Bible Reading
Judges 16:1-6, 15-22 (ESV) — > 1 Samson went to Gaza, and there he saw a prostitute, and he went in to her. 2 The Gazites were told, “Samson has come here.” And they surrounded the place and set an ambush for him all night at the gate of the city. They kept quiet all night, saying, “Let us wait till the light of the morning; then we will kill him.” 3 But Samson lay till midnight, and at midnight he arose and took hold of the doors of the gate of the city and the two posts, and pulled them up, bar and all, and put them on his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that is in front of Hebron. 4 After this he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. 5 And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, “Seduce him, and see where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to humble him. And we will each give you 1,100 pieces of silver.” 6 So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me where your great strength lies, and how you might be bound, that one could subdue you.”
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> 15 And she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and you have not told me where your great strength lies.” 16 And when she pressed him hard with her words day after day, and urged him, his soul was vexed to death. 17 And he told her all his heart, and said to her, “A razor has never come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If my head is shaved, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak and be like any other man.” 18 When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called the lords of the Philistines, saying, “Come up again, for he has told me all his heart.” Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hands. 19 She made him sleep on her knees. And she called a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him. 20 And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And he awoke from his sleep and said, “I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him. 21 And the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles. And he ground at the mill in the prison. 22 But the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.
Romans 7:22-25 (ESV) — > 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Hebrews 4:15 (ESV) — > 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Observation Questions
- What are some of the ways Samson used his God-given strength in Judges 16? What were the results of his actions?
- According to Romans 7:22-25, how does Paul describe the struggle between wanting to do good and actually doing it?
- In Hebrews 4:15, what does it say about Jesus’ experience with temptation compared to ours?
- The sermon described Samson as “strong before men, weak before women.” What specific examples from his life support this description? [[28:05]]
Interpretation Questions
- Why do you think Samson, despite being set apart by God and given supernatural strength, kept falling into the same patterns of compromise and sin? [[31:05]]
- The sermon says, “Samson’s story is meant to be a mirror for our own lives.” In what ways does Samson’s struggle with temptation and self-indulgence reflect the struggles we face today? [[34:47]]
- Paul’s words in Romans 7 express a deep frustration with his own inability to do what is right. How does this connect to the story of Samson, and what hope does Paul offer? [[42:29]]
- The sermon contrasts Samson and Jesus, saying Jesus is the “better deliverer.” What makes Jesus different from Samson in how he handled temptation and used his strength? [[43:34]]
Application Questions
- The sermon asks, “What is your weak knee?”—the area where you are most vulnerable to temptation. Can you identify a specific area in your life where you are prone to compromise? How does it affect your relationship with God and others? [[31:05]]
- Samson often used his gifts for self-serving purposes. Are there gifts or talents God has given you that you are tempted to use for your own benefit rather than for God’s glory? What would it look like to steward those gifts differently? [[33:00]]
- The message warns against judging others for their failures and instead encourages humility. When you see someone else struggling, is your first response judgment or compassion? How can you grow in humility and grace toward others? [[34:47]]
- The sermon says, “Holiness is not about trying harder, but about belonging to God, being shaped by Jesus, and walking in the power of the Holy Spirit.” What does it look like for you to pursue holiness as belonging, not just behavior? [[45:30]]
- Paul’s cry in Romans 7 is, “Who will deliver me from this body of death?”—and the answer is Jesus. When you feel stuck in a pattern of sin or weakness, how do you usually respond? What would it look like to turn to Jesus in those moments instead of relying on your own strength? [[42:29]]
- The sermon challenges us to “lay aside every weight and sin” and “run our race with endurance.” Is there a specific habit, relationship, or distraction that is weighing you down spiritually? What step could you take this week to lay it aside? [[45:30]]
- At the end of the message, the pastor invited everyone to name and surrender their “weak knee” to God. Is there something you need to confess and surrender today? How can your small group support you in this? [[49:19]]
