Over the Top 8 Teacher's Manual Sample

Leader’s manual OT8 God is faithful From Daniel and Isaiah

Contents

How it works

4

Unit introduction

6

1

God gives Daniel strength

Daniel 1–2

2

God gives his people courage

Daniel 3

19

3

God gives understanding

Daniel 5

29

4

God provides protection

Daniel 6

37

5

God’s people in danger

Esther 1–4

47

6

Esther – God rescues

Esther 5–8

57

7

Ezra – return from exile

Ezra 1–6

67

8

Nehemiah – rebuilding the walls

Nehemiah 1–6:16

77

9

Isaiah – promise of a Saviour

Isaiah 6:1–8; 7:14; 9:2; 11:1–3; 53:1–12

89

10

Jesus – the promised Saviour

Matthew 1:18–25; 2:1–12; 4:12–17

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9

103

Over The Top

How it works How the sessions are structured Bible passage: All sessions are Bible-focused

Aim This is the ‘big idea’ to be taught during this session. It is child-oriented.

Outcomes These statements break down the aim into ‘do-able’ chunks. There are generally only three, so that the leader can keep them in mind and check up later whether or not they were achieved. They are broken up into: • knowledge – information, concepts, beliefs • understanding – more personal ways of grasping the concepts in the session • life application – ways of making links between knowledge and children’s lives, and reflecting on what kind of change might happen in response to God’s word.

Memory verse This verse will be based on the CEV Bible and will be taught during the session.

Notes These notes for the leader give Bible context and background. There are hints regarding the theology of the passage, where it fits in salvation history and how it may properly be applied to both leader and child.

There might also be comments about the management of the session content and special comments when needed about visual aids and activities.

Leader’s prayer This section links to the aim and outcomes, mentioning the way this session will actually call for a response from the child and make a difference in their lives.

Gear A list is given at the beginning of the session including all the equipment needed by the leader and when it will be used. Some items will be given as optional.

Start up During this time activities occur that introduce the theme, aim and ideas of the session. There may be a few activities to choose from. Each activity has a specified purpose.

Chat time This short section is when the activities are over and the leader and children reflect on what the activities were about and how they lead into the Bible focus time.

This will often involve a few open-ended questions.

NOTE: Sometimes during Bible focus time there will be a special comment to the leader about an issue that may come up during the session.

Get ready This section gives hints about important preparation to be done before the session starts.

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Bible focus

of the stage of their faith, they can be called on to respond and encouraged to know how God’s word challenges them to change. Application should always be ‘grace-oriented’ and ‘gospel-based’.

Links ?

Links are made with previous learning which may involve the Memory verse or a previous session.

This icon shows you where in the session the children will be reading, listening to and interacting with the Bible.

Links with life will also happen at this introductory part of the session. Connections with life are raised and the children are encouraged to discuss ‘real life’ situations they face. We will raise the issue here and it will be drawn to a conclusion during Bringing it together.

Digging deeper This section has suggested extension learning activities for older or more able children.

It still seeks to be directed by the aim and outcomes. It will usually be Bible-based.

Teaching time This is the body of the session. It involves teaching and learning activities. Activities are usually integrated into this time rather than having them as an add-on later. During this time the aim and the outcomes of the session are directing the activities.

What the leader actually says to the children is presented in bold text. Directions to the leader are in normal type.

In this part of the session we aim to have the children interacting with the Bible themselves. We seek to unpack the Bible passage in its context and place it in the big picture of salvation history.

Concepts and activities are designed to be ageappropriate and not too abstract. It is understood that such a wide age-range is a great challenge, so in many ways we aim for the middle group of nine and ten year olds. Older or more able children will be challenged by the Digging deeper activities.

Application is an important part of this section and it is done carefully, while being true to the passage and to the developmental needs of the children. There must be a ‘crunch’ for the child – a place where ‘the rubber hits the road’ in their lives. They are called to respond to the challenge of the passage, without ever being manipulated or inappropriately pushed into an uncomfortable situation. Regardless

Music spot Various songs, on readily available CDs, are suggested to link into the session and to provide a high-interest flow to the activities.

