11/2/25 - Joshua Part 2: Breaking the Cycle - Pastor Josh Stelly

Key Takeaway

To avoid getting stuck in a cycle of sin, keep your eyes fixed on the cross.

Judges 2:10-19 - Today's Big Idea - Israel's cycle of sin is a bad habit that Jesus died to end.Key Takeaway - To avoid getting stuck in a cycle of sin, keep your eyes fixed on the cross.

1. The Shape of the Cycle

Picture Israel's pattern like this:

• Israel starts by serving God faithfully
• Like a slow leak in a tire, they begin to drift into sin and idolatry
• They become enslaved to the very people they were supposed to drive out
• After suffering under oppression, they finally cry out to God for help
• God responds with mercy and raises up a judge to deliver them
• The judge leads them to freedom and spiritual renewal... until they don't

2. When Compromise Creates a Crisis

"After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel."

(Judges 2:10 NIV)

Key Truth: Half-hearted devotion produces children who don't know God.

3. Sin Is Never Private

"Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors..." (Judges 2:11-13 NIV)

4. The Anger of Love

"In his anger against Israel the Lord gave them into the hands of raiders who plundered them..." (Judges 2:14-15 NIV)

5. The Mystery of the Judge

"Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders."

(Judges 2:16 NIV)

Quote from Dale Ralph Davis: "The One who 'gave them into the hand of the

plunderers' also 'saved them from the hand of the plunderers'; the hand that is against them is nevertheless mysteriously for them. Here is the fundamental miracle of the Bible: that the God who rightly casts us down should—without reason—stoop to lift us up."

6. Breaking Free from Our Cycles

Jesus Christ is the Judge who never dies. He's the Deliverer who doesn't just rescue us from the consequences of our sin—He destroys the power of sin itself.

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8 NIV)

7. Fixing Our Eyes on the Cross

Will we keep running in circles, or will we fix our eyes on the One who broke thecycle forever?

Small Group Discussion Questions

1. What does the cycle of sin in Judges teach us about human nature and our tendency to forget God's faithfulness?

2. The text says "another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor

what he had done for Israel." How can we ensure that the next generation knows God? What practical steps can we take?

3. How does compromise in our spiritual lives lead to crisis? Can you share an example from your own life or observation?

4. The sermon mentions that "sin is never private." How do our personal choices affect those around us, especially our families?

5. How do we reconcile God's anger with His love? What does this passage teach us about God's character?

6. Dale Ralph Davis describes God as the One who "rightly casts us down" yet "stoops to lift us up." How have you experienced this paradox in your own faith journey?

7. How is Jesus different from the judges in the Old Testament? Why is it significant that He is "the Judge who never dies"?