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Jonah: The Sovereign Grace of God |
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LIFE GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE
Wednesday Night, March 21, 2007
“Jonah: The Sovereign Grace of God”
5 Minutes - Welcome / Prayer
5 Minutes - OPEN
Imagine being the parent of a 17-year old son who has already developed a drinking problem and tonight at 10:30 after you have laid your head on your pillow to go to bed, you get a call from the police station saying that your son has been arrested on a DWI charge and is at the police station. When ask if he wants to call his parents, he indicated he was too embarrassed to call. How are you going to respond to your son?
For those you love, what is the fine line between “hating” the sin and “loving” the sinner (Ps. 45:7; 101:3)?
Maybe first we should ask - - how do you define “hate”?
15 Minutes - DIG
Jonah “hated” the Assyrian people! The thought of his being a messenger of God to go and preach repentance to these people was more than he could bear. This caused him great problems in coming to grips with the grace of God.
Knowing that God desires a different behavior, how does it happen that we often move from “hating” the sin to “hating” the sinner? What are the things that occur in our conscience that harden our heart over time to where we despise and hate a person?
Did not David hate those who were his enemies (Ps. 5:5; 139:21-22)? How did he and how do we justify such a behavior?
What are the principles of Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:43-48) regarding our need to love our enemies?
Read Romans 5:15-17. Describe in your own words this un-comprehendible gift of grace. When Paul says, “how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ,” what is the transforming power that he gives to us and how can it be that such enables us to forgive our enemies?
15 Minutes - REFLECT
Describe a situation in your life where you were the recipient of “unconditional love.” What do you remember about the emotions you felt upon the receipt of such?
What if your group tonight someone might be there who was incredibly violated by someone in their past by an act of abuse, harm, robbery, beating, murder of a family member, etc., what advice would you give to this person as to what to do with the hate and anger they feel toward the offender?
5 Minutes - CLOSING PRAYER
Tonight, do you have any hate toward anyone in your life? If so, why and what keeps you from resolving such?
Pray about these matters one by one and bring them before the God of all grace!
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