What happens when your life is turned upside down?  A medical, financial, relational or spiritual crisis has the potential to derail your life… or maybe God is up to something. Let’s look at the nativity story with fresh eyes this year. 

A Strange assignment, a Strange storm, a Strange solution.

How do you handle it when God changes your plans? How do you handle it when God changes His mind? Jonah had a hard time accepting God’s mercy including outsiders, people that weren’t from his tribe. Have we solved this problem in the last 3,000 years? I’m not so sure. Let’s walk through Jonah 4 together.

When was the last time you failed at something?  How much damage did the failure do?  Did it hurt your relationships, business, ego?  Did you step out in faith and try a ministry opportunity that didn’t work out?  Don’t let shame be your barrier to spiritual growth.  Every human fails, but how we respond is what determines our future. God gives 2nd changes (and 5th and 100th chances). Don’t let your failure stop you from following Jesus.  

Alone, confused, overwhelmed, hopeless, wrapped in seaweed and fish guts: this is where Jonah finds himself in chapter 2.  How do you handle situations in life when you are sure it’s beyond repair?  Is it God’s fault you ended up there, or your own?  Maybe it’s not that simple.  

Mercy is not getting what you deserve.  It’s great to be on the receiving end… but what about when we have to give it?  How do you handle the unbalanced scales of justice when you are on the losing side?  How does God feel about all of this?  Let’s walk through Jonah’s not-so-simple story together.  

How often do you make good decisions for your soul?  What do you do when your body doesn’t want to cooperate?  How does your background, culture and family affect your relationship with God?Following Jesus involves making a decision… but that’s not enough.  To life a God-honoring life, we need all 3 of these factors operating in our life:Direct the rider, motivate the elephant, shape the path.  

Until the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of changing… people will remain the same.  When we finally are ready to get physically or spiritual healthy, we go through a 5-step process to create a better future.  Which step is hardest for you?

Are you tempted to think of the Bible as strange, moral literature that you can barely understand and is out of touch with your actual life?  Then the book of Proverbs is for you! Today we’ll hear about everyday issues like debt, cosigning for a loan, property line and neighbor issues.  Allow God’s timeless wisdom to intersect with your daily life.

Wisdom is more than information, it requires action.  When you get to a crossroads, how do you choose your path. Today, God’s wisdom is calling out to us, will I listen to His voice?  How will I respond?  What action do I need to take?