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What is the book of Jonah all about? Is it about God’s heart for all the people of the world? Is it about how God wants you to get involved in world missions?

No, it is not about either one of these things, even though this is often the way you hear it taught in sermons and during Mission’s Conferences. In this final study of the book of Jonah, you will learn what the book of Jonah is all about.

In this discussion of Jonah we look at:

Common theories about what Jonah is all about
The true message of the book of Jonah
What you can learn from the story of Jonah

Resources:

Downloadable Podcast Resources

Those who are part of my online discipleship group may download the MP3 audio file for this podcast and view the podcast transcript below.

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Do you like learning about the Bible online?

Do you like learning about Scripture and theology through my podcast? If so, then you will also love my online courses. They all have MP3 audio downloads, PDF transcripts, quizzes, and a comment section for questions and interaction with other students.

If you want to deepen your relationship with God and better understand Scripture, take one (or all) of these courses. They are great for personal study or for a small group Bible study.

You can see the list of available courses here, and if you join the Discipleship group, you can take all the courses at no additional cost. Go here to learn more and join now.

My new book, What is Prayer?, is now available

By Jeremy Myers

Here is the Table of Contents to What is Prayer?

Foreword by Mark Karris

1. How to Talk with God
2. What Should You Pray For?
3. How Did Jesus Pray?
4. How to Get Answers to Prayer
5. 10 Dangerous Prayers
6. Praying Powerful Prayers
7. What About Unanswered Prayers?
8. Other Questions About Prayer

The Foreword to the book by Mark Karris

I was blessed to get Mark Karris to write the foreword to What is Prayer? He has an EXCELLENT book on prayer coming out in January (I think). Here is what he wrote for the book:

I remember when I was new to the Christian faith. I was unable to wrap my head around the sacred practice of prayer. Others had God on speed-dial while God’s number always seemed to be changing for me. Over the years, doubts and questions kept piling up.

I didn’t understand why we had to be so loud. Is God deaf? Does God consider us more spiritual if we are passionate and yell our prayers to Him? I didn’t understand why we repeated God’s name over and over again as if we were going into a trance-like state. Or did God forget His name?

I didn’t understand what posture I needed to take for God to accept my prayers. Would God hear me better if I were on my knees? Would God like my prayers more, or even be fonder of me as His child, if I raised my hands?

And why did friends’ prayers for God to give them parking spots at malls and convenience stores get answered, but not mine for my ailing and addicted mother? Is God cruelly selective in answering prayer?

I had tons of questions. Those haunting questions kept me stuck, stagnant, and stale in my prayer life. Where was J. D. Myers’ book What is Prayer? when I needed it?

I consider it an incredible privilege and honor to write a few words in support of this superbly written and enlightening book. J. D. Myers tackles the complexity and conundrum of prayer with a pastoral and prophetic heart, a brilliant and wise mind, and a courageous spirit obviously in touch and in tune with both God and God’s people.

The good news is there is no conundrum in how to pray to God—at least not anymore. J. D. Myers sheds the religious and superstitious garb off of prayer and makes a simple, provocative, and liberating claim: Prayer is talking to God as you would talk to a friend.

I highly recommend this book not only to new Christians who want to learn how to pray but also to the experienced and inquisitive God-lover who still has many questions. Thank you, J. D., for such a gift to the Christian community!

Mark Karris
Author of Divine Echoes: Reconciling Prayer with the Uncontrolling Love of God
MarkGregoryKarris.com

If you have questions about prayer, I think you will really enjoy the book. There are several reviews of the book already, and people really seem to appreciate what the book teaches them about prayer. Go here to read the reviews on Amazon to see if you might benefit from the book as well.

Jonah 4:10-11 – God Even Loves “Evil” People

By Jeremy Myers

1 Comment

This study looks at Jonah 4:10-11, the final two verses in the book of Jonah. But this is not the end of our discussion of Jonah. There will be one final episode next week, Episode #100, in which we discuss what the story of Jonah is all about.

As we will see in this study, the story of Jonah has a very strange ending, but it shows us that God loves all people, even those we consider “evil.”

Downloadable Podcast Resources

Those who are part of my online discipleship group may download the MP3 audio file for this podcast and view the podcast transcript below.

You must join a discipleship group or login to download the MP3 and view the transcript.

Thanks for visiting this page ... but this page is for Discipleship Group members.

If you are already part of a Faith, Hope, or Love Discipleship Group,
Login here.

If you are part of the free "Grace" Discipleship group, you will need to
Upgrade your Membership to one of the paid groups.

If you are not part of any group, you may learn about the various groups and their benefits here:
Join Us Today.

Do you like learning about the Bible online?

