Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Welcome (1 minute)

Welcome back for the last lesson of our Superbook adventure, “Noah and the Ark.” Let’s all stand up and sing The Salvation Poem. As we sing, let’s think of how God fulfilled His wonderful promise to send a Savior to save us, forgive our sins, give us new life, and fill us with the power to live for Him!   

Play Video 7: The Salvation Poem (3 minutes)

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

SuperTruth and Discussion (3 minutes)

Our SuperTruth for today is: “God always keeps His promises.” Let’s say it together!

For those of you who were here last time: What promise did God give Noah?

Can several of you name other promises God gives us in the Bible?

We can trust that God will fulfill every promise in the Bible—either here on Earth or up in heaven! Turn to the person next to you and whisper the SuperTruth!

Now let’s all shout the SuperTruth together! “God always keeps His promises.”

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.

Now, for the children who haven’t seen our Bible story yet, we are going to watch a short version of the video. If you’ve already seen the video of “Noah and the Ark,” look for the answer to this bonus question that will be asked in Small Group time: Did the flood waters only come from the sky?  

Play Video 4: Condensed Bible Story (9 minutes)

Superbook takes Chris, Joy and Gizmo back in time to meet Noah—the only righteous person in an evil world. He obeys God by building a huge boat on dry land, even though there is no sign of rain. Noah, his family, and Earth’s animals are all saved from the worldwide flood. The children learn that in troubled times, God will care for those who trust Him.

Play Video 10C: SuperVerse Graphic 3 (3 minutes)

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

SuperVerse Discussion (2 minutes)

Our SuperVerse, Genesis 9:14–15, says:

“When I send clouds over the earth, the rainbow will appear in the clouds, and I will remember My covenant with you and with all living creatures. Never again will the floodwaters destroy all life.”

Since the SuperVerse is long, we will break it up into three parts. Let’s have the girls say the first part, ending with the words “in the clouds.” The boys will say the second part, ending with the word “creatures.” Then everyone will shout the last sentence together. Are you ready? Go!

That was awesome—especially when everyone shouted together!

God spoke this powerful promise to Noah and his family after they were on dry land following the flood. This promise was not only for them, but for all of Noah’s descendants, including us! God said that when a rainbow appeared in the clouds, it would be a reminder of the covenant or promise God made. So, whenever you see a rainbow, remember that God always keeps His promises!    

Children will have more time to learn the SuperVerse in Small Group. 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.

Introduce Signposts Video (1 minute)

Let’s watch our Signposts Video now to see how the events in the life of Noah pointed to the life of Jesus Christ.

Play Video 6: Signposts Video (4 minutes)

Prayer and Send-Off (2 minutes)

Let’s pray before we move to our Small Groups to continue learning about Noah. 

Dear God, thank You for the countless promises You have made to Your people throughout time. You have never forgotten or broken one of them! Help us to trust in Your Word because You are always faithful. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!   

Today in Small Group, we are going to play a game about flood waters getting higher and lower. Let’s go see what this game is all about!          

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.

Game

Let’s find out who can answer our bonus question! Did the waters of the flood only come from the sky? No, the water also came from underground, from the earth.

We are going to play a game about God’s covenant or promise He made when the waters went down and Noah’s family walked out of the ark onto dry land. 

Read Genesis 8:3–4 (cev):

For one hundred fifty days the water slowly went down. Then on the seventeenth day of the seventh month of the year, the boat came to rest somewhere in the Ararat mountains.

This is significant because the waters covered the earth—never before had this happened! And we know from God’s promise in our SuperVerse, it will never happen again! 

In our game, we are going to lower the flood waters as it said in the verse—the water slowly went down. In each container is flood water. Your teams will race to see who can empty their bucket of flood water first.

The first team that lowers all of its flood water—and fills up its empty bucket—wins.

Divide the class into two teams. Teams do not need to be exactly equal. Have each team stand in a line stretching from one bucket to the other, and give each child an unbreakable cup. Start the game. The first player scoops a cup of the flood water and carefully pours it into the next player’s cup. The water continues to be poured from one player’s cup to the next until the last player pours it into the empty bucket. The first player may scoop another cup of water as soon as the cup has been emptied to keep the relay going continuously until the water in the first bucket is gone.

