Samson - "Strong Failure"
- Ashland Church of Christ
- Jun 1
- 3 min read
Guest Pastor Jamie Allen
June 1, 2025
Announcements | Watch | Read | Worship | Go Deeper
Scripture Focus: Judges 14–16, Proverbs, James, 1 Corinthians, Romans
“These things happened to them as examples for us...”—1 Corinthians 10:11
This week’s message from Pastor Jamie Allen continued our journey through the life of Samson, with a closer look at one of the greatest threats to our spiritual strength: pride.
💥 Samson Had Strong Blessings, But Pride Became His Weakness
Samson was chosen, empowered, and set apart by God. But today’s lesson reminds us that even a man with divine strength can fall hard when pride goes unchecked.
We saw five areas where Samson’s pride led to failure:
Pride in Relationships Samson ignored God’s design and chose relationships based on what looked good to him rather than what honored the Lord. His desire for a Philistine woman, despite his parents' concerns and God's warnings, reflected pride over obedience (Judges 14:1–2, 2 Corinthians 6:14–15).
Pride Against Parental Wisdom Samson refused to listen to his parents’ counsel. Scripture says a fool despises discipline (Proverbs 15:5), and this prideful independence paved the way for future destruction.
Pride in Revenge Rather than seeking justice God’s way, Samson took matters into his own hands. His personal vendettas escalated conflict and caused suffering for others (Judges 15:3–8, Romans 12:19).
Pride in His Own Strength Samson presumed he could keep sinning and still maintain God's favor. But when he revealed his secret and disobeyed his Nazirite vow, he discovered too late that “the Lord had left him” (Judges 16:20).
The Result: Pride Ends in Humiliation Samson’s strength, sight, and freedom were all taken from him. Pride will always take us further down than we ever meant to go (Proverbs 29:23). But even in his failure, God’s purpose would not be stopped.
💡 Life Application
Samson’s story challenges us to examine our own hearts:
Are we refusing godly wisdom?
Are we taking matters into our own hands?
Are we relying on ourselves instead of God?
The good news? God gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). When we acknowledge our weakness, we make room for God’s strength.
As Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 12:10:
“When I am weak, then I am strong.”
🔜 Coming Next Week: “Strong Restoration”
Don’t miss next week as we explore how God redeems Samson’s story—and how He can redeem yours too.
Missed the message or want to share it? Watch the full sermon online: https://www.ashlandilchurchofchrist.com/announcements/tags/samson
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Bible Study Thursdays
https://www.ashlandilchurchofchrist.com/post/romans-bible-study
Are you hungry to dig deeper into God's Word? Looking for a midweek recharge surrounded by fellowship and truth? We invite you to join us for our brand-new Thursday Night Bible Study on the Book of Romans in the Fellowship Hall.
This week read Romans 2
As this school year wraps up, the ACC Blessings team would like to thank all those who have donated their time, food, and money to the project as well as the many prayers given to God to help make it a successful endeavor.
A special thanks to those packing food bags and transporting to the elementary school in Chandlerville.
This summer, continue to bring in 16/18oz jars of peanut butter.
Ensure the expiration date is 2026 or later.
Food Pantry - June Needs
Rice-a-Roni
Oatmeal
Ramen Noodles
Mac 'n Cheese
Church Code for Half-Off Fees: 50P-2025ASH
Needs:
One more volunteer to work at LSCA camp on June 9th from 10:30a - 12:30 p.
Kitchen prep for campers
Must be 16 yo
GFS gift cards
See Dawn Cuba for more details
Want to sponsor kids to go to camp? Donate to the LSCA fund!
Click the link below. Make sure "LSCA" is selected.
https://ashland-church-of-christ-497886.churchcenter.com/giving/to/lsca
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Watch
Read
1) Samson was too proud to BE SATISFIED with Hebrew women.
2) Samson was too proud to LISTEN TO his parents.
3) Samson was too proud to ACCEPT DEFEAT from the Philistines.
4) Samson was too proud to DEPEND ON GOD for strength.
5) A lesson to take home: Pride ends in HUMILIATION.
Worship
Go Deeper
These Bible reading plans are more than just daily devotionals—they’re invitations to go deeper in your faith. Whether you’re exploring the wisdom of Proverbs, the bold challenge of James, or the redemptive story of Samson, each study is designed to draw you closer to the heart of God.
Take your next step:
Reflect with journal prompts
Talk it out in small group discussions
Pray through the lessons
Apply the truths to your everyday life
Don’t just read the Word—live it. Dive into one of these studies and let God transform your mind, strengthen your walk, and equip you to follow Jesus more faithfully.
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