Midweek Message: Making Mistakes

Midweek Message: Making Mistakes

Colossians 1:13-14 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (NIV)

              You and I are going to make mistakes during the coming New Year. We’re going to say something we regret. We may do something that will disappoint or hurt others. We’ll probably let pride overtake our spirits and allow impatience to damage our hearts, minds, bodies, and souls, as well as our relationship with God and others.

              We constantly make mistakes because we are human and far from being perfect. We can try our best to avoid these sinful things with prayer, meditation, and patience, but then, just when we expect it the least, someone will say or do something to annoy us and before we know it, we will stumble down that old familiar road which causes us to find faults in others and do something wrong in return. Sadly, we may quickly experience regret, guilt, or even shame which could leave us isolated, ornery, and perhaps even alone.

              Despite our continuous faults, God will not leave us there to woefully marinate in our mistakes. The Lord has redeemed us from all of these things in the past. We may have our flaws, but God will still forgive us. Long ago at Calvary, Jesus died for every wrong thing that we do, or have done, or have still to do, so He will forgive us if we take time to sincerely come to Christ and humbly ask to receive His pardon and grace.

              Friends, we will all make mistakes during the coming year, but Christ will also be with us, too, when we need Him most to grant us mercy, grace, renewal, and hope.

Prayer: Lord God, in the past You constantly allowed Your sinful people to be restored to Your sacred presence by loving them continuously, despite their faults and failings. We now know that Christ sacrificed Himself for us, so we may also be rescued from our guilt and despair, our mistakes and sins. Thank You for these gracious blessings of love and restoration which mean so much to us every day of every year. In Jesus’ Name, we thankfully pray. Amen.

Pastor John

 

Sunday Shorts: Restored by Love

Luke 24:47 Repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. (NRSV)

When Jesus came back from the dead, His first message to the disciples was similar to what He initially expressed as He began His ministry. At that original point, He urged people to repent and believe the good news because the Kingdom of God was near (Mark 1:15). After being resurrected, the message that His disciples were now given to proclaim was simple: people were being urged to repent and their forgiveness of sins was to be declared. 

This meant that when Jesus died on the Cross things were changed for all of humanity. Whatever debt we owed to God because of our sinful ways was cancelled completely. Before the Cross, people needed to appease God with sacrifices; after the resurrection, we were urged to sacrifice our pride and humbly confess our mistakes in order to be given total forgiveness of our sins. 

I don’t know about you, but that divine transaction of my debt being imposed on Jesus when He was nailed to the Cross gives me hope. I’ve done some really bad things in my life that I truly regret and wish never happened. I would be as miserable as sin if I didn’t know Jesus as my Savior, so when He offers me true forgiveness in return for my repentance, I’m ready to take that gift.

Perhaps you’ve been carrying some guilt in your heart and it keeps you awake at night. Maybe you’ve done something foolish that you regret and it torments your mind. Whatever it is, it can be rectified; whatever you’ve done, you can be restored to God’s favor and love. Jesus has completed what was necessary to reconnect all of us to our gracious God – all we simply have to do is repent.

Find a quiet place today and have a quiet time with God. Unburden your soul and let the tears of regret fall from your eyes. There is nothing that you have done that God cannot forgive through Jesus. God already knows what it is, so just allow yourself to be relieved by simply whispering it to God. Repentance will restore you and Jesus will embrace you. Let His power to forgive, renew you; let His ability to love, release you.

Prayer: Lord, You know us completely. You’ve seen all of our mistakes and are totally aware of all the things that bother our consciences. Help us to find some quiet time to be with You alone, to confess our faults, address our sins, and unburden all that we are sinfully and selfishly carrying. Allow us to take the opportunity of the forgiveness, peace, and love that You offer. In Your Holy Name, we humbly confess and pray. Amen.

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

Short Devotion: Treating Ourselves - Psalm 103v10

 

Psalm 103:10 God does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. (NIV)

I’ve been thinking and reading a lot about forgiveness recently. I guess the older you get, you realize how many mistakes, foolish choices, and careless words you’ve committed and end up regretting ill-chosen paths, deeds, or conversations. I know that Christ forgives me, but I honestly struggle with forgiving myself. I can’t seem to let go of the past, so I carry it with me and end up with more than a few sleepless nights.

I don’t want to become a victim of my past mistakes or be held hostage by my stupidity, but nor do I want to be continually wishing things were different or reflecting where I would be if I followed another path. I want to live with what’s left of my life without being under a shadow of gloom and despondency. I want to enjoy whatever is in front of me without constantly living backwards. I guess I want to follow C.S Lewis’s advice of running onwards and upwards as I prepare to meet Christ face-to-face.

I think that the writer of Psalm 103 experienced something similar, especially when he wrote these amazing words: “God does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.” Those words give me hope and release me from being vexed about my sins. Through Christ, I am totally forgiven, so there is a lot of room to forgive myself.

Perhaps you’re going through something similar and maybe you’re feeling the same things. I hope that you will also realize that God’s grace is greater than anything you’ve foolishly done, and that Christ’s love is larger than any regret you still hold.

Point to ponder: What do I need to let go from the past, so I can move forward with God into the future?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You know everything, so there’s nothing we can hide from You. You could punish us with that knowledge, but instead, You save us from our worst selves. Thank You for Your complete compassion and godly grace. In Your Holy name, we humbly and gratefully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. To see what’s currently happening at the church, just click on this link: www.erinpres.org.

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

Short Devotion: Times of Refreshing

 

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

 

Moment for Monday: A New Hope

Need to let go of the past and begin again? Here's a short message and two great Bible verses for you. :)

August 24 devotion - Forgiven Forever

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.

Same Old, Same Old - Romans 7:19

Romans 7:19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. (NIV)

Let’s be honest, we all struggle with sin. All of us have a selfish habit or shameful secret in our lives. We try to deal with it and often come to God asking for forgiveness, understanding, and support. We look for His grace to allow us to start again; we seek His mercy to blot out our mistakes. Things go well for a while, but then we fall into the same old ways and sin again. It’s a recurring pattern and one that possibly frustrates us because we have failed to live up to our promises to God.

When I read today’s Bible verse, it made me realize that the great Apostle Paul struggled with sin and selfishness, too. He even confessed it to the young Roman church – a congregation that he was trying to impress! By admitting that he kept doing the wrong things, Paul was opening himself up to ridicule and shame. At the same time, however, he was also showing them that he was imperfect, a sinner in need of God’s grace, a fallen follower who required Christ’s help.

In a strange way, this personally gives me hope because an amazing leader like Paul can understand my struggle with sin, as well as the sins we are all struggling with each day.

In the end, Paul comes to God again and expresses his gratefulness for being permitted to confess his fault in order to receive grace. As he enthusiastically writes in the same letter to the Roman Christians,

“Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:25)

Point to ponder

What personal sin am I frequently and currently struggling with? Am I willing to sincerely confess my fault before God? Am I thankful for Christ’s grace?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we all make mistakes and fall short of God’s expectations. We all struggle with personal sins and reject opportunities to be and do good. Forgive our failures and help us to overcome our faults. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

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

Today’s image is one of John’s Good Friday drawings called “Sin Bearer.” If you would like to view a larger version, click this link: SinBearer.