Elijah and the Widow
1 Kings 17:1-16; Luke 4:25-26 Old Testament PrincipleTrust
During a long drought, God fed Elijah with ravens by a brook. When the brook dried up, God sent him to a poor widow with only a little flour and oil. She trusted God's promise, and her flour and oil never ran out. God takes care of people who trust Him.
God always keeps His word and cares for His people, one day at a time. Because He is faithful, we can trust Him even when we're afraid we won't have enough.
- CreationGod made it
- FallWe broke it
- RedemptionJesus fixes it (this lesson)
- RestorationJesus makes it new
Memory verse
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in You.”
Psalm 56:3 BSB
Christ Connection · God’s character
Jesus Himself pointed to this story: God sent Elijah to a foreign widow in Sidon, showing that His grace reaches outsiders (Luke 4:25-26). The God who fed Elijah and the widow day by day is the same God who sent Jesus, "the bread of life" (John 6:35), to give life that never runs out.
Luke 4:25-26; John 6:35; Matthew 6:26
The Big Story · Redemption
Sin led Israel to chase false gods, and a drought came. But God kept caring for His people and reached even a foreign widow with His grace, a picture of the gospel that welcomes outsiders through Jesus, the bread of life.
Teacher Guide
This version includes:
- Background and context for the passage
- Hidden in Plain Sight: the detail most people miss
- The Christ Connection: how this story points to Jesus
- A 45-minute class plan and prep checklist
- A map of where it happened
- Object lesson: Just a handful
- Ellie’s Lab (science experiment): The disappearing brook
- A skit to act out the story
- Review game: Flour and oil
- Pronunciation help, tips for every age, song ideas and a note for parents
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Preschool (ages 3–5)
God takes care of me!
This version includes:
- An opening hook and a 4-minute Bible story written for this age
- 3 discussion questions
- 2 activities: Flying ravens, Color the ravens
- 5 “Dasch Digs Up” facts
- Real-life connections: at home, at church
- Song ideas, Live It, a prayer, and a printable student handout (preview below)
Every lesson, every age, from $25 a month. · Log in
Free preview · Kindergarten – 2nd grade
In a long drought, God fed Elijah with ravens. Then a poor widow trusted God's promise, and her flour and oil never ran out. God takes care of people who trust Him.
Start here
Hold up a nearly empty box of crackers. Ask, "What would you do if this was the last food in your house?" Let kids answer. Say, "Today a mom had almost no food left. Let's see how God took care of her."
Bible story 6 min
King Ahab did not love God. He prayed to a fake god named Baal. So God sent Elijah to him. Elijah said, "There will be no rain until I say so."
God told Elijah to hide by a little stream. God sent big black birds to bring him bread and meat. They came every morning and every night!
But no rain fell, so the stream dried up. God said, "Go to a new town. A woman there will feed you."
The rest of the story, discussion questions, songs, Live It and prayer are for members.
Try an activity
Scoop and trust 10 min
You’ll need: A small jar of flour, A paper bag
- Pass the flour jar around the circle. Each child pretends to scoop flour out and says, "Still enough!"
- Then each child names one way God takes care of them.
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3rd – 4th grade
In a drought God sent to show He, not Baal, gives rain, God fed Elijah with ravens and then through a poor foreign widow. She trusted His promise, and her flour and oil lasted day after day. God keeps His word, so we can trust Him when we're afraid.
This version includes:
- An opening hook and a 8-minute Bible story written for this age, with a Hidden in Plain Sight moment
- 5 discussion questions
- 2 activities: God provides, Evaporation race
- 5 “Dasch Digs Up” facts
- Real-life connections: at home, with friends, at church
- Song ideas, Live It, a prayer, and a printable student handout (preview below)
Every lesson, every age, from $25 a month. · Log in
5th – 6th grade
God's drought exposed Baal as powerless, while the LORD fed His prophet through unclean ravens and a starving foreign widow in Jezebel's homeland. The widow's trust in God's word, and Jesus' later comment on her, show that God's faithful care and grace reach outsiders, and point to Jesus, the bread of life.
This version includes:
- An opening hook and a 10-minute Bible story written for this age, with a Hidden in Plain Sight moment
- 6 discussion questions
- 2 activities: Daily bread, outsider grace, When it dries up
- 5 “Dasch Digs Up” facts
- Real-life connections: with friends, online and on screens, at church
- Song ideas, Live It, a prayer, and a printable student handout (preview below)
Every lesson, every age, from $25 a month. · Log in
More lessons on Trust
The same principle in other Bible stories.
Kings and ProphetsDavid and Goliath1 Samuel 17:1-51; 1 Samuel 16:1-13God saves His people by His own power, through the champion He chooses.Old TestamentTrust
Elisha and the Widow’s Oil2 Kings 4:1-7A poor widow came to Elisha for help. Her husband had died, and a man she owed money to was coming to take her two sons away as slaves. All she had left was one small jar of oil. Elisha told her to borrow empty jars from her neighbors, lots of them, and pour. God made the oil keep flowing until every jar was full. She sold the oil, paid what she owed and kept her sons. We can trust God with what we need.Old TestamentTrust
Jairus’s Daughter and the Woman Who Touched JesusMark 5:21-43Jairus begged Jesus to come heal his dying daughter. On the way, a sick woman touched Jesus' cloak and was healed, and Jesus stopped to talk with her. Then news came that the girl had died. Jesus said, "Do not be afraid; just believe." He took her hand, and she got up! We can trust Jesus even when it seems too late.New TestamentTrust
Seeing God's WorldThe Big StoryGenesis 1:1, 31; Genesis 3:1-24; Revelation 21:1-5; Romans 11:36The Bible is one true story from beginning to end. God made a good world, sin broke it, Jesus came to rescue us, and one day He will make all things new. Because we know how the story ends, we can trust God in every chapter of our lives.Old TestamentTrust
Jesus Walks on WaterMatthew 14:22-33; Mark 6:45-52; John 6:15-21In the middle of a stormy night, Jesus came to His disciples walking on the water. Peter walked toward Him, but when he looked at the wind he began to sink. Jesus caught him right away. Jesus is God, and we can trust Him in every storm.New TestamentTrust
In the BeginningGod Provides a LambGenesis 22:1-19God tested Abraham, then provided a substitute in Isaac's place, a picture of Jesus, the Lamb God provides for us.Old TestamentTrust