See World: Out of Sight

Jonah 1

Connect:

• Share how you have seen God in the Highs and Lows of your week.

• Discuss how resolutions made last week in “growing more like Jesus” worked themselves out – what God did in and through you (Phil. 2:13) Celebrate and thank God for those together and pray with those who experienced some “Lows” this week, for God’s encouragement for them.

Prayer:

Pray that God would lead your discussion time and bring fresh insight, conviction, and hope through your time together.

Review:

We are launching into a new series looking at the life and minisry of the prophet Jonah! In so many ways, we are going to see our own story in that of Jonah. This week, we are looking at chapter 1. The Assyrians, whose capital was Nineveh, were wicked and cruel enemies of Israel.  God's people had just been delivered by God's mercy from the consequences of their own rebellion against God, and were thriving under Jeroboam II…

The Grand Tour of the message: Thinking back on what you heard this Sunday…

o What did you learn about God?

o What did you learn about people?

o What did you learn about yourself?

o What do you want to commit to putting into practice?

Reflect:

Share about a time when you were sure God was speaking to you, calling yo to do something very specific. What happened, how did you know it was God’s call and not your imagination… how did things turn out?

Discuss the following Scriptures and read the verses in context:

• Read Jonah 1:1-3

  • God had just recently delivered Israel from the consequences of their own rebellion! How should such mercy have affected Jonah? ( 2 Kings 14:23-27, Matthew 10:8, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Proverbs 24:17-18)

  • How can we learn to recognize God's voice speaking to us? ( Exodus 34:5-7, John 17:17, Proverbs 13:20) 

  • Jonah believed he already knew God's merciful plans for Nineveh (Jonah 4:2). Identify some principles we can learn from his story that inspire us us to obey God in spite of our own hurts and disappointments. ( Romans 11:29, Hebrews 4:12-13, Psalm 139:1-12)

  • How does knowing God's character and purposes help to keep us on the right path? ( Deuteronomy 4:5-8, Genesis 12:1-3,  Psalm 103:8-13, Romans 8:28-29,)

• Read Jonah 1:4-17

  • How does Jonah's story enlarge our understanding of the purposes of God's discipline? ( Hebrews 12:5-11, Lamentations 3:21-33, Psalm 130:1-5)

Respond: 

Scott ended the message this week with the challenge that it is never too late to get God’s view on a situation… and act accordingly. Spend some time praying that the Lord would expand our understanding of difficult situations that we are a part of… and pray for His guidance to act as His ambassador in that situation!

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