Bringing it together This section is really important. The leader is encouraged to allow enough time for this as connections are discussed that impact the children’s lives.

There may be open-ended questions that encourage children to respond in their own terms. We are aiming for honest responses from the children.

Prayer This will normally follow Bringing it together and allows for the issues highlighted by the children to be prayed about. Leaders will model prayer and also teach children how to pray – both for themselves and for others, and for issues in the wider world.

Think about it

Think ahead

Here the leader is encouraged to think through issues that occurred in the session and reflect on possible strategies for the future.

This is a very brief indication of what the leader will need to plan ahead for next session. It may involve equipment, people and so on.

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Unit introduction

God is faithful From Daniel and Isaiah

Unit aim To help the children understand that God planned to save people from all nations and have them live forever as part of his family.

Unit outcomes By the end of this unit the children will: • understand the basic reasons why God’s people were taken into exile • know that God kept his promise to have his people return to Israel • understand that God has the ability and power to save his people • understand that God is always with his people • understand that God invites people of all nations and cultures to live with him forever • appreciate that God is the Lord of all • appreciate that God sent Jesus to make it possible for people to live forever as his friends.

• appreciate that God always planned to save his people from their sin.

Memory verses Sessions 1–5 Worship and honour the God of Daniel. He is the living God, the one who lives for ever. Daniel 6:26b (CEV) Sessions 6–8 Tell the Lord how thankful you are, because he is kind and always merciful. Psalm 118:1 (CEV)

Where this fits in God’s plan of salvation

Cr ea ti on A br ah am D av (c a id 19 ( ca 00 H ez –1 10 ek 80 00 0B –9 ia h Ex C) 61 ( BC ile ca ) 71 (c a 6– D 59 68 an 7 7B –5 ie C) li 87 n Re BC Ba tu ) by rn l o on Ez f ra fi (6 r 05 st se –5 n e N t xi 39 eh to le BC em s Je ) (5 r i 3 u ah Re 8B sa tu C) (4 le rn 45 m – of (4 Je 42 58 su 5B ex BC s C ile ) ) s (5 U s 3 8– (A 44 D 21 5B st C) ce nt ur y)

Sessions 9–10 He will be called Immanuel, which means, ‘God is with us’. Matthew 1:23b (CEV)

Timeline

We encourage the children to understand that Jesus is the ‘centre-piece’ of God’s plan and that we can also be part of the plan by having faith in Jesus ourselves.

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Notes

to God. Soon he faced the prospect of a trip to the lion’s den!

Bible background The first six sessions focus upon God’s people in exile, living under foreign domination. Many of the Jews in exile may well have felt abandoned by God. Yet this was untrue as God was very much present for those who continued to trust and obey him.

Having been taken into captivity in Babylon, Daniel and his three friends took a courageous stand to honour God by avoiding food that was ‘unclean’ or may have been sacrificed to Babylonian gods.

God was with the four young men and ‘made them clever and wise’ (Daniel 1:17).

Session 2 deals with the episode where Daniel saved the lives of all the wise men of Babylon by telling King Nebuchadnezzar the content of his dream and then interpreting it. Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged Daniel’s God as being ‘above all other gods and kings’ (Daniel 2:47) and puts Daniel in a position of power.

The challenge for the Israelites of living as foreigners in a strange land is brought sharply into focus in the Session 3. In the most dramatic manner, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were challenged to compromise their worship of God. Despite the very real threat of being burnt alive, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to bow down to an image of gold. The saving power of God was seen in his ability to rescue the three men from the flames.

Sessions 4 and 5 continue to reveal how God worked in the life of Daniel, as he remained faithful to God. Belshazzar, who openly showed disrespect to God, now ruled Babylon. The appearance of a hand writing a message on the wall at a feast hosted by the king provided a frightening picture of a God who would not allow his name to be defiled. The wise men were unable to decipher the writing. However, God enabled Daniel to interpret the writing’s meaning and Belshazzar’s reign came to an abrupt end according to God’s word (Daniel 5:25–28).

