Desert Breeze Community Church

There is no greater feeling on earth than being FREE! And nothing will make you FREE like the Gospel. And nothing will bring UNITY quite like the Gospel. Yet, few organizations have fought more often or split more bitterly than the church.

There is no greater feeling on earth than being FREE! And nothing will make you FREE like the Gospel. There is no past hurt that can’t be healed or addiction that can’t be broken or problem that can’t be overcome through the Gospel. If you’re not astonished by the Gospel, then you don’t know the Gospel.

There is no greater feeling on earth than being FREE! Ask anyone who has stepped out of prison or broken free from oppression or has kicked an enslaving addiction. With confident expectation they begin a new life. Even more freedom and joy beyond words, are those who have experienced the gospel message found in the New Testament letter of Galatians. (Rom 1:16)

“In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in their own eyes” (Judges21:25). All human problems and pain are symptoms and the cause is our separation from God. The reason for all the abuse, brokenness and misery—is that we are not reconciled to God.

In some ways, the end of Samson is the end of the Judges story. The earlier passages give us a bird’s-eye view of things, only saying that the people “did evil in the eyes of the Lord” (3:7, 12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1). The last four chapters of Judges give us a ground-level, detailed view of what life was like in Israel—the kind of spiritual condition God rescued them from (People without Hearts). Our character will either make us or break us in life. People of godly character 1st and foremost have a heart for God (Matt15:8-9; Hosea6:6; 2Chro17:9).

Have you ever given your best in a relationship and gotten the worst in return? Deep relational wounds can certainly diminish our sense of security and personal value. But even worse we tend to repeat the same mistakes of judgment over and over again or we build an impenetrable wall around our hearts to keep everyone out. Either way we and those closest to us lose. How do we let bad relationships make us wise rather than hard?

Character is about spiritual maturity. Spiritual maturity is NOT about age, appearance, academics, or achievements. It is about having a Christ-like attitude (Phil2:5). Behavior is the product of choices based on Biblical values (Thermostat/Proactive) vs. Behavior is the product of feelings based on people/things/circumstances (Thermometer/Reactive).

The first century church was living in a land of Dragons. It was difficult to be a Christian and they were struggling with two main things. They struggled with suffering and the temptation to compromise. Jesus gives this revelation to show that there is victory (nike) in the midst of all they are going through. It is found in Him. This grand finale of the Revelation not only rounds off this book, but the whole Bible itself.

The war for the hearts and souls of the next generation will be fought with the weapons forged by and for the Lord and the gates of Hell will not prevail.

What is the absolutely best thing about the Christian life? It is discovering and enjoying the presence of God! Today we meet a couple who encounter the presence of God and their lives are never the same. The more you hang out in the throne room of the powerful and personal King of the Universe, the more you’ll be satisfied and the less you’ll be intimidated by life.

On 4th of July alone, Americans consume 150 million hot dogs. Cheap hot dogs are a very little bit of meat & a whole lot of additives that are not good for you. Our next Judge (Jephthah) is a lot like many American Christians who have a very little bit of the meat of Christian faith with a whole lot of really bad additives from our culture poisoning their lives.

Gideon goes from cowardly (Judges 6) to courageous (Judges 7) to cocky (Judges 8). Gideon is a good leader who goes bad (rancid)…he never becomes an evil man, per se; he just spoils and ruins his ministry and his kids in the process leading the Israelites astray.

What is your favorite “underdog” or “comeback” story? The story of Gideon is much more than a great comeback story! When circumstances look the bleakest and our strength is the weakest is when God’s presence and power are the greatest. (2Cor12:9). Judges 6:12 “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.”

If you had to describe how God loves you right now, what would you write and what role would your circumstances play? The two most important questions you could ask: What God doing in my life? How should I be responding to Him? Phil1:6; Rom8:28-29 This passage of scripture will challenge and redefine what we think about the love of God.

The first century church was living in a land of Dragons. It was difficult to be a Christian and they were struggling with two main things. They struggled with suffering and compromise. Jesus gives this revelation to show that there is victory (nike) in the midst of all they are going through. It is found in Him. While this is written to the first century church, it is also written for us today. Do you struggle with suffering or compromise? He gives a picture perfect perspective.

Jesus said that there are more than two kinds of seeing and hearing (Matt13:13). Judges chapters 4 & 5 are dealing with the same events from two different perspectives. Judges 4 is from an earthly perspective (historian) and Judges 5 is from a heavenly perspective (poet). In chapter 4 God’s hand is hinted at and in chapter 5 He is everywhere. Uncommon Faith lives in chapter 4 with a chapter 5 perspective. Heb11:1; 2Cor5:7

If God has promised to be with us then we can face anything in life with strength and courage (Josh1:1-9) unless, of course, we are struggling with heart-forgetfulness (Spiritual amnesia). Spiritual amnesia happens when truths about God are clear to the mind but not captivating (real) to the heart. God’s people are in a self destructive cycle: Complacency->Compromise->Crisis->Crying out to God->Covenant Renewal

As Israel fought their way into possession of the promise land, we must fight on toward maturity and fullness of life defeating anything that would stand in the way. It wasn’t that Israel “could not” but they “would not” drive out their enemies and therefore now living among idols (Judges1:1-2:5). Nothing can rob you of the fullness of life Christ came to give, except idolatry. Idolatry is at the root of all of our sins. This is the second introduction and a summary of the whole book.

Fullness of life is to us what the promise land was to Israel. As they fought their way into possession of the promise land, we must fight on toward maturity, meeting and defeating enemies that would stand in our way. (John10:10; Josh1:1-9)

“In those days there was no king in Israel. It was a time when everyone did what was right in their own eyes” (Judges21:25). God’s people found themselves in a self destructive cycle over and over again of Complacency->Compromise-> Consequences-> Crying out to God-> Covenant Renewal. This study through the O.T. book of Judges will help us to daily face with faith and courage the choice between looking to God as our Lord, or following the inevitably destructive spirit & preferences of our pluralistic age.