God wants us to obey him.

Praise Jesus! Jonah Disobeys God Lesson 9 Bible Point God wants us to obey him. Bible Verse Loving God means keeping his commandments (1 John 5:3a). Growing Closer to Jesus Students will n discover consequences to obedience and disobedience, n identify challenges to their own obedience, and n discuss why they should obey God, even when they don t understand his ways. Teacher Enrichment Bible Basis n Jonah disobeys God. Jonah 1:1 3:10 Jonah s story begins within a few decades of Elisha s ministry. Israel had regained considerable strength but was being threatened by the Assyrians, whose capital was Nineveh. The Assyrians were known for their power and cruelty, and it was because of their wickedness that God commanded Jonah to preach to them (Jonah 1:2). Whether it was a great fish or a whale that swallowed Jonah is a source of debate. The truth is that we don t know for sure what it was. The Hebrew word used in the original account isn t specific. We do know that whatever it was, it was big enough to swallow Jonah and to keep him alive in its stomach for three days. Some maintain that only a sperm whale has an anatomy capable of swallowing a man. Being swallowed by a whale would be traumatic, to say the least, but in this case the event was arranged by God to save Jonah s life. For in the belly of that whale, Jonah came to his senses and realized that he needed to obey God. We don t know why the people of Nineveh responded so positively to Jonah s message. Perhaps God had prepared their hearts. Or maybe Jonah looked really odd after having spent three days in the digestive juices of a whale, and his story shook them up. At any rate, God spared them when they repented. We don t know exactly how long they remained repentant, but about 150 years later God exacted judgment on them again, and that time he didn t spare them. Other Scriptures used in this lesson are Joshua 6 and 1 John 5:4. Prayer Read John 14:15. When has God asked you to do something you didn t want to do? How did you respond? Pray: Dear Lord, please help me obey you, even when it s hard. Help me be an example of obedience to my students by 103

Lesson 9 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 Hands-On Fun at Home handout (at the end of this lesson) to send home with your children. n Pray for your students and for God s direction as you teach the lesson. This Lesson at a Glance Attention Grabber What Children Will Do Classroom Supplies Learning Lab Supplies Treasure Hunt Go on a treasure hunt, and discuss the rewards of following God s instructions. Treasure Hunt handout (p. 111), snacks, scissors Bible Exploration & Application Closing Jonah in Three Acts Read Jonah 1:1 3:10, and act out the story of Jonah. Discuss consequences of obedience and disobedience. Wall-to-Wall Obedience Add motions and sound effects to a taped recording of Joshua 6, and discuss obeying God even when his commands are hard to understand. Love Letters Do the opposite of the directions they are given, read 1 John 5:3a, and write notes telling God how they will obey him. World Conquerors Read 1 John 5:3-4, and encourage one another. Bibles CD player Bibles, paper, pencils Bible 104

Welcome Jonah Disobeys God As kids arrive, ask them how they put last week s lesson into practice. Ask questions such as How did you experience meaningful worship? and How did you block distractions from your time with God? Tell kids that whenever you sound the giggle hammer, they are to stop talking and focus their attention on you. Explain that it s important to respond to this signal quickly so the class can do as many fun activities as possible. Repeating the Bible Point over and over will help the children remember it and apply it to their lives. Help children learn one point that will stay with them for days and even years to come. Module Review Use the casual interaction time before class to ask kids the following module-review questions: What s one place you can stand up for God? How have your successes helped you try harder in difficult areas? How did you notice God s love this past month? What new ways did you experience worship? How is your life different because of what we ve learned this month? Attention Grabber n Treasure Hunt SUPPLIES: plate of snacks, Treasure Hunt handout (p. 111), scissors Before class, set a plate of snacks in the church kitchen. Photocopy Treasure Hunt and cut the clues apart. Put the clues in the following places around church: Clue 1 (Hold on to this one.) Clue 2 drinking fountain Clue 3 infant nursery Clue 4 church s main door Clue 5 coat rack Clue 6 tray of snacks in the church kitchen When everyone has arrived for class, say: We re going on a treasure hunt! There are three rules for the hunt. Number one: Everyone must stay together no running off on your own to find a clue. Number two: A different person must read the clue each time one is found. Number three: You must gather the clues in order and carry them with you as you go. Give someone the first clue to read aloud, and then accompany the group on the hunt. When the kids have found their treats, let them bring the snacks back to the classroom to enjoy together. Then ask: Stay with your kids to make sure they don t disturb other classes during the hunt. Make sure kids find each clue in order, even if they happen to spot a different clue along the way. If you have more than 15 students in your class, you may need another adult volunteer to take a second group. 105

