l Buildings” › wzukusers › user-13450458...trust in your power and might. We love You and want to show You our love by standing firm with You. Help us to do what is right! In

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OT14.3 The Fiery Furnace ©Beverly Wilson 2020

Unit 14: Captivity Daniel and Esther OT14.3 The Fiery Furnace Lesson

Scripture: Daniel 3:1-30

Lesson Goal: Daniel is a major prophet during the time of Israel’s captivity in Babylon. Daniel was a young man who had been captured by King Nebuchadnezzar and taken to the land of Babylon. Even though they were captives in the land of Babylon, Daniel and his three friends had chosen to obey God and only worship Him. In this lesson Daniel's friends made a choice to not pray to the king's statue. We will see how they trusted God to care for them.

Introduction: The book of Daniel is in the Old Testament. It is the last book in the section of books called the Major Prophets. Daniel was a prophet when Israel was in captivity in Babylon. In his book he tells about the faithful Jews living in captivity and shows how God is sovereign. Let's say the books of Major Prophets--Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel.

Attention Getter: “Tall Buildings” What is the tallest building you have ever visited? Have you ever gone up in a skyscraper? A skyscraper is a very tall building. Skyscrapers are usually found in large cities like Chicago, Indianapolis or New York City. The tallest building in Indianapolis is the Chase Bank building. It is 830 feet tall and has 48 stories. Another tall building in downtown Indianapolis is the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. It is 284 feet tall. At Christmastime long strings of lights are hung from the monument and it looks like a big Christmas tree! In this lesson we are going to hear about a very big and tall building. It was a gold statue built by King Nebuchadnezzar of himself! It was 90 feet tall. He wanted everyone to worship this image. But we will see how three young friends did not do it!

Opening Prayer: “Father, please give us the courage to obey You, even when other people around us don’t. Help us to trust in your power and might. We love You and want to show You our love by standing firm with You. Help us to do what is right! In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Memory Verse: The memory verse is Acts 5:29 “Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than man.”

Lesson Video: https://youtu.be/K5IEfsX3A8A

Because of the unfaithfulness of the children of Israel God allowed the Babylonians to invade Israel. They captured the people and marched them 900 miles away to Babylon into slavery. Among those taken captive were Daniel and his three friends-- Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. These friends loved God and wanted to obey Him even in this foreign land that worshipped idols. When they were chosen to serve the king as his special advisors, they were faithful to God. They refused to eat the meat that had been offered to idols. God blessed them by making them ten times smarter than any of the other of the King's wise men. One night King Nebuchadnezzar had dream about a huge image that he did not understand. God gave the interpretation to Daniel and then Daniel told King Nebuchadnezzar about the coming kingdoms. The king was so pleased that he made Daniel and his friends rulers over all the land of Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar gave them new Babylonian names: Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego.

https://youtu.be/K5IEfsX3A8A

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Just as Daniel had predicted in the interpretation of the king's dream, King Nebuchadnezzar grew in power. Year after year he added more new countries to his kingdom. In every land he was greatly feared. But at the same time, the king became very proud of his success. One day King Nebuchadnezzar decided to build a statue. This statue was not a small, plain, ordinary statue. No, it was to be one of the largest statues ever built--90 feet tall and 9 feet wide--and it was to be made from gold. The king commanded that the statue was to be built on the plain of Dura in Babylon. He probably wanted the statue to be something like the one in his dream. When the statue was finished, the king commanded that all the rulers and officials from all the countries he had conquered to come to Babylon and to attend the dedication of the image. Meanwhile the king had probably sent Daniel out of the country to check on some of countries he had conquered. On the dedication day, King Nebuchadnezzar had a huge band of musicians come to play. There were trumpets, oboes, lyres, zithers, and harps. The announcer loudly proclaimed, "Everyone is commanded, as soon as you hear musical instruments you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Anyone who does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.” As soon as the music played, everyone bowed down to the gold image. Everyone bowed except the three Jewish captives--Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego. They believed they should obey God and only worship Him! They knew the first two of the Ten Commandments forbid them to worship other gods or idols so they decided to be brave and obey God! The Babylonian astrologers saw that the three Jewish rulers had not bowed down so they reported them to King Nebuchadnezzar. They said, "O King, You issued an order that everyone who hears the sound of the music should bow down and worship your statue or they will be thrown into a blazing furnace. Your three Jewish rulers--Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego paid no attention to you. They did not worship your image nor your gods!" At that the king flew into a rage and ordered the three men to be brought to him. He decided to give them one more chance. He shouted, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that you do not worship the image of gold that I have set up? Now when you hear the music, if you are ready to bow down and worship the image, then very good. If you do not bow down, then you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Do you think there is any god who can save you?" The three men bravely replied, "Your majesty, if the God whom we serve is able to save us from the blazing furnace and from your power, then He will. But even if He doesn't we will not worship your god, and we will not bow down to the gold statue." Nebuchadnezzar lost his temper, and his face turned red with anger. He ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than usual. The strongest men in his army firmly tied the three Jews up and threw them, fully clothed, into the roaring furnace. The fire was so hot that the soldiers who threw the three men into the furnace died from just getting close to the flames. The king and his officials watched to see what would happen. Suddenly the king's face changed from anger to fear! Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement. "Didn't we tie up three men and throw them into the blazing furnace?" he asked. They answered, "Yes, we did, Your majesty."

