God wants us to obey him even when we re scared.

Jonah Is Thrown Into the Sea Lesson 10 Bible Point Bible Verse We must obey God (Acts 5:29b). God wants us to obey him even when we re scared. Growing Closer to Jesus Children will n play a hiding game to discover that they can t hide from God, n hear how Jonah was thrown overboard in a storm, n talk about times they re scared, and n ask God to help them obey him even in scary times. Teacher Enrichment Bible Basis n Jonah is thrown into the sea. Jonah 1:4-17 Jonah s hatred of the Assyrians made his assignment to preach to them seem to be an impossible mission. So he boarded a ship to a far-off destination in an effort to flee from God. It was only then that he began to embark on a truly impossible mission. No one can escape God s presence. While Jonah slept aboard the ship, God sent a storm that sent the sailors into a panic. They resorted to drawing lots to determine who was to blame for the storm. God allowed the sailors to discover that Jonah was the cause of the problem. This was not to confirm the sailors false beliefs in the powers of divination. In fact, just the opposite happened. Jonah revealed to the sailors that the God of Israel was the true God who created the world and had exclusive power over it. And God confirmed Jonahs claim by calming the storm instantly after they tossed Jonah into the sea. The sailors response was more than mere amazement; they worshipped the Lord. Prayer Read Luke 11:28. The sailors made an immediate change upon learning of God s power. What changes have you made as a result of your relationship with Jesus? Pray: Lord, give me opportunities to bring you honor as I Before the Lesson n Collect the necessary items for the activities you plan to use, referring to the Classroom Supplies and Learning Lab Supplies listed on the chart. n Make photocopies of the Today I Learned handout (at the end of this lesson) to send home with your children. n Pray for the children in your class and for God s direction as you teach the lesson. 137

Lesson 10 This Lesson at a Glance Welcome Time Let s Get Started Direct children to one or more of the optional activities until everyone arrives. What Children Will Do Classroom Supplies Learning Lab Supplies Welcome! Receive name tags, and be greeted by the teacher. Option 1: A Little Storm Create a stormy sea like the one Jonah experienced. Option 2: Making Waves Make waves in a water tub, and hear how Jonah was in a storm. Option 3: Blowing in the Wind Feel gentle and strong wind, and hear about a great wind. Praying Hands Name Tags (p. 23), scissors, marker, safety pins or tape Bowls, bottle tops, water, baking soda, vinegar, teaspoon Shallow tub, water, sponge, ruler, towels Electric fan, spray bottle, water Pick-Up Time Sing a song as they pick up toys and gather for Bible Story Time. CD player Bible Story Time Setting the Stage Play a hiding game, and learn that they can t hide from God. Bible Song and Prayer Time Sing a song, bring out the Bible, and pray together. Bible, CD player Closing Hear and Tell the Bible Story Interact with the account of Jonah being thrown into the sea. Do the Bible Story Re-create Jonah s story with stormy sound effects. The Stowaway Tell Whiskers what happened to Jonah when he stowed away on a boat. Bible Blanket, blocks or empty boxes Metal kitchen pot, spoon When I m Afraid Sing a song to remind them God can help in scary times. CD player *See the end of this lesson for extra-time ideas and supplies. 138

Welcome Time SUPPLIES: Praying Hands Name Tags (p. 23), scissors, marker, safety pins or tape Bend down and make eye contact with children as they arrive. Greet each child individually with an enthusiastic smile. Thank each child for coming to class today. As children arrive, ask them how they put last week s lesson into practice. Use questions such as Who did you tell about Jonah running away? and Tell me about a time you obeyed your parents this week. Say: Today we re going to learn that God wants us to obey him even when we re scared. Hand out the praying hands name tags children made during Lesson 1, and help children attach the name tags to their clothing. If some of the name tags were damaged or if children weren t in class that week, have children make new name tags using the photocopiable name tag patterns. Direct children to the Let s Get Started activities you ve set up. Jonah Is Thrown Into the Sea It s important to say the Bible Point just as it s written in each activity. Repeating the Bible Point again and again will help children remember it and apply it to their lives. Let s Get Started Set up one or more of the following activities for children to do as they arrive. After you greet each child, invite him or her to choose an activity. Circulate among the children to offer help as needed and direct children s conversation toward today s lesson. Ask questions such as Tell me about a time when you were scared or Have you ever been in a bad storm? What was that like? n Option 1: A Little Storm SUPPLIES: bowls, bottle tops, water, baking soda, vinegar, teaspoon Twist-off bottle caps or plastic milk bottle lids work best for this activity. You ll need one lid or cap for each child. Set a bowl of water and a lid or cap for each child on a table or work area. Have children choose bowls and put their caps or lids on the water as boats. Help each child gently stir one teaspoon of baking soda into the water. Then help each one add a teaspoon of vinegar and watch the waves. When the bubbling stops, let each child add another spoonful of vinegar. As children watch their storms, remind them that Jonah was caught in a bad storm when he was running away from God. Explain that God wants us to obey him even when we re scared. (Adapted from Crafts & More for Children s Ministry, copyright 1993 Karyn Henley. Reprinted by permission of Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Avenue, Loveland, CO 80538.) 139

