Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Welcome (1 minute)

Hello everyone! Today is the second lesson of our Superbook story, “Jonah.” God showed His mercy to a great city in Bible times called Nineveh. God also showed mercy to his prophet, a man named Jonah, when he disobeyed the Lord. God shows us mercy, and He wants us to show mercy to others, too. Let’s spend some time in praise and thankfulness to God as we sing and do the motions for “What God Wants.”  

Play Video 11: (Song) What God Wants (3 minutes)

Be sure to preview the song so you can sing along and do the motions with the children.

What God Wants

SuperTruth and Discussion (1 minute)

Our SuperTruth for today says, “God wants us to show mercy.” Who can tell me what mercy means? Showing love, kindness and compassion to someone who doesn’t deserve it.

Yes, we receive mercy every day from God, and He wants us to show mercy to others!

Introduce Condensed Bible Story (1 minute)

If all children watched the Bible story video in the previous lesson, you may skip it here and go straight to the Bible Background Video.

In our previous lesson, why was Joy having trouble showing mercy to a girl named Sharon at school? The girl had bullied Joy and other students, and Joy saw her steal a bicycle.

For the children who haven’t seen our Bible story yet, we are going to watch a short version of Jonah to see how God showed mercy to people who deserved to be punished for their sinful disobedience. For those of you who have seen the full video, try to think of ways we can show mercy to people who don’t deserve it!

Play Video 4: Condensed Bible Story (9.5 minutes)

Superbook takes Joy, Chris and Gizmo to meet Jonah, who is swallowed by a great fish as he resists God’s plans to show mercy to wicked people. The children learn to show God’s forgiveness even to those who don’t deserve it.

Condensed Bible Story

Discussion (1 minute)

Do you believe there are times when we should not receive mercy from God?

Do you think Jonah ever realized how wrong his attitude was about God’s mercy?

Introduce Bible Background Video (1 minute)

Now let’s watch our Bible Background Video and learn more about the Bible times and location in which the story of Jonah took place. When Gizmo asks a question in the video, wait for him to suggest some answers, then call out the one you think is right!

Play Video 5: Bible Background (7.5 minutes)

Bible Background

Play Video 10B: SuperVerse Graphic 2

Graphic loops 2.5 minutes without audio; turn off or freeze video after children repeat verse.

SuperVerse Graphic 2

SuperVerse (2 minutes)

Our SuperVerse, Jonah 4:11, says:

“In that city of Nineveh there are more than a hundred twenty thousand people who cannot tell right from wrong. … Don’t you think I should be concerned about that big city?”

Who was saying these words? God.

Let’s say our SuperVerse together. 

Jonah was not concerned about Nineveh. Yet God cared about the whole city—all of the people, and even the animals! God sent Jonah to declare His judgment so they would know what they were doing was wrong. Jonah was willing to receive God’s mercy for his disobedience, but he did not want the people of Ninevah to receive God’s mercy for their disobedience.     

Children will have more time to learn the SuperVerse in Small Group.

Prayer and Send-Off (1 minute)

Dear God, thank You for your mercy that You show us every day, even when we don’t deserve it! Help us to show that same mercy to others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Next, you’ll play a game about showing mercy. Let’s go to our Small Groups and get started!  

Teachers take children to Small Group classes for Grades 1–3 and 4–6. If the combined group is small, all children may stay together for Small Group time.

Game

When we hear about people doing bad things, we may think they deserve judgment—anger—revenge—or rejection. Hold up the signs as you say each word. However, that’s not what God wants. Does anyone remember our SuperTruth? “God wants us to show mercy.”

Hold up the Mercy sign. Let’s play a game about showing mercy.

Divide the children into two equal teams and have them line up single-file behind the starting line. They should turn their backs as the sixth-grade helpers quickly shuffle all eight card stock signs, five with words and three blank, then place them facedown on the floor at the opposite end of the room. The cards should be in random order, far apart from each other so children must walk several steps between each one.

When you say “Go,” the first player for each team walks quickly to the cards and turns them over one by one until a player finds the “Mercy” card. That player then holds it up high toward their team, and that team shouts the SuperTruth together: “God wants us to show mercy.” Both players then go to the end of their team’s line. The team whose player found the Mercy card receives one point.