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“Then why do I see four men walking around in the fire?" he asked. "They are not tied up and they show no sign of being hurt--and the fourth one looks like an angel or Son of God." So Nebuchadnezzar went up to the door of the blazing furnace and called out, "Shadrach! Meshach! Abednego! Servants of the Supreme God! Come out!" And they came out at once. All the princes, governors, and other officials gathered to look at the three men, who had not been harmed by the fire. Only the ropes that had been around them were burned off! Their hair was not singed, their clothes were not burned, and there was no smell of smoke on them. God had protected them from harm. The Lord Jesus Himself or an angel of God had been with them in the flames! The king was so surprised that he said, "Praise the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent His angel and rescued these men who serve and trust Him. They disobeyed my orders and risked their lives rather than bow down and worship any god except their own." The king continued, "I command that if anyone speaks disrespectfully of the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, he is to be torn limb from limb and his house is to be made a pile of ruins. There is no other god who can rescue like this." Because of the courageous stand of these three men, the king declared that everyone should honor the true God. Then the King promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to new positions of honor. God honored the courage those three young men showed by standing firm for God. He will honor your courage, too. You will probably never be asked to bow down to a large golden statue, but you may find yourself in a situation where you are tempted to disobey God. What are some situations you might feel tempted to go along with others in doing wrong things? Have some ask you to help them cheat by asking you to give them the answer to a question? That is not right. You need to be brave and say "You need to do your own work!" God does not want us to lie about our work. What about kids in your neighborhood? Have they asked you to destroy or mark up the playground equipment? The brave thing is to say, "No, I don't want to tear up the swings or slide! That is not right!" God says not to destroy what belongs to others. What about at home? Have you had brothers or sisters tell you it is all right to disobey your parents? What will you say to them? The brave thing to do is to say, "No!" Why should you do that? Because God has told us to respect and obey our parents. How can you get the courage you need to obey God in these situations? First, you can pray and ask God to help you be brave and do what is right. Choose to spend time with friends who want to obey God. You will help them and they will help you do what is right! Ask parents for help about what to do. Every day we make choices that show whether or not we want to obey God. It may not be easy. Parents can help you make the right choices. When you stand firm for God, not everyone will agree with you. Some will make fun of you or laugh at you. Some may even call you names. But some will be encouraged to stand with you. Others will be impressed with your courage and will want to know more about God. Perhaps even those who make fun of you will change their minds about God when they see your faith. Remember be true to God and obey Him!

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Review Questions: “Fiery Furnace” Relay Preparation: You will need a bucket, one tong, paper, markers, and three bean bags for each team. Procedure: Form two teams. Provide each team with the game supplies. Challenge each team to complete the following relay: The team is to toss three beanbags (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) into the bucket (fiery furnace). After each beanbag lands in the bucket, the students need to say the name of one of the men tossed into the furnace. Remove the bean bags from the furnace using a pair of tongs. As they remove the bean bags they must correctly answer one of the following questions from this Bible lesson. When a bean bag is removed the team must shout, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego!” Play until all the bean bags are removed.

1. Who in this lesson were captured from Israel and taken to Babylon? (Nebuchadnezzar’s army

took Daniel and three of his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah as part of the young men taken as captives to go to Babylon as slaves.)

2. Why did Daniel and his friends not want to eat the food of the Babylonian King? (God had ordered that the Hebrew people were not to eat meat that had been offered to idols. Daniel and his friends loved God and did not want to disobey God.)

3. How was Daniel able to tell King Nebuchadnezzar what his dream was and its interpretation? (Daniel and his friends prayed and ask God to give Daniel the dream and its meaning. God answered their prayer and gave the dream and its interpretation to Daniel in a vision.)

4. Why did King Nebuchadnezzar build the golden statute? (King Nebuchadnezzar had grown in power as he added more new countries to his kingdom. The king became very proud of his success and probably wanted to build a statute to honor himself much like the one he had seen in his dream.”

