I’ve been excited about this series, because Jonah is so much deeper than a story about a fish. At its core, Jonah is a story about compassion.
It’s about what happens when somebody struggles to care about the people God cares about.
In this first lesson, preteens explore Jonah’s frustration with Nineveh and wrestle with an important truth:
Jonah saw the wickedness of the Ninevites.
God saw what they could become.
One of my favorite moments in the lesson is a simple and powerful small group activity we’ve done with preteens.
Preteens write the name of somebody who is difficult for them to love on one side of a card.
Then they write their own name on the other side. Next, they’re invited to place that card into a “forgiveness bucket,” representing the forgiveness that Jesus offers through the Cross.
And suddenly they’re faced with something: To receive Jesus’ death on the Cross as sufficient for my sins is also to confess that His death is sufficient for the forgiveness of the people who have wronged me, too.
That realization can create some meaningful conversations. Especially with preteens.
I hope this lesson encourages your preteens and helps them grow in compassion, mercy, and the ability to see people the way God sees them.