The God Of Another Chance

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See terms and conditions at 0:01:29.360 --> 0:01:30.080 UNEs dot co. 0:01:32.360 --> 0:01:35.120 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to 0:01:35.160 --> 0:01:37.920 our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. 0:01:38.040 --> 0:01:40.399 If you enjoy today's message, why don't you be a 0:01:40.440 --> 0:01:41.959 blessing and share it with a friend. 0:01:42.280 --> 0:01:45.000 We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in 0:01:45.080 --> 0:01:48.960 your life. God bless you. It's great to be with 0:01:49.080 --> 0:01:51.760 you today, and I hope you'll stay connected with us 0:01:51.840 --> 0:01:55.400 during the week through our daily podcast, our YouTube channel, 0:01:55.520 --> 0:01:58.760 social media, and you can come visit us in person. 0:01:59.000 --> 0:02:00.880 We'd love to have you a part of one of 0:02:00.880 --> 0:02:03.840 our services. And I'd like to start with something funny. 0:02:03.880 --> 0:02:06.320 And I heard about this man. He was in his 0:02:06.360 --> 0:02:09.440 bathroom and he went over to the scales to weigh himself, 0:02:09.480 --> 0:02:11.960 and his wife was over in the corner watching, And 0:02:12.040 --> 0:02:14.680 he's a really large man. And when he stepped on 0:02:15.200 --> 0:02:18.240 he sucked in his stomach as much as he possibly could, 0:02:18.280 --> 0:02:20.760 and he held his breath, and his wife kind of 0:02:20.800 --> 0:02:23.160 laughed and said, honey, that's not going to help anything. 0:02:23.480 --> 0:02:25.720 He said, sure it is. That's the only way I 0:02:25.720 --> 0:02:29.640 can see the numbers. Say it like you mean it. 0:02:30.040 --> 0:02:33.040 This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. 0:02:33.440 --> 0:02:35.919 I have what it says I have. I can do 0:02:36.000 --> 0:02:38.600 what it says I can do. Today I will be 0:02:38.680 --> 0:02:42.600 taught the word of God. I'll boldly confess. My mind 0:02:42.720 --> 0:02:46.000 is alert, my heart is recepted. I will never be 0:02:46.120 --> 0:02:51.560 the same. In Jesus's name, God bless you. I want 0:02:51.560 --> 0:02:54.520 to talk to you today about the God of another chance. 0:02:55.600 --> 0:02:59.639 We all have opportunities that we've missed, times that we failed. 0:03:00.200 --> 0:03:03.480 We had something important. We knew God's calling was on 0:03:03.520 --> 0:03:06.840 our life, and he'd given us a dream a great 0:03:06.919 --> 0:03:10.440 spouse to love, the door open for college. But we 0:03:10.560 --> 0:03:14.600 let distractions and compromise and other people cause us to 0:03:14.639 --> 0:03:17.760 get off course. We look back now and think, what 0:03:17.919 --> 0:03:21.280 could I have become if I'd been more disciplined, if 0:03:21.280 --> 0:03:24.919 I'd controlled my temper, if I'd just finished school, if 0:03:24.919 --> 0:03:28.200 I'd have forgiven that person. It's easy to live in 0:03:28.280 --> 0:03:31.800 regrets and think our life is limited because of our 0:03:31.880 --> 0:03:35.720 past choices. We knew better, if we'd only done better. 0:03:36.480 --> 0:03:40.120 The good news is God has taken into account every 0:03:40.200 --> 0:03:44.360 mistake you would ever make. He's already calculated the times 0:03:44.360 --> 0:03:48.360 you'd fail, times you'd shrink back, the times you would compromise. 0:03:49.040 --> 0:03:52.280 That should stop your destiny, it should keep us from 0:03:52.320 --> 0:03:56.080 our purpose. But we serve the God of another chance. 0:03:56.760 --> 0:04:00.440 He's full of mercy when we don't deserve it. It 0:04:00.480 --> 0:04:03.520 was our own fault. He could say, too bad, you 0:04:03.600 --> 0:04:06.400 blew it, I'm done with you, But he steps in 0:04:06.440 --> 0:04:09.200 and says, I've got you covered. I'm gonna give you 0:04:09.240 --> 0:04:14.040 another chance, another chance to have a great relationship, another 0:04:14.200 --> 0:04:18.159 chance to accomplish your dream, another chance to step into 0:04:18.200 --> 0:04:21.680 your purpose. It's not too late, you haven't made too 0:04:21.680 --> 0:04:26.000 many mistakes. God's calling is still on your life. He 0:04:26.080 --> 0:04:30.360 never changes his mind. He doesn't disqualify you. Now, don't 0:04:30.440 --> 0:04:35.400 disqualify yourself. See the enemy is called the accuser. He'll 0:04:35.440 --> 0:04:38.880 remind you of every mistake you'd ever made. He'd love 0:04:38.960 --> 0:04:41.680 for you to live down on yourself, thinking you don't 0:04:41.720 --> 0:04:46.320 deserve anything good. He'll whisper You had God's blessing, but 0:04:46.400 --> 0:04:50.440 you squandered it. You had his favor, but you mishandled 0:04:50.480 --> 0:04:54.719 your marriage, didn't treat it with respect. You mishandled your dream. 