5. What special thing did King Nebuchadnezzar do for the dedication day of his golden statute? (On the dedication day, King Nebuchadnezzar had a huge band of musicians come to play. There were trumpets, oboes, lyres, zithers, and harps.}

6. What did the announcer of the event tell everyone? (The announcer loudly proclaimed, "Everyone is commanded, as soon as you hear musical instruments you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Anyone who does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”)

7. Why did Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego not fall down and worship the golden image? (Worshipping the image would have been a violation of the first two Commandments. We are worship God as the only God and no other. We are not to worship idols.)

8. How do you think Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego felt about the king’s orders? (They were probably very afraid and fearful. Although they were frightened they were determined to obey God.)

9. Why was Daniel probably not in this event? (King Nebuchadnezzar had made him second only to himself in command and he was probably out of the country at the time on official business.)

10. When King Nebuchadnezzar heard that the three Jewish officials had not bowed what did he do? (He became very angry. He gave them another opportunity but once again they did not bow. He got so angry that he had them thrown into the fiery furnace.)

11. What did the three friends say when King Nebuchadnezzar commanded them to bow to the image? (The three men bravely replied, "Your majesty, if the God whom we serve is able to save us from the blazing furnace and from your power, then He will. But even if He doesn't we will not worship your god, and we will not bow down to the gold statue.")

12. What happened to show that the fiery furnace was exceedingly hot? (The fire was so hot that the soldiers who threw the three men into the furnace died from just getting close to the flames.)

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13. What surprised King Nebuchadnezzar when he looked into the fiery furnace? (He looked into the furnace and saw four men walking around in the fire. He wanted to know why there were four men rather than three. And they were not hurt but were walking around in the fire! He noticed that the fourth man looked like an angel or Son of God.")

14. When King Nebuchadnezzar called out to the three friends in the furnace, what was surprising about the men when they came out? (Only the ropes that had been around them were burned off! Their hair was not singed, their clothes were not burned, and there was no smell of smoke on them.)

15. How did Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego escape from the fiery furnace? (God protected them from harm. The Lord Jesus Himself or an angel of God was with them in the flames!)

16. What are some of the lessons we should learn from this story of “The Fiery Furnace”? (God honored the courage those three young men showed by standing firm for God. God will honor us when we stand up for Him. Others may make fun of us and persecute us but we should always put our trust in God and obey Him.

17. How can we get the courage we need to obey God in difficult situations? First, we can pray and ask God to help us be brave and do what is right. We can choose to spend time with friends who want to obey God. We can help them and they can help us do what is right! We can ask parents for help about what to do.)

18. What is our memory verse? (Acts 5:29 “Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than man.”)

Bible Memory Verse Activity: “Rhyming Words” (Grades K-3) The memory verse is Acts 5:29 “Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than man.” Have students locate the verse in scripture and read aloud together several times. Say: “This verse means that we must choose to obey God even when others tell us to do wrong. Remember God is with you to help you speak up for Him. He will honor your faith just like he did Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.” Preparation: You will need Bibles, a large sheet of poster paper, and a marker. Draw lines and print words on a large sheet of paper as shown here: Procedure: Display the paper you prepared: Say: “Let’s find our memory verse by guessing words that rhyme with the words above the blanks.” Read the words aloud. Students take turns guessing rhyming words to figure out the words that go on the blank lines. Fill in the correct words, listing incorrect words around the edge of the paper. After all the words are guessed, students find Acts 5:29 in their Bibles. Say: “Why is it better to obey God rather than other people? What are some times when following other people’s actions might be OK? (For example, getting out of a dangerous situation or when that person is obeying God.) What are some actions that would not be good to follow? In this lesson we learned that God wants us to do what is right even when others are disobeying Him.”

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Group Learning Activity: “Retelling the Bible Story” (Grades K-2) Preparation: You will need large index cards, marker, paper hole puncher, yarn, and scissors. You will also need a large box and red, yellow, and orange paper streamers and tape. Procedure: Print the words: “King Nebuchadnezzar”, “messenger”, “Angry men”. “Shadrach”, “Meshach”, “Abednego”, “soldiers” (two times), and “Angel” on separate index cards. Make additional cards labeled “crowd” so there is one card for each child in your class. Punch holes and tie yarn in each card to make a name tag that hangs around the neck. Ask for volunteers to wear the name tags. As you retell the story, guide the children in moving to show the appropriate actions. Repeat the story with new volunteers. Each time the story is repeated, children will be able to act out the story with less direction from you. You can recreate a fiery furnace by using a large box. Cut a hole in the side of the box. Tape red, yellow, and orange paper streamers to the sides of the box to make the fiery furnace. Bring a fan and tape red, yellow, and orange crepe paper streamers on it. Turn it on to simulate the “fire” when the men get in the furnace. Let the students help the sound effect of a sizzling fire by hissing with their mouths or waving aluminum foil. You can read Daniel 3 aloud as you retell the story or use the following script:

