Lean In // 5 minutes
If you could have one super power what would it be and why?
Leader Note: Keep in mind the importance of having everyone play here. The more people talk upfront the more likely it becomes that they will share later.
Look Down // 15 minutes
Read Judges 15:9-20
What are the strengths of Sampson? What are his weaknesses?
Sample answers may include…
Strengths
- Physical strength
- Quick, stealthy (killed 1,000 men)
- Resourceful (used a donkey’s jawbone!)
- Determined
- Calculated, he had a plan, became his own Trojan horse!
- He knew what he could handle, knew his own strength
- Bold, no fear!
- Leadership, lead the people of Israel as Judge for 20 years
Weaknesses
- Self absorbed, no concern for others
- Takes credit, arrogance
- Irreverence for life
- Takes revenge into his own hands
- Anger
- Passes blame on to others, “I’m doing what you did to us!”
What do you observe about the relationship between strengths and weaknesses in this story?
Commentary: We see here and in other points in Sampson life that his strengths quickly turn to weaknesses; there’s a direct correlation between the two. For example physical power is strength but also a weakness in that it lead him to arrogance.
Look Out // 10 minutes
Where have you seen a strength turned into a weakness?
Sample answers may include…
- The Wizard of OZ: Powerful voice of authority yet isolated, not known
- Batman: Rich, strong, deliver of justice yet hides in the shadows alone
- The kid who excels in sports at an early age: No one wants to play with him/her in fear of being beaten.
- Good Looks: People can assume something to be not true of you based on your looks, i.e. a lack of intellectually depth.
Look In // 20 minutes
Where have you seen your strengths work against you? How were you and those around you impacted?
Where have you seen God work through your weakness?
Live It Out // 5 minutes
How would those around you be impacted if you were to rely on God’s strength and not your own?
Learn More About Flow Questions: Check out Kenton Beshore’s book Ask in the Irvine Campus Bookstore for more on the Flow Question model.
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