preached by Pastor James Harleman

The prophet Elisha was dead, Amos wouldn’t be around for forty years, and since the reign of Solomon the nation had been split into the southern kingdom of Judah and the northern kingdom Israel. During that forty year window, the only recorded prophet who brought God’s word to the people was a slippery dude named Jonah… a belligerent bigot who flips God the bird with good intentions and shows how complex our sin can be, even when we are part of God’s family.

Our 4-week series on the biblical book of Jonah begins, exploring the titular prophet’s response to God’s calling. In the first chapter we see he doesn’t just tell God “get out of town”, he tries to show God exactly how that’s done. God is not amused…

Jonah is a rich, sobering text with intriguing historical and literary qualities that are worth savoring, meditating on, and conversing about. It also highlights many of our own failings in relationship with God, walking according to the unique calling He has for each of our lives.

• In what areas are we presently shirking a responsibility God has laid on us?
• Where are we withholding time, treasure, talent, or movement in a direction God has put on our heart?
• Are we even doing good and godly things to distract others, ourselves, or even God from the fact that we aren’t following the course he has charted for us?
• Are we seeking to manipulate God to achieve our own, desired, even “righteous” outcomes?

Bottom line: are we going to be used in LIGHT of God’s direction, or is He going to get his glory in SPITE of our direction? God will get His glory, one way or another.

Jonah Episode One:
THE REBELLIOUS PROPHET
preached by Pastor James Harleman

Listen right here by clicking the play button above.

You can also download the mp3 by clicking (or right clicking and “save as”) HERE.

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