He Is the God of Second Chances
In Matthew 10:33, Jesus told His disciples that “whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”
For years, I have listened to pastors and Christians explain to me that this is Jesus telling us that if we deny Him before anyone, then He will deny us. That may seem like a logical conclusion, but God is way bigger than this. The Bible also disproves this particular interpretation.
Think about Peter after Jesus was arrested. He denied Jesus three times, telling some accusers that he didn’t even know Jesus at all. In Matthew 26:74, it even tells us that Peter swore that he did not know the man and that a “curse on me if I’m lying.” I don’t know about you, but that sure sounds like Peter was denying Jesus before men.
The truth is that we are going to face persecution. We are going to be challenged in our faith and, sometimes, we are going to fall short. We are not going to stand firmly for our God. Does that mean that Jesus is going to reject us?
The God of Second Chances
Clearly not. We have a God who understands our shortcomings. We also have a God of second chances.
Now, I am not saying that you should deny Jesus or deny being a follower of Christ. You should acknowledge your faith in Him and proclaim Him to all who question you about your faith. However, God understands that you are going to fall short. There are going to be times when you are afraid. He wants you to stand firmly for Him, but He understands that you are going to deny Him just as Peter did.
Was Peter cast aside? Was he eternally banished from a relationship with Jesus? That was not the case. He was still the rock upon which the church was built, and he became one of the most important figures in the history of the world. God used him in amazing ways despite his rejection of Jesus.
Yes, we should profess Jesus to all who ask. He is the one who brought us salvation, who paid the price for our sins. We are not going to reach a lost and broken world if we are backing away from our faith. If we are denying Jesus before men, then no one is going to know about our God. What they will believe is that Christians don’t really trust in Jesus. So, we need to stand firm during persecution.
However, there are going to be times where we are going to fall short, but we have a God of second chances. One who recognizes that not every word that comes out of our mouths is going to properly acknowledge Him. We are going to fail; He is still going to love us.
We are weak. We are going to fail. So, what do you do when you do fail? You repent. You acknowledge your shortcomings and your need for Jesus. You proclaim to God that you have fallen short and need Him to provide you with greater strength and wisdom. The great thing about our amazing God is that He will forgive you.
He will also give you another opportunity to boldly proclaim your faith. If you are seeking a strong relationship with Jesus and to bring the message of hope to others, then be aware that God will give you a second chance. He will give you third and fourth chances as well. He will give you as many chances as you need so that you will boldly proclaim Jesus before men.
Hope CDA Gives Second Chances
At Hope CDA, we recognize that our men are going to fall short at times as well. We are all sinners, led by a sin nature. We fail in our desire to be perfect for God.
However, like our amazing Savior, we do not give up on our men. We want them to have second chances. In fact, we want them to have as many chances as possible.
This is why we are proud to tell you that both Josh Hansen and Chaz Peyton will soon be returning to the Hope CDA Life Transformation Program. Josh graduated this past April but found himself struggling with his addiction. He will complete the Prairie Ridge treatment program this Wednesday, then return to the Hope CDA Program to get back on track. We are excited to have Josh return to the program, and know that God is getting him one step closer to a life completely free of drugs and alcohol.
Chaz is currently at the ThriveNow program in Iowa City. Chaz did not complete the Hope CDA program, choosing to leave shortly before his graduation. However, our brother is ready for a true life transformation. He is doing amazing things in Iowa City, and we are excited that he will be returning to start the Hope program again in three weeks.
Lamentations 3:22-23 tells us, “22 The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. 23 Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” The love of our God never ends. His mercy never ends. His faithfulness always goes on, and He brings fresh mercies every single day. Chaz and Josh are getting to see the great mercy of God and we are excited to be a tool that God is using to demonstrate his mercy. We ask you to pray for our two brothers as they approach reentry into the Hope CDA program.
Hope Good News
Tim Ehlers was released on bail on the night of the gala. We were excited to have Tim at the event and he is back in the program… On Sunday, October 12, at 4:00 p.m., three men in the program are being baptized by Dr. Robert Pannier. That includes José Trevino, Kevin Wiley, and Detric Howell. We pray that you will join our brothers for this momentous occasion… The Fifth Annual Hope CDA Gala was an amazing event. We are thankful for all of those who attended and sponsored the event. There were over 660 people in attendance.
Hope Prays for You
At the gala, Dr. Pannier asked people to provide their prayer requests on leaves that were provided. Over 100 people provided their prayer requests, and these are now prominently displayed on the wall at the Hope Center. Know that your requests are being prayed for every day, and we are proud to pray for our brothers and sisters.
Prayers for the Week
We ask you to join in prayer for these things:
- We pray for Tim as he returns to the program. May mercy continue in the court and may Tim find success in overcoming his addiction.
- We pray for all of the requests that were provided at the gala event. May God bring about tremendous change and miracles.
- We pray for both Josh and Chaz as they continue in their treatment. May they return to Hope with the desire for victory over addiction.
- We pray for Lavonne Johnson, who continues in her battle against cancer. She will be undergoing radiation treatment Sunday through Friday this week. May God bring about healing and comfort for her and her husband.
Get The Hope Herald Each Week!
Not receiving The Hope Herald each week? Sign up below and you can receive the latest news, teachings, and other information from Hope CDA each week.
