Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video.

Our text today is Judges 16:18-21:

"When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called the lords of the Philistines, saying, 'Come up again, for he has told me all his heart.' Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hands. She made him sleep on her knees. And she called a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him. And she said, 'The Philistines are upon you, Samson!' And he awoke from his sleep and said, 'I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.' But he did not know that the Lord had left him. And the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles. And he ground at the mill in the prison." — Judges 16:18-21

Yesterday, Samson gave in to Delilah's toxic empathy. He mistook love for surrender, compassion for compromise. And the moment he did, the trap was sprung. His vow was broken. His strength was gone.

Notice the devastating effects:

Blinded: His eyes gouged out—sin always blinds us first, dulling our discernment.
Bound: Shackled in bronze—compromise doesn't free you; it chains you.
Ground down: Forced to grind grain in prison—the mighty judge of Israel reduced to slave labor.

This is the natural progression of toxic empathy and social tolerance. When you give up righteousness to avoid being labeled "intolerant," you don't just lose ground—you lose sight. You lose freedom. You lose strength.

We also see it in culture. Churches that once stood firm on God's Word now compromise to be "welcoming." Leaders soften the truth so they won't be misunderstood. Families surrender holiness in the name of keeping peace. And just like Samson, the strength departs—and many don't even realize God's presence has left the room.

Look again at Gaza. It was the city Samson once strutted out of with the gates on his shoulders (Judges 16:3). Now it's the city where he's paraded around in chains. The very place where he thought he was untouchable becomes the place of his humiliation. That's the effect of compromise:

What you once thought you mastered eventually masters you.

ASK THIS:

1. Where have you mistaken tolerance for love, and ended up weakening your faith?
2. How has compromise blinded you to sin's danger?
3. What "chains" do you feel in your life right now because of past concessions?
4. How can you return to strength by standing firm in God's truth again?

DO THIS:

• Write down one area where compromise has robbed you of strength.
• This week, resist one small cultural lie with clear, biblical truth.

PRAY THIS:

Father, forgive me for the places I've traded truth for acceptance. Open my eyes where I've been blinded. Break the chains where I've been bound. Restore my strength so I can walk faithfully with You again. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"No Compromise."

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video.

Our text today is Judges 16:15-17:

"And she said to him, 'How can you say, "I love you," when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and you have not told me where your great strength lies.' And when she pressed him hard with her words day after day, and urged him, his soul was vexed to death. And he told her all his heart, and said to her, 'A razor has never come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother's womb. If my head is shaved, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak and be like any other man.'" — Judges 16:15-17

Delilah didn't defeat Samson with force—she wore him down with feelings. "If you love me, prove it. If you care, give me this. If you don't, you're holding back." Samson caved, not because he was overpowered, but because he couldn't stand the weight of emotional manipulation.

This is called "toxic empathy"—the kind of false compassion that confuses love with surrender. Toxic empathy says: "If you love me, you'll accept what I want, even if it violates your convictions." It's empathy weaponized.

And doesn't that sound familiar? Our culture preaches a version of tolerance that demands the death of truth. "Affirm my choices, celebrate my lifestyle, bless my rebellion—or else you're hateful, judgmental, intolerant." That's the same spirit Delilah used on Samson: emotional blackmail to make him lay down what God called sacred.

Samson gave in, and in doing so, he forfeited his righteousness. He handed over the very thing God set apart in him. And when believers cave to cultural "tolerance," we do the same. We give up holiness for acceptance. We trade truth for applause. We exchange conviction for the cheap approval of people who don't worship our God.

Love can be loving without surrendering truth. Jesus was the most compassionate man who ever lived, yet he never compromised truth or righteousness. He loved sinners without affirming their sin. And we are called to do the same.

Toxic empathy may appear to be kindness, but in the end, it costs us our strength, integrity, and influence. So love, without compromise.

ASK THIS:

1. Where are you tempted to compromise truth because you don't want to be misunderstood?
2. How does "toxic empathy" show up in your relationships or workplace?
3. When have you traded conviction for cultural acceptance?
4. What would it look like to love people with compassion but without surrendering righteousness?

DO THIS:

• Identify one area where you feel pressured to soften or surrender God's truth.
• Pray for courage to hold the line with grace and conviction.
• Practice speaking truth in love this week—kindly, but clearly.
• Memorize Isaiah 5:20: "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil."

PRAY THIS:

Lord, help me resist the pull of toxic empathy. Give me courage to love people with grace, but never at the cost of Your truth. Strengthen me to stand firm when culture demands tolerance that violates righteousness. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Christ Our Hope in Life and Death."

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video.

