September 8, 2024
The Pastor Notes
Series: The Time Is Now
Title: What Are You Running From?
Introduction:
- Greeting and welcome to One City church
- Introduction to Week 2 of the series The Time Is Now
- Scripture focus: Jonah 1:1-5
- The challenge of running from God’s calling
1. Running From Our Purpose Will Cost Us
- Jonah’s attempt to flee from God’s call to go to Nineveh
- Running from our purpose is often driven by fear and discomfort
- The blessings of life are attached to fulfilling our responsibilities
- God’s calling often requires us to trust in His strength, not our own
- Illustration of the consequences of Jonah’s flight from God’s call
2. Storms Are Meant to Save Us
- The storm Jonah encountered was not to punish him but to redirect him
- God uses difficult moments to recalibrate our lives towards His purpose
- Highlighting Jonah’s storm as a divine intervention to bring him back
- In our own lives, storms can be God’s way of saving us
- Importance of addressing the root problems instead of discarding what we need
3. God Returns Us to Where We Belong
- Jonah’s journey in the belly of the fish as a time of reflection and repentance
- God’s relentless love brings us back to our original purpose, despite our detours
- The process of restoration might be difficult but is necessary for transformation
- Illustration: Jonah’s return to Nineveh and the fulfillment of his divine mission
Conclusion:
- Reflect on what we might be running from in our own lives
- Embrace God’s calling now and stop delaying
- Return to God’s purpose and be part of His mission
- Closing prayer