Thursday Bible Study

  [Elijah] HEAVEN WITHOUT DYING_   2 Kings 2:1-14_     There’s an old saying that rings true... “It’s not how you start that counts , it’s how you finish.”     [Group discussion] What do you want people to remember about you when you leave a job or move out of your neighbourhood or even come to the end of your life?     No one could accuse Elijah of “coasting” at the end of his life.   He served the Lord faithfully and actively right up to the point when he was swept away!     [Read 2 Kings 2:1-14]     Who would you rather be from this part of the story... Elijah, who comes to the glorious end of a faithful life or Elisha, who receives the mantle of leadership for a new generation?   Explain your answer.       Elijah and Elisha revived an ancient tradition in Israel. They gathered committed students together into “companies of prophets”. Why would visiting these groups of students encourage Elijah? ...

  [Elijah] WHEN MOCKERS SPEAK_   2 Kings 1_     There was a man who occasionally blazed with anger... his name is Jesus!   We don’t usually think of Jesus as angry.   As humans, we tend to be at our worst when we are angry. So, it can be uncomfortable to picture Jesus that way.   The difference is that I get upset when my personal rights are trampled on... but Jesus never did.   On the other hand, we tend to be pretty calm when God’s character is insulted... while Jesus was infuriated by that.     [Group discussion] What kinds of stories in the news make you angry?   What events in our world make God angry?     Like mother, like son... Ahab and Jezebel’s son, Ahaziah, continued in his parent’s footsteps, spreading the poison of idolatry throughout the nation of Israel.   His reign only lasted two years, but he made them count!       [Read 2 Kings 1]       Based on what you have read/hea...