Lesson 10 n Option 2: Making Waves SUPPLIES: shallow tub, water, sponge, ruler, towels Set out a shallow tub with a few inches of warm water in it. If you have more than six children doing this activity, you might want to provide two tubs of water. Have children roll up their sleeves, and then show them how to make waves by gently moving their hands in the water. Encourage them to make tiny waves and then bigger ones, but not too big. If you have an adult or teenage helper, have that person help children keep the water in the tub. Once children understand how to make gentle waves, try one or more of the following wind and water activities. Hold your hand an inch above the water. Have children take turns trying to make waves that reach up and touch your hand. Let children take turns brushing a ruler across the top of the water and watching the waves go in a line. Put a sponge in the water and watch what happens when the waves hit it. Talk about how it would feel to be on a boat in the ocean during a storm with lots of waves. Have children pretend they re the wind and blow the sponge across the water. They can try blowing with big puffs and little puffs, blowing up close and then farther away. Talk about how windy it must have been when Jonah was in the storm at sea. Explain that God wants us to obey him even when we re scared. n Option 3: Blowing in the Wind SUPPLIES: electric fan, spray bottle, water Bring in an electric fan, and set it up on a table or on the floor. Fill a spray bottle with lukewarm water, and set it aside. Have children sit in front of the fan. Tell them to close their eyes and pretend they re sitting outside on the deck of a boat. Turn the fan on low. Tell them to feel the gentle breeze on their faces. Let children tell you about other things they might see or feel on a boat. Turn the fan on medium, and tell children the wind is picking up. Have them rock gently back and forth. Then tell them the wind is blowing harder and creating waves in the water. Turn the fan on high. Have children rock back and forth a bit harder as their pretend boat tips and dips. As children are rocking back and forth, tell them to feel the wind and the water on their faces. Gently spray a little of the water in their direction. As children enjoy the wind and water on their faces, talk about how windy it must have been when Jonah was in the storm at sea. Tell children that God wants us to obey him even when we re scared. Following the activity, put the fan away and out of sight. When everyone has arrived and you re ready to move on to Bible Story Time, encourage the children to finish what they re doing and get ready to clean up. 140

Jonah Is Thrown Into the Sea n Pick-Up Time SUPPLIES: CD player Lead children in singing Come Along With Me with the track 2 CD (track 2) to the tune of Come and Go With Me. Encourage children to sing along as they help clean up the room. Come along with me and pick up all our things, Pick up all our things, Pick up all our things. Come along with me and pick up all our things So our room will be clean. (Repeat 2x.) Bible Story Time n Setting the Stage SUPPLIES: none Before class, prepare a place where children can hide, such as under a blanketcovered table or behind a bookcase. Tell children that when they hear you clap your hands two times, they re to stop what they re doing and clap their hands two times. Practice this signal a few times. Encourage children to respond quickly so you ll have time for all the fun activities you ve planned. Ask: What did you make or do when you came to our class today? (Made a pretend storm; made waves in the water tub; felt the wind and the waves.) Say: All those things you did were teaching you something about our Bible story. Jonah got caught in a bad storm after he ran away from God and hid. How do you think Jonah felt during that storm? (Scared; he slept; he didn t know what would happen to him.) I think Jonah was scared especially when the sailors threw him into the water. Today we re going to learn that God wants us to obey him even when we re scared. Jonah was scared of the storm, but he was also scared because he had been hiding from God. When that big storm came, Jonah knew God had found him. Let s play a game and see if we can find one another like the way God found Jonah. In a minute, I m going to ask all of you to close your eyes and cover them with your hands. Then I m going to tap one of you on the back. If I tap you on the back, open your eyes and run and hide under the table (or another hiding place you ve prepared). Then everyone else will try and guess who s hiding. Have children cover their eyes, and pick one child to hide. After a few seconds, let other children open their eyes and guess who s hiding. Repeat the game until each child has had a turn to hide. If you have a large class, you might want to have children hide in pairs. 141