Keep a towel handy to quickly wipe up any water spills, if on a hard surface, to reduce slipping hazard. You may ask an assistant to be in charge of this.  

Conclusion: That was the last time Earth experienced a flood over its entire surface at the same time. God’s promise to Noah has never been broken, and it never will be because God always keeps His promises! Let’s learn some more about God’s promises and how the story of Noah pointed to Jesus Christ! 

Teaching

Have a different child lift the ark door of each Signpost pattern in order, then discuss the information below. Additional material is included for Grades 4–6 to look up and discuss.

Today, we are going to discuss the Signposts we saw in our video about how events in Noah’s life point to Jesus.

Signpost 1 Like Noah’s Day

Jesus told His disciples that when He returned to Earth again, it would be like the days of Noah. What does that mean?

Sadly, it means that sin and wickedness would be found everywhere in the world. Life today is like that. What does God want our lives to be like?

He doesn’t want us to sin; instead we should be perfect. Yet the Bible tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of God’s standard. That means everyone deserves His punishment! Do we have any hope?           

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4–6 TO DISCUSS 

Matthew 24:37:

"When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day.”

Romans 3:23:

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard.

Signpost 2 Our Hope and the Ark

God spared Noah and his family from the flood because he was found to be righteous in God’s eyes. Noah walked in fellowship with God. That means he had a close relationship with God.

There is very good news for us, also! We can walk closely with God, too! We become holy and righteous not by any goodness of our own, but by following Jesus! If we trust in Jesus as our Savior, ask Him to forgive our sins, and follow Him as our Lord, God sees us as righteous. When we give our lives to Jesus, it is like walking into the ark—Jesus is our salvation!

The ark was built so it would not tip over or sink. It was strong and sealed so it was waterproof; it protected all who were in it, even if waves crashed against it!

Jesus taught that those who follow His teachings are like someone who builds their house on a rock. The waves will crash and the wind will blow, but the house will remain safe!

The only way to enter the ark was through one door, and it was sealed shut by God after Noah’s family entered. In the same way, Jesus is the only doorway to God! We are also sealed with the Holy Spirit to keep us protected until we go to heaven.

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4–6 TO DISCUSS 

John 8:12 (cev):

Once again Jesus spoke to the people. This time He said, “I am the light for the world! Follow Me, and you won’t be walking in the dark. You will have the light that gives life.”

2 Timothy 4:18 (cev):

The Lord will always keep me from being harmed by evil, and He will bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom. Praise Him forever and ever! Amen.

2 Corinthians 1:22 (nkjv): God,

Who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

Matthew 7:24–25:

²⁴“Anyone who listens to My teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. ²⁵ Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.”

John 14:6:

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.”

Signpost 3 Never Again

Noah had faith in God and was saved. God made a promise to Noah after his family and the animals came out of the ark onto dry land. What did God promise?

We also have a promise from God about our faith in Jesus. God promised that if we declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that He rose from the dead, we will be saved.   

The water covering everything reminds us of baptism. We are lowered into the water and rise back up, cleansed with a clear conscience and become a new creature in Christ with the promise of salvation through His work. Jesus has returned to heaven and has all authority over heaven and Earth. We are kept safe by His power and sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day we live with Him in heaven forever!  

Yes, we have seen how the ark and flood are Signposts to our safety and salvation in Jesus. 

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4–6 TO DISCUSS

Romans 10:9:

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Genesis 9:11:

“Yes, I am confirming My covenant with you. Never again will floodwaters kill all living creatures; never again will a flood destroy the earth.”

1 Peter 3:21–22:

²¹ And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. ²² Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept His authority.

God has many promises in the Bible that have stood for thousands of years and are still true today. Let’s take a look at some more of God’s promises with our Rainbow Promises in our Discipleship Challenge.

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Hand out Rainbow Promise Patterns to any child not present for the previous lessons on Noah. Have them assemble their craft at home using the instructions provided. Display the model you made before class for them to see. Explain that they should work on memorizing and praying the promises at home. Ask if anyone would like to share a way they trusted in God’s promises since the last lesson.

