Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Hello and welcome to a new Superbook adventure titled “Doubting Thomas.” In this video, you will meet one of Jesus’ disciples who simply could not believe what the others told him. We’ll also see what happens to Chris on a mission trip, when some kids aren’t interested in the Good News he is trying to share with them!                                  

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

Chris and Joy's Dilemma

On a mission trip, Chris tries to share his faith with some kids—but they just laugh. Should he quit?

SuperTruth and Discussion (2 minutes)

Let’s say today’s SuperTruth together: “I am a witness for Christ.”

 

What does a witness do? Witnesses share what they have heard or seen.      

 

Who rolled the stone away from Jesus’ tomb? An angel from heaven.

 

The guards at the tomb saw the angel at the tomb. What story did the high priest tell them to share instead of the truth? That they had fallen asleep and the disciples stole Jesus’ body from the tomb.    

 

Let’s think like detectives for a minute. Is there anything suspicious about that story? If the guards were asleep, how did they know who stole Jesus’ body?

 

A witness should always tell the truth about something they saw or heard, not a story they make up. In this case, the soldiers accepted money to spread a false story about Jesus so people would not believe the truth.

 

Jesus asks us to tell only what we know and have experienced about Him; we do not have to make up stories. When we share the truth with others, the Holy Spirit will draw people to Jesus by God’s power.             

 

Let’s say today’s SuperTruth together again: “I am a witness for Christ.”

           

Let’s watch the second part of the video to see  Chris witness about Jesus.

                

Video 3: Bible Story and Resolution (19 minutes)

Bible Story and Resolution

 

 

Superbook takes Chris, Joy and Gizmo to Jerusalem just after Jesus is crucified. Roman soldiers say His body was stolen from the tomb. Why should Thomas believe Jesus’ other disciples, who say He is alive? And who is the mysterious traveler on the road to Emmaus? The children discover that Jesus is always there—for everyone!

Video discussion

How did Jesus witness about Himself and the events surrounding His resurrection? He shared Scriptures that were written centuries before He was born, yet accurately described things that would happen regarding His life, death and resurrection.  

 

Why is it difficult to witness about Jesus to others sometimes? We are afraid that people won’t believe what we say, or we worry about being made fun of. We don’t think we know enough about Jesus or the Bible. We are afraid we won’t know the answers to people’s questions.

 

Jesus gave us all we need to witness about Him. He wants us to trust in Him and the power of the Holy Spirit within us. All we need is to be willing to share that Jesus is alive and what He is doing in our own lives.   

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)

Together, let’s say today’s SuperVerse, Acts 1:8:

Think about the amazing opportunity and privilege Jesus gives to each of us. He calls us to be His witnesses to tell others who may have never heard the Good News! It is our mission to share about His love, forgiveness and salvation with anyone we can. 

 

In the SuperVerse, who did Jesus say will give us the power we need to accomplish our important mission? The Holy Spirit.       

 

Was Chris trusting in the Holy Spirit’s power when he attempted to witness to the other children? No, he was trusting in his own ability and “coolness.” 

 

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)

Heavenly Father, thank You for empowering us to be witnesses for You. Help us to be willing to share Jesus and His love whenever the opportunity comes. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.     

 

In today’s game, you will be a follower of Jesus after His resurrection while also trying to keep away from the Roman soldiers! Let’s go see 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.

Active Game

In the video, Thomas hid Chris and Gizmo from the Roman soldiers. Although this isn’t an actual Bible event, it was dangerous to be a follower of Christ after He rose from the dead. The religious leaders were willing to do whatever was necessary to stop people from spreading the news about Jesus’ resurrection. In this game, you will be followers of Christ who must stay one step ahead of the Roman soldiers and especially their leader, the Centurion.     

 

Have an older child or a Sixth-Grade helper play the Roman Centurion. That child will stand in the center of the room as you explain the game.

 

We are going to play a variation of a game called Four Corners. The goal is to avoid being found and arrested by the Roman Centurion. With eyes closed, the Centurion will slowly count aloud to 10. During the counting, you will quietly move to the sign of your choice. The signs at each corner of the room represent a safe place to hide with other believers to encourage one another and share the Good News of Jesus being alive!

