July 18 | Discovery

Study Questions for Groups

By Michael C. Mack

1. How did you serve the Lord last week?

2. What challenge did you face over the past week?

Ask two people to read aloud 1 Kings 18:31-39 one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Then repeat the process with 2 Kings 2:11-14; 5:9-15.

Ask a third person to retell the stories from these three passages. Remind them to keep it simple.

3.  What do you learn about the ministries and purposes of these prophets from these passages?

4. Let’s dig deeper:

• What repeating phrases or concepts do you find in these passages, and what do they demonstrate to you?

• What were the main topics of Elijah’s prayer (1 Kings 18:36-37)?

• What was the result of his prayer?

• How would you describe the leadership transition between Elijah and Elisha?

• Naaman’s pride, plans, and preferences nearly prevented him from being cured. Why are humility and submission so vital to our healing?

• In what ways is Naaman’s story an illustration of God’s gracious (unmerited) work in saving sinners?

5. What do you learn about God from these passages?  

6. What do you learn about humans?

7.  It’s been said that “faith that doesn’t lead to obedience isn’t faith at all.” What do you learn about the connection between faith and obedience from these passages?

8. Like Elijah and Elisha, we can be God’s ambassadors to help people know that the Lord is God. What step will you take this week—either one-on-one or in a group—to communicate biblical truth to someone who needs to hear it? (For six suggestions on how to do this, see Dave Faust’s Application article in this lesson.)

9. Based on our study and discussion, complete this sentence: “This week, I will . . .”

10. What challenge are you facing this week?

For Next Week: Read and reflect on 2 Chronicles 36:11-23 as we continue studying the history of Israel. You can also read next week’s supplemental texts as well as the Study and Application sections as part of your personal study.