| Introduction |
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Story of Indian family who went from riches to rags. While living in the basement of a grain shed they found a pile of grain on the floor each morning that sustained them through hard times. The family later discovered that mouse had pushed the grains through a hole in the ceiling every night. |
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2. |
Perhaps your good fortune has dried up in recent years – Examples. |
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A grain of encouragement God is dropping down for you: DA 330:1 (last part) |
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4. |
There is a Bible story that identifies 6 secrets for survival when your brook dries up – |
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| God Knows Where You Are: Verses 1-6 |
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Elijah’s confrontation with Ahab and threat to turn off the faucet on his pitiful storm god. |
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Jezebel’s threat and Elijah’s escape to Kerith Canyon. |
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The harsh realities of life at Kerith. |
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God’s benefits still came through in His protection plan for Elijah. |
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When life is tough, God knows right where you are and he understands. |
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6. |
Verse 7: The brook dried up. |
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7. |
When your brook dries up . . . God is right there with you. |
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8. |
Story of Jewish man in Nazi prison camp who was taunted with the question, “Where is your God?” His answer—“Right here with me in the muck.” |
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| Be Prepared to Move Out of Your Comfort Zone: Verses 8-9 |
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By now Elijah had grown familiar and comfortable with life at Kerith and God told him to go live with a widow in Zarephath. |
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Don’t you just hate it when God does that to you? Examples. |
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It was a scary leap of faith for Elijah – He was on Jezebel’s most wanted list and Zaraphath was a scary place to live. |
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When God tells us to move out of our comfort zone, He’s getting us ready for the next phase of our spiritual journey. |
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5. |
Zig Zigler story of the biscuits that squatted to rise, but got caught in the squat. |
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6. |
God doesn’t want us to get caught in the squat – He wants us to grow. |
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| Do What God Says, Even When It Doesn’t Make Sense: Verse 10 |
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Elijah always did what God said, even when it didn’t make sense. |
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Elijah’s journey to Zaraphath was the hardest thing he had ever done, but he did it anyway. |
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Obedience to God requires a radical kind of faith. |
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4. |
Story of the man standing in the shell hole during the London blitzkrieg calling to his son to jump in and the son jumps even when he can’t see his dad because he knew his dad could be trusted to catch him. |
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When our brook dries up and God says “Jump!”, we will jump, because we know that God can be trusted to catch us. |
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| Partner With Other People: Verses 10-11 |
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Elijah’s arrival at Zarapheth. |
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The challenges Elijah has to get past to ask the widow for help. |
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3. |
When your brook dries up we need each other more than ever before. |
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4. |
Elijah needed this woman, and this woman needed Elijah. |
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| Put Your Faith in the Promises of God: Verses 10-14 |
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The woman snaps and blurts out her dire situation. |
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Elijah assures the woman that if she will share the dinner, God will provide. |
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It was a call to faith for both Elijah and the woman. |
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Story of the wounded Civil War soldier who couldn’t eat and was given eggs to place under his pillow as a promise that some day he would be able to eat once again. |
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All of us need a nest of eggs/promises of better days to come. |
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6. |
Share a half dozen Bible promises related to the way God will provide for us. |
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| Rejoice in the Rich Provision of God: Verses 15-16 |
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The woman runs home and prepares the meal, then brings it to Elijah. |
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The woman finds a fresh supply of resources. For duration of famine she meets God in the kitchen three times a day and can be heard singing at the top of her lungs, “Praise God form whom all biscuits flow!” |
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When the tide turns and better days come your way, go to your knees and say, “Thank you Jesus for coming through for me.” |
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| Appeal |
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It is still true: God has a thousand ways . . . (DA 330) |
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Take the slip of paper in your bulletin, grab a pen and identify the dry brook in your life. |
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Now bring it forward and leave it with God here in the basket and then we will pray together. |
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