Benjamin Franklin is quoted as saying, when you're finished changing, you are finished.

And Franklin knew a thing or two about change.

That man held over 20 different jobs in his life, including publisher, author, postmaster, inventor, fire chief, and city planner.

But before those occupations, Franklin held a different title, that of student. Although we didn't

graduate, Benjamin Franklin attended the very first free public school in what would later become

the United States of America. The school was called the Boston Latin School. It was a college

preparatory school founded on April 23, 1635 for students of all financial backgrounds.

The institution is still in service today, welcoming 7th through 12th graders once again this fall.

And as the students anxiously prepare for a rigorous academic year competing with the legacy of former students like John Hancock and

Ralph Waldo Emerson, they would do well to remember the words of another famous Franklin,

Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Today we launch our

first of four back-to-school episodes and we'll explore the story of three students whose courage

was put to the test, Shadrach, Meshach, and the Bednego.

Hello, and welcome to Bible Stories.

We are your hosts, Matt Mollins.

Hello.

My name is Todd Heymans, and we're two ministers slash butts who love telling the stories of the Bible.

And this is episode 325.

Matt, let's go for it.

Let's go for it. Let's go for it.

Todd, it's back to school month for students all over the United States.

Your oldest two started kindergarten.

...