Preschool July 27, 2014 8:45am
Leader BIBLE STUDY Use Week of: July 27, 2014 The fifth chapter of ends with the death of King Belshazzar when the Persians take over Babylon and Darius is put on the throne. Babylon was on the decline no longer the powerful, prosperous empire it once was. By this time was an old man, probably in his early 80s. He served the new king as one of the three leading supervisors in the kingdom. 4 was very good at his job. So good, in fact, that King Darius planned to put him in charge of the entire kingdom. The other supervisors and the satraps beneath them were jealous of. They watched for him to do something wrong so they could complain to the king. Read 6:4. was trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was found in him. Through the malevolent persuasion of the supervisors and satraps, King Darius passed a law that no one could pray to anyone but him, the king. continued to pray to God, and the jealous officials turned him in. He was thrown into the lions den, but God sent an angel to shut the lions mouths. wasn t hurt. His accusers received the very punishment they sought for. trusted the Lord to save him. knew he didn t stand a chance fighting off the lions with his own strength. In the same way, we have all sinned and deserve to be punished. Our punishment is much worse than a lions den; it is hell eternal separation from God. We don t stand a chance trying to earn our way into heaven. God s standard is perfection. He accepts nothing less. The good news of the gospel is that God loved us and sent Jesus to live a perfect life for us. Jesus died the guilty death we deserve. Jesus took our guilt and gives us His righteousness. When we trust in Him to save us, He will. Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 19 Session 4 1
Preschool BIBLE STUDY OVERVIEW Session Title: Was Rescued from the Lions Bible Passage: 6 Big Picture Question: Who rescued? God rescued. Key Passage: 6:27 Unit Christ Connection: Despite captivity, God used faithful people to continue His plan to provide salvation through Jesus Christ. Small Group Opening Large Group Bible Study U N I T 19 4 Small Group Activities Snack and Transition 2
The BIBLE STORY Was Rescued from the Lions 6 Darius (duh RIGH uhs) was the new king of Babylon. The land he ruled over was very big! It was too big for just one person to watch over. So King Darius picked some men to be leaders. Many of the leaders watched over small parts of Babylon. Three of the leaders made sure all the other leaders did what they were supposed to. King Darius picked to be one of the three leaders over all the other leaders. worked hard, and he was good at his job. The king liked. He decided to give a more important job. The other leaders heard that was going to get a better job. They were not happy. They watched very carefully. They wanted to catch him doing something wrong, so they could tell on him. But did what was right. The leaders thought about. They knew he loved God and obeyed Him. They knew prayed to God. So they made a mean plan to get in trouble. The leaders went to the king. King, we think you should make a new law. Make a law that says everyone can only pray to you. Of course, every law needs a punishment for breaking the law. So the men said, Anyone who breaks the law will be thrown into the lions den! King Darius made the law: people can only pray to the king. knew the new law said he couldn t pray to God anymore. But went into his house. He prayed to God three times every day, just like he had always done. The men spied on and saw him praying to God. Ah ha! was breaking the law. They hurried to the king. broke the law! We saw him praying! they said. The king was sad. He didn t want to punish, but that was the law. So the king ordered to be thrown into the lions den. I hope God saves you, the king told. was thrown into Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 19 Session 4 3
the lions den, and a big stone was rolled in front of the opening. couldn t get out. That night, the king could not sleep. He did not eat. He sat in his palace and thought about with the lions. As soon as the sun came up the next morning, the king hurried to the lions den. He hoped was OK.! he called out. Did God save you from the lions? Yes! said. God sent an angel to shut the lions mouths! I am safe! The king was so happy. came out of the lions den. He wasn t hurt. had trusted God to keep him safe. The king made a new law. The law said that everyone must respect God. God had saved and kept him safe from the lions. Christ Connection: God saved from the lions. God is powerful! God sent His Son, Jesus, to save us from something scarier than lions. Jesus rescues us from sin and death. 4
Small Group OPENING Session Title: Was Rescued from the Lions Bible Passage: 6 Big Picture Question: Who rescued? God rescued. Key Passage: 6:27 Unit Christ Connection: Despite captivity, God used faithful people to continue His plan to provide salvation through Jesus Christ. Awesome Is the Lord Most High song offering basket Welcome and Session Starter Play Awesome Is the Lord Most High in the background as you greet each preschooler. Set an offering basket near the door. LOW PREP Count the Lions activity page, 1 per kid crayons bag various items related to lions Activity Page: Count the Lions Invite kids to carefully examine the activity page. Ask directional questions about the picture of lions surrounding. Say How many lions are above? How many lions are to the right of? is in a lot of danger! Will he survive all those lions? Our story today is about in the lions den. Do you know what a den is? A den is a large hole or cave where animals like lions live. Learn fun facts about lions Fill a bag with various items. Pull them out one-by-one and use them to help you tell preschoolers interesting facts about lions. For example, you can use a tape measure to talk about size or distance. ( Lions are the second largest cat in the world, and A lion s roar can be heard from five Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 19 Session 4 5
miles away! ) Use a map to show that most lions live in Africa now, but they used to live around the Mediterranean Sea. Use a picture of an antelope or a plastic figure of a pack animal to talk about how lions eat meat, usually large animals. Bring out a small pillow to teach that lions sleep for 20 hours a day. Use pictures or other items to discuss lions teeth, manes, claws, and so forth. Say God made lions when He created the world. Do you think lions obey their Creator? Transition to Bible study Play a Shut the Lion s Mouth game. Ask children to roar like lions. When you give the signal such as covering your mouth with your hand, kids must do likewise and be silent. Repeat this a few times. Tell kids when they may give one last roar before closing their mouths for large group Bible study. 6