It is important to move quickly but also quietly so the Centurion can’t hear you! When the counting is finished, the Centurion will keep his/her eyes closed and shout, “I think someone is hiding at sign number _____ (1, 2, 3, or 4). You never know which number the soldier will say! Everyone hiding by that sign must sit down in the middle of the room near the Centurion because you have been caught! The game continues until only one player remains. That player successfully escapes from the Roman soldiers! Let’s play two practice rounds to make sure everyone understands the game. If you’re caught in these first two rounds, you don’t need to sit down.

 

To shorten the game, once a corner is named, you may announce that it is closed so players may no longer flee there. This limits play to three turns per round, after which there will probably be a group of winners in the fourth corner. You can say that the believers successfully escaped the Roman soldiers and won! Children who were “caught” are then free to play in the next round.

 

Conclusion:

How did you decide where to go? Children respond.

Was it hard not to just follow the crowd? Children respond.

Was it difficult to remain quiet as you played? Children respond.   

 

This game was fun, but we should remember that today, some Christians in parts of the world suffer terrible hardships because of their faith in Jesus. They are not free to openly witness to others about Jesus. Let’s learn more about witnessing for Jesus in today’s teaching.

Teaching

 

Let’s say our SuperTruth together: “I am a witness for Christ.”

 

As we follow Jesus, He calls us to be His witnesses. What does that mean? We tell others about Him.

 

A witness is a person who sees or hears something, or who has personal knowledge of something or someone. Because we follow Jesus, we have personal knowledge and experiences with Him that we need to share with others so they can know the Good News of Jesus and choose to follow Him.   

 

One way to witness is by our words. We can simply tell others what we have experienced through our relationship with Christ. We can witness about His love, forgiveness, joy, strength, and how He gives us eternal life. We can tell people about the hope and peace He gives us even when things seem to be going wrong.

 

We don’t want to keep these wonderful experiences to ourselves; we want to share them with others so they can experience these things, too! Romans 10:14 says:

 

 

Jesus has given us the task of sharing the Good News so others can choose to believe by faith! 

 

And we don’t just tell others about His love, we show it! Jesus said this to His disciples in John 13:34–35:

 

 

Actions speak louder than words! When we love others as Jesus loves us, people take notice! What a powerful witness!  

 

At times, being a witness may seem too difficult to do on our own. The fantastic news is that we don’t have to, we have help! Who helps us? The answer is in our SuperVerse.

 

Let’s say it together; Acts 1:8:

 

 

Jesus encouraged His disciples with these words right before He ascended to Heaven. He told them that they would receive power to do what? To witness about Him everywhere, to the end of the earth.

 

His words are also for us today; He gives us the power to be His witnesses wherever we go!

 

Chris wasn’t successful witnessing at first because he was trying to do it by his own ability and power. It also seemed like he was trying to impress Joy and Gizmo. Jesus wants us to witness by His power, 

not ours. The focus needs to be on Jesus and not us! The power of the Holy Spirit can do what we can’t—prepare people to receive Jesus as their Savior.

 

In our video, we saw how Mary was empowered by her encounter with Jesus outside the tomb. She ran to tell—or to witness to—the disciples. The two men walking on the road to Emmaus said their hearts were burning within them because of what Jesus was saying. They could not wait to witness to the other disciples about their encounter with Jesus!   

 

Dim the lights a bit if possible. Hold up the flashlight and keep the batteries out of sight. This flashlight has a specific purpose—what is it? To provide light when it’s dark.

 

Attempt to turn it on, look at the front of the flashlight and look a bit confused. Well, something must be wrong. I don’t see any light, do you? No.

 

What do you think the problem could be? The batteries are dead, it doesn’t have batteries, or no power. 

 

Open the battery compartment and look inside. Oh, you are exactly right! The flashlight can’t light up without batteries.

Insert the batteries and try it again. There we go! The flashlight can’t do what it was made to do unless it has the power to do it! The batteries provide power for a purpose.   