SuperVerse

Let’s say our SuperVerse together. Genesis 9:14–15: 

“When I send clouds over the earth, the rainbow will appear in the clouds, and I will remember My covenant with you and with all living creatures. Never again will the floodwaters destroy all life.”

Who was God talking to when He made this promise?

Yes, God made this promise to Noah after the flood was over. Yet just before our SuperVerse, we read in Genesis 9:12:

Then God said, “I am giving you a sign of My covenant with you and with all living creatures, for all generations to come.”

So who else was God making this promise to? 

God was making the promise to all generations to come—which means us today, and to all people as long as Earth exists. Only God can make a promise thousands of years ago and then keep it until the end of time.

Divide the children into groups of three or four. If your class is small, you may create groups of two. Give each group a set of SuperVerse Strips. Don’t let them open the envelope until you say “Go!” Groups will then race to see who can arrange their cards in the correct order first.

Conclusion: Congratulations to all groups for putting the SuperVerse in order! The world will never again see a flood that covers Earth all at one time. Why? Because God always keeps His promises!

Prayer

We have been talking about how God always keeps His promises. One of the Rainbow Promises in our Discipleship Challenge is John 3:16, which talks about God sending His Son to save us. Let’s read another promise about salvation that is in the Bible.

Read Roman 10:9:

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

That seems very simple doesn’t it—just to declare something, which means to say it with your mouth, and to believe it in your heart! And yet, when we say Jesus is Lord, and we truly believe that He died and rose again for our sins, we will be saved! That is the power of God working through our faith.

When we accept Jesus, we may look the same on the outside, but something wonderful takes place inside us! We have the joy of knowing we are saved and forgiven. This amazing promise of God is available to all who choose to invite Jesus into their hearts!

In the story of Noah, it’s sad to think of all the people who died outside of the ark. Today, we don’t want anyone to die without knowing Jesus. It is not too late for anyone to be saved!

If you have never asked Jesus into your heart, this is a great day to do it! And if you’ve already asked Him to be your Lord, take time to thank Him now for what He has done for us on the cross. Let’s pray.

Dear Jesus, thank You for dying on the cross to pay the price for my sins. Forgive me for everything I’ve done wrong. Remind me to come to You quickly when I sin in the future, so that I can confess my sins and receive Your forgiveness. I ask You to come into my heart today and be my Savior and my Lord. I want to follow You and do what You would have me do. I want to live a life that is pleasing to our Father in heaven. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Help me hear Your voice speaking to me through Your Word, the Bible, and through prayer. Thank You for Your promise that someday You will take me to be with You in heaven to live with You forever. Please give me the power to tell others the Good News of Your love and salvation. In Your name I pray, Amen.  

You may wish to play The Salvation Poem and have the children sing along.

If anyone prayed to accept Jesus for the first time today, please see me after class so we can talk about the wonderful decision you have made! You may wish to give them a link to this Superbook website to watch a video about knowing God: http://usen.superbook.cbn.com/gospel_presentation?intcmp=evan1013

Matching Game

God has made promises to His people from the beginning of His creation—and His promises are still here for us today, if we believe them by faith. Behind the cards are 16 of God’s promises. Let’s play our matching game to discover them!

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 up along its taped edge to reveal the promise underneath for all to see. The player will then say, “God gives us …” and read the promise on the card.

The same player will then select a second card number to try to match the promise on the first card. When the card is revealed, the player then will again say, “God gives us …” and read the promise on that card. If the two cards match, the leader carefully peels the cards from the board and gives them to the team. If the cards don’t match, they are flipped back down again. Whether the cards match or not, play continues with the other team taking a turn.

As time allows, you may use the scriptures below to briefly discuss each promise as you remove a matched pair so children have a simple understanding of it. Play until all pairs are removed from the board. The team with the most pairs wins.

