It’s a regular rhythm for us at bread to share stories of how Jesus is meeting us in real time in our lives.
Today we’ll hear from five people in our community as they testify to the ways the voice of God is meeting them in each of their unique journeys.
Throughout this short exploration of the book of Jonah, we have been confronted with the radical – and uncomfortable - nature of God as being full of compassion. If we are on the receiving end, it is quite lovely! But when we are charged to proclaim that mercy to others – at least some of whom we would prefer not be given the opportunity to hear it lest they repent! – it is a different story.
In a world in which we are weaponized against one another, Jonah calls us, in spite of himself, to learn compassion from God – and especially towards those we think, perhaps accurately, least deserving of it. If we are going to be at all useful in partnering with God to save the world, it is a lesson needing to be learned.
By Bill Dogterom
As we dive into Jonah chapter 3, we find a reluctant prophet carrying a very short message to his enemies in Nineveh.
In this talk, we explore a few questions together: What does it mean for us that the whole capital city of such a brutal empire responded so spectacularly to God’s invitation (even to include the animals!)? What’s with all the mourning clothes and ashes? And what does “repentance” even mean, for our context? What is the Spirit of God inviting us to, and how can we join him?
By Nelly D'Alessandro
Everybody loves a redemption arc, and it's tempting to try to give one to Jonah by the end of Chapter 2. But has Jonah really had a change of heart, or just a change of mind?
After a series of chaotic events, the action in our story hits a complete halt. 3 days and 3 nights of silence. Darkness. Leaving Jonah alone with his thoughts, and with his God. Not only has Jonah run physically from where God called him to be, he has traveled spiritually to the depths of Sheol.
In this talk, we explore Jonah's prayer inside the belly of the fish, and what it shows us about Jonah's heart. Jonah might not be ready to love his enemies, but he is ready to recognize how his path was leading him to death and God' faithfulness through it. He is finally ready to obey, albeit through clenched teeth.
By Tavia Grubbs
In this series introduction to Jonah, we explore how to approach such a small but formidable prophetic book, along with the historical context of the story.
The story of Jonah asks us to take seriously the outrageously scandalous grace of God and the ways (with Jonah) we may find ourselves running from His presence. All throughout chapter 1, we find Jonah doing exactly the opposite of what we’d expect; and, as we follow along, let us consider our own instincts in responding to the painful invitations from God toward our individual “Ninevahs.”
By Nelly D'Alessandro
The final commandment is like a lens through which to view, and the key to living out, all the others. Murder, idolatry, stealing, failing to rest; these all proceed from covetousness. This is because coveting is a matter not of outward behavior, but of the heart. And when our heart is misaligned, everything else in our life will be too.
Desire is an essential part of what it is to be human, but we’re rarely in control of what it goes after. With the exception of our fundamental material needs like food and shelter, we’re lead by our desire not primarily for things, but for identity. We desire what other people desire. And when those desires are not met, the result is often anger or violence. The only one who can satisfy our inbuilt desire is God himself, and in Jesus we have the only worthy model for our desire. He is who we’re called to imitate. And when we set our hearts on him, all covetousness for what others desire, and which will never satisfy, is robbed of all its destructive power.
By Ed Flint
Do not bear false witness…what does this word actually mean? Who among us never stretches the truth; never avoids upsetting someone unnecessarily with a casual truth-omission, or holds back our honest thoughts and feelings for all the right reasons?
In its original context, the ninth commandment was a prohibition against a false word that could cost someone their life, but (just like the rest of the them!) it speaks a truer word about being a people who bear true witness. It's about community, justice, allegiance to the God of truth, and building relational fabric of trust and honesty. To gospel-writer John, truth was never presented as a principle or standard—it is a person. Jesus is Truth. He has given us the Spirit of Truth. And those who follow Him are called to speak, live, and embody truth in love. This truth-telling is not about perfection, but participation: in the unity of Christ’s body, in the slow, patient work of sanctification, and in resisting the all the language of the deceiver.
By Hannah Flint
There are two ways in which we can miss the heart of God’s commandment against stealing. If we minimize the gravity of stealing, we fail to see that an intrinsic part of what it means to be human is to be given things by God to look after. Stealing from others robs humanity from them, dehumanizing them, and marring God’s image within. This is why all stealing, big and small, is beneath God’s lofty ideal for the people of his kingdom- it goes against something fundamental to how God has created humanity.
