FOLLOW-UP FROM LAST WEEK: How did last week’s challenge go for you? What went well? What challenges did you face?
Begin group time with 2 minutes of silent prayer. Assume a comfortable position and repeat the phrase “Come Holy Spirit” to yourself as you breathe. If your mind wanders, that's okay—simply notice it, repeat the phrase, and return your focus. After the silence, invite someone from the group to close in prayer.
READ OUT LOUD AS A GROUP: Jonah 3:1-10
Q1 – Reflect on the concept of sovereign contingency. How has your church background and experience shaped your belief in God’s overall control and man’s responsibility? How did this message encourage or challenge your assumptions?
DEFINITION: Sovereign Contingency - God is fully in control of everything (He is sovereign), but He also allows us to make choices in real time that have true significance (contingency).
DISCUSS: “The foundation you build something on becomes what you sustain it by.”
Q2 – Is there an area in your life where you expect God to bless something that wasn’t built on His foundation? What foundational changes need to occur inside of your family, business, or friendships to be aligned with God’s design for human flourishing?
READ OUT LOUD AS A GROUP: Joel 2:11-14
Q3 – When you imagine turning back to God, what image of Him do you see? Is he angry or compassionate? How does this compare with the God we encounter in Jonah 3 and Joel 2:11-14?
Q4 – Are you postured to receive and believe the word of God? What needs to change in order for this to be true for you? (A change of heart, your schedule, an idol that needs to be repented from, etc.) What type of soil represents your heart right now? (from The Parable of the Sower - Luke 8:1-15).
DISCUSS: “The Christian journey is a constant turning away from idols and turning towards the living God, reshaping our lives around His will and purposes.” — N.T. Wright
Q5 – What idols are you currently wrestling with, and how are they affecting your relationship with God?
Q6 – Are you postured to move and act on the Word? What specific changes might need to happen for this to be a reality in your life?
CORPORATE REPENTANCE: The entire city of Nineveh turned to God. What would corporate repentance look like in your community group, family, friendships, or church? How can we seek God together?
Spend discussing as a group and then end group time in prayer.
CHALLENGE:
Witness - This will be the challenge for the entire JONAH series!
Think of somebody in your context that you tend to look at like the Ninevites, a person you believe to be far from God. You may even actively dislike or disdain this person or people. Seek the Lord and ask for an assignment. Go out of your way this week to pursue them and witness to the good news about Jesus and their redemption. This is going to be the challenge for the entire month so take time to develop relationships, actually get to know them, offer hospitality, speak with truth, love, and vulnerability, and extend to them the invitation of Jesus.
