Tuesdays at 6:00 PM, Foundry Church - 3010 Lakeland Cove, Flowood. Call Matt Flint at (601) 260-8518 or email him at matthewflint.makes@gmail.com or Lance Bowser at (601) 862-8308 or email at lancebowser@msi-inv.com.
Wednesday at 6:00 PM, First Baptist Church Jackson - Summit Counseling Suite - 431 North State St. Jackson. Call Don Waller at 601-946-1290 or email him at don@wallerbros.com.
Monday at 6:30 PM , Vertical Church - 521 Gluckstadt Road Madison, MS 39110. Mr. Roane Hunter, facilitator, LifeWorks Counseling.
Sunday night at 6:00 PM, Grace Crossing Baptist Church - 598 Yandell Rd. Canton. Call Ryan Adams at 662-571-5705 or email him at ryan.adams1747@gmail.com.
As we step into the New Year, it’s a time when many of us make resolutions to change things we don’t like about ourselves. But what if, instead of trying to "fix" those parts of ourselves, we chose to approach them with curiosity and compassion?
This November, we invite you to the 2025 Samson Summit – a unique opportunity to explore your story, deepen your relationships, and embrace the fullness of who you are.
Resolve to Join Us This November
This Summit, featuring Chris Bruno, will challenge us to rethink how we approach the parts of ourselves we often view with contempt or disgust. Instead of self-criticism, let’s resolve to be curious. Let’s learn how to show love to the wounded and hidden corners of our hearts.
Take Advantage of This Exclusive 5-Day Discount!
From Monday, January 6 through Friday, January 10, take advantage of reduced pricing on all lodging options. This is your chance to secure your spot at a discounted rate! Two payment options available: pay in full now or pay a 50% deposit and the remaining balance in September.
During the Samson Summit on November 7-9, 2025, we are offering The Wild and Sacred Journey, a transformative weekend retreat designed exclusively for women to reconnect with the wild, playful, and sacred aspects of themselves.
This experience weaves together moments of creative expression, deep reflection, and communal celebration, all set against the breathtaking backdrop of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Mr. Nate Larkin has been hosting one of the (5-6 per week) "newcomer meetings" for quite a while now. These meetings serve as a clearinghouse for men who're interested in joining Samson Society (gaining access to virtual meetings / Slack, etc.), and it's assumed they've never attended an in-person Samson meeting (i.e. they're very green).
In essence, newcomers are able to reserve a seat at (again, 5-6 offered per week) upcoming newcomers' meetings on the homepage of www.samsonsociety.com. From there, they receive an email invitation which gives them access at the set day / time of their scheduled meeting.
I had the privilege to officially take the reins of Nate's regularly hosted newcomers' meeting this past Saturday, (12/28) in response to Nate's wife's request to be able to spend the full Saturday(s) with him going forward. It was a whole lot of fun.
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The newcomers' meeting firstly, in my mind, needs to provide these men - who're brave enough to step up - with a concise description of what exactly Samson Society is and how it works. And these newcomer meeting's foundations laid therein already does bring that to bare. How so? There's a specific newcomers' meeting slide deck that provides a one-to-one overview of a standard format Samson meeting. As such, it's expected that me as the host, breeze through these at some point during the hour. Besides that, what I also observed Mr. Nate Larkin relay were specific details as to his journey within 12-steps groups and how he'd attempted to overlay many of those attributes in light of his desire to foster similarly positive experiences within Samson Society (a personal justification / origin story of the Samson ethos).
Therefore, there's a template here, but in regard to Nate's position as founder, he also brought so much firsthand narrative to the table.
But one truth that I keep coming back to is how - within a standard format meeting - guys essentially are given the opportunity / expectation to both listen intently whilst talking openly themselves sans any feedback. This, to me, is what sets Samson Society apart.
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We are a culture built on individualism. Individualism that's customizable to the nth degree. This western culture approach has grown out of another cultural lynchpin. That being unending criticism - from every side. We westerners spend an enormous amount of energy / time critiquing everything around us. And this is an outgrowth of our being image bearers. For God offers the ultimate critique as he adjudicates our hearts with the deepest and most resolute sincerity.
Because of this, we hide an awful lot of ourselves or choose to live separate lives depending on the surroundings we might find ourselves within. And this is an inevitability, though as we age, I do believe there can / should be less and less of this default shielding.
Therefore, for those of us who find the results of these various approaches stilting, debilitating, suffocating, genuinely exhausting, I offer you Samson Society.
And no, you don't have to have issues with anything especially compulsory or addictive to qualify.
When I began to realize how deliberately indulging lust was (at the precipice of middle school), this is when I began to truly fear God. Up until then, I had no real reason to fear him, though I did believe he existed and that our world had been / continued to be ordered via his will.
My bio father was an enforcer of rules within our home, though most of those were unspoken expectations that simply centered around me being obedient to my parents' commands (sans any sardonic commentary). As I aged, he understandably pulled back therein (in proportion to my teenage emotional retreat), becoming more and more distant as any sort of active guidepost / leader within my life (he was consistently present / reliably routine).
Therefore eventually, my then new fear of God also morphed into need. That being direction for not only managing my depravity but for my life overall. For my penchant for lust was only ramping up / becoming more pervasive as a go-to private entertainment escape.
