Three attitudes that lead to downfall: 1)LUST – “I want it!” 2)ENTITLEMENT– “I deserve it!” 3)PRIDE – “I can handle it!”

He called, God answered: Samson was now very thirsty, and he cried out to the LORD, “You have accomplished this great victory by the strength of your servant. Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of these pagans?” So God caused water to gush out of a hollow in the ground at Lehi, and Samson was revived as he drank. Then he named that place “The Spring of the One Who Cried Out,” and it is still in Lehi to this day. Samson judged Israel for twenty years during the period when the Philistines dominated the land. Judges 15:18-20 (NLT)

The big question: How could a man with so much strength, with so much God-ordained potential, mess up his life so badly? The answer: Samson didn't ruin his life all at once. He ruined it one step at a time.

It only takes… “one day.”

Destruction is only one decision away: One day Samson went to the Philistine town of Gaza and spent the night with a prostitute. Judges 16:1 (NLT)

When you are in the wrong place with the wrong people, the wrong stuff happens: Word soon spread that Samson was there, so the men of Gaza gathered together and waited all night at the town gates. They kept quiet during the night, saying to themselves, “When the light of morning comes, we will kill him.” Judges 16:2 (NLT)

Question: Who would be so stupid to risk so much…for so little?

Question: Who would be so stupid to risk so much…for so little? Answer: Evidently, a whole bunch of us!

Where sin always leads: And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. James 1:13-15 (NLT)

Dumb and dumber: Taking STEP 1 of 56,250 is a dumb decision! NOT STOPPING YOURSELF from taking the other 56,249… …. can be even dumber!

Three steps to avoid: 1) Samson taunted his enemy. But Samson stayed in bed only until midnight. Then he got up, took hold of the doors of the town gate, including the two posts, and lifted them up, bar and all. He put them on his shoulders and carried them all the way to the top of the hill across from Hebron. Judges 16:3 (NLT)

Pride goes before a fall: If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. So, my dear friends, flee from the worship of idols. 1 Corinthians 10:12-14 (NLT)

Three steps to avoid: 2) He rationalized the same old sin.

The bribe: The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, “Entice Samson to tell you what makes him so strong and how he can be overpowered and tied up securely. Then each of us will give you 1,100 pieces of silver.” Judges 16:5 (NLT)

Manipulation “works”, but it is evil! Then Delilah pouted, “How can you tell me, ‘I love you,’ when you don’t share your secrets with me? You’ve made fun of me three times now, and you still haven’t told me what makes you so strong!” She tormented him with her nagging day after day until he was sick to death of it. Judges 16:15-16 (NLT)

GREAT WISDOM STATEMENTS (from a man with 700 wives and 300 concubines!) “A foolish son is his father’s ruin, and a wife’s nagging is an endless dripping.” Proverbs 19:13 “Better to live in a wilderness than with a nagging and hot-tempered wife.” Proverbs 21:19

GREAT WISDOM STATEMENTS (from a man with 700 wives and 300 concubines!) “ Better to live on the corner of a roof than to share a house with a nagging wife.” Proverbs 25:24 “An endless dripping on a rainy day and a nagging wife are alike.” Proverbs 27:15

Samson gives in to the drip: Finally, Samson shared his secret with her. “My hair has never been cut,” he confessed, “for I was dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as anyone else.” Judges 16:17 (NLT)

The Nazarine vow: Don’t drink alcohol/grape products (CHECK) Don’t touch dead bodies (CHECK) Don’t get a haircut (CHECK )

What we know: 1.Samson knows that his dedication to God is the key to his strength.

What we know: 1.Samson knows that his dedication to God is the key to his strength. 2.Delilah betrays his confidence while he is sleeping and cuts off his hair.

Where the first step eventually leads: Delilah realized he had finally told her the truth, so she sent for the Philistine rulers. “Come back one more time,” she said, “for he has finally told me his secret.” So the Philistine rulers returned with the money in their hands. Delilah lulled Samson to sleep with his head in her lap, and then she called in a man to shave off the seven locks of his hair. In this way she began to bring him down, and his strength left him. Judges 16:18-19 (NLT)

Three steps to avoid: 3) Samson assumed his disobedience would never cost him.

An incredibly sad realization: Then she cried out, “Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!” When he woke up, he thought, “I will do as before and shake myself free.” But he didn’t realize the LORD had left him. Judges 16:20 (NLT)

A tragic picture: So the Philistines captured him and gouged out his eyes. They took him to Gaza, where he was bound with bronze chains and forced to grind grain in the prison. Judges 16:21 (NLT)

Question: How did a man with so much God-given potential end up in such bad shape?

Question: How did a man with so much God-given potential end up in such bad shape? Answer: He did it one step at a time.

Question for you: What step/steps are you taking AWAY from God and INTO ruin? Because…I want it, I deserve it, I can handle it!

A true statement: You are only as strong as you are honest So… Step 1 – Be honest (to God and a few trusted others). Step 2 – Turn around (repent and go the other way). Step 3 – Walk towards/with God again!

Hope! But before long, his hair began to grow back. Judges 16:22 (NLT)