Author: Tom

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1 Kings: Lesson 19 — Feeling Alone

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Kings.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Starting Strong Isn’t The Same As Finishing Strong

A Study of the Book of 1 Kings

Lesson 19 (Feeling Alone)
1 Kings 19
   November 6, 2013

The Text:

  1. What news does Ahab bring back to Jezebel?  How does Jezebel respond?  Who does she tell?  What does Elijah think of her response?  What does he do?
    –
  2. What does Elijah do in Beersheba?  Where does he go from there?  When he reaches his destination, what does he tell God?
    –
  3. Who wakes Elijah up?  What instruction does he give Elijah?  What does Elijah do?  Who returns to Elijah?  Why?  What is the message given to Elijah?  How long does he travel?  Where does he go?
    –
  4. What question does God have for Elijah?  What is Elijah’s response?  What does God tell Elijah to do?  What events take place that the Lord was not in?  When did Elijah recognize God’s presence?  What does Elijah tell God is the reason for him being where he is?
    –
  5. Where does God tell Elijah to go?  What is he supposed to do when he gets there?  What will Hazael, Jehu, and Elisha do?  How many people does God say have not worshipped Baal?  What did Elijah do when he met Elisha?  How did Elisha respond?  How committed was Elisha to following Elijah?

The Application:

  1. When you don’t like something that happens, who are you most likely to tell?  Why?  Do you tend to respond with rash statements when you are upset or do you like to think things through?  How easily do you become afraid of people?  Where do you usually land on the “fight or flight” spectrum?
    –
  2. Where do you go when you’re afraid?  How often does fear drive you to isolate yourself as much as possible?  How honest are you with God when fear dominates your life?
    –
  3. What things strengthen you when you are mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually worn out?  What might that say about what you ought to be doing for others?
    –
  4. How would you explain your current situation to God if He were to ask you, “What are you doing here?”  Do you believe God’s desire is to reveal Himself to you?  Does where we expect to find God help or hinder our recognizing His presence?
    –
  5. Do you ever feel alone in your walk with God?  Are there people around you that God may have put there to let you know you are not alone?  Who has God put in your life for you to learn from?  Who has He put in your life to learn from you?

Next Week:  If At First You Don’t Succeed . . .
1 Kings 20

 

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I Can Do This! Really?

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”
Proverbs 14:12

Have you ever watched someone do something that looked so easy you were convinced you could do it?  No instruction, no training, no guidance . . . I mean, seriously, if “they” can do it then anyone can, right?  I tried that with a skateboard once. 🙂  I was working with youth full-time and while they were skateboarding, one of them asked me to give it a try.  I thought, “Why not?  If they can do it, it can’t be that difficult.”  Whoops!  That was a very literal case of pride going before a fall!

While that example may seem humorous, at least to you, it seems many tend to live with that attitude about matters that are much more serious.  Because it is often unseen, we tend to discount the work that goes into things that at first glance appear easy.  This is especially true when you seek to live a godly life and allow prayer to be the fuel that powers all of your accomplishments.  Because effective prayer isn’t done to be “seen by men”, it is easy for people to see what God accomplishes all the while discounting the unseen power of prayer — and therefore, the person praying.

This really shouldn’t come as a great surprise because we see it in the disciples as they observed Jesus.  For the most part, Jesus seemed to make miracles look easy — a word here, a glance there, a touch of the hand, a mix of spit and dust — all easy to see and do by anyone, right?  Well yes, except what they weren’t recognizing was the real power behind all of it was the connection Jesus had with His Father through prayer!  I see this as Jesus comes off the mount of transfiguration and his disciples have been trying to heal a boy by casting out a demon — something they had seen Jesus do with apparent ease prior to this yet it wasn’t working for them.  When the man brings his son to Jesus and the boy is  healed, the disciples seem to be confused.  They ask, “Why couldn’t we do this?”  The response of Jesus is straight to the point — and to the heart — “This kind only comes out with prayer and fasting.” 

Even when we know and have experienced the power of God working through prayer-based ministry and life, why do we have such a tendency to keep trying to do things in our own strength and power?  I think one of the biggest reasons is pride — it is very difficult to take credit for what God accomplishes when we know it has come about through prayer.  We want noticed and we want the credit so we make every effort to do things in our own power and strength until our failures bring us to our knees.  When satan tempts you to lead out of your own strength and wisdom, realize that the way that seems right to the mind of man is the way that leads to death.

