A God of Second Chances
Stories
Contents
“A God of Second Chances” by Keith Wagner
“A Change of Heart” by Keith Wagner
“Decline or Renewal?” by John Fitzgerald
A God of Second Chances
by Keith Wagner
Jeremiah 31:31-34
Jeremiah proclaimed to the people of his time that the Lord would make a new covenant with them. The new covenant would not be like the old one when God gave them a set of rules to live by. Instead, the new covenant had to do with an internal motivation to be faithful along with a standing promise of forgiveness. Historically they were given the law, now they are given the freedom to live in the grace of God. In other words, they were given a second chance.
Why is it so difficult for us to accept forgiveness? Because it means we have to change. It means we must let go of the past and embrace the present. It means we must truly trust in a God who forgives. Until we fully accept that forgiveness we will never be able to live a new and improved existence.
Computers have a function called “delete.” It allows you to eliminate a word, sentence or phrase. You can even delete an entire page, file or picture. When you press delete a message appears on the screen. It says, “Are you sure you want to delete this item?” You press “yes” and the item is deleted, but not really. It is simply sent to your recycle bin where it remains until permanently deleted.
When God forgives us it is final. As it says in Jeremiah, “God no longer remembers our sins.” They are forgotten, totally deleted. Unlike God, we struggle with absolute forgiveness. We forgive conditionally or “remember” because we don’t appreciate the value of unconditional forgiveness. We leave it in our recycle bins for future reference.
One time we had quite a controversy in our hometown over the new superstore that Walmart wanted to build. Since it would have included a grocery store there were those who felt it would conflict with the local grocery stores. Others felt it was ridiculous to tear down a perfectly fine building and construct a new one nearby. Still others felt it would have enhanced the local economy.
Walmart had made a commitment to the community that their new superstore would add jobs and give the local economy an additional boost. They were offering a new and improved facility that would benefit the people.
Whenever something new and improved is introduced we are always skeptical. We wonder first of all, what it’s going to cost us. We also wonder if a new store will really be any different than the old. We are also reluctant to change since we are quite comfortable with the way things are.
When Walmart finally opened there was also a K-Mart. Many people continued to shop at K-Mart because they were used to it. But K-Mart couldn’t stay competitive, so they eventually closed. For many, that was a struggle and hard for them to let go. Once they accepted the reality that Walmart was the only option, it became their place to shop.
I must confess that I still shopped at K-Mart for a while even after Walmart opened. I appreciated the fact that there were no long check-out lines and parking was plentiful. Like many others it took me some time to make the transition. Soon after Walmart opened I was having problems with a battery in a camera I had purchased from Walmart which cost $10. I installed it in my camera but it still wouldn’t work. It apparently had a short. I took the battery back to Walmart along with the torn package and receipt. The clerk asked no questions and refunded my money. Thankfully, all was forgiven.
* * *
A Change of Heart
by Keith Wagner
Psalm 51:1-12
When the psalmist said, “Create in me a clean heart,” he was asking God to forgive him for his mistakes. Our psalmist is David and David’s heart had become filled with selfishness and cruelty.
This psalm is David’s confession. He prays to God for the power never to sin again. He believes that God will give him a new heart so he can experience the joy of a new life, one that is reconciled with God. God is about re-creation. God is about restoring our souls and giving us a new spirit. God knows that the condition of our hearts determines the quality of life we will experience and the fulfillment we will realize.
Part of what it means to be human is to be sinful. We may try hard to perfect but we all make mistakes. David made mistakes. This is why we need God to forgive us and make our hearts clean. Like David, we first must be willing to admit that we have failed. That is not a simple task since no one likes to confess his/her shortcomings. However, confession is what leads to forgiveness, and ultimately peace and wholeness.
One time Booker T. Washington, the renowned black educator, was taking a walk in an exclusive section in Tuskegee, Alabama. At the time he was the president of Tuskegee Institute. As he was walking he was stopped by a wealthy white woman who did not recognize who he was. She asked him if he would like to earn a few dollars chopping wood for her. Since he had no pressing business, professor Washington smiled, rolled up his sleeves and proceeded to do the humble chore she had requested. When he was finished, he carried the newly chopped wood to the woman’s house and stacked them by her fireplace.
