===================================================================== Title: Primary Sabbath School Program, May 29, 1999 From: NAD Children's Ministries (author: Lisa Seeders) Date: May 1, 1999 Abstract: Activities to use in place of program helps to teach the lesson, A NIGHT WITH LIONS ===================================================================== Lesson Aim: God sends angels to protect me from danger. Memory Verse: "The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them." Psa. 34:7, NIV GETTING THEIR ATTENTION - A NIGHT AT THE ZOO Materials needed: White drawing paper Pastels, crayons or colored pencils WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) There are no advance preparations necessary WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Ask the students to imagine they are at a zoo. Give them a sheet of white drawing paper. Have them draw a large cage. Inside the cage they draw a figure of what they consider is the most powerful, ferocious or scariest animal/reptile at the zoo. Now they are to imagine that they have fallen into the cage with this animal/reptile. The zoo has closed and the workers have all gone home. Have them draw a stick figure of themselves in the cage with the animal/reptile. Illicit responses from them as to what thoughts and feelings they would have about this time. In our Bible story today, Daniel found himself left overnight in a den with some pretty hungry animals. GO STRAIGHT INTO THE BIBLE STORY. GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - STORY MASKS Materials needed: Poster board Scissors Glue Glue Glitter Yarn Sequins Material scraps Cotton WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) Cut the poster board into round circles with a diameter of approximately 18". Cut a circle for each child. Lay a medium-size dinner plate down on the circle. (There should be about 3 inches left all the way around the circle. Trace the plate and cut it out of the circle. The circle is now a frame with a hole in the middle large enough for a child's face to peek through. Spread the rest of the supplies out on a flat work surface. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Have the students decorate the mask according to who they would like it to represent in the story. Some suggestions for characters and decorations are: King Darius - Cut the top of the circle into some jagged lines and glue sequins to represent a crown. Officials - Scraps of material for headbands or head wraps across the top of the circle and/or down the sides. Daniel - White cotton glued to head and face area Angel - Yellow marker drawing rays out from inner hole and glitter glued around peripheral. Lions - Cut out ears on circle frame, glue yellow, gold and brown yarn pieces to head to hang as mane. Students may design any mask they want as long as you have at least one of each character. After the masks are finished, tell the story with the students holding the masks up to their faces. They are to change their facial expressions to fit the mood and story line as you go. (*If someone could videotape this story with the children using the masks, they would really enjoy watching it played back.) GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - MEMORY VERSE REVIEW Materials needed: Blankets or sheets Bibles WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) There are no advance preparations necessary WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Look up the memory verse in the Bible and read it together. The angel of the Lord provides a fort or shelter around those who love God. When Satan places our minds or bodies in danger, God provides a shelter of angels to encourage and help those who love and fear Him. Have the children help you construct a fort or shelter out of the blankets and sheets. Leave an opening so the children can run in and out. The teacher then becomes the "lion"prowling around "placing the children in dangerous situations." There is no running, only walking around the room. The only base is within the shelter or fort. When you, the teacher, come upon a child you name a danger. (See suggestions below.) The only way they can gain access into the shelter is by repeating the memory verse. Once inside the shelter, they can come back out whenever they wish. If they don't make it into the shelter, you "devour them" and they become the lion. Some suggestions for the lion to say as he prowls around: 1. "Go on cheat. You didn't have time to study last night for the test." 2. "Go on steal. The store has plenty more." 3. "Don't go to Sabbath school, it's boring" 4. "Go on be mad at God. If He really loves you, he wouldn't have let your parents divorce." 5. "Go on, say those curse words. They don't really mean anything." 6. "Go on lie. You have to protect yourself." ACTING ON SCRIPTURE - Materials needed: Music to the chorus of "Trust And Obey" Piano player or cassette player and tape WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) If you cannot obtain a piano player record the chorus of "Trust And Obey" 4-5 times in a row. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Ask the students,"If God sends angels to shelter those who trust Him, why did Daniel end up down in the den? Why did Joseph end up in the pit? Why did Paul end up in prison? Why did Jesus end up on the cross? When Jesus promises deliverance it doesn't mean you'll never find yourself in trouble or in danger. The secret to deliverance is in trusting and obeying Jesus, allowing Him to deliver you when the time is right. Teach the following verses, sung to the chorus of Trust and Obey. Ask the children to help you make up other verses which depict other troublesome or dangerous times Bible characters went through. Trust and Obey Yes, there's no other way When you're down in the den You must trust and obey Trust and Obey Yes, there's no other way When you're thrown in the pit You must trust and obey Trust and Obey Yes, there's no other way When you end up in prison You must trust and obey