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🎙 Episode Summary

What do you do when you feel utterly alone—abandoned by friends, misunderstood by your own people, and left to stand for God without support?

In topday's episode, we walk through the stormy events of Judges 15 and the life of Samson: a man set apart by God, empowered by the Spirit, and yet isolated in his calling. From betrayal to supernatural victory, Samson’s story challenges us to consider the cost—and the reward—of radical faithfulness.

We explore how spiritual compromise can infect God's people, and how the courage to stand alone—like Samson, Luther, and Athanasius—can shape the future of the Church.

If you’ve ever felt abandoned, alone in your convictions, or pressured to conform, this episode is for you.

🔑 Key Themes

• The Cost of Faithfulness: What it means to stand for truth when no one else will
• Spiritual Compromise: How Judah’s betrayal of Samson reflects the church’s modern dangers
• Holy Spirit Empowerment: Samson’s strength wasn’t in his muscles—but in God’s presence
• The Power of One: From Athanasius to Luther, history turns on the courage of solitary saints

🛠 Takeaway Questions

• Have you ever felt called to stand when no one else would join you?
• Where might you be tempted to compromise instead of confront?
• What would it look like to depend more on the Holy Spirit than on approval from others?

This week, ask God: Where are You calling me to stand—alone if necessary?
Then pray for strength, humility, and clarity to do just that.

Support the show

To listen to my monthly church history podcast, subscribe at; https://thehistoryofthechristianchurch.buzzsprout.com

For an ad-free version of my podcasts plus the opportunity to enjoy hours of exclusive content and two bonus episodes a month whilst also helping keep the Bible Project Daily Podcast free for listeners everywhere support me at;|Patreon

Support me to continue making great content for listeners everywhere.
https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.com

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Welcome

Thanks for pressing play! In today’s journey through Judges we meet Samson—the gifted judge who could tear lions to shreds, yet couldn’t rein in his own appetite. His life is a walking paradox: Spirit-empowered, vow-bound … and willfully compromised.

The big question we’re chasing: How can a holy God work through people who are anything but holy? If you’ve ever felt the tension between your calling and your failures, Samson’s story is your mirror—and your hope.

Episode Notes


1. Three Snapshot Scenes

1. **The Woman (vv. 1-4)**
“She is right in my eyes.” – Samson
• Impulse over covenant
• Echo of the book’s theme: *“Everyone did what was right in his own eyes”* (Judg 21:25).

2. **The Lion (vv. 5-9)**
• Spirit-given strength vs. self-given silence
• Touches a carcass twice, quietly breaking his Nazirite vow.

3. **The Riddle (vv. 10-12)**
• A seven-day drinking feast among Philistines
• “Out of the eater came something to eat…”—turning sin’s secrecy into gambling capital.

2. Big Truths to Chew On

| Truth | Why It Matters |

| God’s sovereignty bends even sinful choices into redemptive purposes (v. 4). | Your failures don’t write the final chapter. |
| Charisma without character caves in. | Spiritual gifting ≠ spiritual maturity. |
| “Right in my eyes” is the default of a leaderless heart. | We all need a better King than ourselves. |

3. Reflection Questions

1. Where do you rely on gifting while neglecting character?
2. Which appetites currently drive your “sight-based” decisions?
3. How have you seen God redeem a bad choice you made?
4. In what area do you need to swap *“right in my eyes”* for *“right in God’s eyes”* this week?

### 4. Practice This Week

• 30-Minute Audit:** List recent decisions. Mark each *S* (sight) or *F* (faith). Pray over the *S’s.*
• Honey Fast:** Skip your go-to comfort snack/beverage for three days. Each craving = a cue to pray, “Lord, master my appetites.”
• Accountability Text:** Ask a trusted friend, “What blind-spot do you see in me that I justify as ‘right in my eyes’?”


6. Resources & Links

Karl Barth, *Church Dogmatics* IV/1, p. 209 – on God’s use of human sin for divine purpose

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## 🙌 Stay Connected

• Jeremy McCandless | Substack Subscribe for the written companion essays.


Rate & review if this episode gave you fresh hope. See you next week when we watch Samson’s riddle explode—and trace the fallout to God’s bigger rescue plan.

*Grace outmuscles failure—always.*

Support the show

To listen to my monthly church history podcast, subscribe at; https://thehistoryofthechristianchurch.buzzsprout.com

For an ad-free version of my podcasts plus the opportunity to enjoy hours of exclusive content and two bonus episodes a month whilst also helping keep the Bible Project Daily Podcast free for listeners everywhere support me at;|Patreon

Support me to continue making great content for listeners everywhere.
https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.com