Leader Guide
Object Lesson
- One old shirt that can be ruined. Follow the directions below to prepare it at home at least one day before class
- Barbecue grill or fire pit—to be used outdoors at home, not at church
- Charcoal or wood, and matches or lighter
- Large tongs
- Sealable plastic bag, big enough to put shirt in
- Optional: camera or video camera, and someone to take photos or video of you preparing the shirt at home
- Bible or the Superbook Bible App
At home, at least a day before class, build a fire in the fire pit or barbecue grill outdoors.
Optional: Have someone take photos or video as you prepare the shirt, following the steps below.
Use tongs to very carefully hold the shirt close to the fire long enough to absorb the smoke smell and to be discolored by the fire. Be careful not to burn the shirt.
Using the tongs, carefully remove the shirt and wait for it to cool completely.
Place the shirt in a zip-seal plastic bag, and seal it.
Make sure to put out the fire completely.
Bring the shirt to church still sealed in the plastic bag. Open the bag and pass it around during the lesson.
Optional: bring the photos or video to show the children.
Read Daniel 3:19–23,26–27:
Nebuchadnezzar was so furious with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face became distorted with rage. He commanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual. Then he ordered some of the strongest men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. So they tied them up and threw them into the furnace, fully dressed in their pants, turbans, robes, and other garments. And because the king, in his anger, had demanded such a hot fire in the furnace, the flames killed the soldiers as they threw the three men in. So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, securely tied, fell into the roaring flames. Then Nebuchadnezzar came as close as he could to the door of the flaming furnace and shouted: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!”
So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire. Then the high officers, officials, governors, and advisers crowded around them and saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even smell of smoke!
Have you ever gotten too close to an oven, campfire, or a fireplace—what did it feel like?
Yes, it is very uncomfortable and you move away quickly to keep from getting burned. The king was so angry with the three men that he had the furnace made seven times hotter than normal—seven times! It was so hot that when his strongest soldiers threw the three Hebrew men into the fire, the soldiers were instantly killed! The soldiers didn’t even go into the furnace; they simply got near it and died! Now that is hot!
God performed a miracle—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were not burned. They were up and walking in the furnace with an Angel of the Lord! Now, that is a true miracle! But, God didn’t stop there; the fire did not touch them, their hair was not singed or burned, their clothing wasn’t scorched, and they didn’t even smell like smoke! Think about that! They were tied up and thrown into a raging furnace, and the fire only burned their ropes; it didn’t touch the men!
When you stand next to a campfire or fireplace, what do your clothes smell like after that; even the next day?
Fire, smoke.
Show the children the photos or video of you holding the shirt up to the fire you made at home, and explain exactly what you did to prepare the shirt at home. Open the plastic bag with the smoky shirt and pass the bag around the classroom, allowing children to smell the shirt inside.
What does this smell like? Fire, smoke.
This shirt was held close to a fire that was nowhere as hot as the furnace in our story. It never touched the fire, yet it is discolored and smells like smoke. God performed an amazing miracle that caused all of the people to know that the Hebrew men’s God was the One True God and the only God who was to be worshiped!