UNIT 2. TRUSTING GOD / PRESCHOOL SESSION 6 - DANIEL IN THE LIONS DEN BIBLE PASSAGE: Daniel 6 LIFE POINT: God helps people. CHRIST FOCUS: Jesus was sent to help us. BIBLE VERSE: God is my helper. Psalm 118:7 (Paraphrase) The Lord is my helper. Psalm 118:7 (HCSB) The Lord taketh my part with them that help me. Psalm 118:7 (KJV) The Lord is with me; he is my helper. Psalm 118:7 (NIV) The Lord is on my side as my helper. Psalm 118:7 (ESV) The Lord is for me among those who help me. Psalm 118:7 (NKJV) Production Notes p From simple to involved, you can tailor Worship for Life to your kids and leaders: Short on supplies and leaders? For an easy prep, enlist a host, a music leader, and prepare the Connection Point game. Then show the videos for the worship songs and other segments. Do you have musicians who would like to lead worship songs? Check out the lead sheets on the DVD-ROM or substitute your songs! v This symbol denotes that the segment or song is available on video. h This symbol indicates props that will be needed for today s session. 1
Schedule and Props v This symbol indicates that a video is provided on the DVD-ROM. p This symbol indicates that the activity is host or leader-led no video for this activity. Ups (Optional) p Huddle People: Small Group Leaders Supplies: Daniel in the Lions Den Coloring Sheet (DVD-ROM), crayons or washable markers Intro v Backstage 1-2 minutes People: Stage Manager Props: clipboard, headset v Countdown and Welcome 1-5 minutes People: Host Props: none Song v Worship 3 minutes People: Worship Leader and/or Worship Team Point Game p Connection 5-10 minutes Song v Worship 3 minutes People: Worship Leader and/or Worship Team Set-up, v Host Briana and Friends Video 2 minutes People: Host p Closing 2 minutes People: Host Outro v Backstage 1-2 minutes People: Stage Manager Props: headset Ups (Optional) p Huddle People: Small Group Leaders Supplies: beanbags, masking tape People: Host, everyone Props: fun music to play and pause Story v Bible 5-6 minutes People: Storyteller, two kids Props: Bible 2
t TECH Video and/or audio capabilities Microphones for singers Lights (optional) Optional sound effects available (see sound effects file) m music He Keeps His Promises His Name Is Jesus J-E-S-U-S Your Promises Are True God Helps People God s Promises Need help planning your session? Additional training for Worship for Life: Kids is available at ministrygrid.com/web/biblestudiesforlife. 3
p HUDDLE UPS (OPTIONAL) Huddle ups are for churches that have a drop-off time before the session begins. There are multiple ideas for interaction during this time, such as simple games that children can play on the floor or within whatever arrangements you gather your kids. Leaders can ask get-to-know-you questions after welcoming kids into their groups. (Print the following for your small group leaders.) Would You Rather Form a circle with the kids. Go around the circle and ask the kids a variety of interesting questions. Ask older children to explain why they chose their answer. Examples of questions: Would you rather always wear earmuffs or always wear a nose plug? Would you rather be three feet tall or eight feet tall? (demonstrate by lowering and raising your arm) Would you rather be a deep sea diver or an astronaut? Would you rather be a dog or a cat? Would you rather be invisible or be able to know what other people were thinking? Would you rather be sand or the ocean? Would you rather be able to fly or be able to breathe underwater? Would you rather eat candy forever or ride roller coasters forever? Would you rather have a kangaroo or a koala bear as a pet? Would you rather swim with dolphins or fly with eagles? Tell kids that no matter what happens or where they go, God is always with them. Color Daniel in the Lions Den Coloring Sheets Tell preschoolers that today they will hear about a dangerous situation that Daniel was in with lions. Distribute coloring supplies and coloring sheets to the preschoolers. Allow them to color on their pages while they wait for the session to begin. If the kids prefer to use blank paper, they can color on the back of the page. 4
v BACKSTAGE INTRO c Estimated time: 1-2 minutes Tech: Video option available; t Session Title slide p People: Stage Manager h Props: clipboard, headset (Show video or act out the following.) STAGE MANAGER (Show Session Title slide.) (speaks into headset) Oh, thank you so much! Yes, that would be such a big help! OK, see you soon! (speaks to kids) Wow! Things are really busy around here today. I was feeling overwhelmed by all the work to be done. I was just talking to one of my teammates, and she s coming down to help me out. Have you ever had trouble with something and needed to ask for help? It really makes you feel good when a friend takes the time to lend a hand. Today we ll hear a Bible story about a man who REALLY needed some help and only God could help him. Are you ready to find out who it was? Great! (speaks into headset) Thanks for all of your help today, team. Are lights and sound ready to go? Perfect! Everyone, take your places and cue the countdown! (runs offstage) 5
