Changes: Jonah

Post Introduction : This week we will develop more on how God can change people’s hearts and lives. For this lesson will be focusing on how God can change even the heart of a believer.

The Lesson

Last week we talked about Zacchaeus, who made a major change after being seen by Jesus. He didn’t have to go through a major life event to be changed drastically, but some people need a little more of a wake up call to make a big change. Tonight we’ll talk about Jonah, a man who already knew and loved God, but wasn’t extending that love to all others. He wasn’t a sinner by most standards, but he wasn’t obedient to God in a time when it mattered most.

Jonah 1:1-3 “The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”

But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.”

God tells Jonah to go to Nineveh because he needs to save the entire city and Jonah is so afraid and disgusted by the people there that he’d rather run away from God. We all know that you can’t run from God and Jonah surely knew that, too. In that moment he didn’t care though, he just didn’t want to face the people of Nineveh.  Since Jonah decided to run away, God sent a great storm that threatened to pull the ship he was on completely apart. The crew of the ship tried to call out to their gods and they asked Jonah to do the same, but eventually they decide on a way to figure out the solution.

Jonah 1:7-10 “Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?”

He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”

This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.)”

So, Jonah obviously recognized and admitted that he was running away from God. He had to have known the second that the sailors woke him up that he was the reason God was causing the storm. God has no plan to harm us, but there are times He will do what He must to keep us on the right path, and for Jonah that meant getting him to Nineveh. Once they realized that Jonah’s God was at fault, they asked him what to do and Jonah says throw me into the sea. After attempting to row back to dry land, the sailors obliged Jonah, all the while asking God to forgive them for what they thought was going to be the end of Jonah‘s life. The seas grow calm after Jonah is thrown overboard, and the sailors see the power of the one true God and make a sacrifice and vows to Him.  Meanwhile, God sends a giant fish to swallow Jonah. He’s in there for three days and during this time his heart starts to change as he realizes that God saved him from death and he prays.

Jonah 2:7-10 (The end of the prayer) “‘When my life was ebbing away,  I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them.  But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you.  What I have vowed I will make good.  I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’

And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land."

Jonah promises God that he will sacrifice his own comfort in an effort to save the people of Nineveh.  He makes his way to the city delivering the message from God that “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown”(Jonah 3:4) and the people are receptive to the message from God and repent! The entire city, even the animals and the king, don sackcloth, as a sign of mourning and repentance. Verse 10 of chapter 3 says ^"When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened."

Jonah followed God's plan for him and in the end caused a change in the lives of the sailors on the ship and an entire city! But here's the plot-twist, for Jonah, this seemed unfair. Instead of rejoicing for the salvation of so many, he fixates on what he thinks is a just punishment for the city- complete destruction.

Jonah 4:5-11 "Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”

But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” 

“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.”

 But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”

Sometimes we get so caught up in the sins of others and how they need to change that we lose sight of the fact that we need to change, too.  God used Jonah to change numerous lives, but he wasn't open to or aware of the change that needed to happen in his heart, too.  Even after finally agreeing to go to Nineveh, Jonah hadn't changed his views on people that he saw as unworthy, but that wasn't his decision to make.  Try to look at yourself this week, you can still cause change in others when your heart isn't right because you can't stop God from doing what He wants to do, but He may be changing your heart, too.

Changes: Zacchaeus

Post introduction : The purpose of this series is to teach our students that God can change ANYONE. We will discuss different stories of change in the Bible and talk about how we can cultivate change in others and ourselves.

The Lesson

(15-20 mins depending on conversation)

Can you think of anyone in the Bible that changed drastically? What about in your own life? God’s love has the power to change anyone, sometimes without them even being aware that it’s happening! 

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Think about tax collectors, they’re pretty universally hated, right? Tax collectors in biblical times were viewed as bad people not only because they associated with Romans, but also because some would overtax people or attempt to blackmail people in hopes of earning hush money. We can assume that in those times, most people probably didn’t know the percentage that they should be taxed, they couldn’t just google it and it wasn’t automatically deducted like it is today. We can also assume that a lot of them wouldn’t have been able to figure out the amount they owed based on the percentage even if they did know what it was. So it’s easy to see how tax collectors could take advantage of people in these times and why they would have been despised. However, the love of God can change anyone.

