Jonah – Study #6
Jonah – When God’s Heart beats within
What in our lives will change under Jonah’s call?
This week’s teaching recapped key lessons from the 3 major features of Jonah’s story:
A Prophet (what has God’s Spirit taught us through Jonah),
a Whale (what has God’s Spirit taught us through the miraculous hand of God), and
the Heart of God (what has God’s Spirit taught us about truly sharing God’s own heart)
GETTING STARTED (some getting-the-juices-flowing questions)
In week #5, Pastor David quoted from Timothy Keller: This call (i.e., to find our all in the Lord, more than anything else) of God to Jonah is a call to us. It is a painful process to find our all in Him, but it is the only real path to joy…the final verses of the book tell us that the mark of those who have been immersed in the grace of God is compassion and love, not contempt, for people who are not like them. God challenges Jonah for confronting profane, ungodly people without weeping and compassion (The Prodigal Prophet, pp223-224).
For a few minutes, discuss what you find in your hearts about people “who are not like you”? Is there more “compassion and love” or more “distance and contempt”?
GROUP STUDY – From the final message in this JONAH series, share what lesson(s) have meant the most to you
Lessons from JONAH (the prophet himself)
* Did you find yourself identifying with Jonah’s attitudes? In his initial disobedience? (chapter 1)
* As you re-read Jonah’s plea for personal rescue (Jonah 2), what important attitudes do you see there?
* Jonah obeys, but still is upset at the outcome (Jonah 4)? About what is the Spirit speaking to you through God’s interaction with Jonah here?
Lessons from THE WHALE (God’s miraculous hand)
* There are as many as 20 miracles imbedded in the story of Jonah – things that can only be attributed to God’s supernatural intervention. Is God doing the miraculous in your life in any way? Where are you seeing His unmistakable hand?
Lessons from GOD’S HEART (his love and compassion for evil, even violent, people)
* Re-read Jonah 4:10-11. How would you put God’s statement to Jonah in your own words? Paraphrase what you think God is trying to teach His prophet.
* How does what we find in 2 Peter 3 parallel these words? And, what kind of people are we to be in light of God’s patience and his coming judgement (cf. 3:11-12,14).
PRAYER TOGETHER – Finally, take a few moments to IDENTIFY your most important (and life-changing) TAKE-AWAY from the Jonah series. . Write it out below…and then pray together. Does your heart beat with the Lord’s?
“Let’s be ready to share our life experiences with God with someone else. Your personal testimony is powerful!”
Pastor David Staff
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