Group Learning Game Activity: “Statue Contest” (Grades 2-5) Preparation: You will need lots of newspaper or scrap paper and masking tape. Say: “In this lesson we learned that King Nebuchadnezzar created a statue of himself. His statue was made of gold and stood 90 feet tall and was 9 feet wide. To build the statue he used a hot furnace. The furnace heated the materials to a really high temperature. These high temperatures would melt the metals for forming or baking them the brick into large buildings or statues. Today we are going to make a statue but it will be out of paper not gold!” Procedure: Divide your class into teams of three to five students each. Challenge each team to build a statue that can stand on its own using only newspapers or scrap paper and masking tape. The tallest statue that can stand alone wins. Say: “Why do people build statues? (They want people to honor someone who is important or remember an important event.) People build statues for a lot of different reasons. Today, statues usually show respect to someone as a way to remember someone for something he did or for who he was. In our Bible lesson, King Nebuchadnezzar had a statue built. But it wasn’t built for a good reason. In the Bible, why were statues often built? (They were often built for worshiping false idols.) Read Daniel 3:18. Say: “How committed were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to obeying God? They said that even if God did not save them, they wanted the king to understand that they would not worship him. No matter

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what, they were going to worship only the one true God. Even if it meant they would die, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego would not worship a false god. What do you think about their decision? Do you agree or disagree? Do you think this decision was easy or hard? Could you make the same decision? Who was with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? God was with them in the fire. “Who is the only One who can save us from our sin? (Jesus is the only One who can save us from our sin. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross provided the way for us to be rescued and have eternal life.) Tip: You may want to draw out this discussion with older students by discussing missionaries today who face tough decisions to follow God in hostile environments.

Group Learning Activity: “Persecution” (Grades 3-5) Purpose: To help students learn that God is the One who gives us strength during tribulation and trouble. Preparation: You will need Bibles, spiritual journal page, pencils or pens. Say: “In this lesson we learned Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego bravely stood up for God when they were faced with persecution. We are going to look at some scriptures that teach us about the persecution that Christians will face.” Procedure: Have students look up the following scripture. Discuss the meaning of each verse with the group.

• 2 Timothy 3:12 “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be

persecuted’ As Christians we should expect opposition. Paul warned us that people who live godly lives will be hated. The world hates Christ so they will hate us because we are living like Him.

• Matthew 5: 10, 11, 12 “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Christians should recognize that persecution actually has value. It takes our eyes away from earthly rewards. It strips away superficial belief. It strengthens our faith. It proves that we are faithful. In the future God will reward the faithful.

• Romans 12: 14 “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” A Christian should not retaliate when they are persecuted. It is easy to be hateful but if we are to be like Christ we will respond with kindness and blessings. Jesus did not threaten others when He suffered. We are to be like Him.

• Matthew 5:44 “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” By loving and praying for our enemies, we can overcome evil with good. If you love your enemies you are truly showing that Jesus is the Lord of your life. This is only possible when we give ourselves truly to God who is the only One who can give us the strength to respond with love.

• John 15:20 “Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.” If Jesus suffered a cruel death on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins, then we should expect to not be treated greater than He was.

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Encourage students to brain storm different men in the Bible who have suffered persecution. Examples: Paul was beaten, imprisoned, and chained. Peter and John were imprisoned and martyred. Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den.

Have students record what they have learned about God’s care during persecution in their spiritual journals.

Group Learning Activity: “Name that Idol” (Grades 2-5) Preparation: You will need index cards, a marker, and a large plastic cup. You will use the cards to play a game similar to the American television show called “Password.” Procedure: Write each of the following words on separate index cards using the marker: money, food, cell phone, video game, clothes, popularity, football, basketball, soccer, shopping, friends, movie star, and singer. These are the passwords for the “Idol game.” Place the cards in the large plastic cup. Have each student take turns drawing a card out of the plastic cup. Challenge the student to describe the word to his peers without actually saying the word or any part of the word. The other students in the class are to guess the word that the student is describing by guessing from the clues that the student is providing. Encourage the students to use synonyms for the “password.” Play until all the word cards in the cup have been guessed. Say: “Can you name something that all these words have in common? (Answers will vary.) Did you know that all of these items can also be idols? What is an idol? An idol is anything that is more important to us than God. It is something that we focus on and desire more than we focus on or desire God. All of the items in our game can be good, or they can be bad by becoming an idol. These items can become our goal in life. We spend so much time wanting these objects that we have no time left to devote to God and His worship. “In this Bible lesson King Nebuchadnezzar built a statue for himself out of pride, and he wanted people to worship him by bowing to the statue. What are some things that can happen when people refuse to worship the king instead of the one true God? People can become very proud and vain. They begin to trust in themselves and their own power instead of relying on God. That is why God gave us the first two of the Ten Commandments. God wants us to honor him. He wants us to be bold and brave and stand up for what is right. We are not to worship idols.”