Promise scriptures:

• The Holy Spirit—Ephesians 1:13 
• Protection—Isaiah 41:10
• Power—2 Timothy 1:7 
• Peace—John 14:27
• Joy—John 15:11
• Forgiveness—Matthew 6:14
• Wisdom—James 1:5
• Eternal Life—1 John 2:25
• Answers to prayer—John 14:13–14
• Provision—Philippians 4:19
• Guidance—Proverbs 16:9
• Victory—1 John 5:4
• Good plans—Jeremiah 29:11
• Love—Romans 8:38–39
• An Inheritance—1 Peter 1:4
• Salvation—John 3:16

Conclusion: God has given us lots promises—and there are many others in the Bible! Just like His promise to Noah, there is no “expiration date” on God’s promises. His promises last forever! So let’s shout the SuperTruth again: “God always keeps His promises!”

Object Lesson

We have been praying the Rainbow Promises in our Discipleship Challenge. One of the most powerful ways we can pray is to speak God’s Word in prayer. Think about this—when we pray God’s promises from His Word, the Bible, we can have faith that God hears our prayer and will perform His promise. Why can we trust Him to do that? 

Read 1 John 5:14 (nkjv): 

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

God’s Word is His will written for us, so we know what pleases Him! 

Another reason we can trust God is found in today’s SuperTruth. Who remembers what it says? “God always keeps His promises!” 

Sometimes, we may not know a particular promise, or we don’t know how to pray, or we are not sure what would be the best answer to our prayer. Do you think that will limit God?  

God provides us with a Helper. Does anyone know who this Helper is? 

Here is what the Bible says about this Helper in Romans 8:26–27.

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.

God’s Holy Spirit lives inside of all believers. He helps us pray in harmony with God’s will. 

Show the water bottle, or the label of the product that is 100% pure with no added ingredients. Compare to pure prayer.   

Sometimes when we pray, we pray our will instead of God’s will. We pray prayers that may be selfish, foolish or unwise. We may not even realize this when we pray this way! These are not pure prayers—in other words they have additional ingredients that may be harmful or unnecessary. They may be a mixture of our own selfish desires. 

Show the soda bottle, or the label of the product with added color, fillers, or other extra ingredients. Read aloud some of the added ingredients and talk about how they may not be good for you.

Read James 4:3:

And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.

God always hears our prayers, but some prayers are more pleasing than others. As this verse tells us, prayers that are selfish are not in harmony with God’s will. God may not answer this kind of prayer the way we desire. God knows that what we pray for may cause harm to us or not benefit our growth as a believer.      

Even though our Rainbow Promise challenge is ending, let’s all continue to pray that God will fulfill His promises in our lives. Praying God’s will and His Word are pure prayers that are effective every time! 

Craft

Hand out a Foldable Ark Pattern to each child, along with crayons, markers, or colored pencils. Have children put their names on their arks, color them, then follow the instructions on the sheet to assemble them. As children work, lead them in a discussion with the following questions: 

• Do you have a favorite promise in the Bible, and can you share it with us?
• Have you ever trusted a promise God gave in the Bible, and can you share what it was?
• How can the story of Noah and the ark help you have peace when you are frightened? 
• How is Jesus like the ark to us?

Conclusion: Noah, his family, and the animals were safe in the ark. God sealed them inside and preserved or saved them from harm. We can trust God to keep His promise of salvation to us when we have faith in His Son, Jesus! Let your ark be a reminder to you that God loved Noah so much that He designed an ark to save him. God loves us so much that He sent His Son to Earth to die for us, to forgive our sins, and save us! 

Bible Study

Place children in pairs; try to put experienced Bible users with children who may not have experience or be strong readers. Give a pencil, Promise Puzzle, and Bible to each child or to each pair. Assist children in looking up Bible verses as needed. Announce a certain amount of time that children will have to work on their puzzles. The answer key is below.

Today, we will work in pairs to solve a Promise Puzzle. Look up each Bible verse to find a word in God’s promise that solves the puzzle question. This is not a race; the prize for working this puzzle is to discover more of God’s promises that apply to us today! We can always trust God to keep His promises!   

Allow the groups to share their answers to solve the puzzle together. Briefly discuss the power and blessing of each promise. As you discuss the answers, ask children about times in their lives when that promise could be applied to give them strength, courage, hope, peace, etc.