Date: 25 October 2026
Speaker: Bro. Kevin Yeo
Theme: Prayer, God's Mercy, Thanksgiving, Repentance and Obedience
Key Scripture — Jonah 2:9 (NIV)
“But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the LORD.’”
Introduction
Bro. Kevin Yeo's sermon, A Thankful Man and the Fish-Saving God, reminded the congregation of God's unfailing mercy and the importance of responding to His salvation with gratitude and obedience. Through Jonah's prayer inside the belly of the great fish, we learn that God hears our cries when we are in distress, sustains us when we turn back to Him, and calls us to respond to His grace with thankful hearts and faithful lives.
Before reaching Jonah 2, Bro. Kevin recapped the events in Jonah 1. God commanded Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach to its people, but Jonah disobeyed and attempted to flee to Tarshish. God sent a violent storm upon the sea, and Jonah eventually acknowledged that his disobedience was responsible for the calamity. He was thrown into the sea, where survival appeared impossible. Yet God provided a great fish to swallow him and preserve his life.
From this desperate situation, Jonah prayed to the Lord. Although he was surrounded by darkness and seemed to be approaching death, God had not abandoned him. Bro. Kevin emphasised that even when we feel as though we are sinking, God remains in control and His mercy is still available to us.
The sermon presents three important lessons: when we sink, God hears our cry; when we turn to God, His mercy sustains us; and when God saves us, we respond with thanksgiving and obedience.
1. When We Sink, God Hears Our Cry
Jonah 2:1–6 (NIV)
“In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me.” — Jonah 2:2
Bro. Kevin began by describing Jonah's desperate situation. After being thrown into the sea, Jonah was surrounded by powerful currents and engulfing waters. He described himself as sinking towards the depths, with seaweed wrapped around his head and the earth seemingly closing over him. From a human perspective, there appeared to be no way of escape.
Yet Jonah cried out to God, and the Lord heard him. In Jonah 2:6, Jonah acknowledged, “But you, LORD my God, brought my life up from the pit.” This declaration reveals that Jonah's survival was not the result of his own strength but of God's intervention.
Bro. Kevin reminded the congregation that we, too, may experience seasons when life feels overwhelming. We may struggle with job insecurity, unemployment, financial difficulties, marital problems, family conflicts, or worrying medical reports. Such circumstances can create anxiety, fear, and helplessness. Sometimes we pray earnestly, while at other times our sorrow is so deep that we cannot find the words to express ourselves.
Jonah's experience reminds us that God understands our distress even when we cannot adequately express it. We do not need to be in a church building or wait for a particular time before we can pray. Jonah prayed in the depths of the sea and inside the belly of the fish. Bro. Kevin shared that, before he became a Christian, he would pray privately in an ordinary place, speaking honestly to God about his daily experiences and asking for help. His testimony illustrated that prayer is a personal conversation with our Heavenly Father, and we can approach Him anywhere and at any time.
Bro. Kevin emphasised four important truths about prayer. First, prayer life is important because it strengthens our relationship with God. Second, prayer is communication with our Heavenly Father, through which we express our concerns, praise, gratitude, and repentance. Third, prayer is powerful because it connects us directly with God. Finally, God is in control, even when our circumstances seem impossible.
Prayer also involves listening to God through His Word. Bro. Kevin pointed out that Jonah's prayer contains expressions similar to those found in the Psalms. This reminds us of the importance of memorising Scripture, reading the Bible daily, and spending quiet time with God. When difficulties arise, His Word can strengthen our faith and remind us of His character and promises.
Bro. Kevin also referred to the true story portrayed in the film Breakthrough, in which a young boy, John Smith, survived a life-threatening accident after his mother and church community prayed for him. His recovery became a powerful testimony to those around him. This illustration encouraged the congregation to recognise the value of persistent prayer and the support of fellow believers during times of crisis.
The main lesson is that we should never consider any situation beyond God's authority. Even when we cannot see a way forward, we can cry out to Him and trust His wisdom and timing.
Practical Application: Develop a consistent prayer life rather than praying only when difficulties arise. Speak honestly to God, read His Word, and trust Him during both ordinary and difficult moments. When words fail, remember that God knows the condition of our hearts.
