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It’s Never Too Late to Be Great
A Four -‐ Week Bible Study Based on the life of Samson and Delilah
by Mary Southerland
Mary Southerland The Stress-‐Buster Web: www.marysoutherland.com E -‐mail: [email protected]
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Study Guide It’s Never Too Late to Be Great A four-week Bible Study based on the life of Samson and Delilah By Mary Southerland
Thank you for purchasing the bible study, I’ts Never Too Late to Be Great. My prayer is that God will use this
study to change your life and/or the lives of those you are leading. The study itself, for the most part, is self-explanatory but let me share some extra thoughts and ideas with you.
The study has several different sections that can be completed in one day or in one week. My hope is that this
format will set the learner up for success instead of failure. So often, we begin a bible study with great excitement and determination. Then life happens and we miss a day. The enemy immediately dumps a load of guilt on us as he whispers, “You might as well give up. You will never do this!” Using the format of It’s Never Too Late to Be Great eliminates that scenario. If you miss a day, it can easily be done later in the week. The goal is to underline the relevance and power of God’s word and then learn how to “plug” it into every minute of every day. First, let’s look at each section of the bible study.
Mindset for the Journey: The greatest spiritual battles are first waged in the mind. Having the right mental attitude or mindset as you begin the study is vital to its success in your life. Before you open your bible, stop, pray and thank God for His written Word. Ask Him to reveal the unique message He has for you in this study. Read the key passage listed two or three times. Make a deliberate choice to fix your thoughts on each word and each phrase as you read it. Don't let your mind wander to the pile of dirty laundry or the mystery of tonight's dinner menu. Focus only on God's truth and let everything else fall away. Your mind is now set and you are ready to begin Day 1.
Facts for the Journey: This section is the framework and heart of each week's study. To grow spiritually, we must walk by faith – not by sight. Faith comes from God through his Word, which is fact. If you were to look up the word “fact” in the dictionary, you would see that is defined as information or truth. We need to base our life on the truths we read in the bible. We need to embrace each word as information straight from God. In Hebrews 4:12, we are told that the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing the soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. My prayer is that as you work through each lesson, the power of Scripture comes alive in your life and empowers you for your journey.
Prayer for the Journey: Prayer should be as natural as breathing. Powerful prayer is not determined by a position or posture. There is no secret formula for prayer. Prayer is simply a two-way conversation with God. When we pray, our mind and heart should be directed constantly toward Him. The words we say when we pray aren't nearly as important as the attitude of our heart, the life behind the prayer and the honesty of the conversation. Each lesson contains a section on prayer that serves as a guide to a more powerful prayer life.
Truth for the Journey: We need to become “one-truth” believers. By that, I mean every time we hear the word of God, we should come away with one new truth that we can apply in our lives. Many times, I have been
Winter Newsletter, 2008
Light for the Journey Great. Lesson 1
It is not wrong to want to be great or to live a successful life. In fact, Jesus wants us to live a life of purpose and power. We were created by God with a unique plan that when realized, offers a life of success. So to ask God for the wisdom to live a successful life is the right kind of prayer to pray. Matthew 20:20-23 "Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. 'What is it you want?' he asked. She said, 'Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.' 'You don't know what you are asking,' Jesus said to them. 'Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?' 'We can,' they answered. Jesus said to them, 'You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.'" The mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus on behalf of her sons. She asked Jesus to give her son the two places of greatest honor in God's Kingdom. Jesus did not condemn her or rebuke her for asking. He simply told her that the honor was not His to grant. It was God's. God wants us to "run the race" to win. His plan is for us to live a life of purpose and power. God wants us to succeed and to live a life of greatness. Need Prayer? We have an awesome team of women who are prayer warriors and would love to pray for you! Simply email your prayer requests to Ginger Meador, our Prayer Team Director, at [email protected], and she will call the prayer team into action! Here's the Plan: Light for the Journey can be completed in one day or over a period of five days ... or even ten days. Do what works for you and gives you the greatest chance of success. You will notice that the content is divided up into days but the pace of the study is absolutely yours to set. The important thing to remember is that even if you miss a day; don’t let that keep you from continuing the study. Do not give up! That is exactly what the enemy wants and since he knows the power of God’s Word, he will do anything to keep you from studying it. Below you will find a brief description of the various sections in the study. Mindset for the Journey: Pray, thanking God for His written Word. Ask Him to reveal the unique message He has for you in this study. Read the mindset passage 2 or 3 times. Make the deliberate choice to fix your thoughts on each word and each phrase as you read it. Don't let your mind wander. Focus only on God's truth and let everything else fall away. Your mind is then set and you are ready to begin. Facts for the Journey: the main Bible Study facts and principles Prayer for the Journey: a week-by-week plan for learning to pray simply, effectively, powerfully Steps for the Journey: make a specific plan to put feet to or apply the truths you have learned Truth for the Journey: pinpoint the one truth that stood out and impacted you most this week Power for the Journey: memorize and meditate on key verses of Scripture related to this study
It’s Never Too Late to Be Great
Judges 16:4-9 (NLT) "Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah. The leaders of the Philistines went to her and said, 'Find out from Samson what makes him so strong and how he can be overpowered and tied up securely. Then each of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver.' So Delilah said to Samson, 'Please tell me what makes you so strong and what it would take to tie you up securely.' Samson replied, 'If I am tied up with seven new bowstrings that have not yet been dried, I will be as weak as anyone else.' So the Philistine leaders brought Delilah seven new bowstrings, and she tied Samson up with them. She had hidden some men in one of the rooms of her house, and she cried out, 'Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!' But Samson snapped the bowstrings as if they were strings that had been burned in a fire. So the secret of his strength was not discovered." Continue reading I Judges 16:16-30.
