Grace in the Rubble

Judges 14-16

Good morning, Church! You look good this morning—you really do.

If you’ve got your Bibles, and I trust that you do, go ahead and turn with me to Judges chapter 14.

We’re in our second week looking at one of the most colorful characters in all of Scripture—Samson. His story is a tale of the weak becoming strong… and the strong becoming weak.

Now before we dive in, let’s do a quick rewind. Last week we were in Judges 13, looking at Samson’s birth announcement. Samson’s birth was a miracle of grace. Israel wasn’t even crying out for deliverance, but God moved first anyway.

And the big idea was this: Samson wasn’t the Savior Israel really needed. He was a preview—a trailer—a shadow- for the true Deliverer who was still to come. Samson would “begin” to save Israel, but only Jesus finishes the job. We said it like this: Jesus will complete what Samson begins.

Remember, Israel didn’t even cry out for help this time. They were so numb, so content in their sin, that they weren’t even praying anymore. And that’s when God stepped in—grace always moves first. If salvation was going to happen, it wasn’t because Israel pulled themselves up, it was because God stooped down.

And that’s good news for us too, because when we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Our weak grip may slip, but His grip never does. That’s where we landed last week.

Now this week, we’re shifting from Samson’s birth to his life and his death. And here’s the big theme: Samson’s greatest enemy was never the Philistines—it was himself.

Just past friday, my son Judah turned 9. And yesterday, we threw him a birthday party and after his birthday party, Judah looks at me and says, “Dad, I think 9 is the age where you basically know everything.” and I responded- I can’t wait until I turn 9 then.

But I thought about how oftern we do that. Because that’s Samson problem. That’s our problem.

We think we’ve got it all figured out, we think we’re strong, but the truth is the biggest battles we face aren’t “out there”—they’re “in here.”

Samson had incredible physical strength, but inwardly he was weak.

He had what I’d call a spiritual virus. Not something you can fight off with muscles or a protein shake. His problem wasn’t that he couldn’t beat the Philistines. His problem was that he couldn’t beat Samson.

And maybe you know that feeling. You look back at certain chapters of your life and think, “Why did I do that? Why didn’t I just say no? Why didn’t I keep my mouth shut? Why did I go there, or make that call, or take that step?” We’ve all been there—standing in the wreckage of decisions we made, realizing the enemy wasn’t just out there, it was staring back at us in the mirror.

And that’s where, if I’m honest, I see myself in Samson. Not because I can bench-press a chariot or wrestle a lion in the backyard—but because, like Samson, my biggest problem isn’t “out there.” It’s in here. The hardest person I’ve ever had to lead… is me.

That’s why Samson’s story is so relevant. Because every morning, when you wake up and look in the mirror, you’re looking at your own worst enemy.

Sometimes its the enemy at work in our life- but more times then we probably like to admit- its our own doing.

Now, I do want to lean in and talk especially to the men today—because Samson’s story presses hard into our lives.

Some of you are sabotaging your calling, your marriage, your future, not because the world is stronger than you—but because you aren’t stronger than yourself.

This doesn’t mean you get to check out this morning, ladies.

Because Samson doesn’t just represent men; he represents Israel.

Old Testament scholars point out that Samson was meant to be more than a man—he was a picture of all of Israel. The author of Judges makes the parallels crystal clear:

Both came into the world through miraculous births. Think Abraham and Sarah. Think Manoah and his wife. Weak beginnings that God turned into strong beginnings.

Both were set apart by God’s power—Samson by the Nazirite vow, Israel by the law of Moses.

And just like Samson kept running after foreign women, Israel kept running after foreign gods.

Do you see it? Samson’s story is Israel’s story. And if you’ll listen closely, it’s probably your story, too.

Last week we looked at Samson’s beginning. This week, we’re going to look at his life and his end. And my prayer is that God will use Samson’s failures not just as a warning but as a signpost to the Savior who never fails.

So let’s dive in—Judges 14

The very first story we get from Samson’s adult life opens with him coming home to mom and dad and basically saying, “Hey, I saw this fine-looking Philistine girl in town… and I want to marry her.”

Judges 14:3 “But his father and mother said to him, “Is there not a woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you must go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes.””

