Read Textual Sermon from Joel Osteen
I want to talk to you today about the God of Another Chance.
We all have opportunities that we've missed and times that we've failed. We had something important—we knew God's calling was on our life, and He had given us a dream, a great spouse to love, the door open for college. But we let distractions, compromise, and other people cause us to get off course. We look back now and think, What could I have become if I'd been more disciplined? If I had controlled my temper? If I had just finished school? If I had forgiven that person?
It's easy to live in regrets and think our life is limited because of our past choices. We knew better—if we'd only done better.
The good news is, God has taken into account every mistake you would ever make. He's already calculated the times you'd fail, the times you'd shrink back, the times you would compromise. That should stop your destiny; it should keep us from our purpose. But we serve the God of Another Chance. He's full of mercy when we don't deserve it. It was our own fault. He could say, Too bad, you blew it. I'm done with you. But instead, He steps in and says, I've got you covered. I'm going to give you another chance—another chance to have a great relationship, another chance to accomplish your dream, another chance to step into your purpose.
It's not too late. You haven't made too many mistakes. God's calling is still on your life. He never changes His mind. He doesn't disqualify you—now don't disqualify yourself.
See, the enemy is called the accuser. He'll remind you of every mistake you've ever made. He'd love for you to live down on yourself, thinking you don't deserve anything good. He'll whisper, You had God's blessing, but you squandered it. You had His favor, but you mishandled your marriage—didn't treat it with respect. You mishandled your dream—you got distracted and compromised. You mishandled your talent, your potential. You weren't focused. You didn't develop what you know is in you.
That may all be true.
But what he doesn't tell you is that there's another chance coming—that God's mercy is bigger than your mistakes. That God doesn't give up on you because you mishandled what He gave you. He has another opportunity so you can prove to Him who you really are.
You're not defined by your mistakes; you're prepared by your mistakes. Every failure can teach you something. Don't live in regret—learn from your mistakes. Get the lesson out of it so you don't keep repeating it.
When Moses was leading the Israelites toward the Promised Land, God told him to go on top of Mount Sinai, where He was going to speak to him. Moses was up there for 40 days. At one point, there was a great cloud that encompassed the mountain—a huge lightning and thunderstorm. That’s when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments—two stone tablets where the hand of God inscribed instructions for the Israelites.
It was a powerful, holy, majestic moment.
I can imagine just seeing two pieces of stone and suddenly these letters beginning to be written. I'm sure Moses was standing there in awe, amazed at what he was seeing.
Well, the cloud passed by, the thunder stopped, and Moses went back down the mountain. As he got closer, he saw a golden calf the people had made. They were dancing, partying, worshiping this idol. He couldn't believe it! He had just been gone for 40 days, and the people had already turned away from Jehovah.
When he got to the bottom, he was so angry and so frustrated that he raised up these two stone tablets—something sacred that God had given him, something amazing he had been entrusted with. But in his anger, he threw the tablets down, and they smashed into pieces on the ground.
I can imagine God thinking, Moses, I just gave you something incredibly valuable—one of a kind, something that I’ve never done—and you threw it down. You let your anger, your frustration, throw away the priceless gift that I gave you.
It's easy to judge Moses and think, Man, how could he mishandle something that important? How could he throw away this one-of-a-kind gift like that?
But how many of us have mishandled something incredibly valuable that God has given us?
Maybe not stone tablets with His writing, but we’ve mishandled a relationship. We let our anger and our pride—having to be right—tear us apart. We mishandled the position God gave us. We weren't focused; we didn't give it our full effort, like we threw it away. Or how about the calling on our life? We knew God had destined us to set a new standard for our family, to break negative cycles, to come out of lack and defeat. But we gave in to compromise. We hung around the wrong people. We didn’t take it seriously.
The truth is, we've all mismanaged some things. We've all let anger, disappointments, and self-pity cause us to not value the gifts God has given us.
And it's interesting—Moses was frustrated because other people wouldn’t do what was right. He threw down this priceless gift because the Israelites were compromising and giving in to temptation.
Sometimes we can let what others are doing, how society is acting, the division, the dysfunction around us, cause us to become angry and bitter—where we mishandle what God has given us.
You can’t make everyone do what’s right. You can’t make the culture live according to God’s Word.
Yes, we’re going to be bright lights. We’re going to do what we can.
But don’t throw down what God has entrusted you with because of all the chaos around you. Protect your gift. Protect your family. Protect your integrity. Protect your holiness. Protect your peace.
It’s easy to mishandle the tablets—to live frustrated, angry, mad at people, divisive. That’s the trick of the enemy—to try to get you to smash what God has given you.
