Gospel-Centered Resources for the Hurting
How should we understand Jonah's fish?
Podcast: Download (Duration: 5:31 — 5.2MB)
When the story of Jonah comes up, the fish usually takes center stage. And for many people, that fish is a deal-breaker.
So, I want to offer a few thoughts on the fish for your consideration.
From the Fray,
-chaplain mesaeh
Podcast: Download (Duration: 5:31 — 5.2MB)
Jonah is a book about a man who thought he knew who God was, how God acted, and how God thought. All his life, Jonah assumed God only loved people who looked like him.
When he finds out his view of God was far too small, Jonah descends into a crisis where he runs away, throws a fit, and decides he wants to die.
More than that, Jonah is a book about a God who is big enough to be misunderstood and loving enough to chase us when we try to run away from him.
Jonah Study Guide
If you want to be full of hate, here’s how to get there.
Row all you can, then surrender.
If you want to run, there will always be a boat.
The longer I’m in ministry, the more I’m convinced: we all have the same questions and insecurities. And, we assume no one else would understand the thoughts and fears inside our heart. It leaves us unnecessarily isolated. Alone in our own heads. Solomon, another human, had the same questions. He feared the same things. He wrote a book about them: Ecclesiastes. It’s honest. Uncomfortable. Liberating. Ecclesiastes addresses issues like boredom, death, lack of purpose and meaning, depression, social injustice, work-life balance, and loneliness. Too often, the “guidance” we receive on these matters is: Just have faith. Be thankful. Don’t think about it. Or, What’s wrong with you? Needless to say, this falls short. Thanks to Solomon, we can do better than that. This is a sermon series on his book, Ecclesiastes.
| 1 | Is There Life Before Death? | 12-Jan-18 |
| 2 | Should I Feel Bad for Feeling Good? | 28-Jan-18 |
| 3 | Why Does Life Feel so Hard? | 11-Feb-18 |
| 4 | How do I Stay Alive When I Feel Alone? | 18-Feb-18 |
| 5 | Why is Money Such a Mystery? | 9-Apr-18 |
| 6 | Can I Get God to Do What I Want? | 5-Mar-18 |
| 7 | What do I do When I Don’t Know What to Do? | 16-Apr-18 |
| 8 | Why do Bad Things Happen to Good People? | 11-Jun-18 |
| 9 | Death–What’s the Point? | 12-Aug-18 |
| 10 | How do I Finish Well? | 27-Sep-18 |
To maintain national security and minimize the spread of COVID-19, many members of my unit were separated from their families and asked to endure prolonged periods of isolation.
These short video messages were my attempt to continue serving them with encouragement to "Finish Stronger Than You Started."
The series covers a variety of topics such as spiritual health, parenting, decision-making, anxiety, loneliness, relationships, depression, personal responsibility, and many others.
Jonah is a book about a man who thought he knew who God was, how God acted, and how God thought. All his life, Jonah assumed God only loved people who looked like him. When he finds out his view of God was far too small, Jonah descends into a crisis where he runs away, throws a fit, and decides he wants to die. More than that, Jonah is a book about a God who is big enough to be misunderstood and loving enough to chase us when we try to run away from him.
| 0 | Jonah Intro | 20-May-20 |
| 1 | Boats Going The Other Way | 22-May-20 |
| 2 | Loving Those People | 29-May-20 |
| 3 | Who do You Think You Are? | 5-Jun-20 |
| 4 | Rowing Isn’t Enough | 12-Jun-20 |
| 5 | MLK & Mercy | 19-Jun-20 |
| 6 | 3 Ways to Be a Bigot | 26-Jun-20 |
| 7 | A Better Emotion | 3-Jul-20 |
| 8 | Jonah Bonus – What About the Fish? | 22-Jun-20 |
| 9 | Jonah Bonus – The Prayer | 10-Jul-20 |
| 10 | Jonah Sermon |