JONAH A 28-DAY DEVOTIONAL

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Winfred Freeman
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1 JONAH A 28-DAY DEVOTIONAL Sure, a whale gobbled him up like a marble in Hungry Hungry Hippos. And yes, I know that it wasn't a whale but a very big fish. Then of course its true that the same whale fish thing or whatever vomited him up on the beach like he was doing the gallon challenge in an episode of Giraffes & Zebras. And yeah, before that, he got tackled overboard as if he was playing an epic game of K-WAR that caused a great storm to stop. Then of course, Jonah s making God famous to the people of Nineveh was the trigger for one of the greatest spiritual revivals like ever. But come on, most of us already knew that. But what if the spotlight shifted away from the human character, Jonah, and it focused instead on His creator, God? You would find that a whole different story is waiting to be told that is way better then the story you probably heard about on Veggie Tales. What you are getting ready to find is Jonah was simply a pawn in this incredible story about an incredible God who runs after runaways. i

2 DAY 15 JONAH 1-3 Two chapters down and two more to go. Time to step up your game! Read Jonah chapters 1-3. As you read, write down any questions you may have or even verses that stand out. These will be good to discuss in the future with a friend, someone at church or someone in your Group. Once you finish reading, please work through the 3 action steps: PRAY, DO, & SONG.

3 DAY 15 DAY 15 QUESTIONS LEARN This section features a few questions everyday to help you think deeper about what you are reading. Use the space below to jot down any notes or thoughts that occur to you as you read. How does knowing what happens in Jonah chapter 3 change the way you see chapters one and two? How would Jonah s life have been different if he would have just listened to God the first time? Think about a time when you didn t listen to God the first time, what pain did you experience? What did you learn about listening to Him? 3

4 DAY 15 DAY 15 QUESTIONS LEARN This section features a few questions every day to help you think deeper about what you are reading. Use the space below to jot down any notes or thoughts that occur to you as you read. How many second chances do you think God gives? Do you think his patience can run out on you? At what point does God give up on someone running away from Him? If you were to give a title to Jonah chapter 3 what would it be and why? If a book was written on the last 3 months of your relationship with Jesus what would the title be and why? (Don t be a slacker, the title can t just be your name) 4

5 PRAY DO SONG Thank Jesus for His word. Ask Him to help you hear His voice clearly and respond to His voice correctly the first time. Ask God to constantly remind you of the pain Jonah experienced when He ran away from God, ask Him to remind you of how hard life is without Him. Everyday there is an action item so that the story can jump off the pages and into your life. God gives Jonah a second chance. Jonah gives Nineveh a second chance. And God gives Nineveh a second chance. Give somebody a second chance today. What friendship have you given up on? What sibling have you written off? Who has hurt you that needs a second chance? Today I challenge you to restore that friendship and give them a second chance. We will make recommendations of worship tunes for you to listen to as part of your time with Jesus each day. Today s song is: One Thing Remains by Jesus Culture. You can find this on Spotify, itunes music, Youtube, etc. 5

DAY 16 JONAH 3:1-5 Time to read Romans 1:16 and Matthew 10:32-33.

6 DAY 16 JONAH 3:1-5 Time to read Romans 1:16 and Matthew 10: As you read, write down any questions you have or verses that stick out to you.

7 DAY 16 DAY 16 QUESTIONS LEARN This section features a few questions every day to help you think deeper about what you are reading. Use the space below to jot down any notes or thoughts that occur to you as you read. I ask you a second time. Where is God telling you to go and take the message of the gospel? Like Jonah, you are called to be a bringer. You need to bring Jesus to people and bring people to Jesus. Who is your Nineveh? Romans 1:16 tells us to be unashamed of the gospel. Are you proud or ashamed of the gospel? Do you deny Him before people? Do you brag on Jesus? Are you living to make Him famous? (You will always be bored as a Christian until you get on board with making Him famous!) 7

8 DAY 16 DAY 16 QUESTIONS (CONTINUED) LEARN This section features a few questions every day to help you think deeper about what you are reading. Use the space below to jot down any notes or thoughts that occur to you as you read. Jonah s message to the city was simple. It was one sentence and God used it. What message do you need to take to your job, your school, etc? How can you invite someone to church this week? Why do you think his simple message had such a serious impact? Jonah s message to Nineveh seemed to be one of judgement. What kind of message are we called to bring to the world? Are we called to bring a message of judgement? How will people respond to that? 8

9 PRAY DO SONG Ask Jesus to make you brave. Ask Him to give you the courage to go to your Nineveh and bring the message of the gospel. Ask Him to let you not stop thinking about your Nineveh until you go and tell them about Him. Everyday there is an action item so that the story can jump off the pages and into your life. It is so important that you are unashamed of the gospel. Extend at least 1 invitation everyday to a different person from now until Wednesday to come to church with you this week. We will make recommendations of worship tunes for you to listen to as part of your time with Jesus each day. Today s song is: Mountaintops by The Belonging Co. 9

10 DAY 17 JONAH 3:5-10 As you read, write down any questions you may have or even verses that stand out. These will be good to discuss in the future with a friend, someone at church or someone in your Group. Once you finish reading, please work through the 3 action steps: PRAY, DO, & SONG.

