Step Out And Shine. episode 3 Jonah Word to the leaders

Transcription

1 Step Out And Shine episode 3 Jonah Word to the leaders The story of Jonah takes up only about two pages in the bible. Yet it is packed with content so relevant to the modern Christian. The story is one we can learn from, mainly because it shows us what not to do. It also reflects many of the underlying attitudes we carry around as Christians today! As you study the story of Jonah this week, make a special notation next to all the instances where you see God s mighty hand at work. It s incredible that he is so overwhelmingly present and active in Jonah s life and in the destiny of this evil city called Ninevah. God has a plan for creation that was put into effect from the moment sin entered the world. It s a plan that draws humanity back to his heart and restores relationship with its Creator. Amazingly, God chooses to use us to carry out this plan and to impact the world around us. Will we submit to God s plans? Or will we simply choose to ignore his calling and instead live our lives the way we choose? That is the age-old question. It gets at the root of sin...from the Garden of Eden all the way to present day. What we learn from Jonah, though, is that God is sovereign. That means, even when we choose to ignore his calling...his plans will still be accomplished. God has the final say. But will we choose to be part of it? Or separate? Take a close look at the end of the story. It seems to end very abruptly. Jonah finally submits and obeys God. In his mercy, God showers Nineveh with mercy, and they are saved. But it s interesting to see Jonah s response. He is angry that God has not given the city the punishment they deserve. So, God reminds Jonah about the value of human souls. What is our attitude today? God is just as active in our lives today! But along the way, do we get frustrated with certain kids or parents that we minister to? Let s thank God that we get to be part of his mighty plan. And let s ask him for a fresh reminder that every soul is valuable. His purposes will be accomplished no matter what. Let s choose to do our part obediently!

2 Slide 1 Your children s ministry logo Intro Say this As you know, this is Season IV and it is called Step Out and Shine! Let s recap what we learned last week. We talked about a girl named Esther. And we saw her: Slide 2 Choose to Be Different! She did this by stepping out as a Jew within the Persian palace, and pleading on behalf of her people! We also saw her: Slide 3 Trust in the Lord! That s right! Trusting the Lord gave Esther the courage to put her life on the line in order to change the heart of the king. Lastly, We saw Esther: Slide 4 - Search For the Things of God! She had heard about the mighty works her God had done for her people for generations. Now it was her turn to search for God s wisdom, strength, and plan for her life. Without those things she never would have acted with such boldness. These are the things that make people like Esther and Nehemiah stars! Now, this week we are going to talk about a guy who had a really hard time trusting the Lord. (interruption from next slide) Audio Slide 5 - Upbeat music Skit Presenter Um...do you hear something? Slide 6 Image of Hollywood hill

3 Skit (Continued) Designer G (male or female; dressed up fancy, silly hairdo, and perhaps talking with a French accent; carries bag of accessories while entering the room) No, no, no! Did I hear you say that s what makes someone a star?! Presenter Uh...who are you? Designer G Who am I? WHO AM I? HA! My dear, I am the world s most trusted, most influential designer! I design all the stars wardrobes! I m the one who makes them into stars! Presenter Really? That s fascinating! Designer G Oh, you have no idea! These people come to me all dowdy and with no fashion sense whatsoever. But after I do a little magic...poof! They are stars! Presenter So, what exactly does it take to make them into stars? Designer G Ha! If only you knew all that I go through... Well, let me show you...i ll turn you into a star in no time! Presenter: You re going to turn me into a star? Designer G - Absolutely! Okay, first it starts with a great wig! Presenter A wig? Designer G Oh yes! If you saw their hair when they first come to me, you d understand why I want to cover it up with a wig. (Looks closely at Presenter s hair, then pulls out wig from bag) See? A wig is definitely needed! Presenter But I like my hair... Designer G (Places wig on Presenter s head; may be done in a humorous manner; the sillier, the better) Much better! Presenter Um...okay. Does this mean I m a star? Designer G Not even close! You re just a random guy with a silly wig. Next comes the wardrobe. At the moment, you don t look so fly... Presenter Well, I m just wearing my church clothes and... Designer G (Pulls out a brightly colored piece of clothing, such as a scarf, tie, vest, or button down shirt, etc) This should spruce up your outfit nicely. (Puts it on Presenter) Presenter Are you sure? I feel awfully silly. Designer G NEVER question a professional! What do you know anyway? You look like you got dressed in the dark this morning... Presenter Okay, okay. So, am I a star now? Designer G - Well, of course not! You need a pair of designer shades. (Pulls out a pair of silly sunglasses) Presenter - Okay, now I really feel silly.

