Hear Me Roar - Week 4
There’s a reason lions are symbols of courage — even their roars (which can be heard up to five miles away) tell us how strong they are! And because of God’s promises, we can be as strong and bold as lions, too. In this five-week series, our kids will learn important truths from the life of Daniel they’ll want to shout (or roar!), like how we don’t have to give up and don’t have to feel alone. Instead, we can keep learning and not be afraid, even when we don’t know the future. Why? Because God is with us!
BIG IDEA: I’m not afraid — God is with me!
READ: Daniel in the Lions’ Den: Daniel 6; 2 Timothy 4:16-18
MEMORY VERSE
Elementary: “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.” Nahum 1:7 (NIV)
Toddler Twist: "God loves us and protects us." Nahum 1:7
WATCH:
Preschool- teaching video
Elementary- teaching video
SONG: 10,000 Armies and God is With Me
DISCIPLE:
Read or tell today's Bible story- Daniel 6.
When animals are afraid, they often blend into their environments. They camouflage themselves in order to hide from predators. In fact, one of our snow leopards got spooked by the howl of a wolf, and she hid up against the white wall of her enclosure for hours! In the wild, the snow leopards are amazing at blending in with the cold terrain in their homelands, like the Siberian mountains in Russia. (Show this image of a Siberian snow leopard).
Play a game of “Siberian Hide and Seek.” Choose someone to shout “camouflage,” that person will close their eyes and count to ten. Remaining family members are "snow leopards." They will have ten seconds to find somewhere around the room to hide and camouflage themselves.
The "it" will remain where they are standing, and will not move, but will search all around the room by only looking for twenty seconds. If they see a "snow leopard", then they are out! If the "it" person hasn’t found any snow leopards after the twenty seconds, they will yell “nomad!” At that point, it’s safe for all snow leopards to come out and roam around again. After “nomad” is yelled out, the "it" person will count to five with their eyes closed.. The first person to reach the "it" person in those five seconds, is the winner!
Pray: God, you have promised to always be with me. I don’t have to be afraid of lions, bullies, taking tests, or the dark. And even if we’re afraid, we know you will give us the courage to handle whatever we might be facing. Just like you were with Daniel and Paul, you’re with me. I can be brave because you’re standing beside me. Amen.
DISCUSS:
Why was Daniel thrown into the lion’s den?
What do you think made Daniel brave when he faced the lions?
What did Darius decide to do after Daniel came out of the den without a scratch?
Read 2 Timothy 4:17b–18. How is Paul’s suffering similar to Daniel’s situation with the lions?
When are some times you might need to overcome a fear?
What’s one way you can be brave because you know that God is with you?
What kinds of words would help someone who is afraid not be afraid anymore?