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Dead Battery October 25, 2026 Elwyn N. Johnston 1 Kings 19:1 - 18 Verse of the Week: “Two people are better than one because they have a good reward for their hard work.” Ecclesiastes 4:9 1. God is still in control “Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, ‘So may the gods do to me and even more, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.’” 1 Kings 19:2 “Elijah was afraid and arose and ran for his life” 1 Kings 19:3 “came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. Then he went on alone” 1 Kings 19:3 & 4 “Two are better than one…. But someone who falls alone is in trouble.” Ecclesiastes 4:9 & 10 “Elijah went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, ‘It is enough; now, O Lord, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers.’” 1 Kings 19:4 2. God is good! “Elijah lay down and slept” 1 Kings 19:5 “an angel touched him….the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him” 1 Kings 19:5 & 7 “Get up and eat!” 1 Kings 19:5 & 7 “I alone am left” 1 Kings 19:10, 14 “you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32 3. God has an assignment for you “Elijah came to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him” 1 Kings 19:9 “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 1 Kings 19:9 & 13 “a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle whisper.” 1 Kings 19:11 & 12 “When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’” 1 Kings 19:13 “The Lord said to him, ‘Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you have arrived, you shall anoint….’” 1 Kings 19:15

Guest Speaker: Kyle Embry

Showdown October 11, 2026 Elwyn N. Johnston 1 Kings 18:1 – 40 Verse of the Week: “When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God.” 1 Kings 18:39 1. Passivity is not an option ‘“Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the earth.’ So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab.” 1 Kings 18:1 & 2 “Is this you, you troubler of Israel?” 1 Kings 18:17 “troubler” – akar – to roil water “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, because you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and you have followed the Baals.” 1 Kings 18:18 “send and gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel, together with 450 prophets of Baal” 1 Kings 18:19 “(Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly;   for when Jezebel destroyed the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave, and provided them with bread and water.)” 1 Kings 18:3 & 4 “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him. But the people did not answer him a word.” 1 Kings 18:21 “hesitate” – pasach – to hop, skip over, to limp “they leaped about the altar which they made.” 1 Kings 18:26 “Now let them give us two oxen; and let them choose one ox for themselves and cut it up, and place it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other ox and lay it on the wood, and I will not put a fire under it. Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord, and the God who answers by fire, He is God.” And all the people said, “That is a good idea.” 1 Kings 18:23 & 24 “with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power" 1 Corinthians 2:4 “the Lord worked through them, confirming His word by the signs that followed.” Mark 16:20 “The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God.” 1 Kings 18:39 “When midday was past, they raved until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice; but there was no voice, no one answered, and no one paid attention.” 1 Kings 18:29 2. Preparation is essential Repair the altar “Elijah repaired the altar of the Lord which had been torn down.” 1 Kings 18:30 “repaired” – rapha – to mend, to cure, make whole “I am the Lord who heals you.” Exodus 15:26 Release what you hold dear ‘“Fill four pitchers with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.’ And he said, ‘Do it a second time,’ and they did it a second time. And he said, ‘Do it a third time,’ and they did it a third time.” 1 Kings 18:34 Remember whose you are and who you are “O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel” 1 Kings 18:36 “Elijah took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.” 1 Kings 18:31 “Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.” 1 Kings 18:38 “When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, ‘The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God.’” 1 Kings 18:39

Faith in the Dark October 4, 2026 Elwyn N. Johnston 1 Kings 17: 8 - 24 Verse of the Week: “Now I know that you are a man of God” 1 Kings 17:24 1. Faith obeys before it understands “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there; behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” 1 Kings 17:9 “Arise” – qum – speaks of getting up from a lying or sitting position “faith without works is dead” James 2:26 “when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks” 1 Kings 17:10 2. Faith puts God first “Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand.” 1 Kings 17:11 “As the Lord your God lives, I have no bread, only a handful of flour in the bowl and a little oil in the jar; and behold, I am gathering a few sticks that I may go in and prepare for me and my son, that we may eat it and die.” 1 Kings 17:12 “Elijah said to her, ‘Do not fear; go, do as you have said, but make me a little bread cake from it first and bring it out to me, and afterward you may make one for yourself and for your son.’” 1 Kings 17:13 “first” – root word is rishon – the priority position, before anything else "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Matthew 6:33 3. Faith keeps showing up “For thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘The bowl of flour shall not be exhausted, nor shall the jar of oil be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain on the face of the earth.’” 1 Kings 17:14 “exhausted” – kalah – to be finished, used up “Give us this day our daily bread.” Matthew 6:11 “my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 “the widow went and did according to the word of Elijah, and she and he and her household ate for many days.” 1 Kings 17:15 4. Faith can ask questions “later the woman’s son became sick. He grew worse and worse, and finally he died.” 1 Kings 17:17 “O man of God, what have you done to me? Have you come here to point out my sins and kill my son?” 1 Kings 17:18 “Elijah took the child’s body from her arms, carried him up the stairs to the room where he was staying, and….cried out to the Lord, ‘O Lord my God, have You also brought calamity to the widow with whom I am staying, by causing her son to die?”’ 1 Kings 17:19 & 20 “Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room into the house and gave him to his mother; and Elijah said, ‘See, your son is alive.”’ 1 Kings 17:23 “Elijah the Tishbite” 1 Kings 17:1 “Now I know that you are a man of God” 1 Kings 17:24

