2014 Messages

Women of Grace (Judges 13:1-25)

Mark Pitman, May 13, 2018
Part of the Abounding Grace series, preached at a Sunday Morning service

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About Mark Pitman: Mark is the lead pastor at Bridgewater Community Church
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Judges 13 (Listen)

13:1 And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, so the LORD gave them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.

There was a certain man of Zorah, of the tribe of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. And his wife was barren and had no children. And the angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold, you are barren and have not borne children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. Therefore be careful and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, for behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines.” Then the woman came and told her husband, “A man of God came to me, and his appearance was like the appearance of the angel of God, very awesome. I did not ask him where he was from, and he did not tell me his name, but he said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. So then drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.’”

Then Manoah prayed to the LORD and said, “O Lord, please let the man of God whom you sent come again to us and teach us what we are to do with the child who will be born.” And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman as she sat in the field. But Manoah her husband was not with her. 10 So the woman ran quickly and told her husband, “Behold, the man who came to me the other day has appeared to me.” 11 And Manoah arose and went after his wife and came to the man and said to him, “Are you the man who spoke to this woman?” And he said, “I am.” 12 And Manoah said, “Now when your words come true, what is to be the child’s manner of life, and what is his mission?” 13 And the angel of the LORD said to Manoah, “Of all that I said to the woman let her be careful. 14 She may not eat of anything that comes from the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, or eat any unclean thing. All that I commanded her let her observe.”

15 Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, “Please let us detain you and prepare a young goat for you.” 16 And the angel of the LORD said to Manoah, “If you detain me, I will not eat of your food. But if you prepare a burnt offering, then offer it to the LORD.” (For Manoah did not know that he was the angel of the LORD.) 17 And Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, “What is your name, so that, when your words come true, we may honor you?” 18 And the angel of the LORD said to him, “Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?” 19 So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering, and offered it on the rock to the LORD, to the one who works wonders, and Manoah and his wife were watching. 20 And when the flame went up toward heaven from the altar, the angel of the LORD went up in the flame of the altar. Now Manoah and his wife were watching, and they fell on their faces to the ground.

21 The angel of the LORD appeared no more to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the LORD. 22 And Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, for we have seen God.” 23 But his wife said to him, “If the LORD had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering at our hands, or shown us all these things, or now announced to us such things as these.” 24 And the woman bore a son and called his name Samson. And the young man grew, and the LORD blessed him. 25 And the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

(ESV)