A neighbor girl recognized Professor Washington and later that day revealed his identity to the woman who had hired him to chop wood. The next morning the woman, who was greatly embarrassed, went to visit Mr. Washington in his office at the Institute. She apologized profusely. She was both contrite and ashamed.
Mr. Washington replied, “It’s perfectly all right, Madam, occasionally I enjoy a little manual labor. Besides, it’s always a delight to do something for a friend.” The woman shook his hand warmly and assured him that his gracious attitude had endeared him and therefore changed her heart. Shortly thereafter, the woman persuaded some of her wealthy friends to join together and give thousands of dollars to the Tuskegee Institute.
It was about this time of year when my friends and I were out joy-riding after going to a high school basketball game. It was cold and to warm up the car I drove a little too fast. It wasn’t long until I saw blue lights flashing behind me. An officer came up to my window and asked for my license. He asked me if I realized that I was driving 50 mph in a 25 mph zone. I told him I didn’t know what the speed limit was and that we were just trying to warm up the car. He then asked if we had been drinking. We had not.
The officer told me that since this was my first offense he would only give me a warning. But, I was also told to make sure I told my parents. There was no way I could do that. I was afraid of losing my driving privileges and I knew my parents would be disappointed in me. The next morning happened to be Sunday. I willingly went to church with my parents, which should have tipped them off that something was up.
I remembered that the officer had told me to tell my parents that I was pulled over for speeding. But I couldn’t find it within myself to confess my sin. Sunday afternoon the same police officer pulled into our driveway. I was in shock. He explained to my parents what had happened. He said I was a good kid, but since I was unwilling to tell my parents what had happened, he would have to give me a ticket and send me to driving school.
I have never forgotten that event. Had I been willing to confess my sin, I would have not received a ticket and I know now that my parents would have forgiven me, especially since the officer made a personal visit to our house.
* * *
Decline or Renewal?
by John Fitzgerald
John 12:20-33
In 1776, the historian Edward Gibbon wrote a classic book entitled, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.
The thesis of this book is Rome fell not from enemies outside it’s empire, but from forces within. There are several symptoms detailed by Gibbons concerning Rome that apply to America today.The late British journalist, Alistair Cook, summarized Gibbons warnings about Rome into this list:
Romans loved show and luxury, there grew a widening gap between rich and poor, Rome encouraged military might to be used in remote places far from its home land, and there became an increasing obsession with sex.
Gibbons had his finger upon the central challenges which both ancient Rome and contemporary America faced. There is a struggle ongoing in our nation between decline and renewal. Will we as American people continue to live the kind of life which promotes commitment, sacrifice, dedication, loyalty, and responsibility? Or shall we go the way of Rome and encourage hedonism, sloth, decadence, irresponsibility and negligence?
When you look at the face of America, it is difficult to tell which traits will win out. In all of the institutions of our society: marriage, work, government, business, and church, there is a battle going on as to whether or not we are going to have faithfulness to make these places work as they were designed.
Sometimes is seems the path of self-destruction will triumph. It is the rude and crude America interested in tawdry, tabloid and sensational, which will hold sway over our minds and hearts. This is the way of our culture and society.
The Christian faith articulates another option. This is the way of Christ Jesus and bearing his cross. The cross speaks to enduring suffering, servant hood and love which overcomes evil. Jesus shares these virtues in our scripture lesson from chapter 12 of John.
The key verses in this biblical passage is John 12:32-33, where Jesus states:
And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.
He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die. If we lift up the cross of Christ, it will draw people to it all across our country and around this world.
People have had enough of the selfish lifestyle which modern America has emulated. Folks are looking for a deeper life that follows Jesus and is true to his cross.
We are currently in the season of Lent. Lent teaches us to sacrifice and crucify the flesh so that Christ can live more fully within us. Jesus teaches us daily about the cross that we can pick up in order to follow him. Will you be part of the America which bears a cross for Jesus? Or will you continue in the path that leads to personal destruction and death for America?
*****************************************
StoryShare, March 18, 2018, issue.
