Running - The Jonah Story by sarah erdmann

INTRODUCTION Jonah is one of the most familiar stories of the scripture even to those who have never read the Bible. This story of a man who is swallowed by a “whale” is woven into the folklore of our culture. For the next four weeks we will be exploring this incredible story of the prophet who runs in the opposite direction when called by God to go to a place Jonah did not want to go. If we are honest all of us can relate to Jonah because we know what it is like to run or to avoid God on some level. In his introduction to the book of Jonah, Eugene Peterson states, “One reason that the Jonah story is so enduringly important for nurturing the life of faith in us is that Jonah is not a hero too high and mighty for us to identify with—he doesn’t do anything great. Instead of being held up as an ideal to admire, we find Jonah as a companion in our ineptness.” (The Message p. 1413) Yet there is something incredibly redemptive and hopeful in this story. We discover that while Jonah is making a mess of his life God is relentlessly pursuing him and working to accomplish his divine purpose for Jonah’s life.

back in the day... Jonah is one of the twelve Old Testament books known as the Minor Prophets. It is an unusual book because the prophet Jonah is referred to in the third person. This particular book reads like a historical narrative in some parts and like fiction in others. Because of the “great fish” episode some consider Jonah as a parable or allegory. This is problematic on a couple of levels because parables and allegories usually don’t designate the main character by an identifiable time and place (Jonah, the son of Amittai from Gath-Hepher); and Jesus referred to Jonah as a historical figure (Matthew 12:41). The setting for this story is around the seventh or eight century B.C. when Assyria and its capital Nineveh was a great world power and a serious threat to the nation of Israel. This would explain Jonah’s resistance when God asked him to go to Nineveh.

How to Use This Message Based Study Guide This study guide is based primarily on the content from the DVD which includes four short teaching elements from John Ortbergâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s series entitled When God Calls. Most of the questions in the weekly lessons are from the DVD not the weekend message series. The study guide includes a section called Weekly Prompts. There should be enough prompts to give to every group member. The prompts are designed to reinforce the main lessons of each week and to encourage personal application. You will notice that the guide is designed in a very user friendly way that encourages all group members to participate on some level in leading the discussion. Each group should have a copy of the study guide and DVD. Group members who would like to have their own copy can download the pdf from the website. In addition, the weekend message manuscripts will be emailed to all group hosts. NOTE TO HOSTS Before your first group meeting read through the suggestions for new groups in the Appendix. Read the Small Group Agreement (page 82) at the first meeting. If your group is new you may want to use some of the ice-breaker questions especially the first week. Encourage your group to read the Book of Jonah before coming to the first session. 4

Week One Note to Host: Encourage your group to read the Book of Jonah before coming to the first session. New Groups: Turn to page 84 in the appendix and ask each group member to choose a question from Week 1. >> Read the Small Group Rules on page 82 aloud before starting the discussion on Jonah >>Read aloud Do you have trouble believing the impossible? When we read stories in Scripture that stretch our imagination, we often have trouble believing them. Jonah is one of those stories. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s full of one miraculous, outlandish thing after another. So what do we do with the doubts that niggle within us? Watch the Week 1 Video Clip >>Discuss the following questions as a group 1. I f you have had an opportunity to read the Book of Jonah what were your initial impressions? 2. D o you get hung up on the fish part of the story? Why or why not? 3. D oes any part of the story surprise you? 5

>> Pass the guide to the person on your right >> Read aloud TEACHING POINT #1: Get to know Jonahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s world The book of Jonah was probably written autobiographically by the prophet Jonah, which gives us great hope that he learned much through his experience. Most likely written between 785 and 750 B.C., the book focuses on the political rivalries of the day. At this point in history, Israel was divided into a northern kingdom, which continued to go by the name of Israel, and a southern kingdom that went by the name of Judah. Jonah lived in the northern kingdom, which was ruled by Jeroboam II, a king of Israel who did not honor God. Yet, God allowed Israel to continue to expand its territory, causing them to feel great patriotic pride in their nation. But Assyria, whose key city was Nineveh, was a brutal enemy that threatened Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s power. In fact, just a few decades after Jonah went to preach to Nineveh, Assyria invaded Israel and brought the northern kingdom to an end. This gives some insight into why Jonah was so reluctant to go to Nineveh. It might be similar to God asking someone from London to go to preach to Berlin during World War II with the promise that all would be forgiven if they would repent. >> Pass the guide to the person wearing the most red