Lesson 10 After the last hidden child has been identified, have children gather in the story area. Ask: What was it like to hide from your friends? (Fun; it was scary in the hiding place.) What was it like to try and guess who was missing? (Hard; when the person next to me was missing, I knew who it was.) Say: It s fun to hide from our friends sometimes. But it s not fun to hide from God. God sees us wherever we go. God knows everything we do, and God wants us to obey him even when we re scared like Jonah was. Let s bring out our Bible and hear more about Jonah now. n Bible Song and Prayer Time SUPPLIES: Bible, CD player Say: Now it s time to choose a Bible person to bring tracks 3 & 4 me the Bible marked with today s Bible story. As we sing our Bible song, we ll pass around our special Bible. The person who s holding the Bible when the music stops will be our Bible person today. Lead children in singing I m So Glad for the Bible with the CD (track 3) to the tune of Give Me Oil in My Lamp. As you sing, pass around the special Bible. You can also choose children to be the Bible-Replacer (to put the Bible away) and the Cheerleader. Just be sure to keep track of who fills your roles each week, so each child gets a chance to feel special. I m so glad for the Bible, Keep me learnin, learnin, learnin. I m so glad for God s book today. I m so glad for the Bible, Keep me learnin, learnin, learnin Keep me learnin all about his way. Let me hear bout God s love Keep me learnin, learnin, learnin. Let me hear bout God s love for me. Let me hear bout God s love Keep me learnin, learnin, learnin. Let s shine the light for all to see. (Repeat first verse.) When the music stops, invite the child who s holding the Bible to bring it to you. Stamp the child s hand with the fish stamp, and thank the child for bringing you the Bible. Then stamp the other children s hands. Return the fish stamp and ink pad to the Learning Lab. Say: I m thankful for [name of child who brought the Bible], and I m thankful for everyone in our class today. Let s thank God together for all our friends in this class. Lead children in singing I m So Glad We re Together with the CD (track 4) to the tune of Give Me Oil in My Lamp. 142

Jonah Is Thrown Into the Sea I m so glad we re together. Keep us prayin, prayin, prayin. I m so glad we re all here today. I m so glad we re together. Keep us prayin, prayin, prayin Prayin for each other every day. Lead children in folding their hands and bowing their heads as you continue to sing. Thank you, Lord, for each one. Keep me thankful, thankful, thankful. Thank you for everyone who s here. Thank you, Lord, for each one. Keep me thankful, thankful, thankful Thankful for our friends both far and near. n Hear and Tell the Bible Story SUPPLIES: Bible Open your Bible to Jonah 1, and show it to the children. Say: Our Bible story comes from the book of Jonah in the Bible. Our Bible Big Book shows us pictures of our Bible story. Ask: Who remembers what happened to Jonah in our story last week? (He got thrown overboard; a big fish ate him; he ran away from God.) Turn the Bible Big Book: Jonah to page 3 and show children the picture. Ask: What s happening to Jonah in this picture? (He got thrown overboard; he s in the water; the fish didn t get him yet.) Say: Today we re going to find out a little more about how Jonah got thrown overboard. I need you to listen carefully and help me tell this story. Whenever you hear me say storm, I d like you to stomp your feet to sound like thunder. Let s try that: Storm. Pause. Whenever you hear me say boat, I d like you to sing, Row, row, row your boat. Don t sing the whole song, just sing those words. Let s practice that: Boat. Pause for children to sing, Row, row, row your boat. You may need to practice a few times to remind them not to continue singing the entire song. Read the following story aloud. Pause each time you say storm or boat and let children respond. When Jonah got on the boat, he thought he was running away from God. But God knew just where Jonah was. Right away, God sent a storm to rock the boat. The storm was so big and windy that the sailors were afraid their boat would fall apart. They threw boxes and baskets overboard to make the boat lighter, but the boat just kept tossing and rocking in that stormy water. The captain asked Jonah to get up and pray that the storm would go away. Jonah told the sailors that he was running away from God, and the storm was his fault. He told the sailors that the storm would calm down At this stage in their spiritual development, 3- and 4-year-olds enjoy hearing Bible stories and recognize their own church. Your welcoming words and actions can help them develop a sense of belonging at church. This Bible story is featured in My First Hands-On Bible. Order several now for your ministry at group.com. 143

