Out of the Cave Study Guide: How Elijah Embraced God's Hope When Darkness Was All He Could See

Description

Many believers today assume that God's peace, power, and protection in their lives should prevent them from ever feeling anxious, depressed, or afraid. But what we find in the Bible is the exact opposite! In God's Word, we are told to "fear not" at least 365 times-one for each day of the year-along with frequent reminders of God's presence in the midst of every human emotion . . . including depression and anxiety. In this five-session video Bible study (DVD/digital video downloads sold separately), bestselling author and pastor Chris Hodges draws on the story of Elijah to show no matter how powerful, accomplished, or successful we may be, we can all still succumb to fear, doubt, despair, and hopelessness. In 1 Kings 18, we read how Elijah (whose very name means "Yahweh is my God") won renown for defeating the priests of Baal during the reign of King Ahab. But when the wicked Queen Jezebel sent a message vowing to take his life, the prophet fled into the wilderness and "came to a broom bush," where he "sat down under it and prayed that he might die" (1 Kings 19:4). Elijah's story reveals that even when we're walking closely with God, we can still stumble and get lost in the wilderness of tangled emotions. But the good news is that we don't have to stay there! Like Elijah, we can become overcomers in Christ and press on to God-inspired victory. As Out of the Cave reveals, God will provide rest for the weary, hope for the desperate, and balm for the aching soul. Designed for use with the Out of the Cave Video Study (sold separately).

Chris Hodges is the founding and senior pastor of Church of the Highlands. Under his leadership, Church of the Highlands offers fifty-four worship services each weekend at fifteen campuses with over 43,000 people attending weekly. He also co-founded the Association of Related Churches, launched a coaching network called GROW, and serves as Chancellor of The Highlands College, an accredited two-year ministry training college. Chris and his wife, Tammy, have five children and live in Birmingham, Alabama.