Don’t Make Bargains With God | Judges 11

Have you ever tried to cut a deal with God? ‘If You get me out of this… I’ll do this for You.’ We’ve all done it. But Judges 11 shows us how bargaining with God exposes insecurity and ends in heartbreak. Summary Judges 11 tells the story of Jephthah, who already had the Spirit of the Lord empowering him for victory. But insecurity led him to make a rash vow, bargaining with God for what he already possessed. This chapter warns us that bargaining never secures blessing—trust in God’s promises does. Reflection & Small Group Questions 1. Have you ever prayed a “bargaining prayer” with God? What was driving it? 2. Why do you think insecurity makes us want to add conditions to God’s promises? 3. How can you tell the difference between faith in God’s Spirit and faith in your own performance? 4. What’s an example of a rash bargain that backfired in your life? 5. Why does bargaining with God reveal a desire for control? 6. How does Jephthah’s story show the danger of trying to secure God’s favor instead of trusting it? 7. In what ways do you look for extra “assurance” instead of relying on the Spirit as your guarantee (Eph. 1:13–14)? 8. What’s the difference between living a life of bargaining versus a life of trust? 9. How does Jesus’ full surrender on the cross free us from feeling like we need to bargain with God? 10. This week, when you feel tempted to make a deal with God, what declaration of trust could you replace it with? Read more about PROJECT23 👉🏼 https://beresolute.org/project23/ Join this channel to get access to the perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMTXiJbuAVrF2hTJgnYK5qw/join Check out all Vince Miller's videos and audios for small groups at https://beresolute.org/ Get Vince's most widely read resource, The Daily Devotional, at https://beresolute.org/mdd Check out more ALL IN products like the one Vince is wearing at: https://beresolute.org/product-category/all-in-hats/ Connect with Vince socially: FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/millervince INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/vinceleemiller LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vincemiller TWITTER: https://twitter.com/vinceleemiller