2. When We Turn to God, His Mercy Sustains Us
Jonah 2:7–8 (NIV)
“When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, LORD, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple.” — Jonah 2:7
In the second section, Bro. Kevin focused on Jonah's turning point. When Jonah's life was ebbing away, he remembered the Lord and turned towards Him in prayer. Although Jonah had previously run away from God's command, he now recognised his dependence on the Lord.
Jonah had felt separated from God's presence, yet God had never abandoned him. The provision of the great fish was itself an expression of divine mercy. What seemed like a frightening and hopeless situation became the means through which Jonah's life was preserved.
Bro. Kevin explained that God's grace continues to call people back to Him, even when they have disobeyed, sinned, or wandered away from their faith. God does not wait for us to become perfect before extending His mercy. Instead, His grace invites us to repent, return to Him, and allow Him to restore our relationship with Him.
However, Bro. Kevin challenged the congregation to examine whether their relationship with God was consistent. Sometimes, when life is going well, we become self-sufficient and rely on our own abilities, achievements, and resources. We may forget to pray, neglect God's Word, and take His blessings for granted. When trouble comes, we suddenly seek Him earnestly, but once the crisis passes, we may return to our previous habits.
Bro. Kevin reminded the congregation that we should honour and follow God during both good and bad times, not only when we desperately need His help. A strong spiritual life requires daily commitment through prayer, Bible reading, quiet time, and reflection. These habits help us keep God at the centre of our lives and align our decisions with His will.
Turning Away from Worthless Idols
Jonah 2:8 warns against clinging to worthless idols and turning away from God's love. Bro. Kevin explained that idolatry is not limited to worshipping physical images. In our modern lives, an idol can be anything that takes God's rightful place in our hearts and becomes the main source of our security, happiness, identity, or trust.
Money, career success, material possessions, fame, power, and social status can become idols when we depend on them more than we depend on God. Although these things may provide temporary satisfaction, they cannot offer the lasting peace and spiritual fulfilment that come from a relationship with the Lord.
Bro. Kevin also warned that our desire for more can gradually become endless. We may achieve one goal and immediately pursue another, believing that additional wealth, recognition, or possessions will finally satisfy us. Yet these desires can lead to greed, pride, and dissatisfaction if God is no longer at the centre of our lives.
He encouraged the congregation to ask themselves an important question: When I face difficulties, where or to whom do I turn first?
This question challenges us to examine our priorities. Do we seek God through prayer and His Word, or do we depend entirely on our own strength and worldly resources? While practical solutions and wise decisions are important, they must not replace our dependence on God.
Bro. Kevin reminded the congregation not to turn away from God's love but to put Him first in every season of life. When we return to Him with sincere hearts, we can experience His sustaining mercy and grow in spiritual maturity.
Practical Application: Establish daily habits of prayer, Bible reading, and quiet reflection. Examine whether money, success, recognition, or personal ambitions have taken God's place in your heart. Honour the Lord consistently, trusting His mercy and guidance in both prosperity and adversity.
3. When God Saves, We Respond with Thanksgiving and Obedience
Jonah 2:9–10 (NIV)
“I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the LORD.’” — Jonah 2:9
In the final section, Bro. Kevin focused on Jonah's response to God's saving mercy. Jonah declared that he would offer grateful praise, fulfil his vows, and proclaim that salvation comes from the Lord.
Jonah's prayer had moved from distress to thanksgiving. He recognised that his deliverance was not something he had achieved through his own strength. It was God who had preserved his life. Therefore, his response was to praise the Lord and commit himself to obedience.
Bro. Kevin encouraged the congregation to reflect on what they had thanked God for that day, the previous day, or during the preceding weeks. Thanksgiving should not be limited to moments when everything goes according to our plans. Even when we face uncertainty, we can thank God for His presence, provision, peace, and sustaining grace.
A Personal Testimony of God's Faithfulness
Bro. Kevin shared a personal testimony about his wife, Ann, who experienced a serious vision problem in 2023. She noticed a distortion in the appearance of his face, and medical assessment revealed a visual condition in which straight lines appeared wavy, associated with a problem involving the retina. She needed to undergo several injections into the eye, an experience that brought worry and fear to both of them.
