Jonah Study

J ON A H

GROWING THE HEART OF AN EVANGELIST

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.”

Jonah 1:1-2

Copyright: January 2024 Biblical References: New International Version

Christ Community Church Carmichael, CA

A Community of Love, Acceptance, & Forgiveness

Table of Contents Group Agreement ________________________________________ 3 Group Roster _____________________________________________ 4 Introduction: Jonah - A Story of Evangelism _____________ 5 Gathering One: The Mission ______________________________ 6 Jonah 1:1-2

Gathering Two: Getting Distracted _____________________ 12 Jonah 1:3

Gathering Three: God Cares More _____________________ 18 Jonah 1:4-17

Gathering Four: The Hope of the Gospel ______________ 24 Jonah 2:1-10

Gathering Five: The Power of Preaching ________________ 30 Jonah 3:1-10

Gathering Six: Transforming Your Heart _________________ 36 Jonah 4:1-11

Leaders’ Notes __________________________________________ 42 Resources _______________________________________________ 43 Page 2

Table of Contents

Group Agreement We agree together to the following values: •

Purpose – Our group will honor God by promoting Christian friendship and deepening our understanding of God’s Word.

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Environment – Our group will be a safe place for people to connect, share, listen, grow, and be themselves.

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Participation – Everyone is encouraged to be involved in all aspects of the group: discussion, sharing, and prayer.

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Communication – Everyone will have the opportunity to speak.

No one will dominate the conversation. We will listen and share appropriately.

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Confidentiality – Discussions within the group will not be shared outside the group.

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Attendance – Our group time is a priority, and everyone should attend, arriving on time or notifying the group leader if they will be absent.

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Preparedness – Staying current with the sermons and following the study guide will help everyone participate at a better level.

We agree together to the following arrangements: •

Meeting place – _________________________________________

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Meeting day – __________________________________________

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Meeting start and end time – ______________________________

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Childcare arrangements – ________________________________

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Refreshment arrangements – ______________________________

I agree, to the best of my ability, to connect with this group and personally support each person in it. My desire is to grow spiritually with them during this study series.

Name_________________________________

Date__________

Group Agreement Page 3

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Group Roster

JONAH - a Story of evangelism When was the last time you were given a task that you just did not want to do? Maybe there was a project around the house that you kept putting off. Maybe your boss asked you to do a report that was going to take way too much of your time. Maybe you had to go meet with someone you were trying to avoid. We all have moments like these, but what if the one who was asking was God? The reality is that God calls us to do things that are hard or challenging all the time. The Bible never says that being a Christian is easy.

Jonah got a job that he had no interest in doing. He was called to go to a Nineveh and preach to a people who honestly, he just did not even want to be around! Jonah decided to try and run the other way but God decided that this task was too important to let Jonah off the hook. God got his attention in a big way and a nation was transformed as a result of his obedience.

God has a similar call for each of our lives. We are to go into the world and make disciples. God wants us to tell people about Jesus. This won’t always be easy. The call is to be a witness to everyone in our areas of influence. Sometimes we will want to run just like Jonah. Other times we will feel like we are not prepared. We might even feel like some do not deserve to hear the gospel message. However, our job is to love others by sharing our faith with them.

For the next 6 weeks we want you to journey with a group through the book of Jonah. While we look at his story and the stories of those around him, we will ask ourselves where our hearts are at. We will be challenged to grow in our relationship with Christ and to share Him with as many people as we can.

Here’s what to do ...

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Connect: Talk about life. Join a group and be yourself. The first part of being in a group is simply sharing about your week and connecting personally.

2. Discuss: Talk about the Word. Each week there will be verses to look up in your Bible with questions to help you discuss the topic.

3. Pray: Talk with God. Praying for each other will knit your hearts together.

Welcome to Jonah – A Story of Evangelism.

Introduction Page 5

Gathering One - The Mission Sermon Notes - January 7, 2024 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Page 6

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The Mission Jonah 1:1-2 Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.

Jonah 1:2

This summer we will get the chance to see the eighth and final (supposedly) installment of Mission Impossible. Back in May of 1996 people gathered at the theaters and heard Ethan Hunt receive his seemingly impossible orders. “Your mission, should you choose to accept it ...” These were the words that started him on his quest to save the world from certain doom. Christians have similarly been given a mission and it’s time to accept the call from God. Jonah was given a mission too. It actually is the same call that we have on our lives today. He was told to go to a place with people who didn’t know God and tell them to follow the Lord. The call for them would be to repent of their sins and start doing that which was pleasing to God. Seems simple, right?

