From Running to Returning | Numb and Numb-er | Menlo Church Live Stream

Devotional

Day 1: God’s Mercy Offers Unlimited Chances

God graciously repeats His call and offers us as many chances as we need, never giving up on us even when we have failed, run away, or feel unworthy. No matter how many times we try to escape or feel like we’ve missed our opportunity, God’s grace brings us back to the starting line, inviting us to step into His purpose again. He does not scold or shame us, but gently calls us to try again, reminding us that His plans for us remain, regardless of our past mistakes or current discouragement. If you feel like you’ve been disqualified by your failures or circumstances, remember that God’s mercy is not a one-time offer—it is as persistent and patient as you need it to be. [27:26]

Jonah 3:1-3 (ESV)
Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord.

Reflection: Where in your life do you need to accept God’s invitation to begin again, trusting that His mercy is not limited by your past failures?

Day 2: Actions Are Easier to Move Than Attitudes

It is often simpler to obey God outwardly than to let Him transform our hearts, and we can find ourselves going through the motions—serving, praying, or giving—while our hearts remain cold or resistant. Like Jonah, we may do what God asks with clenched teeth, checking the box of obedience but missing the joy and compassion that should accompany it. God desires more than our habits and routines; He wants our hearts to be aligned with His mercy, not just our hands with His mission. True transformation happens when our attitudes catch up with our actions, and we allow God to soften us from the inside out. [29:12]

Reflection: Is there an area where you are obeying God outwardly but resisting Him inwardly? What would it look like to invite God to change your attitude, not just your actions, today?

Day 3: God’s Mercy Moves Even When Ours Doesn’t

God’s mercy is not limited by our reluctance or lack of compassion; He can work through us even when our hearts are not fully engaged, and His love reaches people we might overlook or resist. Jonah delivered a minimal, hope-less message, yet God used it to bring about a miraculous transformation in Nineveh, showing that His mercy is already at work before we even begin. The story reminds us that God’s grace is not dependent on our perfection or passion—He can use even our half-hearted efforts to accomplish His purposes and reach those we might consider beyond hope. [39:23]

Jonah 3:5-9 (ESV)
And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”

Reflection: Who in your life have you quietly decided is beyond God’s reach? How might you begin to pray for God’s mercy to move in their life, even if your own heart isn’t there yet?

Day 4: Repentance Is a Response to God’s Kindness

True repentance is not about feeling bad or trying to earn God’s favor, but about turning back to Him in response to His kindness and mercy that have already been extended to us. The people of Nineveh, with no prior knowledge of God, responded with genuine humility and surrender, modeling a repentance that was transformative, not just performative. God’s kindness leads us to repentance, and when we realize how much we have been loved and forgiven, we are freed from shame and invited into a deeper relationship with Him. Repentance becomes a doorway to greater faith and joy, not a burden to bear. [47:43]

Romans 2:4 (ESV)
Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

Reflection: When was the last time you allowed God’s kindness—not guilt or fear—to draw you into honest repentance? What step of surrender can you take today in response to His mercy?

Day 5: God’s Mercy Is for Everyone—Even Those We Struggle to Love

God’s mercy is wide enough to reach not only us but also those we find hardest to love, and He calls us to extend that same grace to others, even our enemies. Like Jonah, we may want grace for ourselves and judgment for others, but the heart of God is to love and forgive those we might consider undeserving. Jesus calls us to love our enemies and pray for them, challenging us to examine where we have grown numb to the wideness of His mercy. The true test of understanding grace is our willingness to give it away, especially to those we would rather avoid or condemn. [52:01]

Matthew 5:43-45 (ESV)
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

Reflection: Who is your “Nineveh”—the person or group you find hardest to love? What is one practical way you can show or pray for God’s mercy toward them this week?

Sermon Summary

It’s easy to do the right things for God—show up, serve, pray, give—while our hearts quietly drift into numbness. Sometimes the greatest distance in our spiritual lives isn’t between us and God, but between our outward obedience and our inward affection for Him. Jonah’s story is a mirror for us: a prophet who did all the right things with his hands and feet, but whose heart was cold and resistant to God’s mercy. Even after being rescued and given another chance, Jonah obeyed God’s command to go to Nineveh, but he did so begrudgingly, with no compassion for the people he was sent to reach.

