God Helps Me To Obey

Let’s get up and dance with your kids in praise! Play some worship music in your home, have fun with it! Raise your hands, jump, close your eyes – enjoy a time of worship as a family. To get you into a groove, here are some songs to choose from:

Alive - by Hillsong Young & Free https://youtu.be/qEvEVALLjNQ
You Know Me - by Hillsong Kids https://youtu.be/d6jbHDmsz_k
Who You Say I Am - by Hillsong Kids https://youtu.be/Y0LHTDVy5C0

Bible Passage: Jonah 1 & 2, Jonah Runs from God

God helps me be a friend
Lesson: God helps us be a friend to people in need

Today’s story comes to us from the Bible. (Hold up a Bible.) The Bible is God’s word to us, so we know that everything it says is true. (Open the Bible and set it down in front of you as you give the lesson.)

God made all the animals. Birds, puppies, kittens and fish. Fish obey. Fish have to stay in the water. If they disobey that rule and jump out of their tank, they’ll be in big trouble! They remind us to obey. God wants us to obey. God helps us to obey.

God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and tell the people to change their ways. Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh. He did not obey God. Jonah did not do things God’s way. He went his own way. Jonah got on a boat and went his own way.

A big storm came and shook the boat from side to side. Jonah knew that he had done wrong; he went over the side of the boat. God commanded a big fish to swallow Jonah up. The fish obeyed God. In no time, Jonah was inside the belly of the big fish.

Jonah felt bad for not obeying God. He prayed to God to save him. God told the fish to spit Jonah out onto dry land. The fish obeyed God. Jonah was safe.

God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and tell the people to change their ways. This time Jonah obeyed. This time Jonah did things God’s way, instead of doing things his way.

It’s not always easy to obey – whether it’s obeying our parents, our teachers or God. But God wants me to obey. And God can help me obey.

Simple Prayer:
Dear God,
Show us what you want us to do, and help us to obey. Amen

Discussion Questions:
Wiggle Tamer: Play a few rounds of Simon Says.

Small Group Memory Verse: Have kids repeat the verse popcorn style. Point to kids randomly. Each time you point to a kid, he or she says the verse. (If a kid can’t repeat the verse, say a gentle “that’s okay” and move on to another kid.)

Questions: What did God want Jonah to do?
Did Jonah obey?
How can I better obey my parents?

Game: Have kids do their best impression of a fish. Pretend that the room is an aquarium, and allow kids to swim around. What are some of the rules of being a fish? (Live in water, can’t talk, etc.) Is it hard for a fish to obey those rules? Why is it hard for us sometimes?

Make this week’s lesson real:
At Dinner: During the mealtime prayer, ask God to help every member of your family to be better at obeying. Share with little ones that they are not the only ones who have people – parents and teachers – they have to obey. You have bosses, clients, etc. that you are responsible to obey. And all of us should obey God. Obeying is not always easy – for kids or adults – but God helps us to obey.

Hanging Out: Play a game of tag or hide and seek with your little ones. Discuss the rules of the game and the importance of following them. If at some point in the game, someone breaks the rules, use it as a teaching moment about the importance of obedience: not only for fairness, but to make the game enjoyable for everyone.

Bedtime: Snuggle up and read the memory verse: “But I know that God helps me. The Lord is the one who keeps me going.” Psalm 54:4 (NIrV). Talk about how God helps us to obey – parents, teachers, and Him.

Activity:
Items Needed: Big Fish Sheets, crayons

Prepare Ahead: To create the Big Fish Sheet: Cut blue construction paper in the shape of a fish. You want a full sheet-sized fish; cut away as little paper as you can to make the fish.

Directions: Give each kid a Big Fish Sheet. Remind them that the fish obeyed God and swallowed up Jonah. Ask kids to draw a picture of Jonah inside the fish. (Invariably, kids will start drawing other items inside the fish. Don’t correct them. Ask them what else is inside the fish. When they tell you, respond with “that’s a very interesting thing to be inside a fish.”) We want to be obedient, like the fish; not disobedient, like Jonah. Sometimes, it’s hard to obey. God helps me to obey.