This was anything but simple. Nineveh was a place that was filled with wickedness. This was not a group of people who you would want to hang out with. There were of course other issues as well. Jonah had other things he could be doing with his time. He had work, stuff to take care of at home, social gatherings, and maybe even important ministry with people who were easier to deal with. God’s mission is not always easy or convenient but it is important.

We have been given a mission. Jesus called us to go into the world and make disciples. He calls us to live as witnesses of who He is. We need to take this call seriously. We need to be obedient to God. So let’s take a moment to evaluate our lives. Are we living on mission? Are we doing what God has called us to do? God has given us a mission and now it is our turn to accept it.

Page 8 Jonah

CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER Use these questions to review your week, open the topic, and get to know the people in your group.

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Give everyone a chance to introduce or reacquaint themself. Use the Group Roster to capture the names and contact info of your group members.

2. Read the Group Agreement at the beginning of this booklet. These simple guidelines will help the group discussions run smoothly and allow everyone to have a meaningful experience.

3. When you hear the word “evangelism,” what do you think about?

What about the word “mission”?

4. What does your normal week look like? Who are the people in your areas of influence?

5. What are the biggest challenges to being on mission for God? More specifically, what are the biggest challenges to sharing your faith with others?

The Mission Page 9

DISCUSS THE WORD Look into these passages to dig deeper into the topic.

What is God teaching in these verses?

1.

Read Jonah 1:1-2. Who is Jonah and what is God asking him to do?

2. Read Matthew 28:19-20. What is Jesus’ command to His followers?

How does He tell them to do this?

3. Read Acts 1:8. What is Jesus saying His followers will do? How are they going to accomplish this?

4. What is the significance of the places mentioned in Acts 1:8? Why would this be surprising to Jesus’ followers?

5. What do all three of these passages have in common? How are they different?

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TAKE IT HOME Consider the implications for your own life. What is God teaching you? How can you live this out in your world?

1.

Do you believe that God’s command in these verses is for you and if so, how are you doing at living the mission that God has given to you?

2. Be more specific. Where do you think God is calling you to make disciples and be a witness? How has He equipped you to do this?

3. Who can you share faith with this week?

TALK WITH GOD

Take a moment to pray as a group and dedicate this series to His will and work in your lives. ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

The Mission Page 11

Gathering TWO - Getting DistraCted Sermon Notes - January 14, 2024 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Page 12

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Getting Distracted Jonah 1:3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish.

Jonah 1:3a

Have you ever felt too busy? Have you ever been distracted? Have you ever had something that you were supposed to do but you just didn’t want to? This is how Jonah felt about the mission that God had given to him.

God told Jonah to go to Nineveh but instead Jonah headed for Tarshish. For Jonah, Tarshish was about as far away from Nineveh as he could possibly think to go. It was about 2,500 miles in the opposite direction. He wanted to put as much distance between himself and God’s plan as was humanly possible. The problem is there is no distance that we can run to get away from God. This doesn’t stop us from trying though. Sometimes we run because, like Jonah, we just don’t want to do what God is asking. Sometimes we unintentionally run in the wrong direction. Tarshish doesn’t have to be a distant land. It can be a busy time at work. Tarshish can be a TV show, a group of friends, an overwhelming season of life, or even things like laziness or pride. Tarshish is anything that pulls us away from mission. It is what we put in the place where God should be.

Last week we talked about the mission that God has given to all believers. As we evaluate how we are doing at making fully committed followers of Jesus, we need to also evaluate the things that might get in the way. Is there a distraction that has been causing you to ignore God’s call in your life? Is there something that you have been using as an excuse to not do what He desires? What is your Tarshish and how can you keep your mind off of that distraction, instead remain focused on the call to make disciples?

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CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER Use these questions to review your week, open the topic, and get to know the people in your group.

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If you are a new group together, make sure to all share your names again so that everyone knows each other’s names without having to look at the roster.

