Standing In The Light
Curriculum
Lead By Example
Daniel and the Lion’s Den Lesson
(Preschool Bible Lesson)
Bible Story: Daniel and the Lion’s Den – Daniel 6:2-4,6-7,10-13,16-17,19-22
.Items Needed:
• Bible, Daniel 6:2-4,6-7,10-13,16-17,19-22
• “Daniel and the Lion’s Den” Story Booklet (download)
• 1 lion’s head printout per child (download) and crayons
• 1 lunch paper bag per child, scissors, glue, construction paper strips (1/2” wide), pencils
• Optional Daniel coloring pages and Daniel praying
• Optional visuals – you can print images of lions from Google
Teaching Plan: Daniel and the Lion’s Den
Welcome Activity: Welcome activities are things to have out for the children to do as they are arriving for class. These activities will get them engaged as soon as they arrive and will help the transition from their parents.
• Have the children color the lion’s head. This will be used later in the lesson.
Worship Time: Use any preschool church songs your children enjoy, let them do the offering dance and use their instruments
Bible Lesson Introduction: Who likes lions? What do lions sound like? What do lions do? What do lions eat? In our Bible Story today, we will be reading a story about a man and some lions.
Bible Lesson: Read Daniel 6:2-4,6-7,10-13,16-17,19-22 (NIRV) aloud to the children. There is also a book that you can print out that has the story along with simple pictures to help the children understand what is being read. Read the verses (story) to the children. If you are using the print out story, point to the pictures as you read the story so that the children can better understand what you are saying.
Responsive Listening: Read the story again for review, but this time have the children growl each time you say the word “lion”.
Discuss the Bible Reading
• When you are finished reading the story the second time, ask the children the following questions so that you can know they understood it.
• “Who was in the story?” The king, Daniel
• “What was Daniel doing that was seen as wrong?” Praying to God
• “What happened to Daniel because of this?” He was thrown into the lions’ den “Did he get hurt?” No
• “Why?” God shut the lions’ mouths
Suggested Crafts & Learning Activities
Lion Puppet Activity
• Give each child a paper bag.
• Have them cut their lion’s head (from the Welcome Activity) on the line across the middle (or cut it for them if they are too young to use scissors).
• Have them glue the top part of the lion’s head on the flap of the bag and the bottom half of the lion’s head under the flap.
• Lay out the strips of construction paper on the table and have the children glue them on the lion’s head as the mane. They can use the pencils or their finger to curl up the strips, if they want.
Easter Lesson
Jesus Dies on the Cross
Very early in the morning, the soldiers brought Jesus to Pilate, the Roman Ruler at the time. Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus replied, “Yes, I am.” This upset the chief priests because they were jealous of him and the friends He had made with the Jews.
Pilate listened to the complaints of the people that brought Jesus, but he couldn’t find any reason to punish Him. Pilate questioned Jesus, but Jesus didn’t stick up for himself (He knew that they wouldn’t listen anyway). He had done nothing wrong.
When they reached the top of the hill they nailed Jesus to the cross. There were three crosses, Jesus was in the middle and there was a criminal on His right and on His left.
The soldiers watched Jesus and made fun of him, they even divided up his clothes to be even more mean. And some people walked by and shouted, “You saved others, why can’t you save Yourself?” Jesus could have saved himself, but he chose not to, He wanted to save us instead.
Later, Jesus could not handle the pain any longer and He said, “It is finished.” That is when Jesus bowed His head and went to Heaven.
Suddenly, a huge curtain that hung at the temple was torn in half, from top to bottom. And a man that had wanted Jesus to die saw all of this and he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” He realized he had been wrong about Jesus.
Jesus is Alive!
After Jesus died a man named Joseph (from a place called Arimathea) put Jesus in his tomb that nobody had ever used. The tombs they used then were cut out of rock, almost like a cave, they weren’t buried deep in the ground like they are now. Before Joseph left, he and some men rolled a large heavy stone in front of the tomb.
Mary and Mary Magdalene had waited a day to see Jesus, because they couldn’t go on the Sabbath (it was a day of rest). They made spices and oils as a sign of respect to Jesus, and went very early Sunday morning to go see Jesus’ body.
As they were just about at the tomb the earth suddenly shook and an angel came down from heaven. He easily rolled away the stone at the entrance of the tomb and sat on top of it.
The women looked at each other and rubbed their eyes, they couldn’t believe what they had seen, plus it was very early in the morning, and they were still a little sleepy. The angel was so bright, almost as bright as lightning. His clothes were as white as snow.
Then the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid. I know you are looking for Jesus who has died. But He isn’t here; He has risen just as He said He would! Come and see for yourself, the tomb is empty.”
