Evangelism 101, Day 18 God’s concern. Read Jonah 4:10-11. When it comes down to it, the actual definition of evangelism is about sharing God’s concern for others. You see, God has a concern for others and that is why he came. Our responsibility now that we know God and have a relationship with him is to share that message with others. However, the only way we will do that is if we also share the same concern for others that God has. God asked Jonah why He shouldn’t be concerned for all of these people and animals in this city. Jonah wasn’t concerned about them. God was. When we take…

Evangelism 101, Day 17 Death because of a plant. Read Jonah 4:9. As this story continues, we see God ask Jonah again if he has a right to be angry. This time, instead of being about the people of Nineveh, Jonah is angry about a plant. In fact, he’s so angry that he says he wishes he was dead. When God is moving, are we still so focused on ourselves that we get mad at any little thing that inconveniences us? Why do we get mad about the things that we can’t control? Jonah had no control over the plant, the worm, or the wind. Yet he was so very…

Evangelism 101, Day 16 God provided. Read Jonah 4:7-8. When we read these verses, and even looking back at verse 6 from yesterday. The phrase “God provided” is used 3 times. God provides the plant. God provides the worm. God provides the east wind. Who is to say one of God’s provisions is better or worse than another. Jonah certainly liked the plant more than he like the worm or the wind, but the same God provided them all. When I look at my life, I see the things that God provides. Some of them I instantly like. Other things are profoundly difficult. Still the same God provided them. If…

Evangelism 101, Day 15 God continues to provide. Read Jonah 4:5-6. Jonah was mad and God knew it. Still, God continued to provide for Jonah. This wasn’t even a “need” but was certainly more of a “want” for Jonah. God provided shade to comfort him. Now, remember, this was happening while Jonah was waiting on God to destroy the city. The irony of the situation is striking. Jonah was happy with the comfort that God provided him while he waited for God’s judgment on others. Do we want to enjoy God’s comfort while we are waiting and watching for God’s judgment to fall on others? God’s mercy and grace is…

Evangelism 101, Day 14 “Is it right for you to be angry?” Read Jonah 4:4. How many times has God asked me that question? So many things happened in my life that weren’t what I planned and aren’t what I want. Do I have the right to be angry? God continues to act without my “permission” and allows things that I never would. Do I have the right to be angry? God’s plan is different from mine. Do I have the right to be angry? While I know in my head that God is God and I am not, and I understand that I don’t know the whole plan, that…

Evangelism 101, Day 13 It’s not fair! Read Jonah 4:1-3. Well, we saw that God made the decision to spare the people of Nineveh at the end of the last chapter. However, not everyone is happy about that. Jonah’s really angry with God about God’s decision to spare the people of Nineveh. In fact, Jonah gets so angry that he starts starts telling God that it’s not Fair and that he would rather die than live. In the verse before this, Jonah even mentions the characteristics of God that in other places in the Bible are used as a positive description of God. However, here Jonah is using them as…

Evangelism 101, Day 12 God’s grace. Read Jonah 3:10. Jonah had delivered the message. The people had heard and even though they didn’t know how God would respond, they recognized their sin and they repented and turned to God. They fully understood that God might not forgive them and might bring judgment anyway. However, God makes the decision to show mercy on the people of Nineveh. However, nowhere does it say that God told them what his decision was. It doesn’t that God gave Jonah a second message to share with the people. It doesn’t say that God sent another messenger. All it says is that the people repented and…

Evangelism 101, Day 11 Repentance. Read Jonah 3:6-9. Nowhere in his message did Jonah mention anything about repentance. Nowhere did he say that God would relent. However, the king decided that they would trust in the nature of God and would repent anyway. Often people say they come to God because they want to avoid the punishment of their sin. But, true repentence understands that we actually deserve the punishment. We will still seek to praise God and follow Him, even if he didn’t promise us heaven. Are we willing to, like the people of Nineveh, just come to God and repent regardless of what God offers us in return?

Evangelism 101, Day 10 Believing in God. Read Jonah 3:3-5. Jonah was finally obedient. God had given him a command and this time, Jonah obeyed. He went to the city of Nineveh and he shared the message with the people. He really didn’t even give them any kind of hope and he talk of repentance or anything like that. Jonah’s message was simply that God was going to judge them and they would be destroyed. The people believed in God and they turned to God even without any promise or hope of salvation. When we say we believe in God, do we recognize that God doesn’t have to do anything…

Evangelism 101, Day 9 Take two! Read Jonah 3:1-2. Jonah had sinned, but he repented and as a result, God brought him back to the decision where he went the wrong direction. Jonah was given the same command that he was given at the very beginning of the book, with the same opportunity for him to be obedient to God. So often that’s exactly how God works. When we mess up, God allows us the opportunity to repent. He has mercy and is willing to forgive us, but then he brings us right back to where we left off and we have the same choice to make again. Will we…