2. What prayer requests were shared last week that need to be updated?

3. What is one high and one low from the last week?

4. Where is your favorite place to go on vacation? If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would it be?

5. When you need to get away from things, where do you go and/or what do you do?

Getting Distracted Page 15

DISCUSS THE WORD Look into these passages to dig deeper into the topic.

What is God teaching in these verses?

1.

Read Jonah 1:3. Why is Jonah going to Tarshish when he was told to go to Nineveh? Why is Tarshish the place that he chose?

2. Why do you think Jonah thought he would be able to run from God?

3. How aware are you of God’s presence with you at all times? Are there moments where you live like you are distant from God? If you could see God right next to you at all times, would it change the way you live certain parts of your life?

4. Read Psalm 119:9-16. What does this tell us to do in order to stay on the right path?

5. Read Romans 1:16. In what ways might Christians appear to be ashamed of the gospel? How does understanding the gospel’s power help us to not run away from sharing it?

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TAKE IT HOME Consider the implications for your own life. What is God teaching you? How can you live this out in your world?

1.

What might be a Tarshish in your own life? What are the things that distract you from living out the commands of God?

2. How is your own personal relationship with God? Does your time with God motivate you to share His love with others?

3. How can you demonstrate the gospel truth this week in all your areas of influence? Think through your schedule and think about how you will be a light in every place that you will be this week.

TALK WITH GOD

Pray against the things that distract us from living the mission that God has called us to live. Pray for a heart that longs to go where God has called you to go. ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ Getting Distracted Page 17

Gathering Three - God Cares More Sermon Notes - January 21, 2024 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Page 18

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God Cares More Jonah 1:4-17 So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?” He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”

Jonah 1:8-9 Jonah was trying to run from God. It wasn’t just God though, he was also running away from those who needed to hear the message that God had given him. Jonah was running away from his calling as a prophet.

In the middle of his attempt to get away, God uses him to be a light for the sailors. God allowed Jonah to get on that boat, knowing that he would ultimately end up in Nineveh. God let him go because He had a plan to use Jonah in more ways than one.

Many times we are like this reluctant prophet. We want to do our own thing and don’t want to do the hard work of evangelism. We just want to be comfortable, and living on mission is not always easy. We might even find ourselves trying to sleep when God has work for us to do. The truth is, even when we are going where God has called us to go, we still don’t care about the lost in the way that God does.

God orchestrated a miraculous storm to get Jonah to share the gospel. Sometimes we need a not-so-gentle nudge to get us out of our comfort zone. God used the storm to get the sailors’ attention and he placed Jonah on that boat so that they could hear about the “Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”

This whole time God is showing Jonah how deep His love is for His creation. He wants us to be a part of reaching the lost. Even when we get it, we still won’t care as much as God does. We need to continue to allow our hearts to be transformed to be more like God’s heart because God always cares more.

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CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER Use these questions to review your week, open the topic, and get to know the people in your group.

1.

Go around and share one high and one low from the week. If something is really heavy, pause and pray for whomever is going through the tough time.

2. How did everyone do at demonstrating the gospel this week? Was there anything that got in the way? (Don’t use this time to judge but to celebrate the good and to encourage those who didn’t meet their goals.)

3. If your house was on fire, all your family and pets are okay, and you only had time to grab five things (don’t worry about how big or small they are), which five things would you grab?

4. If we were to ask those who know you best, what is the thing you most care about, what would they say?

5. What do you think God cares the most about?

God Cares More Page 21

DISCUSS THE WORD Look into these passages to dig deeper into the topic.

What is God teaching in these verses?

1.

Read Jonah 1:4-17. Summarize this section in one sentence. What does God want us to understand through this story?

2. How do you normally feel about storms? Why did God send this particular storm?

3. What happened to the sailors at the end of this passage? What would have happened to them if Jonah had immediately obeyed God? Do you think this is a fortunate coincidence or something else?

4. Read Luke 15. Who are the heroes of these three stories? Who do they represent? What does this tell us about the nature of God?

5. Look at the older brother’s attitude at the end of Luke 15. What are some practical examples of how Christians sometimes reflect the attitude of the older brother towards the lost? What would have been a better response from the older brother?

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TAKE IT HOME Consider the implications for your own life. What is God teaching you? How can you live this out in your world?

1.

How often do you think about the fact that many people around you do not know Jesus? How does this thought impact what you do and say in your normal life?

