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Teaching Guide

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Dear Parent, Teacher, or Ministry Leader,

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Here is a guide to help you in discussions with the children. You can read it aloud for the children to listen to after they have listened to the story, then ask the questions.

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The characters in the story

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In the story, the King is like Jesus. We can see that He is the King because He lives in His palace high on a mountain, ruling over His kingdom. In the same way, God rules over the world and all creation.

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The Master Potter is like the Holy Spirit, who works in us to shape us to become more like Jesus. Just as the Potter forms vessels from clay, the Holy Spirit forms our character, our hearts, and our lives. The Holy Spirit is very good at His work. When He finishes shaping a person, that person becomes exactly what God designed him or her to be. However, the process depends on how willing we are to cooperate with Him.

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The vessels in the story—Grand Goblet, Magnificent Mug, Teeny Teacup, Tubby Tumbler, and Cuppy—are like us, people like you and me. Just as the King in the story chooses vessels for different purposes, Jesus also calls people to different kinds of work in His kingdom.

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Jesus’s character

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In this story, we can see that the King is very powerful - look at His crown and clothes. But He is also kind and gentle - look at His face, what He does, and how He speaks. His face looks friendly, and His eyes are full of love. He is not proud, but bends low to speak to children, and the words He speaks are loving, kind, and respectful.

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Jesus is like that, too. He is the King of everything, but He loves people and wants to be close to them. When Jesus is near us, He brings peace, joy, and love.

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Questions to Talk About

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• How do we know from the King’s face that He was kind? (The expression on His face; the love in His eyes; He smiles and looks friendly.)

• How do we know from what the King spoke that He was kind? (He was patient; He spoke with respect; His words were kind and loving; the tone of His voice was gentle and kind.)

• How do we know that the King in the story was humble? (He bent low to speak to children; He was polite and respectful of others’ choices; He didn’t demand, but asked.)

• How is Jesus the same as the King? (Jesus is also kind, humble, and respectful.)

• How do you think you would feel if Jesus came into the room where you are right now? Excited? Scared?

• If you feel scared, why do you think you would feel scared? (Guide children that God doesn’t come to condemn but to convict and show His love. Therefore, they never have to feel scared of Him.)

Grand Goblet as a representation of wealth and status

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God does not choose people because they are rich, famous, or come from an important family. God looks at something much more important: our hearts. He cares about whether we are kind, humble, and willing to follow Him.

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Listen to what God says in His Word. In James 4:6, it says: “God is against the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.” (International Children’s Bible) And in Proverbs 3:34 it says, “The Lord laughs at those who laugh at him. But he is kind to those who are not proud. (International Children’s Bible)

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God also does not judge people by their appearance. The Bible says in 1 Samuel 16:7, “…God does not see the same way people see. People look at the outside of a person, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (International Children’s Bible)

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Questions to Talk About

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• Did Grand Goblet think he was very important? (Yes) What did he say to show this? (He talked about his family lineage/royal blood; he mentioned what an important name he had; he had royal blood and noble roots.)

• How did Grand Goblet show he was rich? (The gems on his side; his gold and shine; he mentioned that few people could afford him.)

• Do you think Grand Goblet was proud or humble? (Proud)

• What does God say about pride? Does He like it? How should we be? (God doesn’t like pride at all. He hates pride in a person. He wants us to be humble.)

• What do you think it means when the Bible says God looks at our hearts? (God looks at the attitude and values we have deep inside us, where no one can see.

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Magnificent Mug as a representation of usefulness

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Magnificent Mug talked a lot about how great he was, how thick his walls were, how sturdy his handle was, and how useful he could be for the King’s drinks. But God is not impressed when people brag about themselves. God loves it when we are humble and honest. Matthew 5:8 says this: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” This means that if your heart is honest and humble, you will know more about what God is like.

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God cannot use someone if they depend more on how good they are at doing things themselves than on Him. If we truly want to serve God, we must be humble and rely on Him only.

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Questions to Talk About

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• What did Magnificent Mug brag about? (His thick walls; his sturdy handle; that he could hold drinks of any temperature - hot or cold; that he could hold drinks of any volume - a sip or a glug; in general, he bragged about his usefulness.)

• Do you think bragging makes someone more special? (No)

• What does it mean to be humble? (It means that you do not think more of yourself than you ought to; it means that you regard others as more important than you; it means that you do not rely on your own attributes to be special for Jesus.)

• How can we keep our hearts pure? (By being honest with ourselves when there’s something in our hearts that shouldn’t be there; by removing from our hearts that which is against God’s will; by following Jesus with everything in us; to guard our hearts from evil creeping in; by staying humble.)

Teeny Teacup as a representation of beauty

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Teeny Teacup tried to impress the King by being pretty and fancy. But God does not choose people because they look nice or have special tricks. God cares about what is inside our hearts.

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Questions to Talk About

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• Was Teeny Teacup trying to show off? What did she brag about? (Yes, she bragged about what she looked like - new, dainty and light, pretty, and shining bright.)

