Embracing Second Chances: Jonah's Journey of Redemption

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. Jonah 3:1-10
2. 1 John 4:4
3. 2 Corinthians 5:17

#### Observation Questions
1. What was Jonah's initial reaction to God's command to go to Nineveh, and how did it change the second time God called him? [39:07]
2. How did the Ninevites respond to Jonah's message, and what actions did they take to show their repentance? [50:07]
3. What was the significance of Jonah's message being only eight words long, and how did it impact the people of Nineveh? [45:04]
4. How did Sarah's faith and actions in Tanzania parallel Jonah's story, and what was the outcome of her obedience? [01:05:13]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why do you think God gave Jonah a second chance despite his initial disobedience? What does this tell us about God's character? [39:07]
2. How does Jonah's story illustrate the concept that "extraordinary moves of God begin with ordinary acts of obedience"? [38:02]
3. In what ways does the urgency of God's mercy, as seen in the 40-day warning to Nineveh, apply to our lives today? [46:55]
4. How does the transformation of the Ninevites challenge our perceptions of who is beyond redemption? [50:07]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt you were given a second chance by God. How did you respond, and what was the outcome? [39:07]
2. Jonah's obedience led to a massive revival in Nineveh. What ordinary act of obedience can you take this week that might lead to an extraordinary move of God in your life or community? [42:18]
3. The Ninevites had 40 days to repent. Is there an area in your life where you feel a sense of urgency to turn back to God? What steps can you take today to address it? [46:55]
4. Sarah's story in Tanzania shows the power of one person's faith and courage. Who in your life can you reach out to with the message of God's love and grace? [01:05:13]
5. Facing our failures and releasing our regrets are crucial for a spiritual comeback. What past mistakes are you holding onto, and how can you begin to release them this week? [01:10:28]
6. Jonah's message was short, direct, and offensive, yet it led to repentance. How can you share God's truth in a way that is both honest and loving? [45:04]
7. The Ninevites' transformation shows that no one is beyond God's reach. Is there someone you know who seems far from God? How can you pray for and support them in their journey towards faith? [50:07]

Day 1: God's Enduring Patience and Love
God's Mercy and Second Chances: Jonah's story teaches us that God is always willing to give us a second chance, no matter how far we've strayed. His call to Jonah a second time (Jonah 3:1) is a testament to His enduring patience and love. We must be willing to obey God's call, even if it means revisiting the same challenges we previously avoided. [39:07]

Jonah's journey is a profound illustration of God's enduring patience and love. Despite Jonah's initial disobedience, God did not abandon him. Instead, He called Jonah a second time, demonstrating that God is always ready to offer us another chance. This second call to Jonah underscores the importance of obedience and the willingness to face the challenges we once avoided. It is a reminder that God's love is persistent and His mercy is boundless.

In our own lives, we may find ourselves running away from God's call, just as Jonah did. However, Jonah's story reassures us that no matter how far we stray, God is always ready to welcome us back and give us another opportunity to fulfill His purpose. We must be willing to listen and obey, trusting that God's plans for us are always for our good.

Jonah 3:1-2 (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.'"

Reflection: Is there a challenge or task that you have been avoiding? How can you take a step of obedience today, trusting in God's enduring patience and love?


Day 2: The Power of Obedience
Obedience Leads to Blessings: Jonah's obedience to God's command led to a massive revival in Nineveh. This demonstrates that our ordinary acts of obedience can lead to extraordinary moves of God. When we align our actions with God's will, we open the door for His blessings to flow into our lives. [42:18]

Jonah's obedience to God's command resulted in an extraordinary revival in Nineveh. Despite his initial reluctance, Jonah's decision to follow God's directive led to the transformation of an entire city. This story highlights the power of obedience and how our seemingly ordinary actions can lead to extraordinary outcomes when aligned with God's will.

In our daily lives, we may not always see the immediate impact of our obedience. However, Jonah's story encourages us to trust that God can use our actions, no matter how small, to bring about significant change. By aligning our actions with God's will, we open ourselves up to His blessings and the possibility of witnessing His extraordinary work in our lives and the lives of others.

1 Samuel 15:22 (ESV): "And Samuel said, 'Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.'"

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you can practice obedience to God's will today? How can you trust that your obedience will lead to His blessings?


Day 3: The Reach of God's Grace
No One is Beyond Redemption: The Ninevites, despite their wickedness, believed Jonah's message and repented. This shows that no one is too far gone for God's grace. We must never underestimate the power of God's love to transform even the hardest of hearts. [50:07]

The story of the Ninevites' repentance is a powerful testament to the reach of God's grace. Despite their reputation for wickedness, the people of Nineveh believed Jonah's message and turned from their evil ways. This transformation underscores the truth that no one is beyond the reach of God's grace and that His love has the power to change even the hardest of hearts.