Lesson 9 What made this treasure hunt work? (We figured out the clues; we knew where to find everything.) How is following clues in a treasure hunt like following God s instructions for our lives? (If you don t follow them, you get lost; if you do follow them, you get a reward.) Say: God wants us to obey him. Let s hear the story of a man who found out just how serious God is about obedience. Groups should have a minimum of four people. If you have fewer than 12 students, form one or two groups, and assign each group more than one passage. If the groups are very large, help kids think of ways to involve everyone. Point out that some kids can imitate waves or several kids can be the big fish, for example. Bible Exploration & Application n Jonah in Three Acts SUPPLIES: Bibles Have kids form three groups. Hand out Bibles, and assign each group one of the following passages: Group 1: Jonah 1:1-13 Group 2: Jonah 1:14 2:10 Group 3: Jonah 3:1-10 Say: Within your group, choose someone to read the assigned passage while others act it out. I ll give each group a gizmo to use in the presentation. You have two guidelines: First, the passage must be read aloud word-for-word as it is being acted out. Second, everyone in your group must participate either by acting or by reading. Decide who will play which parts and don t forget that people can play the parts of ships, seaweed, and fish. Then practice so you can act out your passage for the rest of the class. Distribute the following items: Group 1: plastic stirrers to use as oars Group 2: foam flowers to use as seaweed Group 3: the flying flipper to use as a crown for the king Allow two minutes for the groups to plan. Then sound the giggle hammer and have students act out their passages. When all three groups have performed, applaud everyone. Collect the Learning Lab items for use in later lessons. Say: Discuss the next few questions within your groups. Then choose someone in your group to share your responses with us. Ask: What three words would you use to describe the kind of person Jonah was? (Stubborn; disobedient; crabby; wet.) Nineveh was the capital of Assyria a nation hated for its cruel oppression of other people. With this in mind, why do you think Jonah didn t obey God when God told him to go to Nineveh? (Maybe he was scared of what the people in Nineveh would do to him; maybe he didn t like the people in Nineveh; he didn t feel like going.) What are some things God wants you to do that are hard for you? Why are they hard? (It s hard to obey my parents when they tell me I can t watch TV on school nights, because I really like certain programs; it s hard to be kind to my brother because he s a pest.) 106

Jonah Disobeys God What was the worst consequence of disobeying God that Jonah experienced? (Getting swallowed by the big fish; getting thrown overboard; being stuck in the fish for three days.) What negative consequences can happen if you don t do the things God wants you to do? (Your parents punish you; you feel guilty; you feel really far away from God.) How were things different for the people of Nineveh once Jonah obeyed God? (They believed in God; they weren t destroyed after all; they were sorry for their sins.) How might things be different if you obeyed the difficult things God wants you to do? Be specific. (I d get along better with my parents if I didn t fight about watching TV; maybe my brother would stop being such a pest if I were nicer to him.) Say: God wants us to obey him. Jonah finally figured out that obeying God is good because God knows what s best. God is loving and forgiving, full of second chances. God gave Jonah and Nineveh second chances, and God gives us tons of chances. When we believe in Jesus and ask God to forgive our sins, he does. Every time! Jesus was willing to die on the cross for our sins so we could be forgiven and be close to God. That s a second chance worth taking! HANDS-ON BIBLE Have kids turn in their Hands-On Bibles to the Sink or Swim or activity on page 897. Say: Let s make something fishy to help us remember this amazing story! Set out paper, scissors, and markers. Help kids follow the instructions in the activity to make their own Jonah storyteller. Have kids form pairs, and let partners take turns using their storytellers to tell each other the Bible story. Then say: Now that you ve practiced telling this fishy Bible story to your partner, think of someone you can tell the story to this week. Have kids each say to whom they ll tell the story this week. Encourage kids to follow through on their commitments. Next week ask them how their storytelling went. Say: Now let s look at an amazing thing God did for some people who obeyed him. Bible Insight Jonah s name means dove, which was possibly a traditional symbol of the people of Israel. In the Old Testament, the dove represented renewed life, love, purity, and simplicity. 107

