A brief look at the news or among those we know validates the claim that is isn't easy to finish well. A great start doesn't ensure a great finish. 

As we've seen, Gideon got a great start. God's improbable choice for a leader won an improbable victory and set Israel free from the worst oppression it had yet experienced. However clouds soon rose over Gideon as he made some poor decisions. The result was that Gideon did not finish well. 

Can we finish well? How? That is part of what we'll discuss in this message.