September 14th, 2025
“The Jonah Problem” - Jonah 1:1-3
Tyler Daniels, Pastor and Lead Elder
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Welcome Song: Be Thou My Vision
Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Be thou my wisdom and thou my true word;
I ever with Thee, and Thou with me, Lord.
Thou My great Father, and I Thy true son
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.
Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise;
Thou mine inheritance, now and always.
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my treasure Thou art.
High King of heaven, my victory won
May I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O Ruler of all.
Come Thou Fount
Come, thou Fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace
Streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above
Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it, mount of thy redeeming love
Here I raise mine Ebenezer; hither by thy help I'm come
And I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home
Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God
He, to rescue me from danger, interposed his precious blood
O to grace how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be
Let thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love
Here's my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above
Come, thou Fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace
Streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise
Sovereign Over Us
There is strength within the sorrow, there is beauty in our tears
And You meet us in our mourning, with a love that casts out fear
You are working in our waiting, sanctifying us
When beyond our understanding, You’re teaching us to trust
Your plans are still to prosper, You have not forgotten us
You're with us in the fire and the flood
Faithful forever, perfect in love
You are Sovereign over us
You are wisdom unimagined, who could understand Your ways
Reigning high above the heavens, reaching down in endless grace
Youʼre the Lifter of the lowly, compassionate and kind
You surround and You uphold me, and Your promises are my delight
Even what the enemy means for evil, You turn it for our good
You turn it for our good and for Your glory
Even in the valley you are faithful, You're working for our good
You're working for our good
Let Your Kingdom Come
Your glorious cause, O God
Engages our hearts
May Jesus Christ be known
Wherever we are
We ask not for ourselves, but for Your renown
The cross has saved us so we pray
Your kingdom come
Let Your kingdom come
Let Your will be done
So that everyone might know Your Name
Let Your song be heard everywhere on earth
Till Your sovereign work on earth is done
Let Your kingdom come
Give us Your strength, O God
And courage to speak
Perform Your wondrous deeds
Through those who are weak
Lord use us as You want, whatever the test
By grace we’ll preach Your gospel
Till our dying breath
Scripture reading
“1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it because their evil has come up before me.” 3 Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish from the LORD’s presence. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. He paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the LORD’s presence.
”
Discussion Questions:
What are your big questions about the Book of Jonah? What things make it hard to believe? What, in Scripture, helps you to know it is true? (See 2 Kings 14:23-27, Matthew 12:38-41.)
Consider this statement: “Jonah is the first-ever foreign missionary.” How does this affect your reading of the text? What lessons can be learned from Jonah’s calling by the believing church—specifically regarding who we might be sent to, for mission?
How is Jonah a “negative example”? What does his biography teach us to expect, when we run from God’s callings? How does this help us understand the “silliness” of the Book of Jonah?
Doxology
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav'nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen.
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms
What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Leaning, leaning,
Safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Oh, how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
Oh, how bright the path grows from day to day,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.