Daniel’s devotion to God marked him out from the foreigners he lived among. This would lead him into trouble with the Babylonians, and to great honour in the eyes of God. The governors convinced King Darius to pass an irrevocable decree that no person could pray to anyone but Darius for thirty days.

Daniel knew where his ultimate loyalties lay and continued to carry out his daily practise of praying

When Daniel was found to be safe, Darius praised Daniel’s God, ‘the one who lives forever’, whose ‘kingdom will never end’ (Daniel 6:26).

Session 6 looks at the early stages of the Israelites return from exile. However, only a handful of Jews returned to the ‘promised land’ and Jerusalem was in a state of decay.

The challenge remained as to how to lead the people on the path back to God and to establish the community in such a way as to be obedient to him.

God raised up a leader in Nehemiah, a servant in the Persian court. Nehemiah gained permission to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city walls.

Session 8 looks at the success of Nehemiah’s mission despite the opposition of Israel’s enemies.

However, the need for God’s salvation still remained.

God had made it clear through his prophets that he would one day send a Saviour. This Saviour was God’s own Son, Jesus, and his birth in Bethlehem fulfilled the prophecy of Micah 5:2.

Session 9 explores prophecies by Isaiah that were fulfilled by Jesus. The children will investigate key prophecies about the Messiah and read in the gospels how Jesus is ‘Immanuel – God is with us’.

Session 10 helps the children to understand that the birth of Jesus is big news – worth celebrating. We investigate Matthew’s account of the birth of Jesus – ‘God is with us’.

Faith development Children grow and develop physically, emotionally, cognitively and spiritually at different rates and in different ways. This unit aims to encourage growth in faith for each child at their own pace. No matter where each child is at in their faith development, they can be challenged to respond in faith to God and in obedience to the way he wants them to live.

Faith has been described as having four aspects: believing, imagining, trusting and doing. (See Children finding faith by Francis Bridger, SU, England, 2000, available from CEP.) Believing involves having faith in the truth of the gospel and a reliance on the promises of God in Christ. Imagining involves creatively exploring our beliefs. Trusting involves the relational side of faith. Doing is the way we act as an outworking of our faith. Children, like adults, benefit from learning approaches that involve exploring faith from each of these four aspects.

These sessions have been written with this in mind.

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Special features Visual aids

years older than the children in your group, to meet them. Help the children see where they are heading as part of the community of God’s people.

The Leader’s pack includes: • a Leader’s manual with ten sessions • seven full-colour A3 size Leader’s posters • a full-colour A3 size Leader’s game and map poster • two full-colour Memory verse posters • a sample children’s Living as God’s people – Challenge notebook. Extra notebooks may be purchased from CEP so every child can complete their notebook to remind them of what they are learning in the sessions.

• a set of photocopiable masters relating to the sessions • a variety of Visual aids and activities for each session.

Living as God’s people – Challenge notebook Referred to in the lessons as the children’s Challenge notebook, it includes activities and challenges that encourage the children to think more deeply about people living in Bible times and how this relates to us living today.

Each session has a special fun challenge for the children to undertake and the centre spread is a copy of the Leader’s game poster so the children can play the game again with their friends and family.

Digging deeper This section is designed for more able children who want to dig deeper into the session content. These activities are usually Bible-focused and involve good reading skills and literacy. If you have a multi-aged group, these ideas can be used to challenge children who feel they have ‘heard it all before’.

Activities Each session contains many suggested activities, either to begin the session in Start up or to reinforce the Teaching time. When choosing the activities to include, consider the number of children in your group, their individual skills, and the time and space available. Try to encourage a wide range of activities so the different learning skills will be catered for.

A Memory verse activity is presented in an interactive way so that the children begin to build their own personal store of Bible verses.

Photocopiable masters The set of photocopiable masters include Visual aids for the Leader and Activity sheets for the children.

While the children are completing the activities take the time to talk to individual children about what they are learning and their reactions to it. This is a great time to get to know the children and allow them to see that you really care about what you are teaching them and are interested in their thoughts and feelings.

Encourage the children to take home the appropriate photocopiable each week as this helps parents and carers to know what is being treated in the sessions.

