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Church at the Shores
Minor Prophets: Jonah
The Minor Prophets may be short books, but they carry a major message: God is always calling His people back to Him. Through their words we see God’s faithfulness, mercy, and justice revealed in every season. This series will help us hear their voices today and find our way back to God.
Locations & Times
Church at the Shores
541 Cotton Creek Dr, Gulf Shores, AL 36542, USA
Friday 7:00 AM
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WHO ARE THE PROPHETS
The prophets were men called by God to speak into the real issues of their day. They weren’t fortune-tellers predicting the future, but truth-tellers helping people find their way back to God.
THREE CONSISTENT TRUTHS
God is holy.
God takes sin seriously.
God pursues His people with relentless love and grace.
Malachi 3:7b
“Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty.”
The prophets were men called by God to speak into the real issues of their day. They weren’t fortune-tellers predicting the future, but truth-tellers helping people find their way back to God.
THREE CONSISTENT TRUTHS
God is holy.
God takes sin seriously.
God pursues His people with relentless love and grace.
Malachi 3:7b
“Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty.”
JONAH
Jonah is the story of a restless prophet and a relentless God, whose mercy is bigger than our rebellion and whose love reaches further than we ever want it to go.
Jonah 1:1-3
The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.
Jonah is the story of a restless prophet and a relentless God, whose mercy is bigger than our rebellion and whose love reaches further than we ever want it to go.
Jonah 1:1-3
The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.
REFLECTIONS ON JONAH
1.) You can run from God, but you can't outrun God.
Jonah 1:17
Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
2.) You can resist God all you want, but freedom begins the moment you raise the white flag of surrender.
Jonah 2:1-4
From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. He said:“In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me.From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry. You hurled me into the depths, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me;all your waves and breakers swept over me. I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.’
3.) Jonah’s story should have been over. But with God, failure doesn’t get the final word.
Jonah 3:3-6
Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust.
4.) You can know God’s love, but you’ll never grasp it until you want it for your enemies too.
Jonah 4:1-3
But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.
Notes: (Write Below)
1.) You can run from God, but you can't outrun God.
Jonah 1:17
Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
2.) You can resist God all you want, but freedom begins the moment you raise the white flag of surrender.
Jonah 2:1-4
From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. He said:“In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me.From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry. You hurled me into the depths, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me;all your waves and breakers swept over me. I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.’
3.) Jonah’s story should have been over. But with God, failure doesn’t get the final word.
Jonah 3:3-6
Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust.
4.) You can know God’s love, but you’ll never grasp it until you want it for your enemies too.
Jonah 4:1-3
But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.
Notes: (Write Below)
These questions are here to help you lead a great small group. Whether you meet at home, at work, or at church, use this simple practice:
E – Encourage
Focus on encouraging each other. Start with a win or something good.
S – Scripture
Read the passage from Sunday out loud. Let it lead the way.
P – Pray
Use the discussion questions. End by praying together.
N – Next Step
Look for one way to help each other take a next step with Jesus.
You do not need to know it all. Just show up, stay open, and trust that God will move.
E – Encourage
Focus on encouraging each other. Start with a win or something good.
S – Scripture
Read the passage from Sunday out loud. Let it lead the way.
P – Pray
Use the discussion questions. End by praying together.
N – Next Step
Look for one way to help each other take a next step with Jesus.
You do not need to know it all. Just show up, stay open, and trust that God will move.
1. If you could book a one-way ticket anywhere in the world to “run away” for a week, where would you go and why?
2. Jonah ran because he knew what God wanted, not because he didn’t. Where in your life do you most relate to Jonah’s resistance?
3. Chapter 2 shows Jonah finally praying at the bottom. Why do you think it sometimes takes hitting “rock bottom” before we turn to God in prayer?
4. We said: “You can run from God, but you can’t outrun God.” Where have you seen God pursue you in a season when you were running?
5. In chapter 3, God gives Jonah (and Nineveh) a second chance. How has God shown you His grace through second chances?
6. Jonah wanted mercy for himself but judgment for his enemies. Who is hardest for you to imagine receiving God’s grace, and why?
7. We closed with: “You can know God’s love, but you’ll never grasp it until you want it for your enemies too.” How does this challenge your heart toward forgiveness and reconciliation?
2. Jonah ran because he knew what God wanted, not because he didn’t. Where in your life do you most relate to Jonah’s resistance?
3. Chapter 2 shows Jonah finally praying at the bottom. Why do you think it sometimes takes hitting “rock bottom” before we turn to God in prayer?
4. We said: “You can run from God, but you can’t outrun God.” Where have you seen God pursue you in a season when you were running?
5. In chapter 3, God gives Jonah (and Nineveh) a second chance. How has God shown you His grace through second chances?
6. Jonah wanted mercy for himself but judgment for his enemies. Who is hardest for you to imagine receiving God’s grace, and why?
7. We closed with: “You can know God’s love, but you’ll never grasp it until you want it for your enemies too.” How does this challenge your heart toward forgiveness and reconciliation?