Bible Session Notes 2-24-14 Samson

Review: What happened to Samson?  Where is he now?

Judges 16:23-24 (student read)

Question: What was the name of the god the Philistines worshipped? Dagon

Question: What were the people so excited about?  What were they praising Dagon for? Delivering Samson into their hands.

Judges 16:25-27 (student read)

*The Philistines used Samson as entertainment.  It doesn’t say what he did to entertain them.

Question: What do you think they had him do? (Student response)

Question: How many people were watching Samson perform? 3,000

Judges 16:28-30 (student read)

Question: Samson finally prays to God.  What does he ask for?  Strength one more time

Judges 16:31 (student read)

*His family took his body and buried him. 

*It says he judged Israel for 20 years.

Question: How old do you think Samson was when he died? (student response)

And that is the end of Samson.

Interesting Points:

1 – Samson didn’t do a lot of things right, but God still used him.  That’s not a free pass for you to do whatever you want and expect God to still use you.  It simply means that you don’t have to be perfect to be used for God’s purposes. 

2 – God never left Samson until Samson broke his vow.  God won’t leave you either.  When you choose God, He sticks by you through everything good and everything bad.

3 – Pick your close friends wisely.  Be a good example.  Don’t let sin creep in by saying “yes” the first time.

Bible Session Notes 2-10-14

Samson

Judges 16:1 (Brett read.)

*A prostitute is a woman who gets paid to be with a man.
Question: Does this seem like a place for an Israelite judge to be?  A nazirite? (Student response)

Judges 16:2-3 (student read)

*Samson’s enemies find out he’s there and plot to kill him in the morning, but Samson leaves in the middle of the night, ripping off the doors of the city gate on his way out.
Question: Why do you think he left in the middle of the night? (Student reponse)
Question: When he tore off the doors of the city gates was the spirit of the Lord upon him? No
*You can learn a lot by what is not said in the Bible as well as what is said.  Listen to the quiet places – those times when it seems like you’re asking yourself “why doesn’t the Bible say that this time?”
Question: Why do you think he tore the doors off the city gates? (Student response)

Judges 16:4 (student read)

*Samson is in love again.
Question: Did anyone else notice how many women are in this story? (Student response)
*Mom, 1^st wife, prostitute, and now Delilah.  So far, only his mom has been of any quality.

Judges 16:5 (student read)

*Here we go again.  The Philistirnes are using their women to get to Samson.  He fell to this once before with his first wife.  Why not try again?
*Side thought.  Once you say “yes” to a sin or wrong thing, it becomes easier and easier to say “yes” after that.  Don’t say “yes” the first time. Don’t let sin get its foot in the door.

Judges 16:6-9 (student read)
*Delilah asks Samson for the secret of his strength.  Samson lies and breaks free.

Judges 16:10 (student read)
*Delilah yells at him for lying to her and then asks again for the truth.
*Wait a minute!  She just tried to capture him and she’s mad at him because he lied!  She’s tricking him and he’s lying. 
Question: Does anyone else see a problem here? (student response)

Judges 16:11-12 (student read)

*Samson tells her another lie. Delilah tries to capture him.  He breaks free.  She has now tried to capture him twice, and he’s still with her.
Question: Why is he still with her? (student response)

Judges 16:13-14 (student read)
*Delilah again accuses Samson of lying and again asks for the real way to tie him up.
Question: How many times has Samson lied to Delilah now? 3
Question: Why do you think he lied to her in the first place? (student response)

Judges 16:15-16 (student read)

*Delilah pulls out all the stops in the blame game this time.  “You don’t love me or you would tell me your secret.”  Day in and day out she nagged him.
Question: Does this sound familiar in Samson’s story? (student response)
Question: What happened the last time a woman told Samson “you don’t love me or you’d tell me?” (Samson lost the riddle challenge and had to pay out 30 linen clothes)

Judges 16:17 (student read)

*Samson gives up and tells her everything.  Sad day for Samson.

Judges 16:18-19 (student read)
Delilah calls Samson’s enemies and sets him up for capture.  Shaving his head – she removes all of his strength. 

Judges 16:20 (student read)

*Samson cannot break free.
Question: How do you think Samson felt when he realized he could not break free? (student response)
Question: What does it say about God/the Lord? What did God do? (Student response)
Question: Why do you think the Lord left him? (Student response)
*I find it very interesting that Samson did a lot of pretty bad stuff and God did not leave him.  It was not until Samson broke his vow with God that God left him.

Judges 16:21 (student read)

*Samson is captured.  Game over.
Question: Why do you think they blinded him? (Student response)

Judges 16:22 (student read)

*Samson’s hair began to grow again…
Come back in 2 weeks to find out what happens next!