0:04:55.160 --> 0:05:00.599 You got distracted and compromised. You mishandled your talent potential. 0:05:01.040 --> 0:05:04.200 You weren't focused. You didn't develop what you know is 0:05:04.240 --> 0:05:07.560 in you. That may all be true, But what he 0:05:07.640 --> 0:05:11.320 doesn't tell you is there's another chance coming. That God's 0:05:11.400 --> 0:05:15.279 mercy is bigger than your mistakes. That God doesn't give 0:05:15.360 --> 0:05:18.520 up on you because you mishandled what he gave you. 0:05:19.279 --> 0:05:22.760 He has another opportunity so you can prove to him 0:05:23.080 --> 0:05:27.000 who you really are. You're not defined by your mistakes. 0:05:27.320 --> 0:05:31.919 You're prepared by your mistakes. Every failure can teach you something. 0:05:32.360 --> 0:05:35.719 Don't live in regrets. Learn from your mistakes, get the 0:05:35.839 --> 0:05:38.520 lesson out of it, so you don't keep repeating it. 0:05:39.440 --> 0:05:42.760 When Moses was leading the Israelites toward the Promised Land, 0:05:43.279 --> 0:05:45.640 God told him to go on top of Mount Sinai 0:05:45.720 --> 0:05:48.279 and he was going to speak to him. Moses was 0:05:48.360 --> 0:05:51.480 up there for forty days. At one point there was 0:05:51.520 --> 0:05:54.880 a great cloud that encompassed the mountain in a huge 0:05:55.000 --> 0:05:59.920 lightning and thunderstorm. That's when God gave Moses the Ten Commandment. 0:06:00.560 --> 0:06:04.640 These two stone tablets, where the hand of God inscribed 0:06:04.680 --> 0:06:10.279 instructions for the Israelites, was a powerful, holy, majestic moment. 0:06:10.880 --> 0:06:14.000 I can imagine just seeing two pieces of stone and 0:06:14.080 --> 0:06:18.279 suddenly these letters began to be written. I'm sure Moses 0:06:18.360 --> 0:06:22.200 was standing there in awe, amazed at what he was seeing. Well, 0:06:22.240 --> 0:06:25.560 the cloud passed by and the thunder stopped, and Moses 0:06:25.560 --> 0:06:28.640 went back down the mountain. As he got closer, he 0:06:28.760 --> 0:06:33.200 focused in and saw a gold calf the people had made. 0:06:33.279 --> 0:06:38.159 They were dancing, partying, worshiping this idol. He couldn't believe it. 0:06:38.320 --> 0:06:41.040 He'd just been gone for forty days and the people 0:06:41.200 --> 0:06:44.720 had already turned away from Jehovah. When he got to 0:06:44.760 --> 0:06:48.960 the bottom, he was so angry and so frustrated. He 0:06:49.080 --> 0:06:53.560 raised up these two stone tablets, something sacred that God 0:06:53.560 --> 0:06:57.320 had given him, something amazing he had been entrusted with. 0:06:57.920 --> 0:07:01.760 But in his anger, he threw the tablets down and 0:07:01.839 --> 0:07:06.159 they smashed into pieces on the ground. I can imagine 0:07:06.160 --> 0:07:10.520 God thinking, Moses, I just gave you something incredibly valuable, 0:07:11.200 --> 0:07:14.160 one of a kind, something that I've never done, and 0:07:14.200 --> 0:07:18.040 you threw it down. You let your anger, your frustration, 0:07:18.560 --> 0:07:22.720 throw away the priceless gift that I gave you. It's 0:07:22.760 --> 0:07:25.480 easy to judge Moses and think, man, how could he 0:07:25.520 --> 0:07:29.000 mishandle something that important? How could he throw away a 0:07:29.120 --> 0:07:32.160 one of a kind gift like that? But how many 0:07:32.200 --> 0:07:36.520 of us have mishandled something incredibly valuable that God has 0:07:36.520 --> 0:07:41.320 given us. Maybe not stone tablets with his writing, but 0:07:41.400 --> 0:07:46.040 we mishandled a relationship. We let anger and our pride 0:07:46.600 --> 0:07:50.160 having to be right tear us apart. We mishandled the 0:07:50.200 --> 0:07:53.760 position God gave us. We weren't focused, We didn't give 0:07:53.800 --> 0:07:57.240 it our full effort, like we threw it away. Or 0:07:57.280 --> 0:08:00.560 how about the calling on our life? We knew God 0:08:00.600 --> 0:08:03.840 had destined us to set a new standard for our family, 0:08:04.320 --> 0:08:07.720 to break negative cycles, to come out of lack and defeat. 