In our interactions with others, we may encounter individuals who seem far from God. Jonah's experience with the Ninevites reminds us that we should never underestimate the power of God's love and grace. We are called to share His message of redemption, trusting that He can work in the hearts of those who hear it, no matter their past.

Ezekiel 36:26 (ESV): "And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."

Reflection: Think of someone in your life who seems far from God. How can you pray for them and share God's message of grace with them today?


Day 4: The Urgency of Repentance
The Urgency of God's Mercy: God's mercy is a limited-time offer, and we are not guaranteed tomorrow. Just as the Ninevites had 40 days to repent, we must recognize the urgency of turning to God today. Delaying our response to His call can have eternal consequences. [46:55]

The urgency of God's mercy is a central theme in the story of Jonah and the Ninevites. God gave the people of Nineveh a specific timeframe to repent, highlighting that His offer of mercy is not indefinite. This sense of urgency serves as a reminder that we are not guaranteed tomorrow, and delaying our response to God's call can have eternal consequences.

In our own lives, we must recognize the importance of responding to God's call without delay. Whether it is turning away from sin, seeking forgiveness, or stepping into a new direction He is leading us, the time to act is now. The story of the Ninevites encourages us to take God's offer of mercy seriously and to respond with urgency.

2 Corinthians 6:2 (ESV): "For he says, 'In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.' Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation."

Reflection: Is there an area of your life where you have been delaying your response to God's call? How can you take immediate action today to align with His will?


Day 5: Embracing Redemption
Facing Failures and Releasing Regrets: To make a spiritual comeback, we must first admit our failures and then release our regrets. Holding onto past mistakes hinders our growth and keeps us from experiencing God's full blessings. By confessing our sins and forgiving ourselves, we can move forward in God's grace. [01:10:28]

Making a spiritual comeback requires us to confront our past failures and release our regrets. Holding onto past mistakes can hinder our spiritual growth and prevent us from experiencing the fullness of God's blessings. Jonah's story teaches us the importance of admitting our failures and seeking God's forgiveness, allowing us to move forward in His grace.

In our journey of faith, it is essential to let go of the burdens of past mistakes. By confessing our sins and forgiving ourselves, we open the door to God's healing and restoration. Embracing redemption means accepting God's grace and allowing it to transform our lives, enabling us to step into the future with hope and confidence.

Isaiah 43:18-19 (ESV): "Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."

Reflection: What past mistakes or regrets are you holding onto? How can you release them today and embrace the new things God wants to do in your life?

Welcome, good morning. And we're glad you're here at Lake Point Church. I'm so thankful that you're here.

As you came in, you should have received a program. Inside that program is the connection card. Take a minute to fill it out. If you've been here before, just put your name at the top and anything to update. Then you can drop it in the basket on your way out. If you're a guest, I'd love to meet you after the service and give you a free gift. Thank you for being here today.

We're continuing today in our series on the story of Jonah, and today we get to look at chapter 3. Man, there are powerful lessons there. I can't wait to talk about what God is teaching us in chapter 3 today.

So, we're going to close and get the service going here. We're going to pray. But before we do that, let's make sure you know that last night we had a very unfortunate historical moment, a sad moment in our history of the United States. We want to pray for the situation that happened in Pennsylvania. President Trump, we're thankful that he survived, and others have been affected by that.

So let's pray, church. Let's pray for our leaders, no matter if we like them or not. I pray for our leaders; pray for them. Let's go in together. Let's pray.

God, we thank you for bringing us here together to worship you. We live in this broken world where we see things like this all the time, unfortunately. We try to figure out how to stop it, and we just know that evil persists, that evil lives in this world.

So, God, we ask you to be with the situation that happened last night. We're thankful that President Trump is okay. We're thankful for that situation. We're thankful for the Secret Service that stepped up into action. God, we pray for those that were affected by it last night, for the loss of life and other injuries. Be with the families.

So, God, we just ask you to be with the division in our country. We pray for the hatred to dial down. We pray for unity. And, God, it's not something that I can produce; it's not something that we can produce. But, God, we know that you can. You can bring our country together.

And so, God, we just ask you to bless our time of worship. We look forward to what you're going to teach us today in Jonah chapter 3. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Well, we're going to look at chapter 3 here in Jonah. And again, we are glad you're here. Thank you for being a part of our service. Our worship pastor, Pastor Tom, is out of town on vacation for this week and next week. But, man, I'm thankful for an amazing worship team for stepping up today and leading well. I hope you were blessed by the worship this morning.

