Recap & Looking Ahead to 10.22.26
Last Thursday, we began The Book of Jonah.
We started with something that seems to unite most Americans:
Avoidance.
We took a few guesses at the kinds of conversations people most like to avoid.
We did well.
Research has found that some of our favorite conversational escape routes involve politics, money, sex, religion, work, and relationships.
A more recent national survey found that 85% of Americans avoided at least one conversation in the previous 30 days because they thought it might lead to an argument or awkward exchange.
Which raised the question:
What do we avoid simply because dealing with it feels harder than avoiding it?
Enter Jonah.
Running Away
God gave Jonah a clear instruction:
Go to Nineveh.
Jonah responded by heading in the opposite direction.
Not metaphorically.
He found a ship.
We read Jonah 1:1–3 and talked about what makes us do our own versions of the same thing.
Sometimes it’s fear.
Sometimes resentment.
Sometimes shame.
Sometimes pride.
Sometimes we simply don’t like where obedience appears to be taking us.
And rarely does running begin with one enormous decision. More often, it’s a series of smaller ones.
One compromise. One rationalization. One conversation we keep putting off. One thing we know we should address but don’t.
Then another.
Eventually, we can find ourselves a long way from where we intended to be.
An Intimate Gathering
Thursday’s group was an intimate affair.
The Hudsons + The Adamses.
Survivor: Small Group has entered the endurance phase.
The tribe has spoken.
Fortunately, no one was voted off the island.
Life just happened.
And that distinction matters.
When Life Happens
Because life does happen.
And when it does, it often comes in bunches.
So, Jenna and Will simply want everyone to know that we’re here.
And not just on Thursday nights between 6:30 and 8:00.
If life is throwing something at you, if you need prayer, someone to listen, a little help, some company, or simply someone in your corner, please reach out.
No explanation required.
No judgment.
No expectation that we can fix it.
We probably can’t.
But we can listen, pray, and show up however we can.
More importantly, turn to God.
Before us. Before anyone.
And if Jonah teaches us anything in Part 1, perhaps it’s this:
When life gets hard, the direction we run matters. Run toward him.
This Thursday:
The Book of Jonah | Part 2
We’ll continue with Part 2: Rock Bottom.
Sometimes our greatest moments of growth begin when we reach the end of ourselves. In Part 2, Reed looks at Jonah’s prayer from inside the “great fish” and how God meets us with grace even at our lowest moments, inviting us to surrender and trust him again.
Before we get into Jonah on Thursday, start here:
What do you often wait too long to deal with? Why do you think you wait?
Schedule
* Service outing can be any day of the week or weekend.
** Date tentatively set for a Tuesday. Discuss best date for group.
See you on Thursday.