PowerPoint - May 21, 2007

May 21, 2007

And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”

--Mark 16:6-7

I absolutely love sports. And perhaps the most exciting part of a big game is the comeback. I just love it when my favorite team is losing and as the game is nearing the end they make a furious comeback to pull out an exciting victory! Now that’s fun!

God loves comebacks, too. He loves to give us the chance to pull off our own big comeback when we are at the point of defeat. Sure, we all get defeated from time to time, but God always gives us the chance to stage a comeback and claim victory in His name!

One of the best examples of a spiritual comeback is the apostle Peter. He became one of the strongest and most vocal Christians in the time of Jesus. But you’ll remember that before Peter became that leader, he denied the Lord three times in rapid succession even though he had loudly proclaimed his undying faithfulness to Jesus.

But Jesus didn’t allow Peter to remain in defeat and failure. After His resurrection, Jesus met with Peter in Galilee, and there, Jesus restored him. And days later Peter went out and on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2), boldly declared the name of Jesus to a large crowd. And from that day on Peter continued on the comeback trail, preaching the name of Jesus until his death.

Perhaps you are living in defeat today. Maybe you’ve failed in your job…or your marriage is in trouble. But with Christ, I want you to remember that a comeback is always possible! Ask God to help you renew your faith and boldness today, and start turning that seeming defeat into victory.

WE ALL EXPERIENCE DEFEAT, BUT WE DON’T HAVE TO STAY THERE. THROUGH CHRIST, YOU CAN PULL OFF AN AMAZING COMEBACK!