Purchase of the Leader’s pack entitles you to make one copy for each member of your group.

Bibles

Written prayers have been given for the children to repeat. However, provide opportunities for the children to pray their own prayers and to talk to the Lord about those things that concern them.

It is intended that during each session the children will read the Bible for themselves and think about how they can respond to its message. It is strongly recommended that children begin to handle the Bible for themselves, learn their way around it and discuss what it means. The Contemporary English Version (CEV) is recommended as it uses everyday language that should be easy for the children in this age group to understand.

Relationships

Prayer

Music spot The sessions recommend songs from these CD’s, all available from CEP. • • • • • • • • •

Promises, promises, CEP Practise being godly, Colin Buchanan Follow the Saviour, Colin Buchanan Jesus rocks the world, Colin Buchanan Remember the Lord, Colin Buchanan The king, the snake and the promise, Emu Music How cool is that!, Johnny Burns Praise crazy, Johnny Burns Best news!, Tony Jones & Mountain feet

As children of this age grow in faith, their relationships with other Christians will be very important. You have an important role as an example to them. Be warm and genuine in your relationships with the children. Pray for them and their concerns. Invite other Christians of various ages to visit and meet the group.

These CDs are available from CEP. It would be especially helpful for young people, a few top Over the

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God gives Daniel

strength

Daniel 1–2

Aim To help the children understand that God is in control of all things.

Outcomes By the end of this session the children will: • know that God helped Daniel and his friends as they tried to trust and obey him in Babylon • understand it was God who enabled Daniel to interpret the king’s dream, because God is in control of the future • be challenged to trust God at all times and in all situations.

Memory verse Worship and honour the God of Daniel. He is the living God, the one who lives for ever. Daniel 6:26b (CEV)

Notes Read Daniel 1–2.

This session is the first of six that focus on God’s people in exile – far from their homeland, living under foreign domination. The story of Daniel is well-known. It brings to light some startling incidents that show the power of the one true God to prevail against even the most awesome of human agents, and even over creation itself.

Many of the Jews who had watched their country invaded, and experienced the shame of being forced to live in a foreign nation may well have felt abandoned by God. Yet the story of Daniel reveals that God was very much present for those who continued to obey and trust in him, even though they were in exile.

Daniel and his three friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, became key characters in the interplay between the apparent might of pagan foreign rulers and the true God of the Israelites. What we see from these impressive young men is an unbending trust in the authority of God and a willingness to put their lives in his hands.

In this first session the king of Judah is delivered into the hands of the Babylonian king Xerxes, following

a siege of Jerusalem. The first of the exiles are taken into captivity, away from their home. Taking the cream of Israelite society the Babylonians train the young Jews in Babylonian customs, language and culture and press them into the service of the king.

Away from home, removed from their customs and people, the Israelites are under pressure to conform to foreign ways. They quickly show where their loyalties lie however, and it is clear that God is with them.

Wielding astonishing power, King Nebuchadnezzar orders the death of all the wise men of Babylon. This order includes Daniel and his three colleagues. The king’s frustration has come from the inability of the ‘wise men’ to not only interpret the king’s dream, but to know what it was he dreamt in the first place.

When Daniel is able to tell the King the content of the dream and then to interpret it, it is clear to the reader, as it is to the king, that God has provided this information. Daniel and his friends are saved.

They are given places of honour and responsibility.

Nebuchadnezzar honours God.

Leader’s prayer Pray that the children will be struck by the might and power of God, as well as his care for those who love him.

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Gear q q q q q q q q q q q q q q

CEP’s Bible timeline posters (see Get ready) Leader’s poster 1 (Daniel and his friends) Leader’s map poster Name flashcards (see Get ready) A CEV Bible marked at Daniel 1:3–5 A large sheet of paper and marker pen Copies of the cue cards for the drama (page 17) Simple biblical costumes for the drama (see Get ready) A children’s Challenge notebook for each child Memory verse poster 1 (Daniel 6:26b) A piece of seven different colours of paper for each child (see Take home) A brown paper bag or plastic sandwich bag for each child (optional) CD player and CD of choice Gear for chosen activities in Start up and Activities sections

Get ready Display CEP’s Bible timeline posters and use them at the beginning of Bible focus.