11 DAY 17 DAY 17 QUESTIONS LEARN This section features a few questions every day to help you think deeper about what you are reading. Use the space below to jot down any notes or thoughts that occur to you as you read.jonah 3:5-10 What does it mean to fast? Have you ever fasted before? Is that something we should still do today as followers of Jesus? What is the point of fasting? The King and the people of Nineveh responded pretty seriously to God s coming judgement. They stopped everything. Do you take God seriously? Do you respect Him? Do you act like He s a big joke? Do you act like He is real and active in your daily life? How does your response to God, compare to Nineveh's? 11

12 DAY 17 DAY 17 QUESTIONS (CONTINUED) LEARN This section features a few questions every day to help you think deeper about what you are reading. Use the space below to jot down any notes or thoughts that occur to you as you read. Jonah 3:5-10 What evil way do you need to turn from today? The truth is, we are all like Nineveh in some way, we all have issues that need to be surrendered to God. What sin do you need to repent of? How are you going to do that? The King set the example and led the way in tuning from his evil ways. How can you lead the way with your friends in turning from evil? What sin are you and your friends most guilty of that you can help stop? Gossip, substance abuse, lying, being rude, bad language, wrong-thinking, what is it? 12

13 PRAY DO SONG Confess your sin to God today. He already knows. Ask Him for forgiveness and thank Him for the cross. Ask Him to keep your feet from temptation and to get you out of evil. Tell Him why you love Him today. Everyday there is an action item so that the story can jump off the pages and into your life. I challenge you to fast today. If you want to start small, just fast (don t eat) for 1 meal. If you want to jump in and fast for the whole day that s great too. You can drink as much water as you want! Take the time that you would be eating to pray and focus on Jesus today! We will make recommendations of worship tunes for you to listen to as part of your time with Jesus each day. Today s song is: You Make Me Brave by Bethel Music 13

14 DAY 18 JONAH 3:10 We are going on an adventure today. You are about to be all over the bible. First read Jonah 3:10, and then 2 Chronicles 7:14, Isaiah 55:5, Acts 3:19, 2 Peter 3:9. Make sure to take notes and write down questions as you read. And don t be afraid to use the index at the front of your bible. Ain t no shame in that game!

15 DAY 18 LEARN Context: This Psalm is written by King David during the time his Son Absalom has run away and is rebelling against him and trying to take over the kingdom. DAY 18 QUESTIONS What is repentance? Describe it in your own words. Are you a repentant person? How does God respond to repentance throughout these 5 verses? Write down everything you see God do when people repent. 15

16 DAY 18 DAY 18 QUESTIONS (CONTINUED) LEARN This section features a few questions every day to help you think deeper about what you are reading. Use the space below to jot down any notes or thoughts that occur to you as you read. When you receive undeserved forgiveness from God is it easy for you to relax and receive it, or do you feel guilty about having been let-off-the-hook and feel like you need to pay God back? When you extend forgiveness to others, do you give it without strings attached, or do you give it but your heart expects some type of compensation, like an apology, or a change of attitude? 16

17 PRAY DO SONG We spent two days focusing on this idea because it is so important. Ask God to give you a heart of repentance. A heart that is broken over sin and disgusted by evil. Ask Him to give you a heart that never runs from Him when you make a mistake, but always runs toward Him knowing that he is quick to forgive and will come to your side! Everyday there is an action item so that the story can jump off the pages and into your life. The scriptures from today are all important passages of scripture, great ones to try and memorize. Pick one and commit it to memory. We will make recommendations of worship tunes for you to listen to as part of your time with Jesus each day. Today s song is: How He Loves by John Mark McMillan 17

18 DAY 19 JONAH 3:1-10 Time to think outside the box. YOU WILL NEED YOUR JOURNAL FOR THIS ONE! We all like alternate endings. It s your turn to create some.