They prayed throughout the medical procedures and uncertainty. Although the situation was frightening, they experienced comfort and peace from God. They were especially thankful that Ann did not lose her sight. The experience strengthened her trust in the living God, and she was baptised later that year.
Through this testimony, Bro. Kevin illustrated how difficult experiences can become turning points in our faith. We may not always receive the precise outcome we desire, but we can still recognise God's presence, give thanks for His mercy, and trust Him through uncertainty.
A Vow Is a Serious Commitment, Not a Bargain
Bro. Kevin explained that a vow is a solemn and serious promise. Examples include marriage vows, baptismal vows, church membership vows, and personal commitments made before God. Jonah's vow reflected his desire to respond to God's mercy with gratitude and renewed obedience.
However, Bro. Kevin gave an important warning: Prayer is not a marketplace for bargaining with God.
When we face trials, we may be tempted to promise God that we will give more money, attend church more frequently, or perform additional religious activities if He will solve our problems. Bro. Kevin challenged this transactional attitude, reminding us that God's mercy cannot be purchased through promises or good works.
We must approach God with humility and repentance, recognising that salvation is a gift of His grace. Through Jesus Christ's death and resurrection, we receive forgiveness and salvation through faith. We cannot earn this gift through our own achievements.
This does not mean our commitments to God are unimportant. Rather, our commitments should arise from gratitude and genuine surrender, not from an attempt to manipulate God into granting our requests. When God saves us, our response should be to worship Him, obey His Word, and live according to His will.
God's Prevenient Grace Calls Us Back
Bro. Kevin also shared part of his own spiritual journey. Before becoming a Christian, he was a freethinker who sometimes teased Christian friends about their faith. Through friendships formed during badminton games, conversations with Christian acquaintances, and the guidance of Pastor Aaron, he gradually learned more about Christianity.
Looking back, he recognised that God had already been working in his life before he fully understood it. Christian friends, church members, and others who shared the gospel with him had become instruments through which God's grace reached him.
Bro. Kevin described this as prevenient grace—God's grace that goes before us, taking the initiative to draw us towards Him even before we fully recognise His work in our lives.
God does not wait for us to become worthy before extending His grace. He pursues us, calls us, and invites us to return to Him. Our responsibility is to respond by turning away from disobedience, surrendering our will, and allowing Him to transform our lives.
Surrender is not merely a one-time decision; it is a daily practice of trusting God's authority, wisdom, and plans. Jesus Christ has shown us the ultimate example of humility and obedience through His life, death, and resurrection. Because of His sacrifice, we can receive forgiveness and the gift of salvation.
From Salvation to Obedience and Outreach
Jonah 2:10 records that the Lord commanded the fish, and it released Jonah onto dry land. Yet Jonah's rescue was not the end of his story. In Jonah 3:1–2, God's word came to him a second time, commanding him to go to Nineveh.
Bro. Kevin highlighted that God's deliverance should lead to renewed obedience. God preserved Jonah's life so that he could fulfil the mission entrusted to him. Likewise, those who have received God's salvation are called to respond through faithful service and witness.
Bro. Kevin reminded the congregation that 2026 had been designated as a year of outreach within their church context. He referred to church initiatives such as youth Alpha, the Alpha Film Series, healing rallies, Community Day, and the community health programme as opportunities to share God's love.
Evangelism is not solely the responsibility of pastors or church leaders. Every follower of Christ has a part to play in sharing the good news. We can do this through conversations with family members, encouragement to friends, practical acts of kindness, prayer for those in need, and invitations to church activities.
Jonah's experience reminds us that being saved by God should lead to a renewed commitment to His calling. We are not saved merely to enjoy God's blessings privately; we are also called to participate in His mission and help others encounter His love.
Practical Application: Give thanks for God's mercy, renew your commitment to Him sincerely, and avoid treating prayer as a bargain. Respond to His grace through daily obedience and share the good news with others wherever God has placed you.
Conclusion
Bro. Kevin concluded by reminding the congregation that we are greatly blessed by God's salvation, yet we sometimes become careless and take His grace for granted. Jonah's story exposes the danger of running away from God's calling, relying on our own strength, and turning to God only when we are desperate.
