Gideon- Week 6

Welcome to our final week of the Gideon Bible study by Priscilla Shirer.  I hope that all of you have enjoyed it as much as I have.  Throughout this study we’ve learned how God is able to turn weakness into strength. By now you realize there is more to Gideon than wet fleece! Our final chapter this week unveils the obstacles Gideon faced- his own self interests and idolatry. We had the opportunity to complete “The Interview” ( page 150) and then reflect on own situations from a Biblical perspective. Did you claim your own idols after the lesson on page 150? It’s easy to read the pages of scripture and judge Gideon, and as we learned this week, much harder to judge ourselves. I know that you have heard this many times before, but in order for a Bible study to be effective, we need to apply scripture to our individual lives.

In the final chapter this week, we all discovered how something good could become an idol in our lives. My idols were all of the things taking me away from the presence of God.  I say things, because for me it was not just one thing. My biggest idol is sleep, work, and even my chickens.  Is your idol a Facebook game, a television show, an addictive habit…what are you a bit obsessed over? For some women, even Bible study can become an idol when it becomes a badge on the wall and replaces a relationship with God.

Pause from your busy day or your heavy burdens and examine your heart. Make sure you are in alignment with His will, in relationship with Him and detached from potential idols. This needs to be a daily habit as you center your life inside His Presence. My prayer for you is that by finishing this Bible study, you now recognize your own strengths and weaknesses from a spiritual perspective. With this knowledge, you are then in a position of authority in spiritual warfare. Walk in victory…beside Jesus.  Don't forget, He has already won the battle for us.

Visit Beth Moore’s blog for her final update on Gideon when you click here

Thank you all for joining in this Bible study! If you are behind in the study, do not worry just keep plugging along until you finish. 

Group Discussion- Answer here or with your small group 

1. What do you automatically turn to for comfort or relief when you’re unhappy? (page 150)
2. Which of your answers from question one are a testament from the bad-to-worse principle we read about this week? (page 158)
3. Have you ever considered that idol worship is “spiritual adultery” as described by Priscilla Shirer? Knowing this, what are you going to change in your life to remove idols?
4. How does impatience play a role in idolatry in the life of modern believers? (page 160)
5. Priscilla gives 3 principles for guarding ourselves against idolatry: 1) pinpoint your tendencies to comfort 2) re-commit to a God-structured existence 3)rearrange your priorities. Of these three, which do you need to implement immediately and why? (page 162)