2. Why is it important to understand God’s heart for the lost? How can you continue to grow in that knowledge?

3. What kinds of behavior or attitudes do you see in others that turn you away from demonstrating love? How would God respond to those people?

TALK WITH GOD

Pray that God would help us to care more. Pray that God would give each of us the heart of an evangelist. Pray that we would not be okay with anyone not hearing the gospel message. Below write the names of some people who you have neglected to pray for. ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

God Cares More Page 23

Gathering four - The Hope of the Gospel Sermon Notes - January 28, 2024 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Page 24

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The Hope of the Gospel Page 25

The Hope of the Gospel Jonah 2:1-10 “But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you.

What I have vowed I will make good.

I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’”

Jonah 2:9 Have you ever received good news? Maybe you found out you got the job of your dreams or a big promotion. Maybe you learned that you were having a baby. Maybe your realtor called to say you got the house you had put in an offer for. We all like getting good news. What is the best news you have ever received?

The answer for Christians should be a simple one. When we hear the news that we can be forgiven from our sins and given life through Jesus Christ, it is the best news ever. There is nothing else that will compare.

That is why this news is called the gospel. Gospel means good news. The message of Jesus is very good news indeed.

Typically when we get good news, we want to share it. Social media is filled with the good news of our friends and families. We often know the good and exciting things happening in people’s lives, because people want to share it. The question we must ask is, do we share the good news of Jesus Christ in the same way that we share about our child’s first step or the game our team won?

When we think about what it means to be an evangelist, we must consider how good the gospel really is. We need to start from a place of understanding how the gospel affects our own lives. From there we began to think about how it can impact those around us. We should also pause to consider the ramifications for those who never hear this wonderful news.

If we know the best news ever, shouldn’t we share it with those around us? If we know that this news leads to eternal life, why would we not do everything we can to make it known? Let’s consider the gospel message today and think about what it would take to love sharing it with those in our areas of influence.

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CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER Use these questions to review your week, open the topic, and get to know the people in your group.

1.

What prayer requests were shared last week that need to be updated? Share a high and a low from the week.

2. Other than the gospel, what was the best news you ever received?

3. What is something that if it happened, you would rejoice? (This doesn’t have to be deep. It can be something like a sports team winning, getting a raise, or your teenager finally listening to you!)

4. How do you respond to good news? Do you dance? Shout? Share the news?

5. Who shared the gospel with you?

The Hope of the Gospel Page 27

DISCUSS THE WORD Look into these passages to dig deeper into the topic.

What is God teaching in these verses?

1.

Jonah 2:1-10. What can we learn about God from Jonah’s prayer?

Was this a new revelation for Jonah or something he had just forgotten about?

2. How does Jonah’s understanding of God in the belly of the fish change his actions in the future?

3. Read Ephesians 2:1-10. What does this passage teach us about God and His love for us? What does this say about who we are?

4. Based on these two passages, how would you explain the gospel, in one minute or less, to someone who has never heard it?

5. What does the Bible say about: • Who God is.

• Who we are in relationship to God before accepting Christ.

• What Jesus did for us.

• Who we are in relationship to God with Christ.

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TAKE IT HOME Consider the implications for your own life. What is God teaching you? How can you live this out in your world?

1.

How many times have you shared the gospel with someone else?

2. If the gospel is “good news,” why do you think we often treat it with less excitement than many other things in life? How can we start to switch that?

3. How has the gospel impacted you? Why is it important to you?

Think about sharing your story with someone this week. Who is God putting on your heart to share with?

TALK WITH GOD

Praise God for revealing the gospel truth to you. Pray for those who have never heard that message, that they would hear and receive. __________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ The Hope of the Gospel

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Gathering five - The Power of Preaching Sermon Notes - February 4, 2024 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Page 30

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The Power of Preaching Page 31

the power of preaching Jonah 3:1-10

Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”

Jonah 3:1-2 You know the old saying, “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” At this stage of life, we all know that simply isn’t true. Words have great power. Proverbs 18:21 says that words have the power of life and death. James has quite a bit to say about the power of the tongue. Our words can do great harm to people, but they can also help to give life.

St. Francis Assisi is quoted as saying, “Preach the gospel at all times, use words if necessary.” The idea is that our entire life should be a gospel proclamation. However, there will be a time where words are necessary.