Luke 19: 1-10: “Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.”

Now, I honestly think that if Zacchaeus was more liked he may not have had to climb a tree. Maybe some buddies could’ve helped him make his way closer to the front or even potentially lifted him up if he was so small. You have to think about the fact that he must have really wanted to see Jesus to climb a tree, even today that’s not something a wealthy person would usually do, but Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus and he had to find away.

(Scripture Cont) “When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

This just confirms that Zacchaeus was viewed as a bad person. Even so, Jesus saw him and called him down to spend time with him. It’s possible that someone told Jesus Zaccheus’s name, we don’t know, but it’s also possible that he knew his name because as God’s son he knew who Zacchaeus was and he knew that Zacchaeus needed to be seen and recognized. Imagine how Zacchaeus must have felt after climbing a tree just to see Jesus and having Jesus recognize and call out to him because he wanted to spend time together.

(Scripture Cont) “But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Jesus never asked Zacchaeus to give up his possessions or to repay the people that he cheated. Zaccheus could feel the love of God and it made him want to be a better person. By having a simple interaction with Jesus and feeling seen and loved, Zacchaeus was able to see the error of his ways and make a drastic change. 

We each have the power to help people make these kinds of changes with God‘s love. This week I want each of you to think of who your own Zaccheus could be. Maybe it’s a bully or someone who just isn’t nice. I want you each to be intentional with trying to help God to change that person. I don’t mean that you need to confront them, but I want you to be kind to them and make them feel seen and loved like Zaccheus.  I also want you to pray intentionally for that person. You may not know what they’re going through, but God does, and He can make a change in their heart and life.

Save the Princess: You’re not Alone

Post Introduction: Our students will finish learning about the importance of saving the “princess” and the help they have along the way.

The Lesson

(15-20 mins depending on conversation)

When you play super Mario sometimes having help makes it easier, but sometimes it makes things that were impossible possible. The help may come in the form of a power up, a guide, or a partner on each level. These would be outside help, direct help, and inactive help.

You could look at Toad as any positive influence in your life. Toad lets you know what’s going on and suggests good ways to accomplish your goal. Without Toad you would be less effective in reaching your goals and you wouldn’t really know what was going on, but Toad isn’t actively helping you complete each level. In your life this may be the equivalent of a teacher, minister, or friend that you look up to for advice. 

Proverbs 13:20- “whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm”

Toad may help you before or after a level, but what about when you’re in the middle of it? In video games and life you may have some helpers that help you in the middle of a hard “level.” 

Proverbs 17:17- “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for time of adversity.”

Sometimes you happen upon an egg and a Yoshi pops out to help you. When Yoshi gives you a ride it makes it possible to reach new heights and defeat characters more easily. In your life, Yoshi could be compared to your close friends. They work with you to help you do things you couldn’t do on your own. You have entirely different skill sets that work together to accomplish something you could never imagine without Yoshi’s help. Unlike most close friends, the downside to Yoshi is that if you fall off he may run away forever. However, like Yoshi, even the closest of friends aren’t always meant to enter every level with us.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10- “two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.”

You may also play Super Mario with a friend, who normally plays as Mario’s brother, Luigi. This could be your family, or for some “levels” a close friend, always there when you ask for help and always willing to help in anyway possible. Sometimes, you’re lucky and a family member will do something for you, other times they’re just there to help you figure things out for yourself and support you along the way. Regardless, I would consider this my favorite kind of help!

What about when you’re playing a game that has no outside help. There’s no one to tell you what you should be doing and there’s no one to help carry you or partner with you through the levels. Many games and life give you the opportunity to help yourself. Tools are provided for you that help you to defeat the enemy without needing another living person or being. In super Mario this would be a feather, a mushroom, or a flower. These items all help you without awareness, unlike the actual characters in the game. In your life these tools would be prayer and scripture.

Mark 11:24- “therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

Psalm 102:17- “he will respond to the prayer of the destitute; he will not despise their plea.”

Hebrews 4:12- “for the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart”

There may be times in your life where you only have an outside guide, someone telling you what to do but not walking with you through the problem. There will be other times that a family member or friend will walk with you every step of the way and do anything they can to help you. But at the end of the day the best weapons are the ones that you can use for yourself. God has given us his word and the ability to pray to him as our greatest weapons against the enemy and we have the ability to use them at any time. With these weapons we can defeat any enemy and save the Princess.

