“Boys & girls, let’s play a game and have fun!“
1. Begin by explaining that you will be playing a game called “Jonah and the Big Fish” Show the players the boundaries within which the game will be played.
2. Choose one player to be the “Big Fish” and have them stand in the middle of the designated area.
3. The remaining players are the “Jonah’s.” Instruct them to stand on one side of the playing area.
4. The objective of the game is for the “Jonah’s” to cross the playing area to the opposite side without being caught or tagged by the “Fish”
5. Announce loudly, “Big Fish” Ready? and then, “Jonah’s Ready?” Finally, shout, “Go!” to start the game.
6. The “Jonah’s” should run from one side of the area to the other and then come to a stop once they reach the opposite side.
7. If a “Jonah” is caught or tagged by the “Whale,” that player also becomes a “Big Fish.”
8. With the addition of more “Big Fishes” in the middle, repeat the process and call out, “Big Fishes Ready?” “Jonah’s Ready?” and “Go!” This cycle continues until there are no “Jonah’s” left.

“Boys & girls, listen carefully. Can you uncover today’s powerful Bible Discovery? Ready?”
THE CIRCUMSTANCE: (Jonah 1:1-3)
In the city of Joppa, there lived a man named Jonah. He was a prophet of God, a devout Hebrew who honored the Lord, the God of heaven and earth. One day, the word of the Lord came to Jonah. God had a very special job for him to do. The Lord’s command was clear, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me” (Jonah 1:2). Jonah faced a choice to obey or disobey, to deliver God’s message of repentance to the sinful people of Nineveh. “Then he thought, what if the people repented?” Jonah didn’t like this job very much, because the people were wicked and deserved to be punished. Jonah made the choice not to obey God, and chose to run from the presence of the Lord.

THE CHOICE:  (Jonah1:11) He went to the port of Joppa. and found a ship going in
the opposite direction to a city named Tarshish. Jonah believed that by going to Tarshish, he could escape the Lord’s command. Children we are going to have some fun when I say the word wind, (blow) as hard as you can three times. Soon, Jonah’s ship left the shores of Joppa and sailed into the vast sea. The consequences of his choice began to unfold. While Jonah was on the ship he had gone down into the bottom part of the ship, where he lay fast asleep. The Lord sent a great wind (blow)upon the sea. The sailors onboard were filled with fear, that the ship was going to break apart. Each cried out to their own gods, and they hurled their cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. The mighty wind (blow), was tossing the ship up and down in the water while Jonah slept. The ship’s captain was baffled (confused, perplexed) by Jonah’s ability to sleep during the mighty storm around him. The captain awakened Jonah and pleaded, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your God! Perhaps your God will consider us, that we may not perish.” The sailors sought to uncover the source of their misfortune. They decided to cast lots to determine on whose account this evil had befallen them. The lot fell on Jonah and quickly the sailors turned to him and asked? “Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us?” Jonah knew that God had sent the storm, and so Jonah told the sailors to throw him into the water. He truthy confessed, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land”. The men grew exceedingly afraid because Jonah told them he was fleeing from the presence of the one true God.

THE CONSEQUENCE: (Jonah1:17; 2:1-10; 3:10)
As the sea raged and the wind blew (blow) around them, the sailors pleaded with Jonah, “What shall we do that the sea might calm down for us?” Jonah understood that his disobedience had brought this great storm upon them. In humility, he offered a solution, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will calm down. I know, because of me that this great storm has come upon you.” Not wanting to throw Jonah into the sea, the sailors attempted to row back to dry land. Children do you think that worked? NO! The sea only grew wilder, tossing the ship up and down as the wind blew (blow) against their ship. Recognizing the hopelessness of their struggle, they cried out to the Lord, “O Lord, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you”. Finally, they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the raging sea, and miraculously, the sea became calm. The wind stopped and the ship stopped moving up and down. The sailors immediately worshiped the one true God. Jonah finally made the right choice to tell the truth, that he was running away from God. As he was cast into the sea, God showed Jonah how much He loved him. God sent a big fish to swallow Jonah. Can you imagine what it was like being inside of a big fish? Do you think it might have been dark, damp, and slimy, smelling like rotten fish? While Jonah was inside of the big fish, he cried out in prayer to the Lord God. Jonah’s prayer showed how much he loved God and how sorry he was that he disobeyed Him. Raise your hands if you would have prayed to God if this would of
happened to you. After three days God commanded the big fish to spit him up on the shore. Through God’s mercy Jonah was given a second chance. God still wanted Jonah to go to Nineveh. This time Jonah made the choice to obey God and he went to Nineveh. Jonah told the people of Nineveh, their evil ways had broken God’s heart, and God was going to destroy them. What do you think the people did? They were sorry and they cried for God to forgive them. God loved them so much He decided to forgive them. Since they asked for forgiveness God decided He was not going to destroy them. Let’s all shout HALLELUJAH!! Children, Jonah’s story reminds us that even when we have done something wrong or we are hurting, God’s mercy is boundless. When we make bad choices and sin we can always turn to Jesus in faith, and seek forgiveness.
“Boys & girls, what did we discover about God in this Bible History? (Coaches: answers will vary.) Let’s become great discoverers by asking some fun & challenging questions. Ready?”