Now, let’s be clear—this isn’t about racial prejudice. Samson’s parents aren’t being uptight snobs; they’re concerned about faith. They know God has called His people to marry inside the covenant community so that their hearts would stay aligned with Him.

All through the Old Testament, God is crystal clear on this. He told Joshua and the Israelites to drive out the nations in Canaan—not because God didn’t like their skin tone or their culture—but because He knew their false gods would seduce His people’s hearts. It was never about ethnicity. It was about idolatry.

But Samson doesn’t care. He’s not worried about faithfulness to God. Verse 3 says he looks at his dad and says, “Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes.”

That’s Samson in a nutshell. His life is not driven by what is right in God’s eyes—it’s driven by what looks good in his own eyes.

And right there, you see the headline over Samson’s whole life. If I had to sum up his weakness in one sentence, it’s this: Samson is driven by whatever pleases Samson. His motto is basically, “If it looks good to me, I’m in. If it feels good to me, I’ll do it.”

That’s his compass. Not God’s Word. Not godly wisdom. Not the counsel of his parents. Just his desires.

Samson lives by the creed our culture preaches every single day: “Follow your heart. Be true to yourself. Let your desires guide you.” That’s Disney theology. And it might make for catchy songs and cute movies, but real life shows you where that road ends—wreckage, heartbreak, destruction.

And here’s the irony: Samson thinks he’s running toward freedom, but really he’s sprinting toward chains.

Then, in verse 4, the author gives us a little behind-the-scenes look. God is still at work—even through Samson’s selfishness. Because even when we are chasing our own desires, God has a way of weaving it into His bigger story.

Judges 14:4 “His father and mother did not know that it was from the Lord, for he was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines. At that time the Philistines ruled over Israel.”

Now, what does that mean? Does that mean Samson made a righteous decision? Nope. Not at all. It means that even though Samson’s choice was selfish and foolish, God was still weaving it into His bigger plan.

Let me step back and show you the bigger picture of what’s happening with Israel. By this point, Israel had gotten really comfortable in their captivity. They weren’t even crying out for deliverance anymore. They didn’t want to be delivered. And listen—that is the most dangerous place the people of God can ever be.

Because the greatest threat to God’s people has never been extermination—it’s assimilation. When the enemy tries to wipe God’s people off the map, we usually rally, we call on the Lord, and He shows up strong. But when the enemy lulls us to sleep with comfort—when he whispers us into compromise, when he entices our hearts away from God—that’s when the danger is greatest.

That’s where Israel was. They weren’t at war with the Philistines; they were at peace with them. And God hadn’t rescued His people just so they could blend in and settle down. He rescued them so that they might belong to Him—set apart, consumed in love for Him. But now? They’re comfortable in captivity.

So what does God do? He stirs up some conflict. Enter Samson—a hotheaded, impulsive, testosterone-driven meathead on spiritual roid rage. God is going to use even Samson’s bad decisions to start shaking Israel awake.

And before we move on, let me just ask—have you seen God do that in your life? When your heart starts to get way too tied to this world—money, comfort, popularity—sometimes God will stir up a little holy trouble just to wake you up. He loves you too much to let you stay cozy in captivity.

That’s what God does with His church, too. Sometimes He’s got to shake us up when we start to drift toward comfort and complacency.

I’ll be honest with you, I’ve only been at Cedar Bay since May of last year, but I’ve already seen this danger up close. We’re in the middle of a revitalization effort, and the one thing we cannot afford to do is get complacent.

I mean, it’s so easy for churches to fall into the trap—we’ve got meetings, we’ve got programs, we’ve got committees… but if you step back, it looks a lot less like we’re storming the gates of hell and more like we’re just keeping ourselves busy and entertained.

We sit in meetings that go on and on and go nowhere- nothing gets accomplished.

We move so slow that by the time we finally decide, the moment has already passed.

And what does God do when His church starts to drift like that? He shakes us up. He lets us feel the weight of decline, the sting of empty pews, the ache of a community that barely notices if our doors are open or shut. Why? To wake us up. To remind us—we’re not here to be comfortable, we’re here to be faithful.

