This morning in chapel, Ken Winter shared his testimony while preaching through Jonah 1, demonstrating that we can’t outrun God’s grace. God pursues us in our rebellion and rescues us in our brokenness.

As a high schooler, Winter was running away from God and lost in rebellion. Then, his parents decided to move to a new area — exactly what Winter didn’t want to do. Many of us have received instructions and said, “Anything but that!” Jonah said to God, “Anything but Nineveh!” God’s instructions often challenge our comfort. When He instructs us, we have two choices: to obey or to run. Jonah ran, and so did Winter.

Winter hadn’t planned to go to a Christian college, but he got a soccer scholarship he couldn’t turn down. While in school, he was still running from God, and a big storm was about to happen.

This is similar to what happened in Jonah’s story. His rebellion created a storm that endangered many others besides himself. Our disobedience creates chaos for us and for others.

Winter started dating a girl, and their relationship quickly turned physical. They hid their sin just like Jonah, who was asleep in the dark at the bottom of the boat. When we rebel, we do the same — hiding and ignoring the mess we created, pretending it isn’t real.

We also try to fix things on our own, like the men throwing the cargo off the ship and praying to their own gods. We can never fix our sin problem on our own, but Winter was unwilling to do things God’s way.

Then, one day, Winter was awakened by the biggest storm of his life: His girlfriend was pregnant. They were asked to leave campus. As they got married and lived in his parents’ basement, he still tried to fix his problems on his own. This was when the storm hit again. When his wife was only five months pregnant, she went into labor. Their daughter was born far too early.

As Winter looked at his baby girl, he asked God to let him take her place. This is like Jonah saying, “Throw me over the boat.” Jonah realized that this disaster was happening because of him. He had to stop disobeying and repent. God’s grace had tracked him down in the storm on the boat.

As Winter asked God to let him take his daughter’s place, all the truth he’d heard his whole life hit him like a flood. He remembered that Christ had hurled himself into the storm of the wrath of God so that Winter might be saved. He stopped running, and God forgave him. God meets us in our desperation.

Winter’s little girl healed and has none of the problems the doctors said she would have. God not only rescued him but also blessed him greatly. God’s plan for Winter was far better than the plans Winter had in his mind. If you’re in rebellion, stop running. Receive the grace of God today!