If you don’t have the posters you may wish to draw a timeline using the one on page 6 of the Unit introduction as a reference. This will help the children develop a sense of where these lessons fit in God’s plan of salvation.

You will need to make four name flashcards:

Start up Choose from the following warm-up activities to suit your group and the time you have available. These activities are designed to introduce content and concepts that form part of the session. Please note that the Chat time is an important component of the session and should be completed immediately before moving into the Bible focus. For future reference, tick the activities you use.

Drama game Purpose: To introduce the concept of being in control. q Copies of the Mime cards (page 16) Photocopy the mime cards from page 16, cut them up and put them in a container. Invite a volunteer to choose a card and mime the activity. The rest of the group should try to guess the activity being mimed.

At the conclusion of this activity discuss what was the same for the different activities. Encourage the children to see that each activity was about controlling someone, or some thing. Discuss the meaning of ‘control’.

Explain that in today’s Bible passage the king wanted to show that he was in control, but to his surprise someone else was in control. I wonder who that was?

Meet the challenge

Daniel , Hananiah , Mishael , and Azariah .

On the back write their Babylonian names, Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

For the drama in Bible focus you will need to make a copy of the Drama cues on page 17 and cut them apart ready to give to the appropriate characters.

You will need some simple biblical costumes and props for the children taking part in the drama.

Suggestions include: for Daniel, biblical headdress made out of striped tea towel; for Nebuchadnezzar, a crown made out of yellow cardboard, glitter glue and stapled together; Nebuchadnezzar’s maid, a simple robe made from a sheet, a plastic wine glass; Nebuchadnezzar’s advisors, a neck pendant made out of cardboard circle covered in foil, a stick or wand, gold belt (or similar) and the Chorus, biblical headdress made out of tea towels, different to Daniel.

Purpose: To introduce the concept of a challenge. q A bucket q Several ping pong balls q Several tennis balls Line up the children approximately two metres away from the bucket. Allow them to take turns with the ping-pong balls, then the tennis balls to see how many they can get into the bucket. The aim is for each child to beat their own best score, not to beat the scores of others.

Vary the game by moving the bucket further away or by blindfolding the children.

Explain that in today’s Bible passage some young men were faced with a challenge much more difficult than getting a ball into a bucket. We will see how they faced this challenge.

For extra impact Put a sign up on one sign of your area saying ‘Israel’ and a sign on the other saying ‘Exile’ Display some vegetables on a table.

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I’m thinking of…

It was a big challenge to keep trusting God.

Purpose: To introduce the idea of trying to guess an unknown piece of information, as the king challenged his wise men to do.

Teaching time

Invite a volunteer to think of an animal. The rest of the group has to try to guess what animal the child is thinking of. The questions asked must have a yes or no answer. There should be a maximum of ten questions.

Invite four students to come out and hold the flashcards as you read out the names.

Make the game more difficult by asking the volunteer to think of a famous person, or someone in the group.

Chat time Lead the following discussion.

In our last activity we had to try to guess some unknown information. In today’s Bible passage we will hear about a man who had a similar challenge, but it was a matter of life or death for him to get the answer right.

Four young men were taken as captives to Babylon.

Their names were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.

The first thing that happened when they got to Babylon was that their names were changed to Babylonian names.

As you read out the names ask the children to turn their flashcard over to display the new Babylonian name.

Daniel became Belteshazzar, Hananiah became Shadrach, Mishael became Meshach and Azariah became Abedngo.

Even though everything around them seemed to be different, even their names, these young men had decided to try to keep trusting God and obeying him – no matter what!

Bible focus Links ?

Display the Bible timeline posters or the one you have sketched and refer to it as you introduce the lesson.

Show the picture on the fourth poster where the people are being taken into captivity. Without referring to Daniel’s picture (save this for later sessions) explain that today’s Bible passage is about the time when God’s people were taken away from their land, and taken as captives to a foreign land.

They had disobeyed God and were being punished.

Have you ever been in a place where you felt worried or afraid and wondered if God was with you? (Accept responses.)

