INTERACTIVE TEACHING/LEARNING GUIDE
Week 10
Session Title: “God Uses Rejects”
Focal Passage: (Judges 10:6-11:11)
Central Teaching/Learning Aim: To examine how Jephthah became a leader even after being rejected by others and realize God desires us to influence others regardless of our disadvantages and past rejections.
I. Hook
A. Share the following response from coach Jerry Manuel to rejection:
Jerry Manuel is the fourth winningest manager the Chicago White Sox has ever had. Only once since 1998 has his team finished lower than second place in the American League Central Division. In 2000 Jerry's boys won their division, and he was named American League Manager of the Year. On Sunday, September 28, 2003, the 49-year-old manager recorded his 500th victory in his six seasons with the club. Ironically, the next day, Jerry Manuel was fired for not guiding his team to post-season play.
Manuel, an avowed follower of Jesus Christ, had been alerted to his imminent firing a few days before it was made public. In response to news of his dismissal, the soft-spoken manager said, "When I came here, I came here to be a servant and not a celebrity. Obviously, that's changed. But that's still how I feel, and I don't have any regrets."
It is Manuel's servant model of leadership that accounts for the gracious way he accepted what many would view as rejection. In six seasons, he recognized, he had done more than win baseball games. "If you don't win, you like to make people better once you've left them, make people better players," Manuel said. "I think to some degree, as a staff, we've accomplished that. That's probably the greatest reward."
"Obviously you want to win," he added. "But if you can impact somebody's life and head it in the direction that they can be somewhat successful, whether it's the game or not, I think that's the biggest thing for me."
Yahoo Sports (9-24-03) and AP (9-28-03)
Ask – Has there been a time when you felt unaccepted or snubbed for something you may or may not have had any control over? What developed in your life because of the rejection?
State – In today’s study Jephthah is rejected and expelled by his own family - later he is asked to lead Israel in battle against the Philistines – Rejection of any kind hurts, but God desires us to influence others regardless of our disadvantages and past rejections.
B. Optional Method – Share the following partial biography of Chuck Colson:
About Chuck Colson
More than 30 years ago, Charles W. Colson was not thinking about reaching out to prison inmates or reforming the U.S. penal system.
In fact, this aide to President Richard Nixon was "incapable of humanitarian thought," according to the media of the mid-1970s.
Colson was known as the White House "hatchet man," a man feared by even the most powerful politicos during his four years of service to President Nixon.
When news of Colson's conversion to Christianity leaked to the press in 1973, the Boston Globe reported, "If Mr. Colson can repent of his sins, there just has to be hope for everybody."
Colson would agree. He admits he was guilty of political "dirty tricks" and willing to do almost anything for the cause of his president and his party.
In 1974, Colson entered a plea of guilty to Watergate-related charges; although not implicated in the Watergate burglary, he voluntarily pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in the Daniel Ellsberg Case.
He entered Alabama's Maxwell Prison in 1974 as a new Christian and as the first member of the Nixon administration to be incarcerated for Watergate-related charges. He served seven months of a one-to-three year sentence.
In 1976, Colson founded Prison Fellowship Ministries, which, in collaboration with churches of all confessions and denominations, has become the world's largest outreach to prisoners, ex-prisoners, crime victims, and their families. Colson has spent the last 25 years as head of Prison Fellowship Ministries.
Colson saw early on that reconciliation among offenders, victims, their families, and communities should be a ministry of the Church. He set Prison Fellowship in place to exhort, equip, and assist the church in this ministry. That decision marshaled the involvement of the Church in prison outreach.
To help stem the cycle of crime and poverty, Prison Fellowship, under Colson's leadership, introduced Angel Tree, a program that provides Christmas presents to more than 500,000 children of inmates annually on behalf of their incarcerated parents. These simple acts of kindness have revitalized hope and reconciliation among millions of children and their families, many of whom subsist below the poverty level. Angel Tree has also launched a summer camping program, partnering with churches in eight selected areas around the country to send the children of prisoners to a Christian summer camp.
Despite his work critiquing the culture, Colson's heart is ever with the prisoner. He has clearly never forgotten the promise he made to his fellow inmates during his brief stay in prison: that he would "never forget those behind bars."
Ask – Has there been a time when you felt unaccepted or snubbed for something you may or may not have had any control over? What developed in your life because of the rejection?
State – In today’s study Jephthah is rejected and expelled by his own family - later he is asked to lead Israel in battle against the Philistines – Rejection of any kind hurts, but God desires us to influence others regardless of our disadvantages and past rejections.
C. Optional Method – Movie Clip – “The Terminal” A Citizen of Nowhere (DVD Chapter 2)
Start: 05:21
Stop: 07:24
The Terminal is the story of a foreign traveler named Victor Navorski (Tom Hanks) who unwittingly gets caught up in a series of bureaucratic glitches making it impossible for him to return home.
Victor arrives at New York City's JFK airport and finds he is stranded in a no man's land. He is not allowed to get back on a plane, but neither can he leave the airport and legally enter the United States. Frank Dixon, the director of customs, hauls Victor into his office to explain the situation to a man who speaks virtually no English.
Sitting at his desk, Dixon opens up his lunch box and tells Victor, "I have a bit of bad news. It seems that your country has suspended all traveling privileges on passports that have been issued by your government, and our state department has revoked the visa that was going to allow you to enter the United States. That's it in a nutshell, basically. It seems that while you were in the air, there was a military coup in your country. Most of the dead were members of the presidential guard. They were attacked in the middle of the night. It was a terrible firefight. There were very few civilian casualties, so I'm sure your family is fine."
