Bible Reading
1 Kings 18:21-39 “Elijah went before the people and said: 'How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.' But the people said nothing. Then Elijah said to them, 'I am the only one of the LORD’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. Get two bulls for us. Let Baal’s prophets choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The god who answers by fire—he is God.' Then all the people said, 'What you say is good.' Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, 'Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.' So they took the bull given them and prepared it. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. 'Baal, answer us!' they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made. At noon Elijah began to taunt them. 'Shout louder!' he said. 'Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.' So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention. Then Elijah said to all the people, 'Come here to me.' They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the LORD, which had been torn down. Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, 'Your name shall be Israel.' With the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed. He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, 'Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood.' 'Do it again,' he said, and they did it again. 'Do it a third time,' he ordered, and they did it the third time. The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench. At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: 'LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.' Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, 'The LORD—he is God! The LORD—he is God!”
[15:33]2 Corinthians 12:9 “But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
[25:13]John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
[27:58]Observation questions
- In 1 Kings 18, what choice does Elijah place before Israel, and how do the people initially respond? [16:22]
- What do the prophets of Baal do as they wait for their god to answer, and what is the result?
- What details make Elijah’s altar and sacrifice especially unlikely to catch fire before he prays? [20:13]
- What are the main requests in Elijah’s prayer, and how do the people respond after the fire falls? [20:47]
Interpretation questions
- Why was Israel’s silence after Elijah’s challenge such a serious response? What might their silence reveal about trying to hold onto God while also trusting other sources of security?
- Elijah made the altar harder, not easier, to burn. What does that choice show about whose power was meant to be seen in this moment? [22:02]
- In 2 Corinthians 12:9, what could it mean for Christ’s power to be “made perfect in weakness”? How is that different from pretending weakness is not real? [25:18]
- Jesus says that apart from him his followers can do nothing. What does remaining connected to the vine look like in ordinary life, rather than simply trying harder? [28:41]
Application questions
- Where might you be wavering between trusting God and trusting something else for security—such as approval, money, control, comfort, success, or your own ability?
- What insecurity or limitation most often makes you think, “I’m not qualified,” “I’m not spiritual enough,” or “I can’t do this”? How might that belief be shrinking what you think God can do through you? [09:54]
- What would it look like to honestly name one area of weakness before God this week—not with shame, but with humility and dependence? [26:31]
- How can you intentionally stay connected to Jesus this week through prayer, Scripture, rest, worship, or asking another believer for support? Which practice would help you stop relying only on yourself? [28:48]
- Is there a next step you have been delaying because fear or weakness has convinced you to wait? It could involve baptism, serving, joining a group, asking for help, making peace, or having a hard conversation. What is one small, faithful step you could take? [31:06]
- Sometimes moving forward in faith means resting, healing, or receiving help rather than pushing harder. Is that the kind of next step you need in this season? Why or why not? [33:17]
