Which Way, Jonah? KEY VERSE Jonah 1:12 STICKY STATEMENT The wisest way is to obey. LESSON OBJECTIVE Children will learn there are consequences for disobeying God and want to choose to obey. CHECKLIST 1. A PowerPoint is available for this lesson. 2. Visuals 1-5 (Younger Adaptation for the Introduction) 3. Visual 6 (Introduction) 4. Items for casting lots (different colored Legos, marbles, buttons, ) (Body) 5. Dominos 6. Replace the real dominoes with video, Largest Human Mattress Domino Guinness World Records Video https://teachersource.wol.org/videos/oly18/5-1/ (0:00-1:02) Introduction LESSON OVERVIEW By studying the first chapter of Jonah, the children will understand that Jonah chose to disobey God. His disobedience brought consequences that also affected others. They will learn that the wisest way is to obey. Younger Adaptation Teacher s Note: Show Visuals 1-5 one at a time. Ask the children to name the different sea creatures on each visual. [Show Visual 6.] Scientists tell us that the largest sea animal alive today is the blue whale. Well, what could we compare to the size of a blue whale? Let s compare the blue whale to a school bus. Would you believe that even a school bus looks small compared to a blue whale? It takes three school buses lined up to equal the average length of one adult blue whale! Who comes to mind when I ask you which Bible character spent a few days as fish food? [Allow the children to answer.] How many of you picture a whale when you think of Jonah? As we study Jonah, I want you to remember this the main character is not a whale or great fish. The main character isn t even Jonah. The main character is God. 5. Which Way, Jonah? (Module 2 Walk This Way) - 31
Teacher s Note: Prior to teaching, decide on a place to set up the domino effect to be used later at the end of the lesson. You will need to have enough dominoes for each child. As each child enters the room, give them one domino and instruct them to place the dominos in a row. Be sure to place them where all the children will be able to see. Have another adult assist with placing the dominos. As an option, you may choose to show the YouTube video, Largest Human Mattress Domino Guinness World Records https://teachersource.wol.org/videos/oly18/5-1/ (0:00-1:02). INTRODUCTION Teacher s Note: Choose to either use the Younger Adaptation for the introduction or use the following one. For this introduction show only Visual 6. Do you know that the largest fish ever recorded by scientists is the blue whale? Here are some interesting facts about the blue whale. 1. A blue whale can grow as long as three school buses placed end on end. 2. Their tongue is about the size of an elephant. 3. A blue whale s heart is about the size of a small car. 4. An average single adult whale can eat up to 4 tons or 8,000 pounds of food a day. 5. A blue whale does not chew its food. When you say the name Jonah, the first thing that usually comes to the mind is a whale. As we study Jonah, I want you to remember this the main character is not a whale or a great fish. The main character isn t even Jonah. The main character is God. BODY Let s find out how Jonah s journey begins. [Read Jonah 1:1-3.] Historical records tell us that Nineveh was a very large, rich city filled with people that did not know God. They had a reputation for being cruel warriors who conquered other people and stole their possessions. When God told the prophet Jonah to deliver God s message to the people of Nineveh, God s instruction to Jonah was very clear. Go to Nineveh. Would you think twice before going to talk to the scariest, meanest people you know? Well, Jonah thought twice and disobeyed God. Instead of going to Nineveh, he boarded a ship and sailed in the opposite direction to Tarshish. Jonah thought he could run away from obeying God, but God knew exactly where Jonah was and what he was doing. Let s read how God got Jonah s attention. [Read Jonah 1:4-5.] Now, sailors were used to sailing in storms, but this storm frightened them so badly that they cried out to their gods to stop the storm. They even threw the cargo overboard to lighten the ship. When that didn t work, the captain went below deck and found Jonah sound asleep. How could Jonah sleep through such a horrible storm! They all could have died, and Jonah was sleeping! The captain woke Jonah and demanded that he call on his God to save the crew and the ship. In these ancient times, sailors believed that someone was to blame for the storm. But who could it be? It was common for people who didn t trust God to use luck to answer their questions. To find out who caused the storm, the sailors decided to cast lots. I need four volunteers to show you what casting lots may have looked like. 5. Which Way, Jonah? (Module 2 Walk This Way) - 32
