Bible Stories for Everyone: Mad Kings and Lions Free Lesson Guide

This free lesson guide accompanies the Bible Stories for Everyone episode Mad Kings and Lions. You can watch the video below if you haven’t seen it yet.

https://youtu.be/E5PkGUhoGW0

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Episode Overview

Scripture: Daniel 1-6
Main idea: Staying faithful to God is always worth it, even when things get scary!
Key Theme: God is the True King over all earthly kings

Wait, What Happened? (Question Review)

1. The Veggie Challenge: Why did Daniel choose water and veggies over the King’s fancy food? (Answer: To honor God’s rules!)
2. The “Fourth Man”: How does it feel to know that God is “in the fire” with us when we go through hard times?
3. The Lions’ Den: Daniel prayed even when it was against the law. How can we talk to God every day?

Heart to Heart (Discussion)

Read Daniel 3:17-18: Did the three friends know for sure God would save them from the fire? (They trusted Him even if He didn’t!)

Read Daniel 6:22: Who did God send to help Daniel in the den?

Read Daniel 2:20-22: After God revealed the King’s secret dream to Daniel, Daniel stopped to sing a song of praise.

The Weekly Challenge

The “10-Day Daniel” Weekly Challenge! In the video, Jimmy talks about the “10-Day Challenge” where Daniel and his friends chose water and vegetables to honor God.

Your Challenge: Pick one thing this week that you know honors God but might be “different” from what everyone else is doing.

Examples: Instead of complaining, try 10 days of “Thank You” prayers. Spend 10 minutes reading the Bible each day with a friend or family member.

Activity: “The Lion’s Ear”

This game is a high-energy version of “Red Light, Green Light” that focuses on Daniel’s habit of prayer and listening to God instead of the “noise” of the world.

How to Play

The Setup: One person is The King (standing at the front). The rest of the kids are “Daniels” (standing at the back).

The Goal: The Daniels must reach the King to share a “Message from God” (a Bible verse or a “God is Good” shout).

The Rules:

• When the King has their back turned, the Daniels can move forward.
• The King can turn around at any time and shout a “Worldly Distraction” (e.g., “Look at this cool toy!”, “Eat this candy!”, or “Everyone is doing the chicken dance!”).
• If the King shouts a distraction, the Daniels must freeze and put their hands over their ears (to show they are focusing on God).
• If the King turns around and says “Pray!”, the Daniels must kneel.

The Win: The first Daniel to reach the King and say, “God is the Living King!” wins the round.

The Lesson: This teaches kids that the “King” (the world) will try to distract them with loud, silly, or tempting things, but their job is to stay focused on their mission.

(Level Up: To challenge older kids, give them a “Secret Verse” to memorize at the start. While they move toward the King, have a few “Distractors” whisper silly fake news or jokes to try and make them forget their verse before they reach the finish line!)

Daniel Craft Ideas

🎨 Craft 1: The “Snap-Shut” Lion

The Goal: To visualize Daniel 6:22 and remember that God has the power to “shut the mouths” of our biggest fears.

Materials:

• 1 Paper plate (standard size)
• Orange and yellow construction paper (or markers)
• Glue or tape
• A black marker
• Scissors

Instructions:

1. The Face: Fold your paper plate exactly in half. On the top half (outside), draw two eyes and a nose at the fold line.
2. The Mane: Cut strips of orange and yellow paper about 3 inches long. Glue them all around the curved edge of the plate to create a fuzzy lion’s mane.
3. The Secret Message: Open the “mouth” of the plate. On the inside, write the words from Daniel 6:22: “My God sent His angel to shut the lions’ mouths.”
4. The Action: Show the kids how to hold the plate. They can “roar” by opening the plate wide to see the verse, then snap it shut to show how God protected Daniel!

🎨 Craft 2: The Protector Lantern

The Goal: To show that even in the “fiery” moments of life, we are never alone.

Materials:

• 1 Clear plastic cup (or a clean glass jar)
• Red, orange, and yellow tissue paper
• 1 Battery-operated tea light (LED)
• Black construction paper
• Glue (watered down slightly works best)

Instructions:

1. The Flames: Tear the tissue paper into small, jagged pieces. Using a glue stick or a brush with watered-down glue, layer the paper all over the outside of the cup until it looks like it’s glowing with fire.
2. The Friends: Cut three small “stick figure” silhouettes out of the black construction paper. Glue these three figures to the outside of the cup, spaced apart.
3. The Fourth Man: Cut one more silhouette—this is the “Fourth Man.” Instead of gluing him to the outside, tape him directly onto the side of the LED tea light or place him inside the cup against the wall.
4. The Glow: Turn on the tea light and place it inside. The three friends will be visible on the outside, but the “Fourth Man” will appear to glow from within the flames!

About Bible Stories for Everyone

Bible Stories for Everyone is an authentic, high-energy journey through the most world-changing narratives ever written. Featuring a rotating cast of relatable storytellers, the series explores the Bible as a living adventure, filled with flawed heroes, massive miracles, and the unmistakable hand of God. This video series was created to show that these stories aren’t just for the past, they are for every person, every age, and every heart.

The show is produced by Waking Word Inc. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit media ministry.