on the board: Psalm 19:1:

Make copies of Exhibit Pages A–F (6) on cardstock in color or black and white.

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

Discipleship Challenge:

Make a copy of the Evidence Page on cardstock, one for each child plus extras.  

In a courtroom, evidence is presented to show a judge or jury facts about a case. Every piece of evidence is clearly labeled in court. So let’s look at some evidence that some things exist even though we can’t actually see them with our eyes. 

Hold up Exhibit Pages A–E, saying Exhibit A, B, etc., one at a time and lead a brief discussion of each one in order.   

Exhibit A: What do you see in this image? Hoofprints of a horse. 

Do you see a horse? No. 

However, based on this evidence, raise your hand is you would agree that a horse exists. Children respond.  

Exhibit B: What do you see in this image? A leaf. 

Where would a leaf come from? A tree.

Even though you don’t see a tree, raise your hand if you agree a tree exists. Children respond.  

Exhibit C: This is a little tougher. What does this picture show? A flag.

What is making the flag blow? The wind.  

Even though the wind is invisible, raise your hand if you believe the wind exists. Children respond.  

Exhibit D: What is this an image of? A footprint.

What type of creature made this footprint? A human, a person. 

Even though you can’t see a person, based on this evidence, raise your hand of you agree that a person exists. Children respond.  

All this evidence points to the existence of things invisible to your eyes.   

Let’s say our SuperTruth together: “Creation is the evidence of the invisible God.” 

Chris and Joy were searching for evidence to convince Commander Conrad that God existed. The Apostle Paul presented evidence about God to persuade the people of Athens that God not only exists but that He could be known, and that God interacts personally with His creation. Paul also declared that our very existence depends on God alone!  

Even though God is invisible to our physical eyes, there is evidence all around us to proclaim that He exists. That is what our SuperVerse tells us. 

Let’s say Psalm 19:1 together: 

As we’ve said, to proclaim means to announce or declare. It also means to praise highly or openly glorify.    

In Bible times, a ram’s horn was blown to announce or proclaim a man as he was anointed king. (See 1 Kings 1:39.) Throughout history, trumpets have announced a king’s arrival and entrance.      

In the SuperVerse, are people proclaiming God’s glory? No, the heavens are doing the proclaiming. 

“The heavens” means everything above the ground we live on—the wind and the atmosphere, the clouds, rainbows, sun, moon, planets, stars, and galaxies. Every day, these things proclaim God’s glory and His craftmanship. 

Hold up Exhibit E. What do you see in this image? The sun, moon and stars. 

So even though you cannot see God, who is invisible, raise your hand if you believe this evidence proves He exists. Children respond.  

Every day these things and all of creation proclaim God’s existence, His glory, and craftmanship.

Hebrews 11:3 (NKJV) says: 

It is by faith we believe that this is evidence of the invisible God.

I have one last exhibit of evidence to argue our case for the invisible God. Hold up Exhibit F. 

God created man and woman and breathed life into them. You and I are the greatest evidence of God as Creator. The Bible tells us that we are created in His image. (See Genesis 1:27.) 

The Bible also tells us that we are His masterpiece. Ephesians 2:10 says: 

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.

What are we? We are God’s masterpiece. 

God created us for His good purpose and gave us new life in Jesus to do good things to bring Him glory and praise. Even though God is invisible, raise your hand if you believe we are evidence that proves He exists. 

Children respond. 

Matthew 5:16 says: 

As we succeed in living like Christ, we can give evidence of the invisible God and proclaim His glory by our words and our actions so that others may know Him, too.   

Now it’s time for our Discipleship Challenge where we will praise and proclaim our amazing God.      

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application 

Give each child an Evidence Page and a pencil. Have each child write his/her name on the back. 

We have been learning about how the heavens proclaim the glory of God. 

Hold up an Evidence Page and give a brief overview of items 1–4. 

1. First, read a section of Psalm 148 each day in your Bible.

2. Then, observe a different part of God’s creation and make a drawing of it. 

3. In your prayer time, praise God for the creation you have observed.

4. Ask God to give you opportunities and boldness to share about Him with others.    

Optional: read Psalm 148:1–4: 

When we meet again, you will have a chance to share your observations and your drawings for this challenge.     

SuperVerse

There is another exciting truth about the SuperVerse. It doesn’t say, the heavens proclaimed God’s glory—like it happened in the past but stopped. The heavens “are proclaiming” and the sky “is displaying” the creative work of God—today! They are evidence of our amazing Creator, who spoke everything into existence, and they are still displaying His glory to the world right now!         

Creation displays His craftsmanship. Have you ever seen a craftsman at work—such as someone making a beautiful clay pot or carving something out of wood? A craftsman is passionate and pays attention to every detail. God’s creation shows that He is the ultimate craftsman. 

One magnificent thing God created from nothing is the ocean. Raise your hand if you have been to the ocean. Children respond. 

What continually crashes onto the shore? Waves. 

That is why we are going to form a wave to help us learn the SuperVerse!   

Write the following words or phrases on eight separate pieces of paper, large enough for the whole class to read, then scramble them:

The heavens  

Proclaim 

The glory   

Of God. 

The skies

Display  

His craftmanship.

Psalm 19:1 

Have the class read the SuperVerse on the board together two times and then erase it from the board. Choose eight children to stand side by side in the front of the room. Give one sheet of the SuperVerse to each child. Starting on the far left (from the class’s perspective), have the eight children create a “wave” by holding up and reading aloud their individual phrases (which will be out of order) and lowering their papers when done. Ask if that sounded like the correct verse. The answer will be no! 

