Church 6/7/2026
Offertory scripture:
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.”Matthew 5:6 NKJV
Sermon message:
Thesis: You can recover from failure.
This includes failure in any or every part of life.
You can recover because God loves you.
People fail. That’s a reality. But God wants to help you.
Example: David in the Bible. Even he failed. But God restored him. He recovered.
Another example: Moses in the Bible. He failed. But God helped him to play a role in His purpose.
Another example: the parable of the prodigal son.
Even today, Christians fail.
“For a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again...”Proverbs 24:16A NKJV
“I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah”Psalms 32:5 NKJV
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”I John 1:9 NKJV
Case study: Apostle Peter
“So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.”Luke 5:1-11 NKJV
Peter owned the boat. His father owned the boat and he was a professional fisher. He knew what to do. But here, he failed. He worked all night and didn’t catch anything. Then Jesus came on the scene.
What do you do when you’ve given it your all and you still fail? A good question to ask and consider.
Point 1: Allow God’s presence in your life.
“Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.”Luke 5:3 NKJV
Welcome His presence into your life, in all places and areas of your life.
Praise God.
When you praise God, you are welcoming His presence.
Take in the Word of God.
When you read the Bible, you are welcoming the presence of God into your life.
Watch who you associate with.
“Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.”Psalms 1:1-3 NKJV
“Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.””I Corinthians 15:33 NKJV
Get together with other believers.
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”Matthew 6:33 NKJV
Point 2: Follow God’s plan.
“When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.””Luke 5:4 NKJV
Let God deeper into your life. If you don’t know what His plan is, ask Him.
Point 3: Expect God to act.
“But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.””Luke 5:5 NKJV
God keeps His Word. God’s Word keeps us safe.
“Real success begins at the point of failure.”
Luke 5:1-11 is an example of that.
Verse of success:
“And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.”Luke 5:6-7 NKJV
When you are able to move past failure towards success, it will bless you and others.
Note after sharing the sermon: Moving past failure and toward success, that has to be all God. While there are indeed people who have demonstrated an ability to overcome failure on their strength simply by working harder or working more, there are (I believe) many cases where human strength alone cannot overcome. Yes, we have to play a role, but I cannot tell you how many times I’ve heard people overemphasize that side of the coin. Then again, in a culture that lives on self-reliance, why would I expect it to be different? It’s why I gravitate towards this verse:
“And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”II Corinthians 12:9 NKJV
I remember a teaching that really opened my heart to the Gospel occurred back in 2007. After a week of dealing with spiritual and intellectual frustrations (more in this post), a friend of mine invited me to a Bible study where he was essentially giving the main sermon. (The guy who leads the weekly study also preached but it was a little earlier in the evening.) The main point that grabbed me was how Christianity was different from all other religions (or “faiths”, as some like to call it), specifically the point where all other religions were like climbing a mountain on one’s own strength (which, for a person scaling, say, Mount Everest, would absolutely be expected), while Christianity meant laying down your strength and receiving God’s strength, through which you then climb said mountain. In other words, Christianity meant no striving. That’s what I had been doing that week! I was striving with something in which my frustration was keeping me from God. This eye-opening moment caused me to experience what it was like to be “drunk” on the Holy Spirit. I loved every minute of it. But I didn’t understand it, which is why it quickly faded. It also didn’t change my opinion regarding the topics with which I was struggling, at least not for a number of years yet. But I remember that moment because of experiencing God’s presence, and because He did meet me in another way that I could identify deeply: the success of one’s walk with God doesn’t depend on how hard one works, or the measurable amount of success (i.e. works). And if there’s anything I know about God and success, on any level, really, it is this:
“Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.””Joshua 1:6-9 NKJV
Yes, God commands us to be strong and courageous, but it comes with two other key components:
1.) Meditate on God’s Word day and night.2.) God promises to be with us wherever we go.
And although the immediate context has to do with Israel preparing to take over Canaan, I have noted that these truths can (and often do) also apply to any endeavor that God calls us to that we may not currently be doing: a new ministry, a new career, a new romance (for those who are single), a new child (particularly for those who have never been parents), a new location, and so on. After all, the generation of Israelites that Joshua was commissioned to lead had never been to Canaan before, let alone lived there (they and 400 years of ancestors had all lived in Egypt!). It was a new endeavor. God had promised to be with them and equip them. The reason Moses’s generation didn’t get to go in was because they continually refused to believe. Even Moses wasn’t spared the consequences, as even he had fallen into unbelief.
Even I have had my seasons where I failed. But even in those times, God allowed me to focus and work on gaps in my belief and understanding. The primary example I like to reflect upon is how, before meeting my wife, I had what I believe to be several bona fide romantic opportunities. I failed because dating scared me and because putting myself out there also scared me. And it was only because of these failures (specifically the last one) that finally propelled me into focusing on understanding what dating was rather than what I had understood it to be.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;”Proverbs 3:5 NKJV
It was a gauntlet of sorts just to get to my ex, and even then, that relationship was a gauntlet of its own. Ultimately it ended, but looking back, I evidently passed the test enough because 4 1/2 months later I met my wife. But the point was gaining learning and experience.
In 2022, just a few short months after I was hired at my current job, I was presented with Joshua 1:6-9. I was attempting to read through the Bible in a year, and this was around the time that my discipline in daily reading was starting to fall by the wayside. Work-busyness was beginning to ramp up, and while I was grateful for the opportunity, I was starting to feel quite in over my head. This verse came across my path right at that time. I couldn’t see a way through, although I plowed my way as much as I believed I could. The work kept coming. But the reading didn’t keep going. And I struggled with being able to keep up with all manner of things that were on my plate that year. By God’s grace I am still working at my current job, but I’ve been having questions about my career and purpose. Where I’m at may not be a long-term solution. But I’m still taking this day by day.
Also, as God continues to heal me, I’m starting to see how I might be able to get back the strength I’ve lost.
““So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you.”Joel 2:25 NKJV
God does promise to restore lost things to you, if you truly put your trust in Him. You can actually recover from failure, like this particular message states. But I would also add that, while you do have a role in this recovery process, it doesn’t depend all on you or your strength. In fact, sometimes it’s all you can do to simply lay down the strength you have at the foot of the mountain (as per the above-mentioned Bible study’s keynote speaker) and ask God to take you up.
“And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”II Corinthians 12:9 NKJV
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