Über die Autorinnen und Autoren

John Ortberg is the senior pastor of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church (MPPC) in the San Francisco Bay Area. His bestselling books include Soul Keeping, Who Is This Man?, and If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat. John teaches around the world at conferences and churches, writes articles for Christianity Today and Leadership Journal, and is on the board of the Dallas Willard Center and Fuller Seminary. He has preached sermons on Abraham Lincoln, The LEGO Movie, and The Gospel According to Les Miserables. John and his wife Nancy enjoy spending time with their three adult children, dog Baxter, and surfing the Pacific. You can follow John on twitter @johnortberg or check out the latest news/blogs on his website at www.johnortberg.com.

Kevin G. Harney is lead pastor of Shoreline Church in Monterey, California. He is the author of many books, including No Is a Beautiful Word, Seismic Shifts, and the Organic Outreach Trilogy, as well as more than a hundred small group guides, curriculum, and numerous articles written in partnership with Sherry. Kevin and his wife Sherry are co-founders of Organic Outreach International, a ministry that trains and resources global leaders to do evangelism in natural and effective ways. He also does extensive teaching and speaking both nationally and internationally.

Sherry Harney is an author and a speaker who serves as the Spiritual Formation and Discipleship Director at Shoreline Church in Monterey, California. She is also the cofounder of Organic Outreach International. For over three decades Sherry has spoken for local, national, and international groups and events. She focuses on prayer, spiritual formation, leadership, and organic outreach.

Over the past three decades Sherry and Kevin have coauthored and partnered with writers such as Ann Voskamp, Max Lucado, Nabeel Qureshi, Jim Cymbala, Miles McPherson, Mark Batterson, Chrystal Evans Hurst, Christine Caine, Gary Thomas, N.T. Wright, Laura Story, Craig Groeschel, Dallas Willard and many others. Kevin and Sherry have three married sons, and three grandchildren.

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'Does God really speak to people? Can we still hear his voice and follow his leading in a way that will bring transformation to our lives? Do the words of God connect in a way that will penetrate the human heart and shape us into all we hope and dream we can become? The answer is a crystal-clear yes!The words of the prophets trumpet across the centuries, calling us to authentic spiritual lives. God longs to see his character mirrored in each of us. This small group study takes you though the words of the prophets and unveils truths that will help you enter new levels of spiritual maturity. The Truth for Today small group series is a high-impact tool for discovering the power and relevance of the Old Testament. This innovative series combines Bible study with an enjoyable, interactive format to help you and your group experience God's Word as it really is: energetic, immediate, and life-transforming. Other Truth for Today Small Group Discussion GuidesVolume 1---Creating a New Community: The Torah (9 Sessions)Volume 2---Stepping Out in Faith: The History of Israel (7 Sessions)Volume 3---Developing a Heart for God: The Wisdom Books (8 Sessions)'

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Pursuing Spiritual Authenticity

Zondervan

Contents

Introduction...........................................................71 Elijah: Holding Steady in a Roller-Coaster World.....................9Leader's Notes.........................................................752 Elisha: Receiving a Spiritual Legacy.................................19Leader's Notes.........................................................803 Amos: How to Measure a Life..........................................27Leader's Notes.........................................................854 Isaiah: Pursuing Spiritual Authenticity..............................35Leader's Notes.........................................................885 Hezekiah: Radical Trust..............................................43Leader's Notes.........................................................936 Micah: Doing Justice.................................................51Leader's Notes.........................................................987 Jeremiah: When God Gives a Hard Assignment...........................59Leader's Notes.........................................................1018 The Life-Giving Power of Hope........................................67Leader's Notes.........................................................106

Chapter One

Elijah: Holding Steady in a Roller-Coaster World

1 Kings 17:7-24; 18:16-19:18

Introduction

Ancient Israel had many kings, and every one of them is said to have done evil in the eyes of God. But when Omri comes along, he is the worst of all - that is, until his son Ahab takes the throne! Ahab takes evil to new heights and the people of Israel to new depths of sin. The writer of 1 Kings 16:30 - 33 puts it this way:

Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him. He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him. He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him.

