http://www.preachtheword.com/studies/ssjdg.html A series of Bible character studies in the book of Judges. Pastor David Legge A series of Bible character studies in the book of Judges. judges, character study, character studies, judge, samson, gideon, ehud, the judges, men for the hour,sermon,sermons,christian,bible study,preach the word,podcast,godcast MP3 Podcast feed of the completed 'Men For The Hour' series from Preach The Word. Join us as Pastor Legge shares some lessons we can learn from the characters of the Old Testament Judges. en-gb Copyright 2006 preachtheword.com Preach The Word info@preachtheword.com clean Tue, 01 Aug 2006 00:11:03 GMT info@preachtheword.com 6000 http://www.preachtheword.com/studies/ssjdg.html http://www.preachtheword.com/images/jdgstudy.gif A series of Bible character studies in the book of Judges. http://www.preachtheword.com/rss.html http://www.preachtheword.com/rss.html You are subscribed to the Podcast feed of the completed 'Men For The Hour' series. Should you wish to benefit from more resources from our ministry, you can subscribe to our main Podcast, which is updated weekly. Simply add the feed: http://www.preachtheword.com/preachtheword.xml to your podcasting software, or follow the link for more information. New sermons from Pastor Legge's current series are added each week in MP3, WMA, Realaudio and word-for-word text format. Mon, 31 Jul 2006 00:09:00 GMT http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg01.shtml http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg01.shtml info@preachtheword.com Religion & Spirituality Part 1 of the new study series 'Men For The Hour', looking at the lives and times of the Old Testament Judges. Pastor Legge examines the times of the Judges and shows the similarities with our own modern society. Sun, 30 Jul 2006 00:00:01 GMT 39:00 clean http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg02.shtml http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg02.shtml info@preachtheword.com Religion & Spirituality Part 2 of the new study series 'Men For The Hour', looking at the characters of the Judges. We meet the first of the Old Testament Judges, Othniel, who serves as a demonstration of God's blueprint for these deliverers. Sat, 29 Jul 2006 00:00:01 GMT 39:00 clean http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg03.shtml http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg03.shtml info@preachtheword.com Religion & Spirituality Part 3 of the new study series 'Men For The Hour'. We meet the second of the Old Testament Judges, 'Ehud, The Handicapped Hero' who assassinated King Eglon. Fri, 28 Jul 2006 00:00:01 GMT 39:00 clean http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg04.shtml http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg04.shtml info@preachtheword.com Religion & Spirituality Join us for part 4 of 'Men For The Hour', when we look at the third Judge, 'Shamgar, The Unconventional'. Thu, 27 Jul 2006 00:00:01 GMT 35:40 clean http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg05.shtml http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg05.shtml info@preachtheword.com Religion & Spirituality Join us for part 5 of 'Men For The Hour', when we look at the fourth Judge, 'Deborah, The Exceptional'. Wed, 26 Jul 2006 00:00:01 GMT 38:05 clean http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg06.shtml http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg06.shtml info@preachtheword.com Religion & Spirituality Join us for part 6 of 'Men For The Hour', as we begin looking at the character of Gideon - who started out as 'Gideon, The Fearful'. Tue, 25 Jul 2006 00:00:01 GMT 42:10 clean http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg07.shtml http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg07.shtml info@preachtheword.com Religion & Spirituality Join us for part 7 of 'Men For The Hour', as we resume our study of the character of Gideon. Brief sermon excerpt: "My friend, I can't be more plain to you this morning: whatever that altar is upon the heart, whatever is taking the place of Christ in your life, whatever is going before God or beside God, whatever is preventing you from being entirely consecrated to the cause of Christ, it needs to be put on the altar, it needs to go up in smoke - and until you do that, you will not know victory in your life! It's as simple as that! Obedience meant entire consecration..." Mon, 24 Jul 2006 00:00:01 GMT 42:10 clean http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg08.shtml http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg08.shtml info@preachtheword.com Religion & Spirituality Join us for part 8 of 'Men For The Hour', as we glean some principles on guidance from the story of 'Gideon And The Fleece'. Sun, 23 Jul 2006 00:10:01 GMT 41:18 clean http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg09.shtml http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg09.shtml info@preachtheword.com Religion & Spirituality Continuing our studies in the life of Gideon, Part 9 of the 'Men For The Hour' study series looks at 'Gideon, The Fighter'. The time had come for Gideon and his army of 32,000 volunteers to face the great enemy of Israel, the Midianites - but God had other plans. Join with us as we seek to understand the reasons behind God's reducing Gideon's forces to a mere 300 men! Sat, 22 Jul 2006 00:10:01 GMT 42:52 clean http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg10.shtml http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg10.shtml info@preachtheword.com Religion & Spirituality Part 10 of the 'Men For The Hour' study series concludes