God could have said, Moses, you threw down something sacred. Is that how you’re going to treat what I’ve given you? Then fine, I’m done with you. You’ll never have that again. That was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
If God gave us what we deserve, Moses would have been done.
But here’s how good God is.
Moses asked for forgiveness. He prayed for the people and for their compromise. And God said to him in Deuteronomy chapter 10: Prepare two stone tablets like the first ones. Go back up on the mountain, and I will write the same words—the ones that you smashed.
Think of the mercy of God! That wasn’t a loaf of manna that Moses threw down. It wasn’t his walking stick. This was a one-of-a-kind gift that God gave him.
God said, in effect, Moses, I know you blew it. You let your anger get the best of you. You smashed something sacred. You mishandled something priceless. But if you’ll go back up that mountain, I’ll give it to you again.
He’s the God of Another Chance.
You may have mishandled some things, missed opportunities, had relationships sour, mismanaged the blessing and favor on your life.
God is saying to you what He said to Moses: If you’ll go back up that mountain—if you’ll start believing again—God is going to give you back what you thought was done, what was broken, what you messed up, what you mishandled.
God has another chance coming.
You may have thrown it down, but He knows how to put it back together.
Your anger, the compromise, the frustration may have set you back, but God is waiting for you up on the mountain. Don’t let guilt keep you from going back up. Don’t let regrets—what you should have done, what you smashed—convince you that it’s too late, that it’s never going to happen.
No, God is saying, Meet me on the mountain.
That means quit thinking these low thoughts—defeated thoughts, guilty thoughts, I’ve seen my best days thoughts.
If you’ll come up higher, God is going to fix what you smashed. He’s going to restore what you threw down.
He's going to give you another chance at what you mishandled. I can hear Moses saying, "God, are you sure you want me to go back up on the mountain? You saw me throw down the tablets. You saw them shatter into pieces. You saw my anger get the best of me—it was my fault."
God said, "Moses, that's what my mercy is all about. I don't give up on you. I don't write you off. I give you another chance to become who I've created you to be."
Like with Moses, there's another chance waiting for you. But how many of us won't go back up the mountain? We're down on ourselves. "Look what I've done. I mishandled the relationship with my children—now we're at odds. I mishandled my gifts. I didn't pay attention in school, didn't put forth effort at work. I mishandled the calling on my life. I used to be close to God. I used to read my Bible and pray. I used to keep Him in first place, but I've drifted away."
It's not too late—God is waiting for you up on the mountain.
All right, y'all, I feel it—it's not too late! God is waiting for you up on the mountain. He has another chance. He's going to write those same words that were on the first tablet you smashed—not a watered-down version, not "almost as good." No, you can still reach the fullness of your destiny.
I talked to this mother—she and her daughter had always been the best of friends. They loved being together. But when the daughter got into her late teens, they started having conflict—just constant tension. The mother didn’t like some of the choices the daughter was making, and she was constantly riding her. She would get upset and say things she shouldn't, making hurtful comments. Eventually, their relationship came to an end. The daughter moved out, and they didn't speak to each other anymore.
The mother felt so heavy, so heartbroken. She loved her daughter more than anything, but she knew she hadn't handled things the way she should have. She had let her emotions get the best of her. She carried all this guilt, living in regret, thinking, Look what you've done. You're a terrible mother. You've ruined the very thing you love the most. Now your daughter won't even see you.
Like those sacred tablets, our relationships are sacred. God gives us people in life to love. Don't treat them like they're ordinary, just common. They're a priceless gift from God. He entrusted you with His most valuable possession—not a stone tablet, but someone He made in His own image, someone He calls a masterpiece.
Don't throw around hurtful words—say things that wound, degrade, and make people feel less valuable. Use your words to lift, to encourage, to push people forward, not set them back. When we recognize something as sacred, we should treat it with more respect.
But this is the mistake Moses made. Those tablets had the fingerprints of God. That wasn’t common—that was one of a kind. You would think Moses would have been super cautious, extra careful to make sure they weren’t damaged.
Sometimes, like Moses, we mishandle the sacred. We let pressure, stress, and frustration cause us to let our guard down and not treat people the way we should.
Several years went by, and this mother and daughter hadn’t spoken to each other. The mother was praying and believing. She knew that God could restore, but there wasn’t any sign of it.
One day, I was having a book signing in Chicago. The mother and daughter showed up at the bookstore—not knowing that the other would be there. They had both been watching us on television. When they saw each other in line, something supernatural happened. All the hurt, the bitterness, the anger was suddenly washed away. Their hearts were filled afresh and anew with love, joy, and friendship.
