Judges 1:1-21 — Subtle Sin Sows Seeds of Spiritual Decay — Have You Seized the Victory That God Has Graciously Given?
THE COMPROMISE OF SUBTLE SIN SOWS SEEDS OF SPIRITUAL DECAY LEADING TO FUTURE CATASTROPHIC FAILURES
Judges 1:22-36 — Pattern of Failure Worsens
NORTHERN TRIBES INTENSIFY THE DISAPPOINTING PATTERN OF FAILED OBJECTIVES AND COMPROMISE WITH THE ENEMY
Judges 2:1-15 — Second Generation Apostasy – A Crying Shame – The Family Tree of Apostasy
DESPITE SPECTACULAR MIRACLES AND DIVINE FAVOR EXTENDED TO THEIR FATHERS, THE SECOND GENERATION SINKS INTO APOSTASY AND DEFEAT
Judges 2:11 – 3:6 — Formula For Angering the Lord
STUBBORN SIN PROVOKES THE LORD TO ANGER AND PERPETUATES THE CYCLE OF DEFEAT: SIN, SERVITUDE, SUPPLICATION, SALVATION, SLIPPAGE
Judges 3:7-31 — Heroes Are Not One Size Fits All
GOD CAN TRANSFORM DIFFERENT TYPES OF PEOPLE INTO COURAGEOUS AND EFFECTIVE LEADERS
Judges 4:1-24 — It’s All About the Lord – The Role of Women in Nailing God’s Enemies
The Honeybee (Deborah) and the Mountain Goat (Jael)
GOD USES UNCONVENTIONAL MEANS — INCLUDING THE LEADERSHIP ROLE OF WOMEN (DEBORAH AND JAEL) — TO ENSURE THAT THE GLORY FOR SALVATION BELONGS ULTIMATELY TO HIM ALONE
Judges 5:1-31 — Song of Celebration and Praise
THE LORD BRINGS VICTORY WHEN LEADERS LEAD AND PEOPLE COMMIT THEMSELVES TO FIGHT THE BATTLE
Judges 6:1-24 — The Call of Gideon – The Lord is Peace
THE CALL OF GOD SHOULD TRANSFORM OUR SENSE OF INADEQUACY INTO A MINDSET OF PEACE AND CONFIDENCE AS WE FOCUS ON THE LORD’S ENABLING PRESENCE
Judges 6:25-32 — Consecration of Gideon and His Family
CONSECRATION IS THE PREREQUISITE TO EFFECTIVE SPIRITUAL SERVICE –
Judges 6:33-40 — Confirmation of Gideon’s Call
THE PATIENCE OF GOD TRANSFORMS THE HESITANCY OF OUR WEAK FAITH INTO BOLD ACTION EMPOWERED BY HIS SPIRIT
Judges 7:1-8 — Strength Through Weakness – Cutting Gideon’s Army Down to the Lord’s Size
ONLY DESPERATE ODDS ENSURE THAT THE LORD GETS THE GLORY FOR GIVING THE VICTORY
Judges 7:8 – 8:3 — Blueprint for Victorious Warfare – The Sword of the Lord and of Gideon
FOLLOWING THE DIVINE BLUEPRINT FOR WARFARE YIELDS AMAZING VICTORY OVER FORMIDABLE FOES – AS WE UNDERSTAND THE CHARACTER OF OUR COMMANDER IN CHIEF
Judges 8:4-21 — No Fence Sitting in Spiritual Warfare
NOT TAKING SIDES IS NOT AN OPTION WHEN THE LORD CALLS ON YOU TO SUPPORT THE RIGHTEOUS
Judges 8:22-35 — The Snare of Hierarchical Human Leadership – The King Complex
GOD’S PLAN FOR GOVERNANCE SHOULD NOT BE EMBRACED IN THEORY ONLY
Judges 9:1-21 — Lording it Over the Sheep —The Abimelech/Diotrephes Model of Leadership
ONE MAN RULE THAT LORDS IT OVER THE SHEEP USURPS GOD’S PREEMINENT ROLE AND RESULTS IN A REIGN OF FUTILITY THAT CULMINATES IN DESTRUCTION
Judges 9:22-57 — The Curse of Jotham – Treachery Rewarded with Treachery
THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD INCLUDES THE FULFILLMENT OF HIS CURSES
Judges 10:1 – 11:28 — Rise of Jephthah — From Despised Reject to Desired Recruit
DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE LOVE OF GOD IN REMAINING FAITHFUL TO HIS PEOPLE DESPITE THEIR REPEATED APOSTASIES . . .
AND DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE GRACE OF GOD IN TRANSFORMING HUMAN OUTCASTS INTO CONQUERING HEROES
Judges 11:29-40 — Jephthah’s Tragic Vow – Don’t Bargain with God
COMMITMENTS MADE TO THE LORD MUST BE KEPT REGARDLESS OF THE COST
Judges 12:1-15 — Internal Conflict Tears Apart the People of God
INFLATED EGOS AND A HARSH SPIRIT ERUPT IN TRAGIC CONFLICT FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD
Judges 13:1-25 — Samson – Auspicious Beginnings
THE AWESOMENESS OF OUR GOD CALLS FOR A LIFE OF SEPARATION FROM SIN UNTO HIS SERVICE
Awesome = both wonderful in His person and in His works
Judges 14:1-20 — Samson’s Fatal Flaw – Part of God’s Providential Plan
THE FATAL FLAW OF SELF INDULGENT LUST BECOMES THE STIMULANT GOD USES TO ACCOMPLISH HIS PROVIDENTIAL PLANS FOR HIS PEOPLE
Judges 15:1-20 — Samson’s Supernatural Strength
THE LORD ANOINTS ISRAEL’S DELIVERER WITH SUPERNATURAL STRENGTH TO EMERGE VICTORIOUS IN THE CYCLE OF RETALIATION WITH THE CONNIVING UNCIRCUMCISED PHILISTINES
Judges 16:1-31 — Samson’s Final Feat
If you are like our family, you have spent some time this past week watching the performances of a wide variety of Olympic champions over in London. They have...
Judges 17:1-13 — Counterfeit, Man-Made Spirituality
COUNTERFEIT, MAN-MADE SPIRITUALITY REINFORCES ITS OWN CYCLE OF SELF DECEPTION
(AND OFFENDS GOD BY REPLACING OBJECTIVE DIVINE STANDARDS WITH ANARCHY AND MORAL RELATIVISM)
Judges 18:1-31 — The Prosperity Gospel: Man-Made, Counterfeit Spirituality
DON’T CONFUSE MATERIAL PROSPERITY WITH THE BLESSING OF THE LORD
Judges 19:1-30 — Shocking Depths of Moral Depravity
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO SHOCK GOD’S PEOPLE INTO OUTRAGE OVER DEPRAVED WICKEDNESS?
Judges 20:1-48 — The Painful Process of Purging Evil
THE PERVASIVENESS OF PERVERSITY REAPS TRAGIC JUDGMENT ON GOD’S PEOPLE
Judges 21:1-25 — Entitlement Mentality: Messy Situations . . . Messy Solutions
DIFFICULT TRIALS TEST THE LOYALTY OF OUR COMMITMENT TO GOD’S LOVINGKINDNESS