Latest / Rooted & Real With Keenan / Day 8 "Second Chances"
Transcript
- Keenan: Hey y'all, welcome back. Ooh ooh. I know there have been moments in my own life where I've looked back and wished I could rewrite a chapter. I wish I made a different decision, handled something differently, trusted God more quickly. But here's what I've learned God is in the business of redemption. He doesn't waste our failures, he transforms them. Some of the greatest lessons I've learned as a counselor didn't come from my successes. Welcome back, Rooted and Real with Keenan, day eight of nine our nine days to believe. So over the past week, we've talked about curiosity, ⁓ failure, obedience, success, truth, growth. And today ⁓ we're about something every single one of us desperately needs grace. They came from the seasons when I realized just how much I needed God's grace. So psychology tells us something very interesting about this. People struggle to forgive themselves even after they've been forgiven by others. Why is this? Because shame whispers, ⁓ your mistake. Shame says I am wrong. One of the themes that runs throughout Ted Lasso is that people are more than the worst thing they've ever done. People fail. They hurt others. They make terrible decisions. They disappoint the people they love. And yet, again and again, the show reminds us that people can change. And as Christians, we believe that even more deeply. Not because people are naturally good, but because God is unbelievably gracious. So as a counselor, I've sat with people who believed that their story was over. I've heard things like, Those are two very different messages. Healthy guilt can lead us toward repentance and repair relationships. Toxic shame can convince us we're beyond hope. We're beyond hope. And as counselors, we help people separate their identity from their behavior. As Christians, we take it one step further. We remember that our identity is rooted in Christ, not in our worst decision. So there's one story in the Bible that captures second chances. If people knew what I've done, God can never forgive me. Or like heard, I messed up too much. I'm too gone. And maybe you're listening to this and you felt that way too. I know ⁓ have been in my own life where I've looked back and wished I could rewrite a chapter. Times I've wished I made a different decision, handled things differently, trusted God more quickly. But here's what I've learned. That story is Peter's story. Peter walked with Jesus. Peter watched miracles. Peter declared, even if everyone else leaves you, I never will. And then he denied Jesus. Not once, not twice, but three times. Imagine the shame he must have felt. Imagine the regret he must have felt. Imagine believing you'd ruin everything. But after the resurrection, God is in the business of redemption. He doesn't waste our failures, he transforms them. Some of the greatest lessons of the Jesus didn't replace Peter. He restored him. Three denials, three opportunities to say, Lord, you know that I love you. That's what grace does. Grace doesn't pretend sin didn't happen. Grace meets us in our failure and invites us back into relationship. If we look at Romans chapter eight, verse one, it says this there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Notice what it doesn't say. It doesn't say there are no consequences. It says there's no condemnation. If you are in Christ, your identity is no longer failure. Your identity is redeemed. One of my favorite moments in counseling is when someone realizes they don't have to keep punishing themselves. Sometimes they cry, sometimes they laugh, sometimes they just sit quietly because for the first time they begin believing. That healing is actually possible. doesn't erase the past, but it does, but it changes the future. So what I've learned is that extending grace to others is often easier than receiving it myself. Maybe you can relate. We believe God forgives everyone else, ⁓ we secretly wonder if we've somehow exhausted his patience. The gospel says something else. ⁓ The cross was never about finding people who had it all together. It was about rescuing people who couldn't save themselves. And that's me. That's every one of us. If you're listening to this, that's you too. So today I want you to write down something you've been holding against yourself. Maybe it's something from last week, maybe it's something from 10 years ago. Then read Romans 8, verse 1 out loud. Ask yourself. Am I only gone to something that Jesus has already paid for? If the answer is yes, time to let grace have the final word. So pray this with me. God, thank you for being the God of second chances. Thank you that your mercy is new every morning. Help us to receive the forgiveness you've freely offered through Jesus Christ. Teach us to extend that same grace to ourselves and to others. May we live not as people defined by shame, but as people transformed by your love. In Jesus' name, amen. So tomorrow's our last day. The new season of Ted Lasso begins. But more importantly, we'll reflect on everything we've learned over these last nine days. And we'll ask one final question. What does it really mean to believe? Not in ourselves, not in positive thinking, but in the God. Who never stops pursuing us. Until then, remember this: past ⁓ explain you, but it does not define you. Because in Christ, grace ⁓ has the final word. I'm Keenan. This is Root and Real with Kenan. Grace and peace. And I'll see you tomorrow.