Dear Hope,
When was the last time you read the Book of Judges? To prepare for this week’s focus, here are some interesting facts about this amazing part of God’s Word.
Author: Tradition considers Samuel to be the author of Judges, but we do not know this for certain. Judges 1:21 seems to indicate the book was written during the days of king Saul or the early reign of David which is when Samuel lived. 17:6 and 18:1 also imply that the book was penned during the days when Israel had a king.
Timeline: Israel entered Canaan around 1405 B.C. The era of the judges ran from about 1375 through 1043 leading up to Israel’s inaugurating of Saul as their first king.
Key Chapter: 2 – The “cycle of the judges” (Israel served the Lord – idolatry – suffered consequences – cried to God – God raised a judge – delivered – Israel served the Lord – idolatry … )
Famous Judges: Deborah (4:4-5:31), Gideon (6:1-8:35), Jephthah (11:1-12:7) and Samson (13:1-16:31)
Fun Fact: Which judge was left-handed? (see 3:12-31)
Relevance: Read and ask God to reveal Himself to you from this book. Then, join us on Sunday to learn more and discuss with others in a Hope Group during the week!
Looking forward to learning more together,
Dean
Dean Wertz | Lead Pastor
SUNDAY WORSHIP | FEBRUARY 19 | 9 AM. Our 2023 journey through the Bible brings us to a tragic chapter in God’s story recorded in the Book of Judges. Why did the grandchildren of those who saw God part the Jordan River, bring down the walls of Jericho and halt the sun and moon at Gibeon abandon the Lord? Join us this Sunday at 9 a.m. to worship God whole-heartedly and learn how we may influence future generations to love, serve and delight in the Lord. Lead Pastor Dean Wertz brings us a message entitled They Abandoned the Lord from Judges 2:6-10. Can’t join us in person this week? Then worship via livestream or view the recording here!
HOPE GROUPS. This Sunday’s Service will be hosted by the On Campus Hope Group – thank you! If you’ve been thinking about joining a Hope group, we’d love to connect with you! Click here for more information.
KNOWING GOD | SERIES STUDY GUIDE. To purchase a copy of The Story (to accompany our Knowing God church-wide Series), click here: Printed Version | Ebook Version.
CHILDREN’S MINISTRY.
Children’s Church. This week, Rebecca and Tara will be leading Children’s Church for ages 2-5th grade. We will be learning about how God helps those who turn to Him through the story of Samson.
Choir. Children’s Choir will be rehearsing this Sunday from 10:00 to 10:30 a.m. in preparation for singing in the worship service next week, February 26!
YOUTH. Join us next week for Youth Group on Sunday, February 26 from 10:15 to 11:15 a.m. We’ll have fun snacks, discussion, and games! And mark your calendars for our next event – Laser Tag Night! This will be Friday, March 3 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Hope Church. We’ll provide pizza, snacks, and laser tag equipment to turn the entire church building into an exciting glow-in-the-dark battleground. Invite your friends, and reach out to Tara with any questions.
FINANCIAL UPDATE. On Sunday, February 5, our Budget Team met, thanked God for his provision through generous gifts and robust savings, acknowledged our present and ongoing financial deficit, and resolved to collectively seek God’s direction for decreasing our reliance on savings. If you have questions about our financials, please contact our Executive Pastor Arik Stewart or a member of our Elder Team.
MEMBERSHIP. Are you interested in becoming a member at Hope Church? We would love to have you join the family! Contact Tara for more information on how to apply.
FOOD BANK DONATIONS. The Community Ministry Food Bank is looking for February donations. Can you please consider donating canned fruit, corn and/or tomato products? A collection basket is in the Foyer. Thank you so much!
HAVE A NEED? Your Hope family is here for you. If you need prayer, financial assistance, or help in any other way, please reach out to Pastor Jay here.
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