PDF Notes: Here

Watch on Youtube Here

Series Introduction

Have you ever been led to do something for someone, and you just didn’t have it in you to do it? Or worse, you wanted to run in the opposite direction? That is Jonah. Jonah doesn’t want to help out his enemies. Nineveh was the last place he wanted to go, and would rather go to the other side of the map.

Do you ever feel that way? It’s understandable if you don’t want to answer that question out loud. Maybe you might not want to get your hands dirty. Or, you might feel others don’t deserve it, because of the choices they have made. Or you simply feel like you don’t have the energy, ability, capacity to reach others outside your comfort zone.

Maybe you struggle in your witness. Instead of helping, you turn away because it is too much work. Instead of listening to God pressing on your heart, you find another distraction. Instead of being in tune with God’s compassion, you close your ears. Instead of seeing what God can do, you shift your eyes to the busyness of life.

What if we grew in our compassion for others, where instead of walking past opportunities, we dove into the deep waters? What if we boldly answered the call of God on our hearts to have a conversation, meet a need, or start a friendship with someone that needs the love of Christ?

Imagine if God’s people got on the boat with a destination of lives eternally changed. May this series chart a course opposite of Jonah’s, where we ride through the storms to reach those who need hope. Where redemptive relationships are not unwanted, but cherished, desired, and sought out.

Series Date

March – May 2022

Jonah Introduction

Author: Anonymous. Many suggest it was Jonah himself.

Date/Setting: Likely between 785-745 B.C.

Purpose: Historical narrative that illustrates the compassion of God for lost souls.

Best Commentaries on Jonah:

Man Overboard! by Sinclair B. Ferguson

Obadiah, Jonah, Micah by Baker, Alexander, and Waltke

Word Biblical Commentary, Vol 31 by Douglas Stuart