Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Hello and welcome to all! Today, we begin a new Superbook adventure called “Heroes of the Bible.” This video contains exciting stories about two Bible characters—a faithful man named Noah and a brave woman named Rahab. These ordinary people were able to do extraordinary things by obeying God! In our Superbook adventure, Pastor Aaron invites Chris to lead a Bible study; but surprisingly, Chris doesn’t seem interested. Let’s watch the video to see why                     

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

Chris and Joy's Dilemma

Chris would rather play a hero in his latest Holo-9 Video Game than lead a youth group Bible study meeting at his church.

SuperTruth and Discussion (2 minutes)

Who did Chris think were more current or “today” than heroes in the Bible? The (fictional) characters in his Holo 9 video game.

After Chris’s exciting trip to the store, how many video games did he download when he got home? Zero, none.

If you have ever dreamed of being a hero, raise your hand. Children respond.

When you hear the word “hero,” what comes to mind? Someone who saves or rescues others. Someone who does something brave or shows courage in a dangerous time. Someone who risks their own life to help others.

Today’s SuperTruth is “I can be a hero for God.”

Let’s say today’s SuperTruth together: “I can be a hero for God.”

Does it surprise you that you can really be a hero for God? Children respond.

What do you think it takes to be a hero for God? Children respond.

Let’s watch the next video and see exactly what it takes to be a hero for God.

Video 3: Bible Story and Resolution (19 minutes)

Bible Story and Resolution

Superbook whisks Chris and Joy away and—for the first time ever—Gizmo is left behind! The robot frantically tries to figure out where Superbook has taken the children so that he might find a way to bring them back. Meanwhile, Chris and Joy revisit past adventures with Noah and Rahab and are also reminded about the faith of Joshua, Abraham, Joseph, David, Esther, Nehemiah, and Daniel. Upon returning home, Chris leads the Bible Study and offers a whole new perspective on what it takes to be a hero in God's eyes.

Video discussion

What happened on this Superbook adventure that had never happened before? Superbook took Chris and Joy and left Gizmo behind.

What kind of master plan was Gizmo frantically working on? How to locate Chris and Joy and bring them back home.

Besides Noah and Rahab, raise your hand to name a Bible hero who was shown in the video. Joshua, Abraham, Esther, Daniel, David, Joseph, Nehemiah.

Throughout the Bible, there are countless examples of how God uses ordinary people to do amazing things. When we trust and obey God, we can be a hero for God, too. There is no limit to what we can do when we depend on His power and wisdom!

Play Video 10A: SuperVerse Graphic 1

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

SuperVerse Graphic 1

SuperVerse Discussion (1 minute)

Let’s divide today’s SuperVerse, Hebrews 13:21, into three parts to make it easier to remember. Repeat after me:
May He equip you with all you need for doing His will … (Children repeat)

May He produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ … (Children repeat)

every good thing that is pleasing to Him. … (Children repeat)

By whose power do we receive all that we need to live for God and please Him? By the power of Jesus Christ.

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

Prayer and Send-Off (1 minute)

Dear God, Your Son Jesus really is the one true hero! Thank You for sending Him into the world to save us from our sins and provide everything we need. Help us obey Your Word and depend on Your power so we can do extraordinary things for You! In Jesus’ powerful name we pray, Amen.

In Small Group today, you will have an opportunity to walk. Now, that sounds kind of boring, doesn’t it? Well, how about by walking a certain way, you can score points for your team. That sounds better, so let’s go see how to play this challenging and fun game!

Obedience Game

Divide the children into two equal teams. If teams are uneven, one player may play twice or a leader may play.

Have each team divide in half again. One half of each team will stand at one mark and the other half of each team at the other mark. Hold a plate on top of your head with one hand, then place a balloon on top of the plate. Continue holding the plate but do not touch the balloon. Walk from one mark to another, demonstrating how the balloon must stay on the plate as you travel.

Hold up a balloon so children can see the written word. This balloon represents obedience. As we saw in the video, being a hero for God depends on obediently doing all He says to do. You cannot please God without faith and obedience. Walking in obedience gives us direction and purpose.

The area between the two marks represents our life as we walk it out day by day. Each player receives ten points for completing the walk of obedience. However, you lose one point each time the balloon falls to the floor. This represents walking without obedience because you are not following the instructions.

