Hey, Jonah song

Great song telling the story about Jonah.
It is to the tune of "Jesus Loves Me."
You can hear the song at the following:
www.lnwhymns.com/Hymn.aspx?ID=228

Teacher Note (05.01.14)

The Jesus Storybook Bible is a good resource to connect this story of Jonah
with the Gospel of Jesus.  Remember last week:  death, burial and resurrection.
If you do use this Bible,
realize it does not have the section on the vine and the worm

Jonah is the story of a BIG

Jonah is the story of a BIG

GOD!!!

While you may have thought the statement should have read "Jonah is the story of a BIG fish," that is not the focus of the lesson.  

The amazing fact that a great fish swallows Jonah reveals God's great power.  Do you know what is even more amazing in this story.  God's mercy is shown to the wicked city of Nineveh.

This truth about God is emphasized in this week's verse...

"As a father shows compassion to his children so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him."  Psalm 103:13

Five Fascinating Facts about Single Parent Families for Church Leaders

http://thomrainer.com/2014/05/26/five-fascinating-facts-single-parent-families-church-leaders/

To read more click on the link above.

1. Nearly three out of ten families with children today are headed by a single parent. 
2. Four out of ten children in American are born to single women. 
3. Hispanics and whites have the largest percentage increase in single parent births. 
4. Males are the fastest growing category of single parents. 
5. The vast majority of single parents are gainfully employed. 

What can we do to help these parents make disciples of their children?

Review week

Here are a couple of ideas for review week,

BIBLE MEMORY VERSES

Look at the memory verses and how they encourage us to trust in God and not self.

The selfless act of the perfect king leads to salvation. 

The selfish act of the sinful kings leads to problems.  

KINGS 

review all the kings from Solomon to last week's kings.

Line up students to be each of the kings (smiley face good and frown face bad)

Talk about the reasons for and results of the change.

Not sure how to teach from such a large passage of scripture?

Pastor Dave here.  I wanted to share a couple of ideas about this week's lesson.
The passage of scripture is 5 chapters from 2 Kings.
It is also a passage many probably are not familiar with.
So I have decided to share some of my basic notes here.
By clicking on the picture, you will go to a pdf form of the notes.

God punishes Judah: 05.18

God is glorified by protecting Judah: 05.11

We learned a couple of week's ago that the kingdom was divided into two.  Judah and Israel.

Suggested way to share the story with the children.

Read 2 Kings 18:1 -7.  This passage explains who Hezekiah was and what he did.  Hezekiah was king of Judah. 

Hezekiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord (18:1-3).  Talk with the kids about what this phrase means.  That God sees and knows all.   

Hezekiah broke the  the bronze serpent that Moses had made.  Do you remember that story in Exodus?  Why did Hezeikiah do that?  (See 18:4)  Because the people were worship a good thing that God gave instead of the God who gives good things.

Explain that in 2 Kings 18:9 - 12, foreign army, the Assyrians, defeated Israel because the Israelites did not obey God (v. 12)

Explain that in 2 Kings 18:13 - 19:13, this same foreign army came up against Judah and mocked God.

Read 2 Kings 19:15 - 19.  This is Hezekiah's prayer.  In it Hezekiah said that the Assyrians defeated many different nations whose gods did not protect them.  EMPHASIZE 19:19
Summary of prayer:  Save us in order to glorify you.

Explain 19:35 37.  God miraculously defeats the enemy. 


WE OBEY BECAUSE IT BRINGS GOD GLORY!

From the lesson guide:

"Although his father surely would have led Judah to the same judgment, Hezekiah was not like his father. King Hezekiah “did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father David had done” (2 Kings 18:3). Unlike his predecessors who followed the Lord, Hezekiah destroyed the high places where the people presented sacrifices, and he smashed the idols, including the bronze serpent made by Moses that the people had long worshiped (2 Kings 18:4). More than any other king of Judah, Hezekiah trusted the Lord and faithfully kept His commandments (18:5–6)."

Hezekiah was concerned for the Lord's glory and that God's name would be exalted among the nations.