Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
Anger
0.08UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.06UNLIKELY
Fear
0.12UNLIKELY
Joy
0.59LIKELY
Sadness
0.54LIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.7LIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.52LIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.81LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.48UNLIKELY
Extraversion
0.18UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.74LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.69LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
A disheartened servant
A compassionate God
Big Idea: Turn your focus from what you are seeing to what God is saying.
Accept God’s invitation to speak.
Accept God’s invitation to listen.
Accept God’s invitation to listen.
Study Guide
After the great victory over the prophets of Baal, why do you think Elijah was discouraged?
Although is one of the best examples of a powerful encounter in the Bible, chapter 19 demonstrates that God’s miraculous works did not bring about repentance, at least not on a scale broad enough to be mentioned.
Understandably, Elijah collapsed into an almost hysterical pessimism about what he took to be the failure of God’s purposes.
Elijah had hoped the victory at Mount Carmel would end Baal worship in Israel.
The clear lesson is that, despite miracles, sinful people can still reject the greatest of God’s signs ().
So too, faithful disciples are wrong to suppose that they are all alone or that God’s purposes have truly failed.
In what settings have you felt that you were the only believer?
How did Elijah express his despair about his circumstances?
Elijah was disheartened that the Israelites rejected God after the signs and wonders He performed in chapter 18. Elijah must have felt his work had been for nothing.
Elijah felt spiritually alone.
What is more, Elijah’s faith may have crumbled due to his physical and emotional exhaustion: “Then Elijah became afraid and immediately ran for his life” (v.
3a).
Elijah was so discouraged, he retreated into the wilderness and “sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die” (v. 4a).
Who approached Elijah in verses 5-7?
How does God provide for Elijah in the wilderness?
Have you ever come to a point of discouragement where you have approached God like Elijah?
What do you do in those moments?
In what ways does God meet you where you’re at?
Note that the very tree that a depressed and disheartened Elijah sat under was the same tree that God used to provide shelter and provision.
The broom tree provided shade, and its roots could be used for heat and food.
In verses 5-8, after Elijah ate and rested, he returned to the place where the covenant had been given, Mount Horeb, or Sinai.
There, Elijah would have his personal faith renewed by God’s presence: “So he got up, ate, and drank.
Then on the strength from that food, he walked 40 days and 40 nights to Horeb, the mountain of God.
He entered a cave there and spent the night” (v.
9).
Look at verses 10-14.
When have you seen Christians this broken over God’s cause?
What is significant about the fact that the Lord could not be found in the earthquake or in the fire, but in a “soft whisper” (v.
12)?
What does the Lord’s response to Elijah reveal about His nature?
What is significant about the fact that the Lord could not be found in the earthquake or in the fire, but in a “soft whisper” (v.
12)?
What does the Lord’s response to Elijah reveal about His nature?
In verses 11-13, God first revealed His presence to Elijah in His greatness and power, but note that God did not speak from that position.
The Lord instead spoke to Elijah in a soft whisper, showing Himself to be a God who communicates via a still, small voice as well as powerful displays.
How does God’s whisper in chapter 19 contrast with His powerful display against the Baals in chapter 18? Why do you think, in this circumstance, God needed to be known through a whisper rather than signs and wonders?
Have you ever come to a point of discouragement where you have approached God like Elijah?
What do you do in those moments?
In what ways does God meet you where you’re at?
In what discouraging circumstances can you remind yourself that God is still in control?
Like Elijah, what habit could you cultivate to make yourself more attune to hearing God’s voice?
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9