Jonah: Grace for Sinners and Saints

Jonah is a complex short book. It's often boiled down to just a story of a big fish that eats anything and can't hold its lunch. Yet the story is much more complex. It is not just the story of the salvation of a wicked group of people but also the act of God seeking to correct, care for, and redeem a wayward and broken prophet.
Jonah's story is our story. If not careful we lose our heart for those who harm others. We lose our heart for those who are far from God.
In this study you and your group will be walked through scripture and learn more about the grace God has given to us all.
May you find a renewed view of His great love for all mankind.

Growing as a Christian is not simply a matter of learning about the bible or trying hard to live according to it. Instead you must grow in your awareness that you need Jesus every day to help you turn from yourself and turn toward him and others. The heart of the gospel message is to know we need forgiveness, to ask God for forgiveness for Jesus's sake, and then to extend to others the grace we have been given.


Jonah is a study about faith and the error of where our faith is placed. Jonah represents our faith in ways that we deal with anger, justification, and the sovereignty of God. Jonah also shows the contrasting faith of Jesus dealing with suffering and hope. The question of what makes me angry and what gives me comfort can be rooted where we place our faith.

Jonah's emotions are what drove him and God in his grace is asking Jonah and us about our feelings. This part of the study is valuable to those that seem to be driven by despair. Despair is the not the fruit of faith but the lack of hope. Why are you angry? Why are you jealous? Why are you bitter? God is calling us to answer these questions just as he did Jonah and Cain.

The study is filled with contrasting truths for us to examine our hearts and not be left without hope but put our faith in the One that knows our hearts better than we do. This study is geared toward a group but it is also beneficial as individual study as well. The group is designed to share struggles of faith and come along side so all in the group may be strengthen in faith. It is faith that pleases God. Highly recommend.

A Special Thank you to New Growth Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

I’m going to be honest.

I don’t always like Bible Study materials. Quite frankly, I find that they’re often not all that helpful. Perhaps I have just picked up poor materials? Who knows.

That’s confession one.

Confession two: I’m going to write a joint review on both Study Guides.

However, when I saw that not only had New Growth Press released new Bible Study Materials, but that Iain Duguid and Jared Wilson were the authors on separate studies in Jonah and Ruth respectively, I was immediately intrigued – akin in fact like a child in a toy shop! OK, maybe that is too much hyperbole. But I was excited – I have benefited greatly from other works by these two authors previously.

Released by New Growth Press under their “The Gospel-Centered Life in the Bible” series (there are presently two in the Series – hopefully there will be many more!), their goal is not merely to study the respective books and respond to comprehension type questions or to download facts and knowledge about the book only. New Growth Press want readers to “keep [their] eyes on Jesus and the good news of God’s love…” and to let the Gospel permeate and affect our lives, pointing always to Jesus.

The Bible Studies, consisting of ten studies, contain the following elements:

Big Idea – A summary sentence / comment on the main point of the lesson and big idea of the text at hand;
Bible Conversation – Bible passage with some questions to open up conversation;
Article – A teaching article written by the author which really provides the main backbone to the study;
Discussion – Questions to help apply the teaching;
Exercise – This operates like a reflective study with the aim to get participants to share something they have learned with the group;
Wrap-Up and Prayer
My Thoughts
Personally New Growth Press has provided some attractive, well published Bible Study materials written by top-notch Pastor-Teachers and Scholars, which are more than a welcome addition to the long available list of Bible Study materials, which should be on the priority list when looking for solid resources. My reasons, well, in summary here they are:

Studies authored by excellent reformed and evangelical churchmen who are also pastors and scholars, and those who just get that people need the Gospel;
Grace and Gospel focused, not merely a character study. The big aim is to give people, especially broken people, the gospel;
Redemptive-historical in approach;
Inclusion of a teaching article.
For those wanting a sneak peak, New Growth Press has provided a sample over at their web page here in terms of Jonah.

I have now read and own a number of various works published by New Growth Press and they are fast becoming one of my favourite Publishers. They publish helpful edifying materials with a solid Gospel focus and do so in a fresh modern way which is appealing.

I would thoroughly recommend picking a copy of these Bible Study materials.

NB: I received free review copies from the Publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review. I was not obliged to post a positive review.

Jonah is one of those short books that reads strange on the surface -- a prophet that rebelled -- but it's so much more underneath about the grace we receive from God extended to both non-believers and believers. This study does a fantastic job of focusing on grace and redemption offered to all. This study doesn't shy away from our emotions and gets us deep into the Word. I highly recommend this for personal use and group study!