0:08:08.400 --> 0:08:11.280 But we gave in to the compromise, we hung around 0:08:11.280 --> 0:08:15.280 the wrong people, we didn't take it seriously. The truth is, 0:08:15.720 --> 0:08:20.480 we've all mismanaged some things. We've all let anger, disappointments, 0:08:20.640 --> 0:08:24.120 self pity cause us to not value the gifts God 0:08:24.120 --> 0:08:28.200 had given us. And it's interesting that Moses was frustrated 0:08:28.760 --> 0:08:32.600 because other people wouldn't do what's right. He threw down 0:08:32.679 --> 0:08:37.200 this priceless gift because the Israelites were compromising and giving 0:08:37.240 --> 0:08:42.000 into temptation. Sometimes we can let what others are doing, 0:08:42.600 --> 0:08:47.520 how society is acting, the division, the dysfunction around us, 0:08:47.920 --> 0:08:50.880 to cause us to become angry and bitter, where we 0:08:50.960 --> 0:08:55.320 mishandle what God has given us. You can't make everyone 0:08:55.400 --> 0:08:59.160 do what's right. You can't make the culture live according 0:08:59.160 --> 0:09:01.959 to God's word. Yes, we're gonna be bright lights. We're 0:09:01.960 --> 0:09:05.280 gonna do what we can, but don't throw down what 0:09:05.360 --> 0:09:08.640 God has entrusted you with because of all the chaos 0:09:08.640 --> 0:09:14.000 around you. Protect your gift, protect your family, protect your integrity, 0:09:14.280 --> 0:09:19.240 protect your holiness, protect your peace. It's easy to mishandle 0:09:19.280 --> 0:09:25.480 the tablets. Live frustrated, angry, mad at people, divisive. That's 0:09:25.520 --> 0:09:27.760 the trick of the enemy to try to get you 0:09:27.840 --> 0:09:32.160 to smash what God has given you. God could have said, Moses, 0:09:32.559 --> 0:09:35.920 you threw down something sacred. Is that how you're going 0:09:35.960 --> 0:09:38.440 to treat what I've given you? Then fine, I'm done 0:09:38.480 --> 0:09:42.400 with you. If God gave us what we deserve, Moses 0:09:42.440 --> 0:09:45.360 would have been done. But here's how good God is. 0:09:46.080 --> 0:09:49.320 Moses asked for forgiveness. He prayed for the people for 0:09:49.400 --> 0:09:53.320 their compromise. God said to him in Deuteronomy chapter ten, 0:09:53.840 --> 0:09:58.240 prepare two stone tablets like the first ones. Go back 0:09:58.320 --> 0:10:01.480 up on the mountain, and I will write the same 0:10:01.600 --> 0:10:05.160 words that were on the ones you smashed. Think of 0:10:05.200 --> 0:10:08.480 the mercy of God. That wasn't a loaf of manna 0:10:08.640 --> 0:10:11.880 that Moses threw down, wasn't his walking stick. This was 0:10:11.920 --> 0:10:14.520 a one of a kind gift that God had given him. 0:10:15.000 --> 0:10:17.880 God said, in effect, Moses, I know you blew it. 0:10:18.600 --> 0:10:21.240 You let your anger get the best of you. You 0:10:21.360 --> 0:10:26.720 smashed something sacred. You mishandled something priceless. But if you'll 0:10:26.760 --> 0:10:29.679 go back up that mountain, I'll give it to you again. 0:10:30.880 --> 0:10:35.080 He's the god of another chance. You may have mishandled 0:10:35.080 --> 0:10:41.360 some things, missed opportunities, had relationships sour, mismanaged the blessing 0:10:41.440 --> 0:10:44.520 and favor on your life. God is saying to you 0:10:44.679 --> 0:10:47.440 what he said to Moses. If you'll go back up 0:10:47.480 --> 0:10:51.439 that mountain, if you'll start believing again, God is going 0:10:51.480 --> 0:10:54.800 to give you back what you thought was done, what 0:10:55.000 --> 0:10:59.240 was broken, what you messed up, what you mishandled. God 0:10:59.280 --> 0:11:02.839 has another chance coming. You may have thrown it down, 0:11:03.200 --> 0:11:06.679 but he knows how to put it back together. Your anger, 0:11:07.120 --> 0:11:11.120 the compromise, the frustration, may have set you back, but 0:11:11.200 --> 0:11:14.880 God is waiting for you up on the mountain. Don't 0:11:14.920 --> 0:11:18.040 let guilt keep you from going back up. Don't let 0:11:18.080 --> 0:11:22.199 regrets what you should have done, what you smashed, convince 0:11:22.240 --> 0:11:25.080 you that it's too late. It's never going to happen. Now. 0:11:25.200 --> 0:11:29.040 God is saying, meet me on the mountain. That means 0:11:29.120 --> 0:11:33.280 quit thinking these low thoughts, defeated thoughts, guilty thoughts, seen 0:11:33.360 --> 0:11:36.839 my best day's thoughts. If you'll come up higher, God 0:11:36.920 --> 0:11:39.560 is going to fix what you smashed. He's going to 0:11:39.640 --> 0:11:42.440 restore what you threw down. He's going to give you 0:11:42.520 --> 0:11:47.520 another chance at what you mishandled. I can hear Moses saying, God, 0:11:47.800 --> 0:11:49.880 are you sure you want me to go back up 0:11:49.920 --> 0:11:53.000 on the mountain You saw me throw down the tablets. 0:11:53.480 --> 0:11:56.920 You saw them shatter into pieces. You saw my anger 0:11:56.960 --> 0:12:00.760 get the best of me. It was my fault, I said, Moses. 