Introduction: The threat against what God desires for your future is not out “There”, it’s Within.

• 3 Realities about Your Future 
  • Your Future is Determined by Choices
  • God works In You if You Choose
  • God works Through You if He Chooses
• Samson was a Nazarite (Judges 13:5): Do not Consume Grapes, Do not Touch anything Dead, and Do not Cut your Hair.

Step 1: Affirm your Misguided Entitlement (Judges 14:1-4)

• Solution: Recognize that you were Born “Entitled” to Death & Hell (Ephesians 2:1-5)

Step 2: Conceal your Sin (Judges 14:5-9)

• Solution: Confess- What you Cover, God will Uncover… but what you Uncover, God will Cover. (1 John 1:8-9)

Step 3: Choose the Wrong Friends (Judges 14:10-20)

• Association à Participation à Destination- “Show me your friends and I will show you your future” (Prov. 12:26, 1 Cor. 15:33)

• Wrong Friends are… Sad for your Successes, Fans of your Failures, and Detractors from your Deliverer

Step 4: Indulge in Self-Centered Anger and Self-Serving Revenge (Judges 15:1-20)

• Anger is not a Sin (Ephesians 4:26)

• Anger is a Choice- “Nothing makes me angry”
  • Godly Anger- Focuses on God and His Desires
    • Leads to Justice and Change
  • Ungodly Anger- Focuses on Self and “Getting Even”
    • Leads to Revenge and Destruction

Solutions to Steps 3 & 4:

• Step 3: Forsake your Association with Wrong Friends and Forge a Connection with Right Friends (Colossians 3:12-14)
  • Right Friends are… Compassionate, Kind, Humble, Gentle, Patient, Forgiving, Sincerely Love you and God

• Step 4: Submit to God-Centered Anger and God-Serving Justice (Romans 12:17-19)