You must place the balloon on the plate again and continue your walk again from that spot. When you get to the other mark, hand the plate and balloon to the next player on your team, who will walk back to the other mark. The first team to finish gets five bonus points! The team with the most points wins.

Hand a plate and a balloon to one player on each team. Begin the game and have your assistants keep score. Be prepared to help younger children or those with special needs.

Wow, that was an interesting game. It looked challenging to walk without being able to see the balloon above your head. Sometimes when we walk in obedience, we must walk by faith and not by

sight, fully trusting in God even when we don’t understand the big picture of His plan. Yet God does see everything, and He will protect and guide us by His Spirit.

Let’s learn more about obedience and how God gives us the courage, power and wisdom to be a hero in His eyes!

Teaching

Often, TV or movies show heroes as people with special superpowers or superhuman strength. What do some heroes do with their powers? Fly, become invisible, climb walls, save the world from a villain, pull someone from a burning building, etc.

In the video, Chris said that all of his game heroes had special powers and weapons. Do you have super powers? No.

Does that mean you can’t be a hero? No.

Do we need to do something really, really big, so big that television news crews surround our house to interview us? No.

What does it really take? Children respond.

I think you will be very excited to learn the answer in today’s teaching.

Hold up the Blank Checklist. Raise your hand if you have seen a list similar to this. Children respond.

Hold up the Chore Checklist, read each item aloud, and use a marker to check each one. Raise your hand if you have been given a checklist with a list of chores similar to this to complete at home. Children respond.

In the video, Joy said that Noah could check all the boxes for being a hero. Noah then explained that following God was heroic but not easy.

Hold up the Hero Checklist. So what boxes could Noah “check” to be a hero for God?

Check the boxes with the marker as you say the three things. To follow God and be a hero in God’s eyes means to love, honor and obey Him in our lives every day!

Wow! We don’t need super weapons, superhuman powers, or strength to be a hero in God’s eyes. We just need the desire to love, honor and obey God with the help of His Spirit—every day! Ephesians 3:20 says:

That sounds like a hero to me. Don’t look at your own limited ability and power; look at God! He fills you with the power of His Holy Spirit, who lives inside every believer! God is at work transforming us into His heroes!

Noah simply loved God and was righteous in His sight. The Bible tells us that the world was very bad, but Noah was blameless. Noah didn’t try to please others; his goal was to please God.

Hold up the Hero Checklist. Noah had a close relationship with God and found favor in His sight because he loved, honored and obeyed God. (See Genesis 6.)

The Bible tells us three times that Noah did exactly what God told him to do (See Genesis 6:22, 7:5,9.) Even when it was difficult, and even when Noah didn’t understand God’s plan—Noah obeyed EVERY INSTRUCTION God gave him! He trusted God and did what God said. Noah built a big boat even though there was no water nearby and no rain in sight. That is called faith!

Hold up the Hero Checklist. Raise your hand if you agree with Joy, that Noah checked all of the boxes for being a hero in God’s eyes. Children respond.

In the video, who was the hero who helped Joshua and God’s people? Rahab.

What did she do? She risked her life to hide the Israelite spies.

What’s unique about Rahab is that up until that time, she probably was not a follower of God. You could even say that her people were enemies of God’s people! Yet, God recorded her name in the Bible so she will be remembered forever as a hero who obeyed Him.

As a reward for her heroic act of bravery and obedience, she was given the privilege of living among God’s people for the rest of her life! (See Joshua 6:25; Hebrews 11:31.)

And in the New Testament, she is listed as one of Jesus’ ancestors! (See Matthew 1:5.)

Another ordinary and unlikely hero in the Bible that we saw briefly in the video was David. He was the youngest son in the family! While his older brothers went out to fight in the army, he stayed home to take care of the sheep. Who can tell me why David is famous? He killed the giant Goliath.

David could only be a hero because He obeyed God, and God was with him, not because of his own ability and power!

In order to do great things for God, is our own strength and willpower enough? Children respond.

No, we will never have enough human strength or willpower to be a hero for God. Because we are human, we will fail and make mistakes sometimes. But being a hero for God doesn’t mean that we are perfect. There is only one Bible hero who lived a perfect life without sin. Can you guess who? Jesus!