They came up to the table weeping—tears of joy. The mother said, "I never thought I would see this day. I never dreamed I would feel what I feel today."
They're back to being the best of friends, just like they were before.
Maybe you’ve mishandled a relationship. Or mishandled your finances. Or mishandled your dream.
God is not holding your faults against you.
Moses threw down the Ten Commandments in anger. He couldn’t pick them up and dust them off—they shattered. It looked permanent. No way that could ever happen again.
Like this mother, we all have times where it looks like, This relationship is done. Too much water under the bridge. Or, I blew that position, Joel. I shattered that dream. I wasn’t disciplined growing up. I missed my opportunity.
No—God is going to give you another chance. He’s going to write the same words that were on the last tablet. What He originally purposed for your life—you may have mishandled it in some way, but the mercy of God has you covered.
Go back up that mountain.
God’s about to rewrite what you threw away. He’s about to restore something sacred, something priceless, something you should have handled more carefully.
What you shattered—He’s going to put back together.
There was a lady in the Scripture named Hannah. She had been praying for years to have a baby. She told God, If you’ll give me a child, I’ll take him to the temple and dedicate him to You.
She finally had a son that she named Samuel. He was 12 years old, living in the temple, serving the priest Eli.
One night, while Samuel was sleeping, he heard a voice saying, "Samuel, Samuel."
He got up and ran into Eli’s room. "Yes, sir, what do you need?"
Eli said, "I didn’t call you. I don’t need anything."
Samuel went back to bed.
He heard it again: "Samuel!"
He jumped up, ran back to Eli’s room.
Same thing.
"I didn’t call you."
It happened a third time.
This time, when Samuel came into Eli’s room, Eli realized what was happening. He said, "Samuel, the next time you hear that voice, answer back, Yes, Lord. Your servant is listening."
Samuel went to bed. A few minutes later, he heard the voice calling his name again. This time, he stayed there and said, Lord, I’m listening.
God spoke to him—told him what was going to happen and gave him instruction for his life.
But what if God had thought, Samuel, I called you the first time, but you didn’t recognize my voice. I had something great to tell you—it was important, but too bad, you missed out.
No—our God is the God who calls back.
You may have missed it the first time. You didn’t obey. You were too busy.
That’s okay.
You missed it the second time—you were off course, compromising.
That’s all right.
You missed it the third time.
Usually, it’s three strikes and you’re out.
But not with our God.
He called back the fourth time. Then Samuel recognized His voice. Then he obeyed.
But if Samuel had missed it the fourth time—God would have called the fifth time, the sixth time, the twentieth time.
Some of you—God’s on call number 6,233.
God is not going to give up on you.
He’s going to keep calling you back.
Giving you opportunities to step into your purpose.
To break negative cycles.
To set new standards.
To accomplish your dream.
Maybe you didn’t answer the first time. The second time. The third time. Neither did Samuel. He’s a great prophet.
Quit beating yourself up. Quit thinking you’re disqualified.
Another chance is coming. He’s the God who calls back.
A few years ago, a person I grew up with wanted me to be part of his event. He called the office and asked to talk with me about it. I knew I didn’t have time—it was on the weekend, and we had services—so I asked them to tell him, very respectfully, that I couldn’t do it.
I thought that would solve it.
But somehow, he got my cell number. He kept calling and calling. I just let it go to voicemail because I have a hard time saying no. When I wouldn’t answer, he started having other friends we knew call me. He called so much.
I ended up saying yes. I'll do your stinking event. I'll do your great event. That's the way God is—He's not going to quit calling. You ignore Him; He'll call back. You say you won't do it; He'll call back. You say you're too busy; He'll call again. He's going to keep giving you opportunities to become who you were created to be.
Now, maybe the reason you're not answering the call is that, like Samuel, you don't recognize His voice. You have all these other voices telling you what to do, where to go, and who to be. But there is a still, small voice inside—that's your Creator speaking to you. That's the voice of your Heavenly Father. Sometimes, with all the noise, distractions, and opinions, that voice can be drowned out. You have to be still and listen. God knows what's best for you. The reason He keeps calling is that He has something amazing in your future.
When you answer that call, you'll step into purpose, peace, and fulfillment like you've never known. Next time you hear that voice, instead of ignoring it, instead of pushing it down, say like Samuel, "Yes, Lord, I'm listening. Show me what You want me to do."
A friend of mine went to a concert where a famous jazz drummer was performing—75 years old and very well known in the music world. An hour into the concert, he started playing and singing Amazing Grace. He normally didn't do that, but for some reason, this night, he did. He got halfway through and couldn't remember the words. He asked if anyone in the audience knew it and would come up to sing it.