Lesson 9 This can get very active and noisy if kids get carried away. Be sure to keep students tuned in to the words on the CD so they ll be able to hear what to do. n Wall-to-Wall Obedience SUPPLIES: CD player track 17 Cue the CD to Wall-to-Wall Obedience (track 17). Have kids stand in a circle. Say: We re going to listen to a story on the CD. During the story, pay close attention for the following words: When you hear the word march, march in place until you hear the next action word. When you hear the word trumpet, hold your hands up to your mouth and make a trumpet sound. When you hear the word shout, shout Hey! When you hear the words walls fell, fall down. Have the kids practice responding to the action words until they seem confident. Then begin Wall-to-Wall Obedience on the CD. The narration is based on Joshua 6. At the conclusion of the narration, turn off the CD player. Put the CD away for use in later lessons. Have the children sit in two circles, one within the other. Have the members of the inner circle face outward and the members of the outer circle face inward so the kids are facing each other. Say: The person facing you is now your partner. Discuss my first question with him or her; then move to the right to get a new partner for the next question. Ask: If you were a military officer, what would you have thought about Joshua s plan for capturing the city? (I would have thought he was crazy; I d come up with a plan to surround the city; he wasn t very smart.) If you had been in Joshua s position, do you think you would have obeyed God? Or would you have come up with a different plan of attack? Explain. (I would have obeyed God, because he can do anything; I probably would have obeyed God, but I might have had a backup plan ready.) What do you suppose the people inside the city thought when they saw Joshua s army marching around their city every day for seven days? (They must have wondered why the army didn t attack; they probably thought the army was nuts or too scared to attack.) What things does God ask you to do that might seem strange to people who don t know God? (Love my enemies; be kind to those who hurt me; not cheat even if I could get away with it.) Why is it sometimes hard to do those things? (My enemies aren t nice; I ll get a bad grade when everyone else gets a good one; I don t like it when people hurt me.) How does God reward your obedience? (I feel better about myself; God helps me at school; God promises I ll go to heaven.) Say: God wants us to obey him, even when he asks us to do something that seems strange or hard. Let s look at one more reason to obey God. 108

