Sermon Study Guide | Series: Numb and Numb-er |
Sermon: Sleeping Through The Storm |
Scripture: Jonah 2 | Date: October 26, 2025

CONNECT - “A Personal Reflection”

This section is designed to help you relate personally to the theme of the sermon. It encourages you to reflect on your own life experiences and how they connect to the message.

There are moments in life when we find ourselves in “the belly of the beast”—times of darkness, confusion, or consequence that seem to swallow us whole. Yet, as we’ll see in Jonah’s story, those moments are often where grace does its deepest work.

Think about a season when running from something—or avoiding someone—only led you to a harder place, and yet God still met you there. How did God’s mercy show up even in the middle of your mess? Share with your group

ENGAGE - “Exploring the Scripture”

This section invites you to dive into the biblical passage, discuss its meaning, and apply it to your life through thoughtful questions.

Read Jonah 2:1–10 together. 

• What stands out to you about Jonah’s prayer? What do you notice is missing?
  
  
• Consider the statement “...rebellion always takes you lower than you meant to go.” Where have you seen that pattern in your own life?
  
  
• If the storm and the fish were not punishments, but grace in disguise. How has God used storms or interruptions to get your attention or bring healing?
  
  
• Jonah thanked God for saving him but never confessed why he needed saving. Why do you think it’s hard for us to confess when we’re wrong?
  
  
• Reflect on the imagery of Jonah being “reborn” inside the fish. How might God be trying to birth something new in you through your current circumstances?
  
  
• How do pride, anger, or numbness keep us from feeling compassion for others the way God does?
  
  
• Jesus called His death and resurrection “the sign of Jonah.” How does seeing Jonah’s story through the lens of Jesus’ sacrifice deepen your understanding of grace?
  
  

APPLY - “Putting the Scriptures into Action”

This section challenges us to take what we’ve learned and implement it in practical ways in our daily lives.

• Questions for reflection
  
  • Where is God waiting for you in an area you’ve been avoiding—perhaps a relationship, habit, or calling?
  • What would it look like to stop running and start returning to Him this week?
  • Is there a “storm” in your life right now that might actually be an act of mercy? How can you respond with trust instead of resistance?
    
    
• Commit to at least one practical way to “puke the poison” of pride, bitterness, or avoidance—through confession, prayer, or reconciliation.
  
  • Bring it to light
    
    • Take time to name what’s been festering inside you — maybe pride, resentment, shame, or apathy. Write it down or say it out loud in prayer or with a trusted friend.
    • James 5:16 says, “Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” Confession is not about humiliation; it’s about liberation. The moment we name the poison, its power begins to break.
    • “Lord, I’ve been running from forgiving that person because it’s easier to stay angry than to trust You with my pain. Please forgive me for clinging to bitterness. Help me release it to you.”
      
      
  • Trade Poison for Presence
    
    • Turn your anger, frustration, or pride into honest conversation with God. Don’t sanitize it — just pray it out. God can handle your unfiltered honesty far better than your silent resentment.
    • When Jonah finally prayed in the belly of the fish, he didn’t fix himself — he turned toward God. Prayer doesn’t always change our circumstances first; it changes our posture. It shifts us from defiance to dependence.
    • “God, I’ve been pretending that I’m fine, but I’m not. I’m angry, I’m disappointed, and I’ve been shutting you out. Please meet me here in the mess and help me feel again.”
      
      
  • Make the first Move
    
    • If your poison is connected to a person — someone you’ve wronged, or someone who wronged you — take a tangible step toward peace. That could be a conversation, a text, or even writing a letter you may or may not send.
    • Ephesians 4:31–32 says, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger… be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Forgiveness doesn’t excuse the offense; it frees you from its grip.
    • “I realized I’ve been holding on to resentment toward you, and it’s been weighing me down. I’m sorry for the ways I’ve contributed to the distance between us. Can we talk about it?”

When we confess, pray, reconcile, and worship, we’re not earning God’s forgiveness — we’re experiencing it. The fish didn’t spit Jonah out because Jonah got it all right; it was because God wasn’t done with him yet.

PRAY - “Seeking God’s Guidance”

This section offers a short prayer to help us center our hearts and invite God to work in our lives through his scripture.

Father, thank you that your mercy waits for us even in the depths we create for ourselves. When we run, you pursue; when we fall, you lift us up. Help us to see that the storms and dark seasons of our lives can become wombs of new birth. Cleanse our hearts of pride and numbness so we can feel again—so we can love again. Thank you for Jesus, who was swallowed by death so we could be reborn into life. Give us the courage this week to stop running and start returning to you. Amen.