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We've had the good fortune to spend some quality time with new friends over the holidays. One of the distinct differences that I've clued into therein is the lack of God fear within these lovely human beings. And as a Christian, this is hard for me to relate to. For I begin wondering, am I more depraved than most, or is this simply tied to me attempting to be God (judge) with or without any true accuracy (or some combination therein)?
I read my Bible regularly. I pray regularly. I enjoy both of these things immensely. Right now, I'm reading through the book of Ezekiel. In fact, I just finished chapter 23. If you've never read Ezekiel 23, it's essentially a brutally descriptive / explicitly pornographic allegory of two people groups / physical places and God's utter disgust with their chronic debauchery (lack of fear).
In tandem with this, I'm undergoing some very intense personal recovery work right here during the holidays. Recovery work inspired by some of Mr. Andrew Bauman's teachings at the '24 Samson Summit.
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In closing, church is really important to me as well. Why? Because of its representation as Christ's bride combined with all the good (that I've experienced) from being involved within a local body of believers. Much of the book of Acts focuses on the early Christian church. If you're a Bible-loving Christian, wouldn't you work hard to find / invest within a local church (even if you're single) that serves you / allows you to serve others well?
I'm certainly not anymore depraved than the average Joe, but I am much more prone to ruminate on this part of myself (I have to believe).
At times, a deep-seated sense of worthlessness has taken root, over the years, as a result of this.
Were I less inclined to follow This Path, I don't believe fear would ever reside within the same sentence as God, therefore I'm very much at peace with remembering my need for salvation and, in turn, how deliberately rebellious my heart can be as any sort of almanac for my life.
As we approach December 21, the Winter Solstice, we find ourselves at the threshold of the longest night of the year—a time when the darkness feels most profound, yet the promise of light quietly begins to emerge. This turning point in the year carries profound symbolism for our journeys of recovery and healing.
In recovery, much like in the solstice, we confront our darkest seasons—moments when despair, shame, or fear may feel overwhelming. These nights can seem endless, and the weight of our struggles can tempt us to believe the light will never return. But the solstice reminds us that even in the deepest darkness, a shift is taking place. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, the days begin to lengthen, and the light finds its way back.
The journey of healing often mirrors this cycle. It is in the willingness to sit in the darkness, to face the truth of our pain and surrender it, that we create space for hope and restoration. Like the earth tilting toward the sun, our hearts begin to tilt toward renewal. One day at a time, one step at a time, we move closer to the light, carried by the strength of our brothers and the grace of our Higher Power.
As we mark this sacred season, let’s pause to honor the process—the dark nights that have shaped us, the first flickers of hope that keep us moving forward, and the growing light that reminds us we are never beyond redemption. Recovery is not about erasing the darkness but learning to let it transform us into men of integrity, courage, and love.
May this Winter Solstice be a moment to reflect on how far you’ve come and to recommit to the light ahead. Together, we walk the road of healing—stronger in fellowship, united in faith.
Wishing you peace and hope.
Every new dollar donated between October 1-December 31 will be matched by an anonymous donor, up to $50,000!
Your gift helps provide resources, community, and hope to those seeking freedom and connection.
We are approximately 75% of the way to our goal of $50K! Let’s finish the year strong—together.
To be known is an ache, a holy wound, a trembling voice in the quiet room,
Where shame has carved its jagged lines, and self-contempt whispers, “You are defined.”
The critic looms with its sharpened tongue, a song of scorn it has always sung.
It names your worthless, hidden face, it brands your soul a barren place.
The wounds of time tell their tale, longings unmet, hopes that fail.
Echoes of love that was never shown, leave the heart cold, feeling unknown.
Shame drapes its veil, a heavy disguise, blinding the heart, clouding the skies.
It says, “Hide away; they’ll never stay. Who you are must be locked away.”
Self-contempt builds walls too high, a fortress of lies where dreams go to die.
“You’ll never be enough,” it cruelly jeers, and keeps us bound to our deepest fears.
Yet healing begins where grace draws near, in the light that stays when we disappear.
Love’s fierce gaze will not look away, even when shadows beg it to stray.
To be known is a dangerous grace, to stand unhidden in a sacred space.
It’s the risk of being fully seen, not perfect, not polished, but raw, unclean.
Love calls the child who learned to hide, and walks them back through pain denied.
It gathers the fragments, speaks their name, unveils the story beneath the shame.
For to be known is to find release, a balm for the war, a longed-for peace.
It rewrites the scripts of contempt and fear, and whispers, “You are wanted here.”
So bring your burden, your hidden despair, your self-despising, your silent prayer.
Love does not flinch; it holds, it stays, and mends the wounds of the darkened days.
To be known is the soul’s true cry, a holy longing we cannot deny.
For in the knowing, we’re made complete— The place where brokenness and beauty meet.
Step to the light; let the veil be torn. Here, in the open, you are reborn.
No shame too deep, no wound too far, to dim the light of who you are.
The Treasure Chest: Support Samson House
Become a sustaining member of Samson House and for $7.95 a month gain access to past retreat recordings, a special 7-part lesson with Nate Larkin about Walking the Path, a rolodex with Samson affiliated coaches and clinicians, and much more!
Use the passcodeNoBullBrotherhoodto access the website via the button below.
Your support is crucial to keep Samson House running smoothly and effectively. Your financial contributions help cover the essential expenses that keep our operations going strong.
