I don’t know about you, but I’m in full fledge summer craziness mode over here. Planning kid’s camp, our version of VBS (Kids Summer Bash) and other summer events. I wanted to make sure I got the last lesson of the Wonder Series out to you today, so if you’re looking for a short four week series for the summer you can snag this one! This last lesson focuses on Daniel and how standing up for Christ can be lonely. Through the lesson kids will understand that obedience to God sometimes can be lonely, but God is always with us. I’d love to know if you use the series, so please tag me on social media! Printable copies and resources are at the bottom of this post (post may contain affiliate links).

Large Group Lesson

Bottom Line: Standing up for Christ can be lonely.

Objective: Kids will learn that our obedience to God will sometimes be lonely, but God is always with us.

Key Passage: Daniel 6, Daniel

Introduction & Recap:

Good Morning! Today is our last week of the “Wonders of the Bible” series. Last week we heard that following God can be hard from the story of Job. Can anyone remember what happened to Job? He lost everything! His family, his livestock, and his health. But he never blamed or sinned against God and then God blessed him with even more than he had before.

Today we’ll talk about another guy who stood up for God even when it was not only hard, but also really lonely. Have you ever been lonely? It doesn’t feel very good, does it. Auggie in Wonder knew what it was like to be lonely. He went to school and kids were mean to him. They didn’t want to be his friend. As hard as he tried to be strong he was still sad and lonely. Let’s watch this clip from the Wonder movie to see what Auggie went through:

 (I recommend cuting off at 2:15)

Auggie was lonely, but his parents were right there with him. They comforted him and didn’t let him feel alone. They loved him. A man in the Bible named Daniel was lonely too, but he knew God was with him even in his darkest hour of need.

Main Point:

In Daniel 6, we hear the story about Daniel and King Darius. Daniel was an advisor/local ruler for the King. Daniel was above all the other officials and King Darius had plans to put him over the whole kingdom, he trusted him that much. Well the other rulers and officials didn’t like that one bit and tried to find some dirt on him to get him in trouble. But did they find any? No! Daniel was obedient to God and his king. The officials knew this and figured out they had to catch him somehow.

Let’s read Daniel 6:6-9, “Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever! 7 All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. 8 Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.” 9 Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction.”

Darius didn’t realize when he signed this document that he was putting his dear advisor Daniel in a sticky spot. You see, Daniel loved God and only worshipped him as the one true, God. So how did Daniel respond? The Bible says he “got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously”. He didn’t let the decree stop him, even if he was the only one still praying to God. Well, the sneaky guys found him praying and went straight to the king. King Darius was so sad. He worried about his decision, but he knew he had to follow the law he made. In verse 16 it says:

16 Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” 17 And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. 18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him.

The king reluctantly threw Daniel into the lion’s den and he even hoped God would protect Daniel. Imagine being Daniel. The men he worked alongside betrayed him and the person King who he trusted, threw him in a pit. Do you think Daniel was feeling the love? No, he was all alone, well, unless you count the lions…who had been starved in order to make sure whoever got thrown in the den never came out. Let’s read what happened in verse 19.

19 Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. 20 As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” 21 Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! 22 My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” 23 Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. 24 And the king commanded, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.

Daniel survived! He trusted in God, even during his darkest hour and God took care of him. In fact, the King learned who the true God was and commanded everyone in his kingdom to worship Daniel’s God! Even when Daniel was worshipping God all alone, God had a plan to make His name great.

Conclusion: Supplies- Large Box

Now I need a volunteer, who’s not afraid of tight spaces. Don’t worry, I’m not throwing you into the Lion’s Den. (choose the volunteer) I need you to step inside this box. When we think we are all alone God is still there, just like when my volunteers climbs in this box. They can’t see anyone, but we are still all here around them. When you feel all alone we must remember that God is always there even if we don’t see him.

Daniel knew God was with him in the den of lions. In the midst of the darkness and fear and utter loneliness, God was there with Daniel. Daniel stood for God even when it hard and lonely and scary and God was with him. We can do the same. Sometimes life will be hard or scary or lonely, but God is always with us.

Close in prayer & dismiss to groups.

Small Group Discussion

Welcome: Introduce yourself to the kids and ask their names, welcome guests.

Icebreaker: In the Wonder video clip, Auggie was very lonely. When was there a time you felt lonely? How were you comforted?

Discussion:

• What was Daniel’s job? Advisor/satrap to the King
• What was the King’s name? Darius
• Who didn’t like Daniel? The other king’s advisors
• What ruling did they make? That everyone must only worship the King as god.
• How did Daniel respond? He went right back to his room and prayed to God
• Who caught Daniel praying? The other advisors
• What was the king forced to do? Throw Daniel in the Lion’s Den
• What happened to Daniel in the den? God protected him from the lions
• How did King Darius respond to this news? He threw the other officials in the den and then made a ruling for everyone to worship Daniel’s God.
• How might this have been lonely for Daniel?
• Have you ever felt all alone for believing in God? What did you do?

Memory Verse: Read the verse and then practice saying the verse together out loud. “God delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders  in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel  from the power of the lions.” Daniel 6:27

Activity: Daniel, Lion, Officials (Played like Gorilla, Man, Gun)

You play this game just like “Gorilla, Man, Gun”.

“Daniel Beats the Lion

The lion beats the officials

The officials beat Daniel”

For Daniel do praying hands, for lions put your hands up like paws, and for the officials hold up an angry fist. Have kids stand back to back, and read the phrase and then count 1, 2, 3 and the kids flip around holding up the hand motion for who they want to be. Keep playing until you get down to one winner.

Printable Resources:

Printable Wonders: Daniel
Daniel Verse Cards

Thanks for letting me share,