Teacher s Note: Choose four children to help. Have four items prepared ahead of lesson time, three of the same color and one different. You can use Legos, marbles, buttons etc. Place them in a container where the children can t see them. Have each child, one at a time, draw one item from the container. Explain that the sailors used a method like this to place blame on Jonah. Draw attention to the child who chose the item with a different color. Because he picked the odd item, he was the one responsible. When the sailors were finished casting lots, they had their answer Jonah! Even though casting lots can t give you real answers, God used their belief in luck to point them to Jonah. The sailors asked Jonah questions like: What is your occupation? Where do you come from? Who are your people? Jonah told them that he was a Hebrew. He also told the sailors that he worshipped the LORD, the God of Heaven, who made the sea and the dry land. The sailors were aware that Jonah was running away from God. Since the storm continued to get worse, they asked Jonah what he could do to calm the storm. Listen to his answer. [Read Jonah 1:12.] Jonah admitted that the storm which threatened all of them was his fault. The sailors knew if they threw Jonah overboard, he would die. What should they do? They tried to row back to land, but the winds grew worse and made it impossible. The sailors had no choice. Verse fourteen says that the sailors cried out to the Lord and begged Him not to blame them for Jonah s death. Then they threw Jonah into the sea! Do you think that God really wanted Jonah to drown? Let s read what happened. [Read Jonah 1:17.] God did not want Jonah to drown, so He sent a great fish to save him. Too bad Jonah didn t realize sooner, the wisest way is to obey. Not only did Jonah s choice to disobey affect him, it also caused problems for the sailors on board the ship. The choices we make always impact the lives of those around us. Let s use dominoes (or show the video) to show us how our sin can quickly affect others. Teacher s Note: Pick one child to start the domino effect. If not using the domino effect, play the video clip: Largest Human Mattress Domino Guinness World Records Video https://teachersource.wol.org/videos/oly18/5-1/ (0:00-1:02). In the beginning, the dominoes (or mattresses in the video) were standing upright all by themselves. However by pushing just one domino (or mattress) you can see how it affected all the other ones after it. This is just how our choices affect others. When we fall, those who are closest to us are affected. Let s talk about all the bad effects of Jonah s unwise choices and disobedience. Jonah was like that first domino (or mattress). He disobeyed God and got on a ship going the opposite way, to Tarshish. When a terrible storm came up that threatened the life of everybody on board, the sailors on the ship were like the other dominoes. Even though they didn t disobey, they feared for their lives, first from the storm and then from God s judgment for throwing Jonah overboard. After the storm, they had to deal with the consequences of losing the cargo they threw overboard. Just like those falling dominoes (mattresses), your family members, friends, and sometimes people you don t even know can be hurt when you choose to disobey God. The wisest way is to obey. APPLICATION Just as Jonah had very clear instructions from God, the Bible gives you very clear instructions also. Who can tell me some of the instructions God expects you to obey? 5. Which Way, Jonah? (Module 2 Walk This Way) - 33
Teacher s Note: Allow the children to answer. You will have answers similar to these: Obey your parents,be kind, love others, etc. This would be a good place to share an age appropriate story to affirm the consequence of disobedience in your own life. You may not always understand why God wants you to do something, but you don t get to pick and choose when you want to obey God. Your reasons or excuses for disobedience are not more important than God wanting you to obey. Just like Jonah chose to disobey God, are you making the choice to disobey those who God put in charge over you? You may not be running away like Jonah, but you may be hiding by not being honest with your parents or teachers. Jonah was miserable and so were the people around him. You don t have to live a miserable life, all you need to do is to make the right choice. So, which way will it be? Just like we learned today, the wisest way is to obey. As I close in prayer, be honest with God and ask for His help in choosing to obey. [Close in prayer.] PERSONAL TRAINING TIME Goal of this Personal Training Time Help the children see that God expects them to obey. Direct them to see one area of their life where they know they are disobedient and encourage them to choose obedience. Discussion Questions 1. Why didn t Jonah obey God? Why is it difficult to obey? (Jonah didn t want to go to Nineveh because he did not want to give them God s message. Their answers will probably be similar to these: It s too hard, I don t want to, I want my own way, etc.) 2. What happens when you don t obey? (You suffer consequences. Your disobedience may affect those around you.) 3. Jonah disobeyed God, ran away, and then suffered as a result of his disobedience. What should you do when you want to disobey? (Direct the children to make a decision to obey no matter how they feel. Consequences can be avoided if they choose obedience. Remind them that the wisest way is to obey.) PARENT CONNECTION This week s lesson covered the first chapter of the book of Jonah. We used the domino effect to demonstrate the consequences for disobeying God. Those consequences can fall onto others around us, like one domino falling onto another and another. Ask your child to help you stand a row of dominos and watch them fall. Use the domino effect to illustrate and explain what happens to the rest of your family when a person in your family disobeys. 5. Which Way, Jonah? (Module 2 Walk This Way) - 34
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