Lesson 10 if they threw him into the sea. The sailors didn t want to throw Jonah overboard, so they tried to row the boat back to land. But the storm just kept getting bigger and bigger. Finally, the sailors picked up Jonah and threw him overboard. Right away, the storm went away and the sea became calm and quiet. The sailors on the boat thanked God for taking the storm away. Jonah sank into the sea, but he didn t drown. God sent a big fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah stayed inside the fish for three days and three nights. Thank children for their participation in the story and remind them that they don t need to sing, Row, row, row your boat or stomp their feet anymore. Ask: What made the sailors feel afraid? (The storm; that the boat would sink; they were afraid to throw Jonah overboard.) What made Jonah feel afraid? (Being thrown overboard; he was afraid because he knew God found him; he was afraid when the captain got mad at him.) What makes you feel afraid? (Big dogs; my closet at night; monsters.) What do you think Jonah thought when he knew the sailors were going to throw him into the sea? (He thought he would drown; he thought he would die; he knew God would save him.) Say: God let Jonah be thrown into the sea by the sailors, but God also helped Jonah by sending a big fish to swallow Jonah so he would be safe. God wants us to obey him even when we re scared. Let s see what it might have been like for Jonah to be in that scary storm. A group can be one child if necessary. n Do the Bible Story SUPPLIES: blanket, blocks or empty boxes Form five groups. Tell the first group that they are the Lightning Flashers and they should walk over near the light switch and sit down. Have the second group be Rainmakers and go to the story area and sit down. The third group will be the Thunder Crackers. They should come to you and sit down. The fourth group will be the Wind Blowers and should go to the table or work area and sit down. The last group of children are the Sailors, and they can take turns being Jonah. They should sit down on a blanket on the floor. Have a few empty cardboard boxes or blocks on the blanket for the cargo. Say: Jonah was in a scary storm. In a minute we re all going to help create a storm in our classroom. While we re making our storm, I need you to listen and watch me very carefully. When I clap my hands, stop what you re doing and be still. Have the Lightning Flashers raise their hands. Say: Lightning Flashers, when I point to you, take turns flashing the lights on and off. When you hear my clap, turn the lights on and sit down. Let s practice that. Let the Lightning Flashers practice; then clap your hands and have them sit down. Then have the Rainmakers stand up. Say: Rainmakers, when I point to you, I want you to pat your hands on your knees to make rain sounds. When you hear my clap, stop patting your knees and put your hands at your sides. 144