Large Group BIBLE STUDY Session Title: Was Rescued from the Lions Bible Passage: 6 Big Picture Question: Who rescued? God rescued. Key Passage: 6:27 Unit Christ Connection: Despite captivity, God used faithful people to continue His plan to provide salvation through Jesus Christ. Large Group Bible Study Bible Key Passage Poster He Rescues and Delivers song Was Rescued from the Lions picture Introduce the Bible story Say Remember, God had allowed the king of Babylon to attack Judah. God s people were taken to live far away in Babylon. was taken from his home when he was a young man. He trusted and obeyed God, and God protected him and blessed him in this new place. In our story today, was more than 80 years old! s enemies tried to get him in trouble. continued to trust God, and God continued to rescue. Review the key passage with the motions you ve used throughout the unit. Say the verse in a variety of voices softly, loudly, like a mouse, like a lion, and so on. Focus on the last part of the verse. Sing the key passage song together. Tell the Bible story Show where the story is in your Bible at 6. Tell the story while teaching preschoolers the following limerick. Include a hand motion for each line. With each new section, guide the children to repeat the lines they learned previously. Then say it together. Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 19 Session 4 7
prayed three times a day. [Fold hands in prayer.] But men wanted out of the way. [Make a shooing motion.] When they threw him to lions, [ Throw someone with both hands.] He didn t start cryin. [Wipe away tears.] He prayed and God saved him, hooray! [Raise hands or fist-pump in the air.] Timeline Map Bible Story Picture Big Picture Question Talk about the Bible story Ask the group if they can say the rhyme without you, or invite individual kids to say it on their own. Ask the following questions: 1. Why did s enemies try to get him in trouble? (They were jealous. The king liked.) 2. What did do to be thrown in with the lions? (He prayed.) 3. Why wasn t hurt in the lions den? (God shut the lions mouths.) 4. Who rescued? God rescued. Say God saved from the lions. God is powerful! God sent His Son, Jesus, to save us from something scarier than lions. Jesus rescues us from sin and death. Transition to small groups Do activities one of these ways: as a group, all at the same time in small groups that rotate through each activity set up as centers, allowing preschoolers to browse and choose 8
Small Group ACTIVITIES Session Title: Was Rescued from the Lions Bible Passage: 6 Big Picture Question: Who rescued? God rescued. Key Passage: 6:27 Unit Christ Connection: Despite captivity, God used faithful people to continue His plan to provide salvation through Jesus Christ. Small Group Activities LOW PREP paper construction paper scissors glue crayons or pencils circles - 2 sizes one for face and one for mane Is God with me here? Ask children to pretend to be in different places with you. You can play out like you are playing on a playground, swimming in a pool, or riding in a car. With each place ask, Is God with me here? (Yes!) You can also pretend that you are in places that might be scary like in the dark, in a storm, or at the doctor s office. Say God is with us everywhere, even in scary places. Was God with in the lions den? Of course! Who rescued? God rescued. Make hand lions Make lions by outlining each child s hand with a crayon. After you have traced the child s hand, rotate the paper so the fingers point down. The fingers are four legs; the thumb is a tail. Two circles from construction paper, one small and one slightly larger. The smaller circle will be the head, the larger circle is the mane. Cut slits around the edge of the mane, glue it to the lion s body, and then glue the lion s head on top of the mane. Invite children to color the lion and draw a face on its head. Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 19 Session 4 9
interlocking bricks Bible Story Picture Build lions out of bricks Help preschoolers build lions out of interlocking bricks. Using the Bible story picture as a reference, talk to kids about the physical features of lions: strong muscles, big teeth, long claws, wide mane, and so forth. Kids may also choose to build a lions den for their lions. Say continued to pray to God, even when it meant being thrown into the lions den. Lions are strong and scary! But trusted God, the Maker of every lion. Who rescued? God rescued. Form a circle of lions Invite children to stand in a circle with space in the middle for a child to move around. Guide preschoolers forming the circle to crawl clockwise around the middle. Tell them to roar, snarl, and hold out their claws like lions. One at a time, select a child to stand in the center of the circle. That child will do an action that you command them, such as Do a jumping jack or Pray like. When the child completes the action, all children can say together, God saved (child s name) from the lions! Say Can you imagine what it would be like to have been thrown into a den of lions? could not do anything to save himself from all those hungry lions except pray to God for help. Who rescued? God rescued. 10
Snack and Transition Take a bathroom break and wash hands. Choose volunteers to help set up for the snack; remind kids during snack time to say please and thank you. Thank God for the snack. Journal Page crayons Transition - Journal Page When a child finishes her snack and throws away the trash, offer the journal page for drawing something related to the Bible story. Suggest that children draw leaves for their journals. This is also a good time to practice prayer with kids. Ask each child to think of three things he or she would like to pray for, and then encourage kids to pray on their knees in a unique spot (possibly by a window like ). Direct them to each pray for their three requests. If parents are picking up their children at this time, tell them something positive about their child s day. Inform incoming leaders if there is something they need to know about a particular child. 12
Journal Page July 27, 2014 Key Passage: 6:27 Session1: and His Friends Obeyed God 1 Session 2: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego 3 Session 3: God Gave Wisdom 5 Session 4: Was Rescued from the Lions 6 OK TO PRINT
He delivers and rescues; he who has saved from the power of the lions. 6:27 Unit 19 Key Passage Poster (ESV) OK TO PRINT
Who rescued? God rescued. Unit 19 Session 4 Big Picture Question OK TO PRINT
Unit 19 Session 4 Was Rescued from the Lions OK TO PRINT
Count the Lions Instructions: God sent an angel to protect from the hungry lions. How many lions are on the floor of the lions den with? How many are above him on ledges? How many lions can you count altogether? UNIT 19 Session 4 Preschool Activity Pages
Was Rescued from the Lions 6 2013 Christian Resources.