Here is a recap of our message from this weekend...

The Time Is Now: What Are You Running From?

In this week's sermon, Pastor Jared dives into the story of Jonah, reminding us that running from God's calling has consequences. Like Jonah, we often flee from the difficult tasks God asks of us, but God’s grace pursues us even in our rebellion. Storms in our life may not be to punish us, but to realign us with God’s purpose. Ultimately, God’s love always brings us back to where we belong—ready to fulfill the calling He has placed on our lives.

Weekly Bible Study List

1. Jonah 1:3 — "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."
2. Jonah 1:4 — "Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up."
3. Jonah 1:17 — "Now the LORD provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights."
4. Jonah 2:9 — "But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the LORD.’"
5. Jonah 2:10 — "And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land."

3 LESSONS FROM THE BOOK OF JONAH

1. Running From Our Calling Will Cost Us - Jonah's attempt to escape his calling mirrors the struggles many of us face when God calls us to something difficult. Pastor Jared reminds us that God's calling often pushes us out of our comfort zone. While running away may seem easier, it leads to a loss of fulfillment, joy, and peace. Running from our purpose costs us the blessings God has in store for us. Just like Jonah, we can't evade God’s plan, and sooner or later, our disobedience catches up with us.
2. Some Storms Are Meant to Save Us - God sent a storm to Jonah, not as a punishment, but as a rescue mission. Pastor Jared explains that storms in our lives might be God's way of redirecting us back to His plan. Sometimes, we avoid dealing with our core issues, instead tossing away the things we need like church, prayer, or fellowship. But God uses the difficult moments to bring us closer to Him and restore our lives in alignment with His will.
3. God Returns Us to Where We Belong - In the belly of the fish, Jonah experienced repentance, reflection, and transformation. God’s grace brought him back to dry land, and he was given a second chance to fulfill his divine calling. Similarly, God will bring us back to where we belong, even if the process is messy. Pastor Jared highlights that we can either do things the easy way, by following God’s call, or the hard way, by running from it. But ultimately, God’s grace is always available to bring us back.

From Sermon to Action

The sermon closes with a powerful call to action: the time is now to stop running and embrace the calling God has placed on our lives. Whether we are in a storm or on the run, God's grace is always present, ready to return us to where we belong.

Worship Setlist

1. New Thing Coming
2. Nothing But the Blood
3. Give Me Jesus
4. The Blessing

Notable Sermon Quotes to Repost on Social Media

1. "Sometimes the blessing is attached to the responsibility."
2. "God will call you to something you can't do yourself, but he'll never call you to something he can't do through you"
3. "Running from our purpose is not the end of our story, but the beginning of a deeper journey with God."
4. "Oftentimes, that storm you're walking through in your life is not designed to punish you, it's designed to rescue you."
5. "Oftentimes in the storms of life, we throw away the things we need most and we ignore the thing that's the problem"
6. "The process of faith might be messy, but God is going to bring us back to where we belong."
7. "If you don't deal with your dysfunction, someone else is going to deal with it for you."
8. "God's relentless love will pursue us, even in our disobedience."
9. "In the belly of the fish, we are transformed."
10. "The time is now for you to become part of something bigger than yourself."

WATCH SERMON