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JONAHFALL 2020

Bible Study Methods

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This packet is designed to help us learn methods that will aid in our study of the Bible. These methods fit under

three fundamental skills: observe, interpret, and apply. Hopefully as you practice these methods, your time

studying the Bible will become more worshipful and meaningful. Listed below are the methods and purpose of

each box to guide you in your weekly study.

Pray (How will I understand?): Before each Bible study our process should always start in prayer. We are utterly

dependent upon God to reveal His will to us. Without God working in our hearts and minds as we study, the

Bible becomes mere knowledge. The Holy Spirit is needed in order to turn knowledge into wisdom.

Observe (What does it say?): Before we can interpret the meaning of a passage, it’s important that we first

make observations in the verses we’re reading. Take note of the grammatical, literary, and cultural elements of

the passage. This involves considering key words, verbs, and connecting words, as well as the who, what, when,

why, and how’s of the passage. Ask yourself questions such as:

Who…Who is Paul talking about? Who is accomplishing the task? Who is benefiting from the action?

Why…Why did Paul choose this word? Why did James include this phrase, statement? Why did Peter

connect these ideas? Why did Paul not say ________?

What… What is the meaning of this word? What is the significance of this phrase? What is the implication of

this statement? What is the relationship between these phrases?

How… How was this action accomplished? How will this situation occur?

Interpret (What does it mean?) After careful observation, we can start trying to interpret what a certain verse or

passage means. Our goal should be to determine what the author was saying to the original audience. In order

to do this, we must understand the context. This entails reading the whole section, chapter, or book of whatever

you’re studying in order to understand the overall idea and the author’s flow of thought.

Bible Study Methods

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Interpret (continued): We can also define key words, study cross-references, and compare multiple translations.

Commentaries such as The New Illustrated Bible Commentary or many others can be helpful. Websites like

biblestudytools.com or blueletterbible.org are helpful in studying key words in the original languages for a

deeper understanding. Ask yourself questions such as:

What happened right before or right after the verses I am studying?

What is the main idea of the chapter?

What seems to be the author’s flow of thought?

What cross references help clarify?

What key words need to be defined?

What do other translations say?

How does it relate to the main idea of the chapter?

Apply (How does it apply to me?): Application is the last and most important step in Bible study. After we’ve

established what the author was trying to communicate to the original audience, we can apply these truths to

our own lives. Through prayer and reflection, think through key principles learned in the passage you’ve studied.

Ask yourself questions such as:

Is there something to worship or thank God for?

Is there a promise for me to claim or a truth for me to believe?

Is there something I am convicted about that I need to change or begin doing?

Is there something I need to pray for specifically this week? Is there any relationship I need to work on?

What exactly will I do differently this week to apply this principle to my life? Whom, other than the Lord, will I

ask to help me follow through with this application?

WEEK 1

Survey

Week 1 | Survey

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SURVEY: WHAT IS THE BIG IDEA?

1) Consider the author of the book. Who is Jonah? What issues is he personally wrestling with in this book?

2) Examine the literary elements of the book. What literary styles does the author use and why do you think it’s writtenthe way it is?

3) Who are some of the characters highlighted in this book? What do we learn about them?

4) What major themes do you see throughout the book? (Pay attention to repeated words, phrases, and ideas.)

5) What is the message of the book? In other words, what does God want His people to understand? What does He wantus to understand in the 21st century? What do you think He hopes His listeners would do in response to thechallenges, encouragements, and rebukes in this story?

6) What questions do you have about the book? What difficult or challenging parts are you hoping to understand betteras a result of this study?

Surveying a book like Jonah allows us to grasp the overall storyline of the book before engaging in inductive study. This study method will provide helpful context as you journey through this book in the

coming weeks. To begin, spend 15-20 minutes reading the book in its entirety. Then, answer the questions below.

