IT’S ONE THING TO CALL ON GOD TO WIN THE BATTLE;
IT’S ANOTHER TO GIVE GOD THE CREDIT WHEN HE DOES!

Talk It Over

1. Review the message and first read Judges 7 and 8. What stood out to you the most about the chapter and the message? What was God saying to you? What confirmed your walk with God? What challenged your walk with God

2. Nothing fails like success. Gideon faced the greatest battle of all - the pride of success. In Judges 8:22 that Bible says, “The Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us —you, your son and your grandson—because you have saved us from the hand of Midian.” Describe a time when you were successful and the new temptations that came. Pastor Sean said, “There will always be people the mean well, they love you, but lack faith, discernment, need reassurance, visible protection, and will make a very compelling appeal for you to be their king.” How do we deal with the request to do good things, but not God things in our life? How do you discern the difference?

3. It’s one thing to call on God to win the battle; it’s whole other thing to give God the credit when he does. Judges 8:23 says, “But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you.”” Gideon was saying, “You don’t need me. YOU NEED THE LORD!” How different would our worship be, if the CEO spot belonged to God? Would you say that God sits on the throne of you life as King? What’s the recipe for shifting from taking the credit for the victory to giving the credit all to God?

4. Look at the power of a God made man. James 4:6b-10, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” 7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. Describe a differences between a self made man and a God made man? What does humility and submission to God give you that you can’t make yourself?

5. Sadly in Judges 8:27c, “All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there (Golden Ephod), and it became a snare to Gideon and his family.” Why do you think God calls it prostituting? Israel cheated on God with their worship. Gave away what was only to be given to God - their worship. They worshiped gold instead of God. What in your life is warring for your worship? What subtle, intimate, mindset, thing, idea, pride is robbing you from worshiping God fully and first?

6. Here’s a reality check. In Judges 8:33-35 says, "33No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals. They set up Baal-Berith as their god 34and did not remember the Lord their God, who had rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on every side. 35They also failed to show any loyalty to the family of Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) in spite of all the good things he had done for them. It only took one generation to move from Hall of Fame type of faith to forgetting God! What went wrong? How do we pass on faith to the next generation? What must we share with others for them to grow in their faith? How do we get worship to move to the next generation?

7. Stop and pray. Give God your entire heart and worship Him. Ask God to help you pass on the faith to the next generation and to see them fully worship Him. Listen and be obedient as He leads.