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

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Our text today is Judges 15:6-8

"Then the Philistines said, 'Who has done this?' And they said, 'Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he has taken his wife and given her to his companion.' And the Philistines came up and burned her and her father with fire. And Samson said to them, 'If this is what you do, I swear I will be avenged on you, and after that I will quit.' And he struck them hip and thigh with a great blow, and he went down and stayed in the cleft of the rock of Etam." — Judges 15:6-8

Look at the spiral. Samson burns fields.The Philistines burn his wife and father-in-law. Samson slaughters them back.

It's eye for eye, burn for burn, blow for blow. And the body count keeps rising.

This is how anger works. It rarely stays small. It grows teeth. It multiplies. It escalates until everyone loses.

Payback feels powerful—but it always makes situations worse.

You know this cycle. A word said in anger leads to another. A jab at the family gathering explodes into a feud. A cold shoulder stretches into years of silence. Nobody remembers how it started, but everyone's still bleeding.

The way of Christ is different. He broke the cycle. Instead of retaliation, He chose surrender. Instead of lashing back, He absorbed the cost. At the cross, He stopped the spiral so peace could start.

And that's the invitation to us: don't add fuel to the fire. Be stronger. Be resolved. Be the one who ends the cycle.

ASK THIS:

1. Where are you stuck in a back-and-forth cycle of conflict right now?
2. How has anger made things bigger than they ever needed to be?
3. What would it cost you to stop escalating and choose peace?
4. How can Jesus' example shape your response?

• Identify one conflict that's escalating.
• Decide today: "I will not add fuel."
• Take a humble step to break the cycle—apologize, soften your tone, or listen first.

Lord, I don't want to live in the spiral of payback. Help me stop adding fuel. Give me the humility and courage to be a peacemaker like You. Amen.

"Peace Be Still."

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

Today's shout-out goes to Steve Winton from Lakeland, FL. Your commitment through Project23 helps deliver God's Word daily with clarity and conviction. This one's for you.

Our text today is Judges 15:3-5

"And Samson said to them, 'This time I shall be innocent in regard to the Philistines, when I do them harm.' So Samson went and caught 300 foxes and took torches. And he turned them tail to tail and put a torch between each pair of tails. And when he had set fire to the torches, he let the foxes go into the standing grain of the Philistines and set fire to the stacked grain and the standing grain, as well as the olive orchards." — Judges 15:3-5

Samson is furious. His wife's father gave her away to another man, and now humiliation burns inside him. So he cooks up a plan—literally. He ties torches between the tails of 300 foxes and lets them loose in Philistine fields, torching grain and olive orchards.

For Samson, it felt like justice. For the Philistines, it was destruction. And shortly, the retaliation would escalate.

That's the way revenge works—it feels satisfying for a moment, but it never ends there. It multiplies the misery.

Revenge never heals your hurt; it multiplies it.

When you've been betrayed or wronged, the urge to "get even" screams loud. We daydream about comebacks, plots, or even just the perfect cutting words. And for a moment, it feels powerful. But it never brings peace—it only fans the flames of bitterness.

Samson's fire scorched the Philistines, but it also scorched his future. His revenge didn't settle the score; it made the fight bigger.

God calls us to a better way. Romans 12:19 says, "Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.'" God can handle justice better than you ever could. Revenge chains you to anger; forgiveness frees you to live.

ASK THIS:

1. Where are you tempted to "get even" right now?
2. How have you seen revenge backfire in your life before?
3. Why is it so hard to trust God with justice?
4. What might forgiveness free you from today?

• Write down the name of the person you want revenge on.
• Pray: "God, vengeance belongs to You. I give this into Your hands."

Lord, You see the hurt in my heart. I want revenge, but I choose to release it to You. Free me from bitterness, and help me trust You with justice. Amen.

"Battle Belongs."

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

Today's shout-out goes to Charles Olaughlin from Shelbina, MO. Your commitment through Project23 helps deliver God's Word daily with clarity and conviction. This one's for you.

