The conclusion of the book of Judges is one of the most gruesome chapters in all of Scripture. We read about a woman who treated as an object and lost her life. Her marriage to her husband should be shocking to us in the fact that he was a Levite. Her death led to a civil war in Israel which lead to more sin. It is interesting that such horrific events are what caused Israel to work in unity for the first time since Judges 3. The story reads like Israel was trying to solve their sin problem with a sin problem. The conclusion of Judges is like being stuck in a dark tunnel and feeling very hopeless. The story is meant to leave us longing for a hero without flaws. The book of Judges is intended to push our eyes, and heart, to the New Testament to find Jesus. We need a better leader than what has been presented. We need an eternal King! Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson teaches on finding hope in our darkest times.
The final five chapters of Judges are different from the first sixteen chapters. We are no longer looking at any particular judge or leader. The literary style remains a historical narrative but from a different perspective. Instead of getting the 30,000 foot view as we experienced with judges like Deborah, Gideon, and Samson, we’re going to shift to a ground level perspective and see what was really happening in Israel. Today we read about Micah, a wayward Levite, and Dan, an unfaithful tribe. Together they will all teach us that believing in God is not the same as knowing God. Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson teaches from Judges 17-18.
Growing up, many of us had a hero we looked up to. It might have been Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, or the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. As powerful as our heroes are, they all have a flaw or a weakness. For Superman it was Kryptonite. As we continue to study the life of Samson we see that he was a flawed hero. Samson was called to lead Israel but had a number of failed starts. He continued to fall into a life of sin. Samson was powerfully weak. The New Testament teaches us of another powerfully weak leader. His name is Jesus. Jesus was powerfully weak and humbly went to the cross for our sins. Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson teaches on Judges 15-16.
Join us as we continue the story of Samson this week with a look at some secrets within the narrative of his life. Guest speaker, Hylke Hylkema will help us see that God can use even our sinful choices to accomplish His grand purposes. We’ll also learn that like Samson, we are in need of Jesus, the Ultimate Deliverer.
Today as we continue our Judges sermon series, we’ll see that Samson’s miraculous birth brings a glimmer of hope to Israel just when they needed it the most. Does something in your life seem hopeless right now? Listen in and see that it’s okay to ask God for help. When we trust His timeline and remain open to His plan, we position ourselves for His work in our lives.
When I was 24 years old, I moved to Las Vegas to serve at a local church. One thing I learned about Vegas is they are famous for their buffet meals. You can go to any local casino and find good food, but some of them have a great buffet. We took many friends and families to the best buffet in town and learned the ropes of how to eat a buffet. (Yes, there is a way!) Fast-forward to today. I have learned that some people treat their faith like they treat a buffet – they choose a little of this and a little of that. Today we look at Judges 10-12 and see a man who has great faith but horrible theology. Listen in as we learn from a lesser known judge named Jephthah!
In the sixth week of our Judges sermon series we’re taking a look at the story of Abimelek found Judges 9. As we read through this story, you might find yourself wondering, “Where is God in all of this?” Although it might seem like God is absent, the truth is He never forgets His people. Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson teaches that even though there is punishment for our wickedness, we have a Savior who bore that punishment for us and offers us forgiveness.
Many people don’t know the story of Gideon in the Old Testament, but those who are familiar with this Israelite Judge usually remember him for his prayer fleece. That is not all Gideon is known for. Gideon led God’s people into battle to free them from Midianite oppression. What was meant to be a huge battle for the Lord turned into a platform for Gideon to live out his desires of being known. Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson shares a first-person narrative on the life of Gideon. He teaches us that you can’t be too small for God to use you, but you can be too big.
Courage is a quality that many desire. When we look at the story of Deborah, one of Israel’s leaders, we see that courage can be developed. Deborah holds two positions in Israel: prophet and judge. A prophet is one who speaks for the Lord, meaning she was a mouthpiece for God. She was also a judge; therefore, she was Israel’s leader. As we study the book of Judges remember that she was the only judge who ruled without a sword. Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson teaches us about developing courage with Deborah from Judges 4-5.
We pick up the Judges sermon series again this week with a message about the first three judges listed in Judges 3. Listen in as guest speaker, Doug Meye, teaches about the Cycle of Defeat and how we can overcome it.