We continue our sermon series, Unafraid while Pastor Drew looks at Judges 7 and the story of Gideon and how that really points us to Christ.

Ephesians 2:8-9

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast

Judges 7:1-22 ESV

"The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the sign to every Christian that the enemy, death, has been defeated and turned into an ally.”

Three Gospel Reminders From Judges 7:

1. Jesus Calls Us From "Come and See" to "Come and Die."
2. The Lowly Bread Became Victory Bread.
3. The One and Only Saving Hand.

• Romans 10:13 "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
• Romans 10:9 "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

Ephesians 2:8-9

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast

This week, Pastor John continued our Unafraid series with a sermon from Judges 4–5, showing us through the story of Deborah and Barak how God works through surrendered hearts. In all seasons of life, God leads us step by step and invites us to trust in His sovereignty and walk faithfully in willingness.

In this Sunday's sermon, Pastor John shows how God uses us, even in our limitations, to reveal His power and grace. Just as He worked through Ehud’s weakness, God transforms our frailties into strength for His glory, reminding us we can live unafraid when we trust Him fully.

We continue our sermon series, Unafraid, looking at different people in Scripture who walked in the Lord without fear of this world. This week, we start our look in Judges 2 and 3 at Othniel.

Judges 2:11-13 REBELLION

JUDGES 2:14-15 and JUDGES 2:20-21 CONSEQUENCES PEOPLE CRY

Judges 2:16 GOD ANSWERS

JUDGES 2:17 REBELLION

Judges 3:7-8 In the middle of spiritual confusion and cultural chaos God looks for A COURAGEOUS VOICE.

Judges 3:9 REPENTACE IS THE FIRST STEP TO VICTORY.

Judges 1:10-13

Matthew Henry - "Caleb is doing what older men should do, and that is inspire the younger generation to serve God."

A few things about unafraid Othniel.

1. Othniel had a questionable background.

2. Othniel was of questionable age.

Judges 3:10-11

3. Othniel had unquestionable courage AND an unquestionable commitment

We start a new sermon series, Unafraid, as we look at what it looks like biblically to live a life without fear. We look at Caleb from Judges where we have an example of what it a life without fear looks like.

In our lives, either faith or fear is going to win the day.
They don’t co-exist!

Judges 1:20

A FEW THINGS ABOUT UNAFRAID CALEB

1. Joshua 14:6-8 Caleb is not a JEW!

2. HE whole-heartedly FOLLOWED GOD - Joshua 14:8, 9, 14

3. Judges 1:20 HE trusted God for THE impossible

How different would my life be if I surrendered to faith in God, and not to fear?

In our final week of For Every Season, we discover through Psalm 33 why we sing.

PSALM 33:1-3

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

1. We sing to GOD because HE told us to sing to Him!

New songs come from a fresh awareness of God’s grace.
Old songs remind us of what has been true for generations.

PSALM 33:4-9 2. We sing to God because He has done great things.

PSALM 33:10-12 3. We sing because God has chosen us as His Children.

PSALM 33:13-17 4. We sing because even though God is all-powerful, His eye is on us.

PSALM 33:18-19 5. WE SING BECAUSE HE HAS DELIVERED US FROM DEATH!

PSALM 33:20-22 6. WE SING BECAUSE HE LOVES US.

In seasons of hurting, it is difficult to find comfort and peace. But there is a source that we can draw from. In Psalm 34, we find the future King David running for his life in a cave, surrounded by others who are miserable. Yet, David can still praise God.

Psalm 34 Superscription

Psalm 34:1-3
1. WHEN I AM HURTING I WILL PRAISE GOD PASSIONATELY AND PUBLICLY.

PSALM 34:4-7

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise…

PSALM 34:8-10

2. WHEN I AM HURTING I will trust God to be my protector and provider.

PSALM 34:11-16

3. WHEN I AM HURTING I will pursue peace and I will reject evil.

PSALM 34:17-22

4. When I am hurting, I am not condemned and I know I will be delivered.

As we continue our sermon series For Every Season, we hear from fellow church member, Dr. Matt Kim, a Professor of Preaching and Pastoral Leadership at Truett Seminary. In Psalm 95, we see a calling on our lives to worship and the how, why, and a warning.

PSALM 95:1-11

1. THE HOW OF WORSHIP: We worship the Lord by coming to Him, by singing, by making a joyful noise, and by coming into His presence with thanksgiving (vs. 1-2).

There is nothing complicated about the verb ‘come,’ except to say that worship is all encompassing. Worship is personal and participatory at its core, never passive. - Doug Webster,The Psalms:

So we have a parallelism here. Look with me to 1B and 2B.

1B begins “Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.”

2B says “Let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise.”

We come so often to God, if we come at all, as beggars. We ask and beg: give me; bless me; help me; guide me; grant me. And that’s one necessary level of our existence. But in thanksgiving and adoration we come to God not to ask but to give! We come not whimpering but shouting praise; not in guilt but in gratitude. We feel not distant from God but close to God. We are like a traveler who is home again at last, the prodigal at a banquet. Those moments may be seldom, but when they happen we know that we were created for God. - Don Postema, Space for God

2. The Why of Worship We worship the Lord because He is a great God and there is no other! (vs. 3-7)

There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign overall, does not cry, Mine! - Abraham Kuyper,.

He [Satan] is a creature striving to be superior to the Creator. . . . Elevation of the Son is a problem for Satan, but bending the knee before God is what he disdains most. . . . Like any creature, Satan owes more to God than gratitude, though grateful recognition of the gift received is all God requires. In failing to give thanks, Satan is injuring God’s merit; he is refusing to give God even a fraction of what is due to God. . . . The unquenchable desire to be superior to God holds Satan captive. - Miroslav Volf The Cost of Ambition,

3. The Warning of Worship In every season, worship the worthy Lord, before your heart grows hard, and your praise turns cold (v. 8-11).

And I’ll praise you in this storm, And I will lift my hands, For you are who you are

No matter where I am, And every tear I’ve cried, You hold in your hand, You never left my side, And though my heart is torn, I will praise you in this storm. - Praise You in This Storm, Casting Crowns