CRUX Sunday: Greatest Stories Ever Told- Sampson & Delilah

Pastor Jon continues in our series through the “Greatest Stories Ever Told” with a message from the book of Judges on the life of Sampson & Delilah.

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CRUX Daily: The Attitude of a Servant

Read: Judges 8

Reflect: Not only did Gideon’s men defeat Midian but they also continued pursuing the rest of the Midianite army. They went above and beyond God’s calling. Do you serve God half-heartedly or do you pursue God’s will passionately?

Request (Prayer): God give me the strength to serve you with my whole heart and to serve you joyfully.

I remember growing up and being taught the lessons you can learn through chores. Parents claim they teach responsibility, discipline and a heart for serving Jesus. Children think chores are of the devil, that they are rules set by the parents to mock them and laugh at them as they clean up and do their chores.

When I was younger, I had a different set of chores everyday. And each week they would repeat themselves, and I’d have to do them all over again. If there were any other form of torture in the world at that time, I’d rather have that then to do my chores. Every time I was told to do them, I would complain, throw a fit or just try to ignore my parents when they told me I needed to do them.

A rule that we had in our family in particular was this: “When you’re told the first time to do something, do it the first time.” That was a huge thing that my dad always taught me, when you’re told the first time do it then and not 3 hours later. Another encouragement he always gave to me was to go “above and beyond” what was required of me.
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CRUX Daily: Idol Factory

Read: Judges 6:28-35

Reflect: When Gideon destroyed the altar of Baal he was cleansing Israel of their idols. What idols do you have and how can you cleanse them from your life?

Request (Prayer): Father, help me to see any idols that I have in my life and to destroy them like Gideon destroyed the altar of Baal.

Imagine Gideon’s plight as he set out to destroy the altars of Baal. His fear of doing this during the day is just like our fear of calling out the idols within us and around us. We’re reluctant. Just as the idols had been so long among the people, some sins may be “near and dear” to our hearts, and we feel as though we can’t possibly leave them out of our daily lives. Yet look what God had Gideon do: he never forced the people around him to stop sinning.

He took down the altars that would allow them to sin. It’s sad that we often stumble over our supposedly “harmless” homemade altars of sports teams, magazines, and musical keys. Let’s take them down. Whatever we leave to serve Christ, he promised, we receive in a “hundredfold” to come (Mark 10:29-30).

CRUX Sundays- Greatest Stories Ever Told: Gideon’s 300

We continue in our series, “Greatest Stories Ever Told” with a message from Judges 7 about Gideon’s 300.

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CRUX Daily: Gideon’s 300

Read: Judges 7:7 & 1 Corinthians 1:25-31

Reflect: Gideon and his small army of 300 defeated an army whose number could not be counted (v. 12). Why did God use such a small army?

Request (Prayer): Lord, help me to boast in You because it is You that is working through me.

Have you ever been asked by God to do something and you weren’t sure why? Maybe God had asked you to talk to someone who you knew was not a believer? Maybe someone was sitting by themselves at lunch and you knew that you needed to go sit with them? How did you respond to what God wanted you to do? Were you obedient? Did you kind of ignore it?
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CRUX Daily: Anyone+God=Victory

Read: Judges 7:19-25

Reflect: The Lord gave Gideon the victory with just 300 men. We might feel small and insignificant sometimes. But the Lord still uses us whether we are alone or with friends. How can the Lord use you when you are alone or with others/

Request (Prayer): God, please use my life mightily for your kingdom, help me to be strong and courageous.

It really boils down to just three verses in God’s word for all true on fire Christians:

Philippians 2:13 (for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good purpose)

Check it out God Himself actually resides in us, and empowers us.

1st John 4:4b (greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world)

There is nothing more powerful in the whole universe..

Genesis 1:1 (In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.)

If you simply read and believe the first verse in the Bible, therefore realizing the fact that God can do anything; then we should have no problem trusting the power of God in any situation. Further more when we add the truth which is dropped upon us in; John 3:16 (“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son the whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.); which is the earth shattering, devil defeating, soul saving LOVE that our God has for us; then we know that not only does our God have the ability to help us in any situation, we also know that because of His love He greatly desires to be at our side always, and never leave us.
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