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The purpose of this show is to encourage young black men to be the spiritual and moral leaders that they should be and to affect positive change in the black community of America and beyond.
Today, we are beginning a new series of broadcasts titled "Lessons from the Life of Samson," which is based on my book titled "Bringing Down the House: How Young Men Who Mess Up Their Lives Can Make a Comeback." Today's topic is "Destined for Greatness."
In a recent book, Myles Munroe asks the following question:
“Where is the wealthiest spot in the world? Perhaps you might say the expensive oil fields of Saudi Arabia, the financial district of New York City, or the lavish palaces of the Queen of England. But actually it isn’t any of these places. The wealthiest spot on earth is right in your neighborhood—the local cemetery.”
Why the graveyard? Because of the great amount of unused human potential that lies there. Every year, thousands die without living up to their full potential. Where does human potential come from? Not from education, or birth status, or grooming. Human potential comes from God.
- Plus, listen to Tobymac singing "Eye on It"
As young men, we tend to put an emphasis on muscle and raw physical strength. And unfortunately we have a tendency to ignore the most important part of our existence—the spiritual part.
In reality, when we talk about spirituality, we aren’t talking about expressing emotion, but about something that is at the core of who we are—our souls. Your soul is the most important part of you, and if you aren’t spiritually fit, your soul is in bad shape. What does being “spiritually fit” really mean? Let’s look at what it meant for the hero, Samson.
- Plus, listen to Manafest singing "Every Time Your Run"
How do we build up and exercise our spiritual muscles? There are several ways, but let’s focus on two for now.
The first way is to communicate with God—the Source of all life. We can communicate with God through prayer and Bible reading. Through prayer, we can talk to God; and as believers, God has given us His Holy Spirit which will help us in our prayers. Through prayer, God will also speak to our hearts and minds and provide us with the wisdom and guidance we need for our lives.
Studying the Scriptures is also important. Through regular Bible reading, we learn about the God of the universe, we understand more about the world He made, and the way He wants us to live. A good study Bible is an invaluable tool for a young Christian.
- Plus, listen to Lecrae and Tedashii singing "Lord Have Mercy"
Samson normally gets a bad rap for being the most mistake-proned child of God in the Old Testament. And it definitely seems like he earned that title. But, when you read Scripture, you’ll see that there are also a good number of other Biblical characters who could compete with Samson. Just think of Abraham and the other Hebrew patriarchs who failed to trust God for safety on several occasions; or Moses who murdered a man, tried to do things His way, and disobeyed God at a major point in his life; or David who took another man’s wife and killed her husband; or Jonah who refused to preach God’s word to the Ninevites and got on a ship heading in the opposite direction; or Peter who boasted that he would die with Christ and then denied Him three times.
Though these great men made mistakes, they are remembered for their tireless work for God in spite of their failures. The fact is, we won’t be perfect either. We will make mistakes. And we may feel as though God won’t be able to use us for His glory after we have sinned and made mistakes. But, as we see from Samson’s life, sometimes God may allow us to mess up to show us that we cannot do His will in our own way.
- Plus, listen to Lecrae singing "Ambition"