text: This Fall our church is preaching through the life of Elijah. We had some great guests start the series out as I was on sabbatical but now that I'm back I want to share these small group questions with you. The life of Elijah is a story of encouragement to life for God when others around you might be living an ungodly life. Elijah learns to deeply depend on God to meet all his needs. His life is a life lived by faith; no retirement plan, no 401K, and no vacation policy. Elijah stands up to point God's people back to their true King during a dark time in the life of Israel. Study these questions by yourself or with others to grow in your faith!
  Small Group Questions | Lessons on Humility | 1 Kings 21
  Elijah lived a life dedicated to God while others in Israel were following the idolatrous reign of Ahab and Jezebel. In 1 Kings 21 we read the story of King Ahab’s desire to acquire a vineyard owned by Naboth, a faithful Israelite who refused to sell his ancestral inheritance. Ahab, upset by the refusal, returns to his palace dejected while his wife goes to work at getting the land for her whining husband. With Naboth dead, God sends Elijah to confront the king on his murderous ways. In response, Ahab humbles himself and sees the error of his wicked ways. This chapter highlights themes of injustice, misuse of power, and God’s righteousness in holding wrongdoers accountable.
  1) We all experienced a time in our life when we didn’t get our way or things didn’t go as planned. Share a story about a time in your life when things didn’t go your way and share how you responded to this.
  2)Read 1 Kings 21:1-7. Ahab has an extremely immature response to not getting his ways. In what ways do we sometimes act similarly to Ahab and how can we create more contentment in our lives? (read Prov. 11:25, Phil. 4:11-13, and James 3:16)
  3) Read 1 Kings 21:7-17. Jezebel's actions to acquire the vineyard were deceptive and manipulative. What are some subtle or overt ways we see manipulation and injustice in our culture? How can we, as followers of Christ, stand against such actions and pursue justice? (see Isaiah 1:17, Amos 5:24, and Micah 6:8)
  4) Read 1 Kings 21:17-19. Elijah confronts Ahab with a message from God. What role does boldness play in speaking truth to power, and how can we apply this in our own lives? How does Galatians 6:1 help us navigate difficult conversations with others?
  5) Ahab's response to Elijah's prophecy includes repentance ( read 1 Kings 21:27-29). How do we discern genuine repentance in ourselves and others? What does Psalm 51 teach us about the nature of true repentance when we sin?
  6) The injustices in this story can resonate with real-life injustices in our community. Read Proverbs 31:8-9, Mark 2:17, and Luke 10:25-37. How can we, as a small group, seek to promote to those who we come in contact with?
  7) In what ways does this passage challenge us to examine our own hearts for areas of greed, envy, or discontent? How can we practice gratitude and trust in God's provision? (See Jeremiah 17:9, Proverbs 4:23, and 1 Timothy 6:6-10)
  Close your time in prayer. Pray for strength to invite a friend to meet Jesus.