Elisha

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2 Kings: Lesson 8 — Good News and Bad

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 2 Kings.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

The Unraveling of a Nation

A Study of the Book of 2 Kings

Lesson 8 (Good News and Bad)
 2 Kings 8
February 19, 2014

The Text:

  1. What did Elisha say to the woman whose son he had restored to life?  Why?  What did she do?  What did she do at the end of 7 years?  What did Elisha’s servant and the king happen to be talking about when the woman went to see the king?  What was her request?  What did the king do?
    –
  2. Where did Elisha travel to?  What did the king of Aram tell Hazael to do?  What did Hazael take to Elisha?  How did Elisha respond to Hazael’s question?
    –
  3. After giving the message, what did Elisha do?  What was Hazael’s response?  How did Elisha explain what he had done?  What did Hazael think of the explanation?  What happened when Hazael returned back to the king?
    –
  4. While Joram was king of Israel, who succeeded Jehoshaphat as king of Judah?  How did he live?  What was one of the influences in that?  How did God feel about it?  What did God do about it?  Why?
    –
  5. Who succeeded Jehoram as king of Judah?  How did he live?  Who were some of the people who influenced his way of life?  What happened to him?

  The Application:

  1. Have you ever been warned of impending disaster?  What did you do?  How do you decide how seriously you take such warnings?  What is the value of retelling personal stories of how you have seen God work?  How do those stories help spread justice?
    –
  2. Is there anywhere that you could go that God would not have work for you to do?  When faced with trouble, how intent are you in seeking God?  What would you give to be able to hear from God?
    –
  3. How do you think God responds when he knows that we are going to do wrong/evil?  Why do you think people rarely seem to heed warnings about the wrong direction the path they are on will take them?
    –
  4. Who are people who you would consider to be the examples that you follow?  Are they all examples that you ought to follow?  How much value do you place on God’s faithfulness?
    –
  5. Who has the greatest influence in your life?  How does that impact your decisions and actions?

 

Next Week:  Unfinished Business
2 Kings 9

 

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2 Kings: Lesson 7 — The Cost of Doubt

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 2 Kings.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

The Unraveling of a Nation

A Study of the Book of 2 Kings

Lesson 7 (The Cost of Doubt)
 2 Kings 7
         February 12, 2014

The Text:

  1. What was taking place in Samaria?  Who was the king blaming for this?  What message did Elisha share from God?  How did the king’s officer respond to the message?  What did Elisha say would happen to the officer?  
    –
  2. What dilemma did a group of men at the city gate of Samaria find themselves in?  What did they propose to do in an attempt to solve it?  What was their reasoning?  What did they find when they went to the camp of the Arameans?
    –
  3. What had the Lord caused the Arameans to hear?  What did they conclude?  What did they do?  What did they leave behind?  What did the group of men from Samaria initially do when they discovered the Arameans were gone?   
    –
  4. What did the men with leprosy finally conclude?  What did they report back to the gatekeepers in Samaria?  How did the king respond to the news?  What did one of his officers suggest they do?  What did he anticipate the outcome would be?
    –
  5. What did the scouting party discover when they went to the Aramean camp?  What did the people of Samaria do when they heard the news?  What responsibility did the king give to the officer who was with him earlier?  What happened to him?  Why?

  The Application:

  1. Are there things that you don’t have enough of?  Who do you blame?  How would you respond if God said he would meet that need with an abundance that seems impossible? 
    –
  2. Are there times in your life when it seems hopeless to stay where you are and hopeless to go where you think you should?  Does desperation motivate you to take risks?
    –
  3. What would cause you to abandon the things that you value?  Have you ever found something of great value that seems to be free for the taking?  How likely are you to take it?         
    –
  4. How likely are you to share good fortune that comes your way?  What does it take for you to think of the needs of others?  Are you skeptical when it comes to hearing things that sound too good to be true?           
    –
  5. What have you discovered about the availability of God’s free gift to meet any “famine” in your life?  Who have you told?  How eager were you to obtain it?  What is the cost of doubt?

 

Next Week:  Good News and Bad
2 Kings 8

 

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2 Kings: Lesson 6 — How Times Change!

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 2 Kings.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

The Unraveling of a Nation

A Study of the Book of 2 Kings

Lesson 6 (How Times Change!)
 2 Kings 6
       February 5, 2014

The Text:

  1. What problem did the company of prophets have?  What did they propose to do about it?  What happened as they were cutting down trees?  What did Elisha do?
    –
  2. What did the king of Aram decide to do?  What message did Elisha send to the king of Israel?  How often did this happen?  What did the king of Aram think was happening?  What did one of his officers tell him?  What order did the king give?
    –
  3. What did the king of Aram do when he found out where Elisha was?  How did Elisha’s servant react when he saw what the king of Aram had done?  What was Elisha’s response?  How did God respond?
    –
  4. What did Elisha pray as the enemy approached?  What did God do?  Where did Elisha take the Arameans?  What did the king of Israel want to do?  How did Elisha respond?  What was done?
    –
  5. What did the king of Aram do “some time later”?  What did this cause in Samaria?  How did the king of Israel respond to a woman asking for help?  What was her story?  Who did the king blame?  What did he set out to do?