our journey through the life of Gideon with the sad tale of 'Gideon, The Fallen'. Gideon had run a good race - but what was it that caused this 'man for the hour' to fall at the finish line? Join us we learn from sobering lessons from the last days of Gideon's judgeship. Fri, 21 Jul 2006 00:10:01 GMT 41:30 clean http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg11.shtml http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg11.shtml info@preachtheword.com Religion & Spirituality Don't miss the intriguing story of 'Jephthah, The Reject' - Part 11 of the 'Men For The Hour' character studies. Brief sermon excerpt: "Scandal had been rumored in Ramoth-Gilead. It was said that one of the village's leading citizens had become involved in an illicit sexual affair with a local woman of the street. In Ramoth-Gilead few secrets were held, like any village or town even in our own province, and bad news travelled fast. One can just imagine the local gossips going early to fill their waterpots at the public well, and lingering long in order to savour every sordid morsel as it came to light. It soon became evident that the rumour was true. Gilead, this man in the city of Ramoth-Gilead, had been publicly named as the father of a child that was being carried by a common prostitute. Unlike many men who walk away from offspring born under such circumstances, Gilead, to his credit, we find takes full responsibility for his act. When the infant was born, he takes it into his home and effectively raises it as one of his own family..." Thu, 20 Jul 2006 00:10:01 GMT 42:40 clean http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg12.shtml http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg12.shtml info@preachtheword.com Religion & Spirituality Part 12 of the 'Men For The Hour' series begins our look at the life of Samson. Our first instalment covers 'Samson, The Promising Start' - looking at Samson's birth, his parents, and the great benefits he was given from his very beginning. Wed, 19 Jul 2006 00:10:01 GMT 44:40 clean http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg13.shtml http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg13.shtml info@preachtheword.com Religion & Spirituality In part 13 of the 'Men For The Hour' series we see how Samson's promising start did not last long. Soon he had fallen foul to the lustful, sensual desires of his heart. Brief sermon excerpt: "There are many Christians and, like Samson, as far as anybody knows they're still obedient to their dedication and obligations to God - yet the inner symbols of their consecration are null and void, they're gone! Samson began to value his consecration to God less and less, he became comfortable with his broken vows without actually articulating it with his mouth. This doesn't just apply to young people, my friend, this part really applies to more mature folk. I hear them saying from time to time, very wisely: 'Oh, I used to believe that doctrine', or 'I used to take my stand against those things', or 'I used to be more dogmatic', or 'I used to be more fanatical, but I have mellowed and I just don't see things the way I used to see them'. Do you know why you don't? Because the Philistines have put your eyes out! You've got too close to the world, and the world's got too close to you..." Tue, 18 Jul 2006 00:10:01 GMT 39:39 clean http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg14.shtml http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg14.shtml info@preachtheword.com Religion & Spirituality Part 14 of the 'Men For The Hour' series looks at Samson and the Philistines as they seek revenge on each other for wrongs committed. Brief sermon excerpt: "When we act in the flesh, out of this revengeful attitude and tendency, it often spirals out of control into a tit-for-tat vendetta of retaliation. When we take revenge we find that it often escalates completely out of control, it becomes a game of ping-pong, one-upmanship. We see this between Samson and the Philistines, they're both trying to outdo one another in their reprisals for their feeling of being rightfully wronged. As we look down these verses we see that these reprisals accelerate in their intensity. The retribution is graphically presented to us. Samson has been wronged, so he's going to get vengeance. When he gets and takes vengeance, the Philistines feel wronged and they're going to get Samson back. Samson and the Philistines both feel that revenge will solve their problem..." Mon, 17 Jul 2006 00:10:01 GMT 35:15 clean http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg15.shtml http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg15.shtml info@preachtheword.com Religion & Spirituality Listen along as Samson becomes 'Samson, The Lustful Loser' in part 15 of the 'Men For The Hour' series. Brief sermon excerpt: "The first recorded words that we hear from Samson's mouth are in chapter 14 verse 2: 'I saw a woman' - that's the first thing we hear him say! Then we see from verse 3 of chapter 14 that he is attracted to the opposite sex strictly on the basis of outward appearance: 'Get her for me, for she pleases me', or 'for she looks good to me'. Now we find in chapter 16 that, having judged Israel for 20 years, he visits once more his old habit of chasing women. We read in the first three verses that he met a harlot in Gaza, and finally from verse 4 on we read of his encounters with Delilah. Samson's problem was that he never faced and dealt with and conquered this old habit of lust. Indeed, we read at the end of the chapter in verse 20 that he was so preoccupied with his lustful desires that he didn't even know