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Group Discussion
Questions for facilitating dynamic discussion
Jonah & The Lost Cause
August 2,2025
Week 1: God's Involvement
Jeff Griffin
Jonah 1
Jonah turned his back on Nineveh, certain they were beyond hope, but God saw a different story. God’s vision for saving people went beyond the chosen people of Israel. And in spite of Jonah’s reluctance, God still wanted him (as He wants us) to be a part of His rescue mission.
What chore or activity would you do anything to get out of doing?
1. When it comes to evangelism, or sharing the story of your faith journey, how comfortable are you on a scale of 1 to 10?
2. Read Jonah 1:1-3. In response to God’s call to preach in Nineveh, Jonah runs away. Jeff mentioned why this was in his sermon, but we can also find the answer in Jonah 3:10-4:3. Why did he run away?
3. Consider what Jonah’s response reveals about his understanding of God. What was he attempting to do by boarding the ship to Tarshish. Read Psalm 139:7-12. Jonah would have been familiar with this Psalm. What should he have known about God? How can this be a comfort to us as we consider sharing about Jesus with those who don’t know him?
“even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.” (Psalm 139:10, NLT)
4. Read Jonah 1:4-9. How is God’s involvement in Jonah’s journey evident here (v.4 & v. 7)? As Jeff pointed out, using the PEARL acronym, the sailors accelerated things so that Jonah went past P-E-A to revealing his story - and he got it right. What part of his story do you think was most pertinent to the sailors in that moment?
5. Now read Jonah 1:10-16. The sailors were leaning on Jonah for a solution to their perilous situation. What was his response? How did they feel about it? What other solution might Jonah have offered? (He could have told them to repent of their sins and he could have repented of his). Jonah still seemed focused on God’s wrath and not His grace and mercy. What did he miss out on by his misunderstanding of God’s heart toward unbelievers? What can we learn from this?
As you consider your neighbors and how God could use you to reach them as part of His rescue mission, ask God to reveal ways that you need to understand Him better. Ask Him to show you how He is already working behind the scenes to help you be His witness to the world.
“Even we can be used by God to help others find Him.” ~ Pastor Jeff