Jonah Is Thrown Into the Sea Let the Rainmakers practice; then clap your hands and have them put their hands at their sides. Then have the Thunder Crackers stand up. Say: Thunder Crackers, when I point to you, I want you to stomp your feet to make Thunder Crashes. You ll have to listen carefully for my clap. When you hear it, stop stomping your feet and sit down. Let the Thunder Crackers practice; then clap your hands and have them sit down. Then have the Wind Blowers stand up. Say: Wind Blowers, when I point to you, I want you to cup your hands around your mouth and blow like the wind. When you hear my clap, stop blowing and sit down. Let the Wind Blowers practice; then clap your hands and have them sit down. Point to the group of children sitting on the blanket. Say: Sailors, when I point to you, your job is to rock back and forth and look scared of all these storm noises. Let s hear all of our storm sounds together once before we start the story. Let children practice their storm sounds; then clap your hands and wait for them to respond. Read the story below and help children do their actions. Jonah tried to hide, but God knew exactly where he was. God sent a great wind to rock that big boat. (Point to the Lightning Flashers, Rainmakers, Thunder Crackers, and Wind Blowers. Pause while they make their storm noises. Clap twice to stop the storm sounds.) As the boat tipped wildly back and forth (point to the Sailors, and have them rock back and forth and look scared), everything was tossed around. Things TUMBLED. Things JUMBLED. Things CRASHED and SMASHED. (Point to the Lightning Flashers, Rainmakers, Thunder Crackers, and Wind Blowers, and have them resume their storm sounds.) The sailors were terrified. (Point to the Sailors, and have them rock back and forth and look scared.) They found Jonah and said (clap twice to stop the storm sounds), Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray! Jonah was afraid. He knew that God had found him. He said, This storm is my fault. I ve been running away from God. Throw me overboard and the storm will stop. The sailors didn t want to throw Jonah overboard, but they were afraid of the storm. (Point to begin storm sounds.) So they threw Jonah over the side of the boat into the stormy sea. (Tell the Sailors to gently push Jonah off the blanket into the sea. ) Immediately the storm stopped. (Clap twice to stop the storm sounds.) Jonah went down, down, down. But God didn t let him drown. Instead, God sent a big fish to swallow Jonah up. If time allows, repeat the story and let groups switch roles. Then put all the boat items away, and have children sit down with you. Ask: How do you feel when it s stormy outside? (I don t like storms; I want to sleep with Mom and Dad; thunder scares me.) What can you do when you re scared? (Talk to God; call for Mom or Dad; go somewhere safe.) 145

Lesson 10 Say: God wants us to obey him even when we re scared. Anytime we re feeling scared, we can tell God. God gave us Jesus as our forever friend, and when we re feeling scared we can talk to Jesus and ask him to help us not feel afraid anymore. Let s talk to Jesus right now. Pray: Dear Jesus, thank you that you love us and that we can talk to you. Help us remember to talk to you anytime we re feeling afraid. In Jesus name, amen. Say: Our friend Whiskers gets scared a lot. Maybe we should tell him what we re learning. Let s call him and see if he ll come visit us today. Lead children in calling for Whiskers. Closing n The Stowaway SUPPLIES: metal kitchen pot, spoon Bring out Whiskers the Mouse and a pot and spoon. Go through the following puppet script. When you finish the script, put Whiskers away and out of sight. Whiskers: (Pounding on a pot with a spoon) Oh boy, oh boy! Teacher: Hi, Whiskers! You sure sound excited. Whiskers: I am! I heard you guys telling that exciting story about Jonah again. I liked how you made the storm seem so real! All the noise scared me at first. Then I realized you were just playing. (Pounds on the pot again.) Teacher: That was a lot of fun. What did you think of Jonah s story? (Gently take pot and spoon away and put them out of sight.) Whiskers: Jonah is really cool. I want to be just like him when I grow up. In fact, I m going home right now to pack my suitcase so I can stow away on a boat like Jonah did. I can t wait to sail on a boat in a big storm. Besides, my dad wanted me to play with my cousin Joey today, and I don t feel like it. Teacher: I get it. You don t want to play with your cousin Joey so you re going to run away like Jonah did? Whiskers: (Nodding) That s right. Teacher: Well, before you go, I think you might want to find out if Jonah had fun on the boat. Children, I think we d better remind Whiskers what happened to Jonah after he got on the boat. 146

Jonah Is Thrown Into the Sea (Help children tell Whiskers how Jonah was thrown overboard in the storm and then swallowed by a big fish.) Whiskers: Wow! That sounds pretty scary. I wouldn t want that to happen to me. Teacher: Jonah did get scared. But God took care of him. God sent the fish to swallow Jonah so he would be safe. God wants us to obey him even when we re scared. Whiskers: I guess God loved Jonah and was trying to teach him a lesson. But I think I ll try to learn my lesson an easier way. Maybe I ll play with my cousin Joey after all. We can make our own storm sounds. (Reaching for the metal kitchen pot and spoon) I better go now. I think I hear my dad calling me. Goodbye! Permission to photocopy this script from Group s Hands-On Bible Curriculum Preschool granted for local church use. Copyright Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Avenue, Loveland, CO 80538. group.com n When I m Afraid SUPPLIES: CD player Say: God wants us to obey him, even when we re track 16 scared. Our Bible verse says, We must obey God (Acts 5:29b). Let s sing a song to help us remember our verse and to help us remember to obey God. Lead children in singing Obey God with the CD (track 16) to the tune of Do Lord. We must obey God in everything we do. We must obey God in everything it s true. We must obey God in everything we do. God wants us to obey. When God says, Obey me, We answer, Yes, I will! When God says, Obey me, We answer, Yes, I will! When God says, Obey me, We answer, Yes, I will! God wants us to obey. God wants us to obey. Say: God wants us to obey him even when we re scared. Let s pray and ask God to help us obey him. Give children an opportunity to pray. Then close with a prayer similar to this one: Dear God, we want to obey you even when we re scared. Help us remember to talk to you. Thank you that you will help us. In Jesus name, amen. Growing closer to Jesus extends beyond the classroom. Photocopy the Today I Learned handout (at the end of this lesson) for this week, and send it home with the children. Encourage parents to use the handout to plan meaningful family activities to reinforce this week s topic. 147