Ahab marries a pagan wife from Sidon named Jezebel, who becomes famous for her hatred of God and his prophets. Ahab puts her in charge of Israel's religion, and her express agenda is to destroy the worship of Yahweh in all the land of Israel and to replace the one true God with her god, Baal. Among other things, Jezebel seeks to systematically kill all of God's prophets.

The prophet Elijah begins his ministry when Ahab and Jezebel are on the throne. This is clearly not a popular time to go into the ministry of Yahweh in the northern kingdom. It would be like declaring you wanted to be a pastor in Communist Russia in the 1960s or deciding to become a Jewish rabbi in Germany when Hitler was in power. But God calls Elijah to step into his ministry in a time of unparalleled tension, apostasy, and danger. This roller-coaster time demands a prophet who is ready to hold on and follow God through the highs and lows of doing ministry in such a climate.

Looking at Life

1. What are some possible consequences for a nation whose leaders are corrupt and evil?

Give some modern-day examples where God calls his people to stand up and speak even though what they say may not be well received.

Learning from the Word Read: 1 Kings 17:7 - 24

Reckless Generosity

The widow of Zarephath in this story is recklessly generous. She gives the last of what she has to Elijah. We should all pause occasionally to ask if we are living with that kind of generous spirit. Maybe we have an abundance of oil and flour in our jars. Maybe we only have a little. Maybe we have a huge flour jar, or perhaps a very small one. No matter what we have, we can still learn to live with a generous spirit.

Here are some questions we might want to ask occasionally:

Am I being faithful with my tithe to God?

Am I being responsive to the needs of the poor?

Am I learning to take risks in giving that stretch my faith?

Am I giving in a way that is becoming a natural part of how I live?

Am I noticing God's generous provision in my life and responding with a thankful heart?

Dallas Willard says the law of the kingdom is the law of inversion, where the last are first and the servants are the greatest. This is modeled in a striking way in the life of this widow. The weakest, most vulnerable person - an impoverished, pagan, Gentile widow - becomes the one whose generosity keeps the prophet Elijah alive. What an amazing example for all of us!

2. If you were the widow in this story, how do you think you would have responded to Elijah's request?

What do you think the widow learned about God and herself through this experience?

3. Which person has modeled a surprisingly generous heart and lifestyle for you, and how has he or she impacted your life?

What is one step you can take in becoming a more generous person?

Give all he asks; take all he gives.

Thomas R. Kelly

Read: 1 Kings 18:16-39

Where Is Baal Today?

Few people actually bow down and worship stone idols these days. But idolatry is still present in our day. A Baal is anything that tempts us away from full devotion to God. For example, a Baal can be:

A relationship that dishonors God

A lifestyle that keeps us from being generous to the poor

A habit or an addiction that we know God wants us to give up but we refuse

A grudge against someone who has hurt us

A struggle with pride and the power it has over us

We are all tempted to tell ourselves that we can hang onto our idols and God at the same time. What God taught the people of Israel, and what he wants to teach us, is that it is impossible to hold both God and idols in our heart. There is simply not enough room.

4. Imagine you are part of the crowd standing on Mount Carmel watching the battle between Elijah and the prophets of Baal. Years later, when you tell your grandchildren what happened on that mountain, what would you tell them about one of the following lessons:

What did you learn about Yahweh, the God of Israel?

What did you discover about Baal and idol worship?

How did you see God at work in Elijah?

What did you learn about yourself?

5. If we understand idolatry to be anything that keeps us from loving God fully, what is one place that idolatry has crept into your life?

What is one step you can take to get rid of it?

Read: 1 Kings 19:1-9

From the Mountain to the Valley

How many people in the history of the human race have ever experienced manifestations of God's power as Elijah did?...