As Jesus is the cornerstone upon which the Church is built, so are his teachings the unifying cornerstone of Christian doctrine.

The Gospel of second chances

A preacher in a legalistic church once claimed that God did not give second chances, but then we have the Gospel story in John 21:1-19. Here we see Peter who had royally screwed up after three years of apprenticeship in Jesus’ personal training program only to blow it completely at the last minute. How many of us have completely blown something in life? Perhaps it was our children that we hurt deeply because of family injustice or a spouse because of a betrayal or a friend because of a confidence we failed to keep. Like Peter, we too have denied Jesus Christ. Forgiveness does not mean that we trust completely the one who has hurt us deeply, but it does mean that we give them a second chance if they are willing. If we want it, God is willing.

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