The story of Jephthah piercingly outlines Israel's spiral into decrepitude. Jephthah is a man that does not respect God, listen to him, or know him. This week we will see how all these things add up to Jephthah being completely antithetical to God's purposes for Israel, and in his efforts to make a name for himself, how he completely and foolishly removes his name from Israel. We will then learn how this unfortunate and sad story can inspire us to hold to our membership in the body of Christ with even greater conviction and why it is so important that we not give up being part of the church.