>> Discuss the following questions as a group 1. C an you think of any other modern-day examples of what it might have been like for Jonah to preach to Nineveh? 2. R ead Jonah 1:1-3 and 3:6-4:3. D o you understand Jonahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attitude? Why do you think Jonah felt that way? TEACHING POINT #2: Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get lost in the debates and miss the point. Remember Our Ground Rules: As you begin your discussion on the content below remember that all of us are at different places on the spiritual journey and it is important that we respect each person even those we may disagree with when it comes to how we view the Bible. As a church Crossroads would affirm the belief that the story of Jonah is a true, historical account. God has the power to miraculously preserve the life of Jonah in the belly of a great fish. At the same time we recognize that not everyone agrees and it is essential that our small group communities create a safe environment where everyone is encouraged to ask any question and to express any doubt without the fear of being judged. As soon as Jonah got his orders from God he ran. Most of us can understand that, when we put it into our own historical context. What may be harder is to understand is how God dealt with it. (Read Jonah 1:7-17) God sent a storm that Jonah recognized as punishment for his disobedience. So in a great show of self-sacrifice, Jonah asked the sailors 7

to throw him overboard. It worked. The raging sea calmed. But Jonah was left drifting in the ocean, so God sent a great fish to swallow him, keeping Jonah alive (although not exactly comfortable) >>Discuss the following questions as a group 1. J ohn Ortberg dismisses studies made to identify a fish that a person could live in for three days. Do you think such studies matter? Why or why not? 2. W hen you hear or read stories of miraculous events in Scripture, what is your first reaction? 3. W hen does a healthy doubt become unhealthy? >>Pass the guide back to the host

God’s Truth Meets Our Life >> Read aloud In the message it was stated that “it is never too late to quit running from God and it is never too soon to quit running from God.” The story of Jonah is really our story in that we all can identify with the ways that we run from God. Sometimes we run from God in very obvious ways but other times we may be running in secret, hidden ways. We may not even be consciously aware of the ways we are running or resisting God’s promptings. 1. What is one life-lesson you have learned from this study or from the weekend message? 2. W hen was a time you “ran away” from God refusing to obey something He was telling you to do? 3. Which part of Jonah’s circumstance best describes your spiritual season of life: __ y ou hear God call but you do not want to go to “Nineveh” __ you are running from God __ you are in the midst of a storm? __ you are in the “belly of the fish” and you see no way out

>> Read the following prayer aloud Heavenly Father, you know the truth about us that we are more like Jonah than we are willing to admit. We pray for the spiritual struggle is going on in our hearts right now. It may be a struggle with doubt, a relationship that needs healing, some behavior or some secret sin. Give us the courage and grace to run to you with our doubts, fears, and secret sins. Thank you for reminding us that â&#x20AC;&#x153;You are always up to something greatâ&#x20AC;? >> Pass the guide around so each person gets a Week 1 Prompt sheet

WEEK 1 PROMPTS Prompt #1: Read Jonah chapter 2 Prompt #2: Set aside some time this week and think through your doubts about Scripture or about God himself. Read Psalm 42 and 43. Write down all the things the writer struggled with in these passages. Note how the writer expressed doubts freely to God. Pay attention to how each chapter ends. Write down your own prayer to God including your doubts. End your prayer as the writer did: with an attitude of trust and praise to God, even if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand everything. Psalm 42 and 43 reflections... __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ Prayer... __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 11

Week TWO Optional Activity for new groups: Turn to page 84 in the Appendix and have each person choose one question from the options under Week Two. Note to Host: Revisit the goal of reading the entire book of Jonah at one sitting and encourage those who may not have done so yet. Those who have already read Jonah may want to read all or portions of it again each week to prepare for group discussions. >> Ask the group members to comment on last weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prompts and what they learned. Then Read Jonah 2:1-9 aloud. >> Read aloud Each of us can probably think about one or two of the lowest points of our lives. Reflecting back on those times, what do you find your most basic instinct is in those moments? Depending on our life experiences and personality, we may react and respond very differently from how we wish we would. Is your first reaction to reach out to God? What is prayer like for you in those desperate moments, or are you able to pray at all? Jonah was a prophet of God and yet he ran away from God and caused his own crisis! Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s think about how we might do the same thing. 25