4 Skit (Continued) Designer G - You look marvelous, my dear! Simply marvelous! Now we need to work on your swagger. Presenter - My swagger? Designer G Yes! Your swagger. You know, your sashay...your strut...like this... (Demonstrates a ridiculous walk across the stage) Your turn! Presenter Okay, here goes. (Tries to mimic the walk; make it funny!) Designer G - Oh, close enough! Now...you are a true star! Presenter - But, I don t feel like a star... Designer G - Don t worry, they never do. But just keep faking it, and you ll have fans in no time. Well, my job here is done! That s why they pay me the big bucks! I see some more stars showing up for the world premiere of Step Out and Shine, so I d better go make myself available for touchups and wardrobe adjustments. Good luck! And keep practicing that swagger! Presenter - (Looks at audience and feels embarrassed) Well, guys, what do you think? Am I a star now? (Rips off wig & accessories) No way! Designer G just changed the outside of me. But what he/she doesn t understand is that it s what s INSIDE that makes someone a star! For example, if I have a bad attitude inside, it doesn t matter what the outside looks like, right? Well, today we are going to talk about a guy who had a really bad attitude. Are you ready? Big Deal Slide 7 - Big Deal video Say this This season is all about how to Step Out and Shine. This particular week we are going to talk about a guy named Jonah who God called to do great things. But, he didn t think some things were very fair, so he had a bad attitude. Let s put on our listening ears today. Because this guy, Jonah, is going to teach us what not to do... Slide 8 Step Out and Shine!

5 Game Slide 9 - Walk the Plank First say this - In today s story, you are going to hear about a part in the story where Jonah actually had to walk the plank! He was thrown overboard because the crew members knew he was running from God. And his running from God was causing a nasty storm! So, into the ocean Jonah tumbled... This game is played by everyone in the room! Call out the following commands at random. Students who fail to obey the commands properly have to sit down. The last kid(s) standing WINS! The commands are as follows: o PORT - kids take one hop to the left o STARBOARD - kids take one hop to the right o HIT THE DECK - kids fall flat on the ground Rather than having sitting kids down, you may choose to have them come sit on the stage as they get out. At the end of the game, they can all jump off the stage as if they were getting hurled overboard! This is up to you, keeping safety in mind) After Game say this - What a crazy game! It must have been just as crazy to be on that ship with Jonah! The waves were crashing all around them, and the storm threatened to smash the ship to pieces! Do you want to hear the entire story? Well, let s jump in, because it s going to teach us how to... Slide 10 Step Out and Shine! Star Character Video Slide 11 Star Character video introduces the star for the day As video ends, say this - Jonah s story is pretty exciting! But before we dive in, let s look at the verse that is going to help us Step Out and Shine!

6 Scripture Verse Slide 12 - Scripture verse video Slide 13 - So that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky. Philippians 2:15 There are three main ways the scripture verse will be taught each series. There is a workout video that was produced on the beach in California to represent the way stars get in shape. You may choose to play that video all three weeks of each series. There is also a computer prompted video in which the kids are prompted to say different parts of the verse and then all together. The third way is to say it live with presenters prompting the kids as they go. It is recommended that you use all three styles in each series, but you may choose to use the videos more if you want to save on presenters. If you are doing it live, choose creative ways to say the verse and have kids compete. Make it a boys vs girls competition. Say this - We have been practicing this verse because it s a great reminder about what it takes to Step Out and Shine. God calls us to live clean and innocent lives. He s telling us that when we do what God says and obey his commands we will shine like bright lights in this dark world. People s lives can be transformed when we choose to obey God and shine! That s pretty awesome! Bible Story (Message) Slide 14 - Jonah Poster (Walk onto the stage holding a megaphone) Are you guys ready to hear this crazy story about Jonah? Alright. Let s talk about Jonah. He was a prophet. That means, his job was to go around and tell people important messages from God. The whole point was so that people would change their ways and start to live for God!

