Daniel in the Lion's Den

Our story today has to do with standing up for what you believe in once again. Last week, we heard about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, three young men from Judea who stood up against the king of Babylon and were thrown into a fiery furnace. There they were miraculously rescued by the Angel of the Lord- who is Jesus!

This week, after many years have passed, we see another man, not so young, who was long ago brought to Babylon to serve under King Nebuchadnezzer. He served king and God faithfully! Now Babylon has been invaded by the Persians and Daniel continues to be an advisor to the new Persian king also.

This time the other wise men on the council conspire to get Daniel in trouble, they notice that he prays three times a day to a God in the direction of Jerusalem. In spite of his strange beliefs (to them) he is one of the king's favorite advisors and they are jealous. They get the king to sign a law that his subjects are to pray only to him for 30 days. Daniel continues to pray only to the one true God and they catch him.

They bring him before King Darius and report his behavior. Darius has no choice but to throw him in the lions' den. He tells Daniel that he's sure the God Daniel worships will save him. Daniel is an old man and Darius is sure this will result in his death. Darius throws him in, but spends a sleepless night worrying about his friend. Early the next morning, the king goes to see what has happened to his friend. He arrives to find Daniel just fine! God had sent angels to keep the lions mouths closed.

King Darius sent for the wisemen who had accused Daniel and had them thrown in the den.

Daniel was protected by the angel God had sent. How many times are we kept from harm and danger because of these warriors sent by God! He gives his angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways!

We will be singing "Good, Good Father" at the 10:45 service on October 21st! Right after the service, our Oktoberfest begins, please stay and enjoy some delicious German food!!

Our mission offering for this Sunday School year will be going to our mission in Chile'. Elise and Jon Gross, Jennifer Proeber and others have been building relationships and helping the local church for three years now. Find out more about our mission to Chile' on this page-http://www.kingdomworkers.com/chile.php

Have a great week!! Invite some more friends! Lets make our Sunday School grow!!

Zion Sunday School Staff

Standing up for what you believe in

Good morning Zion Sunday School Parents!

This week your children heard the story of the three men in the fiery furnace. We began with a game in which one child was inside a circle of children and that circle tried to move him, we added several more children to both the inside and the outside. As more children stood together, it got harder to move the children in the center. Peer pressure to do the wrong thing is something all of us face everyday! When we have someone standing with us, it gets easier to keep standing! We always have someone standing with us, even if we can't see Him! It's Jesus!!

In the Bible, the Jews had been taken into captivity in the land of Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzer was impressed and interested in the Jewish culture and the young men he had chosen to become part of his advisors. He still continued to worship idols and when he built a new idol, he commanded everyone present to bow down and worship it along with him. Anyone who chose not to worship it would be thrown into the fiery furnace.

Shadrach, Mesach and Abednego were the Babylonian names given to the three young men from Judea that were part of Nebuchadnezzer's advisors. They refused to bow down to the idol. Nebuchadnezzer was incensed! How dare they! He gave them a second chance, when they refused, he ordered the furnace to be made 7 times hotter than normal, the boys bound hand and foot and thrown into the furnace. The heat was so intense, the guards who threw them in died!

When Nebuchadnezzer looked into the furnace, he couldn't believe his eyes. Not only were the boys alive, they were walking around in the furnace and another man had joined them. One who looked like a Son of the Gods! It was Jesus! He was with Shadrach, Mesach and Abednego in the furnace!
Nebuchadnezzer ordered the boys to come out. When they did, they weren't even singed and they didn't even smell like smoke! Nebuchadnezzer then ordered everyone to worship the One, True God!

Jesus is always with us too! No matter where we are or what we are being asked to do!

I pray that you and your family can marvel over that this week and praise God for his presence in our lives!!

Have a blessed week!

Zion Sunday School Staff

Welcome!!!

We are going to try something new this year and that is a blog to let you know what your children are learning in Sunday School each week!

It can give you insight as to what questions to ask and know that Sunday School is more than delicious snacks and crafts!

This Sunday the students in Preschool through 4th grade learned more about the story of Jonah. Jonah was an Old Testament prophet who was given a job by God. His job was to go to preach repentance to the pagan city of Ninevah. Jonah decided he was not going to obey God. Not only was he not going to Ninevah, in fact he got on a boat that took him in the opposite direction!

There are consequences to not obeying God. God made a huge storm come up, the experienced sailors on the boat thought they were going to drown. They decided to draw straws to see whose sin had made this storm come upon them. They found Jonah, exhausted physically, emotionally and spiritually, asleep in the hold. He drew the short straw! He instructed them to throw him overboard, even though they were frightened to do so. As soon as Jonah hit the water, the storm calmed and a huge fish came and swallowed Jonah.

Jonah spent three days praying in the belly of a fish. When the fish cast him out on shore, he obeyed God and went and preached destruction and repentance to Ninevah. It worked!! They repented of their sins and were saved!

The 5th through 7th graders are starting a new study about being Christian in a world full of many cultures. Today they looked at how different races and cultures came to be and how, no matter what our language, culture or ethnicity, we all have the same great need- a Savior!

We are working on preparing a song for October, I am not yet sure of the exact date we will be singing.

The song is called "Good, Good Father" as we are learning about God the Father and what he does for us in this season of the Sunday School year.

The basic lyrics are below- We look forward to seeing you next week!! Invite a friend!
                                             Zion Lutheran Sunday School

I've heard a thousand stories of what they think you're like
But I've heard the tender whispers of love in the dead of night
And you tell me that you're pleased
And that I'm never alone

You're a good good father
It's who you are, it's who you are, it's who you are
And I'm loved by you
It's who I am, it's who I am, it's who I am

I've seen many searching for answers far and wide
But I know we're all searching
For answers only you provide
'Cause you know just what we need
Before we say a word

You're a good good father
It's who you are, it's who you are, it's who you are
And I'm loved by you
It's who I am, it's who I am, it's who I am

Because you are perfect in all of your ways
You are perfect in all of your ways
You are perfect in all of your ways to us

You are perfect in all of your ways
You are perfect in all of your ways
You are perfect in all of your ways to us

Oh, it's love so undeniable
I, I can hardly speak
Peace so unexplainable
I, I can hardly think
As you call me deeper still
As you call me deeper still
As you call me deeper still
Into love, love, love

You're a good good father
It's who you are, it's who you are, it's who you are
And I'm loved by you
It's who I am, it's who I am, it's who I am

You're a good good father
It's who you are, it's who you are, it's who you are
And I'm loved by you
It's who I am, it's who I am, it's who I am
You're a good good father.