Sermon
Samson and the God of Grace: Finding Gospel Hope in God's Work with God's Family
Stonebrook Community Church
Speaker: Brad Barrett
July 6, 2025 · 38 min
Summary
Samson disobeys God's command against marrying a Philistine woman, yet God uses his sin and subsequent conflicts with the Philistines to deliver Israel from oppression. The sermon emphasizes that grace—God's unmerited kindness to a rebellious people—is the central theme, demonstrated through God's initiative in salvation despite human unworthiness.
Highlights
Though Israel deserved wrath and not mercy, though they didn't ever cry out to the Lord for help, and though they rejected the obvious help from Samson, the Lord shows his remarkable kindness to a stubborn people. That is grace.
Even though we were dead in trespasses, you are saved by the grace of God. God has taken all the initiative. He has come into a world hostile to himself.
Our ability to love others is founded upon God's love for us. We love because He first loved us. We will not get this in relationship to others if we don't get it first from Him.