Our text today is Judges 16:10-14:

"Then Delilah said to Samson, 'Behold, you have mocked me and told me lies; please tell me how you might be bound.' And he said to her, 'If they bind me with new ropes that have not been used, then I shall become weak and be like any other man.' So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them and said to him, 'The Philistines are upon you, Samson!' And the men lying in ambush were in an inner chamber. But he snapped the ropes off his arms like a thread. Then Delilah said to Samson, 'Until now you have mocked me and told me lies. Tell me how you might be bound.' And he said to her, 'If you weave the seven locks of my head with the web and fasten it tight with the pin, then I shall become weak and be like any other man.' So while he slept, Delilah took the seven locks of his head and wove them into the web. And she made them tight with the pin and said to him, 'The Philistines are upon you, Samson!' But he awoke from his sleep and pulled away the pin, the loom, and the web." — Judges 16:10-14

Delilah wasn't subtle anymore. By now it was obvious: she was working with the Philistines to trap Samson. She asked, and he answered with half-truths and games. She tested him, and he kept breaking free. Over and over again, Samson played along.

Why? Because repeated lies dull our senses. At first, you know it's a setup. You laugh it off, you toy with it, you think you're still in control. But the more you tolerate it, the less dangerous it feels. Eventually, what once seemed unthinkable becomes normal.

That's exactly how sin and culture work today. We're told the same falsehoods so often, people start to believe them:

"You be you."
"You've got this."
"Truth is whatever you feel."
"Gender is just a choice."
"Faith doesn't belong in the workplace. Keep it to yourself."

Repeat a lie long enough, and people let their guard down. Israel did it with Gaza—tolerating an enemy they should have driven out—and generations later, that compromise still haunts them.

We've seen the same thing in our time. Take marriage. Marriage was once honored in our culture as a covenant between a man and a woman. Now it's redefined, mocked, and replaced with hookup culture and hyper-sexualism in nearly every movie, ad, and classroom. Lies repeated long enough become the air we breathe, and if we're not alert, we start to tolerate what God never intended.

Samson thought he was just playing games. But every laugh, every half-truth, every little compromise was softening him up for the kill. That's how lies work—they don't strike all at once; they wear you down. And we face the same danger. You can't toy with deception and expect to stand strong. Every time you entertain a lie, it dulls your discernment, lowers your guard, and prepares you for a bigger fall. Left unchecked, small lies become chains—and eventually, those chains own you.

ASK THIS:

1. Where are you letting repeated lies numb your discernment?
2. Which cultural "half-truths" are you tempted to tolerate because they're everywhere?
3. How has compromise in small things weakened you in bigger battles?

DO THIS:

• Identify one lie you've started to accept without thinking.
• Hold it up against Scripture—what does God actually say?
• Replace that lie with a verse of truth (write it, memorize it, share it).

PRAY THIS:

Lord, open my eyes to the lies I've started to tolerate. Give me discernment to see through deception and strength to stand on Your truth, no matter how often the world repeats its lies. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Voice of Truth."

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video.

Our text today is Judges 16:4-9:

"After this he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, 'Seduce him, and see where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to humble him. And we will each give you 1,100 pieces of silver.' So Delilah said to Samson, 'Please tell me where your great strength lies, and how you might be bound, that one could subdue you.' Samson said to her, 'If they bind me with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, then I shall become weak and be like any other man.' Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven fresh bowstrings that had not been dried, and she bound him with them. Now she had men lying in ambush in an inner chamber. And she said to him, 'The Philistines are upon you, Samson!' But he snapped the bowstrings, as a thread of flax snaps when it touches the fire. So the secret of his strength was not known." — Judges 16:4-9

Samson fell in love with Delilah. On the outside, it probably looked harmless—even romantic. But underneath, the Philistine rulers were using her to unravel him. Notice their strategy: not an ambush, not an outright attack, but seduction. Quiet. Subtle. Patient.

That's how sin usually works. Rarely does the enemy come at you with flashing lights and a sword in hand. More often, he whispers through slow compromise, through small concessions that seem harmless—until you realize you've been tied up.

And here's the irony: Samson kept playing along. He knew she was setting him up, but he continued to entertain the idea. He tolerated the danger, thinking he could handle it. That's exactly how sin works in us. What we entertain today eventually enslaves us tomorrow.

This is still happening now. Just look around. Our culture seduces us with subtle compromises—porn normalized as entertainment, propaganda hidden in schools, news outlets, and governments selling the lie that we can trade truth for comfort and cultural ideologies. Like Israel tolerating Gaza for generations, many believers today tolerate little footholds of sin, thinking they won't matter. But they do. Small compromises left unchecked lead to devastating collapse.

Sin doesn't usually take you out all at once. It wears you down until you give away what you never meant to lose.

