Get Your Mind Right: Samson | Greg Ford | One Church
ICEBREAKER
Who has been a spiritual hero in your life?
MESSAGE NOTES
GET YOUR MIND RIGHT: SAMSON
Romans 12….be transformed by the renewing of your mind
[Romans 12:2]
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you
into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know
God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
[Philippians 4:8]
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is
true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about
things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
[Ephesians 4:22-23]
Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted
by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and
attitudes.
[Judges 13:5]
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 13:24-25]
When her son was born, she named him Samson. And the Lord blessed him as he
grew up. 25 And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him…
It is reasonable to think that he did not look very strong. Whether he looked strong or not, it was the Spirit of God who made him strong.
Samson is a walking talking, living breathing caricature of challenge we all face as we seek to take on life with our strengths in one hand and our weaknesses in the other. We all experience this dichotomy. He was a study in contrasts; a man of great strengths and
great weaknesses.
[Judges 15:4-5]
Then he went out and caught 300 foxes. He tied their tails together in pairs, and he fastened a
torch to each pair of tails. 5 Then he lit the torches…
[Judges 15:15]
Then he found the jawbone of a recently killed donkey. He picked it up and killed 1,000 Philistines
with it.
[Judges 16:3]
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.
In the subsequent chapters he’s making decisions so stupid, you can’t even feel sorry
for him. Seemingly every time he’s positioned in a high stakes situation he falls into a
pattern of self sabotage.
It’s the people with great strengths and great weaknesses who are constantly undermining their potential that bring a certain type of heartbreak and frustration. This is common even today…can lead to self loathing…but should lead to wisdom
[Judges 14:5-6]
…a young lion suddenly attacked Samson near the vineyards of Timnah. 6 At that
moment the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him, and he ripped the lion’s jaws
apart with his bare hands. He did it as easily as if it were a young goat. But he didn’t tell his father or mother about it.
Don’t take opportunity for granted.
One of the ways we worship God is by throwing our full weight into the opportunities He gives us.
[Judges 14:1-2]
One day when Samson was in Timnah, one of the Philistine women caught his eye. 2 When he returned home, he told his father and mother, “A young Philistine woman in Timnah caught my eye. I want to marry her. Get her for me.”
Go with your gut…maybe…or maybe don’t go with your gut. The quality of the advice
that your gut is giving you is based on your gut health. If you’ve been eating junk food
don’t go with your gut. Just because something catches your eye doesn’t mean you
should allow it to capture your heart.
Matthew 6:22-24
…eye is the lamp of the body
Stand your ground and be stubborn or Submit yourself to the wise people around you
[Judges 14:3]
His father and mother objected.
[Proverb 12:15]
Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.
[Judges 15:15-19]
He takes credit for his victories and blames God for his defeats.
I see people all the time blame God when things go wrong, but don’t give him any glory for the stuff that went right.
It is possible to simultaneously grow in confidence and
humility. How? Learn to think high in the low times, and low in the high times.
[Judges 16:28]
Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “Sovereign Lord, remember me again.
It’s never too late to give your life for a divine purpose.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Your strengths and gifts are attached to a greater purpose. Share some of the gifts that God has given you?
Are those gifts and strengths serving you or others? Share what you can do to make a change today.
Are you throwing your full weight into the opportunities that God gives you? If not what can you do to make a change?
With your strengths in one hand and your weaknesses in the other, have you too found yourself in a pattern of self sabotage? Explain
What is something or someone in your life that you have lost hope in? Ask God to give you a new perspective for that person or circumstance.