Sunday Shorts: Released from Regret

Mark 1:15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (NIV)

We all make mistakes in our lives and there are things in our past that we often regret. Sometimes it’s about something we’ve said or done, or it could be something we neglected to do or say. Whatever the case, we feel regret and wish that things could have been different.

The burden of regret can cause us a lot of disappointment with ourselves and may even lead to some form of depression. Because we’re human, we try to suppress thoughts and feelings about our mistakes, so we seek instead to console our bodies, minds, hearts, and souls by obsessing on other things, other longings, and even other people. Sadly, for some folks, this creates an addiction to food, alcohol, substances, or even porn, leading them down a path of no return. Their regrets have been artificially nullified by their obsessions; their guilt has been numbed by their addiction. When I struggled with alcoholism, it was largely as a response to some major mistakes I made as a teenager, including a suicide attempt. Decades later, I'm beginning to understand what led me to my addiction.

One of the first things that Jesus does when He begins His ministry is to offer people a way to be released from the captivity of regret. He urges people to repent of the past, so that the Kingdom of God’s love can enter their hearts and minds, bodies and souls. God’s grace is evident because it has the power to liberate people from the past and enable them to live without regret in the present. It’s a beautiful gift and one that everybody needs, including ourselves.

Today, Christ offers us the same opportunity to cast off our ragged regrets and put on the robe of renewal. We are allowed to begin again and to have our hope restored. Jesus will repair our joy; Christ will reconnect us to God. All we need to do is to repent – to let go of the past and let God lead us into the future. As the Apostle John wrote to the young Christians in his time: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9 NIV)

Point to ponder: What is my biggest regret? Am I willing to hand it over to Christ and receive His forgiveness?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You know us completely. Every mistake we have made, every false word we have spoken, every wrong path we have taken are not unknown to You. You also understand the burden of regret that we carry from those mistakes; please help us to come to You, to confess our secrets and receive Your grace. In Your Holy name, we humbly pray. Amen.

 

John Stuart is a retired Scottish Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Short devotion: Sometimes - Ephesians 1v7

 

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace. (NIV)

Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and remember something foolish or sinful that I’ve done in the past. I revisit the event in my mind and end up feeling embarrassed or ashamed for what occurred long ago. I wish that I had said or done something different and because I can’t change the past, I feel as though I’ve blemished my faith and damaged my relationship with God and even other people. It’s too late to alter what happened, so I feel regret and end up saying sorry to God.

Some days the guilt lingers, and it afflicts me, making me doubt that I’m forgiven by God and then something wonderful happens. I come across a verse in my daily Bible readings like the one listed above which fills me with comfort and assurance. My sins are forgiven because Jesus gave everything to ensure that my past is cleansed through the holy blood of Christ. I may not fully understand how this works, but I am grateful for this unique act of grace which restores my spirit and reconnects me to the love of God.

Perhaps you are also dealing with something similar. Maybe there is some event in your past that has become a major regret in your life. It could be that you’ve carried the weight of your guilt for years and worry about how you can fix your relationship with God. Take courage and be assured: there are more than enough riches in God’s grace, as well as power in Christ’s blood, to forgive your foolish and sinful ways in order to renew your life and reset you on the path to God’s Kingdom.

Am I seeking forgiveness for my past mistakes? Am I ready to receive the grace of Christ?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, without Your sacrifice we would have no way to receive God’s forgiveness or be restored to God’s love. Thank You for redeeming us through Your blood and embracing us despite our sins. In Your Holy Name, we gratefully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Today’s image is one of John’s Fall drawings. You can view a larger version at this link:

Forest Glade

Short Devotion: Times of Refreshing

 

God grants us forgiveness so we can start again - Acts 3:19

 

Short devotion: A Key Moment - Luke 7:50

 

A Key Moment

 Luke 7:50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” (NIV)

 I’ve made many mistakes through the years, both foolish and sinful, so I often look to Jesus not just to accept and forgive me, but to fully understand my failures and to re-direct me onto the path that He hopes I will follow. Every day, when I talk to Christ in prayer, I ask for His grace because I know I don’t deserve it and I never want to take such a blessing for granted. It would be so easy just to let go of the past and convince myself that I’m not as bad as other people, but it bothers me because I recognize how much Jesus has sacrificed in order to forgive me.

