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Warning Very Explicit Biblical Content. Listener discretion required. Not suitable for Children or vulnerable adults.

It’s Time to Speak Up

Let me end with one final observation — and I believe it comes straight from the last verse of this dark, sobering chapter.
It says: “Consider it, confer on it, then speak up.” That’s the call.

So when is it time to speak?

Let me give you some biblical guidance — a few situations where God’s people must raise their voices.

1. Speak Up When There’s Injustice

That’s the heart of this passage. A woman was brutally abused and killed, and the question is raised:
What will Israel do about it?

What will you do?

If you see injustice — in your community, in your workplace, in your neighbourhood — you don’t sit back. You say something.

God’s people are called to stand for justice — not just pray about it, but speak into it.

2. Speak Up When People Are in Danger

The men of Gibeah weren’t just wicked. They were dangerous. Do you think what happened that night would be the last time they acted like that?

And so it’s time to speak up — to prevent further harm.

If you have a friend drinking themselves into despair…
If someone you know is spiraling in addiction…
If someone is caught in a destructive relationship or lifestyle…
Love says something. Silence is not kindness. Sometimes silence is complicity.

So yes — for their good, for their soul — say something.

3. Speak Up About Jesus

Most importantly: speak up about the only true hope — Jesus Christ.

The solution to the mess we’re in isn’t better laws. It’s not moral behavior.
It’s spiritual transformation.

That’s why we need to speak.

People need the Lord. That’s not cliché — it’s reality.
He’s the only one who can rescue this culture, this country, and any human soul from the cliff it’s racing toward.

So yes, speak up. And don’t worry about the labels.

Today, if you say anything unpopular, you're called a bigot. A phobe. A hater.

This isn't

on it andut hate. It’s about holiness.
It’s about a God in heaven who wrote this Book — and who still speaks through it.

If this Book is true, then we must speak.
If it’s not, then anything goes.

But I believe it’s true. And I believe it’s time to speak.

Closing Words

You’ve heard it before. But it bears repeating.
Edmund Burke once said:

So, brothers and sisters in Christ —
Consider it. Confer on tie and speak up.

That’s what this passage is calling us to do.

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🎙 Episode Summary

In today's episode, we trace the final downward spiral of Samson—a man chosen by God but overtaken by his own desires. Judges 16 is a tragic yet illuminating story of what happens when God’s gifts are used without God's guidance. From Gaza to Delilah, from strength to blindness, this chapter lays bare the fruit of the flesh—the spiritual and moral consequences of walking in disobedience.

But this is more than a cautionary tale. It's also a testimony to grace. Because even at rock bottom, even after betrayal, lust, and failure, God wasn’t finished with Samson. And He’s not finished with you.

🔑 Key Themes

• The Danger of Presumption: Using God’s gifts without walking in His will
• Temptation’s Tactic: How compromise can wear down even the strongest saint
• The Fruit of the Flesh: Sin’s end is always blindness, bondage, and brokenness
• Grace After Ruin: God’s mercy meets us in the ashes—and raises us up again

🙏 Reflection:

Where have you been relying on God's gifts while ignoring God's voice? Ask the Lord: “Strengthen me, I pray—just once more.” Then turn back to Him with open hands, and watch grace begin to grow again.

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

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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

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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

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Welcome to today’s episode, where we dive into Judges 13—the beginning of Samson’s remarkable story. In a time of Israel’s deep spiritual decline, we witness a divine intervention: the angel of the Lord announces the birth of a deliverer. But Samson’s arrival isn’t just a story of hope—it’s a tale of consecration, purpose, and the tension between human weakness and divine calling. What does this chapter reveal about God’s ways? And how does it set the stage for the turbulent life of one of Israel’s most enigmatic leaders, and asks the question, are there times when even God's Blessings Are Not Enough.

Let’s explore.

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