you messed up your life...

nehemiah 2.18 (niv), let us start rebuilding.

have you ever been half way through a project and wanted to start over? have you ever been half way through a career and wanted to start over? have you ever been halfway through a marriage? halfway through a life and wanted to start over?

i went though a three year jerk time in my life. i seemed to mess it all up, my relationship with GOD, my relationship with my wife, my opportunity as a minister but i remember the day i turned the corner. i had left the ministry and i was selling insurance in indianapolis, indiana and we went to a church there one sunday and we filled out a welcome card. i was at work on monday and the pastor of that large church called and asked margaret my wife about me. he said, "GOD seemed to let him know that i was hurting and he wanted to know my story." GOD brought that awesome man into my life to help me start over. and here i am today.

listen, your heavenly FATHER wants to say to you. "you messed up your life? ok. you can start over and this time I'm going to help you." GOD wants to help you. that's the good news of easter.

isaiah 43.19 (tev), GOD says, do not dwell on what happened long ago. watch the new thing I'm going to do in your life.

GOD specializes in new beginnings. that's what easter is all about. starting over. HE wants to do something fresh in your life. HE wants to start a new beginning.

there was lady whose husband died. as a widow, she had put on her husband's tombstone, "the light of my life has gone out." five years later she fell in love again and married a fellow and didn't know what to do about the tombstone. she went back and had put underneath it, "i've struck a new match."

it's never too late to start over. failure is never final unless you let it be. you're never a failure until you give up. GOD says, "i didn't bring you up on the front porch for nothing! I brought you hear to say, ‘there is hope!’”

just a thought from the front porch...

the power to start over...

so if fatigue, failure and fear rob us of confidence then what restores it?

for one GOD's presence gives me the power to start over.

look at what changed the disciples. john 20.20 (niv), JESUS came and stood among them and … the disciples were overjoyed when they saw the LORD.

acts 4.13 (lb), when the council saw the boldness of peter and john and could see that they were ordinary men they were amazed and realized what being with JESUS had done for them.

these guys weren't phd's. they were just common, ordinary people. but they were bold. before the resurrection, they are cowering in fear in a room with the doors locked. now they're back out on the streets a few days later taking on the enemy, the opposition. what happened?

they had been with JESUS. not merely knowing HE's alive, but being with HIM, having a relationship.

are you aware that GOD is always with you? you lose your fear when GOD is near. HE's with you. GOD says, I'm always with you. JESUS said, low, I am always with you... i will never leave you nor forsake you.

that gives you confidence to start over. you can say, “LORD, i know YOU're with me. help me handle this.”

proverbs 14.26 (tev), reverence for the LORD gives confidence.

the secret of confidence. i think it's basically a SPIRITual problem. there's a lot of phony, baloney advice out there on how to build your confidence. it doesn't work. building confidence is a SPIRITual problem. GOD's presence encourages us to try again. the secret of confidence is to get in tune with GOD everyday.

just a thought from the front porch…