 

Turn lights up again if they were dimmed.

 

The Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 3:7:

 

To be a witness for Christ isn’t just a task, it is a privilege He gives to each of us. He provides the power to us for this purpose! Just like the batteries for the flashlight, without the power of the Holy Spirit, we cannot do what we are called to do. Jesus has called us to be His witnesses and to be a bright light in a dark world. (See Ephesians 5:8.) He provides all we need to do it!

 

Let’s go to our Discipleship Challenge and talk more about the power we are given to live for Him and be an effective witness!

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

 

Give each child a Heart Challenge Page and a Flame Page, pencil, children’s scissors, and a glue stick.

Have children write their names on each page with a pencil.

Optional: If using black and white copies, give children orange, red and yellow crayons, colored pencils, or washable markers to color the flames. If time permits, have the children color their flames or instruct them to color them at home.  

 

Display the sample challenge pages. Have each child carefully cut out one flame and glue it in the heart labeled “Challenge #1.”

 

After Jesus rose from the dead, two believers were walking along a road to a village named Emmaus. As the men discussed the events that had just taken place, Jesus joined them—although they didn’t recognize Him! Then Jesus explained how the Scriptures predicted all that had just happened with His suffering, death and resurrection. 

 

What did the men say about their hearts after Jesus disappeared? They said that as He shared the Scriptures, their hearts burned inside them. (See Luke 24:13–34.)

 

That is the key to today’s Discipleship Challenge. It is called the “Heart Challenge.” 

Refer to the children’s challenge pages. There are three hearts on your challenge page, one for each lesson of the Doubting Thomas Adventure. Your challenge is to read and learn the verse for each heart, then pray and, with God’s help, try your best to complete each challenge. Each time you do this, you can cut out a flame and glue it to that heart. The more faithful you are to each challenge, the sooner your heart will be set ablaze. As we fill our hearts with His Word and spend time in prayer, we will experience Jesus in powerful ways that we will want to share with others! 

 

The Old Testament prophet named Jeremiah described His experience this way in Jeremiah 20:9:

 

             

Optional: What is the verse written for the Challenge #1 heart? Acts 1:8a.

 

Read the verse aloud:

 

 

Jesus gives us power to witness about Him! The first challenge is to pray daily for opportunities and power to witness and to learn Acts 1:8a. You already have a head start; Heart #1 has started to burn, so don’t let it go out, set it ablaze!      

 

When we meet again, you will have a chance to share your experience with this challenge.      

SuperVerse

Let’s look at the board and say the entire SuperVerse together, ignoring the numbers that begin each line: Acts 1:8

Most often when we hear the word witness, we think of someone who testifies or shares what they know in the courtroom during a legal trial. As Christians, we are called by God to witness or share what we personally know about Jesus.

 

Before Jesus ascended to heaven, He instructed His followers to wait on the Holy Spirit to fill them with power. This power gave them strength and boldness to be effective witnesses of all they had learned and seen as they spent time with Jesus. 

 

Divide the children into two groups.

Have the groups meet for a few minutes in separate areas of the room where they can see the Bible verse on the board. Group #1 will do Line #1 and Group #2 will do Line #2. Have them practice their line and make up motions to go with it. If possible, have the group memorize their assigned line. 

 

Next, have the groups stand facing each other. Group #1 should say and act out their line and then Group #2 should do the same, with both groups saying line 3, the Scripture reference. Do this at least twice, then erase the verse and have them do it from memory.

 

You just told each other what you saw on the board. In other words, you became witnesses to each other. Even when you couldn’t see the verse anymore, you still knew it and could tell it! Even though we can’t see Jesus with our physical eyes, we know Him and can tell others about Him!

 

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 have been discussing what it means to witness for Christ. The great news for us is that God equips us to do it! In the book of Acts, Jesus told His followers to wait in Jerusalem until they received power from the Holy Spirit. He knew they could not be effective witnesses in their own power. They needed God’s mighty power!

 

This is true for us today, too! He will fill us with His power to tell others about Him. We don’t have to go on a mission trip to a foreign country like Chris and Joy did. Jesus calls us to be witnesses for Him right where we are, in our homes, our neighborhoods, and our schools.

