Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Hello and welcome to all! Today, we have a new Superbook adventure called “Rescued!” This video contains not one, but three exciting Bible stories that reveal how God miraculously rescues people in desperate circumstances. In our Superbook adventure, the children need to act quickly on a mission trip to try to rescue a family who is in danger. Let’s watch the first part of the video now!                           

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

Chris and Joy's Dilemma

While on a disaster relief mission, Chris and Joy are glad to meet a new friend named Mateo—when a mudslide threatens to sweep them all away!

SuperTruth and Discussion (2 minutes)

What device did Professor Quantum bring to help the local people on the mission trip? A water purification system.

Why did the group need to rush to set up the system? A bad storm was approaching.

How did Chris and Joy help Mateo before the rain came? They helped him put a tarp over the open roof of his home.

Why was Mateo’s home in even greater danger than just getting wet from the rain? The rain was creating a mudslide down the hillside and loosened a huge boulder that could roll downhill and crash into the house.

Today’s SuperTruth is “I can trust God to rescue me.” The children did all they could to help Mateo and his family. However, it didn’t appear to be enough to save the house. They needed God’s help.

Let’s say today’s SuperTruth together: “I can trust God to rescue me.”

When all we can do isn’t enough, God is ready and waiting to help. He can rescue His people in surprising ways!

Let’s watch the second part of the video to see what happens with Mateo’s house and if Gizmo can finally get unstuck!

Video 3: Bible Story and Resolution (19 minutes)

Bible Story and Resolution

Superbook takes Gizmo and all three children to witness miracles as Jonah is cast overboard; Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are tossed into a fiery furnace; and Daniel is thrown to the lions. The children discover that God can rescue His people in mighty and surprising ways!

Video discussion

I would like three different people to raise your hand and name one of the Bible stories we saw in the video. Daniel and the Lions Den; Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and the fiery furnace; Jonah and the great fish.

What did God do for all of them? He rescued them; He saved them in miraculous ways; He heard their prayers.

What did God save Daniel from? The hungry lions.

What did Jonah do inside the big fish before God rescued him? He prayed to God.

Who appeared in the fiery furnace with the three Hebrew men? A fourth man who looked like God.

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, Psalms 46:1:

Can someone tell me what the word refuge means? Children answer.

The word refuge means a place of shelter or a place of safety. One Bible version uses the word fortress instead of refuge (CEV). When we call on God and draw close to Him, He provides a safe, strong place of protection and gives us strength.

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, thank You for being faithful and trustworthy in all situations we may face. We can always trust that You are ready to help us in times of trouble. In Your saving name we pray, Amen.

In Small Group today, you will have an opportunity to save each other from trouble. Are you up for this rescue mission?

Rescue Game

As we saw in the video, God can rescue anyone out of any situation. Psalm 40:2a says:

Let’s play a game about rescuing each other from trouble! Pretend that two of these rectangles are deep pits, and the other two rectangles are the solid ground. You will take turns tossing a rope to rescue your teammates in trouble!

Divide the class into two equal teams and have each team line up behind their “pit.” Choose one child from each team to be the first “rescuer,” who stands with a rope on the “solid ground” across from the team’s pit. One player on each team steps into the pit and must keep both feet in the rectangle until he or she can catch the rope and be rescued. Each rescuer should hold one end of the rope and quickly toss the other end as many times as necessary until the player in the pit can grab it. The rescuer then drops the rope and quickly sits or kneels behind the solid ground. The rescued child runs to the solid ground with the rope to become the new rescuer, then begins throwing the rope to the next teammate in the pit. Both teams play simultaneously. If a player steps off a rectangle, play stops for that team until the player is back on again. The first team to rescue all of its players from trouble wins!

Conclusion: No matter what kind of difficulty we may face—physical, emotional or spiritual—God is ready and more than able to help us. Let’s learn more about how God rescues us in today’s teaching time.

Teaching

That was an exciting video with not one, but three powerful and true Bible stories about how God rescued His people. Let’s read today’s SuperVerse, together from the board. Psalm 46:1:

The word refuge means a place of shelter and safety. There are many different forms of shelters. Hold up the Severe Weather sign. Raise your hand if you have seen a sign similar to this on a public building. Children respond.

