See World: Set Your Sights

Jonah 4

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 in a series looking at the life and ministry 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 4.

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:

Scott quoted someone who said, “You can tell when you have made God in your own image when He hates all the same people that you do.” Discuss that.

(NOTE: Someone in your group may point to Psalm 139:17-24. Don’t lead the group there today as this takes some time to unpack, but if someone points it out, then compare and contrast David’s and Jonah’s perspectives: Use of hyperbole in poetry to bring out contrast, presence of repentance in Nineveh vs David’s aggressors, David’s heart attitude of “search me'“ vs Jonah’s “kill me or kill them”. Also, place this in context of Gospel narrative of God pursuing us from Genesis to Revelation, balance of Scriptures like Romans 5:8, John 3:17,18, Matthew 9:12-13, 2 Peter 3:9…)

Discuss the following Scriptures and read the verses in context:

• Read Jonah 4:1-4

  • How does knowing God's character help us in being transformed to Christlikeness as God intends— how does that work? (Exodus 34:5-6, Colossians 3:10, Romans 8:29, Hebrews 10:14, Ephesians 2:4-7, Hebrews 2:14-18)

  • How does a heart of mercy express itself in our daily lives among ‘difficult people’? ( Micah 6:8,  Luke 6:27-36, Matthew 9:10-13,)

  • Talk about the connection between our mercy to others and God’s mercy on us. ( Matthew 5:7,Matthew 25:13-23, Luke 12:35-44,)

• Read Jonah 4:5-11

  • The attitude of our hearts is shown in our reactions to others. Read the following Scriptures and discuss the way Jesus modeled this for us. ( Luke 10:29-37, Matthew 19:13-15, Mark 10:46-52,)

  • In Jonah 4, God’s concern (!) for a horrifically brutal people makes His compassion something literally supernatural! Take a look at some Scriptures where God’s heart for “the fields” comes to light, and compare Jonah’s Nineveh to our world today— who are our “Ninevites”? (Matthew 9:35-38, John 4:34-35, Acts 9:10-19, 2 Peter 3:9-10,)

Respond: 

The book of Jonah ends with God asking Jonah a question: “Should I not have concern…?” Break out into pairs, and spend some time sharing about any struggles that you might be having in loving the people around you, past hurts, or desire for revenge. Offer these things to the Lord, and ask for the Holy Spirit to guide and guard your heart as you offer the offender(s), the hurt, and your own heart to God.

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