I pray that you would think twice about the work that goes into an effective life and ministry.  When you see God accomplishing great things in and through a person, know that there is an incredible unseen prayer-base powering that.  I believe that the most effective thing that you can do in accomplishing the will of God in your life and ministry is to build a mighty foundation of prayer by being a person of prayer and by recruiting those who will consistently join you in prayer.  

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A Team That Works

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” 
Philippians 2:3-4

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the concept of team and how it relates to the church body in general and occupational ministry specifically.  It seems like “team” is a popular buzz-word in many ministry circles lately, but it appears to mean different things to different people.  I think if God were to  use the word team to describe a group of people doing ministry together then perhaps the above verses from Philippians would be how He would do it.  If you’re familiar with the passage, you know it goes on to say we should have the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus!  God’s call is for us to voluntarily give ourself up for the sake of the team, not have the team give us up for their sake — there is a huge difference between those two things.

I’ve been blessed these past six months to work with a group of people doing ministry together that overall seems to get this team concept.  I noticed a while back, as an event was conducted quite successfully, that those leading were very quick to give credit to all who had a part in the event.  It made me think that perhaps that is a good definition, or sign, of a genuine team — a deliberate effort to give credit to all who do the work. 

On the other hand, I’ve also been part of a ministry group that liked to use the word team to describe the staff but it didn’t feel anything like this.  In fact, the word team wasn’t used as a vehicle for giving credit rather it became a means for taking credit!  The “lower ranking” members of the “team” were to do the work while the “higher ranking” members took all the credit.  This attitude seems to miss the entire point of the Philippians passage as Jesus, the highest ranking person of all, sacrificed everything in order that the lowest of all would receive honor. 

Do you suspect you might be part of a team that really isn’t a team at all?  First, examine your role on the team.  Are you focused on giving credit or taking it?  Perhaps the team member that needs to change is you!  When, and only when, your attitude is the same as that of Christ Jesus, look at the leadership of the “team”.  Are they seeking to give credit to others or take the credit for themselves?  How would God have you be the light and example in that setting?  Sometimes it is very difficult to remember that God calls us to live faithfully regardless of how right or wrong the people over you, around you, or under you happen to be.

A team that works is really only possible when it is fully surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in everything.  I don’t know who said it first but I’ve heard it often, “It is incredible what God can accomplish through a group of people when that group of people is not concerned about who gets the credit.”

I pray that the Deer Run team that I work with will always live and act as a real team and that you also would make every effort, wherever you are, to be a part of a team that works as you focus on giving credit to each one who does their part.

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MATH Advice (James 1)

Brotherly Advice:  A Study Through the Book of James

There are times in life when we could all use a little advice.  I pray that you have people in your life that you can go to for wise, godly counsel when your way seems uncertain.  Many times we have a brother or sister, whether biological or spiritual, that has already been down the road we’re travelling and is equipped to help us along our journey.

For me, the book of James is one of those methods God uses to pass along some brotherly advice.  Most scholars seem to be in agreement that the person writing down the words in the book of James is James, the brother of Jesus.  Here’s a guy that grew up around Jesus yet did not believe through most, if not all, of the life of Jesus on earth.  Yet eventually James came around and believed that Jesus was more than a brother, He was the Son of God! 

What do you do when life doesn’t seem to add up?  Who do you turn to?  James is a great place to turn for some brotherly advice in those circumstances.  In the first chapter, we find what I will call some MATH Advice to be used when life doesn’t add up for you.  Let’s take a look at the four elements of this advice. 

