This is Part 6 of a series on Jonah entitled “Surprised by Grace.”

In this sermon from 2:1-10–"Negotiating with God"—we look at Jonah’s prayer from the belly of a fish. He’s in a desperate situation and, like most desperate people, he begins to pray. But there are signs in this prayer that Jonah still doesn’t get it. He still thinks that this world is divided into two types of people—good people and bad people—and that he’s one of the good guys. And because he’s one of the good guys, he thinks God owes it to him to save him from this dire situation that he’s in and to give him the life he thinks he’s earned.

Once again, Jonah is running from God. But this time he’s doing it from a stationary place in the dark belly of a fish. And once again God shows that it is impossible to outrun his pursuing affection and that he is a God of great expenditure who spares no expense to rescue fugitives of grace.