1. What personal applications came to mind as you listened to the sermon?
2. What compromises might some people make to fit in with society (16:31-33)? Do you catch yourself quickly resorting to excuses rather than accepting responsibility?
3. Are you ever tempted to justify sinful or unwise living for “practical” reasons (16:31-33)? Which is God more concerned with?
4. Though you likely haven’t built temples or altars to idols (16:31-33), are there any idols that we must guard against giving prominence to with our lives?
5. What does the cost of sin show us about God’s feelings toward sin (16:34)? Does that change your attitude about desires and responses you are prone to?
6. What are some examples of ways we prefer ourselves over God's Word? What are some steps you can take this week to prioritize God over self?

Listen to the sermon here.

1. What personal applications came to mind as you listened to the sermon?
2. Imagine if COVID-19 lingers for two more years… or longer! How does this compare and contrast to the famine of Elijah’s day?  What would God want us to learn?  How would God want us to act?
3. God answered the prayer of Elijah, who was a man with a nature like ours (James 5:17). How do you struggle with prayer, and how does this challenge you?
4. Sometimes God provides in ways that aren’t our preference (17:3-4)! How can we grow in recognizing God’s grace and responding with gratitude?
5. We are prone to jumping to the conclusion that God is punishing us. How do we guard against that assumption, while examining ourselves for necessary growth and change?
6. Many of us do not know what it means to pray for daily bread (17:6, Matthew 6:11). How is God teaching you His regular and trustworthy provision and grace?

Listen to the sermon here.

1. What personal applications came to mind as you listened to the sermon?
2. Have you ever felt like your faith is being tested? In what ways can we learn from this widow who gave of her last meal to Elijah (17:13, 15)?
3. What are areas in our lives that are hard to offer to God for His use, rather than keeping in our control, for our comfort? Are you willing to surrender these to God for far greater rewards (17:15)?
4. God provided for Elijah and the widow through a meager supply rather than an abundance (17:16). How can we learn from this?  What are some areas in which we may struggle to trust God?
5. Who might be an unexpected person that God may be leading you to connect with and invest in (17:9)? How can you prepare your heart for God to use you in such a way?
6. How can we cultivate humility in our daily lives?

Listen to the sermon here.

1. What personal applications came to mind as you listened to the sermon?
2. When you don’t understand God’s purpose in tough circumstances, do you respond more like the widow (17:18), or like Elijah (17:20-21)?
3. Though neither Elijah nor the widow understood, they both turned to God. How often do you turn to God in tough times?  What else are you prone to turn to instead?
4. Do circumstances ever lead you to doubt God’s promises? What helps you to hold fast and trust His promises (17:24)?
5. It is easy to get comfortable depending on God’s provision, rather than God as Provider and Sustainer! What are some ways God has reminded you to depend on Him?
6. We may long for God to intervene in major ways, like raising the dead (17:22). How does this story assure us of God’s power now, even without grand intervention?

Listen to the sermon here.

1. What personal applications came to mind as you listened to the sermon?
2. How often do we sit comfortably in stubbornness when we should be actively repenting? Do we tend to see the faults in others more than self (18:17)?
3. Obadiah risked much by faithfully hiding and feeding 100 prophets (18:4). Would you consider yourself faithful – to your ministry? Spouse?  Family?  Job?
4. What risks are you willing to take to serve God and invest in His people?
5. Obadiah had to wrestle with allegiance both to the Lord and to Ahab (18:12-13). Do you struggle with allegiances that have opposing interests?  How do you walk that line with integrity and wisdom?
6. Are you willing to speak up and step in when others are living in destructive patterns (18:18)? How will you prepare your heart to carefully do so?

Listen to the sermon here.

