Teaching

Let’s look at the board and say today’s SuperVerse together. Jeremiah 33:3:

“Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”

Has someone ever shared some exciting news with you, but told you to keep it secret for a little while?

Hold up the closed box with the Bible in it. I’ve got something secret in this box, and I am the only person who knows what it is. Continue with the teaching and put the box aside.

God heard and answered Daniel’s call for help. The meaning of the dream wasn’t revealed to the prideful and powerful king or his wise men. God revealed it to His humble servant, Daniel.

In the SuperVerse, the word “and” appears three times. There is another word that appears three times—a very small but important word. Can you find it? You.

On the board, underline “you” in the verse. He speaks to you! When you call, He will answer. He will show you great and mighty things which you don’t know! God speaks personally to you as He did with Daniel. Isn’t that wonderful to know that you can call directly to God and He will answer you?

The king’s magicians, astrologers and sorcerers were called wise men; but they weren’t truly wise! Read Proverbs 9:10 (nkjv):

“The fear of the is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy Oneisunderstanding.”

The king’s wise men did not know God or seek understanding from Him. So when the king demanded to know what his dream was, what did they tell the king?

Read Daniel 2:11:

“The king’s demand is impossible. No one except the gods can tell you your dream, and they do not live here among people.”

The wise men were helpless. Their gods were not real. They could not have a personal relationship with them. False gods cannot answer when people call on them!

Daniel agreed that no human could possibly know the king’s secret. However, he knew who could! Let’s read what Daniel said. Read Daniel 2:28:

“But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the future. Now I will tell you your dream and the visions you saw as you lay on your bed.”

Daniel prayed, and God revealed the secret dream of the king. Hold up the box. Would anyone like me to reveal the secret item in the box? Yes.

Do you know that I would have revealed it earlier if only youhad asked?

Open the box and take out the Bible. The secret item is revealed! I am the one who placed the Bible in the box, so only I knew what was in it. God gave King Nebuchadnezzar the dream, and God was the only one who knew what was in it and what it meant. Only He could reveal it to Daniel. All Daniel needed to do was ask God!

The wise men said their gods did not live among them; is that true about our God? No!

Here is what the Lord tells us. Read Ezekiel 37:27:

“I will make My home among them. I will be their God, and they will be My people.”

Isn’t that wonderful? God makes His home with us. And listen to this scripture about Jesus, which we often hear at Christmastime. Read Matthew 1:23:

“Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a Son, and they will call HimImmanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”

What does Immanuel mean? God is with us!

Yes, God is with us. That’s very different than all the false gods of the world! God sent His Son Jesus as a human being to live among us on theearth. He died on the cross to pay the price for our sins, and rose again to give us new life. What more could anyone do to show us His love! When we ask Jesus to be our Savior, His Spirit comes into our hearts. He is Immanuel—God with us—always ready to give us His wisdom and guidance. God cares about our needs, He answers us when we call, and He reveals wonderful things to us.

Hold up the Bible. This was my secret in the box, and it actually contains secrets! As we read and meditate on His Word, the Holy Spirit can open up our understanding and reveal new things to us. His Spirit can speak to our hearts through reading the Bible, prayer, a sermon, a word of wisdom or knowledge from someone we trust, and from experience when we trust Him and stand in faith. We can learn something we didn’t know about God. Or, we can discover a promise or blessing from God that we never knew existed! As we pray and ask for revelation, God will answer. The important thing is to make sure we listen after we ask!

Unlike the false gods of the world, our God lives among us and answers when we call. He wants to reveal things to us, and this is what our Discipleship Challenge is all about!

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Display the model craft. Give each child a Journal Scroll Pattern, a pencil, and a piece of twine, ribbon or yarn. Have children write their names on the backs of their scrolls, then show them how to roll and secure them with twine, ribbon or yarn. Assist any children with special needs.

In our video, who was reading and writing on scrolls? Daniel and his friends Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

Yes, they served the king by translating important documents and records from clay tablets onto scrolls. You are going to use your scrolls to write your thoughts and things that God may reveal to you when you ask!

Dreams are one way that God can speak to us. The Apostle Peter talked about this in Acts 2:17:

“‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out My Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.’”

Have you ever thought and dreamed about what you would do for God? Have you ever wondered what His plans are for your life? Since we are talking about dreams, let’s close our eyes and say the SuperTruth together: “God reveals things when we ask.”

Have children unroll their scrolls. The challenge for Lesson 1 is to read Jeremiah 29:11 and discuss the meaning with your family if possible. Then, every day, until we meet again, pray and ask God to reveal His plans for you! Use the lines on your scroll to write down any thoughts you sense that God is givingyou. Next time, I’ll give you a chance to share these things with the class, if you’d like. Remember, when you ask, God will reveal great and mighty things you don’t know!