 When Jesus forgave the woman in the story that is described in Luke 7:36-50, I see how much of an effort it took the woman to humble herself before Jesus and be humiliated by others around Him. She recognized that Christ was the only one who could cleanse her of the past, accept her in the present, and allow her a better future. He was the key that would unlock her from the past mistakes that imprisoned her mentally and spiritually; He was the one last opportunity that she had of being healed from her sins and restored to God’s favor; so she gave Him her painful tears and treasured perfume in the hope of receiving mercy and grace.

 I love how Jesus compassionately responds: “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” He grants her the forgiveness she needs, but He also adds peace – the great shalom – to her mind, heart, body, and soul. No matter what she had done in the past, from that sacred moment she was fully restored as a child of God’s grace which is what we all want when we seek God’s mercy through Jesus.

 No matter who you are or what you’ve done, please know this: Christ forgives because He cares. Your faith can save you and you can know peace this day: just ask Jesus.

 Prayer: Lord Jesus, You know everything about us and how we are deeply affected by guilt and sorely troubled with regret. Allow us Your forgiveness and reset us on a path to peace. In Your Holy Name, we humbly ask and pray. Amen.

 John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Check out the church at its website: www.erinpres.org.

 Today’s image is one of John’s latest lectionary drawings called “Water into Wine.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on this link: Waterwine.

Short devotion: Fear vs Freedom John 3:16

 John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (NIV)

 We live in scary times because of all the uncertainty that we’re experiencing. We try to live our lives as normally as we can, but currently there seems to be so many setbacks that none of us can find a ‘normal’ routine. As creatures of habit, who have mostly relied upon things being stable, we find this deeply troubling and worrisome. As our worries increase, so do our fears; and as they increase, our freedom diminishes. Fear is the opposite of freedom – why? Because fear imprisons us.

 Freedom, however, is not the right to do what we want and act recklessly – that’s actually foolishness. Freedom is the God-given ability that human beings have to do the right thing at the right time, and not to do what we want just because we desire it. Sadly, so many people mistake selfishness for freedom and confuse their rights with their faith. Christ used His faith and freedom to save the world which involved sacrifice, humility, and love, so shouldn’t we as Christians be willing to show and do the same?

 God didn’t have to send Jesus into the world to become the cure for our sins, but love compelled Him.

 Jesus didn’t have to give up His life to grant us forgiveness, but our freedom required it.

 We don’t have to care for one another, but faith expects it, so we, who call ourselves ‘Christian’, should be at the forefront of doing what we can for others, not just for ourselves. If we are more concerned about our individual rights than the common good, then we need to get back to the Cross and look up at Jesus and ask ourselves this: what rights did He give up to fix our wrongs?

 Prayer: Lord Jesus, release us from fear by showing us the freedom that love provides. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

 John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to see what’s happening at the church, please visit the website at www.erinpres.org.

 Today’s image is one of John’s drawings called “Son Set.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click here: Son Set.

Short devotion: Sometimes - Acts 20v32

 

Sometimes

Some days, I feel so imperfect, inefficient, and inadequate that I question whether or not God will both accept and forgive me. I’ve made many mistakes throughout my life and sometimes I shudder when I think about the scrapes I got into during my teenage and drunken years. How I managed to survive them is incredulous to me. If it weren’t for God’s grace, I wouldn’t be here now, writing a devotional, trying to connect with other folks who have gone through similar things.

When I start the day with a ‘downer,’ at some point God interrupts my self-pity and usually highlights a Bible verse which I can both ponder and rely upon. This morning was no different: God provided the verse and made me realize that His mercy and grace still abound. Here’s the verse I was given:

Acts 20:32 “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”

Just what I needed to read, embrace, and apply. God’s grace is not just for forgiving me, it is meant to help me grow in faith, with hope, and always through His love. It’s perfect for me today, so I hope that it will be very good for you, too. 😊

Prayer; Lord God, You love us completely and Your gracious heart beats throughout our lives. Thank You for Your mercy and grace, as well as Your patience and care. In Christ’s Name, we thankfully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.

www.erinpres.org.

