The End
What happens next?
We’re in the final chapter of Daniel!
And in this chapter we discover God talks to Daniel about the end of everything.
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Hope you enjoyed our Werb’s Kids Service this morning!!
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As mentioned this morning we’re in the final part of Daniel. The final chapter.
The ending of the story which is actually all about end times.
first play a game!
This morning some of Werb’s Kids played the strawberry lace game to see who would reach the end first! Maybe you’d like to play this game too or instead see how quickly you can get to the end of an assault course!? All of this helps us think about todays story being about the end times.
This morning we talked about our favourite books and how when we read we start at the beginning and read from right to the end...you don’t skip ahead and read the end first right?
Similarly you don’t watch a film and then skip to the end you watch from beginning to end.
Sometimes though when we’re watching or reading something and you get to part of the story where things go wrong or something bad happens to your favourite character or they are in trouble and it looks impossible to escape, in those moments we would like to know that they will be okay and what’s going to happen next.
At those moments we REALLY want to flick forward and know there’s a rescue.
Sometimes we need to know the end of the story before we can keep watching and reading.
We want to know there’s a happily ever after!
In real life though we can’t just flick forward and that means that we worry. But there is one person who does know the end of the story. God wrote the story and so he knows it. He’s planned it out beginning to end and he’s planned it out in his own special secret book. But we don’t get to see this book. And we don’t get to know all the details of God’s plan. We don’t get to know the end.
But some people in the bible were given little glimpses, little insights, they were shown what will happen. And Daniel was one of those people!
In chapter 12 we hear how God says there will be some bad stuff that will happen to God’s people but then he shows Daniel the end of the story.
do you remember what happened in the PASSAGE?
“There will be a time of trouble, the worst
trouble the world has ever seen.
But your people will be saved from the trouble,
every last one found written in the Book.
Many who have been long dead and
buried will wake up, some to eternal life,
others to eternal shame.
Men and women who have lived wisely
and well will shine brilliantly,
like the cloudless, star-filled night skies.
And those who put others on the
right path to life will glow like stars forever.”
Daniel is told that there will be hard times before things get better.
He is however shown that everything will be okay in the end for God’s people.
Daniel is also told that all God’s people, every single one of their names are written in God’s special book. Every name of every person who has ever trusted in God and ever will which means if you’re trusting in Jesus as your rescuer then you are in God’s book too! Because you belong to him.
That means he’ll never forget you because you are one of his people.
God promises he’ll never leave his people and he’ll bring them safely home to him.
We know how the story ends...we have everlasting life because of Jesus!
I love the verse that says that God’s people and those who have lived wisely will shine like stars.
Being wise is using your experience and knowledge together to make the best choice.
But choosing the best way isn’t always the easiest. Being wise is trusting in God even if you don’t know what’s going to happen.
So my challenge for you today is how can you shine for God?
What about you makes you stand out and people know that you belong to God?
Do people see how loving and kind you are?
Do people know by your actions that you love God?
GO DEEPER!
SPARKS (Preschool)
What did you think of the story!?
What are your favourite books? Why do you love those books so much? What are they about?
I love happy endings.
I love it when everything works out in the end of the story and what’s amazing is that God knows the end of our story.
We can trust God and the plan he has.
Isn’t it amazing that God has written our names in his special book. If you’re friends with God then he will protect you always.
God also wants us to shine like stars. So how can you be your absolute best today? How can you shine bright today?
Draw a big picture of a star and write or draw in it how you can be your best today. Maybe you think you need to be more kind or loving or caring or better at sharing. Whatever it is think about it and try to do it today.
You can end by saying this prayer together:
“Dear God,
Thank you that you know what is in the future even if we do not.
Thank you God that we can trust you with everything.
Help me to remember that you are in charge.
Help me to be my best.
Amen.”
FLAMES (KS1)
Today we are at the end of Daniel’s story and God talks to Daniel about the end times.
