Incoming Call: Jonah

The story of Jonah confronts us with an uncomfortable truth: God will call us to our own Nineveh. This ancient account reveals more than just a prophet and a great fish—it exposes the human tendency to run from divine assignments that make us uncomfortable. When God called Jonah to preach to Israel's brutal enemy, the Assyrians of Nineveh, Jonah didn't just hesitate—he sailed 2,500 miles in the opposite direction. We see ourselves in this response. How often do we find a boat heading to Tarshish when God is calling us eastward? The profound irony throughout this narrative challenges our assumptions about who the good guys and bad guys really are. Pagan sailors end up worshiping the true God while the prophet sleeps through a storm. These sailors show more compassion to a Hebrew stranger than the prophet shows to an entire city. This reversal reminds us to be cautious about judging who God can use and who He wants to redeem. The central message is clear: running from God always comes at a price, but running back to God always comes with a blessing. Wherever God calls us—no matter how uncomfortable or frightening—is the safest place we can be. The question isn't whether we know God's will; usually we do. The question is whether we're willing to trust that God knows what He's doing, even when His call leads us into territory we'd rather avoid.

Chapters
Chapter 1: The Incoming Call to Nineveh 0:00 - 7:00
We are introduced to Jonah's call from God to go preach against the wickedness of Nineveh, a city he desperately does not want to visit.
Chapter 2: Running in the Opposite Direction 7:00 - 14:00
We learn how Jonah attempts to flee from God's call by sailing in the exact opposite direction toward Tarshish, convincing himself he can escape God's will.
Chapter 3: The Storm and the Sailors 14:00 - 21:00
We witness God sending a violent storm that terrifies the sailors, while Jonah sleeps below deck until the captain calls him to pray.
Chapter 4: The Price of Running and God's Pursuit 21:00 - 28:00
We see Jonah thrown overboard to calm the storm, while the pagan sailors begin worshiping the true God, revealing that running from God always comes at a price but God pursues us to bless us.