Max Lucado - Second Chances: More Stories of Grace

SECOND
CHANCES

ALSO BY MAX LUCADO

INSPIRATIONAL

3:16

A Gentle Thunder

A Love Worth Giving

And the Angels Were Silent

Come Thirsty

Cure for the Common Life

God Came Near

Gods Story, Your Story

Grace

Great Day Every Day

Facing Your Giants

Fearless

He Chose the Nails

He Still Moves Stones

In the Eye of the Storm

In the Grip of Grace

Its Not About Me

Just Like Jesus

Max on Life

Next Door Savior

No Wonder They Call Him the Savior

On the Anvil

Outlive Your Life

Six Hours One Friday

The Applause of Heaven

The Great House of God

Traveling Light

When Christ Comes

When God Whispers Your Name

FICTION

Christmas Stories

BIBLES (GENERAL EDITOR)

Grace for the Moment Daily Bible

The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible

Childrens Daily Devotional Bible

CHILDRENS BOOKS

A Max Lucado Childrens Treasury

Do You Know I Love You, God?

God Forgives Me, and I Forgive You

God Listens When I Pray

Grace for the Moment: 365

Devotions for Kids

Hermie, a Common Caterpillar

Just in Case You Ever Wonder

One Hand, Two Hands

Thank You, God, for Blessing Me

Thank You, God, for Loving Me

The Crippled Lamb

The Oak Inside the Acorn

The Tallest of Smalls

You Are Mine

You Are Special

YOUNG ADULT BOOKS

3:16

Its Not About Me

Make Every Day Count

Wild Grace

You Were Made to Make a Difference

GIFT BOOKS

Fear Not Promise Book

For These Tough Times

God Thinks Youre Wonderful

Grace for the Moment

Grace for the Moment Morning

and Evening

Grace Happens Here

His Name Is Jesus

Let the Journey Begin

Live Loved

Mocha with Max

One Incredible Moment

Safe in the Shepherds Arms

This Is Love

You Changed My Life

2013 Max Lucado

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Thomas Nelson, Inc., titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail SpecialMarkets@ThomasNelson.com.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise marked, are taken from the New Century Version. 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scriptures marked MSG are taken from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson. 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. Scriptures marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. 1996, except where marked, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. Scriptures marked TLB are taken from The Living Bible. 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. Scriptures marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible, The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission. Scriptures marked NEB are taken from the New English Bible. 1961, 1970 by The Delegates of the Oxford University Press and the Syndics of the Cambridge University Press. Reprinted by permission.

ISBN 978-0-7852-3836-2 (IE)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012955628

ISBN-13: 978-0-8499-4855-8

Printed in the United States of America

13 14 15 16 17 RRD 6 5 4 3 2 1

I DEDICATE THIS VOLUME TO
THE OAK HILLS CHURCH CAMPUS
MINISTERS AND THEIR LEADER, GREG
OEFINGER. MIGUEL FERIA, DAVIDA
LAMBERT, GREG LIGON, MICHAEL
MEEKS, AND RICH RONALD, THANK
YOU, MY FRIENDS. BECAUSE OF YOUR
HARD WORK, SECOND CHANCES ARE
HAPPENING EVERYWHERE!

CONTENTS

GOD GIVES SECOND CHANCES...

6: Nearer Than Youve Dreamed

11: Imperfect People

15: Tank Your Reputation

21: What We Really Want to Know

25: Believe and Receive

W e humans are prone to failure, arent we? Were experts at muddying, mixing, and messing up our lives. Weve looked up from the bottom of a pit and realized we dug it ourselves; weve fallen so far weve wondered where to find hope.

Maybe youre like Moses, filled with regrets for a past you cant change. The shadow of sin shades the future, and you ask, Could God do something with someone whos made such terrible mistakes?

Or like Peter. You had it all together. You loved God and were ready to do battle for your Savior. But before the rooster crowed and the morning came, your faith faltered, and now youre knee-deep in a mire of your own making. Or perhaps youve been the one betrayed. Cheated on, stepped on, and overlooked, where do you go to escape the prison of bitterness? If youre drowning in regret, shamed by your mistakes, or unable to offer grace to the one whos wronged you, I hope youll turn the page. And I pray youll see your life experience in these stories. They remind us that theres forgiveness for past mistakes and hope for the future.

They are a witness to a God who specializes in second chances.

... FOR THE
REBELLIOUS

So this is what the LORD says:
If you change your heart and return
to me, I will take you back.
Then you may serve me.

JEREMIAH 15:19

1
OPEN ARMS

Then Jesus said, A man had two sons. The younger son said to his father, Give me my share of the property. So the father divided the property between his two sons. Then the younger son gathered up all that was his and traveled far away to another country. There he wasted his money in foolish living. After he had spent everything, a time came when there was no food anywhere in the country, and the son was poor and hungry. So he got a job with one of the citizens there who sent the son into the fields to feed pigs. The son was so hungry that he wanted to eat the pods the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. When he realized what he was doing, he thought, All of my fathers servants have plenty of food. But I am here, almost dying with hunger. I will leave and return to my father and say to him, Father, I have sinned against God and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son, but let me be like one of your servants. So the son left and went to his father.

While the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt sorry for his son. So the father ran to him and hugged and kissed him. The son said, Father, I have sinned against God and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father said to his servants, Hurry! Bring the best clothes and put them on him. Also, put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get our fat calf and kill it so we can have a feast and celebrate. My son was dead, but now he is alive again! He was lost, but now he is found! So they began to celebrate.