“Then the word of the Lord came to him, ‘Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.’ So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, ‘Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.’ And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, ‘Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.’ And she said, ‘As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.’” 1 KINGS 17:8-12 ESV
We often see the size of our problems not the size of our God
“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” JOHN 6:9 ESV
“And Elijah said to her, ‘Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, “The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.”’” 1 KINGS 17:13-14 ESV
“On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.” 1 CORINTHIANS 16:2 ESV
There are no small gifts in the hands of a big God
“While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box. Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins. ‘I tell you the truth,’ Jesus said, ‘this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.’” LUKE 21:1-4 NLT
“Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God that he has given you.” DEUTERONOMY 16:17 ESV
“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin…” ZECHARIAH 4:10 NLT
“And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days. The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.” 1 KINGS 17:15-16 ESV
“But in truth I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s days, when the sky was shut up three and a half years, and there was a great famine over all the land. Yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to a woman who was a widow at Zarephath in Sidon.” LUKE 4:25-26 NET
Giving allows me to be a part of God’s miracle story
“Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.” 3 JOHN 1:8 ESV
My Notes
Personal Reflection Guide
Begin your time by taking several slow breaths, setting aside any burdens or stresses from the day. Invite God into this time, asking him to help you to be real with yourself, him and others.
As you consider your life, what type of legacy do you want to leave behind? What things do you want people to talk about as they remember you? Write these in the space below.
Now review your list, asking God to give you the courage and the faith to live that type of life. As you pray through this list, give yourself permission to add anything else that God brings up.
Close your time by thanking God for your life, sharing with the group the things on your list.
Discussion Questions
Start with a time of personal reflection. This week’s exercise focuses on the type of legacy we want to leave behind. We encourage you to do the Personal Reflection Guide on the notes page before starting group discussions.
- Personal Reflection: Begin group time with the Personal Reflection Guide, found on the Notes page. Journal any reflections in the space below, and share with the group what God brought up, if you feel comfortable.
- Real with Self: How do we view our significance in our family? Our church? Our community? The world?
- Real with Self: Take a moment to reflect on your life. In what areas have you found yourself risk-averse?
- Real with God: Where have you been looking at the size of your problems instead of at the size of God? How might things be different if your perspective shifted?
- Real with Others: Even in the middle of difficulty, generosity is the way out. What generosity (financial, relational, spiritual) is God inviting me into that might be exactly what I need in this season of life?
- Take Action: What is one step of generosity you can take this week to step forward in faith, trusting God above your view of your circumstances?