The women were confused. How could this happen? They were sure Jesus had died, and now He was alive? They looked in the tomb and the cloths Jesus was wrapped in were laying on the ground, and the tomb was empty. Then the angel spoke again, “If you want to find Jesus He’s on his way to Galilee.”
So the women hurried away, they were laughing and crying at the same time. They didn’t know what to feel, they had been so sad that Jesus was dead and now they were so excited He was alive! They just knew they had to find Jesus, and they had to tell the disciples the good news.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NIV)
Jesus Said Yes! Song by Mrs Pattycake.
In the garden late that night,
Jesus prayed with all his might,
Father help me do what’s right,
I’ll say yes to you.
Jesus said Yes!
Jesus said Yes!
Jesus said Yes to the Father
And we can say yes, we can say yes
We can say yes to him too!
Now I will listen when I pray,
Talk to God both night and day,
Just like Jesus I will say,
I’ll say yes to You.
Jesus said Yes!
Jesus said Yes!
Jesus said Yes to the Father
And we can say yes, we can say yes
We can say yes to him too!
Hosanna Song
Praise is rising, eyes are turning to You
We turn to You
Hope is stirring, hearts are yearning for You
We long for You
When we see You
We find strength to face the day
In Your presence all our fears
Are washed away, washed away
Hosanna, Hosanna
You are the God who saves us
Worthy of all our praises
Hosanna, Hosanna
Come have Your way among us
We welcome You here, Lord Jesus
Hear the sound of hearts returning to You
We turn to You
In Your kingdom broken lives are made new
You make all things new
Daniel and the Lions Den
This is a repost.
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….when you always do what is good and right. I guess it’s because it makes THEM look bad. That’s what happened with Daniel. Daniel was an Israelite boy who lived in captivity to the King of Babylon, Darius. Darius liked Daniel so much that he gave him a job supervising his kingdom “We have to do something about this Daniel,” the supervisors, the governors, the lieutenant governors, and all the other officials said to themselves. But no matter how hard they looked, they couldn’t find anything wrong with Daniel because Daniel was completely faithful and honest in everything he did. “Maybe we can use his religion against him,” they said. And so they came up with a bad, wicked plan. They went to King Darius one day and said, “King Darius! May you live forever! (although each one of them was probably really thinking, ‘May you die tomorrow – so I can become King!’). All of us who help to rule your kingdom; the supervisors, the governors, the lieutenant governors, and all the other officials, think that it would be very wise of you to issue a command that for thirty days no one should be able to ask for anything from any god or man except you, O Great and Mighty King. And if anyone should ask for anything from any god or man besides you, they should be thrown into the lions’ den.” King Darius accepted the idea of the supervisors, the governors, the lieutenant governors, an all the other officials, and signed the decree. It became a law of the Medes and Persians that could not be changed. Daniel heard the King’s decree, but still, the next morning he went to his window to pray, just as he did every morning, noon and night. This was exactly what the supervisors, the governors, the lieutenant governors, and all the other officials were looking for. They went straight to the king. “Your Majesty, may you live forever!” they said. “Didn’t you sign a decree that said for thirty days no one should ask for anything from any god or man except you, O Great and Mighty King. And if anyone should ask for anything from any god or man besides you, they should be thrown into the lions’ den?” “Yes,” said the king. “It is a law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be changed.” Then the supervisors, the governors, the lieutenant governors, and all the other officials said, “We saw Daniel praying to his God this very morning! He does not respect you or your order.” When King Darius heard this news he was very sad. He knew that Daniel was a good and honest man, who served him faithfully. And so he worked into the night, trying to find some way to rescue Daniel. But he couldn’t. The supervisors, the governors, the lieutenant governors, and all the other officials came back the next morning and demanded, “Your Majesty, you know a law of the Medes and Persians can never be changed. Daniel must be thrown into the lions’ den!” Which was just what they wanted all along. And so, the king had no choice but to have Daniel thrown into the lions’ den. The King said to Daniel, “May the God whom you serve so faithfully save you!” And then the king’s men grabbed Daniel and threw him into a pit filled with pacing, roaring, hot-breathed lions. They rolled a stone over the mouth of the den, and the King sealed it with his royal seal, so that no one could move the stone and rescue Daniel. That night, the king could not sleep at all. The first thing the next morning, just as the sun was beginning to rise, the king ran to the lions’ den. He shouted out, “Daniel! servant of the living God! Was the God you serve so faithfully able to save you from the lions’ jaws? “Daniel…?” “May your majesty live forever!” Daniel called from inside the lions’ den. “God sent his angel to shut the lions mouths all through the night. God has saved me so that you will know that I am innocent, and I have served you faithfully!” The king was so happy. Immediately he ordered his servants to pull Daniel from the lions’ den. There wasn’t even a scratch on him. Everyone saw that Daniel had trusted God, and God had saved him. And then the king sent for all the supervisors, the governors, the lieutenant governors, and all the other officials who had accused Daniel. They were in trouble now! Right then and there, the king had them arrested and thrown into lions’ den themselves. The lions were not so friendly this time. Then King Darius issued a new decree. It said, “Greetings, people of all nations, races, and languages! I, King Darius, decree that all people everywhere should honor and fear the God that Daniel serves so faithfully. He is the living God who rules for all time. His kingdom will never end, and his power will last forever. He rescues and he saves. He can do mighty things, for he has saved Daniel from the lions’ jaws!” Once again, Daniel was faithful. And God was able to show us that he is always able to do great and wonderful things. |
Questions:
- What was the name of the King that had to throw Daniel into the Lion’s den? King Darius.