Short devotion: Conclusion - Psalm 51v10

 Psalm 51:10   Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. (NIV)

 Have you ever seen the old French film called ‘The Red Balloon’? It was made in Paris a year before I was born and tells the tale of a young boy who is befriended by a red balloon. The balloon and the boy become inseparable and it follows him all over the streets of Paris. The film only lasts about 35 minutes and it has been my favorite movie ever since I first saw it as a young lad.

 The film depicts both happiness and sadness in simple ways and even when a tragedy occurs, there is a wonderful sequence of hope being renewed at the end of the movie. As I write this devotion, I can still see the beautiful conclusion in my mind’s eye. I won’t give it away – you’ll have to watch the movie yourself and be pleasantly captivated by it.

 Sometimes I think that our individual lives are movies that only God can see. He knows all of the things that we have done, the moments that have impacted us deeply, the joys we have experienced and the sadnesses that we still carry. There is nothing hidden from God, so He could be justified in separating Himself from us after death, but instead He wants to give us a beautiful conclusion where we become reunited and restored to Him forever. That’s why King David, in today’s highlighted verse, prayed to God to clean his heart and renew his spirit: he wanted that beautiful conclusion which only God’s grace and forgiveness could bring.

 Perhaps you feel as though you’ve done something bad which will separate you from God. Maybe you have a deep regret about some deed that has put some distance between you and God. If so, then please know this – God can and will forgive you, just ask Him to do so, even now as you read this. As the apostle Paul once wrote long ago: ‘For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ – Romans 8:38-39.

 Prayer: Lord God, create clean hearts within us and renew our spirits this day. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

 John Stuart

 If you’ve never seen it, you can freely view the movie online at this link: The Red Balloon.

Approaching God - Hebrews 4:16

Hebrews 4:16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (NIV)

In ancient times, many people thought that God was unapproachable and too holy to safely come into His presence. They believed that their sins caused an unbridgeable gap between themselves and Him. They were therefore very wary about directly asking God for help or forgiveness. They usually tried to win His favor by making a personal sacrifice of livestock or grain, money or other resources. They hoped that they could appease God’s anger and then be granted His mercy.

After Christ died on the Cross, there was no need for any more sacrifices. He fully paid the debt that we all owe to God and opened up a new way for us to confidently approach the Lord for help and healing. Jesus purchased this gift with His beautiful life, so we can now freely and personally come to God to humbly ask for His grace, favor, and love without ever being afraid.

Application: Think about the mistakes and regrets that have disconnected you from God. Confidently approach God in prayer and ask Him for forgiveness. Receive God’s grace and begin again. 😊

Prayer: Lord God, thank You for the amazing gift of grace that You have given to us through Your Son Jesus Christ. Forgive our faults and restore us to Your love. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come and join us for worship each Sunday at 11:00 AM. You will be made very welcome 😊

Today’s image is one of John’s drawings called Royal Crown. If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Crown.

A Simple Gift - Jeremiah 31:19

Jeremiah 31:19 ‘After I strayed, I repented; after I came to understand, I beat my breast. I was ashamed and humiliated because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’ (NIV)

            I think most of us, if not all of us, remember things from our youth that we later regret or still make us feel embarrassed. We may have had some great times with our friends and peers, but there were probably some moments when we were careless or headstrong, uncaring or arrogant which led us to do something that was stupid, painful, or humiliating. Sometimes memories of those occasions will just pop into our minds and we will feel the sting of shame or the remorse of something we know hurt or humiliated someone else. And, as the years go by, those memories can still unsettle us emotionally, as well as spiritually.

            For me, during those moments of regret, I find myself asking for God’s forgiveness and grace. I can’t do anything to change the past, but through Christ’s mercy, I can stop myself being chained to the past. This process is called repentance in the Bible and it involves turning away from what occurred by turning toward God for forgiveness, healing, and restoration. It’s a wonderful gift that God grants to all of us because His Son Jesus procured that process for us by dying on the Cross for our mistakes and sins.