7 Bible Story (continued) So, it s not so surprising that Jonah s story starts off with God telling him to go out and pass along a message. (Read the following portion through the megaphone) Slide 15 - Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgement against it because I have seen how wicked its people are. Jonah 1:2 Okay, let me just say that if my boss gave me instructions to do a job, I would get up and do it! I wouldn t talk back! Especially if it were GOD giving me the instructions, I wouldn t think twice about it! But, do you know what Jonah did? The bible says he got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord! What? Is he crazy? Why do you think he ran from that job? Well, let s take a look at the city of Nineveh... It is described as a great city in Assyria. Now, Assyrians were enemies of the Israelites. They tried to take over countries all over the middle east. They did not serve the God of the Israelites. In fact, they worshipped all different kinds of false gods and idols. They were very sinful. And that s why God was sending Jonah to warn them of their wickedness. Jonah had a feeling God would forgive them if they turned their hearts to him. And he didn t think these wicked enemies deserved to be forgiven! But wasn t that Jonah s job? (To turn people to God!) Yes, it was Jonah s job. But, that doesn t mean it was easy. Have you ever known someone who was really mean or treated you badly? Is it easy to pray for them? Or is it easier to wish they would just get punished for their bad behavior? Well, this was Jonah s chance to... Slide 16 - Choose to Be Different...by entering a wicked city and being the only guy to speak God s warning! But instead he turned tail and ran the other way!!! He found a ship getting ready to sail away, bought a ticket, and went on board, hoping to escape from the Lord. Do you think we can ever really get away from God? Even if we sail far into the ocean, will we ever escape God? No way! And God loved Jonah way too much to let him get away with this disobedience. Check this out... Slide 17 - But the Lord hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart. Fearing for their lives, the desperate sailors shouted to their gods for help and threw the cargo overboard to lighten the ship. Jonah 1:4,5

8 Bible Story (continued) Isn t it cool to see God s mighty hand at work in this situation? He loved Jonah...and he loved the wicked people of Nineveh...enough to make his plan happen, even when Jonah wanted to escape. God controls all things, even the mighty waves, and this is what he used to get Jonah s attention! Well, the sailors on the ship were so afraid of the storm that they asked Jonah if he had done something to anger his god. Jonah knew it was his fault that the storm was threatening to smash the ship. So, he gave himself up and told them to throw him overboard! Slide 18 The sailors picked Jonah up and threw him into the raging sea, and the storm stopped at once!. Jonah 1:16 Here again we see God s hand at work. The same hand that started the whole storm also calmed it as soon as Jonah was hurled into the sea! Then God caused a great big fish to swallow Jonah up! And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights. Peuww!!! That must have smelled really bad!!! If the storm didn t knock Jonah s rebellion out of him, the stinky belly of a fish must have done the trick! Because Jonah prayed to God from inside of the fish and said... Slide 19 - I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfill all my vows. For my salvation come from the Lord alone. Jonah 2:9 Again, God s hand went to work. He ordered the fish to spit Jonah out onto the beach. Then the Lord spoke to Jonah a second time... (Read the following portion through the megaphone) Slide 20 - Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you. Jonah 3:2 This time Jonah obeyed the Lord s command and went to Nineveh to tell them God s warning about their wickedness. Wouldn t you know...the people of Nineveh believed God s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and showed their sorrow for their sins. Even the king stepped down from his throne, took of his royal robes, and confessed his sins! Here we see God s hand at work again...when he saw what they had done and how they put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not destroy the city like he had threatened.

9 Bible Story (continued) This should have been the way the story ends right? It s a nice, happy ending...wouldn t you agree? But the story does not end here. Jonah was so angry that God had changed his mind! He thought the people of Nineveh should have been punished for their wickedness. He was angry that God decided to spare them. This is what he said to God... Slide 21 & 22 - Didn t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people. Just kill me now, Lord! I d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen. Jonah 4:2,3 Whoa! What a rotten attitude! This was Jonah s chance to... Slide 23 - Trust in the Lord...by trusting his decision to save the Ninevites! He should have accepted God s plan and rejoiced in his mercy. But instead, he threw a tantrum, saying It s just not fair!!! Have you ever seen bad people get away with things? Do you question God, wondering why he doesn t just punish them? That s what Jonah was doing here. But God was about to teach him a lesson about what is important! He said... (Read the following portion through the megaphone) Slide 24 - Is it right for you to be angry about this? Jonah 4:4 Then God s mighty hand went to work again. It was very sunny and hot where Jonah was sitting & pouting just outside the city. God made a leafy plant grow up and provide shade for Jonah. It eased his discomfort and Jonah was very grateful for this! But then God brought a worm to come and eat a hole the stem of the plant so that it withered away. And as the sun grew hot, God arranged for a scorching east wind to blow on Jonah. The sun beat down on his head and he got dizzy, wishing he would die! This would have been a great opportunity for Jonah to... Slide 25 - Search For the Things of God...and try to understand what God was trying to teach him. But instead, Jonah grumbled and complained. He said... Slide 26 - Death is certainly better than living like this! Jonah 4:8