It’s an odd story to try and get our head around but the main thing to remember is that God is in charge of the story!
God is in control!
In our story today though we also see that God’s people are the ones that shine like stars.
There’s a few questions we need answers to:
What does that mean to shine?
Are you shining?
How do you think you could shine brighter?
First we need to ask some other questions:
How does light make us feel?
What does light give to us?
What difference does light make in our lives
How would it feel to be living in darkness?
In order to answer these you might want to put on a blindfold and really think about darkness. Try moving around the room without bashing into things!
Darkness can be frightening because it makes simple things difficult and it can be dangerous (but, especially for those who are scared of the dark, it can make our minds, our imaginations make the dark scarier, BUT light easily gets rid of the darkness). We can learn what Light is like through a contrast with Darkness.
Do you think you could finish these sentences using only the words light, love, dark, little and good.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only _____ can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only ____ can do that.” – Martin Luther King Jr. (Answer: light, and love)
“May it be a light to you in ____ places, when all other lights go out.” – J.R.R. Tolkien (Answer: dark)
“How far that ______ candle throws his beams! So shines a ____ deed in a weary world.” – William Shakespeare (Answers: little, and good)
We link light to being good and we link it to God.
So let’s go back too the original questions how can you shine? What do you think?
In Daniel 12 we hear how God’s people are to shine like stars. They are called righteous.
This word means doing what is right and good. But when you shine for God you also represent him and so when people see your light that points them to God. So how do you think you could point people to God this week?
Here are a few ways to be light:
be kind to everyone (even those you don’t like!)
share more even when you don’t want to
help those who are sad or lonely
And don’t add to the dark:
if people are mean don’t join in
don’t litter instead pick it up
BLAZE (KS2)
Today’s story is a bit of an odd one to get our heads around.
In life we know that things come to an end.
Nothing last forever!
From our favourite tv programmes to school days.
Time goes on and on. Each year ends and a new one begins. Things end so new things can begin.
God will one day make everything new so the old things will come to an end and that’s what our passage today is talking about!
The big question is what do we do whilst we wait?
Like the passage says in Daniel 12 we need to
SHINE!
Here are the passages in different versions:
“Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever”
“Men and women who have lived wisely and well will shine brilliantly, like the cloudless, star-strewn night skies. And those who put others on the right path to life will glow like stars forever.”
The most basic way to define righteousness is simply: “doing what is right in the sight of God”.
We know right and wrong from a very early age. don’t we.
We know there are consequence when we make wrong choices and to be righteous is to try and make the right choices each and every day.
Making the right choice, or doing things that please God, equals righteousness. These can be little choices like being kind to others or big choices like choosing to give your life to God and become a Christian.
To be righteous or good is a decision to choose single day.
So the question is how can you do this?
How can you shine brightly for God?
Do you have any thoughts of ways that you can shine brighter for God this week?
What are the ways you can make the right choices this week?
How can you be your best this week?
Here are a few ways to be light:
be kind to everyone (even those you don’t like!)
share more even when you don’t want to
help those who are sad or lonely
And don’t add to the dark:
if people are mean don’t join in
don’t litter instead pick it up
The last part of that verse says those who put others on the right path will glow like stars FOREVER!
As well as thinking about ways you can shine for God, think about how you can influence others and help others do the right thing too.
Be a star which causes other stars to shine too!
FUN ACTIVITIES + CRAFTS!
For those who LOVE colouring and activity sheets check these out:
Make a galaxy picture with lots of shining stars!
Do this however you want!!! GET CREATIVE!The sun shines SUPER bright!
Make a sun picture and use THIS website to help. In each of the rays of the suns write something you can do to shine bright!Make a lighthouse!
A lighthouse shines super bright and helps people to see just like the end of that passage where those who help others be on the right path will shine like stars FOREVER!!!
Here are a few options or different ways you could make the lighthouse!
Created by Amy Farrar using several different sources