            Today, whatever guilt you are carrying or regrets that you are battling with, please know this: all can be forgiven and our connection to God can be restored. We only have to turn to God, ask for His mercy, and be accepted by His Son. It’s a very simple process and a liberating experience.

Point to ponder

Is there something in my past which still deeply troubles me? Am I willing to bring it to God and seek His grace?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You know everything about us, so we cannot hide our past from You. Inside of ourselves, we carry regret, guilt, and shame. Help us to sincerely repent of these things and receive the blessings of Your forgiveness, mercy, and grace. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come and join for worship on Sunday mornings at 11:00 AM. You will be made very welcome 😊

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Pentecost drawings called “Spirit of Brian.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Spirit.

May 30 devotion - Anything and Everything

Luke 7:48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” (NIV)

            Like most churches, our congregation has a time of silence during the prayers of Adoration and Confession. It is a holy moment when we humbly approach God quietly to individually seek His pardon for the mistakes, faults, and sins that we each have committed since the last time we came to God in prayer. I usually have so much to confess that I never get my petitions finished before the silence is broken by the Prayer Guide. However, as soon as we have concluded our prayers with the Lord’s Prayer, there comes an even better moment: the Promise of the Gospel when all of us are assured of the forgiveness that Christ has obtained through His sacred sacrifice. It’s that beautiful time when He speaks to our souls and says, “Your sins are forgiven.”

            The woman in today’s Gospel story (Luke 7:36-50) must have been waiting to hear those words of assurance for a long time. We do not know her name, but we do know that she sought Christ and lavished Him with her most precious possessions – her perfume, her hair, and her tears – in order to be both forgiven and accepted by God. Up till that point, her life had no meaning or purpose. She was treated badly, especially by the religious folks and leaders who should have known better. Christ’s compassion for the woman is evident in how He responds. He forgives her sins and restores her as a favored daughter of God. It is a wonderful moment of liberation and love; it is a lesson which continually teaches every generation about the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

            Perhaps you are carrying a burden of guilt from the recent past or even from a long time ago. Perhaps it overshadows your soul and depresses your spirit. Maybe you can’t forgive yourself for the wrong choice you made or the hurt you inflicted on others. Perhaps your secret shame is a painful and heavy burden to bear. Please know this today: Christ is willing to hear your prayer of confession and sorrow in the quietness of your heart. Be assured, He forgives anything and everything that you or I have wrongfully committed: all we need to do is ask Him for God’s grace.

Point to ponder

What burdens do I still carry in my heart and mind? Am I willing to come to Christ to confess and receive His mercy, peace, and love?

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, You know everything about us and are just waiting for us to approach You humbly with our confessions. You want to set us free from our captive and sinful past. You want us to experience a new beginning in our lives. Help us to seek Your forgiveness and compassion. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the Scottish pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. You can read the church website at www.erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of John’s church bulletin drawings called “Hands.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Hands.

May 25 - Great Expectations

Luke 6:37 Jesus said, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” (NIV)

            Of all the sayings of Jesus, I find this one to be among the hardest to put into practice. Whenever people upset me, whether it be family, friends, or acquaintances, I find it difficult to initially forgive them. I think unkind thoughts and harbor some resentment. I want them to be punished for upsetting me or at least put through something similar. I dwell on the hurt and ponder another saying, definitely not from Christ, ‘don’t get mad, get even.’ Even though I am a pastor with over thirty years’ experience, I’m a human being first and foremost, with all of the accompanying common weaknesses, faults, and sins.

            Because I’m so human, it makes me wonder why Jesus said this in the first place. If He knew it was very difficult and almost impossible to practice, why set up His followers to fail? If we are all guilty of judging, condemning, and not forgiving others, does this mean that we have no hope of being saved? Did Jesus expect us to live holy and perfect lives in order to be accepted and embraced by God?