Watch the Week 2 Video Clip >> Pass the guide to the youngster in the group >>Discuss the following questions as a group 1. R ead Jonah 2:1-3. When was a time you felt like you God “hurled you into the deep”? What did you learn or are learning from that experience? 2. H ow important do you rate prayer as an aspect of a person’s spiritual life? >>Read aloud TEACHING POINT #1: Prayer starts with recognizing God’s greatness and our need. Chapter one of Jonah ends with the statement that the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah. Whatever that fish was---even a special creation of God provided for the occasion—it had a purpose in the story of Jonah to rescue him and give him a second chance. Jonah recognized that God had used the fish to save him and he began to pray. Notice that Jonah hadn’t prayed so far about his decisions— he had simply run. Chapter one is all about running. The second chapter of Jonah is entirely a prayer. Even while Jonah was still inside the fish he knew that God was rescuing him. Notice in chapter 2 verse 6 he states that God brought his life up from the pit. Prayer starts with God’s greatness and our need. It is interesting to realize that Jonah was able 26

to ignore both God’s greatness and his own need for God while he was running. Do we also fill our lives up with so much activity that we ignore God’s greatness? Do we feel so entitled that we fail to recognize our own need? >> Pass the guide to the person with the closest birthday >>Discuss the following questions as a group 1. W hy do you think it took the drastic circumstance of being thrown into the sea and swallowed up to bring Jonah to the point of prayer? 2. A nalyze the elements of Jonah’s prayer. Jonah’s prayer may sound familiar because much of this prayer reads like many of the prayers in Psalms (see Psalm 18:6, 30:3, 42:8, & 50:14). As a group discuss the main elements in Jonah’s prayer and the key lessons to apply to your personal prayer life as well as application for praying together. 3. H ow does this prayer illustrate both God’s greatness and Jonah’s need? When was a time you prayed like that? >> Pass the guide to the person across from you

>> Read aloud TEACHING POINT #2: Don’t let fear, shame, guilt or pride keep you from praying. John Ortberg put it this way: Have you ever been in over your head in life? Pray. Is it your own fault? Pray anyway. Have you been living the kind of life you think God would want you to live? Pray anyway. Are you concerned that if you were to pray your motives would be mixed—that you might be more concerned about your own well being than you are about God’s will? Pray anyway. One of the most amazing things about God is that He is gracious and loving. When we come to him simply because we’ve hit bottom with no place else to go, God still chooses to say, “Come to me.” >> Discuss the following questions as a group 1. W hy do we often resist prayer when it is what we need the most? 2. W hen are you most likely to pray? When you are feeling guilty; when you are feeling overwhelmed? When you are relaxed? When you are at peace and satisfied? When you are afraid? When you don’t know what to do? Other?

>> Read aloud TEACHING POINT #3: Develop the practice of prayer. The best way to make sure you pray is to make it a practice habit. It might seem hard to know where to fit it into your busy life at first but most of us can find a way to do it if we are not praying regularly already. A good way to start a consistent habit of prayer is to set aside a block of time during the week to simply meditate on Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s word in solitude and silence. Finding a space in our lives for solitude and silence is tough for all of us in the midst of our busy lives. You may have to say no to some other things in your schedule in order to do this. Those with young children may need to find baby sitters or trade time with others to provide such time. Others may need to turn off the radio on the drive to work or set aside a lunch hour once a week to free up some times for God. However or whenever you can find the time, just do it. >> Discuss the following questions as a group 1. W hat should we expect from a time of prayer? What is the purpose of it? (Hostâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s note: We will be disappointed if we expect great revelations each time we meet with God. It needs to be about being with Him the way we would want to spend time with anyone we love.) 2. S hould prayer be mostly talking or listening? Explain.

>> Pass the guide back to the host >>Read aloud God’s Truth Meets Our Life The story of Jonah is our story. We all know what it is like to be far from God—enmeshed in situations or circumstances beyond our control. It is during those times that our true view of God is revealed. Is God bigger and greater than our circumstances? We will trust that God is up to some great even when we our circumstances don’t seem to be getting better? How will God bring “my life up from the pit”? >> Discuss the following questions as a group 1. T ake a few moments as a group and reflect on this question: Where in your life are you desperate enough to pray a prayer of hope or to cry out to God? 2. W hat is one life lesson you will take from this study or from the weekend message? 3. Close out by reading part of Jonah’s prayer (2:7-9). >> Pass the guide around so each person gets a Week 2 Prompt sheet

