Daniel Lesson cont...

MEMORY VERSE:

“His miraculous signs are great. His wonders are mighty. His kingdom will last forever. His rule will never end.” Daniel 4:3 (NIrV)

SUMMARY:

The lion is one of the fiercest beasts in the entire world, and it takes skill to tame him. When Daniel was thrown into a den of hungry lions, he didn't need any special lion-taming skills to stay safe. He simply trusted the power of God, the one who created lions!

OBJECTIVE:

Kids will learn that God is mighty to save us.

KEY PASSAGE:

Daniel 6:1-23, Daniel In The Lion’s Den

INTRO:

Back in the late 19th century, there was no Internet. There was no TV, there were no movies, and they didn’t even have radio! When people had free time, they entertained themselves with books and the occasional trip to the theater – when they could afford it. But once a year, the whole town lit up with excitement when the circus came to town!

The circuses of the late 1800s were a sight to behold. Trains up to a mile long would pull into town. Giant canvas tents sprang up overnight. Posters were slapped on every wall in town, advertising the amazing acts waiting to be seen. Circus men like P.T. Barnum, James Bailey, and Adam Forepaugh scoured the globe for one-of-a-kind attractions. Parents and children of all ages packed inside the tents to see acrobats, trapeze artists, bareback riders, daredevils, animal acts, and even wrestling shows.

From the very beginning, one of the most popular attractions was the lion tamer. Fans received a chill as the giant cage was set up in the center ring, preparing the stage for man and beast. The lions and tigers would be released into the cage, and the bold, brave lion tamer would thrill the fans by getting the vicious killers to sit up and roll over like kittens. It took nerves of steel for a man to train these wild beasts, to step into the cage with them every night, and in the dramatic finale, to stick their hand or head into the lion’s mouth!

Today, we begin our Bible Circusseries with a lion’s tale. This isn’t the story of a brave lion tamer, but a man who was tossed into a den of lions expecting to die. This is the story of a man of great faith who looked death in the face and discovered that God is stronger even than the king of beasts!

READ DANIEL 6:1-23

MAIN POINT:

Daniel was a prophet who had served God for many years. He rose to great prominence in the kingdom of Babylon as an advisor to King Nebuchadnezzar, and he continued to serve the kings of Persia when Babylon was defeated. King Darius trusted Daniel more than any other man in his court, and it was out of jealousy that Daniel’s enemies wrote the unfair law that sent him to the lions.

There was never a question what Daniel would do. The question was, would God protect his servant? God showed that He is greater than any king, and stronger than any beast. God shut the mouths of the lions and the mouths of Daniel’s enemies. Daniel’s adventure in the lion’s den proved to King Darius, and to us, that God is mighty to save those who believe in Him.

DRIVE IT HOME:

The story of Daniel is a very timely one for us. We’re living in a time when the world is not so friendly to those who believe in our God. There are people who would want us to shut our mouths about our faith. You will find as you grow older that some of your classmates will challenge you to go against what you believe and make some choices that go against God’s Word. True, no one is ever likely to threaten you with being tossed into a den of lions, but peer pressure can be a very, very difficult challenge to overcome.

No one wants to feel like an outcast. That’s almost worse than being fed to the lions. But if you have the faith to stand up to peer pressure, God will give you the strength to stand firm.

God can use your faith to make you a witness to others. God will reveal Himself to your friends just as he did to King Darius. When you have the courage to stand strong, you may give another friend that same courage. You can set an example in faith and in purity for others to follow.

Standing up for God may seem scary at times. I am sure Daniel was quite terrified as he was led off to face the lions. But we can rest assured that if we are following God’s lead, He will not leave us to face our fears alone. The King of Kings was stronger than the king of beasts and greater than the king of Persia. He stands with those who stand for Him, and when we are in danger, He is mighty to save.

Don’t be afraid of the lions. Have faith, and God will be your strength!

Directions

1. Start by cutting a circle out of your yellow cardstock paper about 3 1/4-inches. We traced an empty fruit cup for our circle.

2. Place your craft stick face down on the center of the yellow circle. Make small marks on the sides of the stick so you know where to place your cut to pull your spoon through.

3. Bend the yellow circle in half and make a cut between your two pencil marks.

4. Make small slits all along the outside of your yellow circle. Bend some of the slits up so it looks like lion hair.

5. Glue your googly eyes onto the back of your craft stick. Then use your brown and orange marker to draw a nose, mouth and whiskers.

6. Slide your stick down into the slit in your yellow circle. Place a small amount of tacky glue at the top of the spoon so it will attach to the yellow circle. Let the glue dry.

Directions

1. Click here to visit the site with directions.

Directions

1. Play traditional way, but substitute with Daniel (prayer hands,) Governor (angry fist,) and Lion (claw hands.)

2. Lion beats Daniel, Daniel beats governor, Governor beats lion

Directions

1. Talk about how wild animals move - ex: elephants are slow and lumbering, swinking a trunk; lions prowl; snakes slither, etc.

2. Take the children into the hall and after a warm up session, explain that you are going to call out an animal and have the children move around like it. When you bank the tambourine, then the children must stand still. Do this a few times so that the children become familiar with it.

3. Then, introduce the ‘sleeping lion’ part - when you bang the tambourine twice, the children must lie on the floor and go to sleep. You hide a child under the blanket/material and then shout “wake up!” The children have to look around and guess who is under the blanket.