Intro [Part 2]: Renewal or Decline?

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Intro [Part 2]: Renewal or Decline?

Judges 2:6-3:6

September 8, 2024 • Pastor Jon • Judges 2:6—3:6, Joshua 1:7–9

As we continue our introduction to this sermon series, Pastor Jon offers three reasons why this book is good to read (even though it is hard to read):

This book is valuable for us because:

1. God is the hero of these stories

2. It is honest about the good, the bad, and the ugly.

3. It reinforces the only way forward

The main question we are faced with in this introduction and throughout Judges: Will we join God in continual renewal or will we remain in perpetual decline?

Bound by Self [Part 2]

November 17, 2024 • Pastor Jon • Judges 19—21

“Ironically, in a world in which the individual makes himself the measure of all things, the individual eventually counts for nothing… By means of anonymity, the narrator has depicted a sinister world of alienation, denigration, and deconstruction.” -Judges & Ruth: New American Commentary by Daniel Block Israel’s moral decay: - Broken families - Subjugation of others - Coldness toward others - Vile sexual abuse - Indifference - Manipulation/ deceit - Excessive retribution - Indiscriminate violence - Fixing sin with more sin

Bound by Self [Part 1]

November 10, 2024 • Pastor Jon • Judges 17—18, Luke 9:23

In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. [Judges 17:6, ESV] Bound by [to]… 1. Self-rule (There was no king in Israel… even though God was their King!) 2. Self-righteousness (Everyone did as they saw fit… even though God had clearly told them what to do) 3. Self-Interest (They use God to get what they want… instead of being used by God for what God wants) “The purpose of Micah’s religious efforts is to get access to God so that he can get what he wants. The goal of true faith is to give God access to your heart heart so that he can get you to do what He wants. Religions true purpose is to get God to serve you; gospel faith’s purpose is to get your heart to serve Him.” -Tim Keller

Samson [Part 2]: How to Neglect God

November 3, 2024 • Pastor Jon • Judges 15—16, John 3:30

How to neglect God: 1. Make yourself the center of your life 2. Ignore Gods purpose for your life 3. Take matters in your own hands 4. Avoid conflict at all costs 5. Forget that good things come from God