10 Bible Story (continued) What a whiny-pants! This was God s reply to set Jonah straight... (Read the following portion through the megaphone) Slide 27 - Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died?...you feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn t I feel sorry for such a great city? Jonah 4:9-11 Slide 28 - Jonah Poster And that is literally how the book of Jonah ends. So, why do we call Jonah a star? Well, we can learn an awful lot from his story! We are reminded that we need to stand up and be different when God calls us to do his work. We are also reminded that we need to trust him through it all, because sometimes we don t understand why God asks us to do certain things or why he works in certain ways. And we definitely need to keep searching for the things of God. There are clues all around you that show how God s mighty hand is at work in your life! Ask him to show you those things. And never forget that God s plan will happen whether we choose to obey or not. But it s an honor for us to be part of that plan. God wants to use us to shine brightly in this world. Who knows, your obedience could end up saving a whole huge city like Nineveh! Object Lesson #1 Slide 29 Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Moe! When you are playing tag on the playground, how do you choose who is IT? Do you stick your foot in the middle and say Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Moe? I need a volunteer up here. (Choose volunteer) I have prize bag here. (Prize bag should include something special, like a new bible or a special treat) Let s put our left feet in the middle and decide who should get this cool prize bag. (Start with your own foot. The rhyme will always end with the opposite person). Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Moe. Catch a tiger by its toe. If he hollers, let him go. Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Moe! Alright! You are the winner, so you get to keep the prize. Thanks for playing! (Dismiss student) Here s the thing: When Jonah was on the ship trying to get away

11 Object Lesson #1 (continued) from God, a huge storm threatened to smash them to pieces! So the sailors decided to cast lots to see whose fault it was. It s kind of like they were playing Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Moe to put the blame on someone. But, God does not let anything go to chance, does he? He made it happen that Jonah would be the one picked! And that was enough to make Jonah confess to the sailors that it was his fault! At that point, Jonah stopped running from God. What about you and me? Do you think God still works in people s lives today? You bet he does! He still does things to get our attention. And he still speaks to our hearts and gives us second chances to come back to obedience. We just have to make sure we aren t too distracted to see God s mighty hand at work! Object Lesson #2 Slide 30 - Gotcha! (Bring a 12 flat stones onto stage with you. Begin to stack them up as you speak) Did you know, God loves to teach through object lessons? That means, he uses regular, everyday things to teach us important lessons. In the book of Joshua, God commanded the Israelites to set up stones like this. The stones were specifically put up in order to prompt children s curiosity. And when the children asked why stones were set up in their home, the parents would explain what God had done for them. It was a reminder of the way God had parted the Red Sea and brought his people safely to the other side! Slide 31 - So all the nations of the earth might know that the Lord s hand is powerful, and so you might fear the Lord your God forever. Joshua 4:24 If we want to be STARS, we need to always be looking for the ways God is at work around us. We need to let God work in our hearts. And we need to be willing to step out and shine! Doing this has the power to change the world around us!

12 Closing Slide 32 - Step Out and Shine! Pray that the kids will be able to trust God, even when it means stepping out in faith. Take time to also pray for people who don t seem to deserve a second chance. Ask God to soften our hearts toward those people. Thank God that he is willing to include us in his incredible plans. Praise him for working on our behalf. Small Group Questions 1. Why didn t Jonah want to go warn the people of Nineveh? 2. How did the people of the city respond to Jonah s message? 3. What did Jonah do when he saw God save the people? (Hint: he did it right outside the city) 4. Give an example of a time in your life when it seemed bad people didn t deserve a second chance. 5. None of us deserve a second chance. We all have sinned and fallen short of God s standard. How did God make a way for us to be saved?