Many of God’s people felt like that. Their country had been taken over by their enemies.

They were forced to live in another country called Babylon that was not their own. They were afraid and sad.

Display the Leader’s map poster and point out where Babylon is and the distance it is away from Jerusalem.

They were wondering: Is God still with us?

Does God still care about us? What will happen to us?

Their first challenge was a bit unusual. They were selected for a Training program. It was a bit like the Australian Institute of Sport, where the strongest or fastest would be chosen. This was different. Listen to see if you can hear six things that would help these men to be chosen for the special Training program in Babylon.

Read Daniel 1:3–5 from a CEV Bible.

On a large sheet of paper write: healthy, handsome, smart, wise, educated, and fit.

These young men would be trained to work for the king – and he only wanted the very best!

Now here was the challenge! The king wanted them to eat the same food he ate. This doesn’t sound like much of a problem to us, but it would have broken the food rules that Daniel and his friends usually followed as God’s people. They didn’t want to just give in and live like their enemies. They wanted to show they were God’s people. They wanted to be different.

They had decided to try to keep trusting God and obeying him – no matter what! What would they do?

What do you think they should do?

(Accept responses.)

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Daniel went to the man in charge and requested: ‘We don’t want to make any trouble, but would it be possible for us not to eat the king’s food?’

God had made the official friendly and kind to Daniel. But the man told him: ‘The king has decided what you must eat and drink. If you end up eating some special diet and you look worse than the other young men – he’ll kill me!’

But Daniel suggested a deal.

Display Leader’s poster 1.

‘For the next ten days, let us have only vegetables and water at mealtime. When the ten days are up, compare how we look with the other young men, and decide what to do with us.’

The guard agreed to do what Daniel had asked.

Ten days later, Daniel and his friends looked healthier and better than the young men who had been served food from the royal palace.

After this, the guard let them eat vegetables instead of the rich food and wine.

God was with them, looking after them. God made the four young men smart and wise.

Daniel could also tell the meaning of dreams and visions.

At the end of the three-year Training program set by King Nebuchadnezzar, his chief palace official brought all the young men to him. The king discovered that Daniel and his friends were outstanding – they were top of the class in the Babylon Training program!

They were given important positions in the royal court. From then on, whenever the king asked for advice, he found their wisdom was ten times better than that of any of his other advisors.

One of the special abilities God gave to Daniel was the ability to tell the meaning of dreams.

Explain to the children that you need some help to tell the rest of the story.

Choose volunteers to play the role of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar’s maid and his three advisors. The rest of the children can be the Chorus. Invite the children to put on their costumes.

Give the children the cue cards (page 17). Ask the children to practise their lines by repeating them after you a few times. Encourage the children to be expressive and, if they are able, to try to put a strong beat to the words.

As you narrate the following part of the Bible account, point to each character when it is their turn to say their part.

King Nebuchadnezzar was having trouble sleeping. Every night he had the same bad dream. It woke him up. It upset him. He knew it was no ordinary dream, but he didn’t know what to do about it, or what it meant.

Nebuchadnezzar: Oh not again, I hate this dream Every night it makes me scream Maid, get me some milk and call my men They’d better help me, or it’s trouble for them!

Night after night Nebuchadnezzar would wake up worried by his dream. It was getting bad!

And he was getting grumpy.

Nebuchadnezzar: Oh not again, I hate this dream Every night it makes me scream Maid, get me some milk and call my men They’d better help me, or it’s trouble for them!

Nebuchadnezzar’s maid: Oh not again, he’s awake and he’s mad He’s having that dream and it’s really bad!

I hope those men can sort him out What does it mean, what’s it all about?

Nebuchadnezzar sent for his advisors. It was their job to understand things like dreams and to tell him the future. They should be able to help!

But the king didn’t want to make it too easy for them. He wanted to know if they really had any ability to tell him the meaning of his dream. So he didn’t tell them the dream. He demanded that they tell him the dream and its meaning.

But they had no idea.

Nebuchadnezzar’s three advisors: We don’t even know what was in that dream We don’t have a clue what made the king scream!

