Chapter 8: Questions

A Few Good Men ... and Women

As always, feel free to answer questions in the comments (especially the "Digging Deeper" ones) and share any thoughts you might have about the "Personal Action." Or, let us know if YOU have a question!

CHECKING YOUR COMPREHENSION
1. What does God's choice of Deborah as judge during this time reveal about God's view of women?

2. Why does God often use weak and uncertain people like Gideon to do his work?

3. If you ever feel uncertain about your gifts and abilities, how could the story of Gideon encourage and strengthen you?

4. What reasons can you give for why the Israelites kept repeating their downward cycle of sin?

5. What was the root cause of Samson's fall? What was the result?

6. What are the strongest temptations that you face? How do you fight such temptations?

DIGGING DEEPER
Very often, there are consequences when we refuse to follow God's way. Why do you think we continue to repeat the same sin patterns even though we know the outcome will not be good?

One of the recurring themes in this chapter of "The Story" is that a new generation would rise up that did not know God and what he had done for his people in the past. When we forget what God has done for us in the past, we wander away from him. It still happens today. What PRACTICAL things can we do (in our homes and at church) to help the next generation know and remember what God did for them in the past so they will remember and hold on to him in the future?

PERSONAL ACTION
Read and ponder Moses' song in Deuteronomy 32. Read it so often that it sinks down into your bones. Pick out a couple of verses that are particularly meaningful to you, write them down, and put them somewhere you will see often. Let the message of this song remind you of God's goodness and our human temptation to fall back into the same sins over and over again.


This is a safe place to be able to share questions and fears and doubts. You can post using your name or not, whichever you prefer. And if you choose to respond to someone's comment, please be gentle with your words.