Jephthah defeated the Ammonites, and with it, he saved Israel from years of oppression. Great news, he's a hero, and all of Israel should spend some time rejoicing and celebrating this victory. But no sooner had Jephthah secured the victory, than a group of whiners and complainers more concerned about their pride and recognition showed up. What's Jephthah going to do? This group was so full of anger that they threatened to burn Jephthah's house down. What is Jephthah going to do?

Abimelech is dead, but the land of Israel remains in a chaotic mess. And this week we meet a judge who ends up adding to the confusion. But before that, we meet two Judges who made a positive difference: Tola and Jair. So, listen on this week to hear about two positive Judges, followed by Jephthah the judge who should have just kept his mouth shut.

As the book of Judges moves forward, we will begin to see the country of Israel begin to spiral further and further down into apostasy. The end of Gideon's life was problematic, and now we see the fruits of his bad behavior manifest themselves in the life of his son Abimelech. This is a sad story, but one that should be a good reminder of what it means to pass on a godly heritage to your children and to those you influence.

Life is a marathon, not a sprint, and Gideon's life demonstrates this fact. He started so well and demonstrated a weak faith at first that slowly grew stronger and stronger as he continually put his faith in Yahweh. And then he triumphs in battle with a small force of Israelites, against a massive army of the Midianites. You would think after seeing Yahweh provide for him and his people, that Gideon's faith would never falter, that he would always remain loyal to God. But in the end, the life of Gideon demonstrates that starting well does not mean you will end well.

Gideon is now ready to take on the Midianite army. He is hopelessly outmanned, the odds are stacked against him, he probably is left with the worst fighters of the bunch, and yet this is exactly where God wants him to be. Why? Listen to find out why.

Gideon is now ready to fight, and he is prepared to take on the Midianite army. The odds are stacked against him, but Gideon has decided to trust in God anyway and to step out in faith boldly. But God says, not yet Gideon. I have one more set of circumstances I need to take you through. I need you to understand that I want to get all the glory for this victory, Gideon, not you. So what is God going to do? How is he going to stretch Gideon's faith, while accomplishing the triumph? Find out by listening to this week's podcast in our ongoing series on the book of Judges.

Gideon has been called by God to lead his people in battle against the Midianites. He is called to be a Judge, what an exciting honor. But for Gideon, it is a scary proposition, because one of the first things he has to do is to tear down the altar his father built to the Midianite god Baal. Will he do it? Will Gideon step out in faith and obey God, even at his home? And what if he doesn't? What if he fails the test? Listen to this week's episode to find out what happens next as we work our way through the book of Judges.

This week we are moving on to one of the most famous Judges in Israel's history, that of Gideon. The faith that he demonstrated in the face of overwhelming odds, the trust that he placed in Yahweh and His plan, even though it made no sense, that is the kind of faith that we still need to live today to stand firm for the Lord.

The Jewish people rally under the leadership of Ehud, but the minute he dies, they are off pursuing other gods again. So God sends a Canaanite King to oppress His people for twenty years, to bring them back to Him. God also uses two women of faith to do His will and to accomplish one of the most significant military victories of the day. Listen on to hear the exciting story of Deborah, Barak, and Jael.

As Israel begins to slide into apostasy, God sends them oppressors to bring them back to him. The first of these oppressors is a King with the dubious title of King of Double Wickedness. Things are pretty bad, and the people of Israel begin to suffer, so who will save them? Enter the Judges. Listen on to hear the story of the first three Judges, and what some have called the first-ever locked room mystery.