Have the teams turn their backs as the sixth-grade helpers quickly gather all the cards, shuffle them, then place them facedown on the floor as fast as possible. The next player from each team takes a turn. Repeat until all children have taken a turn. The team with the highest score wins. To keep the game moving quickly, instruct the volunteers to rearrange cards as fast as possible.

You may make the game more challenging by varying the mode of travel to the cards for each turn, such as hopping on one foot, skipping, walking backward, using blindfolds as their teams shout instructions, walking sideways, balancing a book on their heads, bouncing a ball, etc.

Conclusion: Even though God saw all the evil that the large city of Nineveh did, His response was to show mercy. We need to show mercy to others, too—the same mercy God gives us each day!

Teaching

Who can remember from our last lesson why Joy was upset with Sharon? Joy saw Sharon bully other children and steal a bike; she thought the principal should punish Sharon instead of giving her another chance.

Before Superbook took Joy to meet Jonah, Joy only wanted to see Sharon punished.

God gave Jonah a message to give Nineveh, and He has given us a message to give people, too! Hold up the envelope.

He wants us to deliver His Word and mercy to others. Have you ever received an envelope in the mail and couldn’t wait to see what was inside?

Take the “Mercy” sheet out and show it to the children, then put it back in the envelope.

God had a message for Jonah to take to the city of Nineveh, but Jonah didn’t want to deliver it! When we see someone breaking the rules or disobeying God’s Word, we may want them to be caught and punished—no questions asked—just like Joy in the Superbook adventure. Jonah was filled with so much anger about the Ninevite people that he did not want to deliver God’s message to them. Hold up the envelope.

Sometimes though, there may be important things to consider. I am going to slowly read our SuperVerse today. See if you can pick out a reason that God might not immediately judge and punish the Ninevites.

Read Jonah 4:11 (cev):

“In that city of Nineveh there are more than a hundred twenty thousand people who cannot tell right from wrong. … Don’t you think I should be concerned about that big city?”

Hold up the envelope. Did anyone hear a reason not to judge Nineveh right away?

You are good listeners. God told Jonah:

“In that city of Nineveh there are more than a hundred twenty thousand people who cannot tell right from wrong.”

The people didn’t know what was right or wrong. They didn’t even know God’s law at the time. God was telling Jonah that He was concerned about those people, and He wanted them to know that what they were doing was wrong!

Have you ever been punished for breaking a rule that you didn’t even know was a rule?

How did that feel?

Can you see why God was willing to give the people of Ninevah a second chance? How awesome that we serve a God who knows everything about us and sees all our sins—yet He still loves us, He understands where we are in our faith walk, and He is filled with mercy! Hold up the envelope.

What does the SuperTruth tell us? “God wants us to show mercy.”

Hold up the envelope.

Optional: have an older child read Hebrews 4:13 aloud:

“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before His eyes, and He is the One to whom we are accountable.”

God knows everything, yet He still shows us mercy. In the same way, we should offer God’s mercy to people. Hold up the envelope and display the “mercy” sheet.

This reminds me of our Discipleship Challenge that we began last time.

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Hand out the Fish Necklace Patterns to any children who were not present for Lesson 1.

What does the fish remind us of? Jonah.

Does anyone remember what the Greek letters inside the fish stand for?

They stand for “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.” Christians would make the sign of the fish to let others know they were followers of Jesus.

Did anyone use their necklaces from last time as a reminder to show mercy to someone?

What happened when you did? Allow volunteers to share about showing mercy. Did anyone receive mercy from someone this week?

As time allows, briefly ask the challenge questions from Lesson 1 about Zaccheus, and allow children to share their answers from Luke 19.

Your challenge this time is to look at the back of the fish for Lesson 2, read the Bible passage about mercy, and answer the questions on the card. It also has a challenge for you to show mercy to someone. Next time, I’ll ask you to share with us what happened. 

Our craft is based on Proverbs 3:3:

Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart.

Just because someone does something wrong, we are not to give up on people, but to show mercy. Kindness is another word associated with mercy. We should freely give mercy and kindness to others, just as God has given them to us. 

SuperVerse

Our SuperVerse is Jonah 4:11 (cev):

“In that city of Nineveh there are more than a hundred twenty thousand people who cannot tell right from wrong. … Don’t you think I should be concerned about that big city?”