The severe weather sign identifies a safe place for people to go when severe weather like a tornado or hurricane is approaching.

Hold up the Picnic Shelter sign. Who knows what this sign represents? A picnic shelter.

Raise your hand if you have been with family and friends under a picnic shelter. Children respond.

A picnic shelter provides protection from the rain and the heat of the sun.

Both types of shelters are used for a short amount of time for a specific purpose. Once the event is over, you leave its protection.

God is our refuge, shelter, and safe place no matter what we may face. The awesome thing is that we can remain under His protection and shelter forever. God is always with us!

In the video, Joy said that she believed God still rescues but He doesn’t always answer the way we think He will. When we face trouble in our lives, we want God to act immediately. However, God may answer differently for a reason.

God could have rescued Daniel BEFORE he was thrown into the lions’ den, but He chose not to. God could have saved the three Hebrew men before they were actually thrown into the furnace, but He waited. Because God rescued all of these men in His timing, the hearts of two kings were changed. After King Darius saw that Daniel was alive, He declared that everyone throughout his kingdom should tremble before the God of Daniel and that He rescues and saves His people.

After King Nebuchadnezzar witnessed the three Hebrew men in the fire with a fourth man who looked like God, He declared that there was no other god that can rescue like this!

On a rescue mission, only God knows what is best to accomplish His purpose and will. He sees not only us in this very moment, but a much bigger picture at the same time—the entire world for all eternity!

In the video we learned that God’s not only rescues those who follow Him, but those who may have turned from Him, as well.

Was Jonah happy about going to the people in Nineveh with God’s message of repentance so that God could rescue them? No, he wanted God to punish them; he ran from God.

God first needed to rescue Jonah before He could rescue the Ninevites! Jonah had a change of heart inside the belly of the great fish and finally decided to obey God. Because he did, the entire city was saved from God’s punishment for their sin.

God is ready and able to help you. He still rescues today. He sent His Son, Jesus, to rescue us from sin, just as He sent Jonah to save the Ninevites. Colossians 1:13 says:

God doesn’t rescue us once and then abandon us. He stands ready to hear our cry for help anytime and anywhere. We don’t need to make an appointment in advance to talk with Him. We aren’t required to take a number or wait in a long line. We don’t have to be quiet and wait for our turn to talk with Him. He is always ready to hear us and rescue us in times of trouble.

There is nothing too big or small for Him—all we must do is trust in Him!

SuperVerse

As we discussed in today’s teaching, the last part of the verse is so important for us to understand. When is God ready to help us? Always!

It doesn’t matter if you wake up during the night, or if it is early in the morning. You can be riding the bus to school or sitting in the classroom or lunchroom. It doesn’t matter where you are or what you are doing. God is our place of safety and strength; and He always hears your prayers for help, even silent prayers! He is always ready to respond.

Let’s look at the board and say the SuperVerse, Psalm 46:1, together:

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.

Have children look down at the floor and/or close their eyes as you erase a word. Then, have the children raise their hands to tell you what you erased. Write the word(s) back on the board as the children answer. As the activity progresses, erase more than one word at a time.

Read the verse together one final time to end the activity.

Note: Younger children may not be able to memorize the entire SuperVerse. They may simply repeat it several times, while older children may memorize part or all of it. Be sure all children understand its meaning.

Prayer

Our SuperVerse gives us a promise that God is always ready to help in times of trouble.

How does that make you feel? Comforted, peaceful, confident, relieved.

As Superbook returned the children back to Mateo’s home, we heard Psalm 91:14 (NLT):

God promises to rescue us and do His part that only He can do. But, this verse also lists two things that we are expected to do; can you name them? Love God, trust in God (His name).

In our prayer time today, I want you to close your eyes and think about something you need God to help you with. Or, maybe it is something that a friend or family member needs help with. Whatever it is, God is ready and able to respond. Allow children time to think.

Now, please take a moment with your eyes still closed to express to God your love for Him and your trust in Him to answer your prayer for help. Allow children time to speak with God.

Close in prayer. God, we love You and trust in You. You are our refuge and strength in times of trouble. Thank You for always being ready to hear and help us. In Jesus’ strong name we pray, Amen.

