March 10, 2019 is a big day at Grace Crossing Baptist Church in Gluckstadt, MS. Our very own Metro Jackson Samson Society facilitator, Mr. Joe McCalman, will be preaching! Let's not miss this opportunity to support Joe as he provokes his audience towards the gospel message.
It will no doubt be a great day!
Thursday, February 14, 2019
Sunday, February 10, 2019
The Pact
1. God is the sole owner of the Samson
Society and its only authority. No
member may speak for the entire Society.
2. All members of the Society are equals —
friends and fellow servants, bound by
love and honor. No member may
command the obedience of another.
3. The Society owns no property, collects
no dues or fees, pays no salaries, incurs
no debts.
4. The Society is an extension of the
Church Universal. It is not a corporate
entity and can make no contracts with
congregations, denominations, causes or
campaigns, regardless of their merit.
5. Any two or more persons who believe the
Fact, who agree to follow this Path and
join this Pact, may initiate a meeting of
the Samson Society.
6. We hold in strictest confidence any
personal information shared by other
members, unless permission to divulge it
is given by any whom its disclosure
might affect.
7. Members are fully authorized to create
and distribute, freely or for profit,
personal explanations and applications of
the Society’s principles — if they neither
alter nor violate its Charter and do not
prohibit others from copying their work.
Society and its only authority. No
member may speak for the entire Society.
2. All members of the Society are equals —
friends and fellow servants, bound by
love and honor. No member may
command the obedience of another.
3. The Society owns no property, collects
no dues or fees, pays no salaries, incurs
no debts.
4. The Society is an extension of the
Church Universal. It is not a corporate
entity and can make no contracts with
congregations, denominations, causes or
campaigns, regardless of their merit.
5. Any two or more persons who believe the
Fact, who agree to follow this Path and
join this Pact, may initiate a meeting of
the Samson Society.
6. We hold in strictest confidence any
personal information shared by other
members, unless permission to divulge it
is given by any whom its disclosure
might affect.
7. Members are fully authorized to create
and distribute, freely or for profit,
personal explanations and applications of
the Society’s principles — if they neither
alter nor violate its Charter and do not
prohibit others from copying their work.
The Path
1. Believing The Fact, I surrender to God in
simple faith — making no promises, but
merely asking for His aid.
2. I start attending meetings of the Society,
and from its members I select a Silas, a
trustworthy traveling companion for this
stretch of the road.
3. In honest detail, I describe to God and to
my Silas the course and consequences of
my attempts to live apart from God.
4. Encouraged by my Silas and others, I
develop the daily disciplines of prayer,
study and self-examination. I abandon
self-help, asking God instead to do for
me what I cannot do for myself.
5. I choose to trust the Body of Christ,
weighing the wisdom of my friends
when facing decisions and seeking their
strength when confronted by temptation.
6. When I can do so without injuring
anyone, I make amends for damage I
have caused. If direct amends are
impossible or inadvisable, I demonstrate
my repentance in other ways.
7. I offer myself as a Silas to others. Each
day I ask God for the grace to seek His
kingdom rather than my own, to serve
those He places in my path rather than
simple faith — making no promises, but
merely asking for His aid.
2. I start attending meetings of the Society,
and from its members I select a Silas, a
trustworthy traveling companion for this
stretch of the road.
3. In honest detail, I describe to God and to
my Silas the course and consequences of
my attempts to live apart from God.
4. Encouraged by my Silas and others, I
develop the daily disciplines of prayer,
study and self-examination. I abandon
self-help, asking God instead to do for
me what I cannot do for myself.
5. I choose to trust the Body of Christ,
weighing the wisdom of my friends
when facing decisions and seeking their
strength when confronted by temptation.
6. When I can do so without injuring
anyone, I make amends for damage I
have caused. If direct amends are
impossible or inadvisable, I demonstrate
my repentance in other ways.
7. I offer myself as a Silas to others. Each
day I ask God for the grace to seek His
kingdom rather than my own, to serve
those He places in my path rather than
The Fact
1. God exists. In the timeless mystery of
the Trinity, He is perfectly harmonious,
perfectly whole.
2. God is our Creator. He designed us to
live in eternal harmony with Him and
each other, and to care for the rest of His
creation.
