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19 stories
Bible Stories About Second Chances
Some of the best-known people in the Bible are famous for their failures. Jonah ran the other way. Peter denied Jesus three times. Mark quit in the middle of a mission trip.
God didn’t write any of them off. If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s too late for you, start with these.
“It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.”
Lamentations 3:22 (KJV)- The Second TimeJonah 1–3 · Book 1, Day 13
God told Jonah to go to Nineveh, the capital of Assyria and one of Israel’s most brutal enemies, and warn the city of coming judgment. Jonah got up and…
- A Scarlet CordJoshua 2:1–21; 6:22–25 · Book 2, Day 9
Before Israel entered the Promised Land, Joshua sent two spies into the walled city of Jericho. They ended up at the house of a woman named Rahab, a…
- A Seat at the King’s Table2 Samuel 4:4; 9:1–13 · Book 2, Day 18
When news came that King Saul and his son Jonathan had been killed in battle, Jonathan’s little boy, Mephibosheth, was only five years old. His nurse…
- Breakfast by the FireJohn 18:15–27; 21:1–19 · Book 3, Day 1
On the night Jesus was arrested, Peter followed at a distance and ended up warming his hands at a charcoal fire in the high priest’s courtyard. Three…
- While He Was Yet a Great Way OffLuke 15:11–32 · Book 3, Day 3
Jesus told a story about a man with two sons. The younger one said, “Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me.” In other words, give me…
- Everything I Ever DidJohn 4:1–42 · Book 3, Day 5
Jesus and His disciples were traveling through Samaria, a region most Jews avoided. Around noon, Jesus sat down by a well, tired from the journey…
- His Hair Began to GrowJudges 16:4–30 · Book 3, Day 8
Samson was set apart for God from birth. As a sign of that, his hair was never to be cut, and God gave him incredible strength. He once tore apart a…
- Thou Art the Man2 Samuel 11:1–12:13; Psalm 51 · Book 3, Day 10
It was the season when kings went out to war, but King David stayed home. One evening, from his palace roof, he saw a woman bathing. Her name was…
- Remember MeLuke 23:32–43 · Book 3, Day 11
When Jesus was crucified, He was not alone on the hill. Two criminals were crucified with Him, one on His right and one on His left. The crowd mocked…
- The Worst King’s Prayer2 Chronicles 33:1–20 · Book 3, Day 14
Manasseh became king of Judah when he was only twelve years old, and he reigned for fifty-five years. By many measures, he was the worst king Judah…
- Brother SaulActs 9:1–19 · Book 3, Day 19
Saul of Tarsus was on his way to Damascus with letters authorizing him to arrest anyone who followed Jesus. Then, near the city, a light from heaven…
- When His Reason ReturnedDaniel 4:1–37 · Book 3, Day 20
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had a disturbing dream about a huge, beautiful tree that reached the sky, until a heavenly messenger ordered it chopped…
- Profitable for the MinistryActs 12:25; 13:13; 15:36–41; Colossians 4:10; 2 Timothy 4:11 · Book 3, Day 24
John Mark was a young man from Jerusalem whose mother’s house was a meeting place for the early church. When Paul and Barnabas set out on their first…
- A Seat Out of Prison2 Kings 25:27–30 · Book 7, Day 12
Jehoiachin became king of Judah at eighteen. He reigned for only three months. Then the armies of Babylon surrounded Jerusalem, and the young king…
- The Second Set of TabletsExodus 32:15–20; 34:1–10, 27–29 · Book 8, Day 3
Moses had spent forty days on Mount Sinai with God. He came down carrying two stone tablets with the Ten Commandments, written by God’s own finger. But…
- A Restorer of Thy LifeRuth 1:19–21; 4:13–17 · Book 8, Day 4
Years earlier, Naomi had left Bethlehem during a famine with her husband and two sons. In Moab, her husband died. Then both her sons died. She came…
- Another Heart1 Samuel 9:15–10:9 · Book 8, Day 5
Saul was a tall, handsome young farmer from the tribe of Benjamin. One day his father’s donkeys wandered off, and Saul spent days searching for them…
- Follow MeMatthew 9:9–13; Luke 5:27–32 · Book 8, Day 20
Matthew was a tax collector in Capernaum. He worked for the Roman authorities, sitting at a booth and collecting taxes from his own people. Tax…
- A New Creature2 Corinthians 5:14–21 · Book 8, Day 28
Paul had once been a man named Saul, a proud religious leader who hunted down followers of Jesus and dragged them to prison. He had stood by approving…
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