v COUNTDOWN AND WELCOME c Estimated time: 1-5 minutes Tech: Countdown video, Life t Point slide, Bible Verse slide p People: Host h Props: none HOST (Play Countdown video. Host walks out at around 30 seconds.) Hello, friends! Let s get to our feet and count it down! 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1! ROOOOAAAARRR! Did I scare you? No? Well, that s OK. What animal did that sound like to you? (Allow kids to respond.) I was trying to sound like a lion. Today our story is very exciting, and it has lions in it! We will talk about how God helps people. (Show Life Point slide.) Let s say that together. God helps people. Good job! This is what our Bible verse says today. Can you say this with me? (Practice saying the verse with the kids a few times, using a different style voice or movement each time you say the verse together. Examples: march in place like soldiers, twirl like ballerinas, tiptoe like mice) (Show Bible Verse slide select preferred version.) God is my helper. Psalm 118:7 (Paraphrase) The Lord is my helper. Psalm 118:7 (HCSB) The Lord taketh my part with them that help me. Psalm 118:7 (KJV) The Lord is with me; he is my helper. Psalm 118:7 (NIV) The Lord is on my side as my helper. Psalm 118:7 (ESV) The Lord is for me among those who help me. Psalm 118:7 (NKJV) Let s stand to our feet and worship Jesus together. (Host leaves as worship team gets in place.) 6
v WORSHIP SONG c Estimated time: 3 minutes Music or lyric video, mics t fortech:singers, lights (optional) People: Worship Leader p and/or Worship Team h Props: none Music: God Helps People (lead m sheet available on DVD-ROM) or download Praise the Lord Every Day recorded by Yancy (Show video or give the following to your worship leader.) WORSHIP LEADER (Music begins.) God helps us every day. Take a deep breath. (Allow kids to respond.) Now, place a hand on your chest. Can you feel your heart beating? (Allow kids to respond.) God gives us life, and He helps us in everything we do. Let s take some time to worship Him and thank Him for all that He does for us. (Show the music or lyric video.) (Lead kids to sit as song ends.) Now, let s get ready for Connection Point! 7
p CONNECTION POINT GAME c Estimated time: 5-10 minutes Tech: Connection Point slide, t Connection Point theme music p People: Host, everyone h Props: fun music to play and pause Game Instructions: This game is a version of a Freeze Party. Kids will move to the music while fun, upbeat music is played. The Host will then call out an animal and count down. On one, the music will freeze and the kids have to freeze like the animal called out. This game can be played for multiple rounds based on your environment and schedule. Host (Play Connection Point theme music and show Connection Point slide.) (Enter after theme music plays.) Hi, everyone! Welcome to Connection Point! Let s play Freeze Party! When the music starts, you can move. When the music stops, everyone will freeze. When we freeze, I will tell you an animal that you have to freeze like. Can we do it? Great! Here we go (Music begins.) OK everyone, when the music stops, I want everyone to freeze like lions! 3, 2, 1! (Music pauses. Everyone freezes like lions.) (Music begins.) OK everyone, when the music stops, I want everyone to freeze like monkeys! 3, 2, 1! (Music pauses. Everyone freezes like monkeys.) (Continue for multiple rounds with different animals based on your environment and schedule.) Great job, everyone! You were great at pretending to be animals! I can t wait to see what happens with the lions in our Bible story! Let s get right to it! (Theme music/slide to transition. Host leads into next segment.) 8