WEEK 2 PROMPTS Prompt #1: Read Jonah chapter 3 for next week. Write down some of your initial impressions and reflections below. __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ Prompt #2: Set aside a regular time of prayer this week. Start by reading something like Psalm 63, Matthew 5: 1-16, or Colossians 3:1-17. Read the passage and then sit quietly for 20 minutes or longer if you can. Tell God you are willing to hear whatever He wants you to know. At the end of your time with God jot down any impressions below or in your own personal journal and be ready to share them next week. Set a goal to meet with God at least three to four times this week to read Scripture and pray. Set aside 20-30 minutes to spend this time with God in quiet. Just listen. Save your requests and your talking for another time. __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ Be Patient with the process: If you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t done this type of exercise before it is going to seem incredibly long for most people. Just stick it out. If your mind wanders that is okay. You are in Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presence and are willing to hear from Him either through His word or through the Holy Spirit in your heart. He will let you know what is important.

Week THREE Optional Activity for new groups: Turn to page 84 in the Appendix and have each person choose one question from the options under Week Three. >> Ask the group members to comment on last week’s prompts and what they learned. Then Read Jonah 2:10-3:10. >> Read aloud Jonah has had the unusual experience of facing immediate consequences for his disobedience of God. We rarely experience that in our own lives. If we did, perhaps we would correct our own errors more quickly! Maybe you have thought, “Well, sure, Jonah had plenty of time to reconsider from the belly of a fish. In similar circumstances I could probably figure out the error of my ways, too!” But people can be more complicated than that sometimes. Watch the Week 3 Video Clip >> Read aloud John Ortberg says, “The message of Jonah is a little foretaste of the victory of Jesus who comes to meet us at the lowest place, telling us that death loses, sin loses, sorrow loses, sadness loses—and joy wins. ‘Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Grave, is your sting?’ God gets the last laugh. This is the story of Jonah.” (1 Corinthians 15:55) 45

>> Discuss the following questions as a group 1. J ohn Ortberg mentions the humor that seems to underscore the story of Jonah. Why would God use something humorous to us to make a point? 2. C an you think of a time you have experienced humor in your relationship with God? If so share it with the group. 3. I f Jonah himself wrote this book, which is considered likely, why would he emphasize his own weaknesses and failings? >> P ass the guide to the person with the least amount of hair >> Read aloud TEACHING POINT #1: Stiff-necked, rebellious, stubborn humans are not a problem for God. Ortberg believes that from Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perspective, death and the grave are not problems at all. Rebellious stubborn human beings are not a problem. God is able to see the end from the beginning and He knows that His plans will succeed. So He can laugh at it all. That is why Jonah ends up getting spit up onto the seashore. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a way to say that joy wins. It is comical in the most sublime and transcendent sense of that word. God thinks of things very differently than we do. His ways are higher than our ways and his thoughts are higher than 46

our thoughts. His perspectives on humor, judgment, or time are very different than ours. While the word judgment can carry negative overtones in our culture, we need to remember that, throughout the Bible, God’s coming judgment is a positive thing, something to be celebrated and longed for. In a world of systematic injustice, bullying, violence, and arrogance the thought that there will come a day when the wicked are put firmly in their place and the poor and weak are given their due is good news. In a world full of rebellion, exploitation and wickedness, a good God must also be a God of judgment. That was the world of Ninevah just as it is the world of today. >> Pass the guide to the person on your left >> R ead Micah 4:1-5. Then discuss the following questions as a group 1. H ow do this verses support Ortberg’s view that God’s coming judgment is a positive thing? 2. M icah the prophet wrote this book to the Israelites who had been conquered and were in exile. How might this passage impact their perspective on their present circumstances? 3. How can we learn to recognize when God is disciplining us?

>> Pass the guide to the person who arrived last >> Read aloud TEACHING POINT #2: The message of Jesus is a foretaste of the victory of Jesus. Ortberg gives a number of examples of things he thinks of as similarities between Jesus and Jonah. There are often themes and concepts repeated in scripture to illustrate things about how God works in the affairs of humanity. Like Jesus, Jonah preached good news to lost people and they had the opportunity to repent and be saved. However, unlike Jesus who was obedient to God’s purposes throughout his life, Jonah at first disobeyed and ran away. Jonah chapter 3, verses 1 and 2 read, “The the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, ‘Go to the great city of Ninevah and proclaim to it the message I give you.’” God had not moved on. He wanted Jonah to go to Ninevah. To Jonah it was the city for which there was no hope. It was an enemy of Israel. It was a city of wickedness like Sodom and Gomorrah. It is the place none of us wants to go. How could God want to save such a place? But the second time God commanded Jonah to go, after his experience with the big fish, Jonah went. Ask someone to read aloud Matthew 12: 38-41 This is an example of a similarity between Jesus and Jonah that Jesus Himself used. Just as Jonah was 3 day in the belly of the fish, Jesus was 3 days in the tomb before He was raised from the dead. In each case God accomplished the miraculous for His own purposes. 48