0:12:01.120 --> 0:12:04.160 That's what my mercy is all about. I don't give 0:12:04.240 --> 0:12:07.200 up on you. I don't write you off. I give 0:12:07.240 --> 0:12:10.680 you another chance to become who I've created you to be. 0:12:11.880 --> 0:12:16.160 Life with Moses, there's another chance waiting for you. But 0:12:16.280 --> 0:12:18.880 how many of us won't go back up the mountain. 0:12:19.480 --> 0:12:23.960 We're down on ourselves. Look what I've done. I mishandled 0:12:24.120 --> 0:12:28.000 the relationship with my children. Now we're at odds. I 0:12:28.080 --> 0:12:31.760 mishandled my gifts. I didn't pay attention in school, didn't 0:12:31.760 --> 0:12:35.040 put forth effort at work. I mishandled the calling on 0:12:35.120 --> 0:12:38.319 my life. I used to be close to God, used 0:12:38.360 --> 0:12:40.640 to read my Bible and pray. I used to keep 0:12:40.679 --> 0:12:44.480 in first place, But I've drifted away. It's not too late. 0:12:44.880 --> 0:12:47.840 God is waiting for you up on the mountain. He 0:12:47.920 --> 0:12:51.360 has another chance. He's going to write those same words 0:12:51.640 --> 0:12:54.360 that were on the first tablet you smashed. Not a 0:12:54.440 --> 0:12:57.959 water down version, not almost as good. No, you can 0:12:58.040 --> 0:13:01.640 still reach the fullness of your death to me. I 0:13:01.679 --> 0:13:04.320 talked to this mother, she and her daughter had always 0:13:04.360 --> 0:13:07.800 been the best of friends. They loved being together, but 0:13:07.840 --> 0:13:10.600 when the daughter got into her late teens, they started 0:13:10.640 --> 0:13:14.640 having conflict, just contentious, and the mother didn't like some 0:13:14.679 --> 0:13:17.360 of the choices the daughter was making, and she was 0:13:17.400 --> 0:13:21.160 constantly riding her. She would get upset and say things 0:13:21.200 --> 0:13:25.480 she shouldn't and make hurtful comments, and their relationship came 0:13:25.559 --> 0:13:28.680 to an end. The daughter moved out and they didn't 0:13:28.720 --> 0:13:32.160 speak to each other anymore. The mother felt so heavy 0:13:32.200 --> 0:13:35.679 and so heartbroken. She loved her daughter more than the world, 0:13:36.200 --> 0:13:38.800 but she knew she didn't handle things like she should. 0:13:39.520 --> 0:13:42.240 She let her emotions get the best of her. She 0:13:42.400 --> 0:13:46.440 carried all this guilt, living in regrets, thinking, look what 0:13:46.480 --> 0:13:50.400 you've done. You're a terrible mother. You've ruined the very 0:13:50.440 --> 0:13:52.840 thing you love the most. Now your daughter won't even 0:13:52.920 --> 0:13:58.520 see you. Like those sacred tablets, our relationships are sacred. 0:13:59.360 --> 0:14:02.840 God gives us people in life to love. Don't treat 0:14:02.920 --> 0:14:07.120 them like they're ordinary, just common. They're a priceless gift 0:14:07.200 --> 0:14:11.800 from God. He entrusted you with his most valuable possession, 0:14:12.320 --> 0:14:15.480 not a stone tablet, but someone he made in his 0:14:15.559 --> 0:14:20.360 own image, someone he calls a masterpiece. Don't throw around 0:14:20.560 --> 0:14:25.080 hurtful words, say things that wound and degrade and make 0:14:25.120 --> 0:14:29.840 them not feel valuable. Use your words to lift, to encourage, 0:14:30.040 --> 0:14:34.160 to push people forward and not set them back. When 0:14:34.200 --> 0:14:37.200 we recognize something is sacred, we should treat it with 0:14:37.280 --> 0:14:42.080 more respect. But this is the mistake. Moses made those 0:14:42.120 --> 0:14:46.080 tablets with the fingerprints of God. That wasn't common, that 0:14:46.240 --> 0:14:49.080 was one of a kind. You would think Moses would 0:14:49.120 --> 0:14:55.280 be super cautious, extra careful to make sure they weren't damaged. Sometimes, 0:14:55.360 --> 0:15:00.800 like Moses, we mishandled the sacred. We let pressure. Stress 0:15:00.840 --> 0:15:03.360 caused us to let our guard down and not treat 0:15:03.400 --> 0:15:07.520 people the way we should. Several years went by this 0:15:07.680 --> 0:15:10.440 mother and daughter hadn't spoken to each other, and the 0:15:10.520 --> 0:15:14.280 mother was praying and believing. She knew that God could restore, 0:15:14.360 --> 0:15:17.480 but there wasn't any sign of it. One day, I 0:15:17.600 --> 0:15:20.920 was having a book signing in Chicago. The mother and 0:15:21.040 --> 0:15:24.320 daughter showed up at the bookstore. They didn't know it, 0:15:24.480 --> 0:15:27.680 but they had both been watching us on television. When 0:15:27.720 --> 0:15:31.920 they saw each other in line, something supernatural happened. All 0:15:32.000 --> 0:15:35.800 the hurt, the bitterness, the anger was suddenly washed away. 0:15:36.280 --> 0:15:39.480 Their hearts were filled afresh and anew with love, with joy, 0:15:39.520 --> 0:15:43.680 with friendship. They came up to the table weeping with 0:15:43.720 --> 0:15:46.800 tears of joy. The mother said, I never thought I 0:15:46.800 --> 0:15:49.760 would see this day. I never dreamed I would feel 0:15:49.800 --> 0:15:52.480 what I feel today. They're back to being the best 0:15:52.520 --> 0:15:56.880 of friends, just like they were before. But maybe you've 0:15:56.880 --> 0:16:01.640 mishandled a relationship, mishandled your fine ans, mishandled your dream. 