I love Judges 16:22. I cannot make my own hair grow, only God can. It’s not about the hair. Samson’s hair is a personal symbol for him, like the cross is a symbol, a symbol represents a deeper reality. There is always a glimmer of hope. Along the way mistakes will be made, sinful decisions, self decisions, but you can end well. Samson hair kept growing. A glimmer of hope. Samson paid a price for his own arrogance. Last week’s message, he suffered mutilation, deportation, imprisonment, and humiliation of being worked like and animal, but his hair began to grow. I read once that you are never more than three feet away from a spider. When you read the Bible, there are some intense verses, stories of sin and failure, but I would bet you are never more than a dozen verses away from a glimmer of hope, a reason to be optimistic. Make that a lifestyle, no matter how discouraged, uncertain, bad decisions, keep your eyes peeled, look for God, signs of God’s grace is never far away. Samson’s hair began to grow (Amen!) God will always give you one more chance, the God of grace, look for the signs, they are all around you. Samson has made mistake after mistake after mistake, going down to Philistia, falling in love with Philistine women without even knowing a thing about them. Yet he is listed in Heb 11…
(Show story book and picture of Samson from my own mother's childhood.)
I love Judges 16:22. I cannot make my own hair grow, only God can. It’s not about the hair. Samson’s hair is a personal symbol for him, like the cross is a symbol, a symbol represents a deeper reality. There is always a glimmer of hope. Along the way mistakes will be made, sinful decisions, self decisions, but you can end well. Samson hair kept growing. A glimmer of hope. Samson paid a price for his own arrogance. Last week’s message, he suffered mutilation, deportation, imprisonment, and humiliation of being worked like and animal, but his hair began to grow. I read once that you are never more than three feet away from a spider. When you read the Bible, there are some intense verses, stories of sin and failure, but I would bet you are never more than a dozen verses away from a glimmer of hope, a reason to be optimistic. Make that a lifestyle, no matter how discouraged, uncertain, bad decisions, keep your eyes peeled, look for God, signs of God’s grace is never far away. Samson’s hair began to grow (Amen!) God will always give you one more chance, the God of grace, look for the signs, they are all around you. Samson has made mistake after mistake after mistake, going down to Philistia, falling in love with Philistine women without even knowing a thing about them. Yet he is listed in Heb 11…
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In the 70’s, I was on several trips to Bowren Lakes, hundreds of miles north in Canada, a series of about 70 miles of lakes in a triangle so that you start and end at the same place. Some lakes connected by rivers, some carry the canoe a little way to the next lake. On one trip, our family went (my brother’s honey moon, but that’s another story…). On this particular trip, Jim was with Jan in a canoe … My Dad was with my mother. That left me with my sister… I was in the back, she was in the front. My sister had an interesting way of paddling. Normally, to go forward in the canoe on a lake in which the water is not moving, -- this is not rocket science – you put the oar in the water, then you pull on the oar to thrust the canoe forward. That was not Barb’s style. She put the oar in the water, then let it drift behind her, pick it up and do it all over again… that left me to do all the work! One fellow was talking to his next-door neighbor about a speaker he heard the night before. He told the neighbor, "That guy said something that has really stuck in my mind. He said that all of the world’s problems could be summed up in two words: ignorance and apathy. What do you think?" The neighbor replied, "I really don’t know and I really don’t care."
Apathy…Did you hear about the company that makes blank bumper stickers? They're for people who don't want to get involved. When your life spirals out of control it’s like going down in quicksand. The harder you try, the deeper you sink. Samson could have learned something from some Medical Lake children, in an incident that happened here in Washington State several months ago. Here’s a news clip: A mild admission of a life that is out of control… Dear Lord, So far today I've done well....I haven't gossiped, I haven't lost my temper, I haven't been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or overindulgent. I'm very thankful for that. But in a few minutes, Lord, I'm probably going to need a lot more help, because I am about to get out of bed.. Amen What I notice in this prayer? Everything that is wrong is about emotions. Our feelings often get us in hot water and lead to more bad decisions. We KNOW what is right, but we let our feelings dictate our actions. This week I was in a counselor’s office, obviously he worked a lot with children, on the walls a series of drawings, each labeled with emotions. Judges 14 is a man that is out of control. I’ve heard many people say in Sumas, “If I go to Church the walls might fall down.” Let me tell you about Samson, none are more self-indulgent, arrogant, moody, self-serving that Samson. The Spirit of God is upon him, yet he has not fully yielded his life to God. (As I worked on this message, last night I made the decision there is too much for one sermon, so I am dividing it into two messages.) |
Carl Crouse, Pastor
At SACC we believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God. Every Sunday the worship service includes a message from the Bible. My words are an attempt to understand and apply the Bible to our daily living. I post weekly sermons and other biblical messages on this page. May you find meaning and hope as you read through each message and seek to hear God's voice. Leave a comment to ask questions or inspire others with your insights. Categories
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