  • Maturity Advice:  When life doesn’t add up and we turn to God for some MATH Advice, we often need a good dose of Maturity advice to begin with!  James opens with this incredible equation that at first glance may not make much sense.  He says we ought to consider trials of many kinds to equal pure joy.  The laws of mathematics state that what is on one side of the equation has to equal what is on the other side for the statement to be true.  While this one may seem difficult at first, it is a fun “proof problem”  to go through the steps God shows us are necessary for this equation to be true.  The end result of the trials of many kinds is maturity that makes us complete and equipped with everything we need.  When life doesn’t add up, it is important to hear the brotherly advice passed along by James that God wants to use everything to bring you to a greater maturity.  He also want to use the trials and hardships of life that you go through to help others reach a greater maturity as well.  Your story of faithfulness can be a great encouragement to others if you are willing to share it.  As God moves you along in your journey with Him, take time to listen to some MATH Advice and consider the greater Maturity He is calling you to. 
  • Attitude Advice:  As we continue to look to our brother James for some MATH Advice when life doesn’t add up, he turns to giving us some Attitude advice.  Sometimes life doesn’t seem to add up for us because we need a serious look at our attitude.  James addresses two extremes that we tend to gravitate toward and they both need corrected.  He says the person in humble circumstances needs to take pride in our high position while the one in rich circumstances should take pride in their low position.  While that may sound like some upside down math advice, it is just the advice we need when our attitude seems to be upside down.  When our attitude is down in the dumps and we begin to believe we can’t be useful to God, James would give us some brotherly advice to look up and recognize the value we have in God’s sight.  As much as that attitude advice is needed, many times we have problems with the other side of thinking too highly of ourself.  It is in those circumstances that James passes long some brotherly advice to remember where we came from and that without Jesus we are hopelessly lost.  We are able to grow in the MATH Advice that James wants us to learn when we allow God to examine, and adjust, our Attitude.
  • Temptation Advice: One of the reasons that life doesn’t seem to add up for us is because we need to spend more time listening to the MATH Advice that James gives us in the area of Temptation.  James begins this advice with a reminder that God is not the author of temptation.  While we would rarely claim that God tempted us, many times we live as though we believe just that!  James makes it clear that it is our lusts and desires that carries us down the path of giving in to temptation.  When we excuse our behavior and act like God doesn’t care, or we even blame God for putting us in a position where we feel we have not choice, we live as if God has tempted us.  James tells us how the seeds of temptation are planted through desire and we allow it to grow by keeping it fed and watered rather than rejecting it completely.  The advice James gives us in dealing with temptation is to always remember that God is the giver of every good and perfect gift.  God does not tempt us, He has promised to provide a way of escape — a way to overcome the temptation — if we look to Him and trust His Word.  As we live life that doesn’t seem to add up, let’s take some MATH Advice from James and learn how to recognize and deal with Temptation.
  • Hearing Advice:  James closes out his MATH Advice in chapter one with some much-needed Hearing advice.  Sometimes life seems to not add up because we are in the midst of learning a lesson that brings us to a greater maturity.  Sometimes it is because God is adjusting our attitude.  Other times we are in need of greater strength in rejecting temptation.  Many times though, our life seems upside down because we are not doing what God’s Word says!  We attend church, we may even read the Bible and pray, but if the Word isn’t getting into our actions then we really do need some hearing advice from James.  Our time with God ought to call us to action.  If we are really hearing the Word of God, people ought to notice it coming out in our lives.  And in case you’re wondering what that means or looks like, James gives a very clear picture in his hearing advice — look after orphans and widows and keep yourself from being polluted.  If you are in fact taking in the Word of God, how is it being displayed in your life?  In what ways do you care for those that are helpless or without care?  How diligent are you in keeping your mind, body, and spirit free from the pollution of the world?  If you are not sure how to answer those questions, then perhaps it is time to sit at the feet of James for some brotherly advice!    As we grow in the MATH Advice James gives us, it is important to understand that real Hearing involves real doing.

So, how are you doing with the brotherly MATH Advice that James would pass along?  As you move from where you are to where God wants you to be, do you listen to the Maturity Advice?  Are you open to recognizing, and responding to, the Attitude Advice that God would give?  Are you living your life in such a way that you have taken the Temptation Advice and set your path far from evil?  Are you spending regular time with God to understand that His Hearing Advice is as much about the rest of your body as it is your ears?  I pray that you will pay close attention to the brotherly advice James wants you to hear so that when life doesn’t seem to add up, you can turn to his MATH Advice to have a better understanding of God’s perspective!

