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Weekly lesson · Week 48

Amos; Obadiah; Jonah Older Primary Lesson Plan (Nov 23–29)

November 23–29 · Amos; Obadiah; Jonah

Week 48
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Before You Teach

Teacher Quick Brief

A prep snapshot before the full lesson flow.

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Teacher Quick Brief

What This Week Is About

This week covers three short books by prophets. Amos warns Israel to stop cheating the poor and to come back to the Lord. Obadiah warns the nation of Edom about its pride. Jonah runs away from his call, and the Lord brings him back. Then Jonah watches the enemy city of Nineveh repent and be spared. Across all three books, the Lord sends prophets because He wants His children to turn to Him, and He gives second chances.

Main Points To Teach

  • The Lord sends prophets to tell us what He wants (Amos 3:7).
  • The Lord will help me obey Him, even when it is hard (Jonah 1–3).
  • The Lord is merciful to everyone who turns to Him, and He wants me to be merciful too (Jonah 3:10; 4:2).

What Is Happening In The Scripture Story

The Lord tells Jonah to go to Nineveh, a big city that was Israel's enemy and was known for being cruel. Jonah goes down to the port of Joppa and gets on a ship going to Tarshish, about as far as he can go in the opposite direction. The Lord sends a great storm. The sailors cast lots, and the lot falls on Jonah. Jonah tells them, "I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land" (Jonah 1:9). They throw him into the sea, the storm stops, and a great fish swallows him. Inside the fish Jonah prays and says, "Salvation is of the Lord" (Jonah 2:9). The fish puts him out on dry land. The word of the Lord comes to Jonah "the second time" (Jonah 3:1), and this time he goes. The people of Nineveh believe God, fast, and turn from their evil ways, and the Lord spares the city. Jonah is angry about that, and the Lord asks him why he does not care about all those people.

Why It Matters For Older Primary

Children ages 8 to 10 know what it feels like to be asked to do something hard: say sorry, include someone left out, tell the truth when it gets them in trouble. They also know the urge to "run to Tarshish," which means avoiding the thing they were asked to do. Jonah shows them two things. When they have run, the Lord gives them another chance. And He loves even the people they find hard to like.

Full Lesson Flow

Teaching Outline

Use the sections below as a menu. Swap cards and activities to keep the class interactive.

Opening Connection

Activity options

Default

Which way would you run?

Put a simple map on the board: Joppa in the middle, Nineveh to the right (east), Tarshish far to the left (west). Ask: "If the Lord asked you to go here (point to Nineveh), but you really did not want to, which way would you go?" Let a child trace Jonah's path all the way to Tarshish. Explain that Nineveh was the enemy city and Jonah went the opposite direction on purpose. Then ask: "Have you ever been asked to do something hard and tried to get out of it?" Let two children answer. Tell them that today they will find out what the Lord did when Jonah ran.

Default

Which way would you run?

Put a simple map on the board: Joppa in the middle, Nineveh to the right (east), Tarshish far to the left (west). Ask: "If the Lord asked you to go here (point to Nineveh), but you really did not want to, which way would you go?" Let a child trace Jonah's path all the way to Tarshish. Explain that Nineveh was the enemy city and Jonah went the opposite direction on purpose. Then ask: "Have you ever been asked to do something hard and tried to get out of it?" Let two children answer. Tell them that today they will find out what the Lord did when Jonah ran.

The whisper message

Whisper a short message to one child, such as "Jesus loves everyone in this room," and have it passed down the line. Ask: "How is the first messenger like a prophet?" Read Amos 3:7 together (see Passage B).

Scripture Discovery

Paths

Default

Jonah gets a second chance (Jonah 3)

Before you read, tell the class that Jonah has just been put out of the fish onto dry land. Have partners read the verses aloud:

And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time (Jonah 3:1)

Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. (Jonah 3:4)

God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way (Jonah 3:10)

Explain that "the second time" means the Lord gave Jonah the same job again, so Jonah had another chance to obey. "Overthrown" means destroyed. Because the people of Nineveh changed what they did, the Lord spared them. Jonah and Nineveh both got a second chance.

Questions:

  1. How many times did the Lord call Jonah?
  2. What did the people of Nineveh do that God saw?

Default

Jonah gets a second chance (Jonah 3)

Before you read, tell the class that Jonah has just been put out of the fish onto dry land. Have partners read the verses aloud:

And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time (Jonah 3:1)

Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. (Jonah 3:4)

God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way (Jonah 3:10)

Explain that "the second time" means the Lord gave Jonah the same job again, so Jonah had another chance to obey. "Overthrown" means destroyed. Because the people of Nineveh changed what they did, the Lord spared them. Jonah and Nineveh both got a second chance.

Questions:

  1. How many times did the Lord call Jonah?
  2. What did the people of Nineveh do that God saw?

The Lord speaks through prophets (Amos 3:7)

Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. (Amos 3:7)

Explain that "revealeth" means He shows or tells. The Lord tells His prophets what He wants His children to know, so we can listen to the prophet and know what the Lord wants. To help the class memorize the verse, write it on the board, say it together, and erase a few words at a time.

Questions:

  1. Who does the Lord tell His secrets to?
  2. What is one thing our prophet has asked us to do?

Core Gospel Principles

Activity options

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The Lord helps me obey, even when it is hard.

Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh. When he ran, the Lord did not give up on him. He brought Jonah back and asked him again. When you are asked to do something hard at home or at school, you can pray, and the Lord will help you do it.

Default

The Lord helps me obey, even when it is hard.

Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh. When he ran, the Lord did not give up on him. He brought Jonah back and asked him again. When you are asked to do something hard at home or at school, you can pray, and the Lord will help you do it.

The Lord gives second chances.

Jonah prayed from inside the fish: "When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord" (Jonah 2:7). Because of Jesus Christ, we can repent when we make mistakes and try again. Saying "I'm sorry" and doing better is a way of turning back to Him.

The Lord loves everyone, even people who seem hard to love.

Jonah knew God was "gracious... and merciful" (Jonah 4:2), but he did not want that mercy to reach his enemies. The Lord cared about every person in Nineveh. Jesus wants us to be kind to everyone, including the kid who was mean yesterday.

Interactive Learning Activities

Activity options

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Jonah's Journey Walk (Physical Activity / Role-Play)

Steps:

  1. Put four signs in the corners of the room: "Joppa (ship)," "Storm at Sea," "Inside the Fish," "Nineveh."
  2. The whole class walks to each corner while you read or tell that part of the story (Jonah 1:3, 1:4–15, 2:1–10, 3:3–10).
  3. At each stop the children act it out: rock on the ship, sway in the storm, kneel and fold arms to pray in the fish, walk tall to preach in Nineveh.
  4. At Nineveh, everyone sits and pretends to put on sackcloth to show they are turning away from evil.

Materials: four paper signs. Zero-prep alternate: point to the four walls and name each place out loud. Connection: The children move through Jonah 1–3 in order, so they see his second chance as part of the story. Question: "At which stop did Jonah start to turn back to the Lord? How do you know?"

Default

Jonah's Journey Walk (Physical Activity / Role-Play)

Steps:

  1. Put four signs in the corners of the room: "Joppa (ship)," "Storm at Sea," "Inside the Fish," "Nineveh."
  2. The whole class walks to each corner while you read or tell that part of the story (Jonah 1:3, 1:4–15, 2:1–10, 3:3–10).
  3. At each stop the children act it out: rock on the ship, sway in the storm, kneel and fold arms to pray in the fish, walk tall to preach in Nineveh.
  4. At Nineveh, everyone sits and pretends to put on sackcloth to show they are turning away from evil.

Materials: four paper signs. Zero-prep alternate: point to the four walls and name each place out loud. Connection: The children move through Jonah 1–3 in order, so they see his second chance as part of the story. Question: "At which stop did Jonah start to turn back to the Lord? How do you know?"

Interview Jonah (Interactive Discussion)

Steps:

  1. One child (or you) sits in the "Jonah chair."
  2. The class asks Jonah questions: "Why did you run?" "What did you pray in the fish?" "How did you feel when Nineveh was spared?"
  3. Jonah answers using the verses (Jonah 1:9; 2:7, 9; 4:2).
  4. Finish with: "What did you learn about the Lord?"

Materials: a chair, a scarf or towel for a costume (optional). Zero-prep alternate: the teacher plays Jonah. Connection: The children search Jonah's own words to find out what he learned about the Lord's mercy. Question: "If you could ask Jonah one more thing, what would it be?"

Second-Chance Hearts (Creative Expression)

Steps:

  1. Give each child a paper heart.
  2. On one side they write "The Lord gave Jonah a second chance."
  3. On the other side they write one person they can be kind to or forgive this week.
  4. Children who want to can share theirs.

Materials: paper hearts, pencils. Zero-prep alternate: children say their answer out loud in a circle. Connection: The Lord was merciful to Jonah and to Nineveh (Jonah 3:10), and the children plan how to show that same mercy. Question: "Why is it sometimes hard to give someone a second chance?"

Life Application Bridge

Apply A (default): Ask: "What is your 'Nineveh' this week? What is one hard thing you know you should do?" Examples: tell a parent the truth, finish a chore without being asked, sit by someone who is alone. The children can pray for help with it this week, the same way Jonah prayed.

Apply B: Ask: "Who is someone hard for you to be kind to?" Help them think of one small, kind thing they could do for that person.

Testimony Time

Take 30 seconds as part of the close. Ask: "When has Heavenly Father or Jesus helped you do something hard?" Invite one or two children to share, and share a short experience of your own.

Take-Home Challenge

Go back to the map from the opening. This week, when you are asked to do something hard, do not run to "Tarshish." Pray, then go do it. Next week, come ready to tell the class about one time you obeyed even though it was hard.

Teacher Tips

If you are late, skip straight to the activity you picked; Jonah's Journey Walk covers the story by itself. If the room is restless, run Activity 1. If the room is quiet, use Activity 2 or 3.

Week 48 · Amos; Obadiah; Jonah: Summary·Younger primary lesson plan·Older primary lesson plan·Youth lesson plan·Adult lesson plan·Explained for kids, youth & adults·Verse by verse·Family home evening·Daily thoughts·RS/EQ lesson: “O Be Wise” by President D. Todd Christofferson·← Week 47·Week 49 →

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