ASK THIS:

1. Where are you tolerating small compromises in your life right now?
2. Why do you think subtle temptations feel safer than obvious ones?
3. How can you recognize when sin is "wearing you down" before it's too late?
4. What cultural lies are you tempted to tolerate instead of resisting?

DO THIS:

• Identify: One "small" compromise you've been tolerating.
• Confess: Ask God to help you shut the door before it grows.
• Pay attention: Is culture shaping your convictions—or is God's Word?

PRAY THIS:

Lord, open my eyes to the subtle compromises that wear me down. Give me the courage to resist what seems small, and the wisdom to guard what You've set apart in me. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Lord, I Need You."

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video.

Our text today is Judges 16:1-3

"Samson went to Gaza, and there he saw a prostitute, and he went in to her. The Gazites were told, 'Samson has come here.' And they surrounded the place and set an ambush for him all night at the gate of the city. They kept quiet all night, saying, 'Let us wait till the light of the morning; then we will kill him.' But Samson lay till midnight, and at midnight he arose and took hold of the doors of the gate of the city and the two posts, and pulled them up, bar and all, and put them on his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that is in front of Hebron." — Judges 16:1-3

Samson walked straight into Gaza—the heart of Philistine territory—to spend the night with a prostitute. On the surface, he got away with it. At midnight, he ripped the city gates from their foundations, carried them on his shoulders, and walked away like a man untouchable.

But Gaza wasn't just any city. Then and now, Gaza has been a hotspot of conflict—a place where compromise, corruption, and resistance to God's people have festered for generations. What Israel tolerated in Gaza back then still plagues them today. It's a sobering reminder that sins left unchecked don't just fade with time—they multiply.

Samson thought he was strong enough to dip into enemy territory and walk away. In reality, Gaza became another crack in his armor, another step toward downfall.

That's how temptation works. It whispers, "You're strong enough. You can manage this. You'll be fine." But every compromise weakens us. Every trip into enemy territory costs more than we realize.

You can't flirt with sin and expect to walk away unscathed. The little compromises we excuse today often grow into the strongholds that enslave us tomorrow. God calls us not to manage temptation, but to flee from it.

ASK THIS:

1. Where are you tempted to flirt with sin, thinking you can handle it?
2. How has "getting away with it" in the past made you careless toward temptation?
3. What compromises have you tolerated that now feel like strongholds?
4. What escape route do you need to take before the fire burns you?

DO THIS:

• Identify: One temptation you've been "managing" instead of fleeing.
• Confess: That one temptation, honestly to God today.
• Action: Take one concrete step to remove access to that temptation (delete, block, avoid, or confess).

PRAY THIS:

Lord, I admit I've played too close to the fire. Forgive me for flirting with sin. Give me the wisdom to run from temptation and the strength to rely on You instead of myself. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"God, Turn It Around."

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video.

Our text today is Judges 15:18-20

"And he was very thirsty, and he called upon the Lord and said, 'You have granted this great salvation by the hand of your servant, and shall I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?' And God split open the hollow place that is at Lehi, and water came out from it. And when he drank, his spirit returned, and he revived. Therefore the name of it was called En-hakkore; it is at Lehi to this day. And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years." — Judges 15:18-20

Think about the irony here. Yesterday, Samson had boasted in his own strength: "With the jawbone of a donkey, I struck down a thousand men." He took credit for God's win.

But today, he's gasping for breath, parched with thirst, and he cries out: "God, You gave me this victory—are You going to let me die now?" In other words, when things went well, it was all Samson. When things went wrong, it was all God's fault. Pride when it suits him. Blame when it doesn't.

Sound familiar? We do the same. We take credit for the promotion, the healed relationship, the successful project. Then the moment we hit a wall, we turn on God:

"Why are You letting this happen? Where are You now?"

Here's the stunning part of the story: even with Samson's pride and finger-pointing, God still provides. He cracks open rock. Water flows. Samson is revived. Grace pours out where it's least deserved.

That's the heart of our God. He provides not because we always get it right, but because He is always faithful. And Samson's thirst points us forward to Jesus, who said, "Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again" (John 4:14).

Victories won't quench your soul. Pride won't satisfy your thirst. Blame won't fix your emptiness. Only grace can. And grace flows even when you don't deserve it.

ASK THIS:

1. When have you taken credit for God's work in your life?
2. Where are you quick to blame God when life gets hard?
3. How does it change you to know He still provides, even when your attitude is wrong?
4. What "thirst" do you need to bring honestly before Him today?

DO THIS:

• Reflect: Where have you recently taken credit for God's work—or blamed Him for your struggles?
• Confess: Both honestly in prayer.
• Ask: God to meet your deepest thirst with His grace.