  The Application:

  1. Have you ever had to “up-size” out of necessity?  How important is it to you that God would be in the midst of your work?  Have you experience God’s provision in unusual ways?
    –
  2. Are there areas in which you make plans thinking that God doesn’t care or won’t notice?  Does it surprise you when God points out things that you thought nobody knew?  What should this do to our level of transparency before God?
    –
  3. Have you ever been, or at least felt, surrounded by enemies?  How does that thought make you feel?  In what ways does God reveal that the One with you is greater than those against you?
    –
  4. How would you want to respond if your enemies were at your mercy?  How would God want you to respond?
    –
  5. Do you ever feel like the enemy has cut you off from all spiritual nourishment?  Who would you go to for help?  Who often gets blamed for our seasons of spiritual famine?  What should we do instead?

Next Week:  The Cost of Doubt
2 Kings 7

 

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2 Kings: Lesson 5 — Anything But That!

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 2 Kings.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

The Unraveling of a Nation

A Study of the Book of 2 Kings

Lesson 5 (Anything But That!)
 2 Kings 5
       January 29, 2014

The Text:

  1. Who was Naaman?  What was his reputation?  Why?  What was wrong with him?     
    –
  2. Where did the servant of Naaman’s wife come from?  What did she suggest could be done?  How did the king of Aram respond to this suggestion when Naaman presented it?  How did the king of Israel respond when it was brought to him?      
    –    
  3. What did Elisha do when he heard about the King of Israel’s response?  What was Elisha’s request of the king?  What did Elisha do when Naaman reached his house?    
    –
  4. How did Naaman respond to what he was told to do?  What was he expecting?  What does Naaman’s servants say to him?  How does he respond to them?  What happens?
    –
  5. What does Naaman try to do for Elisha?  How does Elisha respond?  What does Naaman conclude he will do?  After Naaman leaves, what does Elisha’s servant decide to do?  How does Elisha respond to the actions of Gehazi?

  The Application:

  1. What things today tend to cause a person to be honored and highly regarded?  How much notice or attention do we give to the Lord doing mighty things through a person?  Why do we seem to struggle so much with bad things happening to good people? 
    –
  2. What do you believe about God’s involvement where you are at — either in bringing you there or using you there?  How likely are you to speak God’s truth to people if you blame them for your circumstances?  Who does it seem like had more faith in what God could do, the king of Aram or the king of Israel?  Are you ever intimidated by the things people expect God to do?
    –
  3. How do you feel when people of importance seem to doubt God’s ability to do things?  How can you live in a way that would show the people around you that there is both a God and a servant of God alive in their midst?    
    –     
  4. What expectations do you put on God regarding how He should communicate with you?  How do you respond to His expectations of  you?  How can you encourage people who believe that God’s instructions are not the best way to accomplish something?         
    –
  5. When you help people, how do you decide when to accept a “reward” and when not to?  Has God’s healing in your life convinced you to worship only Him?  Are there ways in which we expect people to “pay” for God’s goodness to them?

 

Next Week:  How Times  Change!
2 Kings 6

 

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2 Kings: Lesson 4 — Multiplication and Addition

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 2 Kings.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

The Unraveling of a Nation

A Study of the Book of 2 Kings

Lesson 4 (Multiplication and Addition)
 2 Kings 4
       January 22, 2014

The Text:

  1. What is the wife of one of the prophets concerned about?  How does Elisha respond to her concern?  What does she tell Elisha that she has?  What does he have her do?  What happens?  
    –
  2. What happened when Elisha went to Shunem?  What did the woman there ask her husband to do?  What did Elisha want to do for her?  How did she respond?  What information did Elisha’s servant tell him?  How did Elisha respond to this news?      
    –
  3. How did the woman respond to Elisha’s news to her?  What happened?  When the boy grew, what happened in the field?  What did the mother do?  How did Elisha greet her?  What did she initially tell him?  What does Elisha do when he discovers the real reason for her visit?  
    –
  4. What was taking place when Elisha returned to Gilgal?  What did he ask his servant to do?  What did one of the men find?  What did he do with it?  What happened?  What did Elisha do?
    –
  5. What did a man from Baal Shalishah bring to Elisha?  What did Elisha say to do with it?  How did Elisha’s servant respond?  What did God say?  What happened?

