If we ask, God gives second chances
Nov. 29, 2007
God gives second chances – which we need!
Second chances and forgiveness were the topics of the day when the Montezuma chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes met on Thursday evening, Nov. 29 in the Presbyterian Family Center.
Huddle leader John Bushong has a way of making Bible stories come alive for his audience, and Samson and Delilah were alive during this session.
“Our lives are full of lines – boundaries,” Bushong said. “The lines are to keep you from going where you shouldn’t go.”
Samson’s episode of line-crossing involved “choosing bad dates,” Bushong told his audience.
“He wanted to date girls from the “enemy” side of the tracks. For a while, he got away with it. Then he met Delilah.”
“She wanted to know the source of his great strength,” Bushong said, “and finally he told her it was his hair.”
“Well, he gets busted,” Bushong said. “His hair is cut off and he loses his strength. The Philistines gouge out his eyes and strap him to a mill wheel, and there he is, going around and around, grinding their grain. All because he went over the line.”
“Samson asked for another chance, and God agreed,” said Bushong.
“He got into a situation where he was placed between two columns that held up this enormous building where the Philistines celebrated,” Bushong said. “His hair had grown back and his strength was back.”
“Samson separated the columns, the building fell and killed about 30,000 people,” Bushong said. “It wiped out the Philistines and freed Israel.”
Later, a music video was shown featuring Montezuma graduate P.J. Mahaffey and others from his graduating class, and their number reinforced the crossing the lines theme.
“We usually know where the lines are,” Bushong said. “The Lord says all we have to do is ask, and He will forgive.”
Then, Bushong asked, “Do we need to turn away from something?”
Earlier, the students warmed up for the message by playing a version of “The Dating Game.”
The Montezuma FCA huddle meets on alternating Thursdays with a community ecumenical youth group. Starting time at the Presbyterian Family Center is 8 p.m.
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