PRAY THIS:

Father, I confess my pride in taking credit when things go well and my blame when things fall apart. Yet you still provide. Thank you for pouring out grace even when I don't deserve it. Satisfy my thirst in you alone. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Living Water."

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video.

Our text today is Judges 15:16-17

"And Samson said,
'With the jawbone of a donkey,
heaps upon heaps,
with the jawbone of a donkey
have I struck down a thousand men.'
As soon as he had finished speaking, he threw away the jawbone out of his hand. And that place was called Ramath-lehi." — Judges 15:16-17

Samson had just experienced one of the most incredible victories in his life. Bound by ropes, surrounded by enemies, he was suddenly filled with the Spirit of God. With nothing but a donkey's jawbone, he struck down a thousand Philistines.

But listen to what he says afterward. Listen carefully.

"With the jawbone of a donkey, heaps upon heaps, have I struck down a thousand men."

No mention of God. No credit to the Spirit. Just Samson boasting about Samson.

Sound familiar?

Victory often tempts us to shift the spotlight. We crush a project at work and secretly think, "Look what I did." A relationship improves, and we say, "I finally figured it out." Even in ministry, we can pat ourselves on the back after a win instead of lifting our eyes to heaven.

Pride in victory steals glory from God and puts us on shaky ground.

The truth is, Samson didn't kill a thousand men because he was clever with a jawbone. He didn't snap ropes because of sheer strength. The Spirit did that. The Spirit rushed in, gave him power, and made the impossible possible. The same is true for us. Any success we enjoy—big or small—is by God's hand.

Pride takes what God did and rebrands it as our accomplishment. And the moment we start stealing God's glory, we set ourselves up for a fall. But humility reverses the script.

Humility says, "God did this. I'm just holding the jawbone."

ASK THIS:

1. Where in your life are you tempted to take credit instead of giving God glory?
2. Why does success so often make us forget God's role in the victory?
3. What would it look like to redirect praise to God in your current season?
4. How can humility actually deepen your joy in the victories He gives?

DO THIS:

• Identify one recent "victory" in your life.
• Out loud, thank God for it specifically: "Lord, You did this."

PRAY THIS:

Father, I confess I love to take credit for what only You could have done. Keep me humble in victory. Teach me to give glory back to You in every success. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Nothing Else."

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video.

Our text today is Judges 15:14-15

When he came to Lehi, the Philistines came shouting to meet him. Then the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and the ropes that were on his arms became as flax that has caught fire, and his bonds melted off his hands. And he found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, and put out his hand and took it, and with it he struck 1,000 men. — Judges 15:14-15

Samson walked into Lehi tied up. Not by the Philistines, but by his own people. That had to sting. Three thousand of his brothers bound him with ropes and handed him over. To everyone watching, it looked like the end. The Philistines saw a man restrained, contained, and defeated before the fight even started. They shouted in victory before they'd even lifted a sword.

Maybe you've been there. Bound not just by circumstances, but by betrayal, disappointment, or shame. You walk into a situation feeling powerless. People write you off. The enemy shouts too soon. You hear voices in your head: You'll never break free. You'll never change. You'll never win.

But then—God's Spirit shows up.

The text says the Spirit of the Lord "rushed upon him." Instantly, what looked impossible changed. The ropes fell away like burnt thread. The bonds melted as if they were nothing. Samson reached for the only thing nearby—a donkey's jawbone—and God turned it into a weapon of victory.

You may be bound, but you are not broken.

The ropes on your life are real. Addiction is real. Fear is real. Regret is real. Wounds from betrayal are real. But they are not final. The Spirit of God can snap what holds you. The Spirit can melt what seems permanent. The Spirit can turn even the most ordinary thing into a tool for victory.

Your ropes don't define you. God's Spirit does.

So if you're feeling tied down today—by sin, by failure, by the weight of life—you need to know: the same Spirit who rushed on Samson lives in you. And the same Spirit can set you free.

ASK THIS:

1. Where do you feel most bound in your life right now?
2. How have you seen God's Spirit break through in the past?
3. What would it look like to stop relying on willpower and invite the Spirit into this battle?
4. Who in your life needs to hear that they may be bound but not broken?

DO THIS:

• Write down the "rope" that feels like it has you tied up. Name it specifically.
• Share your struggle with a trusted friend and invite them to pray with you.
• Watch for God to use something small or unexpected (like a jawbone) as part of your freedom story.

PRAY THIS:

Holy Spirit, I feel bound, but I believe I'm not broken. Rush into my weakness, snap the ropes I can't break, and give me strength to walk free in Your power. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Break Every Chain."