Daniel and the Scary Sleepover

The focus of this family time is to use five easy steps to teach our children that Daniel obeyed God even though he knew it would cost him. We also learned that Jesus would obey God, whatever it cost, even if it meant he would die.

Learn the Memory Verse together and say it throughout the week to help your family remember and apply what they have learned.

MEMORY VERSE:  

“The Lord (Point upward) 

has laid on him (Make a Cross with arms) 

the sin of us all.” (Point to yourself) 

Isaiah 53:6

STEP 1. GATHER!

Say: “We all have habits. We all have things we do every day. For example, we all have the habit of brushing our teeth every day. Let’s race to see how many habits we can think of.” 

Explain the game: When it is your turn, silently pretend to do something that people do every day, a habit. For example you can pretend to brush your teeth. Everyone else has to guess what the habit is. When we guess correctly, the next person jumps up and pretends to do another habit. 

Ideas: Brushing teeth or hair

Eating Breakfast

Getting Dressed

Driving a car

STEP 2. WORSHIP!

Preschool:

Elementary:

• Sing and have fun while worshiping then pray. Take a moment here to thank God for your family and your time together!! 

STEP 3. BIBLE!

Read pages 152 in the Jesus Storybook Bible

Watch:

STEP 4. DISCUSSION! 

Use these questions and points to have a conversation with your children about the Bible story. 

TRUE OR FALSE

1. At the end of the story, say: “That’s how Daniel’s habit got him into trouble. I’m going to say some things about Daniel’s story. Some of the things I say will be true and some will not be true. I will then say ‘Go!’ If what I say is true, stand up and raise both your hands in the air. If what I say is not true, then curl up into a ball. Ready?” 
2. Read aloud the statements in the following table, saying “Go!” after each one. When the children have either stood up or curled up, use the questions/comments to check understanding. After commenting, ask them to sit down or uncurl. Say “Ready?” and announce the next statement. 

• Daniel had a habit; he prayed every day. TRUE
• Because Daniel was very clever, King Darius sent him to school. FALSE
• The other helpers liked Daniel and were happy he was in charge. FALSE
• The helpers set a trap for Daniel. They got the king to chase Daniel with a huge net. FALSE
• Daniel had done nothing wrong. FALSE
• The helpers knew that Daniel prayed to God every day. TRUE
• The helpers told the king that Daniel was praying to God and the king changed the law to save Daniel. FALSE
• The helpers got the king to make a new law that no one is allowed to pray to anyone except the king. TRUE
• Daniel was thrown to the lions, but God sent an angel to close the lions’ mouths so Daniel was rescued. TRUE
• Daniel knew that he could be thrown to the lions for praying to God, but he prayed anyway because he loved God and wanted to obey him. TRUE

SAY: Who rescued Daniel? Correct, God. Say: “Do you remember the end of the story: ‘The time was coming when God would send another brave Hero, like Daniel, who would love God and do what God said — whatever it cost, even if it meant he would die.’ ” 

Ask: “We all know who that is, right? Say it together. Yes, Jesus is the brave Hero who, like Daniel, would love God and do whatever God said — whatever it cost, even if it meant he would die.”

STEP 5. Pray!

• Pray aloud, thanking God that Jesus loved and obeyed even though it meant he would die. Ask God to forgive you and the children when you have not obeyed him. Ask him to help you and the children to love and obey him even when it is costly.