Sermons

When You Hit a Detour 2 Kings 8:1-6

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Small Group Guide:

Open with prayer.

Go around and give everyone a chance to share about how the past week has been. What’s one highlight? What’s one lowlight?

If your small group has talked about it before, feel free to use this time to hold people accountable to what they’ve asked to be held accountable for previously, and go through the “missional” part of this discussion guide.

The Shunammite’s Land Restored

8 Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Arise, and depart with your household, and sojourn wherever you can, for the Lord has called for a famine, and it will come upon the land for seven years.” 2 So the woman arose and did according to the word of the man of God. She went with her household and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years. 3 And at the end of the seven years, when the woman returned from the land of the Philistines, she went to appeal to the king for her house and her land. 4 Now the king was talking with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, “Tell me all the great things that Elisha has done.” 5 And while he was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life appealed to the king for her house and her land. And Gehazi said, “My lord, O king, here is the woman, and here is her son whom Elisha restored to life.” 6 And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed an official for her, saying, “Restore all that was hers, together with all the produce of the fields from the day that she left the land until now.”

  1. Trust God with the details.

(2 Kings 8:1-2, Ps. 139, Matt. 10:30, 1 Sam. 16:7, Rom. 8:28)

 

  1. Realize the detour is only temporary.

(2 Kings 8:3, Rom. 8:18, James 4:14, 2 Cor. 4:17-18, 1 Pet. 4:13, Acts 20:24)

 

  1. Avoid becoming bitter and resentful.

(2 Kings 8:4-6, Eph. 4:26, 31-32, Heb. 12:15, Matt. 6:14-15)

 

  1. Remember that God is the one who provides.

(2 Kings 8:6, Phil. 4:19, 2 Cor. 9:8, Matt. 6:31-33, 7:11, Ps. 34:10)

 

Reflection Questions:

      1. Have you ever heard this passage of Scripture or topic taught on before? What stood out to you?
      1. Does your life look like how you thought it would 10, 20, or even 30 years ago? What’s different than you thought it would be? Were there any significant circumstances that led to your life looking differently than you thought it would? 
      1. Read 2 Kings 4:8-37. These events in 2 Kings chapter 4 would have happened at least 7 years prior to the events that happened in 2 Kings chapter 8. Put yourself in the woman’s shoes from 2 Kings chapter 4. What do you think the woman thought her life would look like in 10 or 15 years? 
      1. Now read 2 Kings 8:1-6. How do you think the woman did when she came home and life looked differently than how she thought it would? 
      1. Reading through this passage of Scripture, we are yet again reminded that life, with all of its troubles, is only temporary. Read Revelation 21:1-4. How do you think remembering that life’s troubles are only temporary help you through them? 
      1. Looking at your answers from question #5, How would remembering that life’s troubles are only temporary help you to handle them in a way that is more honoring to God? 
      1. Looking at your answers from questions #5 and #6, what is a practical way for you to remember that life’s troubles are only temporary? 
      1. Read 2 Kings 8:1-2. If you felt like God was telling you to move to a foreign land, away from everything you knew and had made for your life, would you do it? What are the thoughts that would go through your head in that circumstance? Would you trust God with all of the details like this woman did? 
      1. Read 2 Kings 8:4-6. It would have been extremely easy for the woman to become agitated because of her circumstances. Yet, nowhere in this story does it appear like the woman became angry or bitter. How easily do you become angry and bitter when life doesn’t turn out the way you thought it would? Why do you think that is? How has that affected your relationship with God before? What other consequences have you faced because of anger and resentment? 
      1. Looking at your answers from question #9, what is at least one practical way you can avoid becoming bitter and angry when life doesn’t go your way? 
      1. Read 2 Kings 8:6. At the end of the story, not only were the woman’s lands restored to her, but also all of the produce of the fields from the entire time she was gone. Which means not only did the Lord provide for her during the famine by taking her out of the land of Israel, but then provided for her abundantly afterwards as well. How has God provided for you in your life? Has he done something similar in your life? 
      1. What is your biggest take away about how this passage affects your life? What do you need to work on? Who can you share this with and ask you to keep you accountable to accomplishing this?


     



     

Prayer Time:

Pray for each other in your small group to be faithful take the step(s) that you shared above. Pray for each other and the interactions that they have with those who don’t know Jesus. Pray that God would soften the people’s hearts to what He has for them. Pray that God would give everyone opportunities to share the Gospel.

Staying Missional:

Share spiritual/missional conversations you’ve had where you live, work, and play:

Who did you have a conversation with that took a spiritual/missional turn this week?
What questions did you ask to discover where God is at work in their life, even if they are not aware?
How were you able to share your story of life change or how you have experienced Jesus?
How can you be intentional this week with people where you live, work, and play to have spiritual/missional conversations if the opportunity arises?
Who in your life do you think could be discipleable or open to spiritual/missional conversations?

What’s next?

Discuss the next step for your small group. When will we gather again and what purpose will it fulfill?