[Sunday] Cultured Jephthah - His Eyes The Book of Judges
Judges Chapters 10-12
Japhthah tragically misunderstands God's nature, thinking that God will only act because of grossly large devotion. But the actual kingdom of God is one of grace and forgiveness that sets us free.
QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK: His Eyes: The Book of Judges - Cultured Jephthah
Can you think of a time in your own life where you approached God with a transactional mindset? Maybe a prayer bargain or feeling like you needed to "earn" God's favor? How did that make you feel?
Read Judges 11. Where did Jephthah come from? Who wanted him to be the leader? How is this different from the other Judges we’ve looked at so far in this series?
Why do you think Jephthah makes the vow that he does? What does this tell us about his view of God?
The sermon talks about God being a God of grace, not transactions. How can we better integrate this idea into our daily lives and avoid falling back into a performance-based faith?
Virtually every life transforming event recorded in Scripture includes a journey, a process the people involved go through that leads to insight, transformation and new life for all willing to engage that journey. The journey always includes elements of sacrifice, worship, trust and faith. Christmas is about Jesus making the journey from heaven to earth, for the Magi it was the journey from wisdom to humility. For us, it is a journey to wonder and new life.