Save the Princess: Know your Enemy

Post Introduction- Taking inspiration from our group’s favorite video game character, our students should learn about the importance of saving the “princess” and the right way to do so. This week we’ll focus on the adversary and obstacles he creates.

The Lesson

(15-20 mins depending on conversation)

Throughout the course of the super Mario games you face a lot of annoying bad guys and minions of Bowser before you face Bowser himself. Most often you’ll see a Koopa Troopa or a Goomba, but you may also see a Dry Bones, piranha plants, shy guys, or bullet bills. Sometimes you see the bad guys coming from across the screen,  But sometimes they sneak up on you before you even know they’re coming. Just like the enemies and super Mario, sometimes our enemy sneaks up on us and sometimes we see him from a mile away. So, what do we need to do? Obviously, when you play a video game after you play it a few times you know what’s coming, but in life that’s not always the case. Even though each day and moment is fresh God wants us to be vigilant and watching for enemies.

1 Peter 5:8 “be sober minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

Sometimes, being vigilant does not just mean being watchful, it also means being prepared or or using what protection we can. Beating the bad guys in any video game is easier with armor or weapons. Fortunately, in your life you don’t have to jump and punch blocks to equip yourself.

Ephesians 6:11  “put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.”(Belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, feet shod with peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, sword of the spirit)

Sometimes the secret to defeating the bad guys is being vigilant, but sometimes, the bad guys far out number you. Maybe a pipe is dropping a million Koopas per second and as soon as you kill one another pops up in its place. In life, that is often how the enemy works. He will send attack after attack until it seems that there is no way out, but just like in a video game that is simply not true. As long as you are vigilant and prepared, with God’s help you can conquer anything.

Deuteronomy 20:1 “when you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the Lord God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.”

There are many times in the Bible when people were faced with what seemed like an unwinnable situation. Think of David and Goliath or Gideon and his army of 300, in both of these situations and many others the odds seemed stacked against them, but with God they prevailed. Any time that you feel that you may be under attack, remember that God fights for you in heavenly realms. You don’t need to play the levels of your life over and over again to defeat your enemies. Next week we will talk more about our boosts and helpers along our journey, but for tonight I’ll leave you with this scripture, 

2 Corinthians 10:3-5: “for though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ”

Save the Princess: Your Princess

Post Introduction- Our goal for this series is to equate one of our students' favorite video games to real life experiences.  Titled "Save the Princess" this series is referring to our group's favorite Italian plumber and his pink-clad princess.  Our students should learn about the importance of saving the “princess” and the right way to do so.

The Lesson

(10-15 mins depending on conversation)

Over the next few weeks we will be working on a series that we will call saving the princess. In case you can’t figure it out, we’re talking about *Video Game*. Today we will be talking about the main goal of the game which is saving the princess from Bowser. Over the next few weeks we will discuss our obstacles and enemies as well as our helpers and tools. Who can tell me what the main goal of Super Mario is? 

I know, you have to save the princess from Bowser/King Koopa all while fighting bad guys and crossing rough terrain. Sometimes you have helpers but sometimes you have to do it on your own. But, why is saving the princess from Bowser so important? In this game, we can assume that a princess would be important to everyone in the kingdom. For us, in our personal journeys the princess would be everyone around us who isn’t saved or is under the devil’s influence. We should all care about the eternal safety of each person that we come into contact with as much as Mario cares about saving the Princess.

Psalm 82:4 "rescue the weak and needy; deliver them out of the hand of the wicked" 

Proverbs 24:11 "deliver those who are being taken away to death, and those who are staggering to slaughter, hold them back"

God has called each and everyone of us to go out and "save the princess". We can't just assume that the world will save itself and continue with life as if everything is fine.  If Mario just sat at the start of the game and never saved the princess it wouldn’t be very fun and the princess would never be saved.

Matthew 28:19-20 "therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

We are called to go out into the world and look for lost princesses that we may not even know exist! Just like Mario, our journey may not always be easy. We may fail and have to start over, but in the end we have to do our best to save the Princess!