Week 1 | Survey

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BACKGROUND

Now that you’ve completed the survey of Jonah, read the material below. For further study, consult sources listed below.* AUTHORSHIP

The author of this book is the Prophet Jonah, who was the son of Amittai (Jonah 1:1). Very little is known about the Prophet Jonah. Besides the book of Jonah, he is only mentioned one other time in the OT, 2 Kings 14:25. In that passage, it reveals that Jonah’s ministry was located in the northern Kingdom of Israel during the reign of Jeroboam II (793-753 BC). While the story of Jonah is unusual, it is written as a historic prophetic narrative. Jesus Himself referred to Jonah as an important historical figure (Matthew 12:39-41). The name Jonah, means ‘dove’. Doves can mean purity or peace, but as we see in this story, they can also be a symbol for silliness. AUDIENCE

This prophetic parable was written for the Jewish people who trusted in Yahweh. We know during the reign of Jeroboam II, Israel experienced prosperity and blessing, but also forgot her past troubles, did not return to the Lord, and did not worry about Assyria’s growing power. We know from Jonah’s contemporaries, Amos and Hosea, that Israel was struggling with idolatry, injustice, cultural elitism, and a pompous attitude. THEME

The book of Jonah challenges God’s people not to exalt themselves, but to understand that God’s heart is for the nations.

MESSAGE

The book of Jonah is unique in that it is the only prophetic book in Scripture that lacks prophetic oracles. Instead, God speaks to His rebellious people through a story about a rebellious prophet, as Jonah disobeys God, and then writes about it. Jonah’s proclaimed prophetic word from Yahweh is just one short sentence (3:4). It’s the story of Jonah, and Yahweh’s words to him that present the prophetic message in this book. Jonah represents the living story of God’s people. As the people of God read this ridiculous story about a silly prophet, they suddenly recognize that it’s a story about themselves. In the early church, the fish was the image of Christianity. That’s because when the early church read the story of Jonah, they read a story about their own lives, and their God. A God who is faithful even when we are faithless. A God who grants grace despite our folly. A God who chases us down when we run away. A God who gives us hope of redemption even when we feel trapped. MY OUTLINE THE BOOK

Having read this background information for Jonah, create an outline with titles for each of the major sections. Resist the temptation to just copy the ones out of your Bible! There are many different approaches to outlining any Biblical book, so don’t get hung up on being “right.” Spend some time creating an outline that will be helpful to you as you study. [Tip: Consider where/when the author completes a thought and transitions to a new one. This will help you as you separate the book into sections.]

Example (from Nelson’s New Illustrated Commentary):

I. The Prophet Jonah flees from his divine commission to bring Yahweh’s message to Nineveh (1:1-2:10)

A. Jonah receives commission to go to Nineveh (1:1,2)

B. Jonah flees on a ship to Tarshish (1:3)

*Sources: Nelson’s New Illustrated Commentary, Exalting Jesus in Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary), The Message of the Prophets: A Survey of the Prophetic and Apocalyptic Books of the Old Testament, and https://bibleproject.com/explore/jonah/

*Other suggested sources: Eric Mason (Jonah series on RightNow Media), Tim Mackie (https://bibleproject.com/podcast/series/the-amazing-jonah/, Ben Stuart Jonah Series (Passion City Church DC Podcast), New American Commentary (literal, historical view) and A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Jonah (parabolic view).

https://bibleproject.com/explore/jonah/

Week 1 | Survey

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MY OUTLINE OF THE BOOK

Week 1 | Survey

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MY OUTREACH GOALS

Write out Matthew 28:19-20

Write out 2 Timothy 2:2

The biblical mandate for Christians is clear. One of the primary ways we worship God in this life is through making dis-ciples. According to 2 Timothy 2:2, discipleship occurs when we disciple others who are discipling others. Therefore, biblical discipleship happens when we share the gospel with someone, teach them how to love Jesus, and train them how to share Jesus with others. We know discipleship is taking place once the people we are discipling are doing the same thing with other people.

1) So, the question is, are you making disciples who are making disciples? Yes or No?