How can we know what the dream’s about I think we’re in trouble; I think he’ll shout Nebuchadnezzar was very angry with his advisors. He got so angry he threatened to put all his wise men to death – including Daniel and his three friends.

Daniel heard about the problem. He rushed off to the king. ‘If you give me some time, I’ll explain your dream’, said Daniel.

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Daniel and his three friends started praying.

They asked God to give Daniel the meaning of the dream. That night, God told Daniel what was in the dream and what it meant. The dream was about a giant statue. It was about the future and what God had planned for Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom.

The next morning Daniel went to the king.

Daniel: Here’s the meaning of that dream The statue, Oh king, is more than it seems It stands for what the Lord will do I’d listen to him – if I were you!

Challenge Invite the children to participate in a variety of endurance tests. For example, they could stand on one foot, try not to blink, hum without taking a breath, and so on. Perhaps the children could think up their own challenge ideas.

Remind them of the challenges that Daniel and his friends faced in Babylon and that they had decided to try to keep trusting and obeying God – no matter what.

Absolutely everything!

Gear

Nebuchadnezzar did listen as Daniel explained the details of the dream and what God had planned. He believed Daniel and bowed down.

q Paper streamers q Pens, pencils

Nebuchadnezzar worshipped God. Daniel was promoted to become one of the king’s most trusted advisors.

Give each child about 50cm of paper streamer and a pen. Explain that they have a few minutes to write down as many things as they can think of, over which God has control.

Chorus: Daniel’s wisdom comes from the Lord God told Daniel what he has in store For the future is God’s, he’s in control And the king better bow and believe it now!

At the end of the writing time, ask children to read a few examples, join the streamers together, and display them. Remind the children that God is in control of everything in his world. He is the one to trust and worship.

Drama

Activities

Gear q Copies of the drama cue cards used in Bible focus

Do the Challenge notebook activity first and choose from the others if you have time.

Gear

Encourage the children to practise the dramatic presentation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.

Look for an opportunity to present this to the adult congregation.

q A children’s Challenge notebook for each child q Coloured pens and pencils

Music spot

Challenge notebook

Distribute the children’s Challenge notebook and ask them to turn to page 1.

Each session the children are presented with a challenge. Discuss with the children the challenges that Daniel had faced. Their challenge is to find all the words in the puzzle. Encourage younger children to work together.

Collect the Challenge notebooks ready for next session.

Choose from the following songs.

God’s mega-plan, track 2 on CEP’s Promises, promises CD. Power and authority, track 8 on CEP’s Promises, promises CD. Trust in the Lord, track 4 on Tony Jones Best news!

CD. Oh it’s great great brill brill, track 2 on the Doug Horley Whoopah wahey CD. In a foreign land, track 18 on the King, snake and promise CD. Proverbs 3:5-6, track 11 of Colin Buchanan’s Baa baa doo baa baa CD.

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What did Daniel and his friends decide they would try to do while they lived in Babylon?

(Accept responses. They decided to try to trust and obey God – no matter what!)

Digging deeper You will need a large sheet of paper and some pens or pencils to draw the statue in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.

Who enabled Daniel to know and interpret the king’s dream? (God did.)

Ask the children to share a few examples of times when it is very hard to trust God.

In Digging deeper encourage the children to read the details of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and what the interpretation was.

How does it help to know that God is in control of all things?

Read Daniel 2:24–35 to hear the details of the dream. Work together to draw the image that Daniel describes. Label each section of the statue as gold, silver, bronze, iron, and clay. Also draw the rock striking the statue on the feet.

Discuss their responses, and encourage them to pray about these specific examples at the end of the session.

Next session we will see how God continued to be with his people and to help them.

Read Daniel 2:36-45 to hear the interpretation of the dream. Label the picture of the statue with:

Take home/Memory verse Gear

The future of Babylon

q Memory verse poster 1 q Seven pieces of different coloured paper for each child q Coloured pens and pencils q Scissors q Brown paper or plastic lunch bags (optional)

Head of gold - Nebuchadnezzar Alongside silver, bronze, iron - kingdoms of the future Feet of iron and clay – a divided kingdom Rock striking feet – a kingdom that will last forever.