0:16:02.280 --> 0:16:06.680 God is not holding your faults against you. Moses threw 0:16:06.720 --> 0:16:10.240 down the ten Commandment's in anger. He couldn't pick them 0:16:10.320 --> 0:16:14.080 up and dust them off. They shattered. It looked permanent, 0:16:14.640 --> 0:16:18.400 no way that could ever happen again. Like this mother, 0:16:18.800 --> 0:16:22.080 we all have times where it looks like this relationship 0:16:22.200 --> 0:16:25.800 is done. Too much water under the bridge, or or 0:16:25.800 --> 0:16:29.200 I blew that position, Joel, I shattered that dream. I 0:16:29.320 --> 0:16:33.640 wasn't disciplined growing up. I missed my opportunity. No, God 0:16:33.800 --> 0:16:36.560 is going to give you another chance. He's going to 0:16:36.560 --> 0:16:40.000 write the same words that were on the last tablets, 0:16:40.160 --> 0:16:43.760 what he originally purposed for your life. You may have 0:16:43.800 --> 0:16:47.120 mishandled it in some way, but the mercy of God 0:16:47.240 --> 0:16:51.240 has you covered. Go back up that mountain. God's about 0:16:51.280 --> 0:16:54.720 to rewrite what you threw away. He's about to restore 0:16:54.880 --> 0:17:00.160 something sacred, something priceless, something you should have handled more carefully. 0:17:00.560 --> 0:17:04.400 What you shattered, he's going to put back together. There 0:17:04.440 --> 0:17:07.119 was a lady in the scripture named Hannah. She had 0:17:07.160 --> 0:17:10.400 been praying for years to have a baby. She told God, 0:17:10.480 --> 0:17:13.000 if you'll give me a child, i'll take him to 0:17:13.040 --> 0:17:15.920 the temple and dedicate him to you. She finally had 0:17:15.920 --> 0:17:19.119 a son that she named Samuel. He was twelve years 0:17:19.160 --> 0:17:23.920 old living in the temple serving the priest Eli. One night, 0:17:24.000 --> 0:17:27.280 while Samuel was sleeping, he heard a voice saying Samuel. 0:17:27.400 --> 0:17:31.280 Samuel got up and ran into Eli's room. Yes, sir, 0:17:31.400 --> 0:17:33.960 what do you need? Eli said, I didn't call you. 0:17:34.160 --> 0:17:37.800 I don't need anything. Samuel went back to bed. He 0:17:37.800 --> 0:17:41.880 heard it again. Samuel jumped up, ran back to Eli's room. 0:17:41.960 --> 0:17:45.200 Same thing, I didn't call you happened a third time. 0:17:45.840 --> 0:17:49.040 This time, when he came into Eli's room, Eli realized 0:17:49.080 --> 0:17:52.240 what was happening. He said, Samuel, the next time you 0:17:52.320 --> 0:17:56.560 hear that voice, answer back, yes, Lord, your servant is listening. 0:17:57.440 --> 0:17:59.639 Went to bed. In a few minutes, he heard the 0:17:59.720 --> 0:18:02.880 voice called in his name. This time, he stayed there 0:18:03.280 --> 0:18:06.240 and said, Lord, I'm listening. God spoke to him and 0:18:06.640 --> 0:18:08.639 told him what was going to happen and gave him 0:18:08.680 --> 0:18:12.680 instruction for his life. But what if God would have thought, Samuel, 0:18:12.960 --> 0:18:15.879 I called you the first time, but you didn't recognize 0:18:15.880 --> 0:18:19.399 my voice. I had something great to tell you, is important, 0:18:19.680 --> 0:18:22.639 But too bad you missed out. You No, our God 0:18:22.960 --> 0:18:26.200 is the god who calls back. You may have missed 0:18:26.200 --> 0:18:30.040 it the first time. You didn't obey. You were too busy, 0:18:30.240 --> 0:18:33.800 that's okay. You missed it the second time, you were 0:18:33.840 --> 0:18:37.560 off course, compromising, that's all right. You missed it the 0:18:37.640 --> 0:18:41.480 third time. Usually it's three strikes and you're out. But 0:18:41.640 --> 0:18:44.240 not with our God. He called back the fourth time. 0:18:44.600 --> 0:18:49.520 Then Samuel recognized his voice. Then he obeyed. But if 0:18:49.560 --> 0:18:52.280 Samuel would have missed it the fourth time, God would 0:18:52.320 --> 0:18:55.640 have called the fifth time, the sixth time, the twentieth time. 0:18:56.400 --> 0:18:59.240 Some of you, God's on call number six, two hundred 0:18:59.240 --> 0:19:02.119 and thirty three. God is not going to give up 0:19:02.160 --> 0:19:02.600 on you. 0:19:02.960 --> 0:19:06.919 He's gonna keep calling you back, giving you opportunities to 0:19:07.040 --> 0:19:11.640 step into your purpose, to break negative cycles, to set 0:19:11.720 --> 0:19:15.959 new standards, to accomplish your dream. 