v BIBLE STORY c Estimated time: 5-6 minutes Tech: Christ Focus, Life Point, and t Bible Story slides; Bible Story video p People: Storyteller, two kids h Props: Bible New This Quarter: Optional interactive steps will enable kids to participate in the telling of the Bible story. Use this feature as appropriate for your group. (Play the Bible Story video or tell the following Bible story.) STORYTELLER (Show Bible Story slide.) Hi, friends! How many of you like animals? Do any of you have pets? Well, in today s Bible story, we will hear about some animals that you wouldn t want for pets like lions. (Call on one child to come to the front and make her most ferocious lion roar. Invite all other kids to respond with roars of their own. Suggest your lion helper remain at the front of the group with you. Explain that each time you say the word lions, the leader should roar and all the rest of the kids should roar back.) A few weeks ago we talked about Daniel. Do you remember how wise Daniel was as a boy? Daniel and some of his friends had been brought from their homeland to a new place called Babylon. They chose to obey God by eating healthy food. Daniel grew up and was very smart. Because Daniel was so smart, he was put in charge of a lot of the king s money and important things. The king, King Darius, loved Daniel. He trusted Daniel so much that he wanted to put Daniel in charge of the whole kingdom. Another great thing about Daniel was that he loved God. Daniel knew that God was the One who had helped him do so well in Babylon and that God had given him the ability to be so trustworthy. Daniel prayed to God three times a day. Now, even though King Darius thought that Daniel was great, there were other people who were jealous of Daniel. These people didn t like Daniel at all and they wanted to get rid of him. The problem for them was that King Darius loved Daniel, so there was no way that they could touch him. That is, unless they were sneaky. So they made a sneaky plan. The leaders told the king to make a law that people could only pray to the king for 30 days. Anyone who prayed to another man or god would be thrown into a pit with hungry lions. (roar) The king signed the law; it could not be changed. Soon, Daniel heard about the new law. What do you think he did? Let s read in Daniel 6 in the Bible and find out. (Call on one boy to come to the front. Challenge him to act out the verse you are about to read.) (Open the Bible and read Daniel 6:10.) 9
When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house. The windows in its upper room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before. Well, that s exactly what his enemies wanted. They saw Daniel praying three times a day and they ran off to tell King Darius. When the king heard what Daniel was doing, he was so sad. He didn t want Daniel to die, but he had made the law and there was no getting out of it. They brought Daniel to the lions den (roar) and this is what happened. (Lead Daniel to sit on the floor beside the lion helper.) (Open the Bible and read Daniel 6:16-17.) So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions den. (roar) The king said to Daniel, May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you! A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den. The king went back to the palace and worried about Daniel all night long. As soon as morning came, the king hurried to the lions den (roar) to see if God had kept Daniel safe. The king called out, Daniel! Was your God able to save you? (Open the Bible and read Daniel 6:21-22.) Then Daniel spoke with the king: My God sent His angel and shut the lions mouths. (roar) They haven t hurt me. The king was so happy! God had kept Daniel safe! (Send the two helpers back to their seats. Remark that there should be no more roaring.) (Show Christ Focus slide.) What do you think Daniel did when he was thrown into the lions den? Pray? That s what I think, too. We know that Daniel prayed three times a day. Did God hear Daniel? Of course He did. God protected Daniel. God helps His people. God wants to help you. God loves you. God loves us so much that He sent Jesus, His Son, to save us from our sins. When we have a relationship with God like Daniel had a relationship with God, we know that we can trust Him to always help us. Let s pray. God, we thank You that You help us. You help us everyday. You helped us by saving us from our sins through Your Son, Jesus. God, we want to share Your love with others by helping them like You help us. We love You. Amen. 10
v WORSHIP SONG c Estimated time: 3 minutes Music or lyric video, mics t fortech:singers, lights (optional) People: Worship Leader p and/or Worship Team h Props: none Music: Your Promises Are m True (lead sheet available on DVD-ROM) or download Gonna Serve recorded by Yancy WORSHIP LEADER (Music begins.) I m so glad that God helps us. Let s thank God for helping us and loving us. Let s tell Him that we love Him, too. Stand and sing with me. (Show the music or lyric video.) (Lead kids to sit as song ends.) 11
v HOST SET-UP, BRIANA AND FRIENDS VIDEO c Estimated time: 2 minutes t Tech: Briana and Friends video p People: Host h Props: none HOST Today we learned that God helps people. Let s talk to our friend Briana about it. Listen carefully and remember, when she asks you a question, be sure to say your answers aloud! (Play video.) 12