            The more I read this passage, the better I understand my need for being honest with myself, as well as the absolute necessity of requiring God’s grace. If I arrogantly think that I am perfect, do no wrong, and have no need of forgiveness, then I am dangerously deluding myself and placing my soul in perdition. However, if I humbly acknowledge that I am as guilty as sin and often fail to practice what Christ preaches, then I am confessing my faults and placing my soul in His hands. Just like most of us, I would rather seek God’s mercy and grace than rely on my own misunderstanding and graceless ways.

Point to ponder

Have I recently judged, condemned, or not forgiven someone else? Have I confessed my failure to Christ? What does He expect me to do now?

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, You never said that faith would be easy or that we could live according to our own standards as Christians. As Your people, You challenge and confront us constantly because we carry Your Name wherever we go and whatever we do. Help us to become channels of Your mercy and conduits of Your grace. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. You can read the church website at www.erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Pentecost drawings called ‘Fiesta.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Fiesta.

Not Just For Us - 1 John 2:2

1 John 2:2        Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. (NIV)

            There’s a beautiful part of our Communion liturgy that I totally love. It’s when I get to pray over the bread and wine, saying, “O Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world, grant us Your Peace.” I don’t know what the good folks in the pews experience at that sacred moment, but I feel completely grateful to God for allowing us sinners the divine opportunity of being absolutely forgiven. As well as offering this to all of Christ’s believers, the grace of God is extended beyond the table, out of the sanctuary, and into the heart of the community around us.

            It humbles me to think that God’s mercy and love can be experienced by anyone who chooses to accept this gift from God. I don’t fully understand how God does this, but I count it as a great blessing to humanity, coming directly from Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, Savior of the world, and Healer of our souls.

            Sometimes Christians are condemned for being judgmental, graceless, and self-righteous people, who feel spiritually superior and are arrogantly convinced that we are elevated above all others. We erroneously think that we own the moral high ground and often justify our ideas and opinions as being equal to those of God. Our pride gets in the way of our compassion; our sense of privilege and entitlement undermines our effective and personal witness to God’s words and ways.

            God’s love is deeper than we can ever know, and His grace is beyond what we imagine it to be. Both in our Communion liturgy and today’s verse from 1 John, we can read, discover, and embrace a great plan of salvation for a sinful planet. We can find a true meaning for life when we humbly understand that Jesus has sacrificially died, not just for our sins, but for those of the entire world. Our mission, should we choose to accept it, is to take the Good News into our communities and let all people know that because Jesus fully atoned for every one of our mistakes, regrets, and sins, we can be completely restored to God’s love as His precious daughters and sons, no matter who we are or what we’ve done.

Questions for personal reflection

How have I individually experienced God’s grace through Christ? How can I share this beautiful blessing with others?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You are the Savior of the World who heals our broken ways, forgives our personal sins, and restores us to God’s love. We can never sufficiently thank You for such a beautiful gift, but we can extend Your blessing by lovingly sharing it with our families and friends, colleagues and neighbors, community and world. In Your Holy Name, we gratefully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to ask questions or make comments about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s Easter drawings called ‘Passover.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Passover.

Forgiven Forever - Hebrews 8:12

Hebrews 8:12  “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

            Most of us have regrets – some of them are shameful, while others are still painful. Being human means we are not perfect and make mistakes – and some of those mistakes are bad enough to weigh heavily on our minds for years.

            Today’s verse reminds us that we believe in the God of Forgiveness. No matter how bad we have been or how wickedly we have sinned, God is still willing to be merciful and allow us the opportunity to put the past behind us and begin once more. He also promises to never bring up ever again those sins and mistakes that we regret and have confessed to Him.

            God does this for us because His Son Jesus paid the price for our sins. This is what it means to be redeemed; this is what happens when we are saved. So today, receive and embrace this blessing: God knows all our regrets; He forgives all our mistakes, and He promises to let go of every one of them forever.

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, thank You for taking upon Yourself the punishment due for our sins. Your sacrifice allows us to be saved. Your Resurrection permits us to be redeemed. Thank You for such a wonderful gift and everlasting blessing. In your Holy Name, we gratefully and humbly pray. Amen.