Previous Episode: The Victory of Jesus

In this sermon, we kicked off the Jonah series by looking at the power of shame and the power of God's kindness in the storm found in Jonah 1:1-6. The story of Jonah opens with God's calling for Jonah to take the message of repentance to the gentiles in Assyria. Within the first 3 verses, Jonah has already disobeyed God to protect his own comfort and run from God's presence in an attempt to avoid the shame he feels. To keep His plan of redemption on track, God caused a dangerous, life-threatening storm to come against Jonah and the pagan sailors he is traveling with. Much to our surprise, the pagan sailors are closer to believing in God's kindness than Jonah, one of His own prophets. In the severity of the storm, we see the even-greater severity of God's kindness in what He's willing to do to fulfill His plan of redemption for those He loves.