2) What keeps people from making disciples? What personally keeps you from making disciples?

3) Whether you are or you are not, let’s make that a goal this year, and start praying for that to happen. Pray right now, perhaps even write out your prayer below, and ask God to give you courage and boldness to make disciples.

chapter 1:1-3Jonah

WEEK 2

Week 2 | Jonah 1:1-3

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Context: What happens right after this passage? What is the main idea of the chapter? What seems to be the

author’s flow of thought?


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Observe: What does it say?

(Ask interpretive questions. Look for key words, verbs, and

connecting words. Also, look for the who, what, when, where,

why, & how of the passage)

Jonah 1:1-3 (NASB)

1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai

saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry

against it, for their wickedness has come up before

Me.” 3 But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the

presence of the Lord. So he went down to Joppa, found a

ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and went

down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence

of the Lord.


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interpret: what does it mean? (Answer interpretive questions. Look at the context, define key words, look at cross-references, and compare translations)

Attributes of god: what does this passage say about god?

Characteristics of man: what does this passage say about man?

apply: how does it apply to me?

Summary statement:

Verse to Memorize:


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My notes


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Group Praise & Prayer Requests


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My Outreach Goals

Vision: Write out Matthew 28:19-20 & 2 Timothy 2:2

In order to effectively make disciples, we need to understand and feel confident sharing the gospel. The gospel is simply good news about Jesus Christ. There are a variety of great gospel presentations, but over the next few weeks we are going to rehearse and practice sharing two specific methods, namely, ‘Romans Road & 3 Circles.’

Let’s start by practicing the Romans Road. Write out the following verses in Romans that explain the gospel. Think through how you will introduce, transition, and close out your presentation.

Intro:

Romans 3:23:

Transition:

Romans 6:23:

Transition:

Romans 5:8:

Transition:

Romans 10:9:

Closing:

chapter 1:4-9

WEEK 3

Jonah


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GETTING STARTED

Memory Verse: Write out your memory verse from last week.

Context: What happened before or after this passage? What is the main idea of the chapter? What seems to

be the author’s flow of thought?


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Jonah 1:4-9 (NASB)

4 The Lord hurled a great wind on the sea and there was a

great storm on the sea so that the ship was about to break

up. 5 Then the sailors became afraid and every man cried

to his god, and they threw the cargo which was in the ship

into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone

below into the hold of the ship, lain down and fallen sound

asleep. 6 So the captain approached him and said, “How is it

that you are sleeping? Get up, call on your god.

Perhaps your god will be concerned about us so that we will

not perish.”

7 Each man said to his mate, “Come, let us cast lots so we

may learn on whose account this calamity has struck us.”

So they cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. 8 Then they said

to him, “Tell us, now! On whose account has this

calamity struck us? What is your occupation? And where do

you come from? What is your country? From what people

are you?” 9 He said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear

the Lord God of heaven who made the sea and the dry

land.”


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Summary statement:

Verse to Memorize:


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My notes


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My Outreach Goals


Let’s continue practicing sharing the gospel using the Romans Road. This time push yourself to memorize these verses. Write it out again this week, and rehearse it out loud 5 times. Do so while looking in the mirror, or maybe even record your-self! The more you practice, the more confident and ready you will be to share.

Intro:

Romans 3:23:

Transition:

Romans 6:23:

Transition:

Romans 5:8:

Transition:

Romans 10:9:

Closing:

chapter 1:10-17

WEEK 4

Jonah


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GETTING STARTED





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Jonah 1:10-17 (NASB)

10 Then the men became extremely frightened and they

said to him, “How could you do this?” For the men knew

that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because

he had told them. 11 So they said to him, “What should we

do to you that the sea may become calm for us?”—for the

sea was becoming increasingly stormy. 12 He said to them,

“Pick me up and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will

become calm for you, for I know that on account of me this

great storm has come upon you.” 13 However, the

men rowed desperately to return to land but they could not,

for the sea was becoming even stormier against

them. 14 Then they called on the Lord and said, “We

earnestly pray, O Lord, do not let us perish on account of

this man’s life and do not put innocent blood on us; for You,

O Lord, have done as You have pleased.”