Because Jesus lived a perfect life on Earth, we can confess our sin to Him when we mess up, and the Bible says that Jesus is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us. (See 1 John 1:9.)

It’s only with the power of God’s Spirit living in us that we can live obedient, heroic lives for Him.

Psalm 90:17 says:

When we choose to listen and obey, we can do extraordinary things for God!

SuperVerse

Why couldn’t {volunteer name} do what I asked? There is no marker/chalk to write on the board.

Oh yes, you are correct, my mistake! Give the volunteer a marker/chalk and again ask the volunteer to write his/her name on the board.

The first time, I didn’t supply {volunteer name} with what was necessary to complete the task.

In other words, I didn’t properly equip him/her.

Our SuperVerse tells us that God equips us and produces in us all that we need to do His will and live according to His Word in the Bible. He won’t ask us to do something without equipping us to be successful.

Let’s look at the board and say together the SuperVerse, Hebrews 13:21:

Divide the children into three groups and assign each a number: Group 1, Group 2, Group 3.

If possible, mix older and younger children in each group.

Have each group meet separately in a different area of the room where the board is visible.

Set a certain amount of time for the groups to learn and practice saying the line of the SuperVerse.

Encourage groups to be creative, such as assigning a few words to each member and/or saying the words in different styles or tones.

When the assigned time has elapsed, bring the groups together to say their line in order to complete the entire SuperVerse. Have all groups say Line #4 (Bible reference) together.

Repeat this two more times to help children learn the verse. Read the verse together one final time to end the activity.

ALTERNATE ACTIVITY:

Keep the children together in one large group. Have them read the verse on the board several times in different ways: shouting, whispering, speaking like a robot, etc. Then ask if any volunteers can say the verse without looking.

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

To begin today’s prayer time, let’s say the SuperTruth aloud together: “I can be a hero for God.”

Raise your hand if you would like to be a hero. Children respond.

The heroes in Chris’ virtual video game were cool and exciting but they weren’t real. Each and every one of us can be a real hero in God’s eyes.

Can you remember from today’s teaching what is most important to being a hero in God’s eyes? To love, honor and obey God; to trust Him and rely on His power.

Being a hero in God’s eyes doesn’t always mean doing something big that other people notice and celebrate. Noah simply obeyed God. He consistently and faithfully followed God’s instructions and Word. He did this day after day for years, even when others made fun and criticized him. Noah continued to serve God.

In our prayer time today, let’s close our eyes and bow our heads. If you sincerely want to obey God, serve Him, and be a hero for Him, you can join me in the prayer. I am going to pray part of a sentence ending with the word “so,” then you say today’s SuperTruth: “I can be a hero for God.”

Dear God, thank You for equipping me with the power of Your Holy Spirit, so … “I can be a hero for God.”

Please give me Your strength and courage each day to follow the path You have for me, so … “I can be a hero for God.”

Help me to honor You with my actions, thoughts and words, so … “I can be a hero for God.”

Help me to always be ready to share the love of Jesus, so … “I can be a hero for God.”

In Jesus’ powerful name we pray, Amen.

Matching Game

Today’s SuperVerse says that God equips us with all we need to do His will or to participate and complete His plan for us. God’s will is what He desires or what pleases Him.

The verse tells us that He not only equips us, but He also produces every good thing in us that is pleasing to Him. Raise your hand if you have ever heard of the Fruit of the Spirit. Children respond.

The Holy Spirit produces in us good things, which the Bible calls fruit—but it’s not fruit like apples, oranges and bananas! Galatians 5:22-23 tells us the names of this fruit. Read Galatians 5:22–23:

Showing or displaying these wonderful characteristics in our lives pleases God. It is His will for us to have each one of these fruits in our lives all the time! By consistently displaying these characteristics, we show others that God is alive and His power is working in us and in the world today! By doing this, we are living like godly heroes in His eyes.

Now, we are going to play a fun matching game to find and match all nine Fruit of the Spirit that God produces in us through Jesus Christ. This will help us to learn them and understand what pleases God.

There are also six blank cards that will remain in the game the entire time.

Divide the children into two teams; they do not need to be even. Have teams sit together so everyone can see the cards on display. A different player gets two guesses on each team’s turn. The player will choose a card number, and the leader will flip that card to reveal the word on the other side.