If you want to deepen your relationship with God and better understand Scripture, take one (or all) of these courses. They are great for personal study or for a small group Bible study.

You can see the list of available courses here, and if you join the Discipleship group, you can take all the courses at no additional cost. Go here to learn more and join now.

Jonah 4:9 – Disgusted with God

By Jeremy Myers

5 Comments

Have you ever been disgusted with God? So disgusted with how God lets evil go unchecked, and how God doesn’t seem to protect you or your family or your plans, or how God seems to bless the wicked people while not helping the righteous?

Have you ever been so disgusted with how God seems to behave that you didn’t want anything to do with Him?

I have felt that way before. And so did Jonah. Jonah was so disgusted with God that he asked God to damn him. This, and more, is what we learn from Jonah 4:9.

The Text of Jonah 4:9

Then God said to Jonah, “Is doing good infuriating to you—because of the vine?” And he said, “Doing good is infuriating to me—unto death.”

In this discussion of Jonah 4:9 we look at:

What God meant by His question to Jonah.
Why God calls it good that a vine was destroyed.
How Jonah responds to God’s question.
Why Jonah wants God to kill and damn him.

Resources:

Downloadable Podcast Resources

Those who are part of my online discipleship group may download the MP3 audio file for this podcast and view the podcast transcript below.

You must join a discipleship group or login to download the MP3 and view the transcript.

Thanks for visiting this page ... but this page is for Discipleship Group members.

If you are already part of a Faith, Hope, or Love Discipleship Group,
Login here.

If you are part of the free "Grace" Discipleship group, you will need to
Upgrade your Membership to one of the paid groups.

If you are not part of any group, you may learn about the various groups and their benefits here:
Join Us Today.

Do you like learning about the Bible online?

If you want to deepen your relationship with God and better understand Scripture, take one (or all) of these courses. They are great for personal study or for a small group Bible study.

You can see the list of available courses here, and if you join the Discipleship group, you can take all the courses at no additional cost. Go here to learn more and join now.

Jonah 4:8 – God is a Divine Enabler

By Jeremy Myers

The Text of Jonah 4:8

When the sun rose, God prepared a harsh, east wind and the sun attacked Jonah’s head and he became faint and begged with all his life to die, saying, “Death is better to me than life.”

In this discussion of Jonah 4:8 we look at:

Why that harsh east wind was probably strong rather than hot
What it means for the sun to beat down on Jonah’s head
Why Jonah wanted justice
Why God did not want justice
How this reveals that God is a divine enabler

Resources:

Redeeming God Discipleship Area
The Re-Justification of God Paperback book
The Mystery of Christ, & Why We Don’t Get It – Capon
Subscribe and Leave a Review on iTunes

Downloadable Podcast Resources

Those who are part of my online discipleship group may download the MP3 audio file for this podcast and view the podcast transcript below.

You must join a discipleship group or login to download the MP3 and view the transcript.

Thanks for visiting this page ... but this page is for Discipleship Group members.

If you are already part of a Faith, Hope, or Love Discipleship Group,
Login here.

If you are part of the free "Grace" Discipleship group, you will need to
Upgrade your Membership to one of the paid groups.

If you are not part of any group, you may learn about the various groups and their benefits here:
Join Us Today.

Do you like learning about the Bible online?

If you want to deepen your relationship with God and better understand Scripture, take one (or all) of these courses. They are great for personal study or for a small group Bible study.

You can see the list of available courses here, and if you join the Discipleship group, you can take all the courses at no additional cost. Go here to learn more and join now.

Hack the Theologian – Brian Wright

By Jeremy Myers

2 Comments

This is part of an ongoing series where I briefly interview a theologian, pastor, author, or Bible scholar that I highly respect, and ask them to tell us a bit about themselves, their most current teaching project, and the one most important truth (the hack) they wish every Christian could learn.

I call the series “Hack the Theologian.” This doesn’t mean I think these theologians are hacks. Far from it! It means that I am trying to find (and share with you) the one thing that makes them tick, the one insight that keeps them writing and teaching, the one truth they are most passionate about, the one idea that turned their life and theology upside down. You can read the other posts in the series right here.

(Do you know an author I can highlight in this series? Have them contact me!)

So Let’s “Hack” Brian Wright

Brian Wright is an adjunct professor at Palm Beach Atlantic University and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and has been a nationally known speaker, sharing the stage with such noted celebrities as Patricia Heaton, Nick Cannon, and many others. He currently lives in Pensacola, FL, with his wife and four children.

Here are my questions to Brian…

1. Can you tell us who you are and what you do in 40 words or less?

I am a pastor, professor, author, public speaker, and prison chaplain. I’m married to Daniella Wright and we have four amazing children. If I had spare time, I would be playing sports with friends or at the beach with family.