Because church, let’s be clear—God didn’t breathe new life into Cedar Bay just to give us a nice little religious club. He saved us to be His—set apart, holy, consumed with love for Him, and passionate about reaching this city with the gospel.

And just like with Israel in Samson’s day, God will even use hardship, frustration, or change to stir us. Why? Because He’s more concerned with our holiness than our comfort. More concerned with our obedience than our pace.

He is way more concerned with His mission than our traditions.

So hear me—if we’re not careful, we’ll trade urgency for apathy. We’ll settle for survival instead of pressing into revival.

But here’s the good news: our future doesn’t rest on the speed of our committees, the cleverness of our plans, or the strength of your pastor.

Our help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. And He has promised that He will finish what He started.

He will either use our obedience or our rebellion- and apathy is rebellion- to glorify His name- Its the same thing he did with Samson.

The next episode in Samson’s story is the lion and honey incident—wild stuff. It goes like this: Samson is throwing himself a keg party to celebrate his engagement. And just a few days before the party, a lion jumps out and attacks him. Judges 14:6 says, “…he tore the lion in pieces as one tears a young goat.”

Now I’ll be honest with you… after all my extensive Hebrew study, I still have no idea what that phrase means. Evidently, goat-tearing was just what you did for fun back then. It was like game night in ancient Israel. “What did you do for the 4th?” “Oh, the usual—set off some fireworks, played a little cornhole, tore a few goats.”

Well, a few days later Samson comes back by that same spot, sees the lion’s carcass, and notices bees have built a hive inside the ribcage. He scoops out some honey, eats it, and that gives him an idea for a riddle. So at the party he says, “Here’s the deal: solve this riddle in 7 days and I’ll give each of you a suit of clothes. But if you can’t, each of you has to give me a suit.”

They try, but they can’t figure it out. So they threaten his fiancée: “Get Samson to tell you, or you’re dead.” She pulls out the oldest trick in the book—she cries. “You don’t love me. You’re starting our marriage with secrets. I’m going to take you on Dr. Phil.”

So Samson caves, tells her the answer, and she runs straight to the Philistines. They solve the riddle. And Samson, the hopeless romantic, replies, “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have found out my riddle.” (Men, quick tip: don’t ever call your wife a heifer. It will not end well.)

Then the Spirit of the Lord rushes upon Samson, and he kills 30 Philistines, strips them of their clothes, and pays off his bet. And you have to ask—why would God fill Samson with His Spirit for something so petty and vindictive?

Because He has a bigger purpose. God is using even Samson’s anger and foolishness to create division between Israel and the Philistines—because Israel had gotten way too comfortable in captivity.

Now the story keeps getting crazier.

A little while later, Judges 15:1

Judges 15:1 (ESV) After some days, at the time of wheat harvest, Samson went to visit his wife with a young goat.

(Apparently, in the ancient world, that’s date-night protocol. Forget chocolates and flowers—just show up with a goat and say, “Babe, I was thinking of you.” And maybe later, if things go well, you tear a few goats together for fun.)

Judges 15:2 (ESV) And her father said, “I really thought that you utterly hated her, so I gave her to your companion. Is not her younger sister more beautiful than she? Please take her instead.”

What?! Who cares about her younger sister? Samson isn’t exactly in the mood for a swap. He’s furious.

Judges 15:3 (ESV) And Samson said to them, “This time I shall be innocent in regard to the Philistines, when I do them harm.”

So here’s what he does: Verse 4, “So Samson went and caught 300 foxes…”

Now pause right there. How? How do you even catch 300 foxes? I can’t get one squirrel out of my attic without losing my religion. But somehow Samson manages it. “…and he turned them tail to tail and put a torch between each pair of tails. And when he had set fire to the torches, he let the foxes go into the standing grain of the Philistines and set fire to the stacked grain and the standing grain, as well as the olive orchards” (Judges 15:4–5 ESV).

As far as practical jokes go, this is one for the ages. Samson basically lights up the night sky with flaming foxes spelling out in smoke: “Samson was here.”

But the Philistines don’t laugh. They retaliate by killing his wife and her father. And Samson’s response? Verse 7, “And Samson said to them, ‘If this is what you do, I swear I will be avenged on you, and after that I will quit.’”

