Sermons on Jonah:

Five Ways Churches Fall Short When God Calls Them To Evangelize Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Aug 28, 2013

This sermon looks at five ways that churches aren't as evangelistic as we should be.

- The beginning of the book of Jonah is very clear: a call for Jonah to share a message with the people of Nineveh. Within the statement that God makes, there are five phrases that are worth our attention as they point toward some of the things that we do wrong. Five Ways Churches Fall Short ...read more

Scripture: Jonah 1:1-2

Denomination: Baptist

Mercy Triumphs Over Judgement

Contributed by David King on May 21, 2002

So often we respond in Judgement but God’s mercy triumphs over judgement

James 2 calls us not to favour one person over another. If you try to climb across a ravine whether you get 5% of the way across or 95% of the way across when you fall you still fall to the bottom of the Ravine. None of us can cross the ravine to reach God without Christ. James says Mercy ...read more

Scripture: James 2:13

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Storms Come To Make You Strong

Contributed by Gregory Thomas on Mar 9, 2009

Shows how Jonah gains great wisdom through great adversity.

Full Harvest Fellowship Ministries Daily Devotional Storms Are To Make You Strong March 9, 2009 Jonah 1:1-13 The LORD SENT out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up. Now that many of us have entered into a phenomenal ...read more

Scripture: Jonah 1:1-13

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Life Is Too Short To Be Little (Angry)

Contributed by Philip Harrelson on Jan 6, 2012

A sermon focusing on the anger of Jonah. Anger is one of the chief emotions that men have to battle.

Jonah 4:1-4 KJV But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. [2] And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to ...read more

Scripture: Jonah 4:1-4

Denomination: Pentecostal

“it’s Time To Get Up”

Contributed by Dr. William D. Poovey on Apr 25, 2015

1 Thessalonians 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober..

“It’s Time To Get Up” “Need sleep to live, some kills” Judges 16:19 And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:6

Denomination: Foursquare

Failing Forward Series

Contributed by Brady Boyd on Feb 6, 2020

All spiritual advances begin with turning away from what’s hindering our obedience.

Jonah – Chapter 2 Failing Forward February 9, 2020 Jonah 2:1-6 NIV From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. 2 He said: “In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry. 3 You hurled me into the ...read more

Scripture: Jonah 2:1-6, Jonah 2:8-9, Psalm 51:10-12

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Exposing The Truth Series

Contributed by Dr. Jerry N. Watts on Nov 19, 2008

Jonah’s reaction to hating God’s assignment and the success he found.

Exposing the Truth Jonah 4:5-9 * As we end this story or book, we discover that Jonah would have made a great 21st century church member in America. Jonah may have well been the original “It’s all about me” prophet. As I was reviewing this book and his life, I was thinking about Jonah in these ...read more

Scripture: Jonah 4:5-9

Denomination: Baptist

The Sign Of Jonah (Matthew 12:38-42)

Contributed by Donald Whitchard on Apr 6, 2025

The Pharisees kept clamoring for a sign that Jesus was the Promised Messiah. Jesus in turn saw this request as a waste of time and effort. Nothing He would do or say would ever make them believe.

Beginning in Matthew 12:38-42, we read that the Pharisees won’t leave Jesus alone. Now they wanted to see a “sign from heaven” that would provide visual evidence of His Divinity. Consider what has happened so far in the ministry of the Lord Jesus. These same religious leaders had seen the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:1, Matthew 24:3, John 4:48, 1 Corinthians 1:22

Denomination: Baptist

A Testimonial From Jonah: The Unwilling Missionary

Contributed by Gregg Bitter on Feb 2, 2003

A first person narrative sermon in which the person of Jonah encourages his hearers to share God’s saving message with an attitude of compassion.

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, Today we consider what our Lord says to us through the prophet Jonah. Dear friends in Jesus, the Messiah, Thank you for this opportunity to speak to you concerning my work as a missionary and evangelist. My name is Jonah, the ...read more

Scripture: Jonah 3:1-10, Jonah 4:1-11

Denomination: Lutheran

30 The Third Death Wish Series

Contributed by Michael Collins on Feb 11, 2021

This is the 30th of 31 Devotions in a series called, 'The Church Called Jonah,' and is entitled, The Third Death Wish. It's about Jonah's wish to die because of the plant which God removed.

# 30 - The Third Death Wish Jonah 4:8b-9 – “Then he wished death for himself, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” 9 Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” And he said, “It is right for me to be angry, even to death!” Then he wished death for ...read more

Scripture: Jonah 4:8-9, 1 Corinthians 4:7, 1 Peter 4:17, 1 Corinthians 6:20

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Stubborn Evangelist Series

Contributed by Scott Maze on May 24, 2021

This short story is one where Jonah is in flight; it’s also one where God is in pursuit. Jonah’s life is really one of a boomerang for he ends up in the place that ran from in the beginning. For four chapters we’ll witness Jonah’s futile flight as well as God’s persistent pursuit.

Note: The entire book of Jonah is read before I preach. Today we launch a new four part series entitled Jonah: The Stubborn Evangelist. And it is coming at just the right time for our church (more on the timing in just a moment). Most only know it as an amusing story about a prophet and a “whale.” ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

When God Says Go Series

Contributed by Brad Beaman on Nov 10, 2007

Running from God is disastrous. Following God brings peace. Even when the storms come we find peace in the will of God.

A man’s car broke down on the side of the road. He flagged down a passing car. The driver stopped neither had jumper cables. She would need to push his car with her car with hers at a speed of 40 MPH. In this way they could push start his car. He looked in his rearview mirror to see what was ...read more

Scripture: Jonah 1:1-17

Denomination: Baptist

Why Does Jonah Run From God, And Choose Death Over Life? (Jonah 1:1-16) Series

Contributed by Garrett Tyson on Aug 25, 2022

A reading of Jonah, that lets the book tell the story at its own pace.

Part of being a pastor or teacher in any church, is having this desire deep inside of you to teach through the book of Jonah. You can't help yourself. It preaches too well; it's too good of a story to ignore. Plus, every pastor knows the OT is hard and scary, but they also know they are ...read more

Scripture: Jonah 1:1-16

Jonah - Messenger To Nineveh (1:1-4:11) Series

Contributed by Rodney Fry on Aug 5, 2009

We now come to the most well known of "The Minor Prophets": Jonah, whose name means "Dove"

Jonah - Messenger To Nineveh (1:1-4:11) INTRODUCTION 1. We now come to the most well known of "The Minor Prophets": Jonah, whose name means "Dove" 2. His book does not contain prophecy per se, rather it contains the history of a prophet... a. A prophet reluctant to fulfill the mission ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

A Disturbing Call From A Merciful God Series

Contributed by Allan Quak on Feb 17, 2020

The call by God for Jonah to go to Nineveh to preach is a call which confronts Jonah with a disturbing dynamic of God’s unanticipated mercy. Jonah finds this call too disturbing so he goes in the opposite direction to run away from the call of God.

Message Jonah 1:1-3 A Disturbing Call From A Merciful God I don’t have definitive proof but it would be my educated opinion that the story of Jonah … specifically the part where Jonah is swallowed by a large fish or whale … is one of the most well-known stories in the Bible. Ask anybody who Jonah ...read more

Scripture: Jonah 1:1-3

Denomination: Baptist