Group Learning Activity Game: “Afraid/ Not Afraid” Game (Grades K-5) Preparation: You will need construction paper, marker, and tape. Procedure: Write “Afraid” and “Not Afraid; on two sheets of paper. Attach the pages at opposite ends of the room. Say: “There are many things people fear. In this lesson we learned about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They had to learn to trust God when they were facing a very fearful situation. We too should learn to trust God when we are afraid. Let’s think about some specific ways we can trust God when we face fearful things.” (Call attention to the two signs “Afraid” and “Not Afraid” on the wall.)

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Say: “I will state something some people fear. If I had that item in this room, and I asked you to do what I say, would you be afraid or not? If you would be afraid, then move to the “Afraid” sign. If you would not be afraid, then move to the “Not Afraid” sign. Remember, be honest!” Read aloud the following items. After children move to the appropriate sign that describes their response, ask them to state how they can trust God when they are facing that fear.

Thunderstorms Nightmares Flying in an airplane Spiders Riding in an elevator Making a speech Failing a test

Trying out for a sports/dance team Darkness Angry barking dog Snakes Getting a shot from the doctor Someone you love dying

Say: “There are times when we all face fearful situations. When we face these situations we need to remember to always put our trust in God.” Optional: With older students share the following phobias that people may have:

Chromophobia—fear of colors Chronomentrophobia—fear of clocks Chronophobia—fear of time Coulrophobia—fear of clowns Ecclesiophobia—fear of church Ailurophobia—fear of cats Haptephobia—fear of being touched Entomophobia—fear of insects Lachanophobia—fear of vegetables Mysophobia—fear of dirt Oneirophobia—fear of dreams

Ophidiophobia—fear of snakes Panophobia—fear of everything Porphyrophobia—fear of the color purple Pyrophobia—fear of fire Scolionophobia—fear of school Sesquipedalophobia—fear of long words Suriphobia—fear of mice Brontophobia—fear of thunder

Tip: Encourage the students to avoid making fun of people with fears. Discuss how God can help people overcome their fears. Say: “What makes one person afraid may not scare another. We are not all the same. It is great to know that God loves and cares for all of us, no matter what fears we face.” Say: “What can we learn from Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? Would you be willing to take a stand like these men did? Do you think they were afraid? What makes you afraid? How do you deal with your fear? Say: “What does the Bible tell us about our fear? Read Psalm 56:3 “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” This verse tells us that God is the One who can help us overcome our fears. When we are facing a difficult situation we should remember that man can only inflict pain or suffering or death. But no person can rob us of our souls or our future beyond this life. The worst thing that we can do is to reject God and lose our eternal future. Jesus said that we are not to be afraid of those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul. (Matthew 10:28). Instead we should trust God who controls this life and the next.” Close in prayer. Pray for each child by name, asking God to show His power, love, and care in each child’s life.

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Group Learning Activity: “Standing Up for Jesus Today” (Grades 3-5) Preparation: You will need a blank sheet of paper and markers for each child. Say: “In this lesson we learned how Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were persecuted for their belief in the one true God. King Nebuchadnezzar had them thrown into a fiery furnace. Today in some place believer still have trials or persecution for what they believe. Sometimes Christians are treated very cruelly because of their faith. In this country, the persecution we face may only be being mocked or laughed at for loving the Lord Jesus. In other countries Christians are beaten, thrown in jail, or their churches or homes may be destroyed. Today we are going to look at some stories about these Christians.” Procedure: Use this opportunity to share with the children about the reality and needs of the persecuted church. Excellent resources are found through Joshua Project (joshuaproject.net) Voice of the Martyrs (www.persecution.com), Open Doors (www.opendoorsusa.org), and Gospel for Asia (www.gfa.org). Through these websites or other sources, find a story to share with the children concerning modern day persecution of the church. Joshua Project distributes a great map showing the countries in the world where people groups are located that need to be reached with the gospel Ask the children what they think it would be like for them if they weren’t free to worship the Lord. How would that change their lives or their family’s lives? Choose a country that is currently lacking freedom to worship. Give the children some background and ask them to pray together with you for that country--that the Lord would soften the leader’s hearts towards His people and allow them to worship freely.

