Jonah Runs From God
Theme: We can’t hide from God.
Scripture: Jonah 1-3
Get Ready: Click here to get your complete supply list for this lesson.
The Children’s Sermon:
You’ll Need:
â— A blue tarp
â— Tuna fish in a plastic container with a lid
â— A spray bottle filled with water
Do This:
SAY: Have any of you heard about a man named Jonah? (Let children respond.)
Jonah was a prophet of God; he would listen to God and tell the people what God
said. One day, God said to Jonah, "Go to the city of Nineveh and tell the people who
live there that they are a very wicked people and that they need to change their
ways." Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh. (Invite children to respond with a “NO!”)
He didn’t like the people in that city, and maybe he was afraid of them. So Jonah
decided to run away and hide from God. (Have kids pat their legs quickly to make a
fast running sound.) He caught the first ship out of town and headed in the
opposite direction from where God told him to go. (Have kids pretend to row.)
Jonah learned a very important lesson that day. He learned that you might run
from God, but you cannot hide. Jonah got on that ship and hid way down deep
inside. "Surely God won't find me here," Jonah thought. (Invite children to curl up in
a ball and try to hide.)
But God sent a big storm and tossed that boat around so much that the other
sailors thought they were going to drown. (Lightly spray children with water.) They
found Jonah in the bottom of the ship and asked him, "Who are you and what are
you doing here?"
Jonah answered, "I am a worshiper of the God of heaven, who made the land and
the sea." Jonah told the sailors that he was running from God because he didn't
want to go to Nineveh as God had told him to do.
When the sailors learned that Jonah was running from God, they were even more
afraid. "What should we do to stop this terrible storm?" the sailors asked.
"Throw me overboard into the sea," Jonah answered, "and the sea will become
calm." The sailors picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea and the storm
stopped at once. (Lightly spray children with water.)
Did Jonah drown in the sea? No! God sent a great fish to swallow Jonah, and he
was inside the fish for three days and three nights. (Gather children underneath a
large blue tarp. Open the tuna fish and pass it around so kids can smell it.)
Spending all that time inside the great fish gave Jonah plenty of time to think. He
prayed to the Lord from inside the fish. He confessed that he had been wrong to
run from the Lord and promised to fulfill his promises to God.
God caused the fish to spit Jonah out onto the shore. (Have kids help throw the blue
tarp backward off of them.) Then the Lord spoke to Jonah again and said, "Get up
and go to Nineveh and deliver the message that I have given you."
This time Jonah obeyed the Lord's command and went to Nineveh. (Invite kids to
respond with a “YES SIR!”)
Just as God had something for Jonah to do, he has a plan for you and me. I hope
we will learn a lesson from Jonah. When it comes to doing what God wants us to
do, we might run, but we cannot hide from God!
PRAY: God, we know can’t hide from You. You know what we do and what we
think. Give us the strength and courage to do all the things that You want us to do.
In Jesus' name, amen.
“Submarine Sam and Jonah” Video Lesson
You’ll Need:
â— “ Submarine Sam and Jonah ” video lesson
â— Something to play the video
Do This:
Show kids the video. Then lead them in a discussion.
ASK:
â— What do you think it might have been like to pray from inside a big fish?
â— What did you learn about God from what happened to Jonah?
Gone Fishin’ Snacks
You’ll Need:
â— Blue jello - one serving per child
â— Swedish fish - one per child
â— Goldfish crackers
â— Spoons - one per child
Do This:
â— Give each child some Jello, a spoon, and some candy and crackers.
â— Invite kids to put their fish in the water.
â— Have kids retell the Bible story with their snack ingredients.
â— Enjoy.
SAY: Jonah obeyed God in the end.
ASK:
â— What are some ways we can obey God the first time we hear from Him?
SAY: What happened to Jonah may seem a bit crazy, but obedience is very
important to God. We simply can’t hide from God. Jonah found that out the hard
way, didn’t he? We want to obey God the first time we learn what He’s asking of
us.
Complete Supply List:
â— A blue tarp
â— Tuna fish in a plastic container with a lid
â— A spray bottle filled with water
â— “Submarine Sam and Jonah” video lesson
â— Something to play the video
â— Blue jello - one serving per child
â— Swedish fish - one per child
â— Goldfish crackers
â— Spoons - one per child
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