Nevertheless, God's faithfulness remains steadfast. Even when Jonah disobeyed and rebelled, God did not abandon him. The Lord preserved his life, heard his prayer, and gave him another opportunity to fulfil his calling.
The same truth encourages us today. We may experience failure, spiritual weakness, fear, or periods of wandering away from God, but His grace continues to call us back. Through Jesus Christ, God has provided the way of forgiveness and salvation. Our response should be to come before Him with humble and repentant hearts, acknowledge our sins, surrender our will, and trust in His mercy.
Bro. Kevin reminded the congregation that God's faithfulness is grounded in His own steadfast character and revealed through Jesus Christ. Salvation is His gift, not something we can earn or bargain for.
Therefore, let us not wait until we are sinking before we pray. Let us cultivate a consistent relationship with God in good times and bad, give thanks for His grace, and respond to His calling with obedience. Like Jonah, may we proclaim with grateful hearts that salvation comes from the Lord.
Take-Home Message
When we sink, God hears our cry; when we turn to Him, His mercy sustains us; and when He saves us, we respond with thanksgiving, repentance, and obedience.
God's grace is not an invitation to take His love for granted. It is an invitation to return to Him, trust Him daily, surrender our lives to His will, and share His saving love with others.
Reflect & Discuss
1. When we sink, God hears our cry.
When you face difficulties involving work, finances, family, relationships, or health, how do you usually respond? Do you turn to God first, or do you depend mainly on your own strength and resources? How can you develop a more consistent prayer life?
2. When we turn to God, His mercy sustains us.
Have there been times when you sought God earnestly during a crisis but gradually neglected Him when life became easier? What practical habits of prayer, Bible reading, and reflection can help you honour God in both good and difficult seasons?
3. When God saves, we respond with thanksgiving and obedience.
What blessings or answered prayers can you thank God for today? Have you ever been tempted to bargain with God during a difficult situation? How can you respond instead with humility, repentance, gratitude, and trust?
4. God calls us to share His saving love.
Like Jonah, we are called to respond to God's grace through obedience. Who might God be placing in your life so that you can share His love, offer encouragement, pray for them, or invite them to learn more about Jesus Christ?
Final Reflection
As I reflect on Jonah's prayer, I am reminded that I should not seek God only when I am desperate or when my plans have failed. He is my Heavenly Father, worthy of my trust, worship, and obedience in every season. Even when I cannot see the way forward, I can still pray, remember His Word, and trust His wisdom.
I also need to examine whether anything has taken God's place in my heart. Success, money, security, recognition, and personal ambitions may become distractions when I depend on them more than I depend on Him. I want to put God first, remain faithful in daily prayer and Scripture reading, and recognise His grace in both ordinary blessings and difficult experiences.
Most importantly, I want my gratitude to lead to action. Because Christ has saved me through His grace, I should live with a thankful heart, obey His Word, serve others with compassion, and share the good news whenever opportunities arise.
May I never take God's mercy for granted. Instead, may my life continually declare:
“Salvation comes from the LORD.” — Jonah 2:9 (NIV)
Opening Prayer
Gracious and Loving Heavenly Father,
We thank Thee for bringing us together as Methodist DG6. Open our hearts to Thy Holy Word, strengthen our faith, and unite us in love, prayer, and fellowship. May the message of Jonah remind us to trust in Thy mercy and respond with grateful hearts and obedient lives.
We also lift up the upcoming Melaka election. Grant wisdom, integrity, and discernment to all candidates and voters. Guide the people to choose leaders who are honest, just, and committed to the well-being of all. May the election be peaceful, fair, and free from hatred and division.
In Jesus’ precious name, we pray. Amen.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father,
We thank Thee for Thy Word and the fellowship we have shared today. Help us not only to hear Thy truth but to live it out with thanksgiving, obedience, and compassion. When we face difficulties, remind us that Thou art always in control and that salvation comes from Thee.
Lord, we commit Melaka and the upcoming election into Thy hands. Protect the people, guide the voters, strengthen those who serve with integrity, and grant wisdom to those elected to lead. May peace, justice, unity, and righteousness prevail throughout our beloved state.
Send us forth with grateful hearts to be faithful witnesses of Thy love. In the precious name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
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