Give each child a blank sheet of paper and markers and ask them to draw the shape of the country and color it in. Write the name of the country below the drawing. At the bottom of the sheet, write Hebrews 13:3, “Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—and those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.” Encourage them to post their picture somewhere at home and remember to pray for the people of that country. Here are two stories you could share: Andre of Côte d'Ivoire, Africa:

When Andre*(name changed), a university student, decided to become a Christian, he knew it would not be easy. “I am the only one in my family who believes in Jesus,” he said. “They see me reading the Bible and say I am crazy.” Andre is the son of his father’s third wife. He spend his youth in a typical African Islamic school where he was whipped by the Muslim leader and forced to memorize verses from their holy book in Arabic, a language he does not even understand. He is the grandson of the area’s most influential Jula chief, so he is expected to guard Jula traditions—especially Islam. “They say I disgrace the Jula,” he said. “I feel alone because nobody in my family wants to talk to me, but it is up to God to do something.” God brought Andre peace when he heard the testimony of the man who helped him become a Christian. Stephen Haber, a missionary, is Andre’s modern-day example of a disciple following Jesus. On a long truck ride through the rugged Jula territory of West Africa, Stephen told Andre how Jesus is making a difference in his life.

http://www.gfa.org/

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“It gives me courage to see someone like Stephen who can leave his country and come here to serve God,” said Andre. “That shows God is great.” “My wish is for other Jula people to believe in Jesus,” Andre said. “I would like my parents and my people group to know the truth about Jesus.” What could cause Andre to be afraid? What about Stephen? How did God work in their lives? How did Andre and Stephen show they trust God?

Gabriel Mugmal in Ecuador:

They came for him in the afternoon. With torches in hand, 250 of Gabriel Mugmal’s neighbors threatened him and his family in the town on the side of a mountain in the Ecuadorian Andes. Gabriel felt gasoline run down his face and arms as the mob of people prepared to beat and burn him. The only way to save his family was to say that he did not believe in Jesus. For months, the then 27-year-old Gabriel had been preaching from house to house about Jesus, in whom he and his family had come to believe. Gabriel told people about the sin of idol worship, in which many of the people of his village participated. Very upset, a local priest demanded that Gabriel renounce (give up or say it is not true) his words about Jesus. But Gabriel was not afraid and began preaching from the Book of Genesis. The people became silent. The priest was surprised that Gabriel was willing to die for Jesus. The priest raised Gabriel’s Bible before the crowd and declared freedom to preach. “The Word of God shall be preached throughout the entire world,” the priest shouted. “Keep preaching the gospel so that everyone can know Christ.” Today, more than 250 villagers meet for church each Sunday less than 600 feet from where Gabriel was about to be burned in 1982. The people of Naranjito now tell about Jesus among the 300,000 Quichua people of northern Ecuador. Gabriel and those he has helped become Christians have begun approximately 30 Bible studies and churches. What could cause Gabriel to be afraid? How did God work in his life? How did Gabriel show he trusted God?

Group Learning Activity: “Bible Book Cards” Preparation: Print the “Bible Book Cards” below on cardstock. Cut cards apart. You will also need a headband for each child. Stretchy knit headbands work well for this game. Cut ½” strips of knit from old T-Shirts and sew together to make headbands if desired. Procedure: Place all the cards face down in a random pile on the table. For an easier game, only put out the Old Testament or New Testament Cards. You can also only put out books in a specific division. Have students select one of the cards from the table and place it on their head using the headband without looking at it. Make sure the name can be seen by others. Assist the child to ask 5-10 yes and no questions to gain information to guess which book of the Bible they selected. Repeat until all the children have had a turn.

Challenge students to recite the names of the Books of the Old Testament without any assistance. Encourage them to practice saying the books of the Bible at home.