Ask the rest of the class to tell you which reader should be first, second, third, etc. Rearrange the eight children in that order and have them read their phrases again, creating a “wave” with their papers. Ask the rest of the class if the verse is now correct. If not, have the class rearrange the readers again until they can say the phrases of the verse in the proper order. Finally, have the entire class follow the “wave” to say the verse together two or three times, going faster each time.

NOTE: If there are fewer than 8 children, give two pages to each of four children. Or, have the class work together to put the scrambled pages in order on the floor.

Prayer

Have children stand in a large circle as you speak.  

Paul observed that the people in Athens were very religious and worshiped many gods. He saw that they even worshiped at an altar to an unknown god. To this, he declared that he KNEW the unknown God who they worshiped. He is the One True God, the Creator of everything!  

Optional: read Acts 17:22–24: 

In today’s prayer, we’ll each take a turn and thank God for something He has wonderfully created. 

Let’s take a moment now to close our eyes and think about the things God has created for us to enjoy.  

Allow children time to meditate on God and His creation. Then, go around the circle in one direction and have each child say, “Thanks for ____,” “Thank You, God, for _____,” or “Thank You for creating _____.” 

If a child prefers not to participate, instruct him/her to raise a hand slightly and then quickly move to the next child, saying the next child’s name so he/she knows it’s his/her turn to speak.    

Close in prayer. Dear God, thank You for all of the wonderful things You have created to give evidence to Your existence and Your perfect craftsmanship. As we look into the sky and all around us each day, let it be a reminder that You are alive, above all things, and that You want us to seek and know You in a deeper way. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Match Game

We are going to play a match game. In this game are twelve different pairs of cards. Each pair is something that God created. A phrase is hidden underneath all of the cards. It will be revealed as cards are matched and removed.

Divide the children into two teams. Teams will alternate turns. A team’s turn consists of one child choosing two cards. Flip each card up as it is guessed to show the children and read it aloud. If the cards do not match, put the cards back down on the board. If the cards match, remove them from the board and give them to the player who matched them. On any turn, the player may also attempt to guess the hidden phrase to win a bonus point. Play until all pairs are removed from the board. The team with the most pairs (points) wins.

Optional: After each match, read the Scripture associated with each match. Some Scriptures apply to more than one match. 

• Animals—Genesis 1:25: 

• Sun, Moon and Stars—Genesis 1:14–18:

• Man and Woman—Genesis 1:27:  

• Wind and Mountains—Amos 4:13 (NKJV):  

• Plants—Genesis 1:12: 

• Universe (Earth)—Genesis 1:1: 

• Birds, fish—Genesis 1:21:  

So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that scurries and swarms in the water, and every sort of bird—each producing offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.

• The Sea—Psalm 146:6: 

Let’s say the SuperTruth together: “Creation is evidence of the invisible God.”   

In our game, creation was evidence of or revealed the Invisible God!    

Drawing Activity

The heavens and sky above us proclaim God’s glory. So, in honor of that, who can say today’s SuperTruth while looking up toward the sky? Creation is evidence of the invisible God.  

In this activity, you are going to work together in small groups to make murals. I’d like you to work together to draw elements that represent all of God’s creation listed on the board.  

Divide the class into groups of 3–5 children, mixing boys and girls, older and younger children.

Lay out the sections of butcher paper across the tables or on the floor.

If using poster boards, tape two poster boards together side by side for each group.

Give each group crayons, colored pencils, or washable markers.

Instruct the groups to create the three different scenes in the order listed on the board.

Tape the finished murals on the wall. Have groups share their murals with everyone.

Conclusion: When we observe everything around us, we are reminded of God’s amazing creativity and craftsmanship.   

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.   

We are more than conquerors in Christ. Through Him, we can triumph over whatever we face. The verses we will look up are based on being victorious and about Jesus, the One who enables 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 may vary.

I will say a Bible reference and then say O.T. for Old Testament and N.T. for the New Testament. Then, I will write the reference 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 find out more about the works of our Creator? 

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. Nehemiah 9:6—O.T.: God made the skies, heavens and stars. He made the earth and the ____ and _____ in them. (Seas, everything)

“You alone are the LORD. You made the skies and the heavens and all the stars. You made the earth and the seas and everything in them. You preserve them all, and the angels of heaven worship You.”

2. Isaiah 45:7—O.T.: God created the _____ and made the _____. (Light, darkness)  

“I create the light and make the darkness. I send good times and bad times. I, the LORD, am the One who does these things.”

3. 1 Timothy 4:4—N.T.: Everything God created is _____. (Good)

Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it but receive it with thanks.

4. Colossians 1:16—N.T.: God made the things we can _____and the things we _____ see. Everything was _____through Him and for Him. (See, can’t, created)  

For through Him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through Him and for Him.

5. Revelation 4:11—N.T.: God created all things. They _____ because He created what He _____. (Exist, pleased) 

“You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For You created all things, and they exist because You created what You pleased.” 

6. Psalm 148:5—O.T.: Every created thing should give _____ to the Lord. They came into being at His _____. (Praise, command)   

Let every created thing give praise to the LORD, for He issued His command, and they came into being.

7. John 1:3—N.T.: God created everything through Him (Jesus). _____ was created except through Him (Jesus). (Nothing) 

God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him. 

8. Psalm 19:1a—O.T.: The ______ proclaim the _____ of God. (Heavens, glory) 

The heavens proclaim the glory of God.

9. Isaiah 40:26—O.T.: God created the _____ and brings them out like an _____. He calls each one by _____. (Stars, army; name) 

Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of His great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing. 

10. Psalm 33:9—O.T.: When God _____, the world ____! (Spoke, began) 

For when He spoke, the world began! It appeared at His command.

Conclusion: Creation didn’t just happen, it was spoken into existence by our Almighty, invisible, and wonderful God. His creation proclaims His glory and craftsmanship.