p CLOSING c Estimated time: 2 minutes Tech: Session Title slide, t Bible Verse slide p People: Host h Props: none HOST (Show Session Title slide.) Great worshiping, everyone! Worshiping God is a great way to tell Him thank you for being so good to us! God helps people. (Show Life Point slide.) Let s say that again together. God helps people. Great! Optional Giving Segment: God helps us by giving us what we need. All that we have was given to us by God. We give our offererings to say thank you. If you d like to give to God today, (Give your own directions for how the kids can give to God. Perhaps you have buckets in the back of the room, a chest up front, or an envelope that each small group leader passes.) (Show Bible Verse slide select preferred version.) Let s say our Bible verse again. God is my helper. Psalm 118:7 (Paraphrase) The Lord is my helper. Psalm 118:7 (HCSB) The Lord taketh my part with them that help me. Psalm 118:7 (KJV) The Lord is with me; he is my helper. Psalm 118:7 (NIV) The Lord is on my side as my helper. Psalm 118:7 (ESV) The Lord is for me among those who help me. Psalm 118:7 (NKJV) I can t wait to see you back here next week! 13
v BACKSTAGE OUTRO c Estimated time: 1-2 minutes Tech: Video option available, t Session Title slide p People: Stage Manager h Props: headset (Show video or act out the following.) STAGE MANAGER (Show Session Title slide.) (speaks into headset) Great job, everyone! That s a wrap! (speaks to kids) You know, if God can help Daniel in a den full of lions, God can certainly help you and me! God can do anything! With God, everything is possible. One of the ways we can show God that we re thankful for all the ways He helps us is by helping others. Whom can you help this week? Start today! Be sure to grab the One Conversation page as you leave. It will remind you of what we ve learned and help you talk with your family about it. I can t wait to see you next week! 14
p HUDDLE UPS (OPTIONAL) This time is designed for churches that have a pick-up time from a large room as parents arrive. It s a great time for follow-up conversations and questions from small group leaders about the session s content. You also can use the missions emphasis (below). (Print the following for your small group leaders.) Who did we hear about in our Bible story? (Daniel) What law did Daniel break? (He wouldn t pray to King Darius and kept praying to God.) What happened to Daniel? (He was thrown into the lions den, but the lions didn t hurt him. God saved him!) When is it OK for us to break a rule? (Only if the rule asks us to break one of God s rules.) MISSIONS EMPHASIS (OPTIONAL) Prior to the session, for each small group, gather a beanbag and create a seven-square hopscotch board on the floor with tape. Review key points from the missions story, Total Surrender. Remind boys and girls that the Baggett family enjoys playing games. Invite a child to toss a beanbag onto the board. He should hop on one foot through the squares in number order, skipping the square that the beanbag landed on. Then, he should hop back to the start, pausing to pick up the beanbag and sharing one thing he learned about Argentina. Pray that the people in Argentina will come to know how much God loves them. Missions Story: Total Surrender Kevin and Laura Baggett and their children, Cylia and Lucas, are a missionary family serving in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Buenos Aires is a huge city. Almost 13 million people live there! Most people in Buenos Aires speak Spanish. The people there enjoy doing things outside, especially playing soccer. Cylia loves spending time outside, too. She enjoys spending time with her family, playing games, watching movies, and going to the park. But, her favorite activity is visiting the local bakery where she can buy Argentine candies and a sweet treat called alfajores (ahl-fah-hoh-rehs). Out of the millions of people who live in Buenos Aires, only a few are followers of Jesus. The Baggett family wants to change that. They are partnering with churches all over the city, and God is doing some amazing things. 15
One day a lady named Virginia invited Kevin to her neighborhood. Soon they started a Bible study in a pizza restaurant! Virginia asked many of her friends to come to the pizza restaurant to hear about Jesus. One friend who came to the Bible study was Guadalupe. Guadalupe was not a Christian, and she was not interested in going to the churches in Buenos Aires. But, Guadalupe enjoyed coming to the pizza restaurant each week. She began to learn about the Bible. God changed Guadalupe. She now says that God is the most important thing in her life. She became a Christian and was recently baptized. Please pray for the Baggett family as they share about Jesus with the people of Buenos Aires, Argentina. 16