• What do you think matters more to God: looks or kindness? (Kindness)

Tubby Tumbler as a representation of competence

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Tubby Tumbler bowed to the King, but he was still very proud of himself. Sometimes people can act polite on the outside but still feel proud on the inside. God wants us to be humble in our hearts, not just in what we do.

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Questions to Talk About

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• What did Tubby Tumbler brag about? (He bragged about his skills - how well he could hold drinks even on a round bottom.)

• Why did Tubby Tumbler fall over? (When we act proudly, something may happen that shows us we are not as good as we made ourselves out to be. Tubby Tumbler was overconfident in his skills and proved that even he could make a mistake.)

• Do you think we should trust our own strength or God’s help? (God’s help)

• Why is it better to trust God rather than our own talents? (We are human, and humans make mistakes. God is perfect and never makes mistakes.)

• What happened to Tubby Tumbler when he depended on his own talents? (He proved you cannot trust in your own talents. You can make a mistake and even make a fool of yourself when you show off.)

Cuppy as a representation of humility

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Cuppy knew he was cracked and broken. But he was willing to let the Potter fix him. God does not look for perfect people. He looks for people who are willing to let Him help them grow.

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Questions to Talk About

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• Why did the King choose Cuppy? (Because he was humble and willing to let God fix his shortcomings.)

• Would you like to be like Cuppy? (Yes)

• What do you need to do to be more like Cuppy? (Stay humble. Depend on God to help you and fix your imperfections. Be willing to say yes to everything God asks of you, even if it’s hard. Be willing to grow and become what God wants you to become, even though it may be difficult.)

• Can you be as brave as Cuppy to say yes to the King to fix your broken parts?

The reshaping work of the Holy Spirit

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Just as Master Potter shaped cups from clay, God shapes our hearts and helps us grow into the people He wants us to be.

God made every person special, and He has a good plan for each of us.

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The King asked Cuppy if he was willing to be fixed. God also asks us if we are willing to let Him help us grow and change. In the same way, God will never force the work He wants to do inside us if we won’t let Him. God respects the freedom He has given us.

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Sometimes growing means doing hard things, like:

• saying sorry when you’ve done something wrong

• sharing with others when you don’t feel like it

• returning something you took that didn’t belong to you

• telling the truth even though others won’t like to hear it, or cause them to dislike you

• being kind even when we feel upset

• Forgiving someone who has hurt us instead of holding a grudge

When we obey God in these hard-to-do things, our character grows stronger, and we become better prepared to serve Him. God helps us learn these things because He loves us and wants us to become the people He created us to be. Just as Cuppy needed to be broken and reshaped to fulfill his purpose at the King’s table, God often reshapes our character so we can fulfill the purpose He has for us.

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The good news is that God is always with us while we learn. God promises to be with us at all times. He also promises that He will not allow anything to come into our lives that is more than we can handle with His help.

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In the end, we still have a choice. We can allow God to shape us just as Master Potter shaped Cuppy, or we can say no to Him. When we say yes, we are choosing something much better for our lives than saying no. We cannot have a good life without God, so it’s far better to choose to do the hard things than to say no.

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Questions to Talk About

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• You always have a choice: Do you want to be reshaped by the Master Potter like He did with Cuppy, even when you have to do hard things?

• Have you ever had to say sorry when it was hard? Or share something when you didn’t feel like it? Or tell the truth, even though you can get punished for it? Or being kind when you didn’t feel like it, maybe because that person hurt you?

• What other hard things can you think of that you did in the past because you wanted to please God?

• Why do you think it’s better to let God shape you, even if it’s not always nice, than to choose to stay the same? (Because then you can have a better life with purpose, like Cuppy, who served as the King’s personal cup at His table.)

Reshaping takes time

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Sometimes learning and growing take time. When Cuppy was being reshaped on the potter’s wheel, it probably felt like it would never end. But God does not rush His work, nor does He leave it unfinished. He knows exactly what He is doing, just like Master Potter in the story. Even when things feel hard, God is working to help us become better and stronger. All we need to do is obey and trust Him. Even when we do not understand what He is doing, we can trust that He is shaping us for good.

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Questions to Talk About

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• Why is it good to trust God when things feel difficult? (God is willing to help us. He is very powerful and can change anything for the better. He can do what no person can ever hope to do.)

• When it feels like the hard things will never end, what should you do? (Keep trusting that God knows what He is doing. That He has a good plan. That He is good and does everything for our benefit. That He will keep to His promise. Know that God will always deliver you out of trouble. He cares about you and will only leave you as long as it takes to shape you into what He wants.)

• Why is it important that God shapes you like Master Potter shaped Cuppy on the potter’s wheel? (We cannot become who we were designed to be if God doesn’t shape us. When He changes us, we are stronger and better to do the work He has planned for us. Something that brings purpose and joy.)

