Judges 16:1-31
“‘You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and his hair must never be cut. For he will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. He will begin to rescue Israel from the Philistines.’” Judges 13:5 (p.199)
“So Delilah said to Samson, ‘Please tell me what makes you so strong…’” Judges 16:6 (p.201)
- My Strength Comes From Faith In God.
“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13 (p.901)
- Identify who or what has your attention.
“Then Delilah pouted, ‘How can you tell me, “I love you,” when you don’t share your secrets with me? You’ve made fun of me three times now, and you still haven’t told me what makes you so strong!’” Judges 16:15 (p.202)
“Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.” Colossians 3:1 (p.903)
- Intentionally trust God.
“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.’” Judges 16:17 (p.202)
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5 (p.482)
- Incorporate a replenishment cycle.
“Then Samson prayed to the Lord, ‘Sovereign Lord, remember me again. O God, please strengthen me just one more time. With one blow let me pay back the Philistines for the loss of my two eyes.’ Then Samson put his hands on the two center pillars that held up the temple. Pushing against them with both hands, he prayed, ‘Let me die with the Philistines.’ And the temple crashed down on the Philistine rulers and all the people.” Judges 16:28-30 (p.202)
“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.’” Matthew 11:28 (p.760)
My Next Step This Week:
_____ I will take the next step of doing daily readings on resisting temptation.
Series Memory Verse: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” 2 Timothy 3:16 (p.915)
Small Group Questions
One Thing: My Strength Comes From Faith In God.
Series Memory Verse: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” 2 Timothy 3:16
Bible References: Judges 16:1-31
CONVERSATION STARTER
// What does it mean to have strength? Are there different types of strength? How can you have a strong faith?
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
The Philistines were the closest neighbors to the Israelites on the Mediterranean coast. The Philistines inhabited modern-day Jordan. The Bible tells us that the Philistines worshiped the gods and goddesses of Canaan and represented the worldly culture and perspective of the time. God wanted His people to avoid marrying Philistines because He knew that their allegiances would be split and their ability to follow God more and more difficult. Samson had incredible physical strength, but his ultimate downfall was that he never made his relationship with God the center of his relationship and eventually it caused him to drift further and further away from God.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
// Read Judges 16:15 (P.202). Identify who or what has your attention.
- What has your attention right now?
- How can you identify where your attention is? How can you focus your attention on God?
// Read Colossians 3:1 (P.903). We need to set our sights on Jesus.
- What does it mean to be raised to new life with Jesus?
- How does placing our attention on Jesus help strengthen our faith?
// Read Judges 16:17 (P.202). Intentionally trust God.
- What does it look like to intentionally trust God?
- Why is it difficult for us to trust God?
// Read Matthew 11:28 (P.742). God understands the burdens of this world.
- What is burdening you in life right now?
- How can you allow God to help you?
// Read Judges 16:28-30 (P.202). Incorporate a replenishment cycle.
- What is your current replenishment cycle?
- When do you feel the most at peace?
My Next Step This Week: _____ I will take the next step of doing daily readings on resisting temptation.
DIGGING DEEPER
Read Exodus 15:1-4 (P.55). This passage states that God is our strength and our defense. We need to continuously seek God’s strength when we encounter hardships and trials in this life.
Read 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (P.888). There is hope for us to be strong even in our weaknesses. God’s strength takes over when our limited strength fails. It is through our faith and belief in Him that we receive His strength.
Ephesians 6:10 (P.898) Philippians 4:13 (P.901) Isaiah 40:29 (P.548)