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Craft Learning Activity: “God Rescues!” (Grades K-5) Preparation: Each student will need two sheets of 11” X 17” craft foam, scissors, craft glue, foam letters, permanent markers, and pencils. Enlarge the “Foam Finger” pattern below to fill 11” X 17” inch paper. Precut foam number one fingers can also be purchased at Hobby and Craft stores if desired. Say: “In this lesson we learned that God rescued Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the fiery furnace. We are going to make a reminder that God is the one true God. He can rescue His people from anything or anyone.” Procedure: Place the craft supplies on the table. Guide each child to select two sheets of craft foam. Demonstrate to students how to trace the pattern on both sheets of foam. Using scissors cut the foam fingers out on the dotted lines of the outside edges. Put a strip of glue around the outside edges but not across the bottom. Glue the two pieces of foam together, and then trim the edges if needed. Use the foam letters or markers to write statements such as “God is the one True God,” “God is All Powerful,” or “God rescues His people” on one side of the foam. When the glue is dry, students can place their hands inside the foam. Say: “You can use your foam finger to help you remember how God saved Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the fiery furnace. They trusted Him because they believed that God is sovereign which means that He can control all things and accomplish whatever He pleases. The Number One Finger reminds us that God is the one true God. He is all powerful and can rescue us from anyone or anything!” Conclude activity by praying for opportunities to tell people about God’s saving power through Jesus His Son.

Craft Learning Activity: “CD Sun Catcher” (Grades K-5) Preparation: You will need old CDs or DVDs, two per student. You will also need permanent colored markers, glue, decorations such as clear jewel stones, and string. Procedure: Distribute the supplies to each student. Have students glue two CDs together to cover up any old logos or writing. The shiny side should show on each side. Encourage the student to print “God is with me” on the silver side of the CD. The other decorations can be used as desired by students. Tie a string through the inner circle to make a hangar. Say: “Who was with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? God was with them in the fire. God is always with His people. Even though we can’t see Him, God is always with His people. The Holy Spirit leads and guides God’s people to love and obey God. When you see the sparkle or flash of light from your sun catcher, remember that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were willing to follow God even if they were thrown into the fiery furnace. King Nebuchadnezzar learned that his power was very weak compared to the power of the one true God.”

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Craft Learning Activity: “Four Men in a Furnace” (Grades K-3) Preparation: You will need a copy paper for each student as well as a copy of the “Four Men in a Furnace” template below. You will also need scissors, glue, orange and yellow finger paint, paper plates, and hand wipes. Fill several paper plates with red finger paint, orange finger paint and several plates with yellow finger paint. Procedure: Give each child a piece of large sheet of copy paper or drawing paper. Instruct them to dip one hand down into the paint and then firmly press it down flat on the paper. Have students make several handprints in each color to create the look of fire. Provide hand wipes so they can clean their hands between colors and when they are finished. Say: “In this lesson three men were thrown into a fiery furnace because they chose to obey God instead of the king. Who can remember the men’s names? (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) Give each child a copy of the “Four Men in a Furnace” Say: “How many men do you see on this handout?” (Four men) “We are going to cut them out and glue them in our fire. But if three men were thrown into the fire, why are we including four?” (There were four men because God sent His angel to rescue them.)” Have students cut out the shapes of the men and glue them inside the fire they created. Say: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego trusted God could rescue them. But if He didn’t, they would obey Him anyway because they knew that God is the one true God. They trusted and obeyed Him.”

Craft Learning Activity: “Story in a Box” (Grades K-5) Preparation: You will need shoe boxes, wooden clothespins, modeling clay, fabric and yarn scraps, chenille stems, glue, red and orange tissue paper, and white paper. Optional: Print a copy of the “Four Men in a Furnace” template for each story box. Say: “In this lesson we learned that God rescued Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the fiery furnace. We are going to make a story box of the three men that will remind us of the Bible story that we heard. It will remind us that God is the one true God. He can rescue His people from anything or anyone.”

Procedure: Arrange the students in groups of three or four children. Give each group a shoe box and the supplies listed above. Each group will need four wooden clothespins to use as the three men plus the angel. Help students decorate the men with bits of yarn for hair and the cloth for clothes. Have them secure the clothes by twisting the chenille stems tightly around the clothespin’s waist. Optional: You can also have the students cut out the pictures of the four men from the “Four Men in a Furnace.” Have the children glue the pictures to the clothes pins. Have the children turn their shoe box on its side. Give each group a small ball of clay. Have them flatten the clay slightly and then glue it in the box. This clay will support the three men. Allow a few minutes for the glue to dry. Have the children stand the four clothespin men in the clay to hold them securely.

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Have the children tear small pieces of red and yellow and orange tissue paper and scrunch it to look like “fire.” Help the children to place small drops of glue to anchor the pieces of fire. They should trim the paper to fit the top of the shoe box and glue it on. Have students use the story box to retell the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego

Craft Learning Activity: “Fiery Furnace Plate” (Grades K-2) Preparation: You will need a paper plate, red, orange, and yellow tissue paper, scissors, glue, and outlines of people from a gingerbread cut-outs or a marker. Procedure: Tear or cut the tissue into squares. Glue the tissue paper squares onto the plate. Glue three people cut-outs or draw three people onto the “fiery furnace” plate. Say: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were put in the fiery furnace, but they were not afraid, because they knew that God was with them!”

