SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON - AUGUST 23rd

Focal Passages:
Jonah 1:1-3,17; 3:1-5,10; 4:5-11

What This Lesson Is About:
This lesson is about those who claim they want to know God’s will but resist carrying out clear, divine instructions when they learn God’s will differs from their desires.

Spiritual Preparation Through Personal Bible Study - by Stephen Carlson, who served 10 years as editor for Lifeway Christian Resources and two years as the managing editor of the Holman Christian Standard Bible.
Where I went to college was a very big deal for me as I was getting ready to leave high school. I always did very well in school, and thus expected to go to some big name Ivy League school. I applied to places like Dartmouth, Cornell, Brown, and as a backup, the University of Texas.

 Apparently stellar grades at a tiny north Texas high school were not as impressive as I thought they would be. I would get home after school my senior year to find rejection letter after rejection letter. When I finally received my single acceptance to Texas (by state law they had to accept the top 10% of all students graduating from a Texas public high school), I took it as a sign that it was God’s will for me to end up in Austin (to see the danger in this logic, review last week’s lesson).

 Armed with the thinking that being a Texas graduate was God’s will, I took off to Austin eagerly anticipating the wonderful things God had in store. And to be fair, He did some marvelous things in my life while I was there. One of the most important lessons I learned, however, was that the most significant thing about college is not where I graduated from, but what I did for His glory.

 This burdened my heart for several months as I came to the realization that I went to the University of Texas, as opposed to the local college minutes from my home, strictly for personal gain. After further reflection on God’s Word and many hours in prayer, I knew that God had things for me to accomplish back home.

 That was a hard pill to swallow. I took great pride in my college education, and wanted a prestigious degree from a well-respected university. What I ended up with was a liberal arts degree from a small university and the knowledge that I was an obedient servant of the Lord. And I wouldn’t trade that decision for anything in the world.

 Today’s lesson focuses on the story of Jonah. Throughout the study, we will examine the importance of seeking God’s glory over our own personal desires.

Looking back on your experiences, how/when have you determined your own plans rather than follow God’s?