Spring City Fellowship
260517Sunday
Sunday May 17, 2026 10:15AM Service

      • Psalm 150:3NIV2011

  • Holy Forever
  • Holy Holy Holy (Nicaea)
  • Great Is Our God
  • Always Only Jesus
  • I Speak Jesus
  • Draw Me Close
  • Holy Are You Lord

      • 1 Corinthians 10:13NIV2011

  • Our theme for 2026 is “Embrace Transformation”
    Transformation is the inward change that we experience when we become more like Jesus.
    Jonah is a case study in what happens when someone does not embrace transformation.
    This series was called Jonah: Escaping the Belly of the Fish.
    The belly of the fish is that place that God brings us to both to preserve us and to persuade us to turn around.
    Maybe you have been in a place like that?
    You get out by learning your lesson
    or you learn your lesson along the way so you never get there.
    Let’s see what lessons we can learn that might help us to “escape the belly of the fish.”
    Last week’s lessons were:
    God gives Second chances.
    When Jonah fled from God’s presence - God turned it into a detour that brought Jonah back around.
    God meets people where they are at.
    God has already been working in your past to bring you into your future.
    God turns things around.
    Repentance is not just for other people, it’s for all of us and it should become a lifestyle.
    Ok. So mission accomplished! Why do we need another sermon?
    It’s not the end of the story - we still have another chapter.
    Jonah still has some lessons to learn and so do we.
    We are going to do our scripture reading all together at the beginning.
    So lets stand together for the reading of today’s passage.
    Jonah 4:1–11 ESV
    1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. 2 And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. 3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4 And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?” 5 Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city. 6 Now the Lord God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. 7 But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” 9 But God said to Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?” And he said, “Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.” 10 And the Lord said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?”
    Surprise! Jonah thinks He is sent by God to teach these people a lesson and he end up being the one who needs a lesson.
    The story does not end with Jonah looking like a hero.
    It ends on this crazy unexpected sour note with Jonah throwing a fit about God being too nice.
    And the very last verse talks about all the people who were saved - and their cattle!
    What’s up with that? - does God really care that much about sheep and cows?
    Just like everything else in the book of Jonah, the ending is intentional.
    We are intentionally left with this unsettled feeling.
    Like everything is not as “neat and tidy” as we would like it to be.
    Did the people of Nineveh live happily ever after - no - not really.
    Did Jonah ever get over his temper tantrum? - We don’t know.
    Do people ever learn their lesson so well that they never make another mistake? - Do I even need to say it?
    Life in this fallen world is not perfect, and neither are we.
    We never really stop learning these lessons.
    Or if we do, it’s not a good thing!
    You can escape the belly of the fish, but you never want to forget what you learned there.
    Those experiences are meant to change you - transform you - so that you never take mercy and grace God’s for granted.

    Success can be worse than failure.

    When we last left Jonah everything seemed to be going well for him.
    A three-day evangelistic campaign of Nineveh broke out in revival on day one.
    This got the attention of the King and the nobility who made it an official degree that everyone was to repent with corporate fasting and wearing sackcloth.
    All of this would seem to be a huge success!
    So why isn’t Jonah happy?
    Jonah is camping out - made a booth - a primitive shelter somewhere where he could watch the sunrise and still see the city.
    But Jonah is grumpy - more than a little.
    He is angry - constantly ruminating on bed thoughts.
    He is even talking about wanting to die - that sounds like serious depression to me.
    Success isn’t all its cracked up to be.
    Playwriter Oscar WIlde is credited with the statement, “There are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it” 
    Sometimes our reaction to success is more telling of our true character than when facing difficulty.
    Our passionate pursue of our goal can blind us to what truly matters
    and it is only upon reaching that goal that we realize what we have compromised to get there.
    The real lesson of the book of Jonah is not how God saved a whole city - the real lesson is what Jonah learned about God’s character.
    And it’s not just that God gives second chances.
    It’s that sometimes, after multiple chances, we may still fall short of understanding who God is.
    That he is compassionate, merciful and good.
    Is anyone else, besides me, still learning?

    Don’t forget to care for yourself.

