00:02there are moments in life when everything feels like it hangs on one decision one reaction one
00:11sentence one choice and when that moment goes wrong when the words come out wrong when the
00:20decision backfires when the temptation wins there is a voice that rises immediately and says that
00:29it you failed you blew it the test is over but hear this clearly one mistake does not mean you
00:42failed the test somebody needs to breathe that in today one mistake does not mean you failed the test
00:52because one mistake does not define your destiny one failure does not cancel your calling one weak
01:02moment does not erase years of faithfulness we live in a world that is obsessed with performance
01:11pass or fail win or lose succeed or be forgotten and from the time we're young we're taught that one
01:22bad grade can change our future one bad interview can close a door one bad decision can cost us
01:33everything so when we carry that mindset into our spiritual life we start believing that god grades us
01:42the same way but he does not god is not standing in heaven with a red pen waiting to circle
01:50your worst
01:51moment or right failed across your life he is that's the biggest i just get them beside myself on that
02:02i know
02:02that's where christians are taught that god's up there with a book the book of life and in that book
02:08he is
02:09writing you off or writing you on but if your name's not in that book and i'm going to tell
02:14you something
02:15when when when the universe came into existence that book was there and your name was already in it
02:23and if you make a mistake today it's not the end because god is shaping you he's forming you he's
02:34walking you
02:35through a process and that process is life i want you to look at the life of peter
02:43now peter was bold he was passionate he was loud in his loyalty he told jesus even if everyone else
02:54falls away i won't now i don't know about you but that sounds like confidence to me
03:02and that's devotion but then pressure came fear came accusation came and peter
03:13peter denied jesus three times three three times and if one mistake meant failing the test
03:23peter was done ministry over calling revoked story finished but that's not what happened
03:33after the resurrection jesus christ did not reject peter he restored him
03:41he asked him three times do you love me he rebuilt what fear had shaken he did not define peter
03:52by his denial he defined him by his love you see that's how god works one mistake did not mean
04:04peter
04:04failed the test it meant peter was about to learn humility dependence and courage at a level he
04:13never had before and what about david a man after god's own heart who fell into serious sin
04:24not a small slip but a devastating moral collapse if ever there was a moment that looked like
04:33permanent disqualification that one was it but when confronted david did not run from god
04:42he ran to him he ran to him he repented he cried out for a clean heart and while there
04:51were consequences
04:52there was also restoration there was mercy there was continued purpose one mistake did not erase the covenant
05:05commitment and you know i think that some of you are carrying shame for something that happened years ago
05:14and every time you think about stepping into something new that memory whispers
05:21who do you think you are remember what you did i want you to know right now
05:31that is not the voice of god because conviction says that was wrong let's grow condemnation says you are wrong
05:45you are finished now god convicts to correct the enemy condemns to paralyze and listen to that carefully
05:56because the test of faith is not whether you ever stumble the test is whether you get back up
06:05and proverbs says the righteous fall seven times and rise again it does not say the righteous never fall
06:15it says they rise rising is faith it's courage it's refusing to let the worst moment have the
06:26final word think about how we treat children learning how to walk when they fall we do not say well
06:35that's it walking is not for you we pick them up we steady them we cheer them on the fall
06:45is part of the process
06:47why would we think our heavenly father is harsher than we are
06:53you may have failed you may have failed in business you may have failed in a relationship you may have
07:01failed morally
07:02you may have failed in your consistency your discipline maybe even your courage but failure is an event not an
07:14identity
07:15you are not your worst moment the cross proves that when jesus was crucified it looked like the ultimate failure
07:26for
07:27humanity the disciples scattered hope seemed buried but three days later the resurrection declared that what
07:37looked like defeat was actually victory in disguise if god can turn crucifixion into
07:46resurrection he can turn your mistake into maturity he can turn your fall into formation
07:56he can turn your weakness into wisdom you know the apostle paul talked about pressing on
08:05pressing on means there are days when you do not feel victorious pressing on means there are moments you
08:13wish you could redo pressing on means you refuse to stop because of one setback
08:24you know as long as there is breath in your lungs you still have purpose
08:30one mistake one mistake does not mean you failed the test because the test is not about perfection
08:39it's about perseverance it's about surrender it's about who you become over time not who you are in one moment
08:51god sees trajectory are you turning toward him or away from him are you softening your heart or hardening
09:00learning it are you willing to learn my friends that is the real test
09:09so maybe today you feel like thomas full of doubt maybe you feel like moses thinking one act of anger
09:18disqualifies you maybe you feel like david ashamed maybe you feel like peter embarrassed
09:31but every one of them became stronger after their lowest moment why because they did not let their mistake
09:40define their mission they returned they repented they trusted and they kept walking so if you have stumbled
09:53get up if you have fallen short repent and rise if you've made a wrong decision learn and move forward
10:05do not build a permanent identity around a temporary failure grace is still available to you
10:15mercy still flowing to you
10:18your purpose is still alive and the story is not over because of one chapter the calling is not cancelled
10:28because of one misstep the test well it's not failed because of one mistake it is only failed when you
10:40refuse to get back
10:41up when you refuse to try again so rise again pray again believe again step forward again
10:54one mistake my friends does not mean you failed the test it means you are still being shaped
11:03it means god is still working with you
11:06it means the teacher has not dismissed you from the classroom of grace and as long as he is still
11:17teaching your future is still unfolding
11:26my name is douglas vandergraaf and i believe in jesus christ god bless you my friends
11:34my name is douglas vandergraaf and i believe in jesus christ
11:37bye bye
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