Display the Memory verse poster.

Using the pieces of different coloured paper, encourage the children to make a Memory verse ‘sandwich’ by writing a phrase of the verse onto each different colour. They could use brown paper for the bread, red for tomato, green for lettuce, yellow for cheese, purple for beetroot and so on.

They can they assemble their sandwich so the words are in the correct order.

Ask the children to think about the fact that God knows the future of all the countries and governments on earth. How do they feel about this? Do they have questions about this?

God not only knows the future, he is in control of the future. Ask them what they think the ‘kingdom that will last forever’ refers to. Read Luke 1:32–33. This is the announcement to Mary about her son, Jesus. Jesus’ kingdom will last forever. These verses in Daniel were fulfilled when Jesus was born, and when he returns we will see him – Jesus the King.

Allow the children time to have fun cutting their pieces of paper into the appropriate shapes for their ‘fillings’. Note: ‘Worship and honour’ and the Bible reference will need to go on the two pieces of brown paper ‘bread’.

Bringing it together Ask the children to think about how God showed he was in control of all things, in today’s Bible passage.

Accept their responses and discuss any questions they raise.

Worship and honour / the God of Daniel. / He is / the living God, / the one / who lives forever. / Daniel 6:26b (CEV)

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You may wish to give each child a brown paper bag so they can take their ‘sandwich’ home and practise saying the verse to their friends and family.

Prayer Invite the children to sit close together. Remind them that God is in control of everything in his world – even if it doesn’t look that way at times.

Pray together for ‘big’ issues in the world at the moment.

Ask the children to silently pray for personal issues that they are concerned about, especially those mentioned in their discussion during Bringing it together.

Close by saying the Memory verse together.

1

Think about it

Think ahead

Did the children begin to understand how encouraging it is for us to know that God is in control of all things?

You will need: Leader’s poster 1 (Daniel and his friends); some modelling clay or playdough; a copy of the Drama script (pages 25–26); costume for Nebuchadnezzar from this session; a toy trumpet or cardboard megaphone and some yellow, red and orange cellophane (see Get ready).

You will also need Memory verse poster 1; the children’s Challenge notebooks and a copy of the Memory verse snake photocopiable (page 27) for each child.

See Gear for Session 2 (page 20).

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Mime cards You are taking your dog for a walk and teaching it to ‘sit’.

You are trying to teach a pet cockatoo to say: ‘Hello cocky!’

You are trying to teach a little brother to tie his show laces.

You are using the remote control to change channels and volume on the TV.

You are driving a car.

You are riding a horse and making it go fast then slow.

Then turn around.

You are flying a kite and it is very windy.

You are roller blading in a crowded street.

You are training a team of little kids playing soccer.

You are a You are trying kindergarten to help an old teacher trying to cranky lady cross make the class the road. line up straight.

You are trying to control a powerful vacuum cleaner.

You are canoeing down a river in between rocks.

You are trying to You are making shoot an arrow a clay pot on a at a bullseye. potters wheel.

© CEP 2005 The purchaser of the Over the top OT8 manual is entitled to photocopy this page for use with his or her group.

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Drama cue cards Nebuchadnezzar Oh not again, I hate this dream Every night it makes me scream Maid, get me some milk and call my men They’d better help me, or it’s trouble for them!

Nebuchadnezzar’s maid Oh not again, he’s awake and he’s mad He’s having that dream and it’s really bad!

I hope those men can sort him out What does it mean, what’s it all about?

Nebuchadnezzar’s three advisors We don’t even know what was in that dream We don’t have a clue what made the king scream!

How can we know what the dream’s about I think we’re in trouble; I think he’ll shout Daniel Here’s the meaning of that dream The statue, Oh king, is more than it seems It stands for what the Lord will do I’d listen to him – if I were you!

Chorus Daniel’s wisdom comes from the Lord God told Daniel what he has in store For the future is God’s, he’s in control And the king better bow and believe it now! © CEP 2005 The purchaser of the Over the top OT8 manual is entitled to photocopy this page for use with his or her group.

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