0:19:16.080 --> 0:19:18.960 Maybe you didn't answer the first time, the second time, 0:19:19.000 --> 0:19:22.680 the third time. Neither did Samuel. He's a great prophet. 0:19:23.240 --> 0:19:27.840 Quit beating yourself up. Quit thinking you're disqualified. Another chance 0:19:27.960 --> 0:19:32.000 is coming. He's the God who calls back. A few 0:19:32.080 --> 0:19:35.199 years ago, this person I grew up with wanted me 0:19:35.280 --> 0:19:38.040 to be a part of his event. He called the 0:19:38.119 --> 0:19:40.840 office and asked to talk with me about it, and 0:19:41.080 --> 0:19:43.320 I knew I didn't have time. It was on the 0:19:43.359 --> 0:19:46.560 weekend we have services, and asked them to tell him, 0:19:46.680 --> 0:19:49.760 very respectfully, that I couldn't do it. I thought that 0:19:49.800 --> 0:19:52.639 would solve it, but somehow he got my cell number. 0:19:53.080 --> 0:19:55.320 He kept calling and calling. I just let it go 0:19:55.320 --> 0:19:57.720 to voicemail, so I have a hard time saying no 0:19:58.119 --> 0:20:01.240 when I wouldn't answer. He started having other friends that 0:20:01.320 --> 0:20:04.560 we know call me. He calls so much I ended 0:20:04.640 --> 0:20:07.520 up saying, yes, I'll do your stinking event. I'll do 0:20:07.600 --> 0:20:11.480 your great event. That's the way God is. He's not 0:20:11.520 --> 0:20:14.879 going to quit calling you ignore him. He'll call back. 0:20:15.320 --> 0:20:17.560 You say you won't do it. He'll call back, you 0:20:17.640 --> 0:20:20.359 say you're too busy. He'll call again. He's going to 0:20:20.480 --> 0:20:24.520 keep giving you opportunities to become who you were created 0:20:24.560 --> 0:20:29.680 to be. Now, maybe the reason you're not answering the 0:20:29.680 --> 0:20:34.080 call is like Samuel, you don't recognize his voice. You 0:20:34.160 --> 0:20:36.439 have all these other voices telling you what to do 0:20:36.600 --> 0:20:39.400 and where to go and who to be. But there 0:20:39.480 --> 0:20:43.640 is a still small voice inside. That's your creator speaking 0:20:43.680 --> 0:20:47.600 to you. That's the voice of your heavenly Father. Sometimes 0:20:47.640 --> 0:20:51.679 with all the noise and distractions and opinions, that voice 0:20:51.720 --> 0:20:55.760 can be drowned out. You have to be still and listen. 0:20:56.400 --> 0:20:59.880 God knows what's best for you. The reason he keeps 0:21:00.040 --> 0:21:04.120 falling is he has something amazing in your future. When 0:21:04.160 --> 0:21:08.600 you answer that call, you'll step into purpose, peace fulfillment 0:21:08.840 --> 0:21:12.360 that you've never known. Next time you hear that voice, 0:21:12.600 --> 0:21:16.000 instead of ignoring it, instead of pushing it down, say 0:21:16.080 --> 0:21:19.879 like Samuel, yes Lord, I'm listening. Show me what you 0:21:19.920 --> 0:21:22.639 want me to do. A friend of mine went to 0:21:22.720 --> 0:21:27.720 a concert where this famous jazz drummer was performing. Seventy 0:21:27.760 --> 0:21:31.040 five years old and very well known in the music world. 0:21:31.560 --> 0:21:35.040 Now we're into the concert, he started playing and singing 0:21:35.200 --> 0:21:39.119 amazing Grace. He normally didn't do that for some reason, 0:21:39.160 --> 0:21:42.199 this night he did. He got halfway through and couldn't 0:21:42.240 --> 0:21:45.600 remember the words. He asked if anyone in the audience 0:21:45.680 --> 0:21:48.199 knew it, and would come up and sing it. My 0:21:48.280 --> 0:21:50.560 friend raised his hand and they brought him up on 0:21:50.640 --> 0:21:54.080 the stage and he began to sing Amazing Grace. He 0:21:54.160 --> 0:21:57.280 looked back and this man had tears welling up in 0:21:57.320 --> 0:22:00.800 his eyes. He was so moved he asked my friend 0:22:00.800 --> 0:22:05.000 to come backstage after the concert. What my friend didn't 0:22:05.040 --> 0:22:08.760 know was this man's father was a minister. As a 0:22:08.760 --> 0:22:12.000 little boy, he was raised in church, but at five 0:22:12.119 --> 0:22:16.040 years old, his father left him and all of his siblings. 0:22:16.600 --> 0:22:20.399 He was so hurt and so angry. He determined to 0:22:20.560 --> 0:22:24.520 never have anything to do with God. For seventy years, 0:22:24.640 --> 0:22:28.280 he had ignored the call, wouldn't listen to anything about faith. 