15 So they picked up Jonah, threw him into the sea, and the

sea stopped its raging. 16 Then the men feared

the Lord greatly, and they offered a sacrifice to

the Lord and made vows.

17 And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah,

and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and

three nights.


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Summary statement:

Verse to Memorize:


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My Notes


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My Outreach Goals


Continue rehearsing and practicing the Romans Road until you have mastered it. But now, let’s practice an additional meth-od, the 3 Circles. Start out by watching the following 2-minute video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7mURm-8cOI (3 Circles: Sharing the Gospel)

Visual presentations can be helpful for people to understand the Gospel. The neat thing about the 3 circles presentation is it showcases the gospel as well as our mission once we believe the gospel. Think through how you would go about sharing the gospel via the 3 Circles and practice!

*Source: https://therismosgospelproject.org

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7mURm-8cOI

chapter 2:1-10

WEEK 5

Jonah


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GETTING STARTED





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Jonah 2:1-10 (NASB)

2 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the

stomach of the fish, 2 and he said,

10 Then the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited

Jonah up onto the dry land.

“I called out of my distress to the Lord,

And He answered me.

I cried for help from the depth of Sheol;

You heard my voice.

3 “For You had cast me into the deep,

Into the heart of the seas,

And the current engulfed me.

All Your breakers and billows passed over me.

4 “So I said, ‘I have been expelled from Your sight.

Nevertheless I will look again toward Your holy temple.’

5 “Water encompassed me to the point of death.

The great deep engulfed me,

Weeds were wrapped around my head.

6 “I descended to the roots of the mountains.

The earth with its bars was around me forever,

But You have brought up my life from the pit,

O Lord my God.

7 “While I was fainting away,

I remembered the Lord,

And my prayer came to You,

Into Your holy temple.

8 “Those who regard vain idols

Forsake their faithfulness,

9 But I will sacrifice to You

With the voice of thanksgiving.

That which I have vowed I will pay.

Salvation is from the Lord.”


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Summary statement:

Verse to Memorize:


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My Notes


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My Outreach Goals


Let’s continue rehearsing and practicing the Romans Road & the 3 Circles until you have mastered it. This time push yourself to memorize 3 circles. Draw it out yourself, and rehearse it out loud 5 times. Do so while looking in the mirror, or maybe even record yourself! The more you practice, the more confident and ready you will be to share.

chapter 3:1-4

WEEK 6

Jonah


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GETTING STARTED





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Jonah 3:1-4 (NASB)

3 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second

time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh the great city

and proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell

you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to

the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly

great city, a three days’ walk. 4 Then Jonah began to go

through the city one day’s walk; and he cried out and said,

“Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown.”


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Summary statement:

Verse to Memorize:


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My Notes


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My Outreach Goals


Continue practicing Romans Road & 3 Circles until you have mastered it. But let’s now practice sharing your testimony. Shar-ing your testimony is probably one of the more effective ways to share the gospel because it’s personal and relatable. But don’t forget that the gospel should be the pinnacle of your testimony! Think through how you can concisely and effectively share the gospel in your testimony.

Let’s work on sharing a 2-5 minute personal testimony. Take a few minutes to think through some helpful suggestions writ-ten by CRU. Write out your answer to these questions on the next page.

My Life Before Christ

What about my life before Christ will relate most to the non-Christians I know?

What did my life revolve around? Where did I get my security, identity or happiness from?

How did those things begin to let me down?

How I Came to Christ

When was the first time I heard the gospel? What were my initial reactions?

When and why did my perspective of Christ begin to change?

What were the final struggles that went through my mind just before I accepted Him? Why did I finally decide to accept Christ (or give Him complete control of my life)?

