Sunday Message: "Jonah: It's Not About Me Anymore"

Do you believe in miracles? I think most would say, "Yes!" But let me ask it another way: Do you believe a man could be thrown into the ocean, sink to the bottom, be there long enough for seaweed to wrap around his head, then get swallowed by a giant fish, stay in it's belly for 3 days, then be hurled up onto the shore and live to tell about it?

Do you still believe in miracles? I hope so, because our God is in control of the supernatural as well as the natural.

But that said, the miracle of Jonah's life being saved is not the story in the book that bears his name. Rather, the story is all about God's love for the worst of the worst. Nineveh was a city known at the time to be the most "evil" city in all the world. 600,000 residents had no regard for truth, morality, or the existence of God. And yet, God called out to them.

The real miracle - the one that made Jonah's head spin - was that God truly loved these

blasphemous pagans. The God of the universe - pure, holy, and righteous - had mercy on the most evil city in the land. In Jonah's view, had was thinking, "What business does God have extending grace and mercy to such an undeserving lot? Doesn't he have his hands full with the Israelites already?"

Jonah is a great read. Average readers will finish all 4 chapters in 5 minutes. I encourage you to check it out between now and Sunday, at which point we'll delve into the application together. See you Sunday!

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