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1 Kings: Lesson 18 — I Am Not Alone

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Kings.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Starting Strong Isn’t The Same As Finishing Strong

A Study of the Book of 1 Kings

Lesson 18 (I Am Not Alone)
1 Kings 18
   October 30, 2013

The Text:

  1. Chapter 18 opens, “After a long time, in the third year” . . . The third year of what?  What did God want Elijah to do?  How did Elijah respond?
    –
  2. Who was Obadiah?  Who did he work for?  What did he secretly do?  What did Ahab ask him to do?  Why?  Who does he meet while he is following Ahab’s orders?
    –
  3. What does Elijah want Obadiah to do?  Does Obadiah want to?  Why/why not?  How does Elijah respond to Obadiah’s concerns?  How does Obadiah respond?
    –
  4. How does Ahab greet Elijah when they meet?  How does Elijah respond?  What request does he have for Ahab?  What does he ask the people?  What is their response?  What does Elijah propose be done to prove who is really God?  How do the people respond?
    –
  5. What did Elijah have the prophets of Baal do?  How long did they try to get their god to answer them?  What did they do during this time?  What did Elijah do during this time?  When Elijah’s turn came, what did he have done?  What would be strange about this?  What happened?  How did the people respond?  What did Elijah have them do?  What message did Elijah give Ahab?  What finally happened?

The Application:

  1. How long is a “long time” for you?  What things make a period of time seem long or short?  Do you like to deliver good news?  What if it is to someone who doesn’t care for you?  Do these answers impact who you share the gospel with?
    –
  2. How can you use a secular position to serve God’s people?  As you go about your daily tasks, do you expect to meet people who God wants you to interact with?
    –
  3. Are you more concerned about your safety, or that of others?  Are you a person that people trust that you will do what you say?
    –
  4. How do you feel when you are blamed for something that is the fault of the person blaming you?  How confident are you of your relationship with God?  Do you need/want proof of who God really is?  Does He provide it?
    –
  5. Are there things that people do today to try to get God’s attention?  As you serve God, do you do things that others might consider wasteful?  Do you typically want God to act in ways to make you look good or for God to look good?

 

Next Week:  Feeling Alone
1 Kings 19

 

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1 Kings: Lesson 17 — A God That Cares

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Kings.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Starting Strong Isn’t The Same As Finishing Strong

A Study of the Book of 1 Kings

Lesson 17 (A God That Cares)
1 Kings 17
   October 23, 2013

The Text:

  1. What message did Elijah bring to Ahab?  What message did God have for Elijah?  What did Elijah do?  How did he survive?   
    –
  2. What did Elijah do when the brook dried up from lack of rain?  Why?  When he arrived in town, what did he ask the widow?  What was her reply?  
    –  
  3. How did Elijah respond to the widow’s concern?  What did he want her to do before she did as she had planned?  What was God’s promise to her?  What did she do?
    –
  4. What happened “some time later”?  How did the widow speak to Elijah because of this?  What did Elijah do?  How does he address God?   
    –
  5. Did the Lord hear Elijah?  What happened?  What did Elijah do with the boy?  How did the widow respond?

The Application:

  1. Do you like to deliver bad news?  Why/why not?  When the consequences of the sin of others spills over into your life, do you believe God’s promise to take care of you?  How do you expect God’s care for you to look?  Does He not care if it doesn’t look like that?
    –
  2. How does God use people to meet the needs of His children today?  Does God ever present you with the opportunity to help someone at a time when you don’t believe you have the means to do so?  Why would He do that?   
    –    
  3. Which requires more faith, or trust in God, to give help to someone out of your abundance or out of your own scarcity?  Would you be more likely to give if you knew what little you had would never run out?   
    –
  4. Does doing the right thing always keep bad things from happening to you?  Who/what do you blame when bad things happen?  When you can’t explain bad things are  you more concerned about your reputation or God’s?   
    –      
  5. Does God hear the cries of His people today?  How does He respond?  Why are there times when it seems like He doesn’t hear or respond?  What would it take for people to believe that “you are a man/woman of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth”?

 

Next Week:  I Am Not Alone
1 Kings 18

 

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The Act of FINISH (Acts 28)

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
2 Timothy 4:7

Well, this is it.  I made it through the book of Acts in my preaching series and it only seems fitting for the final chapter/message to be “The Act of FINISH”.  I have to say it has been a joy to preach through the book of Acts!  It is filled with examples and lessons that I need to learn and apply.  As I continued to look at the “Acts of Acts” in this sermon series, it seems like each chapter had the apostles, or early Christians, involved in an act that we have a tendency to try to avoid.  Yet it was these very acts of God in their lives that transformed a fledgling group disciples in disarray into a mighty force that turned the known world upside down with the gospel of Jesus Christ.  We live in a time where we need such a transformation in the church and in the lives of the individuals who follow Jesus.