My Life After Coming to Christ

How is my life different now? List some specific changes in your character, attitude and perspective on life.

What motivates me now? What do I live for?

Even though my life still isn’t perfect, how does knowing Christ help me deal with that fact?

Once you’ve thought through these questions, practice, practice, practice! Rehearse it 5 times and record it so that you can grow and push yourself to be confident in sharing the gospel.


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My Outreach Goals


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My Outreach Goals

chapter 3:5-10

WEEK 7

Jonah


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GETTING STARTED





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Jonah 3:5-10 (NASB)

5 Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they

called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the

least of them. 6 When the word reached the king of

Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe from

him, covered himself with sackcloth and sat on

the ashes. 7 He issued a proclamation and it said, “In

Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not

let man, beast, herd, or flock taste a thing. Do not let them

eat or drink water. 8 But both man and beast must be

covered with sackcloth; and let men call on God earnestly

that each may turn from his wicked way and from the

violence which is in his hands. 9 Who knows, God may turn

and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we will

not perish.”

10 When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their

wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity

which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He

did not do it.


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Summary statement:

Verse to Memorize:


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My Notes


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My Outreach Goals


Practice sharing your testimony again. Before you begin to share your story to someone, you might say, “Can I tell you a lit-tle bit about my spiritual experience?”

Find some helpful tips when sharing the gospel at www.cru.org. One of them is these, “Sharing your story is not meant to be a one-way conversation. It’s a chance to show you care by listening and taking an interest in the other person’s story.”

Asking questions is one great way to do this. Try these:

What is your religious background?

What have you tried on your spiritual journey since then?

Where are you now on your spiritual journey?

Where do you want to be on your spiritual journey?

Continue rehearsing Romans Road, 3 Circles, and your Personal Testimony until you have mastered it.

*Source: www.cru.org

http://www.cru.org

WEEK 8

chapter 4:1-4Jonah


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GETTING STARTED





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Jonah 4:1-4 (NASB)

4 But it greatly displeased Jonah and he

became angry. 2 He prayed to the Lord and said,

“Please Lord, was not this what I said while I was still in

my own country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to

Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and

compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in

lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning

calamity. 3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from

me, for death is better to me than life.” 4 The Lord said,

“Do you have good reason to be angry?”


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Summary statement:

Verse to Memorize:


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My Notes


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My Outreach Goals


Now that you have practiced sharing the gospel and sharing your testimony, let’s start actively thinking through who we can share the gospel with in order to make disciples who make disciples.

Let’s start by name-storming. Think of people in your spheres of life (work, gym, friends, family, etc.) who either do not know Jesus, or people who know Jesus but are clearly not making disciples. Write out those names and try to think of as many as you can.

Work Friends Family Other

Once you have a good list, prayerfully consider 3-4 people on your list who you can start reaching out to. Commit to praying for those people by name, and then actively seek out opportunities to share Christ with them. Circle them above.

As you go about sharing Christ with others, it is paramount that you surround yourself with loving accountability from faith-ful believers who are doing the same. Consider who can hold you accountable. The book T4T recommends asking the follow-ing questions:

How did it go sharing with the names you circled?

How did they respond?

If they believed, are you now training them to share the gospel with others?

What happened when you trained them in sharing the gospel? What questions did they have? What questions or resources do you need in order to train them more effectively?

Look at your name list, who are 3-4 more people you can reach out to? Are there any new names you can add to the list?

*Source: T4T: A Discipleship ReRevolution

chapter 4:5-8

WEEK 9

Jonah


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GETTING STARTED





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Jonah 4:5-8 (NASB)

5 Then Jonah went out from the city and sat east of it. There

he made a shelter for himself and sat under it in the shade

until he could see what would happen in the city. 6 So

the Lord God appointed a plant and it grew up over Jonah

to be a shade over his head to deliver him from his

discomfort. And Jonah was extremely happy about

the plant. 7 But God appointed a worm when dawn came

the next day and it attacked the plant and

it withered. 8 When the sun came up God appointed a

scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s

head so that he became faint and begged with all his soul

to die, saying, “Death is better to me than life.”