Jonah Disobeys God n Love Letters SUPPLIES: Bibles, paper, pencils Set up a short obstacle course using chairs. Then have kids form pairs. Say: Within each pair, the partner whose birthday is closest to today is the Director. The other person is the Walker. Directors, your job is to direct your partner through this obstacle course. Walkers, do the opposite of everything your partner tells you. In other words, if your Director tells you to take three steps forward, you take three steps backward. That means the Directors will have to give opposite directions to help their Walkers through the course. This isn t a race; your goal as Directors is to give the best possible directions. Start pairs through the course one after another so that several people are walking the course at once. As soon as a pair finishes the course, have the partners switch roles and repeat the course. When everyone has had a turn both walking and directing, have partners discuss the following questions. Ask: What would it be like in real life if nobody did what you asked them to do? (Frustrating; confusing; irritating.) Have you been in a situation where a friend or a family member simply would not do what you asked? What was that like? (Yes, it made me upset; yes, I felt like she didn t like me anymore; yes, I didn t want to play if they were going to act like that.) Say: It can be frustrating when people don t listen to us. First John 5:3a tells us why it s important to listen to and obey God. Distribute Bibles. Have partners read 1 John 5:3a: Loving God means keeping his commandments. Ask: How do you think God feels when we don t obey him? (Sad; he feels like we don t love him.) How does this verse make you feel about obeying God? (It makes me want to obey him so he ll know I love him; it makes me feel bad about the times I don t obey.) Hand out paper and pencils. Say: Write a note to God. Tell him one way you ll obey him this week to show that you love him. Be sure to put your name on your note. When everyone has finished writing, have kids form a circle. Place the heart clip on a table or chair in the center of the circle. Say: One at a time, go put your note to God in the heart clip. When you put your note in the clip, say, I love you, God, so I ll obey you. When everyone has placed a note in the clip, say: God wants us to obey him. That s one good way we can show that we love him. Put the heart clip away. After class, give kids their notes to take home. Participate in activities, don t just observe. Your enthusiasm will draw kids into an activity and help them see you as a friend, not just someone in authority. Get down to kids eye level so they don t think of you as just another adult, but as an accessible, caring friend. 109

Lesson 9 Closing n World Conquerors SUPPLIES: Bible Have the kids form a circle. Say: Obeying God can seem like a hard job. But listen to what God promises. Read 1 John 5:3-4 aloud. Let s encourage one another to achieve victory through our faith this week! When the flying flipper is handed to you, pass it to the person on your left as you say, [Name], you can obey God this week! Pass the flying flipper to the person on your left. When the flipper comes back to you, say: God wants us to obey him. And we can, because God gives us victory through our faith! Put the flying flipper away for use in later lessons. Growing closer to Jesus extends beyond the classroom. Photocopy the Hands-On Fun at Home handout (at the end of this lesson) for this week, and send it home with your kids. Encourage kids and parents to use the handout to spark meaningful discussion on this week s topic. 110

Treasure Hunt Clue 1 This hunt will be over before you can blink If you go to the place where everyone drinks. Clue 2 Some folks at church are big; some folks are in the middle. Find the room for people who are very, very little. Clue 3 When you come in, this is what you go through. Go there now to find your next clue. Clue 4 Some people hang their coats here; some people hang their hats. Some people hide their clues here; can you imagine that? Clue 5 Where things are cooking You should be looking! Clue 6 Congratulations! You found the treasure! Permission to photocopy this handout from Group s Hands-On Bible Curriculum Grades 3 & 4 granted for local church use. Copyright Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Avenue, Loveland, CO 80538. group.com 111

LESSON 9 God wants us to obey him. Loving God means keeping his commandments (1 John 5:3a). Make Jonah Jell-O. Pour two 6-ounce packages of blue or green gelatin into a large bowl. Add 2½ cups of boiling water, and stir until the gelatin is dissolved. Pour it into a 9x13 pan, and chill. After about an hour when the gelatin is starting to thicken, press fruit snack figures about 3 inches apart into the gelatin. Chill for two more hours. Then cut fish shapes around the figures so that each fish has a figure inside. You can lift the fish right out of the pan and eat them with your hands Jonah and all! Read Jonah 1:1-3. What kind of a person runs away from a challenging assignment? How do you respond to challenges? Read Joshua 6:2-5. What tough situations do you have to conquer this week? How might obeying God help you? Read 1 John 5:3-4. What commands from God seem hardest for you to obey? How can these verses encourage you? Joe: Want to see a man-eating fish? Moe: Sure! Joe: Come to the Seafood Palace. You ll see a man eating fish! 112 Permission to photocopy this handout from Group s Hands-On Bible Curriculum Grades 3 & 4 granted for local church use. Copyright Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Avenue, Loveland, CO 80538. group.com