Sermon Outline

Jonah 2:1-10

Seven Steps Jonah Took That You Should Also Take:

1. When you hit rock bottom, look up to God.

“​​Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish.” (Jonah 2:1)

2. Pray with passion.

“I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble, and he answered me.” (Jonah 2:2^a)

3. Find out why you’re feeling so hopeless.

“³ You threw me into the ocean depths, and I sank down to the heart of the sea. The mighty waters engulfed me; I was buried beneath your wild and stormy waves. ⁴Then I said, ‘O Lord, you have driven me from your presence. Yet I will look once more toward your holy Temple.’ ⁵“I sank beneath the waves, and the waters closed over me. Seaweed wrapped itself around my head. ⁶ I sank down to the very roots of the mountains. I was imprisoned in the earth, whose gates lock shut forever.” (Jonah 2:3-6)

Potential Causes of Hopelessness:

• You feel like you’re in over your head.
• You feel like you’ve hit rock bottom.
• You feel out of control and powerless.
• You feel overwhelmed.
• You feel rejected or lonely.
• You feel remorseful and regretful.
• You feel overwhelmed by fear.
• You feel trapped.

4. Ask God for help and be specific.

“I called to you from the land of the dead, and Lord, you heard me!” (Jonah 2:2^b)

5. Focus on the goodness of God to you.

“As my life was slipping away, I remembered the Lord. And my earnest prayer went out to you in your holy Temple.” (Jonah 2:7)

6. Reject false solutions and accept God’s grace.

“Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies.” (Jonah 2:8)

7. Show gratitude to God, in advance.

“⁹But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfill all my vows. For my salvation comes from the Lord alone. ¹⁰ Then the Lord ordered the fish to spit Jonah out onto the beach.” (Jonah 2:9-10)

Through singing praises.

Through giving back to God.

Through recommitting your life to Christ.