2. Tell us something about yourself that few people know.

My first paid job was cutting curly fries at a local flea market.

3. What is the best book you have read this past year? (It doesn’t have to be theological!)

The third volume of the collected letters of CS Lewis.

4. You have a new book out. Tell us a bit about it. What is the main point and what do you want people to learn or do?

Communal Reading in the Time of Jesus argues that communal reading events were a widespread phenomenon in the Roman Empire during the first century AD. This is important for a number of reasons, such as overturning the predominate idea that only a small segment of society in certain urban areas could have been involved in such literary activities, but for believers today my book helps us understand why there was such an emphasis on reading communally in the New Testament (1 Tim 4:13; Col 4:16; 1 Thess 5:27; Rev. 1:3; etc.). Therefore, I hope it encourages people to reinstitute this important spiritual practice and retrieve this great tradition of reading together.

5. Karl Barth was once asked to summarize his life’s work in one sentence. He answered, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” How would you summarize your life’s work? To put this question another way, if you could get people to understand just one idea, what would it be?

In Christ, only faith working through love counts for anything.

Jonah 4:7 – Is God a God of Love AND Justice?

By Jeremy Myers

4 Comments

Have you ever heard someone say, “God is a God of love, but He is also a God of justice?” Usually this is said in the context of a discussion on hell. You might object to the idea of torturing people forever in hell as being not very loving, and the other person might say, “Well, you know, God is a God of love, but He is also a God of justice.”

In other words, God wants to forgive, but He must be just. He must punish sin. It this true? Must God punish people for their sin? Does God punish people for sin? While it is true that God is both merciful and just, both forgiving and just, the question is “How?”

This is what we discuss in this study of Jonah 4:7.

The Text of Jonah 4:7

But God prepared a worm at the rising of the dawn the next day to attack the vine so that it withered.

In this discussion of Jonah 4:7 we look at:

The worm that God sent to attack the plant
Why the rising of the sun hints at justice
Why Jonah wants justice
Why God does not want justice
Why God cannot both forgive AND give justice

Resources:

Downloadable Podcast Resources

Those who are part of my online discipleship group may download the MP3 audio file for this podcast and view the podcast transcript below.

You must join a discipleship group or login to download the MP3 and view the transcript.

Thanks for visiting this page ... but this page is for Discipleship Group members.

If you are already part of a Faith, Hope, or Love Discipleship Group,
Login here.

If you are part of the free "Grace" Discipleship group, you will need to
Upgrade your Membership to one of the paid groups.

If you are not part of any group, you may learn about the various groups and their benefits here:
Join Us Today.

Do you like learning about the Bible online?

If you want to deepen your relationship with God and better understand Scripture, take one (or all) of these courses. They are great for personal study or for a small group Bible study.

You can see the list of available courses here, and if you join the Discipleship group, you can take all the courses at no additional cost. Go here to learn more and join now.

Hack the Theologian – Shawn Lazar

By Jeremy Myers

So Let’s “Hack” Shawn Lazar

Shawn was born and raised in Montreal, Canada. He studied theology at McGill University (BTh) and the Free University of Amsterdam (MA) where he is completing a PhD in ethics. He and his wife, Abby, live in Denton, TX. They have three children, Daphne, Zane, and Ava Scout. Shawn is an insufferable bookworm who is happy to inherit any theological library you might choose to donate to him. Just don’t tell Abby, who thinks he has enough books already.

Here are my questions to Shawn…

1. Can you tell us who you are and what you do in 40 words or less? (I put the word limit so we can see what you focus on.)

My name is Shawn Lazar. I’m married to Abby. I have three feral children. And I work at my dream job writing, editing, and typesetting for “Grace in Focus” magazine, which is free for the asking. [Jeremy’s Note: It’s fantastic. Sign up right here.]

2. Tell us something about yourself that few people know.

I was an extra in the movie “Snake Eyes” with Nicolas Cage.

3. What is the best book you have read this past year? (It doesn’t have to be theological!)

Simple Church by Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger.

4. You have a new book called Chosen to Serve. Tell us a bit about it. What is the main point and what do you want people to learn or do?

Most people believe God chooses people to go to heaven or to hell. That’s called the doctrine of election. They disagree over how God makes that choice—Does He foresees their faith? Is it arbitrary?—but they agree that’s what election is about.

By contrast, I argue Biblical election is actually about God’s choosing people, places, and things to serve Him, i.e., to get a job done.

5. Karl Barth was once asked to summarize his life’s work in one sentence. He answered, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” How would you summarize your life’s work? To put this question another way, if you could get people to understand just one idea, what would it be?