- What did Daniel do that got him thrown into the Lion’s Den? Prayed to God.
- Who shut the mouths of the Lions? An angel of God.
- What happened to the bad men who tricked the King into making a law to get Daniel into trouble? The King threw them into the Lion’s Den.
- Who did King Darius decree that all his kingdom should now respect because of all of this?
Jonah Complete Lesson
The Story
God looked down from Heaven and saw that the people of a city called Nineveh were being bad. They were fighting each other, worshiping idols, stealing from each other, and not following Gods commandments at all!
God spoke to one of His prophets, Jonah, and told him to go preach to these people. He told Jonah to tell them that He was watching them and that they should start being good. If they would say they were sorry, and start following Gods rules, then He would forgive them. If not, He would have to destroy the city and everyone in it.
Jonah didn’t want to obey God. The people of Nineveh were enemies of Israel and He thought they deserved to be destroyed. But God loves all people, and wanted to give them a second chance to be good.
Jonah decided to run from God. He got on a ship that was going in the opposite direction and tried to hide from God, so he wouldn’t have to go to Nineveh.
After Jonah gets on the ship and gets out to sea, God sent a big storm and the ship was about to sink with everyone on it. Jonah knew that God had sent the storm, so he told the sailors to throw him overboard to save themselves.
So, they did! God then sent a big huge fish to swallow Jonah! He stayed inside the belly of the fish for 3 days. He knew that He had been wrong to run and try to hide from God, so he told God that he was sorry, and that he would obey by going to Neveah. (Although he still wasn’t very happy about it).
God made the fish spit Jonah out onto dry land, and off he went to do Gods work in the city of his enemies, Neveah.
The people of Nineveh listened to Jonah, and they told God they were sorry, and promised not to be bad anymore, and God spared them.
Questions:
1. What was the name of the city that God told Jonah to go preach to? Nineveh
2. Why was Jonah unhappy about preaching to them? They were his countries enemies.
3. Who did Jonah tell to throw him overboard? The sailors on the ship
4. What swallowed Jonah? A big fish
5. How long was Jonah in the belly of the fish? 3 days
6. Bonus…..How did God know where to find Jonah? Because God sees us all the time, no matter where we are. We cannot hide from God.
Who Did Swallow Jonah Song
Who did, who did,
Who did, who did
Who did swallow
Jo, Jo, Jo, Jo
Who did, who did,
Who did, who did
Who did swallow
Jo, Jo, Jo, Jo
Who did, who did,
Who did, who did
Who did swallow
Jo, Jo, Jo, Jo
Who did swallow Jonah,
Who did swallow Jonah
Who did swallow Jonah down?
Whale did, whale did,
Whale did, whale did
Whale did swallow
Jo, Jo, Jo, Jo
Whale did, whale did,
Whale did, whale did
Whale did swallow
Jo, Jo, Jo, Jo
Whale did, whale did,
Whale did, whale did
Whale did swallow
Jo, Jo, Jo, Jo
Whale did swallow Jonah,
Whale did swallow Jonah
Whale did swallow Jonah down
Gabriel, Gabriel,
Gabriel, Gabriel
Gabriel blow your
Trum, trum, trum, trum
Gabriel, Gabriel,
Gabriel, Gabriel
Gabriel blow your
Trum, trum, trum, trum
Gabriel, Gabriel,
Gabriel, Gabriel
Gabriel blow your
Trum, trum, trum, trum
Gabriel blow your trumpet,
Gabriel blow your trumpet
Gabriel blow your trumpet loud.
