One of the things the Lord did in my life is that He filled me with a hope of purpose. Because when I sinned, I thought I had ruined God’s plan for me. I thought I could never live the life God had for me. But God said, “I will give you purpose.” He restored me and gave me a new beginning.
If you feel discouraged, remember that God’s not finished with you. There is hope, there is purpose, and there is a future for you in Christ.
I love being your pastor, and I thank God for that privilege. I will be behind you, guiding and encouraging you, because I believe in God’s purpose for your life. I know the God who saved me, who filled me with His Spirit, and who set me free.
God has provisions for you, even when you feel like a failure or broken. He sends people who love you and believe in your potential. Don’t give up—God hasn’t given up on you.
Sometimes we think everyone is good on the inside, but the truth is, we are all born with a tendency toward sin. But when we are born again in Christ, He makes us new, so we can live out the divine potential God has for us.
You may think you’ve perverted the way of the Lord, that you can’t live the life God has for you because of your past. But God says, “I will give you purpose.” He can take your brokenness and turn it into something beautiful.
God is not done with you. Even if you feel like you’ve messed up, even if you feel broken, God can still do something miraculous in your life. He is the God of new beginnings, and He can restore what you thought was lost.
If the wages of sin were to come for you today, what would happen to your life? Do you know if your name is written in the Book of Life? If today Jesus sounded the trumpet and called us home, do you have that assurance that you would go with Him? If not, all you have to do is call on His name, because everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
There are people that God has placed in your life to bring healing to you. Where you feel like a failure, weak, or broken, God sends people who love you, who won’t give up on you, and who believe in your potential. They say, “I love you, and I’m not going to give up on you.” That is a gift of hope from God.
When I looked up the word “delight,” the definition was: that which completely satisfies you. So I read the verse again, but now with that definition: “Find your complete satisfaction in the Lord, and He will give you the desires or petitions of your heart.” In that moment, the Holy Spirit began to speak to me: “Jorge, if you find your delight in Me, I will give you everything you want. If you want family, delight in Me and I will give it to you. If you want adventure, delight in Me and I will give it to you. If you want fun, delight in Me and I will give it to you.”
When you give your life to Christ, you can’t get away with living in sin. The Bible says your sin will be announced from the rooftops. But God uses even our discipline and correction to bring us to freedom. He wants to uproot the things that have held you back, so you can walk in true liberty.
After I was filled with the Holy Spirit, my life was transformed. The walls seemed brighter, the sun was more pleasant, and even my relationship with my sister was healed. God began to transform my life through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and He showed me that there was so much more for my life.
When I gave my life to Christ, I still experienced the consequences of my past sin. I thought I was damaged, that no one would want to marry me if they knew what I had done. But when the Lord told me, “If you delight in Me, I will give you family,” it ministered to me deeply. God can restore what you think is lost.
Sometimes we pray, “Oh God, you know that on the inside I’m so good, that I want to do what is right.” It’s a lie. We were perverted because of sin, even before we were born. But you know what the Bible tells us? That we are born again, and when we are born again, it says that we are created in Christ Jesus—a new creation. The old things have passed away, and all things are made new.
I’ve experienced so many miracles. But the greatest miracle that I’ve experienced is the forgiveness of my sin. I will never forget one Friday night in April of 1995, when I was burdened by my sin. I showed up to church, and the only prayer I could pray was, “Oh Lord, forgive me.” And I started to feel the burden lift. That is the greatest hope anyone can have.
I want to tell you today: The Lord has not finished with you. Even if you have sinned, your life is not over. You are not so damaged that God cannot do miraculous things with you. God is not done with your story. There is hope for you, and He can still do amazing things in your life.
There is a lie that Satan tells you, especially to teenagers and young people: “Right now you can do whatever you want, and when you’re older, then you can give your life to Christ.” It’s a lie, because sin has its consequences. The Bible says in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death.” When you sin, the payment for that sin is death. Sin brings consequences, and it’s not worth it to believe the enemy’s lies.