that the Lord had departed from him: 'I will go out as at other times', he says, 'and shake myself. And he knew not that the LORD was departed from him'..." Sun, 16 Jul 2006 00:10:01 GMT 48:15 clean http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg16.shtml http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg16.shtml info@preachtheword.com Religion & Spirituality Our final study in the life of Samson looks at the turnaround he made in his last moments. Brief sermon excerpt: "Samson had become blind to the effects of sin and compromise in his life - and my friend, the same will happen to you and to me if we compromise upon our consecration. Not only is there blinding, there is a binding effect when we compromise. You see, Samson reasoned in his heart and mind that he was choosing freedom rather than the binding restrictions of God's law and vows, isn't that right? That's often the way we think today. When we usurp ourselves against the authority of God, and decide to transgress His laws and choose our own way, we feel that we are choosing the way of freedom, the way of self-expression, the way of liberty. But the fact of the matter is, we see that the truth is the opposite - that is the lie of the devil. He has come to steal, to kill and destroy - Christ came that we should have life. Young person dabbling in sin, don't believe the lie of the devil that you are free, that you're enjoying liberty and satisfaction..." Sat, 15 Jul 2006 00:10:01 GMT 40:10 clean http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg17.shtml http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg17.shtml info@preachtheword.com Religion & Spirituality In the final chapters of Judges, we find the story of 'Micah And His Mercenary Minister'. What lessons can we learn from the situation we find here? Brief sermon excerpt: "Now if ever there was a dysfunctional family, it's this one. First of all, notice there is deceit and theft in the home on the part of the son. Obviously he had no respect for his mother, stealing 1100 silver shekels. He is deceiving her as well as thieving from her. Now we read in the Holy Scriptures, in the New Testament, that: 'in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves', self-love, self-willed, 'covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, and unholy'. Are we not living in days like that today? Vance Havner, many years ago, said: 'We shouldn't worry that the government won't allow children to have Bibles in schools, because they'll get free Bibles when they go to prison'! That reflects the situation in our society today, doesn't it? Then secondly we see in this dysfunctional family that there was no parental correction. This son owns up to stealing the 1100 shekels, and she blesses him!". Fri, 14 Jul 2006 18:14:01 GMT 42:27 clean http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg18.shtml http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg18.shtml info@preachtheword.com Religion & Spirituality The shocking prospect of 'God's People In The Gutter' is the penultimate study in the 'Men For The Hour' series. What lessons can we learn from the situation we find here? Brief sermon excerpt: "The whole point is that when people, even God's people, reject the absolutes of God's word; and when they begin in a relativistic way to do what they feel is good in their own eyes, what they conclude to be right, inevitably the end result is moral anarchy, societal collapse. Even among the worshipping community in Israel in the Judges' day, and the church in our day, people are eventually unable to discern between what is basic right and wrong. Reject God's moral absolutes, reject God's sovereignty and lordship of life, and moral collapse won't be far away..." Thu, 13 Jul 2006 00:10:01 GMT 43:03 clean http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg19.shtml http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg19.shtml info@preachtheword.com Religion & Spirituality The final part of our 'Men For The Hour' series in the book of Judges looks at 'The Angel Of Jehovah'. Who is this heavenly character seen not only in Judges, but throughout the Old Testament? Brief sermon excerpt: "I know of one individual who received a letter from what was called 'The Angel Life Guild', informing them that you can get to know eleven of your angels from your angel family tree. They, among other things, are said to protect, bring health, riches, and power. All they had to do was send £22.25, and they would find out who these eleven angels were, and they would receive personal messages from the angels! It is said that these angels have been waiting, from your birth, to get to know you. At the moment of destiny, 'when destiny planted your tree in the angel garden', these angels have been just waiting to wait on you from heaven. This is New Age philosophy, and of course it fails to recognise that the Bible teaches us that there are such things called fallen angels, demonic spirits, and those angels don't always appear to be bad..." Wed, 12 Jul 2006 00:10:01 GMT 42:48 clean http://www.preachtheword.com/studies/ssjdg.html http://www.preachtheword.com/studies/ssjdg.html Pastor Legge's helpful series 'Men For The Hour', which has taught us many lessons from the characters of the Old Testament Judges, is now complete. This 19-part series is now available as a free e-Book download in Adobe PDF, Microsoft Reader or iSilo formats from our Book Store. The audio for the entire series can also be downloaded in WMA or MP3 formats, and individual text transcripts of each sermon are also available. 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