3. Spurning God’s fellowship, we all have
sinned, forfeiting our created place and
losing our spiritual lives.
4. I myself have personally defied God’s
law and rejected His love. Alienation
from Him has produced darkness and
chaos in my life, for which I have often
blamed others.
5. God has continued to love me, even in
my active rebellion, and in Christ has
done everything necessary to restore me
perfectly to Himself.
6. As I accept responsibility for my sin and
find forgiveness in the finished work of
Christ, I experience reconciliation with
God and am progressively restored to
harmony with myself and others.
7. Despite the lingering effects of sin, I am
a restored son of the sovereign Lord,
whose Spirit is at work in my weakness,
displaying His glory and advancing His
A Day of Loneliness = 15 cigs
A number of articles like this one have piqued my interest over the past 6 months. More and more researchers / doctors / clinicians are growing very concerned societally with loneliness. Some call it an epidemic here in the western world. I can certainly relate by personally experiencing the most self-destructive year of my life whilst being friendless back in 2013.
Organizations like Samson Society were created to work against / resist isolation. It's about being intentional and seeking out authentic community. Come join us. If for no other reason than to improve your health.
Organizations like Samson Society were created to work against / resist isolation. It's about being intentional and seeking out authentic community. Come join us. If for no other reason than to improve your health.
Wednesday, February 6, 2019
Reservoir
Lakeside Presbyterian Church has been our (Turners) home church exclusively as reformed Christians within the Jackson Metro. It's a place that's local for us (close to home), and therefore not surprisingly, a church that saw fit to provide some of those initial authentic friendships that were microcosmic of the Samson Society experience. These were friendships that showed me to how much of a personal resource real-time support can be.
I approached the session at Lakeside 4 to 5 months in advance of this Samson Society launch back in the summer of 2017. Thankfully, they were very receptive, and soon thereafter, the meetings began on Saturday mornings at 7 AM.
Why so early on a Saturday morning?
Personally, it's convenient for me. Plus, I find that it's a fantastic way to start a weekend.
I approached the session at Lakeside 4 to 5 months in advance of this Samson Society launch back in the summer of 2017. Thankfully, they were very receptive, and soon thereafter, the meetings began on Saturday mornings at 7 AM.
Why so early on a Saturday morning?
Personally, it's convenient for me. Plus, I find that it's a fantastic way to start a weekend.
Tuesday, January 29, 2019
Brandon
The newest Metro Jackson Samson Society group meets on Tuesday nights at 6 PM at Crossgates Baptist Church in Brandon, MS. I've had the privilege of knowing Mr. Matt Flint, facilitator of this group, for a number of years. Starting with his Life Group, Matt has told his story with boldness, thereby impacting men's lives through his willingness to be authentic.
And it's authenticity that best sums up what Samson Society is. Though Crossgates Baptist Church bundles the group in with their other Life Groups, it's not completely fair to do so. Life Groups are essentially Sunday School classes. Their primary focus being Bible teaching and prayer lead by a teacher. And these are both worthwhile things, but they don't happen within a Samson Society meeting. Instead, Samson Society meetings are settings where men can talk openly about whatever is on their hearts / minds. In fact, they're expected to do so, otherwise they're just taking up space.
Matt's gift as a facilitator is essentially serving as a constant week to week. He opens the door for men to come, taking them through the Samson Society charter prior to listening in. It's his willingness to serve in this capacity that makes him so unique. Especially considering his youth.
How fortunate Crossgates Baptist Church is to now have a Samson Society meeting as a resource to that community of men!
And it's authenticity that best sums up what Samson Society is. Though Crossgates Baptist Church bundles the group in with their other Life Groups, it's not completely fair to do so. Life Groups are essentially Sunday School classes. Their primary focus being Bible teaching and prayer lead by a teacher. And these are both worthwhile things, but they don't happen within a Samson Society meeting. Instead, Samson Society meetings are settings where men can talk openly about whatever is on their hearts / minds. In fact, they're expected to do so, otherwise they're just taking up space.
Matt's gift as a facilitator is essentially serving as a constant week to week. He opens the door for men to come, taking them through the Samson Society charter prior to listening in. It's his willingness to serve in this capacity that makes him so unique. Especially considering his youth.
How fortunate Crossgates Baptist Church is to now have a Samson Society meeting as a resource to that community of men!
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