Except, of course, he doesn’t quit. Verse 8, “And he struck them hip and thigh with a great blow.”

That’s the Hebrew way of saying he opened up a can of whoop-trash on them. Then he goes down and hides out in the cleft of the rock of Etam, a little Israelite town.

The Philistines want revenge, so verse 10 says, “The men of Judah said, ‘We have come up to bind Samson, to do to him as he did to us.’” And here’s the crazy part: it takes 3,000 Israelites to go get him. Three thousand of his own people. Verse 11, “Do you not know that the Philistines are rulers over us? What then is this that you have done to us?”

Do you hear that? That’s not just fear—that’s resignation. God’s people have gotten so used to captivity that they’ve made peace with their chains.

So they bind him up—two new ropes, nice and tight—and deliver him over. But then verse 14: “Then the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon him, and the ropes that were on his arms became as flax that has caught fire, and his bonds melted off his hands.”

Samson looks around, verse 15, “And he found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, and put out his hand and took it, and with it he struck 1,000 men.”

Now that’s impressive. That’s the “hip and thigh” thing on a whole new scale.

But here’s the thing—he’s not supposed to be touching anything dead. Remember the Nazirite vow? No wine, no razor, no dead bodies. Yet here he is, using the fresh jawbone of a donkey as his weapon of choice.

Strong on the outside. Compromised on the inside. That’s Samson. And honestly, that’s us when we rely on our gifts and ignore God’s commands.

Judges 15:16 says, “And Samson said, ‘With the jawbone of a donkey, heaps upon heaps, with the jawbone of a donkey have I struck down a thousand men.’ And as soon as he had finished speaking, he threw away the jawbone out of his hand” (Judges 15:16–17 ESV).

How cool is that? Samson has just taken out a thousand Philistines, and with the jawbone of that donkey still in his hand, he composes this little victory rap on the spot. It doesn’t rhyme in English, but it does in Hebrew. And honestly, you almost have to read it like an ancient Eminem freestyle:

“With the jawbone of a donkey, I stacked them up like laundry. With the jawbone of a mule, I made them look like fools…”

And then, like any good rapper finishing his set, he drops the jawbone like it’s the mic. Walk-off moment. Pretty awesome.

But here’s the problem: as soon as the spotlight fades, Samson heads right back into sin. Chapter 16 opens, “Samson went to Gaza, and there he saw a prostitute, and he went in to her” (Judges 16:1 ESV).

Not just a Philistine woman this time—a Philistine prostitute. And not just in any city—Gaza, the Philistine capital. His sin is growing bolder, more brazen. He’s not sneaking around anymore; he’s walking straight into enemy territory like nothing can touch him.

And isn’t that how sin works? What starts small gets bolder. What starts in secret grows shameless. Samson isn’t just breaking vows now; he’s walking straight into the enemy’s headquarters, living like the rules don’t apply to him.

Judges 16:2 says, “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.’ 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” (Judges 16:2–3 ESV).

Now listen—that’s just awesome. I don’t have three points of application for you here. Sometimes you just have to stop and say, “That’s crazy. That’s amazing. That’s why it’s in the Bible.” He literally rips the gates of the Philistine capital out of the ground, throws them on his shoulders, and carries them miles away uphill. When a guy does that, you don’t explain it—you write it down.

But then verse 4 hits, and the tone shifts: “After this he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.”

Now here’s something fascinating. In Hebrew, the name “Delilah” sounds like the word for “night.” And if you go back and reread the opening verses of this chapter, that word night keeps popping up. Over and over. And now, Samson is literally lying down in “the night’s” bed.

Do you see the picture? Darkness is closing in. This is the beginning of the end.

Judges 16:5 says, “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.’”

That’s a lot of money. The Philistines basically back a Brinks truck up to Delilah’s door and say, “Name your price.” And she says, “Deal.”

Verse 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.’”

Now you would think—right here—Samson would say, “Hold up. That’s a weird question. Why do you want to know how to tie me up?” But nope. He plays along.

Verse 7: “Samson said to her, ‘If they bind me with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, then I shall become weak and be like any other man.’”

