Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Doubts”
Our Bible verse for today: “When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ he said, ‘you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed my sheep.” John 21:15 (NIV)
Our thought for today: “God will forgive you and restore you.”
Are you a flawed individual? Well welcome to the club, me too. In fact, we’re all flawed. We’re all damaged goods and in truth, we’re all just a little weird.
The Apostle Peter was certainly flawed. He was often brash and outspoken, and bit like a bull in a china shop. He made lots of mistakes, some of them big mistakes. Most famously, he denied three times that he even knew Jesus and then he went off in a corner and cried like a baby. After that he probably sulked around mumbling about what a worthless dog he was, embarrassed to the core by his behavior, and doubting that he would ever amount to anything after what he had done.
But Jesus wasn’t done with Peter. You know the story. The resurrected Jesus appeared to Peter, called him out, gave him an opportunity to repent, restored him to ministry, and Peter went on to become an important leader in the early Christian church, he even wrote two books of the New Testament.
John Newton was even worse than Peter. He was a cruel and brutal slave-trading sea captain. He was so mean that even his closest crew members lived in fear of him. But Jesus had a plan for Captain John. Long story short, John Newton gave his life to Christ and he ended-up becoming a humble, gentle, kind and compassionate pastor and preacher. He even wrote the most popular Christian hymn of all time, “Amazing Grace”, and he wrote it about himself. “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.”
The point is that Jesus wasn’t done with Peter and John and He’s not done with you either. Despite your warts and pimples, regardless of your flaws and weaknesses, and even with your many past failures, Jesus will pick you up, dust you off, forgive your sins, and walk with you into an amazing and wonderful future life.
If you let Him. You do have to be willing. And you do have to trust Him. Peter was remorseful but also hopeful and trusting. He was willing to be forgiven. And once Jesus gave him a new ministry (feed my sheep), Peter accepted it, trusted the Lord would empower him to accomplish whatever the assignment was, and then he got busy doing it. It wasn’t too many weeks after this, in Acts chapter two, that we find Peter wading into a crowd of thousands and boldly preaching the Gospel.
There is no question that Jesus will forgive you, restore you, and lead you into a new and better season of life. Don’t doubt it. Just accept it and then move forward with Him into a new and better life.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 