1. Jeremiah crying We have finally reached the fall of Judah.. This story is a little different from others and won t be done with picture books, because the lessons from the prophets often weren t told as stories, but as visuals and ideas. Jeremiah is often called the weeping prophet because he wept for God s people like God cried over them. When God first called Jeremiah he was a young man and he was going to prophecy for a long time. So, God warned Jeremiah not to be afraid, because God was with him, but there were still times that Jeremiah was afraid. ** read Jeremiah 1:8 2. Pot of boiling water God gave Jeremiah a tough message. He had to tell the city of Jerusalem they needed to repent NOW or they would be destroyed. To help Jeremiah tell his message God gave him some great visuals. First he had Jeremiah get a great big cooking pot, and warn Jerusalem that trouble is coming from the North and the pot is boiling and it s about to boil over. 3. Daniel and friends in jail Jeremiah had been warning them of the coming judgment, and no one listened. God allowed Babylon to attack Jerusalem and defeat the city. Babylon came in and took the best and the brightest back with them. At this time Daniel and his friends were taken away. We ll talk more about them in the coming weeks. **read Jeremiah 13:20 4. potter and clay God continues to preach through Jeremiah and sends him to watch a potter working with clay. He gets to see stubborn clay that is hard to work with is molded and worked over and over again. It is not an easy process for the clay, and Jerusalem is like that clay. ** read Jeremiah 18:6** It is stubborn and not repentant. Jeremiah then takes the pot made from that clay and breaks it before the elders to show that Jerusalem will be broken more by their sins. ** read 2 corinthians 4:7

5. handcuffs This has angered the people in Jerusalem. There are false prophets telling them everything is okay, and they d rather listen to them. Frustrated with Jeremiah they throw him in jail for the night. He s let out the next day, but Jeremiah is feeling very discouraged because he feels like no one is listening to him. 6. Ezekiel and others Again Babylon comes down and attacks Jerusalem. More of the city walls fall and more people are carried off to Babylon, at this time the prophet Ezekiel is carried off. God has a special plan for Ezekiel to encourage those in Babylon. The king of Judah is carried off, as are all the craftsmen, and anyone with money. Those that are left are sad and discouraged. 7. bowls of figs Up until now Jeremiah s message has been one of Repent and God will be merciful, now the message changes. God asks Jeremiah to get two bowls of figs, one good and one bad. The good figs represent the people of Israel who listen to God and go to Babylon; the bad figs are the people who continue to fight. God warns that if they continue to resist they will be killed or suffer terrible things. Nobody likes Jeremiah s new message. ** read Jeremiah 21:14 8. Jeremiah with traitor sign Jeremiah continues to deliver God s new message, and he sees everyone start to hate him. The people of Jerusalem throw Jeremiah into an abandoned well. There he sits covered in mud as people call him traitor.

9. Jeremiah in jail Babylon returns again to take the last of the people of Jerusalem. They surround the city and attack it for 18 months. The new king brings Jeremiah in and still blames him for their troubles. Jeremiah is thrown in jail and watches the rest of the battle from the dungeon. Finally Jerusalem is defeated and all the remaining tradesman and craftsman are carried off. All that is left are the poor, and a few others. 11. Jeremiah and broken pottery Jeremiah returns to Jerusalem and sees the remains of the city. ** read Lamentations 1:20 Everyone recognizes this as God s punishment; even the Babylonians see God s hand in this. Jeremiah cries as he looks over the once great city. He sees no hope, but God is still acting and he is still there. ** read Lamentations 3:22-24 10. Pyramids Babylon leaves a governor in charge, but someone kills him and the remaining Jews ask Jeremiah what they should do. Jeremiah warns them to stay and trust in God, but they panic and carry Jeremiah off to Egypt with him screaming You will be killed there. And sure enough most of the people who went died there as Egypt was defeated. ** read Jeremiah 46:28 12. Girl with law (tape the red heart over it) All of this pain and suffering is part of God s great plan. God promised Jeremiah a savior was coming, and this is all part of God s plan to bring that savior. ** read Jeremiah 23:5-6 See at that time they memorized the Law, it was set in stone and it was not grace, there was no mercy. But God promised a new law on their hearts ** read Jeremiah 31:33

Questions for young kids 1. Have you ever used old play dough? It s hard to mold and doesn t always play well. We can be like that sometimes to God, tough and hard to mold. 2. Who do you think God s promised Savior is? 3. Is it sometimes hard to follow your parents instructions? When do you think it was hard for the Israelites to follow God s instructions? Questions for older kids and teens 1. Read Jeremiah 18:4-6. What did the potter do with difficult clay? How might God be reworking you? 2. Read Jeremiah 23:5-6. Who is this? Prove your answer with more details. 3. Compare Lamentations 1:20 and 3:22-24. Where can you find hope in the midst of hard times? What helps you? Activities 1. Eat figs or fig newtons to see what they taste like. 2. Build a block city of Jerusalem and knock down the walls with balls. 3. Work with clay or play dough to form pots and other shapes, what do you notice as you work with it?