This Week's Sermon:

Pain in the Promise

 
God has already spoken through a prophet, reminding Israel who He is and where they went wrong. And now, God moves from confrontation to calling. He doesn’t start with a warrior standing tall He starts with a man hiding. Gideon is not on a battlefield. He’s in a winepress, threshing wheat in secret, trying not to be noticed, trying not to lose what little he has left.  And it’s here, right in the middle of fear, scarcity, and insecurity that God shows up. Not to rebuke Gideon, but to call him. God speaks words that feel almost out of place “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” Gideon doesn’t feel mighty. He doesn’t feel brave. He feels forgotten, overlooked, and overwhelmed. This moment exposes a tension we all live in. God speaks from who He is and what He intends to do. We respond from what we see and what we fear. Judges 6:10-16 shows us that God’s calling often confronts our excuses, challenges our self-perception, and rests not on our strength but on His presence.