God Asks September 27, 2026 Elwyn N. Johnston 1 Kings 17: 1 – 7 Verse of the Week: “Elijah was a man like us. He asked God not to let it rain. And for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.” James 5:17 1. Will you speak for Me? “Ahab son of Omri did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, even more than any of the kings before him….he married Jezebel, the daughter of King Ethbaal of the Sidonians, and he began to bow down in worship of Baal. First Ahab built a temple and an altar for Baal in Samaria.” 1 Kings 16:30 - 32 “As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” 1 Kings 17:1 2. Will you hide with Me? “Go away from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan.” 1 Kings 17:3 “hide” – sathar – to conceal, to be covered, to be tucked away out of sight “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1 “God will hide me in His shelter in the day of trouble” Psalm 27:5 “Cherith” – a cutting, a separation 3. Will you depend on Me? “you will drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there.” 1 Kings 17:4 “provide” – kul – to sustain “ravens brought Elijah bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he would drink from the brook.” 1 Kings 17:6 “It happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.” 1 Kings 17:7 To keep our focus on God, not the brook. New lessons about ourselves and our insufficiency and God and His sufficiency. That God desires to take us to new places to do new works.

Live Boldly September 20, 2026 Elwyn N. Johnston Acts 4 Verse of the Week: “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness” Acts 4:31 “let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ, the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead – by this name this man stands here before you in good health….there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:10 & 12 “Now as the Council observed the boldness of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.” Acts 4:13 “boldness” – parrhesia – fearless, candid speech 1. Boldness is… fueled by prayer “grant that Your bondservants may speak Your word with all confidence, while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” Acts 4:29 & 30 Empowered by the Spirit “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness” Acts 4:31 “filled with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 4:8 2. Boldness…  to go “pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain the mystery of the gospel. I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for Him, as I should.” Ephesians 6:19 & 20            “Boldly and without hindrance Paul proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.” Acts 28:31 “speak the truth in love” Ephesians 4:15 “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” 1 John 4:18 “The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message” Acts 16:15 Pray for people to come to Jesus Ask God for divine appointments Serve without asking anything in return Engage in spiritual conversations Invite people to “come and see” to grow “the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them.” Acts 4:32 The process is… Supernatural – daily time with God changes our character, develops the fruit of the Spirit, and helps us to walk in humility Corporate – large settings to celebrate together Relational – small groups of people for accountability and growth

Guest Speaker

House of Praise, Life of Power September 6, 2026 Elwyn N. Johnston Psalm 100 Verse of the Week: “Magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.” Psalm 34:3 1. Worship God for His worth, not just His works “Know that the Lord Himself is God” Psalm 100:3 “For the Lord is good” Psalm 100:5 “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable.” Psalm 145:3 “I am the Lord, and there is no other; besides Me there is no God” Isaiah 45:5 “I am the Lord, and there is no other.” Isaiah 45:6 “I am the Lord, and there is none else.” Isaiah 45:18 “there is no other God besides Me” Isaiah 45:21 “magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.” Psalm 34:3 “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior” Luke 1:46 & 47 “those who know Your name put their trust in You” Psalm 9:10 “Trust in Him at all times…God is a refuge for us.” Psalm 62:8 “we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 2. Worship is a weapon “But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened.” Acts 16:25 & 26 “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me….I cry by day, but You do not answer” Psalm 22: 1 & 2 “enthroned on the praises of Israel.” Psalm 22:3 “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him.” Job 13:15 “I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Even after my [mortal] skin is destroyed [by death], yet from my [immortal] flesh I will see God” Job 19:25 & 26 “when the musician played, that the hand of the Lord came upon Elisha.” 2 Kings 3:15 “Make this valley full of ditches…You shall not see wind nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water” 2 Kings 3:16 & 17 “It happened in the morning about the time of offering the sacrifice, that behold, water came by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.” 2 Kings 3:20

Love: Inside & Out August 30, 2026 Elwyn N. Johnston Matthew 22:36 - 40 Verse of the Week: “We love, because God first loved us.” 1 John 4:19 1. Love sets the atmosphere “Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.” 1 Thessalonians 1:1 “clothe yourselves with a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect unity.” Col. 3:12 – 14 “being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:2 & 3 “The disciples were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Acts 2:42 “they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.” Acts 2:45 “the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.” Acts 2:47 2. Love prefers others “with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves” Philippians 2:3 “love one another, even as I have loved you….By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34 & 35 “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor” Romans 12:10 “love covers a multitude of sins” 1 Peter 4:8 3. Love says “everyone is welcome!” “accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us” Romans 15:7 “accept” – proslambano – to receive with a welcoming attitude “How beautiful are the feet of them that bring good news” Rm. 10:15 “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses.” Acts 1:8 “God is love” 1 John 4:8 “We love, because God first loved us.” 1 John 4:19

MORE THAN A SUNDAY THING Matthew 22:34-38; Deuteronomy 6 1.  Show God Honor                                                    Matthew 22:37 Honor deals with inner reverence and outward recognition. Deuteronomy 6:5-9 2. Joyfully Obey God  John 14:15; 1 Samuel 15:19, 22 & 23 Joyful obedience is the evidence of love 3. Live satisfied with God Psalm 40:8; 73:25 “delight” and “desires” - chaphets - take pleasure in, be pleased with The relationship is the reward! Habakkuk 1:2; 3:17-19