The Cave is the intimate space, it’s where we habitually make room for God to shape us. It is where we turn off the cacophonous noise of this life so we can hear the voice of God. It may be situated in our day differently for each of us, but many people find that early morning is an effective time to enter the cave. Before the activity of the day begins, when it is just you and Jesus enjoying uninterrupted communion.

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SEE IT // BE IT

(WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE)

Title: Rooted Renegades: Cave // Scripture: 1 Kings 19:1-18

ARRIVAL / SOCIAL TIME 15-20 minutes Spend the first 15 minutes or so of your time together catching up and socializing with one another. Also find time to catch up together on how the assignments from last week turned out.

SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes

Have you ever discovered something of incredible value in an unexpected place? This week, we began a series that all the pastors in the Grace Family of Churches (GFC) are preaching across our campuses. It is an incredible treasure found in an often-overlooked stream of our Christian history and in our history as a local church family. Today, we began with a reminder to pay attention to the most important things: loving God and loving others.

As a family of churches, there are four images that embody the rhythms of Rooted Renegades who are radically following Jesus together: the cave, the road, the table, and the fire. These not only reflect our rich church history dating back to the time of the Celts, but also serve as guides as we move forward into the future. We are committed to deep roots in the Word and to impacting the communities around us through equipping and empowering the church to spread the gospel to the neighborhoods, nations, and the next generation.

The journey to these “thin places” where we draw near and pay attention to God starts with Elijah in the cave in
1 Kings 19. After the astounding victory against the prophets of Baal on the mountaintop, Elijah flees to Horeb—the mountain of God, a thin place. Along the way, he is ministered to by the Angel of the Lord even as he increases in vulnerability. There, in a cave on the mountain, we see the pattern of what our daily time alone with God looks like. God comes to Elijah in a thin quiet voice and asks him, “Where are you going?” Elijah responds with authentic, absolute honesty. . . even though he is mistaken in thinking he is the only one left who follows God. We desperately need a regular thin place of honest, open confession to God in the cave. It is here, meeting with the living Word of God, that Elijah gains the clarity he needs to see where God is truly at work and receives the call to obedience as he moves forward to impact the nations around him and to identify the next leader who will follow him.

THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion.
Do you have a “cave”? Will you choose to go there to cultivate a rhythm of inviting God deeper into your daily life?

SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes

Picture (What is the story saying?): What is the basis for Rooted Renegades? Why is it important to look back on our history at GFC in order to pay attention to God as we move forward together? What three things did Elijah learn and do with God in his cave?

Mirror (Where am I in the story?): What aspect of the story do you find yourself in today? Are you in the battle, celebrating the victory, fleeing to the cave, or paying attention to God’s Word there? Where is your cave? If you don’t have one yet, where could it be?

Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): How would you look at your family, workplace, daily activities, etc., differently if you visited God in your cave regularly every day? Who is one person you could share this message of encouraging hope with this coming week?

BE IT – Practice 10-15 minutes
Change UP // Exercise 5 minutes
Put into practice the experience of Elijah and the cave. Give everyone 5 minutes to go to separate corners of your gathering place alone for a moment of authentic confession, attentive listening, and active renewal.

Change IN // Group Activity 5 minutes
Choose some examples from scripture of the “caves” of biblical characters. (You can choose Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David, Daniel, Jesus, etc.) Explore what their cave was like and why they chose that time and location. What was their rhythm there? What was their response to God there? What was the result of their time there?

Change OUT // Life Application Assignment 5 minutes
Commit to a rhythm of spending time with God each day this week in your cave. Take note of the impact it has on your activities and on the things you pay attention to each day. Be prepared to share your experience next week.

CLOSING PRAYER 5 minutes
Take a few minutes to gather any prayer requests and pray for each other to SEE IT and BE IT this week.