 

In our prayer today, we are going to make ourselves available to God and ask Him to fill us with His power to share the most important news in the world—that Jesus died for our sins and rose again to give us eternal life! Have children close their eyes and bow their heads. If you want to be a witness for Jesus, silently tell Him right now that you are willing to do that whenever the opportunity comes. Allow children a moment to respond.

 

Now, silently ask God to fill you with His power to effectively share this important message with others. Children respond.

 

Close in prayer. Heavenly Father, You did not entrust the angels with the privilege of spreading the Good News of Jesus. You gave that important job to us. However, we know we cannot do it by our own strength and ability. We need the leading and the power of Your Spirit to guide us and to prepare people’s hearts to receive what we share. Please fill us with Your Holy Spirit. Open our eyes to see where You want us to go. Open our ears to hear Your voice telling us what to do. Open our hearts to receive Your mighty power to share the Gospel! In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.  

Drawing Activity

Give each child a copy of the Witness Post Page and a pencil. 

 

Think what it was like to live back in Bible times. Did people have televisions or laptops or cell phones? No.

 

Name some ways that Jesus’ followers could tell others about Jesus. Preaching, teaching,conversations, writing letters, by their godly actions, by performing miracles.

 

What are some ways we have to communicate today that the disciples didn’t have? Phone calls, texts, television, radio, computers, social media posts, etc.

 

Some apps make it possible to share messages, pictures and videos with others—instantly!

In this activity, we’ll read an event from the Bible that you watched in the Superbook video today. Listen carefully and imagine you are there as the event takes place. Then, draw two pictures of what happened on your Witness Post Page. Your drawings represent a photo or video you took of the event that you want to share with others. As an option, post a short message underneath your pictures. The message can add details to the pictures or say something like, “You aren’t going to believe this!” or “The most amazing thing just happened!”

 

Read or have a volunteer read one passage. Then, ask children to name key events to help them decide what to draw. Important: children should be creative and draw what they feel is important—not necessarily what others choose. Children can draw two progressive pictures in the two blocks to represent a video, or two separate pictures of two different scenes. Give them a couple of minutes to draw, then have several share their “posts.” 

 

1. Luke 24:28–35:

 

   

2. Matthew 28:1–6:

 

 

3. John 20:24–28:

 

 

Conclusion: Witnessing is simply sharing what you have seen, heard or experienced with Christ. Today, there are so many ways that we can effectively witness to others about Jesus! Let’s fulfill the mission God gives us, to share our experience with Christ, so others can also believe.  

Active Game

Let’s say the SuperVerse together but when we get to the word POWER, let’s shout it as loud as we can! Acts 1:8:

 

 

The Holy Spirit gives us power to effectively witness about Him and to share the Gospel.      

 

Give a plate and crayons to each child. Point to the word “POWER” on the board and have children write POWER on their plates in large letters.  

 

Divide the children into two even teams. A leader may need to play. Players form two rows a few feet away from and parallel to a set of plates on the floor. Each team will stand side by side and at arm’s length from each other. Place a box of balls at one end of each team.

 

The plates you are holding represent the power that God gives you to accomplish our mission to be His witnesses.

Hold up a box of balls so children can see inside. These balls represent the Gospel. Each ball has a letter of the word Gospel written on it.

 

According to the SuperVerse, where are we to be His witnesses? Everywhere!   

 

Hold up one plate. Your job is to be a witness and share the Gospel not just in one place, but as our SuperVerse says, everywhere! The six plates on the floor represent different places we can be witnesses.

 

Hold up a “POWER” plate. You must use God’s “POWER” to share the Gospel with the player next to you. The first players near the box on each team will take a ball from the box, put it on their plate, take it to the next player, and share it by rolling it onto the other plate. Each player will receive and share like this until the ball reaches the last plate. The last player will take the ball and roll it onto a plate on the floor. This represents witnessing or sharing the Gospel. The last player must be careful to place each ball on the correct plate to spell GOSPEL—only one ball per floor plate. 