Do you remember from our video when God spoke these words to Jonah?

Was it before or after the city of Nineveh repented? Afterward.

How did Jonah feel when the city was spared from God’s judgment?

Instead of being full of joy, Jonah was bitter and angry. He was more concerned about the plant that no longer provided him shade! Do you think Jonah’s attitude pleased God? No.

Because we have received God’s mercy, we need to show it to others.  

Grades 4–6: Have the children sit on the floor and together say the verse aloud. The children should then turn their backs, lower their heads, and cover their eyes as you erase two key words of the SuperVerse from the board such as “Nineveh” and “city.” Have the children then look at the board and raise their hands if they think they can say the verse filling in the correct words. Repeat the process, erasing other words such as “right” and “wrong.” As the children become more familiar with the verse, erase more words each time, until children can say the whole verse from memory.

Grades 1–3: Begin the game as above, but change a word or two of the verse and see if the children can identify which words are incorrect, then tell you the correct words to replace them. Fill in the correct words, then have the children cover their eyes as you replace other words with incorrect words.

Note: Younger children may not be able to memorize the entire SuperVerse. They may simply repeat it several times, while older children may memorize part or all of it. Be sure all children understand its meaning.

Prayer

Let’s say our SuperTruth together: “God wants us to show mercy.”

Jonah was thrown into the sea and God sent a great fish to swallow him and save him from drowning in the sea. Inside the fish, Jonah understood God’s mercy. 

Read Jonah 2:1–2:

Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish. He said, “I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble, and He answered me. I called to You from the land of the dead, and Lord, You heard me!”

Even in Jonah’s disobedience, God saved Jonah and then heard his prayer in the belly of the great fish. God ordered the fish to spit Jonah out onto dry land, giving Jonah a second chance to complete his mission to take God’s message of mercy to the people of Ninevah. That is mercy shown by a loving God!

Today, we will take some time to thank God that He is merciful and that He has given us the opportunity to show His mercy to others. Think of a time that you have been shown mercy when you knew inside you didn’t deserve it. How did that feel?

Now think of someone who may need mercy—maybe someone who is difficult to get along with, like Jonah felt about the Ninevites.

Allow time for the children to pray, then close in group prayer:

Dear Father in heaven, we can’t keep any secrets from You. You know everything about us—every word we say, every thought we think, and every step we take. You know that we do many things wrong, and yet You still love us! Thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to die on the cross to take our punishment. You have shown us mercy; now we pray that You will help us show Your love and forgiveness and mercy to others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Catching Game

Let’s say our SuperVerse, Jonah 4:11 (cev), together again:

“In that city of Nineveh there are more than a hundred twenty thousand people who cannot tell right from wrong. … Don’t you think I should be concerned about that big city?”

Play this game as a large group. Have children stand in two lines directly across from each other and perpendicular to the board. Leave about 8–10 feet between the lines. See diagram. Hand the ball to a child at one end. Start the timer. The first child will shout the first word of the SuperVerse and toss the ball to the first child in the opposite line. That child will catch it, shout the next word of the SuperVerse and quickly toss the ball to the next child in the other line. Continue in this fashion until the SuperVerse is completed. Stop the time and record it on the board. Play at least two rounds, trying to beat the previous round’s time. Children who do not catch the ball must retrieve it, return to the line, and continue. 

Conclusion: That was fast! Was it hard to remember to shout the word before you threw the ball?

The SuperVerse today shows how much God cared about the people of Ninevah—and He cares about us, today! Now think of this—even though the people of Nineveh did not serve God, He desired that they turn away from their sin so they would escape judgment. This is why He sent Jonah with His message of mercy. 

Object Lesson

Our Bible Background video talked about casting lots, which was in our Superbook video.  

Read Jonah 1:7:

Then the crew cast lots to see which of them had offended the gods and caused the terrible storm. When they did this, the lots identified Jonah as the culprit.

The practice of casting lots occurs many times in the Old Testament and a few times in the New Testament. Casting lots was used to make a choice or decision and at times to determine God’s will.

Display the individual items as you speak. Sticks of various lengths could be drawn from a container without looking to see who picked the smallest one. Or, as we saw in the video, pieces of clay of various colors or sizes and shapes could be drawn from a bag to make a choice.    