The fire’s purpose

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The fire in the story helped make Cuppy strong. But remember, God does not put us into real fire. The furnace that Cuppy had to go into is a picture of the hard things we sometimes go through that help us grow. These hard things are not necessarily the wrongs we did, but just happened. For example:

• learning to be patient when things feel too long or very difficult

• praising God even when it feels like everything is going wrong

• choosing to do the right thing when others want you to do the wrong thing, even if it means losing friends

• learning to trust in God’s goodness and faithfulness even when it feels that nothing is changing for the better

When we learn to do what is right and have the right attitude about it—even when it is hard—our hearts and characters become stronger. Just as the fire made the clay in Cuppy’s cracks pure gold, God also burns away all the things He doesn’t like and makes us beautiful and strong for the work He has planned for us.

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Questions to Talk About

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• What bad things have happened in the past that you didn’t cause?

• How must you think when these things happen? What must be your attitude? (Although I don’t know what’s going on or why it has happened, I trust that God does know and that He will help me through this, making me stronger and better in the process.)

• What must you do when these things happen? (Think the right way; trust God; thank God for His goodness.)

• Was the fire bad for Cuppy? (No, it made him stronger and bigger for the King’s drinks.)

• What did the fire do that was good for Cuppy? (Burn away all the dirty stuff; make him strong; make him beautiful.)

• Are you also as brave as Cuppy to do the hard things that God asks of you?

Perseverance in struggles

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Sometimes we want to give up when things feel hard. But when we keep trusting God and doing what is right, we grow stronger.

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Just like Cuppy grew stronger after the fire, God can use hard times to help us grow. Then we can become the people He wants us to be. People who don’t give up when things are hard or go wrong. People who do what is right, even when it’s hard. And people who still trust in His goodness, that He will help us and take care of us, even though things look bad.

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Questions to Talk About

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• When something feels too hard for you to do and you want to give up, what can you do to be extra strong? (Sing a song for Jesus; say thank you to Jesus for who He is - strong, wise, and good; talk to God; do something that pleases Him; recall what happened to Cuppy and choose to let the Holy Spirit finish His work in you; know that God is busy shaping you for a good purpose.)

• What are you going to do when things go wrong? Are you going to give up or trust in God? (Trust in God)

• Are you willing to do the hard thing to please God rather than the easy thing that pleases people or yourself?

• Why do you think God allows you to go through hard things, just like Cuppy had to go through the fire? (To make me strong and pure so that I can serve Him better.)

The waiting

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Cuppy was ready for the King’s table after the shaping and the fire. Yet he had to wait for the King to come. Waiting can feel hard, especially when you feel ready and don’t understand why it’s taking so long. But we don’t know what God is doing where we cannot see. All we must know is that He is getting everything ready to do what He has promised. And that His timing is always perfect.

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Sometimes when we wait, we ask a lot of questions. Cuppy wondered if the King had forgotten him. Or if He had changed His mind about having him as His personal cup. Or if He chose someone else to be His cup. But we must know God never forgets us. He never changes His mind once He said that He wants you to do something for Him, and He will not replace you with someone else. When God says yes, it means yes, and it will stay that way. He will do what He has promised. All we need to do is trust in who He is.

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When we wait with the right attitude, we become stronger in our faith.

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Questions to Talk About

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• Do you like waiting?

• What are some things you have to wait for?

• Why do you think waiting can sometimes be good for us? (It teaches us not to give up and strengthens our trust in God.)

• Will God keep His promises? (Absolutely.)

• Why does God keep His promises? (Because God is not a person like us in that He should lie. He always keeps to His word, because He is faithful. It is His character, and He never changes.)

• What promises can you think of that God made in His Word? Can you trust God to keep these promises? (The promise to protect you from the evil one; the promise to give you what you need; the promise to help you out of trouble; the promise to finish the work He started in you, and so many more. What else can you think of? Yes, He will keep all the promises He made.)

God’s delight in our transformation

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When the King saw Cuppy after Master Potter’s work, He was very pleased. Cuppy had changed so much! And all of it was because he cooperated with Master Potter to make him bigger and stronger for the King’s table. Just as Cuppy couldn’t change himself, but had to rely on Master Potter, we must rely on the Holy Spirit to do the work inside us when we say yes to Him. When we do, God is happy when we grow and learn to follow Him.

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Questions to Talk About

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• How did the King feel when he saw Cuppy? (Excited, delighted, very happy, very pleased.)

• How do you think God feels when we obey Him? (Very pleased and happy.)

• Do you have the strength to change yourself? (No)

• Who changes us? (The Holy Spirit inside us.)

• Are you willing to let God change you on the inside - your heart, attitude, and the way you think?

God’s ultimate purpose for us

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The King chose Cuppy because he was humble enough to let Master Potter reshape him and put him through the fire. Because of his humility, Master Potter could do with him as He pleased, to make him the best cup he could be. The reshaping, fire, and waiting are not always pleasant, but when we allow God to do the work in us, He can place us where He planned for us to be. A place of honor and joy and doing something purposeful, just like Cuppy served at the King’s table as His personal cup.

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Questions to Talk About

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• Would you like to serve God like Cuppy served the King at His table?

• It wasn’t Cuppy’s idea to be the King’s cup. It was the King’s choice. Would you be willing to go along with God’s choice for your life?

• What can you do today to choose God instead of what you want?

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