Understanding God's Testing of Your Faith

 

Study Guide for Week of September  24, 2023 

This Week's Scripture: 1 Kings 16:29-33; 17:1-16

Crossroads Community Group Guide

A. Welcome: Welcome everyone, especially new people, and read aloud the purpose of your group.

B. Purpose: Our purpose is to spread the Kingdom of God. We do this by multiplying groups of people who care for each as God's family. We begin by inviting new people to our group and building them to be followers of Jesus. Each person here has the potential to be empowered to start and be the leader of a new group and spread God's kingdom.

C. Worship Time (Optional): Spend a few minutes singing a worship song. Here is one you may want to use: The Goodness of God (or pick your own YouTube video that shows the lyrics.)

D. Video Message                                                                  

       

E. Upcoming Events: Crossroads Website        

F. Review:

1. How did you do with what you want to apply from last week?
2. Who did you invite to the group for this week?

G. Opening Question (an icebreaker - a simple question to introduce the main theme):

• What kinds of trials and suffering to people go through in their lives? 

H. Background Information for this study: Elijah is a prophet of God which means he speaks for God. Ahab is an evil King of Israel. Ahab has turned away from God and set up altars to false gods like Baal. Ahab has lead the people to sacrifice to the false Gods. Baal worship required the sacrifce of a first born son in the fire to the false god. 

God sends a drought on the land for 3 and 1/2 years as punishment to seek to turn the people away from their sins and back to the true God. 1 Kings 18:18 God makes clear the judgment has come because of sin of Ahab and the country. God's purpose with the judgment is to turn the people back to Him. Innocent people suffer because the judgment is on the whole society. The widow is suffering not because of her own sin but because of the sin of society.  

.As you go through these verses make them as practicle as you can to your life and the group you are leading.

 

First Section: 1 Kings 16:29-33; 17:1-6

Second Section: 1 Kings 17:7-12

Third Section: 1 Kings 17:13-16

In this study be sure to make a practical application to each section. Make application to your life including what you will do to tell other people the message.

J. Word: Read the scriptures above by section. Read it in smaller portions aloud together several times. (The goal is for everyone to understand the Bible story or verses by retelling them in their own words; keep at it until everyone knows the story or verses.)

1. What key (important) words do you see in these verses?

2. Tell in your own words what happens in these verses.

3. What are the details?

4. What jumps out at you and catches your attention?

5. What details can you add to what others in the group have said?

K. Discuss the following general questions together. (The goal is to use these general questions to guide a discussion. The leader should not speak for more than 30% of the time; let the group discover what God is saying to them.)

1. What catches your attention in these verses?

2. What new thing did you discover in the story or verses that you did not know before?

3. What did you learn about God (Father, Jesus or Holy Spirit) from the story?

4. What do you learn about people from the story?

5. What important lessons for us do you see in this story?

 
L. Commitment - Obedience - Application

(This is the key - have everyone answer this question.) 

1. What specifically will you commit to apply in your life from this study? 

M. Prayer Time:  Break up into smaller groups of 3-4 - groups of the same sex           

1. Pray for your group to multiply.
2. Ask each other how you are doing spiritually.
3. Pray for the needs of the members of