The Fiery Furnace - All Aboard VBS 2012

It's amazing when you teach children about the Bible!  They are so excited to learn about it and they (usually) listen so intently.  It shows just how important learning more about God's Word can be and shows how much more we need to be teaching.....and learning.

I forgot to take a picture of the "fiery furnace" and the golden statue (pardon my drawing on the statue :), but when the black light is on, these two scenes "glow".  The children love it - and so do I!  But if you notice, the important part of the message are the words above the furnace.  The theme for the day was in those words:  Stay on Track by STANDING OUT, STANDING UP, AND BEING DIFFERENT.  Those are Bible-based words and exactly what Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego did the day they told King Nebudcadnezzer that they would not bow down to his golden statue!

(Fiery Furnace craft - directions are posted on my recipe/craft blog HERE.)

What I told the students was that even adults sometimes have a hard time standing up and standing out and being different.  Sometimes we just want to blend in with the world and that's not good.  God wants us to be different.  He wants us to take a stand against what is sinful and wrong.  And sadly, sometimes we make into "idols" things that are just as silly as the King's golden image.  "Things" that can't do anything at all.  God wants us to worship only Him.

A fun part of VBS class is always the craft snack.  The snack just reinforces the lesson, but is a special treat for the children, as well.  This snack idea came from somewhere online (sorry I don't know where).  It's a s'more, but instead of a second graham cracker on top, you put three Teddy Graham crackers (they serve as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego).  In a small toaster oven in the room (my mother-in-law used the big oven in our fellowship room), we baked the snacks a few at a time.  The Teddy Grahams were unharmed (just like the boys in the story!), but the chocolate melted and the marshmallows browned!  After they were done, another Teddy Graham was placed on the snack to be the angel or the "son of God" in the Bible story (Daniel 3)

So, today, be like SHADRACH, MESHACH AND ABED-NEGO:  STAND UP, STAND OUT AND BE DIFFERENT!