So she ties him up. Verse 9: “Now she had men lying in ambush in an inner chamber. And she said to him, ‘The Philistines are upon you, Samson!’ But he snapped the bowstrings, as a thread of flax snaps when it touches the fire. So the secret of his strength was not known.”

That’s Bible talk for—he broke out like it was nothing. He might as well have been wrapped in toilet paper.

But Delilah’s not giving up. Verse 10: “Then Delilah said to Samson, ‘Behold, you have mocked me and told me lies. Please tell me how you might be bound.’”

So Samson says, “Okay, okay—it’s new ropes.”

Verse 12: “So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them and said to him, ‘The Philistines are upon you, Samson!’ And the men lying in ambush were in an inner chamber. But he snapped the ropes off his arms like a thread.”

Same story, second verse. He breaks free without even trying.

And the crazy thing is—you can see what’s happening. Delilah isn’t even hiding her intentions anymore. She’s saying out loud, “Tell me how to tie you up so you can be destroyed,” and Samson keeps playing with fire.

That’s what sin does—it blinds us to the obvious. What looks like a game is really a trap.

Judges 16:13 says, “Then he said to her, ‘If you weave the seven locks of my head with the web and fasten it tight with the pin, then I shall become weak and be like any other man.’”

Whoa, wait a minute. Now we’re getting close. He’s finally bringing up the hair.

So of course, she does it. Delilah weaves his hair into the loom while he’s sleeping. And then she cries out again, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And he wakes up, rips the whole loom right out of the floor, and starts swinging it around like, “Where? Where are they? Who wants some?”

But then Delilah pulls out the big guns. Verse 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.’”

And verse 16 says, “And when she pressed him hard with her words day after day, and urged him, his soul was vexed to death.”

In other words—nag, nag, nag, until he can’t take it anymore. Now let’s be honest, hasn’t Samson been burned on this before? This isn’t his first rodeo. But here he is again, playing the same game.

Why? Because guys can be stupid. He doesn’t have the strength to say no. He doesn’t have the strength to withstand her displeasure. And isn’t that true? Most men want peace in their homes—and that’s a good thing—but some want it so badly they’ll cave in places where they should stand strong.

That’s Samson. Strong enough to kill a thousand Philistines with a donkey’s jawbone, but too weak to stand up to one woman’s words.

And church, here’s the lesson: outward strength means nothing if inward weakness is left unchecked.

Judges 16:17 “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.””

Judges 16:18 says, “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.”

And then verse 19: “She made him sleep on her knees.”

Do you see how overconfident Samson has become? He has just given away his secret, told her the truth about his strength—and then he curls up and takes a nap in her lap. That’s how blind pride makes you. He thinks he’s untouchable. But God is about to wake him up.

“And she called a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head” (v. 19). The hair is gone. The vow is broken. The Spirit has departed.

Then verse 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.”

That’s one of the saddest verses in all of Scripture. He did not know that the LORD had left him. Just like Israel in those days—they didn’t even know they needed deliverance.

Verse 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.”

Most historians say they would have first taken a heated iron prong, burned his eyes until he was blind, then dug out whatever was left. This is the mighty Samson, reduced to chains and slavery, blind and grinding grain like an animal.

And here’s the lesson: this is the trajectory of sin. It starts fun—it looks like strength, keg parties, riddles, prostitutes, and Delilah’s lap. But it never ends that way.

I heard an old country preacher say it like this: “Sin binds. Sin blinds. Sin grinds.” And I know it sounds a little old-school, but I’ll tell you this—I first heard that at a camp meeting when I was like 10, and I’ve never forgotten it. Because it’s true.

Sin will always take you farther than you wanted to go, keep you longer than you wanted to stay, and cost you more than you ever wanted to pay.

Judges 16:22 says, “But the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.”

What a verse. Don’t skip past that. His eyes are gone. His freedom is gone. His strength is gone. But his hair begins to grow again. That’s hope. We’ll come back to that at the end.

Verse 23: “Now the lords of the Philistines gathered to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to rejoice, and they said, ‘Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hand.’”

This is a massive party. A worship service for Dagon, their fish-god. Verse 24 says, “And when the people saw him, they praised their god.”

