9/15 "Outliving Your Leaders" Judges 2:1-10; Joshua 24:28-33; 1:1-5

Summary:  God uses leaders to prepare us to do even greater works than any one person is capable of accomplishing.  But we outlive our leaders when God’s work continues beyond their lives and limitations to display His faithfulness through an army of servants. Ice Breaker:  When a group faces a situation where something needs to be done, how do the following roles typically get played:  Leader, Free Agent, Follower, or Complainer?  Which role do you most naturally fill?

Connecting with the Text:

  1. In the first place that Joshua’s death is mentioned, what does the author emphasize as the priorities of the people (Joshua 24:28-33)
    1. What leader was Joshua influenced by and how did Joshua surpass him? (Exodus 24:13; 33:11)
    2. What leader was Joseph influenced by and how did Joseph surpass him?  (Genesis 37:1-3)
    3. What leader was Eleazar influenced by and how did Eleazar surpass him? (Numbers 3:1-4, 31-32)
    4. In the second place that Joshua’s death is mentioned, what does the author emphasize as the priorities of the people (Judges 1:1-2)
    5. How did Judah and Simeon succeed in accomplishing God’s will? (Judges 1:3-10)
    6. How did the tribes of Joseph (Manasseh and Ephraim) fail in accomplishing God’s will? (Judges 1:22-29)
    7. In the third place that Joshua’s death was mentioned, what were the key differences between the surviving generation (Judges 2:4-6) and the following generation (Judges 2:10-12)

Reflecting on your Life:

  1. Who do you typically spend more time thinking about:  Your grandparents or your grandchildren?  Your parents or your children?  Which group is more important and why?
  2. Do you prefer to be led by an individual or a group?  What are the strengths of each approach?

Connecting with your Church:

  1. According to Ephesians 4:7-11, what kind of leaders has God given us in the church?
  2. In Paul’s body imagery of Ephesians 4:15-16, who do you think are symbolized by the body’s head, joints, and parts?  What are the roles of each?
  3. Where are you hesitant to use your gifts in the church?  Where are you expecting leaders to do the work instead of doing it yourself?
Uncategorizeddougdelp