Throwing Game

Hold up the poster of the furnace. The furnaces in Bible times were very large and made of stone or brick. They were used to make bricks or to heat and shape metal. The king was furious that the three Hebrew men would not obey his command to worship the statue of gold. He was so mad that he ordered the furnace to be made seven times hotter than it normally was! The servants could not just turn a dial to a hotter setting! The furnace could only be made hotter by blowing air into it with a tool called a bellows, or by adding fuel to the fire.

Divide the children into two teams. Teams do not need to be equal. Have them stand behind the mark in separate lines. Place a pile of ten paper “fuel balls” at the mark for each team. Hold up the fuel balls and point to the boxes—furnaces—as you explain the game.

The goal of our game today is to make the furnaces hotter by throwing “fuel balls” into them. The king ordered the furnace to be made seven times hotter than it normally was, so today we need to throw seven fuel balls into the top or the front of your furnace. The first team to do this wins. Each player gets to throw two fuel balls on their turn and then go to the back of the line. When you run out of fuel, a player must go get the balls that missed the furnace and return them to your team.

Start the game and make sure all children have a chance to throw. For faster game play, have sixth grade helpers or other assistants return the missed balls to the teams as needed. Play several times as time permits.

By commanding the furnaces to be made hotter, King Nebuchadnezzar only made God’s miracle more amazing! He did not believe God could rescue the three men. The king said in Daniel 3:15:

The heat that baked bricks or molded metal was blazing and intense, and no human could survive it without a miracle from God. In fact, the furnace was so hot that the guards who threw the Hebrew men into the fire instantly died—and they were only close to the fire, not in it! Daniel 3:27 says that the fire did not touch the Hebrew men. Their hair was not singed, and their clothing was not scorched. God is all-powerful and amazing—and He is able to rescue us from anything!

Because the three men were willing to die for their faith in God, the king became a believer, too! He said in Daniel 3:28:

Let’s say the SuperTruth together: “I trust God to rescue me.”

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.

Drawing Activity

We have been discussing how God is always ready to help us in times of trouble. We can trust Him to rescue us because He never leaves us or abandons us! (See Hebrews 13:5b.)

Give a highlighter or washable marker to each child. Tell the children to leave the cap/lid on until you tell them to remove it. It is important that “GOD” is revealed by everyone all at once to be effective. Tell the children to remove the cap and to color the bottom section below the line to reveal the secret word.

What do you see in your picture now? God.

Conclusion: Yes, even though you don’t actually see God, you believe by faith that His presence is always with you in all that you do. You didn’t see Him in your picture, but He was there the whole time!

Bible Activity

We need not fear anything that we may face. God is our ever-present help in time of need!

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 say a Bible reference and then say O.T. for the 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 and you will find the answer or answers 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 God, who is our refuge and strength even today?

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. Psalm 91:4—O.T.: God’s faithful ____ are our _____ and protection. (Promises, armor)

2. 2 Thessalonians 3:3—N.T.: The Lord is _____. He will strengthen and _____ us from the evil one. (Faithful, guard)

3. Colossians 1:13—N.T.: God has _____ us from the kingdom of _____. (Rescued, darkness)

4. Ephesians 6:10–11—N.T.: We are to be strong in God’s ____ power and put on all of His _____ so we can stand against the devil. (Mighty, armor)

5. Philippians 4:13—N.T.: We can do everything through Christ who gives us _____. (Strength)

6. Proverbs 30:5—O.T.: God is a _____ to all who come to Him for _____. (Shield, protection)

7. Psalm 32:7—O.T.: God is our _____ place. He protects us from _____. (Hiding, trouble)

8. Psalm 18:2—O.T.: God is my ______, fortress and _____. He is the _____ that saves me. (Rock, Savior, power)

9. Deuteronomy 20:4—O.T.: God will _____ for us against our enemies. He will give us the _____! (Fight, victory)

10. Proverbs 18:10—O.T.: The name of the Lord is a strong _____; the godly run to Him and are ____. (Fortress, safe)

Conclusion: God does not change. Just as in Bible times, He is still our refuge and strength and always ready to help us.