19 DAY 19 DAY 19 QUESTIONS LEARN This section features a few questions every day to help you think deeper about what you are reading. Use the space below to jot down any notes or thoughts that occur to you as you read. Starting with Jonah chapter 3 verse 3, write a different version of the story as if Jonah had chosen to run away from God again. How might chapter 3 look different if Jonah kept running? Starting with Jonah chapter 3 verse 5, rewrite chapter 3 as if Nineveh didn t respond to Jonah s message but continued in their evil ways. How would the story go? The chapter has 5 more verses so your alternate ending needs to have at least 5 sentences. 19

20 DAY 19 DAY 19 QUESTIONS (CONTINUED) LEARN This section features a few questions every day to help you think deeper about what you are reading. Use the space below to jot down any notes or thoughts that occur to you as you read.. How different will your friends lives be if you don t tell them about Jesus? How different will your life be if you keep running away from God? 20

21 PRAY DO SONG Tell Jesus what s on your heart today. What are you wrestling with? What is going on? Ask Him for what you need and thank Him for what He has given you. Tell Him why you love Him! Everyday there is an action item so that the story can jump off the pages and into your life. Take a picture of you doing your devo and post it on Instagram using the #jonahdevo and you will be entered into a contest to win a prize this week! We will make recommendations of worship tunes for you to listen to as part of your time with Jesus each day. Today s song is: Extravagant by Steffany Gretzinger 21

22 DAY 20 STUDY DEVO Today your bible study is about bible study. Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Hebrews 4:12, Psalm 119:11, Romans 10:17, John 17:17. Write down any questions you have or things that stick out as you read. I would encourage you to underline all the above verses in your Bible, they are powerful!

23 DAY 20 DAY 20 QUESTIONS LEARN This section features a few questions every day to help you think deeper about what you are reading. Use the space below to jot down any notes or thoughts that occur to you as you read. What is the hardest part about reading the bible for you? What do you enjoy most about reading the bible? What excuses do you make for not reading your bible? How much time should you spend reading every day? What does that say about the importance of God s word? Why do we read the bible? Which one is more important when you read the Bible: To become a better Christian or to know God more? Explain your answer. 23

24 DAY 20 DAY 20 QUESTIONS (CONTINUED) LEARN This section features a few questions every day to help you think deeper about what you are reading. Use the space below to jot down any notes or thoughts that occur to you as you read. Does the Bible have the last say in your life? Is it authoritative? If you disagree with something the Bible says who wins, you or the Bible? What do you do with parts of the Bible that are hard to believe? Like a whale swallowing a man? What needs to happen for Bible reading to be a part of your life everyday, even after our Jonah devo is done? What will you start to read after we finish Jonah? Who can hold you accountable to read? 24

25 PRAY DO SONG Ask God to continually give you a hunger for His word. Ask Him to help you remember His word throughout the day. Ask Him to give you a better understanding of it as you read. Tell Him when you are confused. Thank Him for the gift of His word! Everyday there is an action item so that the story can jump off the pages and into your life. There is an organization called bibles for China. You can go online and send Bibles to people around the world who don t have them. Even to places where it is illegal to own one. Give up a trip to Starbucks or Chick-fil-a and help people get access to the bible. Link: biblesforchina.org We will make recommendations of worship tunes for you to listen to as part of your time with Jesus each day. Today s song is: Called Me Higher by All Sons and Daughters 25

26 DAY 21 JONAH 4:1-11 Jonah chapter 4:1-11. As you read, write down any questions you may have or even verses that stand out. These will be good to discuss in the future with a friend, someone at church or someone in your Group.

27 DAY 21 DAY 21 QUESTIONS LEARN This section features a few questions every day to help you think deeper about what you are reading. Use the space below to jot down any notes or thoughts that occur to you as you read. Write down any questions you have about Jonah 4, try and find someone at church this week and ask them about these questions. What is a story from your life that is similar to what happens in Jonah chapter 4 with the plant and the worm? 27

28 DAY 21 DAY 21 QUESTIONS (CONTINUED) LEARN This section features a few questions every day to help you think deeper about what you are reading. Use the space below to jot down any notes or thoughts that occur to you as you read. What do you think God is trying to say to you through Jonah chapter 4? What is the big idea or main point of the chapter? What verse stands out to you the most? How do you feel about the way the book ends right now? Do you feel like it gives closure to the story? Does it end on a high note, low note? What do you think? 28

29 PRAY DO SONG Pray for Sunday, and as he gets ready to preach tonight. Ask God to use Him to challenge you and encourage you in your faith. Ask God to prepare your heart to hear from Jesus tonight. Ask God to let Jonah 4 sink deep into your heart today. Everyday there is an action item so that the story can jump off the pages and into your life. Will you invite a friend to church this week, invite them into the story! We will make recommendations of worship tunes for you to listen to as part of your time with Jesus each day. Today s song is: So Will I by Hillsong United 29

JONAH A 28-DAY DEVOTIONAL

JONAH A 28-DAY DEVOTIONAL What do you do when following Jesus requires you to do something you really don t want to do? This is what happened to Jonah. When God asked him to do something, Jonah said NO