A Teacher Who Did Not Want to Teach Dear Lord, please help the children understand your love
for people of all lands,
even for bad people, and why you send workers to help them change. Choose any of these children's learning activities that fit their ages and needs. 1.
Let an older
child or teacher read or tell by memory the story of Jonah,
Explain that God sent Jonah as a teacher to another country to convince bad people to change. God loved those people even though the teacher did not. Ask these questions [Answers appear after each question.] · Why did God send a storm? [See Jonah 1:3–4] · What did Jonah tell the sailors to do about the storm? [Jonah 1:12] · Why did Jonah not drown in the sea when the sailors threw him in? [Jonah 1:17] ·
What did the king of Nineveh do
when he heard Jonah’s message? ·
What did God do when the people
of Nineveh repented? [Jonah 3: 10]
2. Dramatize parts of the story of Jonah. · Arrange with the worship leader for the children to present this brief drama. ·
Use your teaching time with the
children to prepare the drama. ·
If there are not enough children
for all of the parts, · Let older children or adults play these parts: Voice of God, Jonah, Narrator Younger children play these parts: Sailors, Whale, King (of Nineveh)
Narrator
Tell the 1st part of the story from Jonah
1. Then say, Voice of God “Jonah, go tell Nineveh’s people to stop doing such bad things.” Jonah
“I hate those people. I will go on a ship that sails another way.” Sailors
Sway as if you were on a ship. Jonah
Pretend to wake up from sleeping, and shout, Whale
Pretend to swim over to Jonah. Say, Narrator Tell briefly the 2nd part of the story (Jonah 2:1-10 & chapter 3, then say, “Hear what God says.” Voice of God Shout, “Jonah, go to Nineveh!” Jonah
Walk, staggering, to the People of Nineveh. Shout angrily,
King
Pretend to rip your clothes. Sit on the ground and shout, Voice
of
God
“I am glad that you repented. I love you. Narrator or older child Thank everyone who helped with the drama. 3. If the children dramatize this story for the adults, then let them also ask the adults the questions under #1 above. 4. Let the children draw a picture of a big fish. Let
them show the pictures to the adults during worship and explain that
this illustrates Some children might like to copy or colour the picture found at the end of this lesson. 5. Ask the children to cite other examples of bad people who repented and turned to God. 6. Memorize Ezekiel 14:6: "Thus says the Lord God, Repent and turn away from your idols and turn your faces away from all your abominations.” 7. Let four children each recite one of the verses from Jonah 2:2, 3, 5 and 6. 8. Let older children write a poem or song about repenting and receiving God’s forgiveness. 9. Have an older child pray: “Lord, you love all the people of the earth, even those who hate us. We pray for them, that you will send messengers to tell them the news about Jesus. Help us to love people who are different from us and to take your message to them.” A more detailed drama about Jonah, a reluctant teacher, 5 minutes: http://biblestoryskits.com/006-jonahs-journey-2/ |