Lesson kit: Daniel: Being Different in Babylon

Lesson aim

You can be faithful to God and different from the crowd with respect, wisdom, and courage.

Key verse

“God gave these four young men knowledge and understanding.” Daniel 1:17

Lesson plan

1. 1

   Welcome · 5 minutes

   Greet the children, sing a song they know and say a short prayer.

2. 2

   The story · 10 minutes

   Tell the story with the illustrations on the big screen or by reading it aloud, page by page.

   Open on the big screen →
3. 3

   Talk · 10 minutes

   Ask the questions below and let the children answer in their own words.

4. 4

   Activity · 10 minutes

   Hand out the printed sheet: each child draws their favourite scene and practises the verse.

5. 5

   Closing prayer · 2 minutes

   Close by thanking God for what you learned today. You can be faithful to God and different from the crowd with respect, wisdom, and courage.

Discussion questions

1. What did Daniel decide not to do?
2. What did Daniel suggest to the palace official?
3. When do you need courage to be different?

Summary for the teacher

While still a teenager, Daniel was taken to Babylon, where the king wanted to turn the young men of Israel into Babylonians. Daniel decided not to eat the king’s food, which went against his faith. Respectfully, he suggested a ten-day test with vegetables and water. In the end, he and his friends were healthier, and God gave them more wisdom than anyone else.