THE GLASS HOUSES: ME VS. ME
SCRIPTURE READING: Judges 2:6-19
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2026
Pastor Muche Ukegbu
The cycle:
Faithful leadership that leads to flourishing.
After Joshua had dismissed the Israelites, they went to take possession of the land, each to their own inheritance. 7 The people served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel.
8 Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten. 9 And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.
v6-9
Forgetfulness that leads to foolishness.
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. 11 Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. 12 They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They aroused the Lord’s anger 13 because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.
v10-13
Brokenness from sin.
In his anger against Israel the Lord gave them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist. 15 Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the Lord was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them.
v14-15a
Confession & Repentance.
They were in great distress.
v15b
Deliverance & Restoration.
Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders.
v16
The cause:
And I have also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; they will become traps for you, and their gods will become snares to you.’”
v3
Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. 12 They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them.
v11-12
In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
Judges 17:6 & 21:25 (ESV)
Ignorance- We don’t know better
Ignoring- We think we know better
Arrogance- We think we’re better
Skepticism- We don’t believe God is better or will bring better.
People make terrible goDs.
For the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them.
Judges 2:18
Receive the grace of God.
The off-ramp:
Get off the throne.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
Romans 6:5-14
Keep Jesus on the throne.
keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
Jude 1:21
To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—
Jude 1:24
“We don’t rise to the levels of our goals, we fall to the levels of our systems”
-James Clear. Atomic Habits.
Develop or strengthen your habit of being with Jesus.
How will you develop or strengthen your habit of being with Jesus?
Faithful leadership that leads to flourishing.
After Joshua had dismissed the Israelites, they went to take possession of the land, each to their own inheritance. 7 The people served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel.
8 Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten. 9 And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.
v6-9
Forgetfulness that leads to foolishness.
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. 11 Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. 12 They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They aroused the Lord’s anger 13 because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.
v10-13
Brokenness from sin.
In his anger against Israel the Lord gave them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist. 15 Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the Lord was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them.
v14-15a
Confession & Repentance.
They were in great distress.
v15b
Deliverance & Restoration.
Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders.
v16
The cause:
And I have also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; they will become traps for you, and their gods will become snares to you.’”
v3
Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. 12 They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them.
v11-12
In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
Judges 17:6 & 21:25 (ESV)
Ignorance- We don’t know better
Ignoring- We think we know better
Arrogance- We think we’re better
Skepticism- We don’t believe God is better or will bring better.
People make terrible goDs.
For the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them.
Judges 2:18
Receive the grace of God.
The off-ramp:
Get off the throne.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
Romans 6:5-14
Keep Jesus on the throne.
keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
Jude 1:21
To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—
Jude 1:24
“We don’t rise to the levels of our goals, we fall to the levels of our systems”
-James Clear. Atomic Habits.
Develop or strengthen your habit of being with Jesus.
How will you develop or strengthen your habit of being with Jesus?