Then verse 25: “And when their hearts were merry, they said, ‘Call Samson, that he may entertain us.’ So they called Samson out of the prison, and he entertained them. They made him stand between the pillars.”

Do you see the scene? The man who once terrified them is now their punchline. Israel’s judge has been reduced to a circus act.

But then verse 26: “And Samson said to the young man who held him by the hand, ‘Let me feel the pillars on which the house rests, that I may lean against them.’”

And here’s the turning point. Verse 28: “Then he called to the LORD and said, ‘O Lord GOD, please remember me and please strengthen me only this once, O God, that I may be avenged on the Philistines for my two eyes.’”

For the first time in his story, Samson actually prays. Broken, blind, humbled—he finally calls out to the Lord.

Verse 29: “And Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and he leaned his weight against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other. And Samson said, ‘Let me die with the Philistines.’ Then he bowed with all his strength, and the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he had killed during his life” (Judges 16:29–30 ESV).

And just like that, Samson’s story ends—not with triumph, but with tragedy. Not with a crown, but with a collapse. His death brought deliverance, but it was incomplete. Israel would still need another Savior.

What Do We Learn from Samson’s Life?

If Samson is supposed to represent all the people of God, then here’s the takeaway:

we are our own worst enemy.

The problem in your life is not that God hasn’t given you grace. It’s not that God hasn’t blessed you or empowered you. The problem is—we sabotage it. Just like Samson.

Let me break down Samson’s weakness into 5 components.

I. Impulsive

Samson is driven by his impulses—his lust, his stomach, his anger. If he wants it, he takes it. If he feels it, he does it.

And listen—this one thing will wreck your life.

I read an article once about texting and driving. You know the stats. Typing on your phone while driving makes you 23 times more likely to have an accident. Texting impairs your response time more than alcohol or marijuana. We know that… and yet people still do it. Why? Because in that moment, pleasing myself—knowing what my friend said or what somebody posted—feels more important than the safety of my family or the life of my neighbor.

Now the main point here isn’t just “don’t text and drive” (though seriously, don’t). The point is a metaphor: if you don’t learn to deny yourself and obey the will of God, you are going to wreck your life.

Psychologists proved this years ago. Maybe you’ve heard about the “marshmallow test.” Back in the 1970s, they sat kids down in a room, put a marshmallow in front of them, and said: “You can eat this now… or if you wait, you’ll get two.” Then they walked out and watched what happened. The kids who could say “no” in the moment—who could delay gratification—ended up doing better in school, in work, in relationships… across the board.

A similar study out of New Zealand tracked over 1,000 kids for four decades. Four decades. And the researchers said they were shocked to discover the one factor that mattered most for health, wealth, and relational harmony wasn’t IQ. It wasn’t family wealth or social class. It was impulse control.

The Bible had already said it centuries earlier: “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls” (Proverbs 25:28 ESV). No defenses. Wide open to the enemy.

So here’s the question: what’s driving your life—your desires, or God’s Spirit? When you make big decisions, is the main filter, “This pleases me” or “This pleases God”? Because you can’t live both ways. You will either be Spirit-led or desire-led.

And if you’re desire-led, like Samson, you’re going to end up blind, bound, and broken.

II. Compromising

Samson treated the commands of God casually. They weren’t heavy to him; they were optional. He didn’t mind breaking them.

I can almost hear him saying to himself, “What can this hurt? Cut my hair? Touch a dead body? Throw a keg party? No big deal—I’ve gotten away with it before.”

But here’s the problem: what if the real danger isn’t the action itself? What if the real danger is that every compromise drives out the presence of God from your life?

Think about it. What if your compromise in your career—cutting corners, bending the truth—means you lose God’s blessing on your work? What if that compromise in your marriage—harmless flirting, a little porn, a “small” fling—what if that grieves the Spirit and removes His favor from your home? What if those compromises with money—not stealing outright, but just being careless or greedy—what if those decisions are what drive God’s presence away?

See, we tell ourselves, “Everybody does it… it’s not that bad… it’s just a little thing.” That’s what Samson thought. But Samson’s story shows us: do not take the blessing and presence of God for granted.

Judges 16:20 says, “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.”