    1 Corinthians 9:26–27 ESV
    26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
    The thing that I find fascinating about this passage is that Paul - the great Apostle Paul - still recognizes that he can spend a lifetime serving God and still miss God Himself - what God intended for him all along.
    Do you know that God doesn’t care as much about what you do for Him as He cares for you?!?
    He wants to know you - to have a relationship with you.
    That is all He has ever wanted!
    But we can get so busy working for God that we miss walking with God.
    For those oof us in the caring professions, it’s called self- care.
    If you take courses to become a counselor, a therapist or any other kind of care-giver - they teach you that you have to care for yourself.
    People can drain you and if you don’t have a plan for how to replenish your physical, mental and emotional energy - you will probably burn out.
    Then all of the time you have spent in training and the knowledge you have gained will be worthless because you you won’t want to use it.
    It’s called compassion fatigue - you literally get tired of caring.
    And it it often followed by more serious forms of burnout.
    So self care is not selfish - you have to care for yourself so that you can better care for others.
    In the missions world - there is a model of self-care that is depicted as concentric rings.
    At the center is “master care” - it’s your relationship with God.
    Your relationship with God is your source of life and vitality.
    Proverbs 4:23 AMP
    23 Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.
    The next rings is mutual care - Christians caring for each other.
    No one was meant to do life alone.
    We all need encouragement and help from time to time.
    It’s the Body of Christ functioning in harmony.
    And out side of that is the care that leaders provide.
    We watch over the flock as ones who must give and account to God.
    Our main job is to exhort - provide inspiration and direction.
    To equip people to better care for them selves and for each other.
    And then the outermost ring is specialist care.
    These are the experts that we go to with the most difficult situations.
    Karie and I also serve in this capacity for several organizations.
    And I want to also than you as a congregation for releasing us to do this.
    Comprehensive self-care is important because without it, we won’t last very long.

    Remember to finish well.

    2 John 8 ESV
    8 Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward.
    Jonah is a missionary in burnout.
    Isn’t it good to know that God isn’t just using Jonah - He also cares for Jonah - just as He cares for each one of us.
    That is also why we care for ourselves and each other.
    Did you know that many Christian leaders flounder and/ or fail in their latter years of ministry?
    Recent statistics show that approximately 70 percent of biblical Christian leaders fail to finish their ministry careers well.
    The top reasons given for these failures are as follows:
    Spiritual and relational erosion - their vital relationships with God and with others have not been maintained.
    They experience isolation, exhaustion and depression.
    This may result in moral failure, family crisis and personal crisis of faith.
    The truth is that many leaders end their lives lonely and discouraged.
    Stagnation and loss of vision - leaders who are not continually learning and growing personally and spiritually tend to plateau in their effectiveness.
    Society is changing so rapidly and it it hard to keep up - to stay “relevant” as some call it.
    On the other hand, some leaders spend all their time chasing trends and fail to cultivate the depth of time-honored wisdom that is always relevant.
    Foundational deficits - most leaders are well-trained in how to bring personal growth and transformation to other people, but they may fail to apply these same principles to themselves.
    They are so busy with the work of ministry that they don’t have time for their own spiritual disciplines and personal growth.
    And there is no plan for mentoring, peer relationships or accountability.
    Dysfunctional patterns from their past are never properly dealt with as they are able to maintain a false front of success.
    Like Jonah, everyone assumes that because they are seeing results - that they are also doing well - which is often not the case.
    That brings us to the next lesson...

    You can be right and still be wrong.

    So what was Jonah’s problem?
    Jonah didn’t like it that God spared Nineveh.
    I know - crazy - right?
    He wanted to see fire rain down from heaven - like Sodom and Gomorrah.
    Maybe a plague - or ten plagues - like God did to the Egyptians.
    Maybe an invading army would come and wipe them out - Jonah was parked where he could usher them right into the city.
    Except none of that happened and Jonah is probably worried about his reputation.
    I said something was going to happen- and it didn’t happen!
    Expect it did happen- remember in chapter three verse four - God says the city is going to be overthrown!
    The same word can also mean turned around.
    And God turned that city around.
    But now Jonah is worried that people aren’t going to believe him when they already did believe him!
    Sometimes we can get what I have called “Jonah Syndrome” we are so determined to be right that we no longer care about anything else that happens.
    In fact we want things to fail, just so we can say, “I told you so!”
    Like when we have, just a little bit of perverse pleasure is someone’s misfortune - because we can say we saw it coming.
    Like when your political party loses an election and you hope the economy tanks so people will regret their choices.
    Or instead of just routing for you favorite sports team - you also have a team that you are routing against - because you don’t like the coach or one of the players.
    We never do that, right?
    Jonah wants, most of all, to be right - but that is where he is also wrong.
    Did you know you can be right and still be wrong?
    I have had this conversation with more than a few husbands.
    “She just doesn’t want to admit that I’m right!”
    It doesn’t matter if you are right - you are still wrong.
    How can we be right and still be wrong....

