January 17th & 21st
Radical:
1) very different from the usual or traditional 2) favoring extreme changes in existing views, habits, conditions, or institutions. 3) having a profound or far-reaching effect.
Still, anyone selected out for life has hope, for, as they say, “A living dog is better than a dead lion.”
—Ecclesiastes 9:4 MSG
The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight. So the Lord handed them over to the Midianites for seven years. Gideon son of Joash was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites.
—Judges 6:1 NLT
So Israel was reduced to starvation by the Midianites.
—Judges 6:6a NLT
Then the angel of the Lord came and sat beneath the great tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash of the clan of Abiezer.
—Judges 6:11 NLT
But the Lord told Gideon, “There are still too many! Bring them down to the spring, and I will test them to determine who will go with you and who will not.” 5 When Gideon took his warriors down to the water, the Lord told him, “Divide the men into two groups. In one group put all those who cup water in their hands and lap it up with their tongues like dogs. In the other group put all those who kneel down and drink with their mouths in the stream.” 6 Only 300 of the men drank from their hands. All the others got down on their knees and drank with their mouths in the stream. 7 The Lord told Gideon, “With these 300 men I will rescue you and give you victory over the Midianites. Send all the others home.
—Judges 7:4-7 NLT
Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help.
—Judges 6:6b NLT
“Every dog must have its day.”
Principle #1 -I have no idea what I am going to be.
Then the angel of the Lord came and sat beneath the great tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash of the clan of Abiezer. Gideon son of Joash was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites. 12 The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!”
—Judges 6:11-12 NLT
Courage is gradual more than it is an overnight event.
“If you can’t run with the big dogs stay on the porch!”
Principal #2 - I am not going to be sent home.
Therefore, tell the people, ‘Whoever is timid or afraid may leave this mountain and go home.’” So 22,000 of them went home, leaving only 10,000 who were willing to fight.”“
—Judges 7:3 NLT
7 The Lord told Gideon, “With these 300 men I will rescue you and give you victory over the Midianites. Send all the others home.”
—Judges 7:7 NLT
It’s not the size of the dog, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.
Principle #3 - I may feel like I am weak but He is strong in me.
Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!”
—Judges 6:14 NLT
“But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!” 16 The Lord said to him, “I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.”
—Judges 6:15,16 NLT
Difficulty must always be measured by the capacity of the one doing the work!
“Thus says the Lord to the house of Israel: “Do not seek Bethel, and do not enter into Gilgal; or cross over to Beersheba… Seek the Lord and live!”
—Amos 5:4-6 NIV
“You win over people just like you win over a dog. You see a dog passing down the street with an old bone in his mouth. You don’t grab the bone from him and tell him it’s not good for him. He’ll growl at you. It’s the only thing he has. But you throw a big fat lamb chop in front of him, and he’s going to drop that bone and pick up the lamb chop, his tail wagging to beat the band. And you’ve got a friend. Instead of going around grabbing bones from people… I’m going to throw them some lamb chops. Something with real meat and life in it. I’m going to tell them about New Beginnings.” —David Wilkerson
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Next Steps:
1. Today, I say yes to Jesus for the first time.
2. I want to be one of the 750 who live radical moments.
3. I am going to be a person who talks in faith and not in fear in the world I live in.
4. I will study the life of Gideon in depth this week. (Judges 6-8)