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Posts Tagged ‘second chances’

Key Element for Thriving Relationships-Second Chances

September 14th, 2022 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Key Element for Thriving Relationships is Second Chances.

Sometimes, our disappointments with people who let us down in the past can keep us from giving them second chances in the future.

In Acts chapter 15, Paul and Barnabas were planning to follow up on some places where they had ministered together. Barnabas wanted to take John Mark, but Paul did not think it wise to take him because he had deserted them and had not continued with them in the work.

As a result, they parted company. Barnabas took Mark with him to Cyprus, while Paul chose Silas and went in another direction to strengthen the churches. God worked through this disagreement to form two missionary teams out of one.

Mark is the author of one of the four Gospels that we read in the Bible, so the encouragement of Barnabas was apparently a big influence in John Mark’s faith.

Giving people second chances is a key element for thriving relationships that honor God.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Reason To Believe-Second Chances

February 4th, 2016 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Exploration, today’s Reason To Believe is the opportunity for second chances.

Sometimes, we fail the Lord by disobeying His Word. When that happens, we might be tempted to think that it’s too late for God to ever work through us again, which leads to the temptation to give up.

But if we ever feel that way, we can find hope in the second chance offered to Jonah. God initially sent word to Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach against it, because of its wickedness. But Jonah ran away from the LORD. He went the opposite direction from where God was sending Jonah, and ended up over his head in a sea of problems.

In the belly of a huge fish, Jonah came to his senses and turned his heart to the Lord with this prayer, “I, with a song of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed, I will make good. Salvation comes from the LORD.”

After this prayer, we read in Jonah 3:1, “Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time, “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” And Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD.

A second chance is an opportunity to learn from our first failure, and join God’s redemptive work on the earth. A second chance is also a sign of God’s mercy to us, and is a reason to believe in God’s good news.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Lesson Of Faith-Jonah’s Second Opportunity

March 7th, 2013 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – Jonah had run away from God’s mission to go to Nineveh and ended up in isolation after being swallowed by a great fish.

That is where he came to his senses and made a commitment to get on board with God’s mission.

With his heart more aligned with God’s purpose, Jonah 3:1 says, “Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”

Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh.

Because of unwise decisions in the past, we might be tempted to think that God has given up on us and will not call us to service again. However, the Bible talks about several godly people who had second opportunities after making serious blunders. Just 50 days or so after Peter denied knowing Christ, he gave a bold sermon on Pentecost that led to the salvation of 3,000 souls. Jonah’s second opportunity also yielded productive results. The Ninevites were receptive to what he had to say, and humbled themselves in the eyes of the LORD.  If you are on the sidelines of regret, remember: it’s not too late to get back to the place of service that honors God and touches lives with His grace.

Jonah’s second opportunity is a lesson of faith worth remembering.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com