    Do you have the right attitude?

    Zechariah 7:9 ESV
    9 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another,
    If you do the right things, but have the wrong attitude - its still wrong.
    Zechariah is addressing those who have returned from exile about the question of whether or not they should observe the usual religious fast.
    That should be a no-brainer right?
    Of course God prescribed the religious fasts - God wants us to fast.
    Zechariah points out that they kept the fasts the whole time they were in exile and it didn’t do them any good.
    They are not keeping the fast for God - they are keeping them for themselves.
    Do we ever do good things just to feel better about ourselves - so that we have done our duty?
    And we think God must surely be proud of us - but God knows our hearts and he knows we don’t really care about Him - we’re only doing it because other people are watching.
    What could be wrong with practicing your religion - unless it’s hypocrisy?
    Hypocrisy is saying one thing and doing another.
    Or when your actions suggest one thing, but your attitude is something entirely different.
    It’s not genuine.
    Jonah is sitting under his little lean-to that he made with some sticks and a vine grows up over it in a very short period of time.
    It’s a miracle! - a sign that God loves me.
    God is on my side - he is protecting me from the sun while I watch for disaster to come on Nineveh.
    But after a few more days the vine is completely wilted.
    The sun starts beating through the shallow roof.
    Jonah notices that there are worms crawling all over it, eating his precious shade.
    Where is God now?
    Jonah’ wellbeing is going downhill and Nineveh is still standing.
    Jonah throws a tantrum at God.
    Jonah has a great attitude when things are going well for him.
    but his confidence is as fragile as a leaf...
    And that is not the only thing that is wrong...

    Are you in right relationship?

    Micah 6:8 ESV
    8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
    The first thing that any of us needs to know about God is that God loves us.
    That’s why we love our children - we hope that they will grow up with the confidence and innate trust that God will take care of them.
    That even though tough times may come, God will ultimately provide for them.
    God has made us in His image - that is why we care,
    And it is one of the ways that we know He cares for us.
    Jonah experiences a little taste of injustice and it triggers a larger issue.
    Worms are attacking the plant that he loves.
    The plant is no longer thriving in the heat.
    And Jonah is no longer thriving in it’s shade.
    How dare those worms even exist - die, worms, die!
    Hey Jonah - this isn’t about the worms - it’s about you!
    You never wanted the people of Nineveh to be saved in the first place.
    It bothers you that God is merciful and compassionate to people that you consider to be inferior.
    Where did you get the idea that you are more important to God than them?
    When did you become such a racist?
    Do you even know God as well as you think you do?
    If you did, here’s what you would learn.… our next lesson.

    Mercy triumphs over judgement.

    Jonah knows this in his head.
    He quotes the prophet Joel:
    Joel 2:13 NLT
    13 Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish.
    Except he is not in agreement with that statement - He resents it.
    The attitude that Jonah is demonstrating is meant to to be a reflection of the religious spirit that God’s people often demonstrate - that we want God’s blessing, but we do not have His heart.
    We want God to love us and blast all of our enemies.
    If God loves us, He can’t love anyone else.
    When you put it that way, Jonah may be a prophet, but inside, he’s a toddler!
    And guess what, he’s not the only one!
    It’s time to grow up - life is not all about you.
    Yes, God loves you - but you’re not the only one.
    Our purpose in life is to become more like Him.
    How do we do that?

    Emulate God’s character.

