When I was in campus ministry at UCLA, after one our meetings  a young man came to talk with me. He was quite upset. He told me he felt that God had given up on him. I asked him why he had come to that conclusion. He said he had grown up in a religious home, but when he came to college he had rebelled against everything he had ever been taught. He had broken his own convictions and he had broken God's standards. What bothered him most, though, was that he had done the same wrong acts over and over again. He knew better, he said, but he continued doing what he knew was wrong. He once thought of himself as a Christian, but no longer. Because he had failed he was convinced that God had given up on him. He felt that he was beyond hope.I wonder how many people today feel like that student felt. The believe that because of their failure God has given up on them.When I say that word there are a lot of things that come into your mind.  Failure is a lack of success; falling short of what is required or expected; It could be seen as a mistake. A collapse, or a let down.When I talk about failure we might think of the failures of others.  We think of the big things, the things we see in the news, the things we hear about, and the things that make us shake our heads in disbelief.But we also think about our own lives.  We think about our own mistakes, our own shortcomings, and our own failures.  If I were to ask you, “What is has been the biggest failure in your life or what has been your biggest mistake – things begin to come to your mind.As we read through the Bible we see a whole lot of failure.  Some people mistakenly think the Bible is a chronicle of holy men and women.  And while there are stories of great men and women, most of these individuals also had great failures in their lives.Which brings me to some questions – Is it possible to overcome your failures?  How does God see us in our failures?  What do we do when we have failed?  And, does God give people a second chance?On this episode I want to remind you that God is a God of second chances! His grace gives us the opportunity to start again.The lie of the devil – “look at what you did.  You’ll never be anything.  God will never forgive you.  You are a hypocrite.  This will follow you all of your life.  You are disqualified.  The devil will never let you forget.But today our God is a God of second chances.  He is a God who is great in forgiveness.  His love is abundant.  His mercy is given generously.  He helps us get up when we have fallen.  He leads us to the next step. Romans 3:23 – “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:10 – “There is no one righteous; not even one.Have you ever seen a list of people in the Bible who failed?  Adam and Eve, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, King David, and Peter.  Many others – the list is huge.These men and women didn’t let their failures define them.  They didn’t let the failure hold them back.  They didn’t stay in their failure.  Here’s what the Bible teaches us:• He gives us a new heart. • He gives us new life.• He puts a new song in our hearts.• He renews our spirit. (Eze.18:31)• He renews our passion. (Ps.103:5) • He renews our strength. (Isa.57:10) • His mercies are new every morning (La.3:23)  Romans 5:20 – “Where sin increased, grace increased all the more.”Today’s Challenge: God is a God of second chances.  His is loving.  He is forgiving.  He is merciful.  Repent.  Do your first works over again.  Let him receive you and change you. You can start again and you can do it today.

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