May 28: Pervasive Love (Jonah 4)

To engage the learners in a study of the Scripture text:

Have your group read Jonah 4:1-4 and discuss the following questions.

1. What does the word “this” in verse 1 refer to?
2. How does Jonah’s anger and his prayer connect to the story in chapter 1?
3. How does Jonah’s prayer here compare to his prayer in chapter 2?
4. How had God shown mercy to the Ninevites?
5. How had God shown mercy to Jonah?

Have your group read Jonah 4:5-11 and discuss the following questions.

6. What three things did God “provide”? If you were Jonah, how would you have felt about God’s “provision”?
7. How is the dialog in verse 9 similar to the dialog earlier in the chapter?
8. What lesson was God trying to teach Jonah through these events?
9. How did Jonah’s attitude toward the Ninevites compare to God’s attitude toward them?
10. How can you relate to Jonah’s desire to limit God’s mercy to others? To whom might God be calling you to show mercy?

To encourage personal application:

Consider dividing into groups of three or four people for the following time of sharing and prayer.

1. How do you typically express anger?
2. Specifically, what do you do when you feel angry or frustrated with God?
3. How could you grow in these areas?
4. How has God spoken to you or challenged you through these four lessons from the book of Jonah? In prayer, commit to a plan of action in this regard.