The Well Church of the Nazarene

This week was the conclusion of our Amazed series, where we've talked about the life of Elijah. It's important to remember that it's not necessarily Elijah himself that was particularly amazing, but what God did in and through him. Pastors Josh, Mara, and Paul recap the highlights and takeaways from this series in today's discussion.

Elijah waits, he listens, he goes, he finishes. What does a life look like that's lived well with these ideas in mind? Are you ready for whatever God asks you to do, regardless of what season you're in? 

God's vision is bigger than our vision--and He will finish what He started.

As we're going through this series, we're seeing how God works through his people in some amazing ways. One of the many things Pastors Josh, Mara, and Paul discuss this week, is how there are times we need to wait and rest in Him, and times when God's calling us to go. How do we know the difference?

God doesn't want just our strengths and your gifts. He wants our weaknesses--even our failures. How we handle failure is just as, if not more, important than how we handle success. Elijah had a defeatist perspective--he was most likely burned out and exhausted. But God took that, worked through it, and He will do the same for us. 

Take a nap and eat. 

God doesn't always do the expected, but He's in our midst, working through our normal, our abnormal, our good, and our bad. And we can't help but be amazed.  

God often speaks best when we are at the end of ourselves. Expect the unexpected!

[Quarantine Service]
We serve a God who wants to be known. The work of Elijah the prophet wasn't just to tell the future, to proclaim the truth--it was to show and share God. He wants us to go, to move with Him. In our going, in doing the right thing, we draw the attention of others toward a God who is at work. When others see how we move, they see how God moves. Can people see God in and through you? 

2020 has been a difficult year. Case in point: We'd much rather be in our sanctuary this week, speaking and engaging in worship together the way we have the last several weeks. But praise the Lord--we can look for the small cloud, even when God seems quiet.    

We're looking into the life of Elijah this month, a prophet God used to interact with his people in amazing ways. But a lot of times we find Elijah at the mercy of others. This week's story demonstrates God's providence in our lives, and how he gives each of us what we need, day by day. The widow in 1 Kings 17 is yet another example of an ordinary person--a Gentile, widowed woman--that God uses in unexpected, significant ways to sustain Elijah.

How does waiting develop our faith? What parallels can be drawn between Sabbath and these periods of waiting in our lives? Is it possible that God is working in YOUR waiting, preparing you for going?

In the life of Elijah, we see 4 characteristics that are important if we want God to move in amazing ways in our lives: how to wait, how to go, how to listen, and how to finish. This week, we're exploring how God invites us to wait on Him.

Wisdom ultimately brings wholeness to the community. 

Wisdom is living in the right relationship with all aspects of our life. Proverbs 3:6 begins, "In all your ways, acknowledge Him..." God wants to be in the midst of our life, not separate from it. It's east to see that we need a right relationship with God, but we also need right relationships with others, with self, with our community, creation, systems, etc.

What does it mean to be wise? It's not about degrees or position. It's not even necessarily about age and maturity. Wisdom begins with God.

God gave Solomon wisdom, but he didn't fully apply it, and as a result the kingdom was split in two.  Wisdom is more than knowing the right things to do. It's applied knowledge. It's right living that leads to right relationships.

Are you seeking wisdom? Are you applying wisdom? Are you building relationships?