That’s the scariest verse in his whole story. Samson thought he still had the strength—but he didn’t even know God was gone.

Church—don’t let that be you. Compromise will whisper, “You can handle it. It’s not that big a deal.” But compromise always costs more than you think.

Samson lost his strength. Some of us are losing our joy. Some are losing our marriages. Some are losing our kids. Some are losing the very sense of God’s presence. And the tragedy is—we don’t even realize it until it’s gone.

III. Unteachable

Samson was unteachable. Nobody could tell him anything. Nobody could persuade him. He always knew best.

Do you know anybody like that? Don’t point. Some of you are married to them.

But let’s get real — would those closest to you say you are teachable? Or would they say there are parts of your life that are “off-limits”? “Don’t bring that up. Don’t go there. Don’t touch that subject.” Friend, that is precisely the place the Enemy is destroying you.

Proverbs 12:1 (ESV) says, “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.” God said that, not me. The stupidest thing you can do is shut out correction from your life.

IV. A Loner

And here’s the thing — Samson wasn’t just unteachable, he was a loner. Did you notice this in the story? Nobody is in his life. No friends. No community. No one to walk with him. Samson was a one-man wrecking crew… more like a one-man Wreck-It Ralph.

But Proverbs 18:1 (ESV) says, “Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.” In other words, an isolated man will always end up making it about himself.

That’s Samson. And honestly, that’s some of us.

Are people close enough to your life that they can speak into it? Do you have anyone who can call you out, challenge you, hold you accountable? Or are you doing this faith thing solo?

Because here’s the truth — there is no such thing as an isolated Christian. People who get serious about Jesus get serious about His church. The church is God’s Plan A.

So some of you need to stop circling the runway and land the plane. Stop just attending and start belonging. Join a small group. Get on a ministry team. Put yourself in real community.

And can I say this? Podcasts aren’t enough. I’m grateful for them. I listen to them too. But if all you do is listen to podcasts and you never get involved in a local church, you are missing God’s plan. A weak local church is better for you than the greatest podcast preacher in the world. Because God doesn’t grow you through content alone — He grows you through community.

V. Proud

And finally, Samson was proud. His pride showed up three ways:

He assumed he’d never lose his strength.

He never gave God glory for it.

He felt entitled to use God’s blessings for his own purposes.

Sound familiar? Do you go through life assuming you’ll always have your health, your money, your opportunities, your gifts? James 4:16 (ESV) says, “As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.”

Every breath you take is a gift. Every dollar you make is on loan. Every ability you have is grace.

The question is: are you using those gifts to draw attention to yourself… or to God?

If you’re a student, your gifts — “God, what do you want with them?” If you’re in business, your career — “God, how do you want me to use it for Your kingdom?” If you’re a parent, your family — “God, these kids aren’t mine, they’re Yours. Help me steward them well.”

Samson forgot that. And it destroyed him. Don’t let it destroy you.

II. The World Needed Someone Greater Than Samson

Remember—Samson is the last judge in the book. And at first, it looks so promising. He’s got this miraculous birth story. He’s given these promises of incredible strength. As readers, our expectations are sky high.

And when you get to the finale of something, don’t you lean in a little? When I’m reading a good suspense novel, by the time I hit the last chapter, I’m like, “Alright, here we go. This is about to be good. This is where it all ties together.” Or the season finale of a TV show—I’ll even invite friends over. (And isn’t there nothing worse than a dumb season finale? I’m still bitter about Lost. Really? They were dead the whole time? What kind of ending is that?)

Now imagine being an Israelite, hearing the Samson story. This is it. The last judge. The grand finale. And then the curtain falls with Samson blind, chained, and buried under rubble. You’d be left asking: That’s it? There’s got to be more to the story.

And there is. Eleven hundred years later, Jesus of Nazareth shows up.

Like Samson, His birth was miraculous.

Like Samson, He displayed incredible strength—strength not over lions and Philistines, but over demons, disease, and even death itself.

Like Samson, He was betrayed by someone who acted as a friend and handed over to Gentile oppressors.

Like Samson, He was chained, tortured, and put on public display to be mocked.

Like Samson, He stretched out His arms in death.