>> Discuss the following questions as a group 1. J onah gave a very short message to the people of Nineveh, almost as if he still didn’t really want them to (or believe they could) change. Why do you think the Ninevites were so ready and willing to listen? 2. God was relentless in his desire to send his messenger Jonah to the people of Nineveh (note 3:1). What does God’s insistence tell us about his desire to give rebellious, evil people second chances? 3. We find in verse ten that God has a change of heart. What does this say about God’s will and how he might use us to achieve his will? 4. W hen was a time you experienced a “second chance” from God?

TEACHING POINT #3: The hope that Jonah found is our hope too! Read aloud—When the people and the king of Ninevah heard Jonah’s message, they seemed to respond immediately. They fasted and put on sackcloth and gave up their evil ways. Whether or not Jonah was pleased by this response is uncertain. However, we have here a picture of God’s love and his desire that all should come to repentance and have the chance of salvation. They essentially had a passage from death to life when they responded. Sometimes even we who are Christians fear the unknown elements of death. However Jesus tells us in John 5:24 that when we receive Him we have already passed from death to life. Consequently we may spend months or years fearing death when we do not need to do so. What if, when we pass from this life to the next, our healing and redemption are so complete that we look at one another and laugh at ourselves for ever fearing the death of our bodies. >> Discuss the following questions as a group 1. W hat tends to create fear or anxiety in your life right now? 2. W hat do you find most hopeful from John Ortberg’s Christian view of death? What do you fear most about death? >> Pass the guide to the host

>> Discuss the following questions as a group God’s Truth Meets Our Life 1. R ead Romans 6: 4-10. In these verses written by the Apostle Paul we see a paradox. Like Jonah we have to die to our ways of living life in order that we may experience new life in Christ. Metaphorically speaking we sometimes find ourselves in the belly of a great fish and then we come to our senses and begin to listen and obey God. Paul tells us that our baptism is a picture of this reality. We die to sin daily in order that we may experience the life Christ has for us. In what ways have you seen your own life parallel Jonah’s journey from death to life? 2. What is one “life-lesson” you take from the small group study or something you learned from the weekend message? How might the group pray for you so that you can apply this lesson more effectively? 3. Prayer Time: Ask each person to offer a brief, one sentence prayer either silently or audibly that expresses thanksgiving or a desire and need to grow. It could be a simple prayer like: “Father, I realize I need to die to my self-centered ways” or “Father, thank you for showing me grace and giving me a “second chance” >> Pass the guide around so each person gets a Week 3 Prompt sheet

WEEK 3 PROMPTS Prompt #1: Read Jonah 3:10-4:11. Spend some time reflecting on God’s heart for the Assyrians versus Jonah’s attitude toward this natural enemy of Israel. Ask God to show you where your attitude toward certain people may be more like Jonah than a heart of mercy and compassion like God. Journal your thoughts and reflections. __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ Prompt #2: Make a list of people in your circle of influence that you don’t particularly like. This could be co-workers, family members, neighbors, or even people in your small group. Ouch! Spend some time this week praying for a heart of mercy and compassion toward them. __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________

Week FOUR >> Read aloud You’ve all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You’re after one that’s gold eternally. I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27, The Message) >> Ask the group to share anything they noticed as they prayed for the people on their list. >> Read aloud Recognize Your Own Jonah Moments: All of us at one time or another have run from God or resist God’s Word or like Jonah we get angry because we don’t like what God is doing or maybe has not done for us. The story of Jonah teaches us we can turn around and come back. Watch the Week 4 Video Clip >> Pass the guide to the person with the most siblings

>> Read aloud. Then discuss the following questions as a group John Ortberg concludes, “That’s the story of Jonah. That’s why what looks like tragedy ends up as comedy. That’s your life, too—if you want it to be. Jesus comes and says: If you’ll let me, I’ll meet you at the Cross. I’ll meet you at the tomb. The third day is coming, if you’ll meet me”. 1. D o you agree with John that Jonah’s story is our life as well? Explain. 2. G od doesn’t always “hurl” us into the “ because we are being disobedient, as John Ortberg pointed out in telling us about his friend who had a massive stroke. What might be some other reasons that God allows us to go through tough times? >> Pass the guide to the person on your right >> Read aloud TEACHING POINT #1: If you are, or someone you love is, at bottom, don’t despair. John Ortberg talks about the lawyer he knows: “This guy ended up finding Jesus I that AA group. He is delivered. His life is saved. His marriage is saved. He goes down as far as he can go and to his great surprise, hitting bottom was the greatest thing that every happened to him. Why? It was at bottom that he met God, and God was there doing something great” 67

