From the Belly of the Beast

FPCBR

From the Belly of the Beast

June 16, 2024 • Gerrit Dawson • Jonah 1:17, Jonah 2

Jesus would bring a salvation beyond Jonah’s imagining. Jonah got rescued by a fish. The Son of God came and went three days and nights not only into the belly of a beast but into death and hell itself. Three days and nights he left this world. Then returned victorious to save the whole cosmos. Jonah spoke beyond his life to the truth of this story: salvation belongs to the LORD! What we most need belongs to God alone. But he freely shares with those who turn to him with their whole hearts.

Mad at God's Grace

June 30, 2024 • Gerrit Dawson • Jonah 4

Jonah knew the truth, “You are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” He just had to get on the right side of that truth. He had to move from anger and envy to worship and gratitude. How do you get out of yourself? Get into the LORD I AM. Sounds so simple. But it’s really hard!

When Preaching Worked!

June 23, 2024 • Gerrit Dawson • Jonah 3

The moment we turn to him, he turns to us. We don’t need to be ignorant of this. He is the God of second chances. The Lord is gracious, slow to anger, full of steadfast love and mercy. Here’s news beyond hope for those blindly groping for God. Not only is he real, but he is also your heavenly Father who loves you and wants to restore you, forgive you and fill you with his eternal life. Believe him.

Sleeping in the Storm

June 9, 2024 • Gerrit Dawson • Jonah 1:1–16

For many of us, we simply try to wall off part of our minds and souls from God. We don’t speak honestly to our God. We keep very busy and avoid down time. We can even show up at worship and still keep a part of us tucked away. Our prayers are always buffered. We try to hold up “good” parts of ourselves and keep secrets from our Lord. Like that works! The effect on us, though, is that we become spiritual sleepwalkers. We walk through our life with the deep, heartfelt connection to God blocked. We could be enjoying sweet fellowship. But somehow we fear what God will convict us of, and so we just go to sleep.