And like Samson, through His death, when it looked like defeat, He actually won the greatest victory.

But here’s the difference: Samson was chained because of his sin. Jesus was chained because of ours. Samson was a strong man made weak through his own rebellion. Jesus was the mighty God who voluntarily became weak to save us from the chains of our rebellion.

And that’s the good news. Because truth be told, we’re all like Samson. We’re all driven by our impulses. We’ve all compromised. We’ve all lived proud, selfish lives. But Isaiah 53:5 (ESV) says, “He was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”

When you see that Jesus was given for you, and when you let Him live in you, He infuses you with a strength Samson never had—strength of character, strength to stand when temptation comes, strength to walk in faith instead of being ruled by impulse.

It’s when you see that He accepted you by grace, even when you were as reckless as Samson, that you finally find freedom from the impulses and insecurities that made you weak.

Samson’s story leaves us asking, “Where’s the Savior who won’t fail?” And the answer is: Jesus.

III. It Is Never Too Late to Cry Out to God

When Samson cries out to God, he is as low as a man can get. Blind. Bound. Grinding grain like an ox. Mocked in the temple of a false god. And that’s why Judges 16:22 is so important: “But the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.”

I love that verse. His strength was gone, his freedom was gone, his dignity was gone—but his hair began to grow again. That’s a picture of grace. God’s mercies, like Samson’s hair, grow new every morning. They persist even where sin has cut us down.

It’s a lot like a forest after a wildfire. You’ve seen the pictures—whole hillsides reduced to black ash. The trees are gone, the landscape looks dead. But give it a little time, and green shoots start poking through the ground. Life comes back. The fire couldn’t stop the roots.

That’s what grace is like. Even when sin burns your life to the ground, the mercy of God keeps pushing through the ashes. And if you’ll turn to Him, He’ll take what looks like ruin and grow something new.

But here’s the key: there are two ways to respond to failure.

Some people stop at remorse. They look back and say, “I can’t believe I did that… I wish I could undo it.” That’s a start, but it’s not enough.

If remorse doesn’t turn into repentance, it will eat you alive. Remorse without repentance turns into self-loathing (“I hate my life”) or bitterness (“This is all somebody else’s fault”).

Repentance, though, is different. Repentance owns the sin, but also embraces God’s grace. It admits, “Yes, I made this mess,” but then it believes, “God’s mercy is greater than my mess.”

And here’s the hope: you can’t un-sin, but you can repent. Repentance won’t rewrite your past, but it can keep your past from defining your future.

Samson’s hair began to grow again. And God’s mercies are growing for you too—even in the ashes.

Now here’s where this comes home for us. Cedar Bay, I told you before—Samson isn’t just one man’s story. He represents all of God’s people. And right now, God is writing a story with us. We’re in the middle of a revitalization. And can I be straight with you? We cannot afford to grow complacent. We cannot keep having meetings that go nowhere. We cannot sit on our hands while a community around us lives and dies without the hope of Jesus.

God didn’t save Cedar Bay just to make us comfortable. He saved us to be His. To be a people set apart, holy, consumed with love for Him, and passionate about reaching Jacksonville with the gospel. And just like Samson, we’re going to have to stop being our own worst enemy, stop making compromises, stop going it alone—and surrender to Him.

So the question is—what’s your next step of obedience?

Surrender to Jesus. The first and most important step is giving your life to Christ and following Him as Lord. That’s where it begins.

Baptism. Go public with your faith through believer’s baptism. Let the world know you belong to Him.

Membership. Plant your life here at Cedar Bay. Join the mission of what God is doing in this church.

Small Groups. Don’t walk alone. Get in a group where you can grow deeper in your faith and your relationships.

Serve. Step into the joy of using your gifts for God’s kingdom. Join a ministry team and make an eternal impact.

This is our time of invitation and consecration. Let today be the day God’s grace changes everything about everything in your life.

Church, Samson’s story ends in rubble. But by the grace of Jesus Christ, yours doesn’t have to. By His power, this church doesn’t have to. If His mercies are new every morning—then His mercies are new for you… and His mercies are new for Cedar Bay.

So come. Surrender. Obey. And let’s watch God do what only He can do.