Do you think casting lots is a good way to make decisions or find out what God’s will is today?

No! The people in the Old Testament time did not have the same gifts and resources that we have today! How do you think we can determine God’s will or make a wise choice?

Yes, we can pray and ask God for wisdom. We can listen to the Holy Spirit inside of us, and we can read God’s Word. Today, we do not need to—nor should we—rely on practices like casting lots or tossing a coin in the air to make wise decisions or choices. Hmmmm, I wonder if I should show mercy or not; heads I do, tails I don’t. Flip coin in the air and catch it. No, that would be silly!

Read James 1:5a: 

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you.

When we ask for wisdom, God will generously give it to us. How can we hear what God is saying to us? The Bible, the Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts, through prayer, etc.

Now, let me ask you a question. Do we have to pray to see if it is God’s will to show others mercy? No!

How do you know? Today’s SuperTruth.

Yes, we learned that God wants us to show mercy! How about one more way? Does anyone remember a verse we talked last time, Luke 6:36?

Let me give you a hint: “Therefore be merciful, just as …” “Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.”

God reveals His will in His Word, and this verse makes it clear that He expects us to be merciful.

Close in prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, we don’t have to cast lots or use any other practice as they did in Bible times to know Your will. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit living in us, guiding us, and giving us wisdom. Thank You for Your precious Word that reveals Your will to us! In Jesus’ name, Amen.  

Activity

Give a marker and paper plate to each child. Show your model plate and have the children copy the words. Read the Bible parable in parts as outlined below. Allow the children to vote by holding up the side of their plate toward you to show if they think the Bible character would show mercy or not, and what they think the character did. Also, discuss what they think they might do in the same situation. Count the votes aloud for fun.

Read Matthew 18:23–30 in parts, as outlined below:

“Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. He couldn’t pay, so …”

Children vote on whether he would show mercy, and discuss.

Let’s read further to see what the king did:

“… his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt.”

Oh my, did he show mercy?

But wait; there is more to the story!

“But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ Then his master …

Children vote and discuss.

Let’s read further to see what the king did this time:

“… was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.”

Now, was that showing mercy?

Yes, he certainly forgave a lot of debt! Now, our story goes on to tell us about the man whose debt was forgiven. Let’s see what he did after receiving such mercy! 

“But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He …”

Children vote and discuss.

Let’s read on to find out if he showed the same mercy he received!

“... grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment.”

Did the man show mercy to his fellow servant? No!

Wow! That is really hard to believe—especially since that man had received so much forgiveness and mercy himself! So let’s read on, because he gets another chance to respond in mercy just like the king!

“His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded.”

What do you think; would the servant forgive the debt this time?

Children vote and discuss.

Let’s read the rest of the story and see!

“But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full.”

Are you surprised? What do you think he should have done?

Have a child—if possible, a 3rd grader — look up and read Luke 6:36 (nkjv) aloud:

“Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.” 

It is not always easy to show others mercy. It is often human nature to demand our rights or see others punished, like Jonah desired for the people of Nineveh. In order to consistently show mercy, we need to be filled with God’s love and compassion so we can be merciful as He is merciful.

Bible Study

Our SuperTruth says: “God wants us to show mercy.” Sometimes showing mercy isn’t the popular or convenient choice. Jesus went out of His way to show mercy to others and gave us an example to follow. We must choose to show mercy even when others disagree.      

Divide children into groups of three. Give each group a scripture passage to look up. For large classes, more than one group will have the same passage. Each group will look up, read, and discuss their passage to answer the questions listed below. Then open it up for class discussion.     

Questions:

1. Who needed mercy?

2. What was the need?

3. Did everyone want to show mercy? If not, why not?

4. How was mercy shown?

Scripture Passages—do not write italicized words on board:

1. Matthew 20:29–34  Blind men.   

2. Luke 22:32–43  Thief on the cross.

3. Mark 8:1–9  Feeding crowd of 4,000.

4. Luke 19:1–9  Zacchaeus.

5. Matthew 14:13–21  Feeding crowd of 5,000.

Conclusion: Jesus always showed mercy even when those around Him didn’t understand. We must always strive to show mercy, even when it is not the most popular or convenient thing to do.