In life have you ever felt like you were getting a second chance at life because of something that happened in a relationship? In life have you ever felt like you were getting a second chance at life because of something that happened in a job? In life have you ever felt like you were getting a second chance at life because of something that happened with your health? In life have you ever felt like you were getting a second chance at life because of something that happened in accepting a gift? In life have you ever felt like you were getting a second chance at life because of something that happened in a accepting forgiveness?
Ever felt like you have gotten a third chance? a fourth chance? even more chances?
Will you make the most of a second chance? or another chance? Will you be grateful and live a transformed life as you step up and into your chance? Will you avoid the tripping hazards or issues of the past and press forward to make the most of your chance? Will you live a different life? Will you live a healthier life? Will you live a more loving life? Will you live a more grace filled life? Will you live a more forgiving life? Will you be willing to give others another chance?
How will getting another chance change the way you approach life?
The One Year Daily Insights with Zig Ziglar and Dr. Ike Reighard for January 6th
Second and Third Chances
MEMORY VERSE OF THE DAY: Colossians 2:13-14
‘And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. ‘
POINTS FROM THE DEVOTIONAL:
- Are you carrying around a heavy weight or burden?
- Are you able to bring that weight or burden to God and leave it with Him?
- Are you carrying around guilt and regret?
- Are you able to bring them to God and give them over to Him in order to find relief?
- Are you able to bring them to God and give them over to Him in order to find peace? hope? joy?
- Have you done or said something that you are now carrying around as a weight or burden?
- Have you considered turning to God and to the person and asking for forgiveness?
- Do you realize the price that Jesus paid by going to the cross?
- Do you realize the door that Jesus opened by going to the cross?
- Do you realize that every mistake, every sin, every rotten thought, desire, and action can be brought and nailed to the cross thanks to Jesus?
- Are you feeling terrible about something and haven’t been able to bring yourself to do something about it to get better or reset?
- Thanks to Jesus, by faith we are able to stop living under the weight and power of guilt and find His amazing grace because He forgives us.
- The verse from 1 John 1:9 comes to mind as I type that which says: ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ‘
- We need to be willing and able to confess it to God.
- The sin doesn’t get whitewashed or excused because it isn’t that bad or doesn’t matter, what happens is that it is called what it is sin and Jesus paid the ultimate price when He got nailed to the cross so that we can be forgiven.
- Sin has a cost! Jesus paid the price! Once for all!
- The verse from 1 Peter 3:18 puts it this way: ‘For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, ‘
- The verse in Hebrews 10:10 puts it this way: ‘ And in accordance with this will [of God], we have been made holy (consecrated and sanctified) through the offering made once for all of the body of Jesus Christ (the Anointed One).‘
- We find in Colossians where today’s memory verse comes from how it isn’t a philosophy but Christ alone, it isn’t legalism but Christ alone!
- We learn how Paul uses the metaphor of a Roman debtor’s prison to relate to the penalty of sin.
- “When a person couldn’t repay a debt, he was thrown into a cell, and a parchment scroll of all his debts was nailed to the cell door until the debts were paid. Jesus saw us in the prison of our guilt, and He took the list of our sinful debts and nailed them to the cross, where He paid for them in full.” — from today’s devotional
- We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and hence we all need the debt to be paid or forgiven.
- Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe, Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.
- Consider the torture, the beating, and the crucifixion that Jesus endured in order to make a way when there didn’t seem to be a way.
- Let’s fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith and receive the grace and forgiveness He is offering.
- Freedom isn’t free! It is never free!
- Jesus offers up His grace to us for free because He already paid the price.
- Jesus offers up forgiveness to us because He paid the price by sacrificing His life on the cross.
- God loves us so much that He sent Jesus!
- God didn’t send Jesus to condemn the world but rather that through Him the world could be saved.
- So the decision is ours to make, will we decide to receive it?
- So the decision is ours to make, will we take the sins and nail them to the cross?
- So the decision is ours to make, will we confess our sins to Jesus in order to receive forgiveness in return?
- Will you choose to receive the forgiveness of God through Jesus and replace the guilt, the shame, the pain, the weight with relief?
- Will you accept this chance to be forgiven and then live out a life to honor God by living your free life in honor of Jesus?
DISCUSSION TOPICS FROM TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL:
What’s the difference between excusing sin and forgiving it?
- Excusing sin doesn’t solve the problem, it just shrugs it off or pushes it down the road. The weight and the burden don’t get taken care of.
- Forgiving sin takes care of it once and for all, paying the price and setting the person free. The weight and the burden are replace by relief, healing, and deliverance.
What are some things you’ve thought or done that need to be forgiven by Jesus?
- I remember when I encountered Jesus at the end of 2000 and start of 2001 and how it transformed my life.
- I remember the jet back journey between things like Cleansing Stream, Bible studies, Men’s groups and retreats, Spiritual Emphasis weeks, Prayer and Fasting and all the sins that were taken care of and nailed to the cross
- I am glad that when I trip up, I don’t have to carry the burden anymore but can bring it to God right away and thanks to Jesus nail it to the cross where it is dealt with once and for all.
QUOTES FROM TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL:
— MARTIN LUTHER
Today’s reading from Tanakh
- Genesis 11
- Story of the tower of Babel
Are you needing forgiveness? Are you needing a second chance? Are you needing another chance? Were are you at today? Are you looking for guidance? Are you wondering where to turn? Are you at the end of your rope and needing help? Are you ready for some help? Are you ready to turn to God and ask? seek? knock? Let’s pray together.
Dear God, I know that I am a sinner and there is nothing that I can do to save myself. I confess my complete helplessness to forgive my own sin or to work my way to heaven. At this moment I trust Christ alone as the One who bore my sin when He died on the cross. I believe that He did all that will ever be necessary for me to stand in your holy presence. I thank you that Christ was raised from the dead as a guarantee of my own resurrection. As best as I can, I now transfer my trust to Him. I am grateful that He has promised to receive me despite my many sins and failures. Father, I take you at your word. I thank you that I can face death now that you are my Savior. Thank you for the assurance that you will walk with me through the deep valley. Thank you for hearing this prayer. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
—The Sinner’s Prayer
Did you pray this with me? Would you like to connect and discuss it with me? Would you like to make time to start your walk with Jesus? Do you have questions? Please let me know through the comment section below, through email, or even through text messages.