In Acts 28, Luke concludes his account of the foundations of the church.  Paul is on his way to Rome, as a prisoner, when the storms overtake and destroy the ship he is on and everyone onboard takes refuge on an island.  After interacting with the people of the island for some time, the weather finally breaks and a ship headed to Rome is found so that the journey continues.  Finally in Rome, Paul has opportunity to address the Jewish leaders there and to continue to preach and teach the gospel even while living under guard in a house-arrest situation.  There is much to learn from this chapter, and from Paul, as we consider how we live out the Act of FINISH in our life. 

  • Faith:  If we plan to accomplish the Act of FINISH well, we must begin the entire process in Faith!  It is our Faith that allows us to believe and trust God even when we don’t understand.  As Paul faced persecution, false accusations, imprisonment, and shipwreck, his faith never seems to waver.  In good times and bad, our faith in God must constantly remind us that God both knows what He’s doing and His love for you and I and the people around us never fails.  Our faith provides the foundation for God to work in and through us in ways that are “immeasurably more than we can think or imagine.”  As God moves you along in your journey with Him toward the Act of FINISH, be sure that Faith keeps you trusting that God can, and will, accomplish His work in you. 
  • Invitation:  As we consider how we live the Act of FINISH, it is important to pay attention to the Invitations that we both give and receive.  How we respond to invitations, and who we extend them to, can have eternal consequences in the lives of people around us.  In Acts 28, Paul and those that had been on the ship with him were invited to spend time with the unknown islanders and then invited by the chief official of the island to spend time in his home.  How do you and I respond to invitations from strangers to have some type of involvement in their life?  Many of us have become so skeptical that we have a difficult time seeing the hand of God moving in the lives of people to cause them to actually invite us into where they live.  The other side of the equation is who we invite to spend time with us.  Once Paul made it to Rome, it was he who invited the Jewish leaders to meet with him!  How often do you think of inviting your enemies —  your chief accusers — to hear your story and know why you follow Jesus?  Most of the time we have come to believe that if I a person hasn’t yet accepted Jesus then they probably don’t want to and don’t deserve our time.  Refusing to invite people into your life for the purpose of seeing God at work will certainly stifle any real efforts to FINISH as God would want you to.  We are able to grow in the FINISH when we are willing to accept and extend invitations to those we would normally ignore or even those who we view as our enemies.
  • Notice: The Act of FINISH calls us to live a life that is worth Noticing!  The caution that must be issued with this is that we want people to Notice Jesus and not us as they watch Him work through us.  As Paul arrives on the island, the people notice that he is bit by a viper yet doesn’t die.  That gets their attention right away.  Later, they notice that the power of God working through him can bring healing to those who are in need.  Then as he arrives in Rome, the Jewish leaders notice that he is a consistent follower of Jesus and they want to know from a first-hand source about this “sect” that they have heard much negative talk about.  Do the people around you each day even notice that you are a follower of Jesus?  Jesus tells us to live in such a way that people see our good works and glorify our Father who is in heaven.    As we live life looking toward the Act of FINISH, we must live in such a way that we are so transparent that the only thing others Notice in us is Jesus.
  • Insight:  One advantage of the Act of FINISH is that the longer we live, and the more we listen to God, the more Insight we should have in matters that are most important.  As we approached chapter 28, Paul was able to share the great insight he had received from God on how everyone on board the ship could be saved.  Our time with God through His Word, His Spirit, and prayer gives us insight on how everyone in life could be saved!  The insight that God gives us also helps us to see beyond the surface and into the genuine needs that the people around us have.  The insight we need is available, the question really comes in two parts; one, are we spending time with God to better see people as He sees them, and two, what are we doing with the insight God gives us?  As we grow in the Act of FINISH, it is important to not only seek Insight from God, but to use it for His glory and purpose.
  • Sharing:  Our life only accomplishes what it is meant to in the Act of FINISH if we are deliberately and consistently involved in Sharing.  Paul was constantly involved in sharing not only his faith and belief in Jesus, but pretty much anything he had.  Paul shares his knowledge, his ability, his resources whether great or small.  As I think about the Act of FINISH and Sharing, I can’t help but think about Matthew 25 where Jesus tells a story about a multitude of people who are divided into two groups — one group is welcomed into the King’s presence and the other is sent away into utter darkness.  What was the difference between the two groups?  Not how much they knew, not how much scripture they had memorized, not how often they had attended any religious gathering, not even how many religious acts they had done!  No, the difference is in how much they shared with the King!  While neither side seemed to think they had shared, or not shared, with the King, Jesus makes it clear that it is in what we share (or don’t share) with “the least of these” that we share with Him.  I believe we ought to use caution and the common sense that God gives us, but are we so afraid of being taken advantage of that we simply fail to share?  Have we become so greedy that we can’t bring ourself to give anything to a person in real need?  Are we so fearful of how people might react that we refuse to share the good news of Jesus?  The Act of FINISH that hears the Master say, “Well done good and faithful servant, enter into your master’s happiness.” is the Act of FINISH that has learned how to Share.
  • Honor:  The Act of FINISH wraps up with a focus on Honor.  We tend to like honor when it is directed our way but we are a little more selective when it comes to actually showing or giving honor to someone else.  Paul knew how to both receive and give honor.  As Paul allowed God to work through him on the island, the people who were experiencing God’s healing in their lives were showing honor to Paul and his companions “in many ways”.  Paul had learned to receive honor with humility and grace.  He also knew how to give honor to those around him.  Even his inviting the Jewish leaders to hear him out was a way of honoring a group of people who his experience may have said didn’t deserve much honor.  As God does a great and might work in and through us, He also calls us to accept proper honor with the same humility and grace that Paul showed.  On the other hand, God also calls us to give honor to people that we may not think deserve that from us.  We dishonor people who are made in the image of God when we refuse to have a conversation with them for whatever reason we make up.  The Act of FINISH gains its real power from our willingness to humbly receive and give honor when honor is due.