>> Discuss the following questions as a group 1. If you can, share an example of how hitting bottom was the best thing that ever happened to you. 2. Why do we often have to hit bottom before we’ll pay attention to God? 3. Can you think of a time that God did something unexpected and amazing in your life to get your attention? >> Pass the guide to the tallest person >> Read aloud TEACHING POINT #2: Learn to see life from God’s perspective Go back and reread Jonah 3:10-4:11 Jonah’s problem all alone was that he saw things from his perspective, not God’s. He saw Nineveh as the evil enemy that only deserved to be punished, and he couldn’t get past that perception. One of the top-selling video game applications for Apple’s iPhone is “Pocket God”. Here is the game description found on iTunes: “What kind of god would you be: Benevolent or vengeful? Play “ Pocket God” and discover the answer within yourself. 68

On a remote island, you are the all powerful god that rules over the primitive islanders. You can bring new life, and then take it away just as quickly.” >> Discuss the following questions as a group 1. As you reflect on Jonah’s story are you able to identify your own “Jonah Moments”? Or if you find yourself in the midst of a “Jonah Moment” right now what do you sense God is trying to show you? 2. If you could summarize in one or two sentences the most important lesson you have take from your study of Jonah what would you say? 3. How would you like the group to pray for you as you face your own “Jonah Moment”? Closing Prayer: Pray the Lord’s Prayer together (page 83). Group Activity: Now that the group has finished the study of Jonah plan a time to celebrate and have some fun around a meal-sharing experience. Set aside a time to share a meal together (potluck, cookout or dine out). During your meal spend some time sharing some of the highlights of being in the small group. Also talk about possible next steps for the group. If you need some coaching on potential next steps contact Lynn Buckles: lbuckles@xroadschurch.org. >> Pass the guide around so each person gets a Week 3 Prompt sheet

WEEK 4 PROMPTS Prompt #1: Set aside some extended time to be with God in solitude this week. Read through the Book of Jonah again. Write down the things you sense God wants you to understand from your reading, from the weekend message or from the small group. __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ Prompt #2: Spend some time reflecting on your experience with the small group. Write down the names of every person in the group and spend some time praying for them this week. __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ __________________________________________________

SMALL GROUP GROUND RULES ACCOUNTABILITY: I’ll show up every week unless I’m out of town or I’ve let the host know the (good) reason I will be absent. PREPARATION: Before each meeting, I’ll have listened to the weened message and completed as many of the weekly action steps as possible. AFFIRMATION: I acknowledge that every person in this group is at a different point in considering, seeking or following Jesus, and I will value and affirm people for where they are. CONFIDENTIALITY: I’ll maintain complete confidentiality. What I hear and say in the group stays in the group. LISTENING: I understand that others will need to be encouraged to share, to be open adn to express emotion. I will them do so, without being judgmental, trying to “fix” them or offering unsolicited advice. SELF-AWARENESS: I understand that some of us are talkers and some are quieter, so I’ll be aware of not dominating the discussion or always leaving the weight of it to others. VULNERABILITY: I’ll stretch myself to be as open and honest as I can with my perspectives and experience to create a safe environment that might encourage others to take risks, too. CONFLICT: I understand that others will need to be encouraged to share, to be open adn to express emotion. I will them do so, without being judgmental, trying to “fix” them or offering unsolicited advice.

THE LORDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PRAYER Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever.

Amen

Choose one question to share, then pass the guide to the person on your right.

WEEK 1 ICEBREAKERS 1. S hare something interesting or unique about your home town? 2. What is something you really enjoy doing to relax? 3. W here would you live if you could move anywhere in the world? Why?

WEEK 2 ICEBREAKERS 1. W hat would you most like people to remember you for after you die? 2. I f you could relive any part of your life, what part would it be? 3. If God would grant you one request, what would it be?

WEEK 3 ICEBREAKERS 1. If you were to move to a third world country, what three things would you most miss from your current life? 2. If you could ask God one question, what would it be? 3. W hat is your the thing you most look forward to over the next year?