One of the things that validates God’s work on the earth is the lives that he changes. The Gospel can change people dramatically. This change is not normal, but when we see it, it reminds us of God’s amazing grace. No one, no matter how evil and brutal, is beyond God’s grace. The characteristic of joy is central to the portion of Scripture we are studying this time. The text we study today is Mark 2:18-22, and I’ve titled our study “The Gospel Pattern.”
Today, we wrap up our study in the incredible book of Jonah. If you have followed along in this journey, you know our theme has been the hearts we see throughout the book of Jonah. We have reflected on the heart of God, the heart of the sailors, the heart of the Ninevites, and the heart of Jonah.
As we wrap up the theme of hearts in Jonah today, we turn our gaze inward and look at our own hearts. The author of this book does a fantastic job of grabbing the person reading and giving them a good shake. We look at the lessons that Jonah has for us as a church and ask ourselves some questions: What about me? Is my heart like God’s? What has captured my heart?
When you put a candle in the flame, it goes from hard to soft, but if you put a piece of bread in the same flame, it becomes stiff and rigid. This illustrates today’s lesson: the same flame has an opposite effect depending on the material it burns. Jesus’ grace had a different impact on two groups: sinners and religious people. In this episode, “The Offense of Grace,” we look at Mark 2:13-17 and follow the actions and reactions to the grace of Jesus and see how it can both be restorative and offensive.
In this passage of Jonah, we see the prophet furious that God forgave the Ninevites. In contrast, we see God respond with patience and compassion toward Jonah. What was going on in Jonah’s heart in chapter 4? It seems Jonah believed he had been forgiven only a little.
Like Jonah, we tend towards self-justification. But the truth is that our sins are great, and we have all been forgiven much. The question is: do I believe I’m not that bad and have only been forgiven a little? Or do I recognize that I’ve been forgiven a lot?
The forgiveness we experience from Jesus is unique and powerful. Today, we reflect on the story of the paralytic being forgiven and healed in Mark 2:1-12. Jesus uses the healing of a paralyzed man to illustrate how our decisions affect our lives and our relationship with Him. In this episode, “Jesus Forgives and Heals,” we learn about how Jesus redeems and restores broken things.
How An Entire City's Heart Changed || Jonah 3:1-10
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Have you ever found yourself wondering if God hears? This is a question that reaches to the core of who we are. Does God hear? Nineveh, a wicked city, gets God’s attention, and He hears. They cried out to God, and He showed them His incredible, life-changing mercy.
What did the Ninevites do to get God’s attention? As we look at Jonah 3, I see four things they did which we still need to do today. These actions—believing, humbling, crying, and repenting—are things we need to continue doing all our lives.
Last time, we discussed the authority of the servant, and today we will examine a few practical areas of Jesus’ ministry that are worth considering and applying to our lives. Jesus was here on earth and lived among us. In this episode, “The Ministry of the Servant,” we’ll be looking at Mark 1:35-45, where Mark’s record of Jesus’ early ministry provides a template for us to follow in our service for Christ.
Are you in a pit? We all go through hard times, and being in a pit is challenging. These seasons test our faith and prompt us to wrestle with profound questions about God and ourselves. In Jonah 1:17-3:10, Jonah is in the belly of the fish—his pit. He is at his lowest point, physically and spiritually. He chose a path away from God. The good news is that God’s heart is for all people, and he wasn’t out to destroy Jonah.
In Jonah’s pit, God gets Jonah’s attention, and his response shows us what we should do when we are in a pit. We see Jonah doing three significant things in his pit—he prays, he believes, and he praises.
Authority has often been abused. The problem is not authority, but rather our own sinfulness. In Mark 1:21-24, Jesus demonstrates his authority in both the physical and spiritual realms. His authority over three different things—over definition, over demons, and over disease. Join us as we look at “The Authority of the Servant.”
Throughout Jonah 1:5-16, we see how the prophet Jonah said one thing but lived another. However, the pagan sailors, who did not know God, were sensitive to Him and worshipped him genuinely. On this episode, “The Heart of the Sailors,” we see how the sailors’ response to their fears shows Jonah who He should be. It challenges us to be authentic and to ask ourselves the question, “Who really am I?”
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