This weekend is the first Sunday in the season of Advent. This is the season leading up to Christmas! In Advent, we wait together and reflect on the themes of hope, peace, joy, and love. Each Sunday in this season we light a candle to remember that Christ is a source of light in our shadowy world.
Light a candle together with your family as you worship together today. Take a moment of quiet. Close your eyes and take a deep breath-- fill your tummy with air and then slowly let it out. Remember that God is with you.
Light a candle together with your family as you worship together today. Take a moment of quiet. Close your eyes and take a deep breath-- fill your tummy with air and then slowly let it out. Remember that God is with you.
Today's story is called Daniel and the Lion's Den. It is from the Old Testament book of (you guessed it) Daniel. You can read this story in your Bibles in Daniel 6 or in your SPARK Storybook Bible on page 184. You can also watch this story according to the Veggie Tales! It's one of the episodes I watched when I was a kid... | |
After you've read/watched the story, think about these questions...(adapted from Be the Story Curriculum)
Activity: Make a Lion's Mask
You will need: paper plates, orange string, yellow and white paint. First, paint the plate yellow and paint a nose and mouth in black Then, glue on strips of orange string or paper for a mane. Cut out eyes and glue them on as ears-- now you have eye holes to see out of! You can either put the mask on a stick or use string to make it a face mask. Pretend to be a lion! What do you think the lions thought when they saw Daniel?
Activity: Prayer for Hope
I bet Daniel felt very afraid when he was thrown into the lion's den. Sometimes we face scary things, but God is with us when we are scared. What are some things you are worried or scared about today? What other things do you want to pray about? Talk about them with your family, then pray together:
Dear God, like Daniel we are scared of many things (list here). Be with us and help us to be brave. Help us to trust in you when we are scared. In Jesus' name, Amen.
- I wonder what it would be like not to be allowed to go to church
- I wonder what it would be like to be tricked and betrayed by others
- I wonder how Daniel felt in the lion’s den
- I wonder how the king felt when he saw Daniel was safe
- I wonder how hard it is to trust God is with you when you are afraid
Activity: Make a Lion's Mask
You will need: paper plates, orange string, yellow and white paint. First, paint the plate yellow and paint a nose and mouth in black Then, glue on strips of orange string or paper for a mane. Cut out eyes and glue them on as ears-- now you have eye holes to see out of! You can either put the mask on a stick or use string to make it a face mask. Pretend to be a lion! What do you think the lions thought when they saw Daniel?
Activity: Prayer for Hope
I bet Daniel felt very afraid when he was thrown into the lion's den. Sometimes we face scary things, but God is with us when we are scared. What are some things you are worried or scared about today? What other things do you want to pray about? Talk about them with your family, then pray together:
Dear God, like Daniel we are scared of many things (list here). Be with us and help us to be brave. Help us to trust in you when we are scared. In Jesus' name, Amen.