Copyright 2017 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
“A God of Second Chances” by Keith Wagner
“A Change of Heart” by Keith Wagner
“Decline or Renewal?” by John Fitzgerald
A God of Second Chances
by Keith Wagner
Jeremiah 31:31-34
Jeremiah proclaimed to the people of his time that the Lord would make a new covenant with them. The new covenant would not be like the old one when God gave them a set of rules to live by. Instead, the new covenant had to do with an internal motivation to be faithful along with a standing promise of forgiveness. Historically they were given the law, now they are given the freedom to live in the grace of God. In other words, they were given a second chance.
Why is it so difficult for us to accept forgiveness? Because it means we have to change. It means we must let go of the past and embrace the present. It means we must truly trust in a God who forgives. Until we fully accept that forgiveness we will never be able to live a new and improved existence.
Computers have a function called “delete.” It allows you to eliminate a word, sentence or phrase. You can even delete an entire page, file or picture. When you press delete a message appears on the screen. It says, “Are you sure you want to delete this item?” You press “yes” and the item is deleted, but not really. It is simply sent to your recycle bin where it remains until permanently deleted.
When God forgives us it is final. As it says in Jeremiah, “God no longer remembers our sins.” They are forgotten, totally deleted. Unlike God, we struggle with absolute forgiveness. We forgive conditionally or “remember” because we don’t appreciate the value of unconditional forgiveness. We leave it in our recycle bins for future reference.
One time we had quite a controversy in our hometown over the new superstore that Walmart wanted to build. Since it would have included a grocery store there were those who felt it would conflict with the local grocery stores. Others felt it was ridiculous to tear down a perfectly fine building and construct a new one nearby. Still others felt it would have enhanced the local economy.
Walmart had made a commitment to the community that their new superstore would add jobs and give the local economy an additional boost. They were offering a new and improved facility that would benefit the people.
Whenever something new and improved is introduced we are always skeptical. We wonder first of all, what it’s going to cost us. We also wonder if a new store will really be any different than the old. We are also reluctant to change since we are quite comfortable with the way things are.
When Walmart finally opened there was also a K-Mart. Many people continued to shop at K-Mart because they were used to it. But K-Mart couldn’t stay competitive, so they eventually closed. For many, that was a struggle and hard for them to let go. Once they accepted the reality that Walmart was the only option, it became their place to shop.
I must confess that I still shopped at K-Mart for a while even after Walmart opened. I appreciated the fact that there were no long check-out lines and parking was plentiful. Like many others it took me some time to make the transition. Soon after Walmart opened I was having problems with a battery in a camera I had purchased from Walmart which cost $10. I installed it in my camera but it still wouldn’t work. It apparently had a short. I took the battery back to Walmart along with the torn package and receipt. The clerk asked no questions and refunded my money. Thankfully, all was forgiven.
* * *
A Change of Heart
by Keith Wagner
Psalm 51:1-12
When the psalmist said, “Create in me a clean heart,” he was asking God to forgive him for his mistakes. Our psalmist is David and David’s heart had become filled with selfishness and cruelty.
This psalm is David’s confession. He prays to God for the power never to sin again. He believes that God will give him a new heart so he can experience the joy of a new life, one that is reconciled with God. God is about re-creation. God is about restoring our souls and giving us a new spirit. God knows that the condition of our hearts determines the quality of life we will experience and the fulfillment we will realize.
Part of what it means to be human is to be sinful. We may try hard to perfect but we all make mistakes. David made mistakes. This is why we need God to forgive us and make our hearts clean. Like David, we first must be willing to admit that we have failed. That is not a simple task since no one likes to confess his/her shortcomings. However, confession is what leads to forgiveness, and ultimately peace and wholeness.
One time Booker T. Washington, the renowned black educator, was taking a walk in an exclusive section in Tuskegee, Alabama. At the time he was the president of Tuskegee Institute. As he was walking he was stopped by a wealthy white woman who did not recognize who he was. She asked him if he would like to earn a few dollars chopping wood for her. Since he had no pressing business, professor Washington smiled, rolled up his sleeves and proceeded to do the humble chore she had requested. When he was finished, he carried the newly chopped wood to the woman’s house and stacked them by her fireplace.