But, if we treat what we have been given, not as gifts from God to be held loosely, but our very own to hold onto tightly, we will find ourselves stealing not from others but from God himself. ‘The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it’, says the Psalmist. So we’re to treat what we have openly and generously, continually giving it back to the One who first gave it to us. We’re called not just to stop stealing, but to work - to work to further God’s kingdom so that we might have something to give back to him and to those in need.
This new perspective comes as we live daily according to who we have now become through God’s extraordinary generosity in Jesus. This is what Paul means when he encourages us to put on our ‘new self.’
By Ed Flint
Jesus is not interested in outward performative actions. This is the righteousness of the Pharisees, but has little to do with the kingdom of God. Instead Jesus calls his people to a much deeper, more fundamental level of heart righteousness.
Lust is the root cause of adultery, and it has no place in those who take their inclusion in the kingdom of God seriously. At its heart, lust is a misdirected, misaligned, corrupted desire. When desire rules us, as opposed to us it, we degrade the image of God in other people, and in turn ourselves.
Instead Jesus calls us to redirect our desire, a holy gift from God, to where it is supposed to point: firstly to Him, and then appropriately and with godly boundaries to other people, in whom we see the image of God. This is where freedom from being bullied by our desire lies. Jesus is looking for men and women He can trust, so that He can empower them to do whatever they want, knowing that whatever they want is whatever He wants.
By Ed Flint
“You shall not murder” -- it's not just a good idea, it's the law! In fact, "murder is bad" is one of the few points with which nearly everyone on Earth agrees. On paper, most of us would say that, of the ten, this is the easiest commandment to follow. But, from a biblical perspective, what does it really mean to commit murder?
In the New Testament, Jesus equates murder and anger towards a brother or sister. This indicates that, in God's perfect plan for the world, it is not enough anymore to just not kill each other. We are encouraged to not even be angry with one another -- a task much easier said than done. We are encouraged to release our anger and let Jesus give us the eyes to see everyone we encounter the way he does: as beloved children of God.
By Rebekah Covington
Contrary to what we may have been told, this was never a one-dimensional command to obey our parents. Jesus himself did not always do what His earthly parents expected of Him; and of course, it originally given to adults, not children. Far from being about control or blind loyalty, it must be rooted in the ancient wisdom in the Genesis story, that tells us all it’s necessary to ‘leave’ our parents in order to love others well. In fact, only when we are rightly defined by God’s perfect love can we truly honor our parents. Of course, this isn’t a call to abandon or dishonor them either (which is clearly instructed by Jesus’ teaching!).
His way for us includes giving weight to those who came before us - even when they no longer seem useful to us - so that we may see ourselves in them and be free to learn from our pasts from a place of freedom and grace.
By Hannah Flint
As a culture, we tend to be very good at recreation, but less so re-creation. Sabbath is about the latter. It is the place where God re-orders us in line with his purposes and will.
Firstly, this means stopping all our work to reflect and delight. We remember that God is in control, that his plans for the world are good, and that our destination is heaven on earth, where ultimately all pain and suffering will cease. We catch glimpses of heaven all around us, even amidst the trouble of this world.
Secondly, this means preparation. During Sabbath we allow God to re-create His image in us where it has been marred. We allow Him to place His hand back into the imprint of our lives, and reorder our lives. We listen to His call, rather than pushing ahead with our own agenda.
Thirdly, and most importantly, we choose to surrender to Jesus and allow Him to do whatever it is he wants to do in us. It takes vulnerability to respond to Jesus’ surrender with our own. But as we come to him, as a helpless child might approach a parent, He does not lord his authority over us. Rather, He is gentle and humble with us, and places His yoke on us, giving true rest for our souls. What we receive is not something from Jesus, but Jesus himself.
By Ed Flint
To take God’s name in vain is much more than simply using it as a curse word. Blaspheme is a symptom of something bigger. ‘In vain’ means 'to empty.' So, we’re called, not to empty God’s name of its fullness, but rather to fill it with the fullness of God's nature and His work.
By His name, God has made Himself known: He revealed Himself to the Israelites as ‘The great I am', the one and only true God, the 'Beginning and the End'. And, in the person of Jesus, he has fully revealed himself to the whole world. His name is Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace, Everlasting Lord.
When we fill God’s name with the fullness of His nature, we see Him more clearly, giving Him His rightful status and place in our lives and the world. To fill God’s name with its fullness is also to acknowledge the unique work Jesus has done in making us right with God, beckoning us into God’s presence.
When we don’t empty God’s name of its nature and work, our prayer and worship lives are transformed. We approach God with confidence, not in our own name but in Jesus’ name, knowing He is the great God, whose name is above all other names, who can do anything for us his children.
By Ed Flint