Speaking the word of God is important and valuable. It is something that every Christian needs to do at many different points in their life.

Sharing the gospel message with someone can be scary. You don’t know how everyone will respond. You might even know that the person you want to share with will respond poorly. Someone might ask you a question that you don’t have the answer to. These fears are real and valid but they shouldn’t stop us from proclaiming the gospel truth. People need to know about Jesus and those who know Him, need to find the courage to speak.

When Jonah preached the message that God had called Him to preach, an entire nation repented and turned towards God. God has given us a message to share with all those around us. Jesus said that we need to go and make disciples of all nations, teaching them to obey everything that He commanded us. Making disciples means that we are inviting people into a relationship with Christ. It means that we need to tell them who God is, who they are, and what God has done for them. We have to use words and share the gospel with those around us. Who knows, you might just have the same kind of impact that Jonah had.

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CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER Use these questions to review your week, open the topic, and get to know the people in your group.

1.

What have you learned about someone in the group? Encourage a group member by thanking them for showing up and sharing.

2. Share one high and low from your week.

3. What is something that someone said that you will never forget, good or bad?

4. As a group, try and organize yourselves in some way without using word. (i.e., line up by birthday, get in alphabetical order based on your middle name, etc.).

5. Why are words so important?

The Power of Preaching Page 33

DISCUSS THE WORD Look into these passages to dig deeper into the topic.

What is God teaching in these verses?

1.

Read Jonah 3:1-10. What was God’s message to Jonah? How do we know what God wants from us?

2. What message did Jonah preach to the people of Nineveh? How did the people respond?

3. Read Proverbs 18:21. Think specifically of how these words are true for Christians. How can your words bring death? How can they bring life?

4. Look back at Jonah’s message to Nineveh. How much information did he need to give? Why were these simple words so powerful?

5. Read 2 Timothy 3:16. How can this verse help to simplify our approach to sharing the gospel? Whose words are we really trying to share?

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TAKE IT HOME Consider the implications for your own life. What is God teaching you? How can you live this out in your world?

1.

How confident are you in speaking the gospel message to others?

What concerns do you have? How can you grow in your confidence and comfortability in speaking the gospel?

2. What are some things you can do that will help others engage in gospel-centered conversations with you?

3. Practice makes perfect, right? Practice sharing the gospel with your group or someone else. Then reach out to someone you know who isn’t a Christian and ask them if you can practice giving a brief explanation of what the Bible says. Let them know this is to help you, but you would love to know what questions they might have at the end of your brief explanation. Then let them know you are happy to have a follow up if they have any questions.

TALK WITH GOD

Pause and think about the people in your life who do not know Christ. Pray that God would give you an opportunity to share the gospel with them.

Pray that He would give you the words to say and the courage to share. __________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________

The Power of Preaching Page 35

Gathering six - Transforming your heart Sermon Notes - February 11, 2024 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Page 36

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Transforming Your Heart Page 37

Transforming your heart Jonah 4:1-11

I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.

Jonah 4:2b In 2004, Christian Bale portrayed an insomniac named Trevor Reznik in the movie “The Machinist.” In order to look the part, Bale lost 60 pounds in 4 months. He did this by following a strict diet in which he ate only one can of tuna fish and one apple per day, the equivalent of about 260 calories. These were extreme measures for an extreme transformation.

Jonah didn’t necessarily want to be transformed but he still went through an extreme process of his own.

Jonah needed an act of God and multiple reminders to understand the heart that God wanted him to have. The story actually ends with Jonah upset that God had compassion on the people of Nineveh. We never see him fully get it. While he finally obeyed God, Chapter Four reveals he did it against his will. He wanted the people of Nineveh to be judged for their actions instead of receiving mercy.

God demonstrated compassion on Jonah in the final chapter. He wanted to give Jonah another chance to have his heart transformed. Maybe that’s what happened in the end. After all, it is believed that Jonah wrote the book. Perhaps he wrote to share what God had done in his own life as much as with those in Nineveh. Maybe after the storm, being swallowed by a fish, seeing Nineveh repent, and then his encounter with the plant, he finally understood God’s heart for the lost.

The question is, how is your heart? Do you long to see people far from God come to a saving faith in Jesus? Or do you think like Jonah, longing for people to experience judgment? Do you welcome people where they are at, or expect people to behave a certain way before they can belong? Jesus made our instructions clear, go and make disciples.