1. What personal applications came to mind as you listened to the sermon?
2. Israel had given themselves to Baal worship (18:21). We, too, are prone!  How can we guard against idolatry and focus on God's greatness?
3. Do you struggle with doubt or wavering in following God (18:21)? What circumstances prompt this struggle, or what questions are you holding?
4. Elijah mocked Baal's prophets saying that Baal might be busy (18:26-27). We know Baal did not exist, and we know our God does exist.  How does this impact the way we live?
5. Have you ever felt like God was absent when you prayed (18:29)? What do you suppose was really going on in those circumstances?
6. When have you trusted God and seen Him answer your prayer? How can we cultivate a deeper faith in God's ability?

1. What personal applications came to mind as you listened to the sermon?
2. What are some of the “Baals” in our society, that people give trust, worship, and affection to?
3. Is Yahweh God? Is Jesus Lord?  The simple response is, “then follow Him” (18:21).  What causes the gap in this logical step?
4. God has chosen us through Jesus, demonstrating His love on the cross. How can we grow in gratitude, rather than taking this for granted?
5. We always have room to recognize more deeply God’s sovereignty in our lives (18:36-37). How can we work to continually turn our hearts to God?
6. What drastic measures should you take to cut off sin, idolatry, and temptation in your life (18:40)?

Listen to the sermon here.

1. What personal applications came to mind as you listened to the sermon?
2. When confronted with God’s truth through the teaching, preaching, and personal study of the Word, how do you respond? Do you ever get on your face before the Lord (18:42)?
3. Should we keep praying for the end of COVID-19? What should we be seeking during this time?
4. How would you characterize your prayer life during times of spiritual drought? How would a stronger prayer life impact your endurance during such times?
5. Have you ever given up on praying for something, chalking it up as hopeless? How do you seek God’s will with your requests, trusting He is able but casting your cares on Him?
6. What moves you more to pray – thanksgiving, or requests? Desired results, or the God to whom you pray?  How might one’s answer to this question shape their joy in prayer?

Listen to the sermon here.

1. What personal applications came to mind as you listened to the sermon?
2. What circumstances might set us up for an emotional crash (19:3-4)? How can we prepare ourselves and guard ourselves against this crash?
3. How might we benefit from a longer “timeout” to spend time with God and be rejuvenated (19:8)? How might we struggle in attempting that timeout?
4. Sometimes we just need to cry out to God, who hears our cry and is our present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1)! Are we hesitant for “selfish” prayer?  How can we lay it all on the table before God?
5. What is the balance between self-care (getting the rest and nourishment we need, 19:5-7), and avoiding self-indulgence (eating and sleeping our problems away)?
6. Elijah is coming off of 3.5 years of isolation… (sound familiar?) What we can glean about the importance of community and fellowship?

Listen to the sermon here.

1. What personal applications came to mind as you listened to the sermon?
2. Are you ever wondering where the God of the spectacular is, while missing the God of the subtle (19:12)? Why do we prefer fireworks from God? 
3. Do you ever feel like you’re the only faithful one (19:10)? How can God use you to reach out to others?
4. How can we cultivate a renewed perspective so that we can see our circumstances the way that God sees them?
5. Like Elijah, we can have a self-pity chorus that we rehearse in our heads (19:10, 14). What truths could we rehearse in our heads instead, for our help and benefit?
6. God’s Word is far more powerful and effective than His grand miracles (19:11-12)! How does this motivate you to pursue Him in His Word?

Listen to the sermon here.

1. What personal applications came to mind as you listened to the sermon?
2. Do you struggle with impatience because you don’t see the results you want or expect (19:14)? How does the realization that God works through a process challenge you (19:17)?
3. Do you battle discouragement because our ministry efforts “aren’t working”? God works behind the scenes in ways we often don’t see (19:18)!  How can we learn to walk by faith and not by sight?
4. Sometimes it may feel that this covid season will never end. Could God have ended it immediately?  How has God used this time to grow you instead?
5. Like Elijah, God wants all of us to “pass the baton” (19:16) – to be disciples making disciples, to teach faithful people who will be able to teach others also… who are you investing in? Who could you invest in?
6. What is keeping you from making a radical and complete commitment to trusting, following, and serving the Lord with your life (19:20-21)?

Listen to the sermon here.