Jonah
Man Overboard- The Story of Jonah
The Great Sin
February 5, 2023 • Stu Fuhlendorf • Jonah 4
February 5 10:00 am The Great Sin Jonah 4:1-11 Jonah’s prideful anger over the LORD’s mercy toward the Ninevites reveals the fallen nature of mankind and the merciful character of God in salvation. Questions to Consider: What are some things over which you have been outraged, only later to discover you were wrong about the injustice being committed toward you? What later evidence helped you think differently? Name a recent experience in which you rejoiced in the LORD’s grace, mercy, and patience toward you, and how did you feel about the LORD when you had this experience? Since the world has fallen and every sovereign country has identified national enemies, what are your feelings about those nations? What does Jonah teach you about how you might view such nations and peoples as a follower of Christ? When you consider Jonah 4, do you believe it is normal for the Lord to appoint events and be the cause of natural disasters in the world? How should one view these events within the Will of the Creator? Consider Job 5:9-10; 28:26; Isaiah 45:7; 50:2, Nahum 1:3-5: Mark 4:39-41. What do these passages tell you about the sovereign Will of God?
God of Second Chances
January 29, 2023 • Josh Weidmann • Jonah 3
Without Darkness, There is No Light Jonah 3:1-10 Jonah’s obedient proclamation of the coming destruction of Nineveh results in God’s mercy for the Ninevites as the LORD turns from destroying them when He sees their belief in His Word. Questions to Consider: When you consider the need to convey God’s wrath to those who don’t believe, give reasons why this recognition might rise as a stumbling block even when you understand the LORD provides the power for a saving response to the Gospel. Jonah’s mess was simple – five words long in the Hebrew text. What is the simplest way to share the gospel message without omitting its necessary aspects? How is Christ exalted as the true King by Jonah’s preaching and the king of Nineveh’s response, and what might this tell you about how God is glorified through our Gospel proclamation? What confidence does it invoke in you to know that the LORD is immutable (never changes), and how might this truth affect your thinking about sharing the gospel without shame or fear?
Crisis leads to Gratitude
January 22, 2023 • Stu Fuhlendorf • Jonah 2
Crisis Leads to Gratitude Jonah 2:1-10 Jonah’s desperate recognition of his inability to save himself in the face of death brings him to the point of depending on the LORD for his deliverance. He declares salvation to be from the LORD alone and sacrifice to Him who is worthy. Questions to Consider: When you consider where you spend your time, what do you value in life? Do you value growing in holiness and serving your church? What are some ways in which you can mask total depravity in your life and fool yourself about your own ability to handle life apart from God’s help? Why can Jonah expect to see the Lord in His temple after such great disobedience, and how does this reveal the majesty of God and the glory of Christ to you? How has your own gratitude for your salvation led to a greater proclamation of the gospel to unbelievers? Do you think it is good and right for the gospel message to be so exclusive? For instance, in light of the work of Christ, what makes the claim of Christian exclusivity – “Salvation is from the LORD” – just and holy?
Gods means for Salvation
January 15, 2023 • Stu Fuhlendorf • Jonah 1:7–17
God’s Means of Salvation Jonah 1:7-17 God’s threat of death and judgment in the mighty storm turns the sailors from self-sufficiency to true conversion, yet God mercifully sends a fish to rescue Jonah and reveals Himself as Israel’s Creator and Judge.
A Rebel in God's Storm
January 8, 2023 • Stu Fuhlendorf • Jonah 1:1–6
A Rebel in God’s Storm Jonah 1:1-6 Jonah’s disobedience to God’s command to go to Nineveh results in comfortable apathy despite the overhang of God’s wrath against idol worship. Questions to Consider: What are some reasons you do not regularly share the gospel with the lost in our culture? What points of connection exist between Jonah and our cultural literacy that could allow you to use Jonah to enter into a discussion with non-believers about Christ? When you consider the phrase “from the LORD’S presence”, what is your attitude in prayer and your Christian spiritual practices when you want to sense “the Lord’s presence” to comfort or heal you? In the New Testament, what are some examples of God responding with ferocity and vigor to the disobedience of His children? From a theological perspective, how should you think about God’s attributes of love, mercy, grace, patience, and long-suffering?