The Mess - Joshua 9-10 - Seth Bourne

Have you ever found yourself in a mess? Sometimes the circumstances of life cause us trouble. Many times, however, the messes we get into are self-inflicted. What do you do when you find yourself in a self-caused mess? See God’s answer as we look at Joshua and his strange encounter with the Gibeonites. Sermon Questions: Joshua 9-10 1. Discuss a time when you got into a mess that was self-inflicted. How did it happen? 2. Why did Israel get into a mess with the Gibeonites? (see Joshua 9:14) How has this same problem caused you to get into trouble in your life? 3. Why didn’t Joshua let the Gibeonites die in battle (see Joshua 10:5-7)? What lesson is this for us and our problems? (Answer: Sometimes taking the easy way out is the wrong decision.) 4. Sin sometimes puts people in impossible, lose-lose situations where even the best move will cause harm. When have you observed this? What was the situation? How could it have been avoided? 5. In what ways are you regularly trying to ask God what He wants you to do so that you avoid future messes? How can this improve?