 The Application:

  1. How tempting, or easy, is it to be trapped by debt?  Do you ever feel that you don’t have enough to do what is needed?  What might you be overlooking?  What has God put into your life that He wants to multiply? 
    –
  2. Is there value today in caring for spiritual leaders?  What might that look like?  How hard is it to accept help from someone you’re helping?  Why?  How closely do you watch and listen for unspoken needs that a person might have?
    –
  3. If you’ve ever received news that seemed to good to be true, how did you react?  How do you feel when you get something you have longed for and then it appears it is being taken away?  How fully do you trust God to care for you in a way that is right?        
    –
  4. Are there things that you take into your life that have death in them?  What does God want to do about them?         
    –
  5. How much is enough?  Do you trust God when you feel you don’t have enough?  When supplies seem limited, are you likely to give or to hoard?

 

Next Week:  Anything But That!
2 Kings 5

 

 

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2 Kings: Lesson 3 — A Revolting Situation

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 2 Kings.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

The Unraveling of a Nation

A Study of the Book of 2 Kings

Lesson 3 (A Revolting Situation)
 2 Kings 3
      January 15, 2014

The Text:

  1. Who was Joram?  How is he compared to his mom and dad?  What did he cling to?
    –     
  2. Who was Mesha?  What was he being required to do?  What did he do after Ahab died?  How did Joram respond?  Who did Joram go to for help?  
    –        
  3. What route do the armies take toward Moab?  How long did they march?  What happened?  What did Joram conclude?  What did Jehoshaphat ask?  What response was he given?  How was that response received?  
    –
  4. How did Elisha address Joram?  What was Joram’s response?  What made Elisha willing to talk to Joram?  What message did God give?  What was the problem that forced them to seek God’s help?  How difficult would God’s help be?
    –
  5. What unusual thing happened the next morning?  What news had the Moabites heard?  What did they see when the got up early in the morning?  What did they think they saw?    What did the Moabites set out to do?  How were they met?  How did the battle finish?

 The Application:

  1. Who are you?  In terms of being good or evil, how would people compare you to your parents, to others?  How do you compare yourself?  How do comparisons tend to lead us to cling to things we shouldn’t? 
    –
  2. Do you ever feel you are required by others, or by God, to do things that seem excessive?  How likely are we to rebel when we think there is a window of opportunity?  What does it take for God’s people to put aside differences and fight the real enemy?
    –
  3. How do you determine your path in life?  Have you ever reached a point on that path when you realized that you don’t have everything that you need?  When that happens, is it easier for you to blame God or seek God?  Are you one who people would turn to when looking for godly advice?       
    –  
  4. How do you feel about people who live in rebellion of God seeking His advice?  How can your relationship with God help others to hear what He has to say?  Do you believe that it “is an easy thing” for the Lord  to take care of that which you think impossible?      
    –     
  5. Is your perception of things always accurate?  In what ways are people trapped by an illusion they believe to be true?  What illusions do you need to see through in order to follow God more faithfully?

Next Week:  Multiplication and Addition
2 Kings 4

 

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2 Kings: Lesson 2 — Passing The Mantle

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 2 Kings.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

The Unraveling of a Nation

A Study of the Book of 2 Kings

Lesson 2 (Passing The Mantle)
 2 Kings 2
     December 18, 2013

The Text:

  1. What was the Lord about to do with Elijah?  What does Elijah ask Elisha to do?  How does Elisha respond?  What do the prophets at Bethel tell Elisha?  What is his response?  What happens at Jericho?
    –
  2. Who is watching when Elijah and Elisha arrive at the Jordan river?  How do they get across?  What does Elisha ask for from Elijah?  How does Elijah respond?
    –
  3. What happens as Elijah and Elisha are walking?  How does Elisha respond to this?  What does Elisha pick up that had fallen from Elijah?  What does he do with it?  Why?
    –
  4. What do the company of prophets conclude about Elisha?  What do they want to do? Does Elisha think this is a good idea?  How does the request of the prophets turn out?  How does Elisha respond to them?
  5. What problem exist in the town where Elisha is staying?  What does Elisha do?  What happens?  What does a group of young people do as Elisha returns to Bethel from Jericho?  How does Elisha respond?  What happens?

 

The Application:

  1. How often do you think about the Lord coming to take you to heaven?  When that time comes, do we tend to attempt to shield people from its inevitability?  Why do we try to avoid news that we already know?
    –
  2. How often do you think about people who are watching your life?  What are you doing that shows the power of God at work in you?  If someone were to give you the opportunity to make a final request of them, what would you want most?
    –
  3. How do you feel when people close to you go to be with the Lord?  Are there things that they leave behind that you ought to be picking up?  What kind of things?  What should you do with what they leave?  Why?
    –
  4. How can  you build on the reputation of people who have gone before you?  Are there times when you need to let people discover something for themselves?  How hard is it to let them?  How do you respond when they discover what you’ve already told them?
    –
  5. What problems exist in our city that are in need of healing?  Are there things God would have you do to help bring that healing?  Will you?  Are you ever guilty of mocking a servant of God?  How do you think God feels about that?

 

Next Week:  A Revolting Situation
2 Kings 3

 

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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