Interesting Points:

1 – Once again, Samson reminds us to be careful who we choose as our closest friends, wives, husbands, etc.  Delilah’s values were not good.  She did not love Samson.  She wanted the money from the Philistines, and that was the bottom line.  Know the people in your life, and know who you can trust with you secrets.  Samson lied to Delilah 3 times, yet he stayed with her.  If I did not trust someone that much, I wouldn’t hang around.  If you have a friend who is often “getting you into trouble” are they really a very good friend?  Can you be better friend to them by saying “no” to what they are asking you to do with them?  Perhaps not only will you not get into trouble, but maybe they won’t either.

2 – Although Samson is VERY strong physically, he is quite weak spiritually, emotionally and dare I say mentally.  Being made in the image of God who has three people in one – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - we are also made up of 3 parts – mind, spirit, and body.  If you are only strong in one area, you will fall just like Samson.  It’s like a 3 legged stool.  If one leg is long, but the other two are short or even if 2 legs are long and only one is short, the stool will not stand up.  Neither will you.  So strengthen all 3 parts of you:

Strengthen your mind (learn, school, etc)   
Strengthen your body (exercise, nutrition, sleep)
Strengthen your spirit (know God, read the Bible, pray, reflect)

Good things are happening at MAD Skates & Rec Center

Parents are stepping in to partner with us on meals.

The net to keep balls from the recreational area out of the skateboarding area has been ordered and arrived. 

The Taco Time coupon book fundraiser has begun.  Robb has already sold several coupon books and received a bonus donation, and the Linds' Facebook page is hopping with potential sales.

One family has decided to partner with us by helping out as often as possible by staying the whole night to participate in the recreation area with the kid, helping with set up and tear down, participating in the Bible Session, and serving dinner.

One parent has offered to do some grant application writing for us.

Praise the Lord for the great people he has put in our corner in this season of MAD Skates & Rec Center.  God bless you all!

Bible Session - 2-3-14 - Samson

Fair warning.  This is some pretty crazy stuff in this chapter.  Like Samson unleashes on the Philistines.  Chapters like this make me wonder, what on earth?

Judges 15:1-2 (Student read.)

*Samson went to see the woman he thought was his wife, but then he finds out she was given to his friend.
Question: How good of a friend was this guy? (Student response)

Judges 15:3-5 (student read)

*Samson unleashes his anger on the Philistines and burns up their crops.  You have to understand that as an agricultural area, this pretty much just cost them many lives.  There is no telling how they would get through the next season without those crops. 
Question: Did it say anything about his super strength or the Spirit of the Lord? (NO)
Question: Do you think Samson was acting correctly in this situation? (Student responses)

Judges 15:6-8 (student read.)

Question: Has anyone heard of an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth?  Does paying back one wrong with another wrong seem to be working very well? (Student responses)

Judges 15:9-10 (Student read.)

*The Philistines go to get Samson. 

Judges 15:11 (student read.)

Question: How many men went to get Samson? Why would they need so many? (Student response)

Judges 15:12-13 (student read.)

*His people tied him up and took him to the Philistines.
Question: What was Samson’s request? (That they do not kill him themselves.)

Judges 15:14-17 (Brett read.)

Question: How many men did he kill? (1,000)
Question: What did he use to kill the men? (A donkey jawbone)
Question: Was the Spirit of the Lord upon him this time? (Yes)
Question: Why do you think the Spirit of the Lord was with him this time?  (Student response)
Question: Does anyone have a guess as to what Ramath Lehi means? (Jawbone Hill)

Judges 15:18-19 (student read.)

*Samson is thirsty and cries out to God for water.
Question: Where did the water come from? (a hallow place)
Question: What was the name of the spring? (En Hakkore)
Question: What do you think that might mean? (caller’s spring)
Question: Do you think the spring is still there today? (Student response)

Judges 15:20 (student read.)

Question: Samson led or judged Israel for how many years? (20)

Interesting Points:

1 – Samson doesn’t always make the right choices and seems a bit hot tempered, but God still uses him.
2 – When Samson was being led to the Philistines to be put to death, God basically said, “It isn’t time” and the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he got away safely.

Thanks to our Corporate Sponsor - PhysioCare PT

Thanks to PhysioCare Physical Therapy in Woodinville, WA for continuing their annual corporate sponsorship of M.A.D. Skates & Rec Center.  If you need to see a quality physical therapist and live in the area, please check out our corporate sponsor, PhysioCare PT.  http://physiocarept.com/