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Summary statement:

Verse to Memorize:


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My Notes


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My Outreach Goals


Continue practicing and rehearsing sharing the gospel and sharing your testimony. Continue name-storming and prayerfully considering who God wants you to share with right now.

Continue engaging in loving accountability by asking the following questions:






As people begin to believe, or as unfaithful believers now want to get on board with making disciples, the focus needs to be to equip these believers to make disciples and grow in their faith. Ask yourself the following questions:

Are the people I’m training plugged into a church body? How can I help them find a biblical church to be a part of?

Am I training them in sharing the gospel and sharing their testimony?

How are they doing in witnessing to others and winning others to Christ?

Are they training others to share the gospel and share their testimony?

Are they helping others get plugged into a church body where they can find loving accountability?


WEEK 10

chapter 4:9-11Jonah


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GETTING STARTED





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Jonah 4:9-11 (NASB)

9 Then God said to Jonah, “Do you have good reason to be

angry about the plant?” And he said, “I have good reason to

be angry, even to death.” 10 Then the Lord said, “You had

compassion on the plant for which you did not work

and which you did not cause to grow, which came up

overnight and perished overnight. 11 Should I not have

compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are

more than 120,000 persons who do not know the

difference between their right and left hand, as well as

many animals?”


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Summary statement:

Verse to Memorize:


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My Notes


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My Outreach Goals


Continue practicing and rehearsing sharing the gospel and sharing your testimony. Continue name-storming and prayerfully considering who God wants you to share with right now.

Continue engaging in loving accountability by asking the following questions:






As people begin to believe, or as unfaithful believers now want to get on board with making disciples, the focus needs to be to equip these believers to make disciples and grow in their faith. Ask yourself the following questions:

Are the people I’m training plugged into a church body? How can I help them find a biblical church to be a part of?

Am I training them in sharing the gospel and sharing their testimony?

How are they doing in witnessing to others and winning others to Christ?

Are they training others to share the gospel and share their testimony?

Are they helping others get plugged into a church body where they can find loving accountability?


WEEK 11

Synthesis

Week 11 | Synthesis

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Synthesis: How does it all fit together?

During the last few months we have observed, interpreted, and applied the whole book of Jonah. Our final goal is to create an overall summary in order to remind us of truths learned, as well as the flow and content of the account of Jonah.

My outline of the book

The first step of synthesizing is to create your own outline of the book of Jonah. During the survey at the beginning of our study we created an outline of the book, but now as we have completed our study of Jonah, we want to create another new revised outline. Review your summary sentences and completed work from each week in order to help you create your new outline.

Week 11 | Synthesis

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Reflect on what you’ve learned

The second step is to create a list of the theological truths and life lessons you learned through your study of Jonah. Go back and review each lesson in order review key theological truths learned, attributes of God, and application principles.

Theological Truths Learned:

Life Lessons Learned:

Record applications to continue practicing

Lastly, prayerfully choose key application principles learned from the book of Jonah that you feel led to continue practicing. Think about areas of your life where growth is needed, and think of 2 or 3 specific, measurable, and achievable goals. Record the chapter and verse in Jonah that represented this principle. Compose a specific plan of action in order to apply these principles in your life.

Application Principle #1



Week 11 | Synthesis

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My Outreach Goals


Spend time reflecting on your outreach methods and goals these past few months.

How did you learn and grow this semester in regards to making disciples?

What was discouraging about the process? What was encouraging?

How can you take the next step in becoming a faithful believer who makes disciples who make disciples?

Going forward, what would help you to be more confident at doing so?

What goals do have in the future when it comes to making disciples?

End your time by praying to God, thanking Him for the privilege it is to co-labor with Him in the Great Commission. Ask Him to embolden you to be a faithful witness going forward!

jonah...share the gospel with in order to make disciples who make disciples. let’s start by...

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