Date Series Sermon Scripture Special Events
5-Jan Inclement  Weather Day – No Services
12-Jan Living Life Together Why Are We Here, Where Are We Going, and How Do You Fit In? Ephesians 3:14-21
19-Jan Living Life Together Living Together As the People of God Exodus 1:1-2:10, 23-25 Sanctity of Human Life; Baby Dedication
26-Jan Inclement  Weather Day – No   Services
2-Feb Living Life Together Living Life Together Through a Growing Knowledge of Our God Exodus 3:1-15; 4:1-17
9-Feb Living Life Together Living Life Together by Selecting the Right God Exodus 5:1-6:13
16-Feb Living Life Together Living Life Together in the Joy of Our Redemption Exodus 11:1-12:41 Valentine’s   Day
23-Feb Living Life Together Living Life Together by Trusting Our Mighty Deliverer Exodus 14
2-Mar Inclement Weather Day – No   Services
9-Mar Living Life Together Living Life Together by Rejoicing in a Shepherd Who Provides Exodus 16 Daylight   Savings Time Begins; Gideon Speaker
16-Mar Living Life Together Living Life Together by Joyful Obedience to Our Covenant Exodus 19
23-Mar Guest Speaker Chris Gendron
30-Mar Living Life Together Living Life Together in Celebration of the Mercy of God Exodus 32 5th Sunday; BCC 101
6-Apr Friend Request Joining the Celebration Philippians 2:1-18 Camp Selah
13-Apr Friend Request The End of Blah, Blah, Blah John 12:1-19 Palm Sunday
20-Apr Friend Request When You Give and Receive Nothing in Return Matthew 26:42-56 Easter
27-Apr Friend Request Who’s Got Your Back? 1 Samuel 18:1-16, 19:1-7, 20:1-42
4-May Friend Request Strength in Numbers: Praying for One Another Colossians 4:2-4
11-May Friend Request Hospitality for Busy Lives Romans 12:1-13 Mother’s Day
18-May Friend Request When You Need a Friend – Because Two is Better Than One 1 Peter 1:-2:3, 3:13-18, 4:1-10, 12-19 Congregational Business Meeting
25-May  Guest Speaker Scott Towers Memorial Weekend
1-Jun Friend of God An Outrageous Possibility James 2:14-26 Honor Graduates
8-Jun Friend of God God Dwelling With Us 1 Corinthians 6:1-20 Communion
15-Jun Friend of God God Ruling Us – Coming to Grips with Jesus as Our Benevolent King Romans 10:9-13 Father’s Day; Baby Dedication
22-Jun Friend of God God Loving Us Romans 8:31-39
29-Jun Friend of God God With Us Isaiah 7:1-16 5th Sunday
6-Jul Friend of God God Interceding For Us Romans 8:12-27 Independence Day
13-Jul Friend of God God Our Father Romans 8:12-17
20-Jul Friend of God God Preparing For Us Revelation 21:1-22:5 Communion
27-Jul Living Life Together Living Life Together Because Our Family Had a Great Beginning Acts 11:1-11, 2:1-16
3-Aug Living Life Together The Message That Draws Us Together Acts 4:1-36  VBS Day
10-Aug Living Life Together Handling Our Finances with Generosity and Integrity Acts 5:1-16
17-Aug Living Life Together Proclaiming the Name Acts 5:12-42
24-Aug Living Life Together Solving Problems Quickly Acts 6:1-7 Baptism and Family Night
31-Aug Living Life Together Facing Pressure Courageously Acts 6:7-15, 51-60 5th Sunday
7-Sep Living Life Together When Times Are Hard Acts 8:1-40
14-Sep Living Life Together Amazed by God’s Grace Acts 9:1-31
21-Sep Living Life Together Celebrating Everyone’s Place On The Team Acts 9:32-42 Communion; SYATP
28-Sep Living Life Together Praying With Hearts of Faith Acts 12:1-25
5-Oct Living Life Together Properly Fulfilling the Mission Acts 13:1-16, 38-52 Hayride—Fall Party
12-Oct Living Life Together Discerning God’s Will As A Family Acts 15:1-35
19-Oct Living Life Together Experiencing the Power of God Acts 15:36-16:34  BCC 101
26-Oct Guest Speaker Scott Towers
2-Nov Living Life Together Making a Difference That Can’t Be Ignored  Acts 17:1-15 Daylight Savings Time Ends
9-Nov Stewardship LLT by Taking the Next Step in Your Financial Earning  Col 3:22-25
16-Nov Stewardship The Next Step in Spending  Luke 12:13-33 Thanksgiving Dinner
23-Nov Stewardship The Next Step in Giving  2 Cor 8:1-15; 9:14 Communion
30-Nov That Crazy Family of Yours Tis the Season for OCD Philippians 3:1-16 5th Sunday
7-Dec That Crazy Family of Yours Too Much Sugar, Too Many Presents Deuteronomy 6:1-9
14-Dec That Crazy Family of Yours Fixing Your Focus Matthew 2:1-12 Children’s program
21-Dec That Crazy Family of Yours Loving Your Outlaws Genesis 2:18-25
24-Dec, Wednesday  That Crazy Family of Yours  Christmas Has Always Been Crazy  Luke 2:1-20  Christmas Eve
28- Dec That Crazy Family of Yours The Biggest Bill Has Been Paid Colossians 2:1-15