BIG IDEA GUIDE

WEEK 1 - FEAR TO FAITH

SERIES BIG IDEA God wants to write a new story with my life. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of MESSAGE BIG IDEA water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. When our stories are dominated by fear, addiction, shame, or failure, we are stuck in an old story that is not The angel of the Lord came back a second time the story God intends to write with our lives. When you and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the find your way back to God, he begins to write a new journey is too much for you.” So he got up and ate story with your life, a story of faith, freedom, redemption, and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled and promise. May we let go of our old stories and allow forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, him to write something new. Today we are going to the mountain of God. There he went into a cave and explore how our new story can be one of faith not fear. spent the night.

And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are SCRIPTURE you doing here, ?” :1-15 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your ICEBREAKER covenant, torn down your altars, and put your What was one thing you were afraid of when you were a to death with the sword. I am the only one kid? left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” BACKGROUND The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain Elijah is on a hot streak of spiritual victories (). in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to He’s just defeated the prophets of at Mt. Carmel, he pass by.” prayed for rain in a time of severe famine and the skies opened, and he outran a chariot in an amazing feat of Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains strength. Despite all he’s seen God do, when apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but threatens Elijah’s life, he cowers in fear and runs away (1 the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there Kings 19). was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the READ 1 KINGS 19 earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came Now told Jezebel everything Elijah had done a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his and how he had killed all the prophets with the cloak over his face and went out and stood at the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, mouth of the cave. “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, of one of them.” Elijah?”

Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord to in Judah, he left his servant there, while God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. covenant, torn down your altars, and put your He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the bush and fell The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, asleep. and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get

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WEEK 1 - FEAR TO FAITH

there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint QUESTION 5 Jehu son of Nimshi king over , and anoint DISCUSSIONIn what ways can GUIDE you relate / to SESSIONElijah when he # says,- TITLE “I Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to have had enough?” succeed you as .

QUESTION 1 QUESTION 6 Elijah had performed many miracles and had seen Elijah complains that he is the only prophet still alive; God’s power in seemingly impossible situations, yet, later in the chapter God tells him that hundreds of yet when he is threatened by Jezebel he is afraid, prophets are still alive (he had also met Obadiah who told depressed, and even wants to die. Why do you think him of 100 prophets who were still alive 1 Kings 18). Can Elijah responded to this threat in this way? you share a time when you were so afraid or frustrated that the fear distorted your sense of what was really true?

QUESTION 2 The angel of the Lord meets Elijah in the wilderness, QUESTION 7 but doesn’t give him the answer he is seeking and gives Like Elijah, when we are afraid we may be tempted to him only enough food to sustain him on the next leg of hide in a cave from our fears. For some of us that might his journey. Why draw out this encounter for 40 days? mean despair, surrounding ourselves with comfort, or The number 40 is significant in the . Can you think cynicism and bitterness. How do you respond to fear? of anyone else who endured a trial for 40 days? What What kind of “cave” do you find yourself in when you are could we learn about God by reflecting on this pattern? afraid?

God tells Elijah to go back the way he came and to do something even more controversial – anoint someone QUESTION 3 else king. God’s response to Elijah’s trouble wasn’t, “Oh, The Hebrew phrase translated “gentle whisper” is often I’ll take that difficulty away.” Rather God said, “Go back understood as a still, soft voice, though the meaning of to where I’ve called you.” the phrase is actually unclear. Recently scholars have understood it to mean “sheer silence laden with a sense QUESTION 8 of holiness.” God is made known in the silence and Have you ever experienced a time when God’s presence not in the loud manner of the earthquake or fire. Can helped direct you back to where he wanted you to be? you relate to this part of Elijah’s story? Have you ever experienced God in the midst of silence? QUESTION 9 What difficulty have you been avoiding and how might A quote attributed to Alfred Hitchcock is: you plan to go back to where God has called you?

Fear isn’t so difficult to understand. After all, weren’t we all frightened as children? Nothing has changed since Little Red Riding Hood faced the big bad wolf. What CONCLUSION frightens us today is exactly the same sort of thing that Are you living a story of fear? You don’t have to any frightened us yesterday. It’s just a different wolf. This longer. Hear God whisper: “What are you doing here?’ It fright complex is rooted in every individual. is time to come out of the cave…to “go back.” Go back and face the fear; go back and take the risk; go back and fulfill the purpose to which God has called you. Your old QUESTION 4 story may have been filled with fear, but your new story What do you think of this statement? What real fears do will be filled with faith in the God who is with you. you face?

Community Christian Church / www.communitychristian.org For copies of Big Idea products visit www.bigidearesources.com NEXT STEPS GUIDE

NEXT STEPS GUIDE WEEK 1 - FEAR TO FAITH

The Next Steps Guide is designed so that you can go The word of the LORD came to me: “What do you further in your interaction with this week’s Big Idea. We see, Jeremiah?” “I see the branch of an almond encourage you to connect with a few others from your tree,” I replied. The LORD said to me, “You have small group and discuss the following content. Feel free seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word to use it as an individual study tool. Leaders, feel free to is fulfilled. Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to use the content below to supplement your small group them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by discussion times. them, or I will terrify you before them. Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land— against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people MESSAGE BIG IDEA of the land. They will fight against you but will not When our stories are dominated by fear, addiction, overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” shame, or failure, we are stuck in an old story that is declares the LORD not the story God intends to write with our lives. When you find your way back to God, he begins to write a new story with your life, a story of faith, freedom, redemption, and promise. May we let go of our old stories and allow him to write something new. Today we DISCUSSION QUESTIONS are going to explore how our new story can be one of faith not fear. 1. Circle words or phrases that stand out to you. Why are these words/phrases important to you? SCRIPTURE JEREMIAH 1:1-19 The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. The 2. What thoughts, feelings, or questions do you have word of the LORD came to him in the thirteenth after reading this passage? year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah, and through the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, down to the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah king 3. What was it about Jeremiah’s life that made him shake of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem went into with fear? Can you identify with him? How so? exile.

The word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you 4. Researchers identified three major categories of fear. were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a (Fear of making mistakes, fear of rejection, fear of prophet to the nations.” “Ah, Sovereign LORD,” relaxing). Which of these fears do you think were most I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am only a prominent in Jeremiah’s life? Which of these fears do child.” But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am you struggle with? only a child.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD. Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “Now, 5. How do you typically deal with these fears? I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”

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NEXT STEPS GUIDE / SESSION 1 - FEAR TO FAITH

6. We read in 1 John 4:18 – There is no fear in love. DISCUSSION GUIDE / SESSION # - TITLE But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. In your life, how has love enabled you to overcome fear?

7. God’s love for Jeremiah is expressed with three ideas – that God knew Jeremiah, set him apart, and appointed him to his work. Which of these words resonate within you in this season of your life?

8. What would your life look like if fear didn’t cripple you? What would be different about your life?

9. Take a few minutes to share prayer requests and pray for one another.

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