Our text today is Judges 15:1-2

"After some days, at the time of wheat harvest, Samson went to visit his wife with a young goat. And he said, 'I will go in to my wife in the chamber.' But her father would not allow him to go in. And her father said, 'I really thought that you utterly hated her, so I gave her to your companion. Is not her younger sister more beautiful than she? Please take her instead.'" — Judges 15:1-2

Picture Samson walking up to his wife's home. He's holding a goat—his version of flowers and chocolates—ready to make things right. Maybe he's nervous. Maybe he's hopeful. But when he arrives, the door slams shut. Her father blocks the way: "She's gone. I gave her to another man. But hey—her younger sister's prettier. Take her instead."

That's not just rejection—that's betrayal. That's humiliation. Samson was replaced.

You've probably felt it too. Maybe not from a father-in-law who rejected you, but from someone who once promised loyalty, love, or friendship. A spouse who walked away. A friend who ghosted. A parent who didn't show up. A boss who passed you over. Betrayal makes you feel small, discarded, unwanted.

Know this: people's betrayal doesn't define your worth, because God's faithfulness never wavers.

When rejection strikes, our first instinct is to spiral into anger, bitterness, or even revenge. Samson will go there in the verses ahead. But God offers another way: let betrayal drive you into His arms. He is the Friend who never leaves. The Father who never abandons. The Bridegroom who never breaks covenant.

That wound of betrayal may always leave a scar, but it does not decide your story. God's promise does:

"I will never leave you nor forsake you" — Hebrews 13:5.

So don't let rejection name you. Let God's faithfulness claim you.

ASK THIS:

1. Who has betrayed you in a way that still stings today?
2. How has rejection shaped the way you see yourself?
3. Do you believe God's faithfulness is stronger than people's failures?
4. What step can you take today to release bitterness and rest in His promises?

• Write down the name of someone who betrayed or rejected you.
• Pray: "Lord, heal what they broke, and help me trust You more than I trust people."
• Read or say Hebrews 13:5 three times today as a reminder that God never abandons you.
• Share this truth with someone else who's wrestling with rejection.

Father, You know the sting of betrayal better than anyone. When others fail me, remind me that You never will. Heal my wounds and anchor my worth in Your faithfulness. Amen.

"Faithful Now."

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

Today's shout-out goes to George Truesdale from Cocoa Beach, FL. Your commitment through Project23 helps deliver God's Word daily with clarity and conviction. This one's for you.

Our text today is Judges 14:19-20

And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon and struck down thirty men of the town and took their spoil and gave the garments to those who had told the riddle. In hot anger he went back to his father's house. And Samson's wife was given to his companion, who had been his best man. — Judges 14:19-20

Samson is furious. He's lost his bet, been manipulated by his wife, and humiliated in front of his enemies. In rage, he storms down to Ashkelon and kills thirty men to settle the score. And here's the shocking part—the Spirit of the Lord rushes upon him.

This is where it gets tricky. God still used Samson's actions to confront Israel's enemies. But Samson's heart was in the wrong place—driven by anger, not obedience. He would confuse God's power with God's approval.

Just because God uses you doesn't mean he approves of how you're living.

This is a hard pill to swallow. A sermon can land even if the preacher's hiding sin. A business deal can succeed even if corners were cut. A gift can look fruitful while the heart is far from God. Power and results don't always equal God's pleasure.

Samson's story warns us—God's calling is irrevocable, but his approval rests on obedience. His Spirit may still work, but sin always leaves wreckage. Samson was used by God, yet left broken, angry, and estranged.

Don't mistake God's patience for permission or his power for a green light. What he wants most isn't just results—it's your heart.

ASK THIS:

1. Where have you been tempted to measure God's approval by your success?
2. Is there an area of your life where you're "winning" but not obeying?
3. What's one area you need to realign with God's will today?

• Identify one place in your life where results have blinded you to disobedience.
• Confess it to God in prayer.
• Commit one act of obedience this week that costs you something but honors God.

Lord, thank You that You still work through weak and broken people like me. Keep me from confusing Your power with Your approval. Align my heart with Yours so that my life brings You pleasure, not just results. Amen.

"Heart of Worship."

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

Today's shout-out goes to Ronald Stephans. Your commitment through Project23 helps deliver God's Word daily with clarity and conviction. This one's for you.

