The Heart of EasterSample

Second Chances

The miraculous lesson of Easter is this: Through Jesus Christ’s death on the Cross and Resurrection, we have been granted a second chance. We have permission to leave our old lives behind and focus on the new day, with all its potential for joy and choices that honor God. 

Our God is the God of “do-overs,” second chances, fresh starts and new beginnings. And He doesn’t have any limit on how many you can have. But sometimes, we lose sight of what God can do because of something in the past. We’re stuck, unable to move forward with the wonderful plans He so desperately wants to reveal to us.

Because Jesus lives, we can have a new attitude toward ourselves. We can live amazed by His great love for us—that even when we’re at our worst, He still chose to die for us so we could be made right with Him (see Romans 5:17). Let that sink in for a moment. Jesus died for our sins and is alive today to help us grow closer to Him and be changed by His Word and His Spirit. 

Do you need a second chance? Ask God for one...or a third chance, fourth or fifth—whatever you need. God is full of mercy and is longsuffering. His loving kindness never fails or comes to an end (see Psalm 100:5 AMP).

VIDEO:

You Can Begin Again

God is a God of new beginnings and fresh starts! 

KEY SCRIPTURE:

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions...(Ephesians 2:4-5 NIV). 

QUOTE FROM JOYCE:

“You cannot do anything about what is behind you, but you can do a great deal about what lies ahead of you.” —Joyce

TAKE ACTION:

Luke 18:27 (NIV) says, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” Think of an area in your life right now where you need a second chance—a “do-over.” Then take some time to write down some of your favorite scriptures that remind you of God’s mercy and love for you. Ask God to speak to your heart and build your faith as you study. Then, grab a journal and write down the ways you see God working in your life.

PRAYER:

God, I know it doesn’t do me any good to hang on to my mistakes when You lovingly stand before me with a fresh chance, so I let go of all the wrongs I’ve done. Take my sins and make me clean. I give it all to You, excited to see the beauty that You will bring from them. In Jesus’s Name, amen.

It’s time to experience Christ’s love and embrace a brand-new beginning in Him. 

Come home today.

Check out How to Know Jesus .