0:22:29.000 --> 0:22:31.960 All that time. He had a praying mother back home, 0:22:32.119 --> 0:22:35.480 believing one day he would come back. My friend knew 0:22:35.520 --> 0:22:38.399 nothing about this, but he looked him in the eyes 0:22:38.760 --> 0:22:42.280 and he said, sir, God's calling is still on your life. 0:22:42.800 --> 0:22:45.240 You need to return to the faith you had as 0:22:45.280 --> 0:22:49.200 a little boy. He began to weep and weep. That night. 0:22:49.280 --> 0:22:53.360 After seventy years, he finally answered the call gave his 0:22:53.400 --> 0:22:58.240 life to Christ. But here's my point. You would think 0:22:58.640 --> 0:23:02.199 at some point God would quit calling. You've had so 0:23:02.280 --> 0:23:05.960 many chances, You've ignored me so many times. I'm done 0:23:06.000 --> 0:23:09.440 with you. No, He's the God who keeps calling back, 0:23:09.920 --> 0:23:13.919 the God who gives you another chance. He's calling you today. 0:23:14.800 --> 0:23:18.000 You may have ignored him, you put it off, you 0:23:18.040 --> 0:23:21.280 don't think you deserve it, or you're angry at the past. 0:23:21.640 --> 0:23:24.760 What didn't work out? Who did you wrong? God is 0:23:24.800 --> 0:23:27.880 the one who's going to heal the hurts. He's the 0:23:27.880 --> 0:23:31.320 one who has beauty for the ashes. People may have 0:23:31.359 --> 0:23:34.200 done you wrong, but God knows how to make it right. 0:23:35.280 --> 0:23:38.840 What's happened in your past has not stopped the great 0:23:38.880 --> 0:23:42.919 plan that God has for you. Think about Samson. In 0:23:43.000 --> 0:23:47.560 the scripture, his birth was prophesied. An angel appeared to 0:23:47.600 --> 0:23:49.919 his mother said that she was going to have a 0:23:49.960 --> 0:23:53.280 baby that would be a deliverer. There was this calling 0:23:53.359 --> 0:23:57.240 on his life even before he was born. Samson grew 0:23:57.320 --> 0:24:01.719 up with this incredible strength. He was trapped inside the city, 0:24:02.000 --> 0:24:05.480 was surrounded by high walls. The gates were locked. Looked 0:24:05.480 --> 0:24:07.960 like he would be captured, But in the middle of 0:24:08.000 --> 0:24:11.359 the night he went out to the city gates, these 0:24:11.480 --> 0:24:14.919 huge iron entrances. He ripped them out of the ground, 0:24:15.240 --> 0:24:17.960 put them on his shoulders, and carried them up the hill. 0:24:18.640 --> 0:24:23.440 He couldn't be contained. He had something unusual, something sacred. 0:24:24.119 --> 0:24:27.159 He knew it wasn't common. He knew God's hand was 0:24:27.240 --> 0:24:31.359 on him. But he got sloppy. He started hanging around 0:24:31.400 --> 0:24:34.520 the wrong people. They tried to figure out the secret 0:24:34.600 --> 0:24:37.800 of his strength, and instead of protecting what God had 0:24:37.920 --> 0:24:42.000 entrusted and with valuing that gift, he let his guard down. 0:24:42.640 --> 0:24:46.440 He started telling riddles to the enemies, playing with them, 0:24:47.000 --> 0:24:50.080 seeing if they could figure out the source of his strength. 0:24:50.760 --> 0:24:54.040 And it's significant that he used riddles. That's showing us 0:24:54.400 --> 0:24:57.520 that he didn't take seriously what God had given him. 0:24:58.200 --> 0:25:01.400 He was playing with his talent, playing with his potential, 0:25:01.600 --> 0:25:05.200 playing with his strength. If you don't see that as valuable, 0:25:05.560 --> 0:25:09.880 then you'll end up mishandling. Moses, in his anger, threw 0:25:09.880 --> 0:25:16.359 down the ten Commandment. Sampson encompromised, threw down his potential. Well, 0:25:16.400 --> 0:25:19.280 the Philistines figured it out and cut his hair. He 0:25:19.359 --> 0:25:22.520 lost all of his power. They not only captured him, 0:25:22.600 --> 0:25:26.120 but they gouged out his eyes. They bound him in chains. 0:25:26.760 --> 0:25:31.520 This once powerful man prophesied to do great things supernatural 0:25:31.560 --> 0:25:35.960 favor on his life. Now he's blind, chained and grinding 0:25:36.040 --> 0:25:40.000 at the mill. It's nobody's fault except his own. He 0:25:40.119 --> 0:25:43.680 had the strength, but he squandered it. He had the favor, 0:25:44.040 --> 0:25:47.399 but he mishandled it. What do you do when you 0:25:47.440 --> 0:25:51.119 brought the trouble on yourself. You had the stone tablets, 0:25:51.320 --> 0:25:54.960 but you threw them down. You had the strength, the marriage, 0:25:55.040 --> 0:25:59.080 the position, the children. God gave you something sacred, but 0:25:59.200 --> 0:26:03.000 you let it slip. God could have said to Samson, 0:26:03.320 --> 0:26:06.000 you're