God’s mercy, however, is relentless. He doesn’t tire of repeating Himself or inviting us back into His mission, no matter how many times we run or resist. Grace isn’t just a second chance—it’s as many chances as we need. God still wants us in His story, even when our hearts lag behind our actions. Yet, there’s a danger in moving in the right direction with the wrong disposition. We can be so focused on duty that we miss the heart of God’s mission: mercy.

Jonah’s eight-word sermon to Nineveh was devoid of hope or compassion, but God’s mercy was already at work. The people of Nineveh, despite having no prior relationship with God, responded with genuine repentance—humbling themselves, turning from violence, and seeking mercy. Their transformation was not performative but real, a testament to the power of God’s kindness to lead even the most unlikely people to repentance.

This story challenges us to examine our own hearts. Are we serving out of routine or relationship? Do we desire mercy for ourselves but judgment for others? God’s mission always begins with mercy, and His kindness is what draws us—and others—back to Him. The call is not just to do God’s work, but to do it with His heart, extending the same grace we have received to those we might consider beyond His reach. True repentance is not about shame or fear, but about responding to the God who has already moved toward us in love.

Key Takeaways

1. God’s mercy is patient and persistent, offering us not just a second chance, but as many chances as we need. Even when we run or resist, He graciously invites us back into His mission, reminding us that our failures do not disqualify us from His plans. Grace is not a limited resource; it is the ongoing invitation to return and participate in what God is doing. [27:26]
2. There is a subtle but significant danger in obeying God outwardly while our hearts remain cold or resistant. Actions are easier to move than attitudes, and it’s possible to serve, pray, or give without genuine compassion or love. God desires not just our hands and habits, but our hearts—He wants us to carry His mercy, not just complete His mission. [36:17]
3. God’s mercy often moves ahead of us, working in the hearts of others even when our own hearts are reluctant or numb. The transformation of Nineveh was not the result of Jonah’s eloquence or passion, but of God’s sovereign grace preparing the way. This reminds us that God can use even our imperfect obedience to accomplish His purposes, and that His mercy is not limited by our shortcomings. [39:23]
4. True repentance is not about feeling bad or making a public show, but about a genuine turning back to God. The people of Nineveh modeled a humility and surrender that stands in contrast to Jonah’s half-hearted compliance. Repentance is a posture, not a performance—it is about letting God’s kindness lead us to real change, both in our actions and our attitudes. [42:59]
5. We often want grace for ourselves and judgment for others, especially those we consider undeserving. Yet the very nature of mercy is that it is given to those who don’t deserve it. The call of Jesus is to love our enemies and pray for them, allowing God’s mercy to expand our hearts beyond our preferences and prejudices. The question is not just who needs to repent “out there,” but where we need to repent of our own resistance to the wideness of God’s grace. [52:01]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[19:42] - Doing the Right Thing for the Wrong Reasons
[20:59] - Jonah’s Heart and God’s Mission
[23:05] - Jonah’s Story Recap
[24:18] - Grace Brings Us Back to the Start
[25:25] - God’s Gracious Repetition
[26:29] - Obedience Without Compassion
[27:26] - Grace Is More Than a Second Chance
[28:33] - God’s Mission and God’s Mercy
[30:32] - Jonah’s Reluctant Preaching
[31:46] - Entering a Foreign World
[33:35] - Jonah’s Message: Judgment Without Hope
[35:17] - Obedience Without Joy
[37:21] - God’s Mercy Moves Ahead
[39:23] - Nineveh’s Repentance
[42:59] - The Posture of True Repentance
[47:08] - God’s Mission Starts With Mercy
[48:50] - The Gospel: Kindness Leads to Repentance
[50:23] - God Relents: Mercy Over Judgment
[52:01] - The Challenge of Loving Our Enemies
[54:11] - Personal Reflection and Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Jonah 3 (ESV) — 1 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying,
2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.”
3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth.
4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”
5 And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.
6 The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
7 And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water,
8 but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.
9 Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”
10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.

