With the hustle and bustle of Christmas a week behind us and a new year stretching out before us, it’s a convenient moment to reflect on the central realities of the gospel, which provides us with a new life and a new view before calling us to share that gift with those around us.

You can now download the bulletin for the worship service that goes with this sermon.

Note that there is no discussion guide this week. Instead, please learn more about Winter Term and sign up for a class.

If there is a God, would you have an appropriate sense of his greatness? A reasonable sense of his scale? And if you did, why would you ever expect to be recognized by him? The biblical prophets understood that the only proper response to the power and greatness of God was fear and trembling. However, in Jesus Christ, God provided more than just a picture of his power—he provided a picture of his heart and the means to approach him with comfort and joy, as well.

We kick off Advent 2011 by looking at Psalm 42, which not only points us toward a universal cosmic truth about humanity and touches on very specific, personal experiences we all share: In so doing, it also tells us about who Jesus is and why his incarnation matters.

Like most who lived in the shadow of Nineveh’s infamous cruelty, Jonah had a very specific vision for how he hoped God would deal with the city and its people. But did his vision fall in line with God’s? As we imagine what it was like for Jonah to see the city come to repentance, we may find that God’s vision for justice and mercy doesn’t just challenge Jonah’s—it challenges ours, too.

God’s Mission, Our Mandate: The Vision

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Nineveh had a king—a driving force deciding the city’s direction, plans and goals. After Jonah’s preaching, though, Nineveh’s king recognized a King better than himself, and the city began pursuing a new direction, new plans and new goals. Jonah’s message is just as challenging today, in a time and place where each of us tries to be sovereign over our own kingdom.

God’s Mission, Our Mandate: The Goal

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Christians are often in search of “deep” theological truths. Unfortunately, this can cause us to forget the simple-but-profound realities that are central to the Christian faith. In this message, we see what God does with a simple message that he delivers through one man, transforming an entire city. Listen in as we consider God’s Word, God’s mission, and our mandate.

God’s Mission, Our Mandate: The Word

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God’s Mission, Our Mandate: The Sign

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Have you ever been caught up in another person’s drama in a way that significantly affected your life? This is what happened to a ship full of sailors when Jonah, the runaway prophet, boarded their boat. But God is at work behind the scenes, correcting his prophet and redeeming the sailors. How does this touch your life? Listen in as we consider the dynamics of God’s mission and our mandate.

God’s Mission, Our Mandate: The Dynamics

Need a refresher on leading the study? Check out our overview.

Crossing borders can be exciting when you’re headed for a beautiful vacation. But how do you feel when it comes to crossing borders to engage people of different cultures, places and religious commitments? In this opening message of our series on the Book of Jonah, we consider the components of God’s mission and our mandate. Listen in as we learn how to cross these borders for God’s glory and the joy of all people.

Discussion Guide

Each of our lives tells a story.  Each day, another page is written and a theme is developed.  What story is your life telling?  Does your life say that God is your treasure?  Listen in to hear how we can begin to embrace the Kingdom standard for determining what is valuable.

Our community groups are taking a break for the month a January to participate in our Winter Term; therefore, there will not be a sermon discussion posted.  You can learn more about our Winter Term or sign up for a class here.