strength

Where Do You Get Your Strength? – A Study of Samson – Judges 13-16

/ Bob

The People of Israel were led for several centuries by Judges. They were not what we think of today when we think of Judges unless you consider the County Judges we have here in Texas. They are in the judging business, but their main focus is on administering the affairs of the county. So it was in the Book of Judges although thee judges we find there also had military and combat duties as well. That’s where Samson comes in.

He was set apart by God before he was even conceived and certainly before he ever drew a breath. In addition to being set apart as a Nazarite, he was also endowed with superhuman strength. With that strength he was able to wage a personal war against the Philistines who were rulers over the Israelites and also their tormentors. Samson led a morally compromised life even though he was God’s chosen leader. His immorality and lack of judgment caused him to succumb to the wiles of a prostitute named Delilah.

His final act as a Judge was to kill over 3,000 Philistine revelers as they partied and proclaimed their joy over the defeat of God’s chosen Judge.

The message for us today is that God still calls us to be his servants and He prepares and strengthens us for the tasks at hand. He doesn’t abandon use when we do stupid things, but He might allow those stupid things to defeat us temporarily so that we turn back to Him and find ultimate victory in His strength.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, November 2, 2025. It is part of a series in a Bible study curriculum called Connect 360, published by the GC2 Press of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The overall title of the current set of lessons is How Great Is Our God: Passing the Faith Along. You can find print and digital versions of this series online at https://gc2press.org/how-great-is-our-god-old-testament-digital-study-guide/. Handouts with class presentation content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .


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Get Up! Get Your Stuff and Go!

/ Bob

It doesn’t matter what ails you. It doesn’t matter what obstacles stand in your way. It doesn’t matter where you’ve been for help, what solutions you’ve tried, or how many years you’ve been dealing with the problem – Jesus can help. In our study of the 5th Chapter of John we saw Jesus heal a man who had been a paraplegic for 38 years. Only Jesus could speak hope into such a situation as this. Only Jesus could bring physical healing to this man. And only Jesus could save him from a fate worse than his physical state because only Jesus could save him from eternal death.  That same saving power is ours through the blood of Jesus Christ.  It reminds me of the song, “In Christ Alone” by by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend.

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm

What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My comforter, my all in all
Here in the love of Christ I stand

Here is the link to our Agape Life Bible Study class session from the 5th chapter of John in which Jesus heals a man at the Pool of Bethesda.