We were just talking about this Saturday golf outing, and I can't help but think about my golf game. Okay? You know, when I play golf, I need a nice set of mulligans. It's important in my game. I've got to have them. You know, I don't care who I'm playing with; I just tell them, I'm the pastor, and I specialize in helping people find their second chances in life. And that goes for my golf game too, because I need mulligans. I need second chances.

You see, I think a lot of us love the comeback story. We love the story of redemption. We love to see mulligans and people having second chances in life and coming back. And that's what this message is all about—it's making a comeback. We're in this book of Jonah in chapter 3.

Before we do that, let me do a brief recap of the first two chapters. God called Jonah to go to Nineveh, and Jonah said, "I hate the Ninevites. They're wicked. They're evil. I just don't want to have anything to do with them." So he runs in the opposite direction and disobeys God. He finds a ship in Joppa, and the name of the ship is the USS Disobedient. I mean, he's on it. He's cruising in life, sailing toward his own disobedience against God.

For a while there, life is fine; all is good. Then he runs into a storm. Everyone is scared for their lives. At the end of the day, they decide to throw Jonah overboard. Jonah is in the water, in the sea, in the rain, in the storm. It calms down. Jonah thinks, "Okay, God. I got it. Y'all come rescue me now." And then a fish.

So it went from bad to worse to worse. Right? It just gets worse. Now he's at rock bottom, in the belly of a fish. He thinks, "Man, this is how I die. This is how I end." In that moment, God gives him a second chance. He bows and says, "God, if you get me out of this, I will do what you want me to do."

We saw last week how God takes Jonah's worst failure and turns it into God's finest moment. This was the moment. We ended last week in chapter 2, verse 10, where the fish vomited Jonah.

This is the main thought I want you to see throughout this chapter: extraordinary moves of God begin with ordinary acts of obedience. That's where it begins. You want to see God move in your life? Stop disobeying him and start living and obeying for him.

In this moment, Jonah decided, "I got to get off the USS Disobedient and find me a new ship, the USS Mulligan." It's time for the second chance.

I have three thoughts this morning. If you're taking notes, the first thought is this: God gave Jonah a second chance. One of the most beautiful verses in all of Scripture is Jonah chapter 3, verse 1. I love this verse. Very simple. The Bible says that the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time. If you've got a pen and your Bibles open, I want you to underline "second time." God gave Jonah a second chance.

By the way, the God of the second chance in the book of Jonah is also the God of the second chance today. We look at verse 2, and Jonah hears from God again. He said, "Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you."

So God gives Jonah a second chance. But notice here in verse 2 that he doesn't change the plan. It's still the same plan. Jonah has a second chance to do the same plan because that's important. God didn't say, "Hey, Jonah, I'm a loving God. I'm giving you a second chance. I know you didn't like it at first, and I'm sorry about that. So let's compromise. I want you to go out and just preach somewhere. As long as you're preaching, I'm happy, you're happy, we're all happy."

But that's not what God does. He invited Jonah to do the same thing again, and Jonah took up on that invitation. Here's what you need to know: you have an invitation, all of us here, to join God's plan. God never joins our plans. Too many times we say, "God, I've got a nice, good plan for my life. It's nice. It's safe. It's secure. God, I think if you could just come over and bless my plan, that would be great. God, here's what I need. I need you to put a stamp of approval on my plan."

And God says, "Not interested. But I invite you to join my grand plan." For God has a grand plan for every one of us here today, and I promise you, God's plan for your life is so much better than your own plan. It is so much better to live for his will, for his plan, than for you to live life on your own plans and will.

God said, "I want you to join my plan." Jonah had a second chance to join the same plan, and he took advantage of the second chance. Look at verse 3. The Bible says that Jonah obeyed. Look at that word. He obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. He took advantage of the second chance. He obeyed. And that obedience brought blessing. It's going to bring some blessings. His ordinary act of obedience will lead to an extraordinary move of God.

That's your first point.

The second point is that God gave Jonah a second chance. Here's the second point: God gave the Ninevites a second chance. He gave the Ninevites, the people that Jonah hated, these evil people, a second chance. Look at verse 3 again. Now, Nineveh was a very large city. It took three days to go through it. Jonah began by going a day's journey into the city, proclaiming, "Forty more days, and Nineveh will be overthrown."

Now, listen up. Nineveh was the largest and most influential city of that day. In fact, it took Jonah three days to walk through the whole town to preach, and he preached throughout the whole city. But how did everyone really hear him? I mean, he is one man in this hustling, bustling city. He has no sound system, no praise band, nothing that you would think you would need to gather a large crowd in a big city.

