In Jonah 4, we find the prophet angry. Despite his rousing success as an evangelist, he is troubled by the compassion of God toward a people he believes deserve God’s wrath instead. He is so mad about it, he says he would prefer to die (the things we say when we are upset!). Yet God’s compassion prevails – both to Jonah and to the city filled with people made in his image. We hope you can join us Sunday as we look at “Questioning God,” but also as we share Stories of Grace.

In Jonah 3, we see the prophet obedient. It took a near-death experience to align him with God’s will! He was running from God, but God is still pursuing him. The compassion Jonah did not want to see extended to his enemies is the very compassion that brought him to his senses, and now he gets a second chance, “…the word of the Lord came to Johan a second time.” His proclamation of impending judgment becomes a message of hope to those who hear it, and by the end of the chapter we are left with a picture of what is means to surrender to “No More Running from God.” May our hearts respond in the same way.

We are starting a four-week series on Jonah this Sunday, a prophet whose life becomes the classic picture of running from God’s revealed will – and the futility and fallout that results. In contrast to God’s mercy and compassion, Jonah wants his enemies to suffer and effectively wants to replace God’s agenda with his own. This timeless message will challenge our perspectives on God, obedience, and what genuine care for the other looks like. First up, chapter 1: “Running Away from God.”

Paul brings his letter to the church in Corinth to a close with parting words about guidance on money, plans, and relationships. So practical, and so immediately relevant on this Sunday when we also honor our graduating high school students. As we honor that accomplishment, we will also hear from the K-Kids on their learning from this past year.

Paul assures us in 1 Corinthians 15:35-58 that because of the resurrection, we have a lot to look forward to (or, grammatically, to which we can look forward, but that just doesn’t sound as great!). Sunday’s text is all about the resurrection body upgrade, but also the encouragement we have because of Christ’s resurrection that anything we do now has eternal significance. Hopefully you will find strength, hope, and a renewed perspective on the present and the future!

There were some in the Corinthian Church who insisted on the idea of no resurrection. To combat this fatal error and to establish the doctrine more firmly in the minds of the saints, following his introductory section on resurrection of Christ, Apostle Paul wrote this magnificent piece of the subject in 1 Corinthians 15:12-34. Not only does Paul demonstrate that such heresy undermines the entire foundation of the Gospel, he also proceeds to show the implications that would follow if Christ truly had been raised from the dead.

We are nearing the end of our journey through 1 Corinthians, arriving at the stunning and life-transforming reality of the resurrection. For Paul, this is the lynchpin of faith – without it, everything falls apart. But, he argues with logical tenacity, it IS true and it DOES change everything. Please pray that as we work our way through the text, our own souls will both remember and reflect the hope and power of this resurrection truth.

This week's text is a challenging one, no doubt – so please pray for grace and wisdom to understand and apply it correctly. The principle itself is clear: God is a God of order. Paul repeats that theological reality twice in order to provide guardrails for the worship of the gathered believers. The Corinthian church, left without these instructions, was heading toward chaos and confusion. Rather, Paul says, conducting worship in a “fitting way” both reflects God’s intended structure (order) and affords God’s intended outcome (peace).

Paul picks up his teaching on spiritual gifts again, having reminded the Corinthian church that without love the gifts are of no benefit. In Sunday’s text (14:1-25), he contrasts tongues and prophecy. Depending on your own church experience, this treatment may seem right on point or very odd! What is going on here? We will do our best to explore and explain the context, but Paul’s argument is fairly straightforward: prophecy is preferred because of its intelligibility. This is a continuation of the high value placed on removing barriers so those who are not-yet-believers can have access, as well as ensuring that spiritual gifts serve the common good. Hope you can join us as we consider, “Speaking to God…and Men.”