 

Now, the catch is, you cannot use your free hand to transfer the ball or to hold the ball on the plate; the ball must be balanced to keep it from rolling off the plate. If a ball falls on the floor, the player may use a hand to pick it up and return it to the plate. Once the first player shares a ball, he/she will get the next ball and start it down the line. Continue until all balls are shared. The first team to have all the balls on the plates in the correct order to spell GOSPEL wins. Play again and shuffle the order of the players in the lines.

 

Conclusion: Jesus wants each of us to be a witness. And He gives us the power to do the job! In this game, you weren’t allowed to use your hand to move the ball, you had to use the “POWER” given to you instead. When we operate using the power of the Holy Spirit, given to every believer, the Gospel can travel everywhere in the world.

Bible Activity

In today’s Bible study, we are going to look up and discuss a Bible story of a woman who encountered Jesus and then could not help but tell others about Him. What do we call sharing what we know about Jesus? Witnessing!           

    

Make sure each child has a Bible or access to the Superbook Bible App. Try to pair an experienced Bible user with a child who isn’t as familiar with the Bible.

Have the children look up one Bible Passage at a time, provide assistance as needed. Read the verse aloud or divide the verses between children to read if time permits.

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

 

Jesus speaks to a Samaritan woman: John 4:27–30, 39–42.

Introduction: Jesus is traveling with His disciples and stops at a well. His disciples go to get food in  the village and Jesus begins to talk with a Samaritan woman who is drawing water from the well. This is important because the Jewish people and the Samaritans were enemies and did not like each other. Jesus came to unite all people and tear down walls of prejudice and hatred. In their conversation, Jesus revealed many events in her life to that point. 

 

²⁷Just then His disciples came back. They were shocked to find Him talking to a woman, but none of them had the nerve to ask, “What do You want with her?” or “Why are you talking to her?” ²⁸The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, ²⁹“Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could He possibly be the Messiah?” ³⁰So the people came streaming from the village to see Him.

³⁹Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, “He told me everything I ever did!” ⁴⁰When they came out to see Him, they begged Him to stay in their village. So, He stayed for two days, ⁴¹long enough for many more to hear His message and believe. ⁴²Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard Him ourselves. Now we know that He is indeed the Savior of the world.”

 

·      In verse 27, the disciples returned and were shocked at what Jesus was doing. What can we learn about witnessing from Jesus’ example compared with His disciples’ reaction? The disciples didn’t understand why Jesus, being a Jew, would spend time with a Samaritan woman. They didn’t see the importance of everyone coming to know Jesus, regardless of who they were or where they came from.    

Witnessing is for everyone, and God doesn’t show favoritism. The people we think are least likely to receive the Good News or least deserving in our eyes are very important to Jesus. We must make witnessing a priority and seize the opportunity to tell others about Him instead of thinking of ourselves first.

 

·      In verse 28, how meaningful was it to the woman that Jesus took the time to talk with her and that He knew all about her? She was amazed and dropped what she was doing. Nothing else mattered at that moment.

 

·      In verse 29, what did the interaction with Jesus cause her to do? She couldn’t keep it to herself, she had to tell others.  

 

·      In verse 30, did the people from her village ignore her? No, they had to come see Jesus for themselves.

 

·      In verses 39–42, what happened as a result of the Samaritan woman’s witness? Because of her witness many believed, and they came out to see Jesus and begged Him to stay. They believed He is the Savior of the world after spending time with Him.  

 

Consider this for a moment, Jesus was near the village, yet others didn’t know He was there. They may have never met or listened to Him if it weren’t for the woman’s witness about Him.

 

·      What does this say to you about the importance of witnessing? One person can make a big difference. The woman’s witness brought many others to Jesus. It is important to be willing to share your faith with those around you when given the opportunity. When we hear someone we know share something, we are more likely to believe it.  

 

Conclusion: If Jesus had viewed the Samaritan people as His disciples did, so many would have missed out knowing Him as Savior! Let’s close in prayer: Dear God, open our eyes and hearts to see the great number of people who need to hear the Good News of Jesus—no matter who they are!