Life Application Challenge: “First Aid Kit” Preparation: You will need to bring a first aid kit to class to display. (Show First Aid Kit and lead the following discussion.) Say: “Do you know what this is? (Hold up the kit. Allow for some discussion.) You don’t need to worry about this first aid kit. We have not had any accidents here recently. Have any of you fallen off a bike or scooter before? Did it hurt? Did you get back on and ride again? Were you a little bit afraid you might fall off again? I have been afraid to get back on my bike after a fall. Being afraid is something each and every one of us experiences at some point during our lives.” “Have you ever been afraid to stand up and do the right thing, even when you knew everyone else wasn’t going to do the right thing? Were you scared? Did God help you? God is always with His people when they choose to obey Him. That doesn’t mean it is always easy to obey God. Our world is broken by sin. We are broken by sin. Obeying God isn’t always easy because our world doesn’t want to obey God.” “Remember you can pray and ask God to help you be brave and do what is right. We can choose to spend time with friends who want to obey God. We can help them and they can help us do what is right! We can ask parents for help about what to do.” “Every day we make choices that show whether or not we want to obey God. Will you commit to obeying God this week even when it is not easy?”

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The Fiery Furnace

Acts 5:29

“We must obey God rather than man.”

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Four Men in a Furnace

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Script for Story Retelling

Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon. He did not worship God; he worshiped false gods. Nebuchadnezzar made a tall statue out of gold. It was about as tall as a nine story building! The statue stood in Babylon where everyone could see it. King Nebuchadnezzar called for all of the important officials in Babylon to come and stand around the new statue. (King Nebuchadnezzar should raise arms or a scepter like a king.) Then one of the king’s heralds made an important announcement: “When you hear the sound of music, you must fall down and worship this gold statue. Anyone who does not obey this rule will be thrown into a fiery furnace!” (Messenger blows horn and reads proclamation.) The rule was for everyone in Babylon. So when the people heard the sound of music, they fell down and worshiped the gold statue like the king commanded. But not everyone bowed down and worshiped the statue. Three men from Judah—who had been renamed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—refused to bow down to a statue. (Crowd bows and three men stand.) Some men went to King Nebuchadnezzar to complain about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They did not like these men from Judah who did not obey their king. “You have made a rule for all the people,” they reminded the king. “But some of the men from Judah do not bow down and worship your statue.” (Angry men go before the king.) This news made King Nebuchadnezzar angry! He called for the men. “Shadrach! Meshach! Abednego! Come here!” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stood before the king. He asked them, “Is it true that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold statue I set up? If you do not bow down when you hear the music, I will throw you into a fiery furnace! Then what god could rescue you from my power?” (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stand before the king.) The three friends answered, “King, we don’t need to answer your question. If the God we serve exists, He can rescue us from the fiery furnace. He can save us from you. But even if God chooses not to rescue us, we won’t serve your gods. And we won’t bow down and worship the gold statue.” King Nebuchadnezzar was angrier than ever! The furnace was already very hot, but King Nebuchadnezzar ordered his workers to make it seven times hotter! He told the strongest soldiers in his army to come and tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the fiery furnace. The furnace was so hot that the strong soldiers died when they threw in the three friends. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego fell into the furnace all tied up. (Soldiers throw the men into the furnace.) Suddenly, King Nebuchadnezzar jumped to his feet. “Didn’t we tie up three men and throw them into the fire?” (King jumps up.) “Yes, King,” his advisers said. (Angry men come before the king.) “Look!” the king shouted. “I see four men walking around in the fire. They aren’t tied up, and they aren’t hurt! The fourth man looks like an angel!” Nebuchadnezzar quickly went to the door of the furnace. He called out, “Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego—servants of the Most High God! Come here!” (King looks in furnace.)

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So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire. The king and all his officials looked at them. They had not been hurt by the fire at all! Their bodies and hair were not burned, and their robes were not burned. They didn’t even smell like they had been near a fire! (Three men come out of furnace.) Nebuchadnezzar praised God. “The God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego sent an angel and rescued His servants! They trusted in Him—they were willing to die for Him—and He saved them!” King Nebuchadnezzar made a new law for all the people. “Anyone who says anything against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s God will be punished! No other god can save people like this!” Then the king gave Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego even more important jobs in the kingdom of Babylon. Only God could rescue Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the fire. Jesus is the only One who can save us from our sin. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross provided the way for us to be rescued and have eternal life.

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