I Won't Celebrate Bad Things!

Host

Welcome to the Lab!

Co-Host

Learning about Daniel’s and his friends’ lives in Babylon has opened my eyes to a lot of upside down stuff in my world.

Host

The more you read God’s Word, the more it opens your eyes to what’s happening so you can see the difference between the truth and what is false.

Co-Host

Speaking of spotting the difference, let’s challenge each group to see if you can do that with this picture. It seems as though Ethel’s cats have gone a little crazy while she was gone.

Host

We will put one Connector in front of each section of kids to make teams. See if you can spot the ten differences between the two pictures. The team that finds the most wins.

Co-Host

Great job to our winners!

Host

Today is all about spotting what isn’t good and choosing the right thing instead. Let’s see what they are up to in the lab today.

Co-Host

Do you think that Rusty’s idea to become a mime is a wise way to handle the situation?

Host

It’s not. I think he’s trying to avoid having to speak up about something he knows is wrong.

Co-Host

Have any of your friends ever tried to convince you to do something with them that you know is wrong?

Host

It’s tough when it seems like everyone likes the wrong things. Let’s see what our Big Point says. I need a volunteer to help us reveal it.

Co-Host

After we count down from three, you can read the Big Point.

Host

Let’s all say it together, I Won’t Celebrate Bad Things!

Co-Host

Part of living right side up in an upside down world is choosing to live by God’s truth, even if it goes against what a lot of people say.

Host

That’s not easy. Earlier we chose a volunteer who is now backstage. He/She can’t hear us. We are going to show him/her some slides of different things and ask him/her what it is. Super easy, except we want you to disagree with whatever he/she answers. Really make it seem like you don’t agree with the obvious truth.

Co-Host

See if you can convince him/her to go along with the wrong answer.

Host

Okay, we’ll let you in on a secret. The whole audience was trying to see if they could convince you to change your mind, even though you were right.

Co-Host

Did you feel a lot of pressure when everyone else disagreed with you?

Host

When you know the truth, you can’t be afraid to stick to it, even if it’s not popular. Let’s see if Rusty can do that.

Host

If Rusty drops by the party and doesn’t say anything, do you think other people will think he’s ok with his cousin breaking the law?

Co-Host

It will look like he’s cool with it all. Rusty should listen to the Big Point,

Co-Host

I Won’t Celebrate Bad Things!

Host

Let’s turn to the Bible and learn how to do that by checking out the Big Verse.

Co-Host

After we count down from three read the verse.

Co-Host

Amos 5:15 (NIrV) says, “Hate evil and love good.” That’s a simple command.

Host

It is simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy to follow. This verse doesn’t mean that you should hate anyone. In fact, the Bible teaches the opposite.

Co-Host

When it says hate, it’s helpful to think of it as rejecting the kinds of things God doesn’t like. If a person does something that God doesn’t like, should we join in and do it too or reject it? We don’t hate them, but we can’t join in with them.

Host

Let’s choose a volunteer to help us with something. (Choose a volunteer) Have you ever used magnets to pick up stuff? What kind of material does a magnet attract?

Co-Host

That’s right, metal. Use a magnet to see if you can pick up some of the metal objects.

Host

Think of those metal objects as the things that the Bible tells us God loves. We should try to attract all of the good things that match what God likes. Let’s see what happens when we try to make the magnets touch north to north and south to south.

Co-Host

You can’t do it. They literally will not attach to each other. In fact, they push away. Whenever we know something is wrong, because it’s something God said in the Bible He doesn’t like, then we have to push it away. We don’t want to celebrate or love what is wrong just because others do. Let’s take a moment to stand and worship God.

Maybe you’ve been tempted to go along with the crowd and celebrate things that don’t match what God likes. It’s hard sometimes to go opposite of a lot of people. The good news is that you aren’t alone. We have some Connectors who want to pray with you because they love you. You have lots of people who love God that are on the same side as you are. If you’d like to pray with them, come to the front and let’s pray together.

Co-Host

Rusty definitely made the right decision to stay far away from his cousin’s party.

Host

He could have gotten in some big trouble. The same is true for Daniel. Had he joined in Belshazzar’s disrespectful party, he might have ended up on the wrong side of that enemy army. Instead, God helped him become a leader in the new kingdom. Remember our Big Point,

Host

I Won’t Celebrate Bad Things!

Co-Host

That’s a story you can share with your family when you do this week’s Big Do.

Host

Have a party at the end of the week to celebrate all of the ways that your family obeyed God.

Co-Host

Let’s see if we can pick out the kinds of things we should and shouldn’t celebrate. If you think we should celebrate it, shout “Yay!” If not, then shout, “Boo!”

Host

Great job! Let’s turn and connect with our small groups and talk about why we want to go God’s way.

• Why is it hard sometimes to speak up and disagree, even when you know it’s the right thing to do?

• Was it risky for Daniel to tell the king that he was wrong? Why? The king could have hurt him or had him killed. Why would it have been wrong to join in the king’s party or ignore it? The king was disrespecting God.

• What are some things that you could do differently this week to show that you won’t celebrate bad things?

• What did Herman tell us to do with our families in the Big Do? Have a party at the end of the week to celebrate all of the ways that your family obeyed God.

• Our Big Point says I Won’t Celebrate _____ Things!

  • Annoying

  • Bad

• What did Rusty become to avoid a confrontation?

  • Weatherman

  • Mime

• The king threw a party where he used items taken from where?

  • God’s temple

  • Daniel’s house

• How did the king and his guests treat God during the party?

  • Respectfully

  • Disrespectfully

• What appeared and wrote on the wall during the party?

  • Hand

  • Pencil

• Amos 5:15 (NIrV) says, “____ evil and love good.”

  • Love

  • Hate

• King Belshazzar was defeated by an enemy that night.

  • True

  • False

• What happened when Rusty decided not to go to the party?

• Why do we not want to celebrate bad things?

• What challenge did Herman give us as this week’s Big Do? Have a party at the end of the week to celebrate all of the ways that your family obeyed God.