getting what you deserve. Man, I should have found 0:26:06.000 --> 0:26:10.639 someone more discipline that wouldn't compromise. I'm done with you. No, 0:26:10.840 --> 0:26:14.600 God never writes you off. He's gonna call back again 0:26:14.880 --> 0:26:19.080 and again. The Philistines were having this big party celebrating 0:26:19.119 --> 0:26:22.720 their victory. They brought Samson out to make fun of him. 0:26:23.560 --> 0:26:26.440 Look like that's how his life would end, in defeat, 0:26:26.840 --> 0:26:30.680 in shame. But the scripture says, the spirit of God 0:26:30.960 --> 0:26:35.000 came on Samson one more time. Look at the mercy 0:26:35.040 --> 0:26:39.720 of God. After he squandered his strength, mishandled his calling, 0:26:40.359 --> 0:26:43.320 walked away from what he was prophesied to. Do you 0:26:43.440 --> 0:26:46.720 mean God would give him another chance. That's the God 0:26:46.800 --> 0:26:49.960 we serve, the God who calls you back when you 0:26:50.000 --> 0:26:54.560 don't deserve it the god who rewrites what you threw away. 0:26:55.280 --> 0:26:58.280 As they were making fun of Samson, he felt this 0:26:58.400 --> 0:27:02.879 supernatural strength come on. Like before. He pushed over these 0:27:02.880 --> 0:27:06.400 two large pillars that were holding up the building. It 0:27:06.440 --> 0:27:10.639 came crashing down. He defeated more Philistines in his death 0:27:11.000 --> 0:27:15.360 than he did his whole life. Like Sampson, you may 0:27:15.400 --> 0:27:18.240 have misandled some things. You think if I could do 0:27:18.320 --> 0:27:22.159 it over, I'd make better choices. I'd treat my spouse better, 0:27:22.640 --> 0:27:26.240 I'd be more focused. I wouldn't let my emotions cause 0:27:26.320 --> 0:27:29.840 me to throw down the sacred in my life. You 0:27:29.920 --> 0:27:32.800 don't have to live in regrets. God's going to give 0:27:32.840 --> 0:27:37.760 you another chance, another chance for that relationship to flourish, 0:27:38.080 --> 0:27:42.320 another chance to accomplish your dream, another chance to answer 0:27:42.400 --> 0:27:46.199 the call on your life. It's not too late. You 0:27:46.240 --> 0:27:49.399 may have missed the other times. That's okay. He's calling 0:27:49.440 --> 0:27:53.080 back today. You wouldn't be hearing this if he wasn't 0:27:53.200 --> 0:27:56.399 about to do something amazing in your life. Now you 0:27:56.480 --> 0:27:59.280 have to do your part and go back up that mountain. 0:28:00.080 --> 0:28:03.480 Quit living guilty thinking you've blown it too many times. 0:28:04.000 --> 0:28:08.640 Nothing you've done has stopped your purpose. Another chance is coming. 0:28:08.960 --> 0:28:12.879 I believe in declare life with Moses. God's about to 0:28:12.960 --> 0:28:17.160 rewrite what you shatter Like Sampson, His fear is gonna 0:28:17.200 --> 0:28:21.720 come on you one more time. New doors, opening relationships, 0:28:21.760 --> 0:28:25.919 restore dreams, coming to pass the fullness of your destiny 0:28:26.480 --> 0:28:29.879 in Jesus's name, And if you receive it, can you 0:28:29.960 --> 0:28:34.520 say amen? I want to give you an opportunity to 0:28:34.560 --> 0:28:37.440 make Jesus the Lord of your life. Would you pray 0:28:37.480 --> 0:28:42.000 with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I repent of my sins, 0:28:42.560 --> 0:28:46.080 Come into my heart. I'll make you my Lord and savior. 0:28:46.880 --> 0:28:49.360 If you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got 0:28:49.360 --> 0:28:52.320 born again. We'd love to send you some new information 0:28:52.640 --> 0:28:54.600 on your walk with the Lord. You can text the 0:28:54.680 --> 0:28:57.400 number on the screen or go to the website. But 0:28:57.480 --> 0:29:00.240 I hope you'll get into a good Bible based church 0:29:00.400 --> 0:29:04.160 and keep God first place. Thanks so much for listening 0:29:04.160 --> 0:29:07.320 to today's message. I hope you'll subscribe so you can 0:29:07.360 --> 0:29:10.960 receive the latest podcast to keep you encouraged and inspired 0:29:11.040 --> 0:29:11.800 all through the week. 0:29:12.000 --> 0:29:14.200 Help us to continue to share the message of hope 0:29:14.200 --> 0:29:17.680 with those all around the world. Visit Joelosting dot com 0:29:17.800 --> 0:29:20.400 or click the link in the description to partner with 0:29:20.480 --> 0:29:21.000 us today. 0:29:21.240 --> 0:29:23.680 We hope you'll share this message with a friend and 0:29:23.800 --> 0:29:26.600 be sure to follow us on social media. We're praying 0:29:26.680 --> 0:29:29.760 for you. I know God's best is still ahead. 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