We know only eight words to the sermon he preached. Now, maybe he preached more, but these are the eight simple words that he preached. Look at verse 4 again. It said, "Forty more days, and Nineveh will be overthrown." Just hold that verse for just a second.

He said, "Forty more days, and Nineveh will be overthrown." This message was short, direct, and offensive. By the way, a lot of sermons in our country would probably be better if they were short, direct, and offensive. He said, "Forty more days, and you guys are done. You got 40 days." And that's the sermon. It's not a very loving sermon; it's the truth.

He said, "Forty days, and you guys are finished." He's preaching all throughout the town. Now, the word around here, in Hebrew, it's the word of God. In the Hebrew language, it has a double meaning. It's the word "hip-hoc." The word "hip-hoc" has a double meaning. If you're taking notes, it can either mean to be destroyed or it can mean to change.

So Jonah is preaching, saying, "Forty more days, and Nineveh will be hip-hoc." This is what he's saying in a very short sermon: "Forty days, and you will either be destroyed or you will be forever changed. The choice is yours." Amen. That's the message.

He says, "You have 40 days; you will either be destroyed or you change. The ball is in your court." Notice that 40 days, the time was ticking with the mercy of God. God's mercy, you need to understand, is a limited-time offer. It's limited. You don't have forever. In fact, you don't even have the promise of tomorrow. There's no promise that you will wake up tomorrow morning.

And the mercy of God is a limited-time offer. "Forty days, and you will be destroyed, or 40 days, and you will be changed forever. Which will it be?" Right? Some of you this morning, you might be on day 39. You might be on day 39. You don't know; I don't know. But God knows. You might be on day 39.

I said, "Man, God, you're preaching today." I know. I'm sorry. It's not a three-step-to-happiness-type message here, but it is a one-step-to-repentance message. The clock is ticking. Tick. Forty days. The mercy of God is a limited-time offer. You don't have forever to turn to him.

And, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and,

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "Extraordinary moves of God, it begins with ordinary acts of obedience. That's where it begins. You want to see God move in your life, stop disobeying him, and start living and obeying for him." [38:02] (22 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




2. "God's plan for you. Your life is so much better than your own plan. It is so much better to live for his will, for his plan, than for you to live life on your own plans and will. And God said, I want you to join my plan." [41:17] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




3. "God's mercy, you need to understand, God's mercy, if you're taking notes, is a limited time offer. It's limited. You don't have forever. In fact, you don't even have the promise of tomorrow. There's no promise that you will wake up tomorrow morning. And the mercy of God is a limited time offer." [46:55] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




4. "No matter what you've done, where you've been, God loves you. And he's inviting you back to him. He's inviting you to get off the USS Disobedience hop aboard on the U.S. Mulligan. God gave the Ninevites a second chance and they took advantage of it." [57:20] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




5. "Because of what Christ did for us on the cross, you don't have to be stuck in the past. Your past sins and failures and mistakes will be totally washed away when you give your life to Christ. Stop living in the past. It's time to make a comeback. The ball is in your court." [01:11:20] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




### Quotes for Members

1. "God gave Jonah a second chance. One of the most beautiful verses in all of Scripture is Jonah chapter 3, verse number 1. I love this verse. Very simple. But the Bible says that the word of the Lord. Came to Jonah a second time. If you've got a pen and you've got your Bibles open and your handout notes, I want you to underline second time. God gave Jonah a second chance." [39:07] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




2. "God gave the Ninevites a second chance. He gave the Ninevites, the people that Jonah hated, these evil people, God gave them a second chance. Look at verse 3 again. Now, Nineveh was a very large city. It took three days to go through it. And Jonah began by going a day's journey into the city, proclaiming 40 more days, and Nineveh will be overthrown." [43:05] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




3. "The Ninevites believed God. I mean, that's powerful. The Ninevites, they believed. They listened. They heard the message. Jonah drawn message of his eight-word sermon. And they believed. And they believed. And they believed. And they believed. And they believed. And it's powerful because no one is farther away from God than the people of Nineveh." [50:07] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




4. "God offers you a second chance. It's time for some of you this morning to make a spiritual comeback. I'll tell you, if I had Sarah today, we'd have a different invitation. We'd stand right here. for some of you to come back. Two things you've got to do real quick. I have to face my failures. You've got to admit your failures. You've got to admit. You've got to stop playing the blame game." [01:08:00] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




5. "USS Disobedience is going the wrong way. The USS Disobedience blocks the blessing of God in your life. But when you take that ordinary step of obedience and step up to the next level, step on the right boat, USS Molineux, the ordinary act of obedience, you will begin to see the extraordinary moves of God in your life. What are you going to do? It's your choice." [01:11:20] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)