Daniel, Daniel,
Daniel, Daniel
Daniel in the
Li, li, li, li
Daniel, Daniel,
Daniel, Daniel
Daniel in the
Li, li, li, li
Daniel, Daniel,
Daniel, Daniel
Daniel in the
Li, li, li, li
Daniel in the lion’s,
Daniel in the lion’s
Daniel in the lion’s den.
Make Salt Dough Fish
Ingredients:
• 1 cup of fine salt
• 1 cup of flour
• 1/2 cup of water (may add more)
Instructions:
o In a large bowl, combine the salt and the flour
o Make a well in the salt/flour mixture and add the water
o Knead until smooth and shape into a ball, flatten out and allow children to form fish shapes. Let dry.
HINT: To get a softer dough you can add more flour. Adding more salt will lend a more granulous affect. Use wallpaper glue and the dough with be more cohesive. To add color to your dough, add food coloring.
Knead to get an even color.
You may also paint sculptures after they dry
Craft Idea
Puzzle to print
Game
Print out the fish and the character of Jonah. Tape the fish to the wall and let kids Pin Jonah onto the fish (Pin the tail on the donkey style game).
snack: Goldfish and blue cool-aid.
Coloring Page to Print.
Poster Art for a favorite teacher or t-shirt
Abraham and Isaac Lesson
The Story of ABRAHAM AND ISAAC
In the old days, before Jesus came and died on the cross as our sacrifice, people would sacrifice an animal on an alter to God during their prayers. The animal was usually a sheep, or a goat—some animal that was used for food.
God told Abraham “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love so much and waited so many years to have, and go to the land of Moriah, and there on a mountain that I will show you, offer him for a burnt-offering to me.”
Abraham had faith in God and he knew that God had a reason for telling him to do this, so he set out to obey. He knew that Isaac was the child that God had promised to him and Sarah,, and that through Isaac would come the great nation of Israel. He did not see how God could keep his promise with regard to Isaac, if Isaac should be killed as an offering; unless indeed God should raise him up from the dead afterward.
When they reached the mountain, Isaac said:
“Father, here is the wood, but where is the lamb for the offering?”
And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide himself a Lamb for a burnt offering.”
And they came to the place on the top of the mountain. There Abraham built an altar of stones and earth heaped up; and on it he placed the wood. Then he tied the hands and the feet of Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on the wood. And Abraham lifted up his hand, holding a knife to kill his son. Another moment longer and Isaac would be slain by his own father’s hand.
But just then, the angel of the Lord out of heaven called to Abraham, and said:
“Abraham! Abraham!”
And Abraham answered, “Here I am, Lord.” Then the angel of the Lord said:
Do not harm your son for I can see that you love and will obey God, so a substitute sacrifice will be given in the place of your son Issac. There in the thicket was a ram caught by his horns. And Abraham took the ram and offered him up for a burnt-offering in place of his son. So Abraham’s words came true when he said that God would provide for himself a lamb.
The place where this altar was built Abraham named Jehovah-jireh, words in the language that Abraham spoke meaning, “The Lord will provide.”
Activity
– Trusting God to Provide
Use this Abraham and Isaac Sunday School lesson to teach children that they can trust God even in the scariest of situations.
Needed: Blindfolds
Ask students, How many of you have ever been in a scary situation?
What’s the most scared you’ve ever been?
What happened?
How do you think God helped you in that scary situation?
Have you heard about God helping people in other scary situations?
We just heard the story of Issac and Abraham, Do you think that would be a scary situation? Who do you think was more scared, Abraham or Isaac?
Why do you think Abraham would listen to God and take Isaac up the mountain to sacrifice him?
First, Abraham knew that He had to listen to God. He had to do what God told him to do. But Abraham also knew that God wouldn’t really let him kill Isaac. Do you remember when Abraham told Isaac that God would provide a lamb for the sacrifice?
Did you hear that? God did provide an animal for the sacrifice, just like Abraham knew He would. It was a scary situation, but it turned out okay because Abraham trusted God to take care of it.
This shows us that no matter what scary situation we might get into, we can trust God to take care of us and provide for us.
Let’s play a game to help us remember to trust God in scary situations.
Game: Faith to Fall – Have students pair up. One student wears the blindfold and falls backward, trusting the other to catch them. Then they reverse roles.
How many of you thought it was scary trusting someone else to catch you?
It might be scary, but remember that we can always trust God to take care of us in scary situations.
Let’s pray about that.
Sample prayer: Father God, we thank You that You are always with us and always take care of us, even in the times that we are scared. Help us to trust You more in the scary situations. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
(Activity was RePosted from Rev. Stephen R. Wilson)
Craft Time
Use playdough to make alters and cut our paper figures of Abraham and Issac to re-enact the story. See templates at top.
Rocky Mount Preschool Kids Church 