    Psalm 103:8–12 ESV
    8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9 He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. 10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
    If you know that God is merciful and compassionate, why not try to be more like that?
    I said a minute ago that our purpose in life is to become more like God.
    I think for most of us, if we are willing to admit it, we don’t want to be more like God - we want to be God!
    If we had our choice - we would take the divine attributes and leave the rest.
    We would like to be all powerful - just zap people we don’t like.
    We would like to be all knowing - be in everyone else’s business, just so they can’t be in ours.
    Be everywhere present - do everything at once - be everything to everyone - we hate limits!
    Can you imagine what we would do if we could be all that?
    Ok, stop imagining because you know it would be a disaster!
    That was the world of Nineveh - they had lots of so-called gods who promised power in exchange for worship and it resulted in constant escalating violence.
    Then Jonah shows up looking like a fish - deity from their ancient past.
    He says there is one true God who made the universe and everything in it.
    And He hates violence, manipulation and domination - you need to learn what it means to be humble.
    They get it - and practices humility from the least to the greatest - the best way they knew how.
    Sackcloth, fasting- the whole bit.
    The only one who didn’t get the message was Jonah - because he thought as the messenger, he was exempt.
    He’s the expert on God.
    He makes the rules - he doesn’t have to obey them.
    Where’s the humility in that?
    God’s character is not something you can learn from a book.
    It’s not something you can cultivate by just hearing about it.
    You have to really learn to know God.
    You have to spend time with God to understand how God thinks.
    And most of all you have to come to that place of surrender, where its not about you anymore - it’s all about Him!

    Demonstrate God’s love.

    Colossians 3:12–13 ESV
    12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
    Forgiveness is probably the hardest thing to learn as human beings.
    We are so inclined to judge other people, but none us us wants to be judged.
    We want people to overlook our faults, but pay the price for theirs.
    As long as we are allowed to make up our own ideas about God, we will imagine a God who loves us, but only us and the people we happen to like.
    But then, like Jonah, we encounter the worm.
    Things don’t go the way we want.
    People disappoint us.
    Life seems unfair.
    Things that went right can just as easily go wrong.
    What is our constant that we can hang on to through all of life’s ups and downs?
    It is that God’s faithful love never changes.
    He is not the God we want, but the God who is.
    And He loves us - all of us.
    Remember that.
    He doesn’t play our games, but He asks us to become like Him.
    He doesn't just ask us to be humble - he demonstrated humility.
    He doesn’t just ask us to sacrifice - he became a sacrifice.
    He doesn’t just ask us to love - He is love.
    1 Peter 4:8 ESV
    8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
    I wonder what would have happened, if instead of taking a position overlooking the city, if Jonah had spent that time actually in the city and with the people?
    What if he actually taught them about the God of Israel?
    What if he showed them how to celebrate a proper fast?
    What if He actually demonstrated God’s love.
    You know - like Jesus did.
    The last line of the story mentions all of the people in the city and the clear implication is that these are people who have value.
    These are people that God loves!
    And then it mentions that there are also cattle.
    Why mention cattle?
    Well, the word much kind of rhymes in Hebrew with the word for anger.
    There is a whole theme throughout the book about things being really great, many or much.
    It begs the question as to “who really is great? or “what matters the most?”
    But the term cattle also speaks to the vast number of people who don’t know any better.
    Like cattle, they just do what they think they’re supposed to do.
    If they every really think about it at all.
    They don’t know anything about God or His great love for them.
    They're just moving through life in herds - looking for greener pasture.
    These are also the people that God loves - just like He loves you.
    Somebody really ought to tell them!

    Questions for reflection:

    How are you doing? How are you really doing? Are you just moving through life, doing what you think you are supposed to? Or are you digging in to know God better and to show you who you really are?
    Is it important to you that you be right? Does that mean you look down on other people? Does God love other people as much as He loves you? Can He also love them through you?
    Can you relate to Jonah feeling angry, frustrated and tired? Do you have a plan for self-care? Does your plan include just spending time with God? What if you were to work with God instead of working for God?

      • Jonah 4:1–11ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 9:26–27ESV

      • Proverbs 4:23ESV

      • 2 John 8ESV

      • Zechariah 7:9ESV

      • Micah 6:8ESV

      • Joel 2:13ESV

      • Psalm 103:8–12ESV

      • Colossians 3:12–13ESV

      • 1 Peter 4:8ESV

  • In Jesus Name (God Of Possible)
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