So, how are you doing in living out and growing in the Act of FINISH?  As you move from where you are to where God wants you to be, do you constantly walk by Faith?  Are you open to recognizing, and responding to, the Invitations that are both extended and received by you for the purpose of investing in the life of another?  Are you living your life in such a way that people Notice your good deeds and glorify God?  Are you spending regular time with God to gain His Insight into the way He would have you go?  Do you make the most of every opportunity to Share everything God has given you — including your possessions and your relationship with Jesus?  Are you growing in the practice of giving and receiving Honor with humility and grace?  I pray that your involvement in the Act of FINISH will boldly take you from where you are to where God wants you to be as you show, and tell, the world that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior!

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1 Kings: Lesson 16 — From Bad to Worse

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Kings.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Starting Strong Isn’t The Same As Finishing Strong

A Study of the Book of 1 Kings

Lesson 16 (From Bad to Worse)
1 Kings 16
  October 16, 2013

The Text:

  1. Who sent Jehu to speak to Baasha?  What had God done for Baasha?  What had Baasha done in return?  What were the consequences?  Why should have this sounded familiar to Baasha?
    –
  2. Who succeeded Baasha as king of Israel?  How long did that last?  How did his reign end?  What did Zimri do with the entire family of Baasha?  Why?
    –
  3. How long was Zimri’s reign as king over Israel?  What turned the Israelites against him?  How did his reign end?  What was the real reason?
    –
  4. What dilemma did Israel have after Zimri’s death?  How was it resolved?  Where did Omri reign as king?  How did Omri’s life compare to the kings before him?  How did God feel about it?
    –
  5. Who succeeded Omri as king of Israel?  How did he view the sins of Jeraboam?  Who did he marry?  What did this marriage bring into Israel?  How did God feel about the actions of Ahab?

The Application:

  1. Who has God sent to speak to you?  Do you listen?  What has God done for you?  Do your actions reflect or reject that?  When do you like the principle of reaping what you sow?  When don’t you?
    –
  2. What things make it difficult to break patterns of bad behavior?  How do you feel about God using wicked people to fulfill His word?
    –
  3. How many right deeds does it take to outweigh bad ones?  Why is that mindset so dangerous?  Who is responsible for the way you live?
    –
  4. How do groups that you are involved with typically make decisions?  Are some ways better than others?  If left alone, do things typically improve?  What should this tell us about the effort we put into our walk with God?
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  5. Are there things that God calls sin that you feel are no big deal?  How do you know?  What is the purpose of God’s law if none of us can live up to it?  What things do you allow others to lead you into worshipping?  How does God feel when there are things other than Him that we worship?  What will you do about it?

 

Next Week:  A God That Cares
1 Kings 17