Message: Understanding The Assignment
Speaker: Jarrett Stevens
DISCUSSION:
-Start by answering this question: What do you do when you don't want to do what God wants you to do?
The word of the Lord came to Jonah son a Amittai: "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me." Jonah 1:1-2
The last thing Jonah wanted to do was to go to preach repentance to his enemies.
It is often hard to ask God to bless those who could be considered our "enemies", those who are hurt you or abandoned you or are against you. Often we want....GRACE FOR ME...BUT JUSTICE FOR THEE!
DISCUSSION:
-Can you describe a time when you needed to or actually did pray blessing for someone when it was hard to do so?
-Is there someone or a group of people in your life right now who you need to pray blessing over, but it's hard?
But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord. Jonah 1:3
Often when we do not like the assignment from God, we run. We head in the opposite direction.
Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own good. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. Jonah 1:4-5
This storm terrified even the professional sailors, and they started throwing cargo overboard.
We must realize that our decisions do not only affect us. They have a ripple effect and can hurt those around us.
DISCUSSION:
-Can you recall a decision that you or someone else made that caused a ripple effect in the lives of others?
Read Jonah 1:6-17
At all times in your life with God, there are three things constantly coinciding:
Your Identity: Who God says you are. No one can give you that, and no one can take that away from you
Your Calling: This the why behind what you bring to the world, how God has uniquely created you.
Your Assignments: These are the big and small promptings, invitations, and acts of obedience God brings to you.
DISCUSSION:
-How would you describe each person's identity in God?
-For you, what is your calling, your bent, what draws you to it and excites you?
-Recall some assignments that now, looking back, you see were from God.
-Is there an assignment you need to say "Yes" to today?