Samson: A Bad Hair Day

1. Samson didn’t ruin his life all at once. He ruined it one step at a time.

One day Samson went to the Philistine town of Gaza and spent the night with a prostitute. Word soon spread that Samson was there, so the men of Gaza gathered together and waited all night at the town gates. They kept quiet during the night, saying to themselves, “When the light of morning comes, we will kill him.”
Judges 16:1‭-‬2 NLT

Samson’s small steps toward big destruction

1. He taunted the enemy

But Samson stayed in bed only until midnight. Then he got up, took hold of the doors of the town gate, including the two posts, and lifted them up, bar and all. He put them on his shoulders and carried them all the way to the top of the hill across from Hebron.
Judges 16:3 NLT

Some time later Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah, who lived in the valley of Sorek.
Judges 16:4 NLT

2. He rationalized the same old sin.

The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, “Entice Samson to tell you what makes him so strong and how he can be overpowered and tied up securely. Then each of us will give you 1,100 pieces of silver.”
Judges 16:5 NLT,

Finally, Samson shared his secret with her. “My hair has never been cut,” he confessed, “for I was dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as anyone else.” Delilah realized he had finally told her the truth, so she sent for the Philistine rulers. “Come back one more time,” she said, “for he has finally told me his secret.” So the Philistine rulers returned with the money in their hands. Delilah lulled Samson to sleep with his head in her lap, and then she called in a man to shave off the seven locks of his hair. In this way she began to bring him down, and his strength left him. Then she cried out, “Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!” When he woke up, he thought, “I will do as before and shake myself free.” But he didn’t realize the Lord had left him. So the Philistines captured him and gouged out his eyes. They took him to Gaza, where he was bound with bronze chains and forced to grind grain in the prison.
Judges 16:17‭-‬21 NLT

Because the sentence against evil deeds is so long in coming, people in general think they can get by with murder.
Ecclesiastes 8:11 MSG

Memory Verse

So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!
1 Corinthians 10:12 NIV

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My favorite Day

Hey, Happy Wednesday. I hope you are having a great day ☺ Today is one of my favorite days because I have #Lifegroup tonight! I love meeting up with my friends and having deep conversations.  We all need people that we can be 1000% honest with. 
In other news this morning, I had two cups of coffee because my dad accidentally put my first cup, which I was half done with, in the sink, so he made me another full cup.  

Samson: When your Emotions Rule your Life

Review

Samson was an incredibly strong man with a dangerously weak will. 

He was:

  • Selected by God
  • Set apart by God
  • Strengthened by God

New info about Samson

1.   Samson was emotionally driven not sprit led. 

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.
Galatians 5:16‭-‬17 NIV

Two Emotions That Ruin your life

1. Anger

So before sunset of the seventh day, the men of the town came to Samson with their answer: “What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?” Samson replied, “If you hadn’t plowed with my heifer, you wouldn’t have solved my riddle!” Then the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him. He went down to the town of Ashkelon, killed thirty men, took their belongings, and gave their clothing to the men who had solved his riddle. But Samson was furious about what had happened, and he went back home to live with his father and mother. So his wife was given in marriage to the man who had been Samson’s best man at the wedding.
Judges 14:18‭-‬20 NLT

2. Samson was filled with Pride

Then he found the jawbone of a recently killed donkey. He picked it up and killed 1,000 Philistines with it. Then Samson said, “With the jawbone of a donkey, I’ve piled them in heaps! With the jawbone of a donkey, I’ve killed a thousand men!”
Judges 15:15‭-‬16 NLT

What lead to Samson’s downfall?

1. He rejected Godly counsel

2. He refused to honor his comments

3. He relied on his strength instead of God’s spirit

Memory Verse

This is what the Lord says: “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches. But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the Lord, have spoken!
Jeremiah 9:23‭-‬24 NLT

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#BoundlessBabe

Hey, I hope you’re having a beautiful day. What are you doing today? Right now, I’m finishing breakfast. As a #boundlessbabe, we are asked to take on a chosen goal. My goal. Is to keep up my independence by using my wallet basket.

I’ve had this goal before, and I have fallen away from it. What will make it’s time different is that I have good friends to check in with.