Light for the Journey Great. Lesson 1 We all want our lives to make a difference and to really count. We all want to take hold of greatness. Samson was a man destined for greatness. Most people believe that Delilah is the evil woman who intercepted that greatness and caused the fall of a great man of God. As we work through this series of lessons, we will see that Delilah was just one more stop on the road of destruction that Samson traveled. Both Samson and Delilah wanted a life of greatness and both misunderstood what true greatness is and how to achieve it. Together we will discover the steps we must take to live a life of greatness. 1. Respond to the call of God. Judges 13:6-7 "Then Manoah's wife went to him and told him what had happened. She said, 'A man from God came to me. He looked like an angel from God...he said to me, 'You will become pregnant and will have a son. Don't drink wine or beer or eat anything that is unclean, because the boy will be a Nazirite to God from his birth until the day of his death.'" Samson was born for a special purpose. He was created to accomplish a unique plan and was set apart by God for a life filled with promise. He was called a Nazirite, a name that comes from a Hebrew word that means "to separate" or "to consecrate." This was not a calling that Samson chose. It was a challenge that God gave him. His birth was announced by an angel and was a miracle since his mother could not have children. "Samson" literally means "sunny or bright." He brought light and joy to his parents and to Israel as he fought to free them from their enemies, the Philistines. God's plan for Samson was for him to begin the battle for the deliverance of Israel. Samson responded to that plan and to the call of God on His life. Greatness always begins with a response of obedience to the call of God in our lives. Just as Samson was created for a special plan, so are we. Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" A minister was walking down the street, admiring the beautiful old Victorian homes. He was thinking about his sermon on looking for opportunities to do good works when he spotted a little boy on the front porch of one home. The old-fashioned doorbell was set high in the door and the little boy was too short to ring it. The minister watched as he jumped over and over, trying to reach the doorbell. "Time to practice what I preach," the minister thought as he stepped up onto the porch and rang the bell for the little boy. "And now what, young man?" inquired the minister. "Now," said the boy, "we run like crazy!" We are called by God to do "good works." God loves us. He planned and created us in response to His plan for our life. Part of that plan is a set of good works. When we choose to accept His love and to say "yes" to His call in our life, we are taking hold of greatness. We are choosing His plan, His path and His direction for our life. God's plan for us always involves service. Service is always at the heart of greatness. Mark 10: 43 (NCV) "Whoever wants to become great among you must serve the rest of you like a servant." Greatness begins in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ that is lived out in service to Jesus Christ. What you are is God's gift to you, but how you serve God is your gift to Him. It is not enough to be gifted. We must remember that God has placed every good thing in our lives there, and we are to develop and use them for Him. I really believe God can use a sharp tool more effectively than a dull one. It is our responsibility to discover and then develop every talent and gift God has given us. I read the following comparison that illustrates this truth. Picture a plain bar of iron. It is worth approximately $5.00. The same bar of iron made into horseshoes is worth $50.00. If made into needles, the bar of iron is worth $5000.00 but turned into watch springs is worth $500,000. When we respond to the call of God, we will begin to embrace God's plan and become what He created us to be - and we will naturally serve Him. The Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea are made of the same water that flows down, clear and cold from the heights of Hermon and the roots of the cedars of Lebanon. The Sea of Galilee is a place of great beauty because it has an outlet. It gathers in its riches and then pours them out again to fertilize the Jordan plain. However, the Dead Sea, with the same water creates horror. The Dead Sea has no outlet. It gets to keep. God has blessed us so that we can bless others. When we try to keep those blessings for our own benefit, our faith will grow stagnant. A vibrant, living faith is fed by service. When we come to God, one of our first "natural" responses is to serve Him. In fact, our service to God should be spontaneous, enthusiastic and tireless. If there is no desire to serve or we find it hard to serve, and then there is something wrong in our relationship with God.