A neighbor girl recognized Professor Washington and later that day revealed his identity to the woman who had hired him to chop wood. The next morning the woman, who was greatly embarrassed, went to visit Mr. Washington in his office at the Institute. She apologized profusely. She was both contrite and ashamed.
Mr. Washington replied, “It’s perfectly all right, Madam, occasionally I enjoy a little manual labor. Besides, it’s always a delight to do something for a friend.” The woman shook his hand warmly and assured him that his gracious attitude had endeared him and therefore changed her heart. Shortly thereafter, the woman persuaded some of her wealthy friends to join together and give thousands of dollars to the Tuskegee Institute.
It was about this time of year when my friends and I were out joy-riding after going to a high school basketball game. It was cold and to warm up the car I drove a little too fast. It wasn’t long until I saw blue lights flashing behind me. An officer came up to my window and asked for my license. He asked me if I realized that I was driving 50 mph in a 25 mph zone. I told him I didn’t know what the speed limit was and that we were just trying to warm up the car. He then asked if we had been drinking. We had not.
The officer told me that since this was my first offense he would only give me a warning. But, I was also told to make sure I told my parents. There was no way I could do that. I was afraid of losing my driving privileges and I knew my parents would be disappointed in me. The next morning happened to be Sunday. I willingly went to church with my parents, which should have tipped them off that something was up.
I remembered that the officer had told me to tell my parents that I was pulled over for speeding. But I couldn’t find it within myself to confess my sin. Sunday afternoon the same police officer pulled into our driveway. I was in shock. He explained to my parents what had happened. He said I was a good kid, but since I was unwilling to tell my parents what had happened, he would have to give me a ticket and send me to driving school.
I have never forgotten that event. Had I been willing to confess my sin, I would have not received a ticket and I know now that my parents would have forgiven me, especially since the officer made a personal visit to our house.
* * *
Decline or Renewal?
by John Fitzgerald
John 12:20-33
In 1776, the historian Edward Gibbon wrote a classic book entitled, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.
The thesis of this book is Rome fell not from enemies outside it’s empire, but from forces within. There are several symptoms detailed by Gibbons concerning Rome that apply to America today.The late British journalist, Alistair Cook, summarized Gibbons warnings about Rome into this list:
Romans loved show and luxury, there grew a widening gap between rich and poor, Rome encouraged military might to be used in remote places far from its home land, and there became an increasing obsession with sex.
Gibbons had his finger upon the central challenges which both ancient Rome and contemporary America faced. There is a struggle ongoing in our nation between decline and renewal. Will we as American people continue to live the kind of life which promotes commitment, sacrifice, dedication, loyalty, and responsibility? Or shall we go the way of Rome and encourage hedonism, sloth, decadence, irresponsibility and negligence?
When you look at the face of America, it is difficult to tell which traits will win out. In all of the institutions of our society: marriage, work, government, business, and church, there is a battle going on as to whether or not we are going to have faithfulness to make these places work as they were designed.
Sometimes is seems the path of self-destruction will triumph. It is the rude and crude America interested in tawdry, tabloid and sensational, which will hold sway over our minds and hearts. This is the way of our culture and society.
The Christian faith articulates another option. This is the way of Christ Jesus and bearing his cross. The cross speaks to enduring suffering, servant hood and love which overcomes evil. Jesus shares these virtues in our scripture lesson from chapter 12 of John.
The key verses in this biblical passage is John 12:32-33, where Jesus states:
And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.
He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die. If we lift up the cross of Christ, it will draw people to it all across our country and around this world.
People have had enough of the selfish lifestyle which modern America has emulated. Folks are looking for a deeper life that follows Jesus and is true to his cross.
We are currently in the season of Lent. Lent teaches us to sacrifice and crucify the flesh so that Christ can live more fully within us. Jesus teaches us daily about the cross that we can pick up in order to follow him. Will you be part of the America which bears a cross for Jesus? Or will you continue in the path that leads to personal destruction and death for America?
*****************************************
StoryShare, March 18, 2018, issue.
Copyright 2017 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