The question is, do you have the heart of an evangelist, or do you need to experience transformation?

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Jonah

CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER Use these questions to review your week, open the topic, and get to know the people in your group.

1.

Start again by sharing one high and low from the week.

2. What have been some of the best parts of this study? How have they challenged you in your relationships with those who do not believe?

3. If you could give yourself one new ability or trait, what would it be?

4. What is something you think you are good at that wasn’t natural for you? How did you gain this ability?

5. How has your relationship with Christ changed you?

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DISCUSS THE WORD Look into these passages to dig deeper into the topic.

What is God teaching in these verses?

1.

Read Jonah 4:1-11. What does the author want us to know about God and how we live in response to Him?

2. Why is Jonah angry? (Read Jonah 3:10 if you can’t remember.)

Does Jonah have a right to be angry here? Why or why not?

3. How would you feel about God saving someone who you considered to be evil or an enemy?

4. Read Matthew 9:11-13. What are the Pharisees upset about? Why is Jesus eating with “sinners” and not the religious people? How would you feel if Jesus went to share a meal with an atheist instead of coming to your house?

5. Read Matthew 28:19-20. Think about the phrase “all nations.” Who does that include? Why would this statement have been hard for first century Christians? What nations were included? What does this mean for our outreach today?

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Jonah

TAKE IT HOME Consider the implications for your own life. What is God teaching you? How can you live this out in your world?

1.

How is your heart for the lost? Does it need some work? What can you do to love more like God than Jonah or the Pharisees?

2. Who can you share faith with this week? Who can you invite to church?

3. Congratulations: You completed this series on Jonah! How are you going to celebrate as a group? Make sure you thank everyone for coming. (Maybe you can meet for pizza?) Figure out if you would like to continue as a group. Discuss what you would like to study next. (If you want to continue to talk about evangelism and how you can make sharing faith easier, consider the RightNow Media series called “Tactics.”)

TALK WITH GOD

Pray for your own heart to be conformed to the heart of God. Pray that you would see the world and all those around you through God’s eyes and not your own. __________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________

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Leaders’ Notes Thank you for leading your group. You are key to this group’s spiritual growth and personal enjoyment during this series.

Here are some important reminders as you prepare to lead.

1.

You are the discussion leader, not the teacher. The dynamic of a small group is interaction. The sermon on Sunday is the primary lesson. Your role is not to re-teach the lesson but to get everyone to interact over the topic.

2. Use the study guide. The best way to get people to talk is to ask questions. The study guide is a resource for you to get good questions into the group for discussion. You do not have to answer every question. Use the ones that are most helpful and create your own.

3. There are three basic activities for leading an effective small group.

Spend around 20-30 minutes in each of these activities.

•

Connect: Talk to each other about life. Encourage the members to share what is happening in their personal lives.

•

Discuss: Talk about the Word. Go as deep as you want as you open the Bible.

•

Pray: Talk to God. Take time to pray for each other and for our church to stay on mission.

4. Manage the conversation. The one thing that can destroy a successful small group experience is someone who monopolizes the time with talking … even if it is the leader. Your primary responsibility is to make sure that no one “over-talks” and everyone has an opportunity to join in the discussion.

Thank you for your shepherding leadership over your group.

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Leaders Notes

Resources for Further Study Books •

Tactics. Greg Koukl

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Questioning Evangelism. Randy Newman

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Evangelism in a Skeptical World. Sam Chan

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Shaped by the Gospel. Tim Keller

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Turning Everyday Conversations into Gospel Conversations.

Jimmy Scroggins and Steve Wright

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Reason for God. Tim Keller

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Confronting Christianity. Rebecca McLaughlin

RightNow Media •

The Book of Jonah. Eric Mason, 8 sessions

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How to Read Jonah. Tim Mackie, 1 session

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The 10 Worst Objections to Christianity. Sean McDowell, 10 sessions

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Tactics. Brett Gregory Koukl. 8 sessions

RightNow Media is our gift to you! It truly is the Netflix of Christian Bible study with video resources for leaders, small groups, parents, teens, and kids. Get started with your free account by scanning the QR code.

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CHRIST COMMUNITY CHURCH 5025 MANZANITA AVE CARMICHAEL, CA 95608