This quote from Luther on changing diapers changed the way I saw what it means to have a “life’s work”—”God, with all his angels and creatures, is smiling, not because that father is washing diapers, but because he is doing so in Christian faith.”

Thanks, Shawn!

If you have read my book, The Re-Justification of God (for which Shawn wrote the Foreword), you will love Shawn’s book, Chosen to Serve. Get a copy today!

The Cheat Sheet to Difficult Greek Verbs

By Jeremy Myers

1 Comment

Kregel Publishing sent me a review copy of the book, The Handy Guide to Difficult and Irregular Greek Verbs. As any student of Greek knows, there are numerous Greek verbs that make absolutely no sense when it comes to their principal parts. This handy little book (it’s only 80 pages) pulls all these words together and arranges them by order of frequency.

In my personal Greek notes, I have a sheet from one of my Greek professors, Dr. Elodie, on “The Dirty Dozen” and another one from Dr. Hoe which contains a larger list. You can download the Cheat Sheet to Irregular Greek Verbs here. I apologize for the scribbles all over these sheets.

The book, of course, is quite helpful, as it provides a much more detailed list of irregular Greek verbs, arranged by frequency, as well as an alphabetical list in the back. There is also a short chapter on the tricky eimi conjugation.

These sorts of guides and cheat sheets are not provided for the purpose of memorizing these difficult words. As the authors point out, after two or three semesters of Greek, the best thing a Greek student can do is simply take out their Greek New Testament and read, read, and read some more. As the student comes across words they do not understand, they should look them up in a Greek lexicon.

Sometimes, however, the student looks up the word in the lexicon, and cannot find it. This is often because the word might be one of the difficult Greek verbs. In this case, a quick and easy guide such as this book, or the cheat sheets above, might be useful. Over time, as the student reads, they will find that they need to refer to these tools less frequently.

So if you are learning Greek, or looking for a good tool to help you learn the difficult and irregular Greek verbs, I recommend you get a copy of this short little book and keep it close by as you read your Greek New Testament.

Jonah 4:6 – What is Evil?

By Jeremy Myers

2 Comments

What is evil? Do you know evil when you see it? We all think we know what evil is, that we can recognize it, and that we are able to accurately judge between good and evil.

But we see today from Jonah 4:6 that judging between good and evil should be left up to God.

The Text of Jonah 4:6

And Yahweh God prepared a vine to grow up over Jonah, to provide shade for his head, to rescue him from evil. And Jonah rejoiced over the vine; he greatly rejoiced.

In this discussion of Jonah 4:6 we look at:

The plant that God caused to grow over Jonah
Why this plant was used by God to deliver Jonah from evil
What this tells us about the nature of evil
Why Jonah was so happy about the plant

Resources:

Downloadable Podcast Resources

Those who are part of my online discipleship group may download the MP3 audio file for this podcast and view the podcast transcript below.

You must join a discipleship group or login to download the MP3 and view the transcript.

Thanks for visiting this page ... but this page is for Discipleship Group members.

If you are already part of a Faith, Hope, or Love Discipleship Group,
Login here.

If you are part of the free "Grace" Discipleship group, you will need to
Upgrade your Membership to one of the paid groups.

If you are not part of any group, you may learn about the various groups and their benefits here:
Join Us Today.

Do you like learning about the Bible online?

If you want to deepen your relationship with God and better understand Scripture, take one (or all) of these courses. They are great for personal study or for a small group Bible study.

You can see the list of available courses here, and if you join the Discipleship group, you can take all the courses at no additional cost. Go here to learn more and join now.

In this discussion of Jonah we look at:

Resources:

Downloadable Podcast Resources

Do you like learning about the Bible online?

Here is the Table of Contents to What is Prayer?

The Foreword to the book by Mark Karris

Downloadable Podcast Resources

Do you like learning about the Bible online?

The Text of Jonah 4:9

In this discussion of Jonah 4:9 we look at:

Resources:

Downloadable Podcast Resources

Do you like learning about the Bible online?

The Text of Jonah 4:8

In this discussion of Jonah 4:8 we look at:

Resources:

Downloadable Podcast Resources

Do you like learning about the Bible online?

So Let’s “Hack” Brian Wright

The Text of Jonah 4:7

In this discussion of Jonah 4:7 we look at:

Resources:

Downloadable Podcast Resources

Do you like learning about the Bible online?

So Let’s “Hack” Shawn Lazar

The Text of Jonah 4:6

In this discussion of Jonah 4:6 we look at:

Resources:

Downloadable Podcast Resources

Do you like learning about the Bible online?

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