1) During a sermon on Jonah, a woman in the congregation had a profound experience where she realized she had been like the reluctant prophet Jonah - self-centered, rebellious, and arrogant. 2) The author emphasizes how impactful it can be when God's word cuts through to a person's heart. He shares another example of how a passage from Psalms or a statement from Paul had a similar effect on someone else. 3) The letter encourages donating to Insight for Living Ministries to support their mission of spreading God's word to all nations and languages, since the transformative power of God's word is the key to truly changing the world.

1. May 2019
Dear Friend:
“I AM JONAH!!”
Just a few Sundays ago, those words echoed through the SoulCare Room at Stonebriar Community Church in
Frisco, Texas. I had just finished preaching one of the messages from the series you’re hearing on the air this month—
Jonah: The Reluctant Prophet. Something miraculous happened as the Word of God went out across the sanctuary. It’s
incredible every time it happens, and yet it’s not rare. In fact, wherever the Word is taught with accuracy, clarity, and
compassion, it’s the norm.
I’m talking about the life-change that happens when God’s two-edged sword cuts “between soul and spirit,
between joint and marrow” and “exposes our innermost thoughts and desires” and begins a transformation in our
hearts (Hebrews 4:12).
As I preached that Sunday, God used His Word to reveal to one woman in the congregation whom she had
been . . . and whom she wanted to be. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she confessed, “I’ve been just like Jonah—
self-centered, rebellious, and arrogant.” She prayed with one of our trained volunteers, asking the Lord to soften her
heart and fill it with gratitude that overflows into joyful obedience.
Have you had an “I AM JONAH!!” moment? For that woman, it was Jonah, God’s reluctant prophet. He’d been
swallowed up by a big fish, prayed for rescue in its belly, and received it . . . he’d seen a miraculous revival happen
among an evil people, and when he later sulked in self-pity, God blessed him anyway with a shade tree . . . he’d heard
directly from God of His great love for all, and yet that stubborn prophet hated the Ninevites so much that he longed
for death. As far as we know, that pouting prophet never “got it.”
The name in your “ah-ha” moment might be another biblical character. Perhaps Peter with his zeal that couldn’t
pass the test . . . Gideon with his fearful heart . . . David with his lustful eye . . . Moses with his fed-up fit. Maybe
it wasn’t a testimony at all. For you, it could have been a passage from the Psalms or a statement from one of Paul’s
letters. Whatever it was, you’ll never forget the first time God used His Word to cut through to your heart.
If you’re like me, those moments will never stop.
That’s why I love preaching! It’s also why I love Vision 195, Insight for Living Ministries’ mission to take God’s
Word to all 195 nations and 6,875 heart languages! The Word of God is more powerful than anything you or I could
ever create. Since it is the KEY to changing our world, it must be proclaimed and explained!
If you believe that’s true, if you’ve been transformed by God’s Word, if you want to see our world truly change, I
urge you to join our mission. Send a generous financial gift to Insight for Living Ministries today!
Please also ask the Lord about becoming one of our Monthly Companions who gives automated gifts every
month to ensure God’s Word continues to reach and then to teach those who need it. Then when you receive
your monthly Insights in the mail, you can read about the disciples that are being made worldwide through your
partnership with us.
Pray earnestly for God’s Word to go forth around the world. When you do, I
promise you this: the results will astound you.
Standing on the promises of God’s Word,
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2. You’ll never forget the first
time God used His Word to
cut through to your heart.
— Chuck Swindoll
“The rain and snow come down from the heavens
and stay on the ground to water the earth.
They cause the grain to grow,
producing seed for the farmer
and bread for the hungry.
It is the same with my word.
I send it out, and it always produces fruit.
It will accomplish all I want it to,
and it will prosper everywhere I send it.”
—Isaiah 55:10 –11
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