SHORT ON SUPPLIES

•    need to provide for one’s family (1Tim 5:8)
•    excuses: short on energy, money

SINKING IN A FLOOD OF BAALISM

•    Ahab’s sins worse than Jeroboam: Baal/Asherah worship - fertility by proxy
•    Elijah’s boldness: Jezebel killing off prophets

1) GOD’S WORD ENCAPSULATES HIS WONDER-WORKING POWER

•    Spirit-issued word powerful
•    family-leaders need to be familiar with God’s truth
•    God’s word as fire / hammer / sword (Is 55:11; Jer 23:29; 1Thess 2:13; Heb 4:12)

2) SOLITUDE WITH GOD PREPARES US FOR THE SPOTLIGHT

•    obediently hid in wilderness ravine
•    other leaders ‘shelved’ for a period: Moses / Jesus

3) EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES EXTEND US TO EXPLORE GOD’S EXCELLENCE

•    God shown to be sovereign over elements, creatures, foreigners
•    Elijah’s request of widow challenged her to be ‘all in’ for God, commit totally
•    offer self as living sacrifice; take up cross daily to follow Jesus (Rom 12:1; Lk 9:23)

ACT LIKE MEN - SPIRITUALLY

•    Scripture challenge to ‘act like men’ (1Cor 16:13; 1Sam 4:9)
•    women looking for men to lead, not trying to be domineering; “father-absent” society