The same player will then select a second card number to try to match the fruit on the first card.

If the two cards match, the leader gives them to the team.

If the cards don’t match, they are turned over again in the same location.

Whether the cards match or not, play continues with the other team taking a turn.

As you remove each matched pair, if time allows, briefly discuss how each fruit can be beneficial in living and representing God to others. Play until all pairs are removed from the board. The team with the most pairs wins.

OPTION: To make the game more challenging for older children, leave all blank cards on the playing board through the entire game; do not remove them when they’re matched.

Conclusion: Let’s pray! Thank You, Jesus, for producing in us this wonderful fruit so we can represent You in our lives every day! When we view and love others as You do, we become a hero in Your eyes. We pray in Your name. Amen!

Object Lesson

The SuperVerse tells us that God equips us and produces in us all that we need to do His will and live according to His Word in the Bible.

The word “equip” means to furnish or supply what is necessary for a particular purpose, service or action.

Stand behind the table with the paint supplies in front of you.

Let’s see, I’ve got a brush, a can of paint, and a board. I’ve definitely been equipped with all I need to paint this board.

What if I choose to not open the paint, dip the brush in it, and apply the paint to the board? Would the board still be protected against things like rain, snow, and the sun? Children respond.

What should I do? Use the brush and paint the board.

Move the painting items to the side; and put the beachball, towel, sunscreen, and sunglasses in front of you. Where would you use these things? At the beach or swimming pool.

Let’s say that someone in your family gathered all of these items so you would be protected and have fun at the beach or pool. However, you left your house and chose not to take any of the items with you. Would that please the person who cared for you and wanted you to be fully equipped? No!

What if you took the sunscreen but didn’t bother to put it on when the sun was bright and hot? We would get sunburned!

The point is, someone can equip you with all you need, but if you don’t choose to use it, it doesn’t benefit anyone! Also, the person who took the time to supply it for you would be disappointed.

God never asks us to do something without providing all that we need to be successful. One powerful way He equips us is by providing invisible spiritual armor so we can be prepared for whatever we encounter.

Please listen carefully as I read Ephesians 6:13–17 so you can hear all He provides and what we are expected to do with His effective and powerful gifts to us.

What does God expect us to do with this armor? Put it on, hold up the shield, take the sword, put on the helmet, put on the shoes.

God provides powerful, invisible tools and weapons to live victoriously and to stand strong as we serve Him and help others. We can become heroes in God’s eyes when we live by faith, truth and obedience, when we stand in Christ’s righteousness, when we are filled with His peace, and when we share the Gospel with others. He supplies us with everything we need to be successful. But God won’t dress us. He won’t put a sword in our hands! We must choose to pick up, put on, and use all the equipment that He provides for us to be heroes for Him!

Pick up the Bible and/or a smart phone with the Superbook Bible app.

God’s Word equips us for every situation and every temptation we may face.

Psalm 119:11 says:

The more we get to know God’s Word, the more we know how to live and what pleases Him!

Singing Activity

“MY FRIEND NOAH HAD AN ARK”—Lead the children in singing a song to the tune of “Old McDonald Had a Farm,” but change the words to be, “My friend Noah had an ark.” For each verse, have a different child suggest a different animal to sing about, such as chickens, sheep,

cows, dogs and cats; then fill in the blanks with the appropriate sound that the animal makes. If the animals do not make sounds, have the children sing and/or imitate the animals’ motions. For rabbits, you can sing, “With a hop, hop here,” etc.

My friend Noah had an ark, E-I-E-I-O.

And on that ark he had some ________ (chickens), E-I-E-I-O.

With a ________ _________ (cluck, cluck) here,

And a ________ _________ (cluck, cluck) there,

Here a ___________ (cluck)

There a __________ (cluck)

Everywhere a ________ _________ (cluck, cluck).

My friend Noah had an ark, E-I-E-I-O.

Bible Activity

1. Look up the Bible verses to identify the hero in the verse. One name does not appear in a verse. You must determine who the verse is describing.  

2. Write one letter of the hero’s name on one blank line. Note: If the number of letters doesn’t match the number of lines exactly, the name may be incorrect or misspelled.  

3. When all 8 heroes are identified; find and circle each hero in the puzzle.

4. Names can go in any direction, including backwards!
5. Names do not share letters!