Our text today is Judges 14:15-18

"On the fourth day they said to Samson's wife, 'Entice your husband to tell us what the riddle is, lest we burn you and your father's house with fire. Have you invited us here to impoverish us?' And Samson's wife wept over him and said, 'You only hate me; you do not love me. You have put a riddle to my people, and you have not told me what it is.' And he said to her, 'Behold, I have not told my father nor my mother, and shall I tell you?' She wept before him the seven days that their feast lasted, and on the seventh day he told her, because she pressed him hard. Then she told the riddle to her people. And the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down, 'What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?' And he said to them, 'If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have found out my riddle.'"— Judges 14:15-18

Samson's wife was terrified. Her own people threatened her life, so she turned the pressure onto Samson. For seven days, she cried, nagged, and manipulated until Samson finally caved. He betrayed his own secret because he couldn't stand the weight of her demands.

That's the trap of people-pleasing. We think giving in will relieve the pressure. But it only leads to more loss. Samson lost the bet, his dignity, and the trust he had placed in his wife—all because he couldn't stand firm under pressure.

Here's the truth: if you live for people's approval, you'll die by their rejection.

Family expectations, cultural pressure, the need to please everyone at the holiday table—these are heavy loads. However, when you give in just to maintain peace, you often lose yourself, and sometimes you lose God's blessing in the process.

The call of Scripture is clear: seek to please God first. Paul put it this way in Galatians 1:10: "If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ."

That doesn't mean we stop loving people. But it does mean we draw boundaries and learn to stand firm in truth, even when the pressure is unbearable.

ASK THIS:

1. Where in your life do you feel the heaviest family pressure?
2. How are you tempted to compromise truth just to keep others happy?
3. Do you believe pleasing God first will actually free you from the weight of people-pleasing?

• Name the main source of pressure in your life right now.
• Pray over it, asking God for courage to honor Him above all.
• Set one healthy boundary this week with a person or situation that drains you.

Father, I confess I often give in to people instead of standing firm in You. Give me courage to please You first, even when the pressure is heavy. Amen.

"The Stand."

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

And today's a special one—it's Thanksgiving Day.

Today's shout-out goes to Marcus Sanfilippo from Flagler Beach, FL. Your commitment through Project23 helps deliver God's Word daily with clarity and conviction. This one's for you.

Our text today is Judges 14:10-14

"His father went down to the woman, and Samson prepared a feast there, for so the young men used to do. As soon as the people saw him, they brought thirty companions to be with him. And Samson said to them, 'Let me now put a riddle to you. If you can tell me what it is, within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothes, but if you cannot tell me what it is, then you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothes.' And they said to him, 'Put your riddle, that we may hear it.' And he said to them, 'Out of the eater came something to eat. Out of the strong came something sweet.' And in three days they could not solve the riddle." — Judges 14:10-14

Samson had just been given a miracle—God's Spirit gave him victory over a lion. Days later, instead of remembering that moment with gratitude, he turned it into a riddle at a party. He literally gambled with God's blessing, making it about his wit and his pride.

That's the danger for us, too. Instead of letting God's gifts draw us to worship, we make them about us. We downplay His provision, take credit for His work, or use His blessings for our own advantage.

Thanksgiving is supposed to be a day where we stop, notice God's gifts, and give Him glory. But how often do we blow past His blessings—treating them casually, like Samson did?

Gratitude guards God's glory, but pride gambles it away.

When you see the hand of God in your life—answered prayers, provision, protection—don't turn it into a joke, a boast, or a throwaway moment. Slow down. Say thank you. Point the glory back to Him.

Thanksgiving isn't just one day on the calendar. It's a lifestyle that protects us from Samson's mistake—taking a gift and making it a game.

ASK THIS:

1. What blessings in your life have you treated casually instead of giving thanks?
2. How can gratitude change the way you see God's provision?
3. Where has pride robbed God of the glory He deserves in your story?
4. What are three specific things you can thank God for today?

• Write down a list of 10 things you're thankful for right now.
• Share at least one of them with your family or friends at the table today.
• Take one blessing you've been tempted to take credit for, and thank God out loud for it.
• End your Thanksgiving by praying a prayer of gratitude, not just for food, but for His faithfulness.

Father, thank You for every gift You've given me. Forgive me for the times I've taken Your blessings lightly. Today I give You glory, not just for the food on my table, but for every victory and every provision in my life. Amen.

"Give Thanks."

