Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego Sunday School Lesson for Kids

This free Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego Sunday school lesson teaches kids to stand firm for God and worship only Him, even when everyone else bows down, because God is with us, even in the fire. It comes in four age levels, each a separate printable teacher lesson, plus one take-home sheet for families. Pick the one that fits your class. Everything is in the order you teach it.

Choose your age level

• Preschool (ages 3–5), 20–30 minutes, 2 pages: a "Stand Up Tall" game, a short story with hand motions and repeat-after-me lines, three simple questions, a shortened memory verse ("when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned") with motions, and a walk through a paper-strip "furnace."
• Kindergarten to 2nd grade, 45 minutes, 4 pages: the "Stand Firm" game, the story in simple words, five recall questions with answers, the Flame Strips memory verse game and the Come Forth! game.
• 3rd to 5th grade, 45–60 minutes, 4 pages: a "Three Still Standing" opener, kids look up verses in their own Bibles during a fuller story (their Hebrew names, the 90-foot image, the furnace heated seven times hotter, the four men loose in the fire), five thinking questions and three recall questions, and a Bible look-up race.
• Preteens (ages 11–12), 45–60 minutes, 4 pages: a "Count the Cost" opener, students read Daniel 3 out loud themselves, then discuss deciding ahead of time, "but if not" faith and respecting leaders while obeying God first. Six discussion questions, a journal page, and two memory verses (Isaiah 43:2 and Daniel 3:17–18).

Lesson at a glance

• Bible passage: Daniel 3:1–30
• Main point: Stand firm for God and worship only Him, even when everyone else bows down. God is with us, even in the fire.
• Memory verse: Isaiah 43:2 (KJV), with Daniel 3:17–18 added for preteens
• Ages: preschool to preteen, in four versions

Lesson outline (the same in every version)

1. Opening game: a short game about standing tall when everyone else bows down.
2. Bible story: the king's gold image, the music and the order to bow, the three friends who would not, their "but if not" answer, the furnace heated seven times hotter, the four men loose and walking in the fire, and the king praising the God who delivered His servants. Every fact has its verse reference so you can check it.
3. Questions to ask: with answers, at the right level for each age.
4. Memory verse: a game or motions to help kids learn Isaiah 43:2.
5. What this means for us: standing firm for God, the gospel (Acts 2:38), and a challenge for the week.
6. Activity: the Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego word search, crossword, maze, worksheet, a Bible look-up race or a journal page, depending on the age.
7. Prayer.

Tips for teaching Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego

• Read Daniel 3:17–18 straight from your Bible. "But if not" is the heart of the story: the friends trusted God before they knew how it would end.
• The fourth man is told exactly as the Bible tells it: the king said he looked "like the Son of God" (Daniel 3:25), and afterward said God "hath sent his angel" (3:28). Every level has a short note in case a child asks.
• The lessons for younger kids leave out the soldiers killed by the heat (Daniel 3:22). Read it yourself before class; each lesson gives you a short, gentle answer in case someone asks. The preteen lesson reads it plainly.
• Daniel 3 doesn't mention Daniel, so the lesson doesn't say where he was.
• Short on time? Do the story, three questions and the memory verse. That is a solid 25-minute lesson.