Sermon: Jonah: The Reluctant Prophet. Jonah was sent on a divine mission to the great city of Nineveh, but instead he boarded the nearest ship to set sail for Tarshish. What would God do in response to Jonah's disobedience, and what would Jonah learn about the God of Israel as he ran from God's commands and later only reluctantly obeyed? Jonah is a tour de force in theology, teaching us about the character and nature of God, calling us to trust Him and to love Him as the God who is gracious and compassionate, full of mercy, who relents concerning calamity. Listen to this week's sermon on Jonah to see why the book of Jonah is more than the account of a man swallowed by a great fish and meet the God who pursues sinners that He might show them His great compassion.