The book of Jonah is full of satire and surprise. It feels familiar because it is a go-to Bible story for kids and cartoons. However, we might miss how Jonah is a kind of parable with a plot twist that is meant to challenge our ways of thinking and acting in the world. It’s all about relationships and identity and an invitation to be blown away by who God is. I love getting to unpack Bible stories like these!
Click this link to hear the sermon I gave at Bethany Community Church in Seattle. Here are the notes and reflection questions to go along with it:
Title: Your Us & Them
Text: Jonah 3:1-10
Main Idea: Jonah 3 is a climactic turning point in the story. Notice how reluctant Jonah is for the city
of Nineveh to turn to God and experience mercy.
The questions Jonah wrestles with are an invitation for you to explore your own relationship with God
and with others.
Questions:
- Who is God? How does God be true to himself?
- How might you be resisting God showing up fully in the people and places you go?
- Who is your “us” and who is your “them”?
- How is God inviting you to be a part of what God is doing – even among “those people”?