Lesson 10 For Extra Time If you have a long class time or want to add additional elements to your lesson, try one of the following activities. n Lively Learning: Row Your Boat Form pairs and have partners sit on the floor, facing each other with their legs apart and feet touching. Show them how to hold hands and gently rock back and forth as they sing Row, Row, Row Your Boat. Remind children about the storm that rocked Jonah s boat. Then change the words and sing, Tip, tip, tip your boat and then, Rock, rock, rock your boat n Make to Take: Ceiling Fish Before class, photocopy the Fish Pattern on page 149. You can use it to trace and cut out construction paper fish or photocopy it onto colored copier paper. You ll need four fish for each child in your class. Set out crayons, markers, and other art supplies, and let children decorate the fish shapes. As children work on their fish, talk with them about how Jonah might have felt when he discovered he was inside the big fish. After children finish decorating their fish shapes, help them staple the fish shapes together so they each have two fish. Leave a 6-inch section of each fish unstapled so it can be stuffed. Show children how to crumple newsprint and stuff it into their fish. Staple the opening shut, and attach a piece of yarn or ribbon for hanging. Let children choose one of their fish to take home. Hang the other fish from your classroom ceiling to make your room feel like an ocean. n Treat to Eat: Cracker Boats Set out a plate of crackers, a plate of small cheese triangles, and bowls of cream cheese. Have children clean their hands with baby wipes or at a nearby sink. Give each child a paper plate and a plastic knife or craft stick. Have children assemble their own edible boats by spreading cream cheese on their crackers. Show them how to stick cheese triangles into the cream cheese to make the sails. As children are assembling their boats, help them review what happened to Jonah while he was on the boat. Remind them that God wants us to obey him even when we re scared. Encourage children to make fleets of two or three boats and then eat them. n Story Picture: Jonah Is Thrown Into the Sea Give each child a copy of the Today I Learned handout. Set out crayons, small brushes, and watercolors or blue tempera paint thinned with water. Have children color Jonah and the boat, and then paint the water. As children work, review the story of Jonah by having children describe what s happening in the picture. 148

Fish Pattern Photocopy and cut out the fish pattern. You ll need four fish for each child in your class. Permission to photocopy these patterns from Group s Hands-On Bible Curriculum Preschool granted for local church use. Copyright Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Avenue, Loveland, CO 80538. group.com 149

God wants us to obey him even when we re scared. Help me learn this: We must obey God (Acts 5:29b). Ask me: n What are things that might have scared Jonah? n What can you do when you re scared? n How can our family help each other when we re scared? Family Fun Lesson 10 Today your child learned that GOD WANTS US TO OBEY HIM EVEN WHEN WE RE SCARED. Children made their own storm sounds as they discovered things that scared Jonah. They asked God to help them obey when they get scared. n Sing Obey God with your child, to the tune of Do Lord. We must obey God in everything we do. We must obey God in everything it s true. We must obey God in everything we do. God wants us to obey. n Play Hide-and-Seek together. Each time you find a family member, have everyone give that person a hug and say, We see you and God sees you, too. Jonah Is Thrown Into the Sea (Jonah 1:4-17) 150 Permission to photocopy this handout from Group s Hands-On Bible Curriculum Preschool granted for local church use. Copyright Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Avenue, Loveland, CO 80538. group.com