Officer Mulroy interrupts Dixon: "Mr. Navorski, your country was annexed from the inside. The Republic of Krakozia is under new leadership."
Victor, upon hearing his country's name mentioned, responds: "Krakozia, Krakozia, Krakozia!"
Dixon says, "I don't think he gets it." Officer Mulroy nods in agreement.
Dixon uses an object lesson, and says, "Look. Imagine that these potato chips are Krakozia."
Victor corrects his pronunciation, "Kra-ko-zia."
Dixon: "Kra-ko-zia. Kra-ko-zia."
Victor: "Okay."
Dixon: "So the potato chips are Krakozia, okay, and this apple…"
Victor, holding up a tour book of NYC says, "Big Apple. Big Apple."
"Big Apple—represents the liberty rebels, okay?" Then, Dixon uses the apple to smash the bag of potato chips, covering Victor with crumbs. "No more Krakozia," Dixon continues. "New government. Revolution! You understand? So all flights in and out of your country have been suspended indefinitely and the new government has sealed all the borders, which means that your passport and visa are no longer valid, so currently, you are a citizen of nowhere."
Officer Mulroy: "Now even if we could get your new papers, we couldn't process them until the United States recognizes your country's new diplomatic reclassification."
Dixon agrees, "You don't qualify for asylum, refugee status, temporary protective status, humanitarian parole, or non-immigration work, travel or diplomatic visas - you don't qualify for any of these things. You are, at this time, simply unacceptable."
"Unacceptable?" Victor asks, struggling to understand.
"Unacceptable," Dixon replies.
II. Book
A. Utilize the discussion guide to examine the Scripture passages.
III. Look
A. Place members in groups and have them discuss the group assignments.
Group 1
God’s grace can overcome rejection.
What is God’s grace? (God’s desire and His power that I need)
How do you get more grace?
Read James 4:6, I Peter 5:5 and Proverbs 3:34
(God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble.)
What area of my life do I need God’s desire infused into my life?
Where do I need His power?
What area of your life do you need to humble before God?
Why not do it now?
Humbly ask God for more grace - I need your grace
------
Group 2
God’s grace can overcome rejection.
What is God’s grace? (God’s desire and His power that I need)
How do you get more grace?
Read James 4:6, I Peter 5:5 and Proverbs 3:34
(God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble.)
What area of my life do I need God’s desire infused into my life?
Where do I need His power?
What area of your life do you need to humble before God?
Why not do it now?
Humbly ask God for more grace - I need your grace
Group 3
God’s grace can overcome rejection.
What is God’s grace? (God’s desire and His power that I need)
How do you get more grace?
Read James 4:6, I Peter 5:5 and Proverbs 3:34
(God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble.)
What area of my life do I need God’s desire infused into my life?
Where do I need His power?
What area of your life do you need to humble before God?
Why not do it now?
Humbly ask God for more grace - I need your grace
------
Group 4
God’s grace can overcome rejection.
What is God’s grace? (God’s desire and His power that I need)
How do you get more grace?
Read James 4:6, I Peter 5:5 and Proverbs 3:34
(God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble.)
What area of my life do I need God’s desire infused into my life?
Where do I need His power?
What area of your life do you need to humble before God?
Why not do it now?
Humbly ask God for more grace - I need your grace
IV. Took
A. Read the following excerpt from James Robison’s book “Knowing God as Father” page 6
Knowing God as Father by James Robison
As for me, I grew up without a father. I was born as
a result of a forced sexual relationship when a lust driven
man forced his affections on a woman who
served as a practical nurse for his ailing father. The
result of that forced sexual encounter was my
conception. My mother shared the rest of the story
with me when I was in my early teens. After a doctor
refused to abort the unwanted child, my mother,
not knowing how she could care for me, prayerfully
pondered her dilemma. She said God told her that she
should have the baby and that her child would bring
joy into the world.
My father had no desire whatsoever to be part of my
life. He never took me fishing. He never played ball
with me. He never said, “That’s good, son.” His lack of
involvement deeply wounded me and created a terrible
sense of insecurity, guilt and fear, feelings that
handicapped me emotionally for many years. It was
only when I met Jesus, and He introduced me to
His perfect, heavenly Father, that I was able to overcome
the hurts of the past and find real meaning in life.
State – Do you sense the same feelings that James did? Feelings of insecurity, guilt and fear – Don’t let the rejection you sense in your life handicap you any longer.
Read Psalm 139: 1-18 – Comforting words for those that feel rejected. There is no situation hopeless with God.
B. Optional Method - Share the following article:
Think of obstacles as popsicles. Columnist Lona O'Connor tells how when she was a kid she heard the Johnny Nash song "I Can See Clearly Now" in these words: "I can see clearly now, the rain is gone. I can see all Popsicles in my way."
She grew up thinking of challenges in life as "rows of Popsicles melting in the sun -- red, yellow, green." Only later in life did she realize that the real lyric was: "I can see all obstacles in my way."
She recommends singing it her way. Conceive of obstacles, not as bricks, or mountains, but as popsicles.
(Lona O'Connor, "See Obstacles as Popsicles -- and Watch Them Melt Away," The Charlotte Observer, 21 May 2002, 4D.)
Read Psalm 139: 1-18 – Comforting words for those that feel rejected. There is no situation hopeless with God.
Close in prayer
DISCUSSION GUIDE
(Teacher’s Copy)
1. What is the sin that so easily beset Israel? (10:6)
[Idolatry of multiple gods.]
2. What outside influences do we sometimes inadvertently allow in our lives? What effect does that have on us?
3. The Lord was so angry with Israel he decided to crush them by using who? (10:7)