In this week's Faith + State conversation, Vince Miller and Minnesota House Rep. Elliott Engen walk through Judges 14, the beginning of Samson's story — a man who lives by one destructive creed: "It is right in my eyes." From forbidden relationships to rage-fueled decisions, Samson becomes a mirror for the crisis in our culture today.

Elliott shares a shocking real-life story from Hamline University — including a crowd cheering the murder of a political figure — revealing how far we've drifted from basic morality. Vince connects the dots from Samson's implosion to the cultural chaos we're witnessing now, reminding us why truth, restraint, and God's authority matter more than ever.

If you've ever struggled with anger, impulse, moral drift, or the pressure to conform, this episode gives you clarity and hope. And if today is your day to choose Jesus — drop: "I choose Jesus" in the comments.

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

Today's shout-out goes to Tom Reid from Elma, NY. Your commitment through Project23 helps deliver God's Word daily with clarity and conviction. This one's for you.

Our text today is Judges 14:7-9

Then he went down and talked with the woman, and she was right in Samson's eyes. After some days he returned to take her. And he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion, and behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey. He scraped it out into his hands and went on, eating as he went. And he came to his father and mother and gave some to them, and they ate. But he did not tell them that he had scraped the honey from the carcass of the lion. — Judges 14:7-9

Samson returns to the place of his battle—the lion he killed. The carcass is still there, but now it holds something unexpected: honey. Sweetness from death. Provision from decay.

That's a strange image, but it mirrors how life feels. Struggles often leave us staring at carcasses—loss, regret, brokenness. We stand there asking, "Why did this happen? Can anything good come out of this mess?" In those moments, it feels pointless. Empty. Even cruel.

But here's what Samson's discovery whispers: what feels wasted may still hold hidden sweetness. God is able to bring nourishment from the very places you thought were only marked by loss.

Your struggle may feel like a dead end, but God can make it a doorway.

That diagnosis. That divorce. That failure. That season of grief. It might feel like nothing more than a carcass in your life. But don't miss this—God specializes in bringing blessing out of brokenness. Samson scraped honey from the carcass of a lion; Jesus brought life out of the grave. The greatest sweetness came from the greatest struggle—the cross.

So if you're staring at something that feels wasted, don't walk away too quickly. God may be preparing honey where you only see death.

ASK THIS:

1. Where in your life are you staring at a "carcass" and struggling to see hope?
2. How have you seen God bring sweetness out of hardship in the past?
3. What would change if you believed God was already working in your pain?
4. How does Jesus' victory at the cross give you hope in your present struggle?

• Identify one struggle you currently see as pointless.
• Ask God specifically to show you where He is working in it.
• Share one "sweetness from struggle" story with someone today to encourage them.
• Each time you feel bitterness this week, pray: "Lord, turn this into honey."

Father, I confess that sometimes my pain feels wasted. But I trust You can bring sweetness from struggle, just as You brought life from death at the cross. Amen.

"Graves Into Gardens."

When corruption becomes normal, truth becomes dangerous. In this episode of Faith + State, Vince and Elliott dig into the growing ethical crisis in American politics — from insider trading in Congress to corporate loopholes to the political machine that punishes anyone who dares to speak honestly.

We trace this all the way back to 1 Kings 22, where Micaiah told the truth to a corrupt system that only wanted "yes men." The same pattern shows up in modern government, corporate culture, and even our personal lives.

If you've ever wondered why calling out wrongdoing gets you attacked… this conversation is for you.

SUBSCRIBE to follow our journey through Faith, State, and everything in between.

Fraud in Minnesota isn't slowing down — it's exploding. Billions lost. Zero accountability. Elected officials looking the other way because the system benefits them.

In this raw and honest episode, Vince Miller (pastor) and Rep. Elliott Engen (politician) sit down to talk about the fraud crisis no one else seems willing to address. From Feeding Our Future to autism program scams to DEI-shielded corruption, this conversation pulls the curtain back on what's happening behind the scenes.

Vince connects today's corruption to the biblical story of Ahab, Jezebel, and Naboth from 1 Kings 21 — showing how injustice and fraud aren't new…but they always demand accountability.

Elliott shares inside political realities, on-the-ground stories, and the personal cost of exposing fraud. And together they ask the real question:

What can people of faith actually do?

This episode is bold, honest, and deeply needed.