Romans 2:4 (ESV) — Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

Observation Questions

What was Jonah’s attitude as he obeyed God’s command to go to Nineveh? How do we know he was still struggling internally? [[26:29]]
What was the content of Jonah’s message to Nineveh, and what was missing from it? [[33:35]]
How did the people of Nineveh respond to Jonah’s message, and what actions did they take to show their response? [[39:23]]
According to the passage, what was God’s response to Nineveh’s repentance? [[50:23]]

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think God gave Jonah “as many chances as he needed” instead of just one or two? What does this reveal about God’s character? [[27:26]]
The sermon says, “Actions are easier to move than attitudes.” Why is it possible to serve, pray, or give without genuine compassion or love? [[36:17]]
The people of Nineveh had no prior relationship with God, yet they responded with humility and repentance. What does this say about the power of God’s mercy and the way He works in people’s hearts? [[39:23]]
The king of Nineveh stepped down from his throne and humbled himself. How does this contrast with Jonah’s own response to God? [[41:55]]

Application Questions

The sermon asks, “Are you showing up to God’s mission, but missing His mercy?” Can you think of a time when you did the right thing for God, but your heart wasn’t really in it? What was going on inside you at that time? [[19:42]]
Is there a person, group, or type of people that you find hard to love or show mercy to? How might God be inviting you to see them differently? [[28:33]]
Jonah obeyed God outwardly but lacked compassion. Are there areas in your life where you are “checking the box” spiritually but not engaging your heart? What would it look like to invite God to soften your heart in those areas? [[36:17]]
The people of Nineveh responded to a message of judgment with genuine repentance. When you sense conviction or correction from God, do you tend to respond with humility or with defensiveness? Why? [[42:59]]
The sermon points out that we often want grace for ourselves and judgment for others. Can you identify a situation where you have wanted God’s mercy for yourself but struggled to want it for someone else? What would it look like to pray for that person or group this week? [[52:01]]
God’s kindness leads us to repentance, not shame or fear. How does this truth change the way you think about your own need to repent or change? [[48:50]]
The story ends with God relenting from judgment because of Nineveh’s response. Is there an area in your life where you need to “step down from your throne” and humble yourself before God? What practical step could you take this week to do that? [[41:55]]

Sermon Clips

``After all of his running, after his rebelling, after almost drowning, God isn't offering him a second chance. Sometimes we say grace is a second chance. No, no. Grace is as many chances as you need. And that's such good news. He just gives Jonah the next chance that he needs. [00:27:29] (17 seconds) #GraceIsUnlimited

You can do the work of God while being far from the ways of God. And that is really the question that this passage keeps landing right in our labs. Are you? Are you showing up to God's mission, but missing his mercy? I wanna see God change people, but is it because I care about them? [00:36:32] (18 seconds) #ServeWithMercy

Repentance is not about feeling bad. It's about turning back to the person and the ways of God. It's not about a post. It's about a posture. Nineveh shows us what that looks like. The whole city from this palace to the pasture begins in a spirit of sorrow and surrender, grieving and fasting. They stopped the violence that they had been defined by. [00:43:09] (26 seconds) #TrueRepentancePosture

It's amazing how often in my life, I don't, maybe this is just me. It's amazing how often in my life I want grace for me and judgment for everybody else. No, no, let me say it different. It's amazing in my life how much I want grace for people like me and judgment for everyone else. That's Jonah. [00:46:03] (26 seconds) #GraceForMeJudgmentForOthers

The gospel, the good news of Jesus is, entirely different. It says that it's God's kindness that leads you and me to repentance. It's actually loving people well, that God's mercy moves first before we ever chose to turn to him. He has already turned towards us. [00:47:54] (18 seconds) #MercyLeadsToRepentance

We love grace when we receive it, but we resist it when it reaches someone we don't think deserves it. Let me put it this way. We're called to love our enemies and to pray for them. Think about the prayers you have for your enemies. If God answered your prayers for your enemies, would it look like redemption or revenge? Are you praying about your enemies? Smite them, God. Are you praying for them? The way of Jesus is to love them and to pray for them. [00:52:10] (31 seconds) #LovePrayForEnemies

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