My friend raised his hand, and they brought him up on stage. He began to sing Amazing Grace. He looked back, and this man had tears welling up in his eyes—he was so moved. He asked my friend to come backstage after the concert.
What my friend didn't know was that this man's father was a minister. As a little boy, he was raised in church, but at five years old, his father left him and all his siblings. He was so hurt and so angry that he determined never to have anything to do with God. For 70 years, he had ignored the call—wouldn't listen to anything about faith. All that time, he had a praying mother back home, believing that one day he would come back.
My friend knew nothing about this, but he looked him in the eyes and said, "Sir, God's calling is still on your life. You need to return to the faith you had as a little boy." He began to weep and weep. That night, after 70 years, he finally answered the call and gave his life to Christ.
But here's my point—you would think at some point God would quit calling. You've had so many chances. You've ignored Me so many times. I'm done with you. No. He's the God who keeps calling back, the God who gives you another chance.
He's calling you today. You may have ignored Him, put it off, thought you didn't deserve it, or been angry about the past—what didn't work out, who did you wrong. But God is the one who's going to heal the hurts. He's the one who has beauty for the ashes. People may have done you wrong, but God knows how to make it right. What's happened in your past has not stopped the great plan that God has for you.
Think about Samson in the Scripture. His birth was prophesied. An angel appeared to his mother and said she was going to have a baby who would be a deliverer. There was a calling on his life even before he was born.
Samson grew up with incredible strength. One time, he was trapped inside a city, surrounded by high walls. The gates were locked—it looked like he would be captured. But in the middle of the night, he went out to the city gates—these huge iron entrances—ripped them out of the ground, put them on his shoulders, and carried them up the hill. He couldn't be contained. He had something unusual, something sacred. He knew it wasn't common. He knew God's hand was on him.
But he got sloppy. He started hanging around the wrong people. They tried to figure out the secret of his strength. Instead of protecting what God had entrusted him with, instead of valuing that gift, he let his guard down. He started telling riddles to the enemies, playing with them, seeing if they could figure out the source of his strength.
It's significant that he used riddles. That shows us that he didn't take seriously what God had given him. He was playing with his talent, playing with his potential, playing with his strength. If you don't see it as valuable, you'll end up mishandling it.
Moses, in his anger, threw down the Ten Commandments. Samson, in compromise, threw down his potential.
Well, the Philistines figured it out and cut his hair. He lost all of his power. They not only captured him but gouged out his eyes and bound him in chains. This once-powerful man, prophesied to do great things, with supernatural favor on his life—now he was blind, chained, and grinding at the mill.
It was nobody's fault except his own. He had the strength, but he squandered it. He had the favor, but he mishandled it.
What do you do when you've brought the trouble on yourself? You had the stone tablets, but you threw them down. You had the strength, the marriage, the position, the children—God gave you something sacred, but you let it slip away.
God could have said to Samson, You're getting what you deserve. I should have found someone more disciplined, someone who wouldn't compromise. I'm done with you.
No—God never writes you off. He's going to call back again and again.
The Philistines were having a big party, celebrating their victory. They brought Samson out to make fun of him. It looked like that’s how his life would end—in defeat, in shame.
But the Scripture says the Spirit of God came on Samson one more time.
Look at the mercy of God. After he squandered his strength, mishandled his calling, and walked away from what he was prophesied to do—you mean God would give him another chance?
That’s the God we serve. The God who calls you back when you don’t deserve it. The God who rewrites what you threw away.
As they were making fun of Samson, he felt that supernatural strength come on him like before. He pushed over two large pillars that were holding up the building. It came crashing down. He defeated more Philistines in his death than he did in his whole life.
Like Samson, you may have mishandled some things. You may think, If I could do it over, I'd make better choices. I'd treat my spouse better. I'd be more focused. I wouldn't let my emotions cause me to throw down the sacred in my life.
You don’t have to live in regrets. God’s going to give you another chance. Another chance for that relationship to flourish. Another chance to accomplish your dream. Another chance to answer the call on your life.
It’s not too late. You may have missed the other times—that’s okay. He’s calling back today.
You wouldn’t be hearing this if He wasn’t about to do something amazing in your life.
Now, you have to do your part and go back up that mountain. Quit living guilty, thinking you’ve blown it too many times. Nothing you’ve done has stopped your purpose.
Another chance is coming. I believe and declare—like with Moses, God’s about to rewrite what you shattered. Like with Samson, His Spirit’s going to come on you one more time.
New doors opening. Relationships restored. Dreams coming to pass. The fullness of your destiny, in Jesus' name.
