Jonah, Prophet to Nineveh
(The Book of Jonah)
March 15, 2026
Sunday Recap
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Sunday Recap •
Hey Fams!
Jonah was a prophet sent by God to confront the people of Nineveh regarding their sinful ways. Jonah, however, did not immediately obey God’s command. In fact, Jonah traveled in the opposite direction and boarded a boat to Tarshish. Have you ever been given clear directions from God, but ignored them out of fear or selfishness?
Because of Jonah’s disobedience, the Lord sent a powerful storm on the sea, and the men on the boat feared for their lives. Knowing the storm was due to his disobedience, Jonah asked his shipmates to throw him overboard. As they threw him into the sea, the storm ceased.
In His mercy, the Lord sent a great fish to swallow up Jonah, and for three days and nights, Jonah lay entombed in the belly of the fish. Then, upon the Lord’s command, the fish spit Jonah onto dry land. God again said to Jonah, “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach the message that I tell you.” This time, Jonah obeyed.
Jonah walked about the great city proclaiming, “In forty days Nineveh will be demolished!” The people of Nineveh believed God’s message. In sackcloth and with fasting, the people repented and earnestly called out to God. Because of their repentance, God did not destroy Nineveh.
As we read further, we learn how Jonah grew angry over God's mercy displayed toward Nineveh. The same storm-tossed man who had received mercy from the Lord would rather experience death than see his enemies live. Ironically, disobedient Jonah prayed for God's grace in his own life, but desired for others to perish in their sin.
While Jonah did not care for the people of Nineveh, God did. The people believed Jonah’s message from God and were saved. Like the Ninevites, we cannot save ourselves. But God can. When we are confronted with our sin, we have a choice to ignore it or do as the Ninevites did and repent. God sent Jesus so we could repent of sin, trust in Him, and be saved.
This week, point the children in your care to the gift of Jesus. Thank God for Jesus’ death and resurrection and share how we too can believe, turn from our sin, and be saved. While we all are born far from God, Jesus bridges the gap. Just like God the Father, Jesus is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love (Jonah 4:2).
** Next week: Hosea, Prophet to Israel (Read the entire book of Hosea)
Family Discipleship Plan
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Family Discipleship Plan •
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Read the book of Jonah from the Bible.
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If you were a Jew in 900 B.C., the last place on earth you wanted to visit was the city of Nineveh! Nineveh was full of Assyrians—a group of wicked and violent people who did not follow God. Going to Nineveh to tell them about God was a dangerous—and maybe even deadly—mission. No wonder Jonah didn’t want to go!
The real reason Jonah didn’t want to go to Nineveh, however, was because he felt like these wicked people didn’t deserve God’s forgiveness. They were wicked and cruel, so how could God show them mercy? What Jonah didn’t understand is that God cared for the people of Nineveh as much as He cared for the rest of the world.
God wanted the Ninevites to turn away from sin and trust in Him—so much so that God used a big fish to get Jonah back to Nineveh when he tried to run away. Finally, Jonah reluctantly preached the message God had given and warned the people about God’s judgment. The people repented, and God spared their lives.
The Bible tells us that God shows mercy on whomever He wants to show mercy. Jonah didn’t think the Ninevites deserved God’s mercy, but the truth is that none of us deserve His mercy.
But God loved the world so much that He showed us His mercy through Jesus. Unlike Jonah, Jesus willingly accepted the mission God gave Him. Jesus came to save the sinners who God cared to much about.
Jonah spent three days in a fish so that the people of Nineveh could hear God’s message, turn from sin, and be saved. Jesus was in the tomb for three days so that we could hear and trust the gospel, turn from sin, and be saved.
Pray: God, thank You for showing mercy we do not deserve. Thank You for sending Jesus to make Your mercy available to those who believe in Him. Help us to remember that Your mercy is great and extends to all who repent and believe. Amen.
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Preschool:
"You must follow the Lord your God.”
Deuteronomy 13:4
1st-5th:
”You must worship him. You must honor him. Keep his commands. Obey him. Serve him. Remain true to him.”
Deuteronomy 13:4 (NIRV) -
Mornings
Ask God to help you see people the way He sees them. Instead of judging them for their wrong behaviors, ask God to help you see them as loved by Him and in need of a right relationship with Him. How does seeing people this way show us the greatness of God’s mercy?
Evenings
Thank God for the ways He has shown His patience, mercy, and loving kindness to your family. Thank Him for the ultimate display of mercy when Jesus died on the cross to save us from our sin. How has God shown His mercy to you? How does God’s mercy compel you to show mercy to others?
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For Fun
Take your family fishing or simulate fishing using sticks, string, magnets, and paper clips. See who can catch the biggest fish. If you catch a fish, release it back into the water to lead into a discussion on mercy, emphasizing that, while a fish doesn’t deserve to die, all sinners do deserve death, but—through Jesus—God doesn’t give believers what they deserve. Ask kids to retell what they remember from the story of Jonah. Discuss how Jonah did not want God to show mercy to the people of Nineveh, but God’s mercy is greater than anything we can imagine. Talk as a family about ways God has shown mercy to you.
To Serve
Host a meal or dessert party for the people in your neighborhood. Invite everyone to come and eat for free. Give each family member a job to help make the night a wonderful experience for others. After the party, talk about the hard work, sacrifice, and time it took to love others, but how it was worth it because of the relationships you made. Remind kids that God often calls us into hard things but it always worth it to serve God.