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Don’t Waste What You’ve Been Through | Jentezen Franklin

Sunday, March 23



Verses 

Jonah, Matthew 12:41, I Samuel 5:1-5, Isaiah 26:3, Philippians 4:7 

Introduction 

The story of Jonah is not just about a prophet who ran from God—it’s a powerful redemption story that shows God’s ability to save, restore, and use us for His glory. Jonah’s reluctance, the storm, and the great fish all point to a God who pursues His people, even when they stray. Jonah’s journey mirrors our own struggles with obedience, fear, and surrender, but it ultimately highlights the grace of God that transforms our failures into opportunities for His purposes. 

Take a look at key points from the message: 

  • Storms don’t catch God by surprise. God is in control even during a storm. Nothing takes Him by surprise in your life. When a storm comes into your life, you may be confused, but God is not. He is going to use it all for His glory.   
  • What you’ve been through is what God uses to free others. You may not grasp your struggles, but God can deliver you from the worst addictions or issues as proof anyone can escape. Emerge from sin so others see they can, too! Your trial is the bus of destiny, guiding you to God’s calling. When you crawl out of sin’s belly, others watching will realize they can break free as well.  
  • God will give you peace. When you surrender to God, He grants an internal peace that smooths life’s rocky waves, even amid unchanged circumstances. Set your mind on Him, and He’ll give you perfect peace surpassing human understanding, showing others they can find it, too.  

Discussion Questions: 

  1. The message highlights that what we’ve been through can help others find freedom. How has a struggle or trial in your life—past or present—become a "bus of destiny" that God might use to encourage or inspire someone else? 
  2. We’re told God gives peace that surpasses understanding, even when life’s circumstances stay rocky. How have you experienced this internal peace during ongoing challenges, and what helps you keep your mind set on Him to maintain it? 

Jonah’s Surrender 

Both Jonah and Jesus faced situations where their actions had profound implications for others, and there are parallels we can draw between Jonah offering to throw himself overboard and Jesus willingly laying down his life. 

Jonah knew his rebellion sparked the storm, but he said nothing until the crew casted lots and this exposed him (Jonah 1:7).  

Jonah 1:11-12 (NIV) The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?” “Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.” 

His surrender wasn’t noble—he’d rather drown to save the sailors than face Nineveh, driven by dread of God’s mercy succeeding there. Yet, in yielding himself, he halted the storm’s threat to others. 

Jesus’ surrender mirrors this but towers above it. Facing death, He declared,  

“I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me; I give it freely” (John 10:17-18).  

Unlike Jonah’s reluctant plunge, Jesus embraced His Father’s will with unwavering resolve. His death wasn’t defeat but victory—a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28), proving “greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). Where Jonah’s act spared a crew, Jesus’ sacrifice redeemed the world, fully under God’s command. 

  • How do Jonah’s reluctant surrender and Jesus’ willing sacrifice challenge your understanding of obedience to God? What might be holding you back from fully surrendering to what God is asking of you?  
  • Jonah tried to flee God’s call, while Jesus embraced it. How do you see yourself in either of these responses when faced with God’s will for your life? 

You can’t pursue God’s love while dodging Him—Jonah learned he couldn’t outrun God. To return, he had to stop fleeing. Jesus, though, never ran; He surrendered perfectly. What’s God calling you to do? His love and power flow when you obey, not when you claim faith or evade His will. 

  • The text says, “His love and power flow when you obey.” Can you share a time when obedience to God brought you closer to experiencing His love or strength? 

The Fish as Deliverance: Breaking Sin’s Grip 

The fish in Jonah’s story is both captor and savior, a tool of God’s power to break sin’s hold. 

Jonah 1:17-2:1 (NIV) 

“Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God.” 

Swallowed amid his rebellion, Jonah faced death in the storm—yet God turned the fish into his rescue. Trapped for three days, he cried out, and God delivered him. 

Jonah 2:9-10 (NIV) 

“What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’” 

And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land. 

The fish released Jonah, proving God’s mastery over chaos and sin. This mirrors Christ’s victory: 

1 John 3:8 (NIV) "The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work." 

Just as the fish saved Jonah’s life and broke Jonah free from his flight, Jesus shatters sin’s grip, turning death into deliverance. Jonah’s prayer of thanks from the depths reflects a shift—he’d run from God’s call, but the miracle forced him to face his duty. Running led to ruin; surrender brought salvation. God didn’t let Jonah’s rebellion win. When He calls, obedience beats escape. 

Discussion Questions 

  1. How does the fish saving Jonah show God’s power over sin? Where have you seen God turn a mess into a rescue in your life?”  
  2. Jonah prayed only after hitting rock bottom. What does this say about our need to stop running from God’s will?  
  3. Jesus broke sin’s grip for good (1 John 3:8). How does Jonah’s deliverance point to that bigger victory? 

Satan’s Lie, Christ’s Cure 

1 John 3:8 (NIV) "The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work." 

Through his deception of Eve (Genesis 3:4-5), Satan opened the door for death to invade the world, severing Adam, Eve, and all their descendants from God. In this way, the devil acted as a killer and a sinner from the start. Yet, there’s a remedy for sin: the Son of God arrived to dismantle the devil’s schemes.  

The Greek term for “destroy” doesn’t imply wiping out completely; it means “to dismantle” (see Ephesians 2:14), “to unravel,” or “to neutralize.” Logically, you might expect Christ to erase Satan entirely, but instead, He came to unravel Satan’s influence, liberating humanity from sin and its devastating effects. John’s point is clear: Christians can’t partake in the very things Christ came to dismantle. 

  • How does Satan’s lie to Eve (Genesis 3:4-5) show his role as a “killer from the start,” and what does Christ’s mission to “dismantle” that work mean for us today?  
  • If Jesus came to unravel Satan’s influence rather than erase him completely, how should that shape the way we resist sin in our lives?  
  • John says Christians can’t join in what Christ came to undo. What are some practical ways we can align ourselves with Christ’s victory over sin? 

Revival in Nineveh 

Jonah’s journey to Nineveh is one of the most incredible stories of revival in the Bible. At first, he ran from God’s call, but after a rough detour, he finally obeyed and delivered God’s message: “In forty days, Nineveh will be overthrown!” (Jonah 3:4). To his surprise, the people didn’t ignore him or resist—they repented immediately. From the lowest servant to the king himself, everyone humbled themselves, fasted, and turned from their wicked ways. 

What happened next was nothing short of amazing. Because of their repentance, God showed mercy and spared the city. Over 120,000 people were saved! Jonah’s story is a powerful reminder that no one is too far gone for God to reach, and revival can happen in the most unexpected places. It also challenges us to think about our own obedience—are we willing to step out, trust God, and share His message, even when it’s uncomfortable? 

  • Why do you think the people of Nineveh responded so quickly to Jonah’s message?  
  • What does this story teach us about God’s mercy and willingness to forgive?  
  • How can we be more obedient in sharing God’s message, even when it seems difficult or uncomfortable? 

Conclusion  

Jonah’s story reminds us that God can redeem even our weaknesses, mistakes, and moments of rebellion for His greater purpose. What seemed like Jonah’s failure became the catalyst for one of the greatest revivals in history. The same is true for us—what we’ve been through isn’t wasted when surrendered to God. Our past struggles can become testimonies that lead others to salvation, bringing glory to God and hope to those still trapped in darkness. 

Discussion Questions:  

  • How has God used a past challenge in your life to help or encourage others?  
  • What steps can we take to ensure we don’t “waste” what we’ve been through, but use it for God’s purpose? 

Resources 

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