Sermons

What to do When Tragedy Strikes – 1 Kings 17:17-24 – Livestream for 5/14/23

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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.

1 Kings 17:17-24

After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill. And his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. 18 And she said to Elijah, “What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause the death of my son!” 19 And he said to her, “Give me your son.” And he took him from her arms and carried him up into the upper chamber where he lodged, and laid him on his own bed. 20 And he cried to the Lord, “O Lord my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by killing her son?” 21 Then he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the Lord, “O Lord my God, let this child’s life[b] come into him again.” 22 And the Lord listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. 23 And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother. And Elijah said, “See, your son lives.” 24 And the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.”

Message Outline:

In this passage of God’s Word, we see the widow who brought Elijah in going through a crisis: her son dying. Shammed by her sin, she immediately cries out to Elijah, who takes the boy and prays for him. The boy is then brought back to life. Through taking a look at this story, we can learn what to when a crisis comes:

  1. Realize that your circumstances aren’t necessarily direct consequences of your decisions

1 Kings 17:18, Job 4-11, John 9:1-3, Luke 13:1-5

  1. Honestly and earnestly go to God in prayer

1 Kings 17:19-22, Ps. 118:5-9, 120:1, 2 Sam. 22:7, Luke 8:22-25

  1. Praise God, knowing He has a plan for your circumstances

1 Kings 17:23-24, Rom. 8:28, 1 Cor. 15:19, Hab. 3:17-19, Lam. 3:21-24, 2 Tim. 1:12

 

Reflection Questions:

  1. Have you ever heard this passage of Scripture or topic taught on before? What stood out to you?
  2. Read 1 Kings 17:18. The widow has a shame response to this tragedy. She thought that her sin is what led to the death of her son. As we discussed in the message, our circumstances can be the result of our decisions, but that certainly isn’t always the case. How has the enemy tried to use shame to pull you away from God in the past? What was the result and how do you handle that now? Does the enemy still try and shame you? How so?
  3. Read 1 Kings 17:19-22. Elijah honestly and earnestly goes before God in prayer, and boldly asks Him to bring the child back to life. How’s your prayer life? What do you need to ask from the Lord during this season of your life? How can you be more like Elijah in your prayer life?
  4. Read 1 Kings 17:23-24 and John 9:3. This tragedy had a purpose behind it. For the widow, it confirmed that Elijah was a prophet from the one, true God. For Elijah, it gave him the confidence to go into the next challenge that God would send him to. When was there a tragedy in your life? Read Romans 8:28. What, if you know, was God purpose behind that tragedy? How has God used that for His glory and your good?
  5. How can you help those around you when they go through a crisis?
  6. 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?