{"id":262235,"date":"2024-02-05T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-05T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/?p=262235"},"modified":"2024-04-03T11:10:17","modified_gmt":"2024-04-03T17:10:17","slug":"the-transformative-power-of-second-chances","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/blog\/the-transformative-power-of-second-chances\/","title":{"rendered":"The Transformative Power of Second Chances"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Matt was ready to give up on life when he first met Navigator Jon Hans<\/a>. With a past marked by neglect, abandonment, and abuse, Matt was stuck in a cycle of addiction and indulgence that had driven him away from people in his life, including his own family.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Jon, his wife and two young children stand outside with Matt.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cI believe your mood reflects your decision making,\u201d Matt recalls. \u201cAnd my mind frame was pain. So I was seeking out pain, and you often attract what you are in this world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Jon met Matt through a mutual friend, Matt was living out of his car. Though he sought freedom from addiction, there were deeper aspects of Matt\u2019s life that remained unfulfilled, and he lacked a personal relationship with God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Knowing that Matt needed the love and redeeming hope of Jesus to transform his life, Jon started to read the Bible with him over the phone. However, Matt was initially resistant. \u201cTo be honest, most of our conversations were him being angry at God and mad at Christians for the hurt he had experienced in his life,\u201d Jon says. \u201cHe would say that God doesn\u2019t exist, and he was really broken.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite Matt\u2019s initial lack of interest in God, Jon kept calling. He continued to build a relationship with Matt, even trying to help him find work and housing. After numerous spiritual conversations, Jon began to feel discouraged. Though Matt\u2019s heart showed signs of softening, he wasn\u2019t ready to surrender his life to Christ. Knowing that there wasn\u2019t much else he could do, Jon entrusted Matt\u2019s life to the Lord and continued to pray over him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then, after two years, something finally clicked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI remember that for years, Jon would call and reach out to me about God,\u201d Matt says. \u201cFor a long time, I wasn\u2019t trying to hear it. But Jon never stopped. He never gave up on me. And it changed my life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How God Transforms Lives<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Just before Thanksgiving 2022, Matt called Jon and ended up joining Jon\u2019s family for the holiday weekend. Before church that Sunday, Jon got breakfast with Matt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI told him, \u2018Listen, man. I know you don\u2019t know what to do,\u201d\u2019 Jon recalls. \u201c\u2018My encouragement is to ask God for direction. But if you are going to do this, you can\u2019t do it alone. You need God in your life. You need to invite him in and surrender your life.\u2019 And then we prayed that the message at our church would speak to him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When they went to church later that day, something remarkable happened. The sermon seemed to be perfectly tailored to what Matt was going through, and it shifted something within him. During the altar call at the end of service, Matt prayed to receive Jesus, completely surrendering his life to Christ!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think God was trying to tell me that I have two options,\u201d Matt says. \u201cI knew I was either going to die, or I could change. And God opened the doorway for me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matt was ready for God to transform his life, and Jon and a community of dedicated believers rallied around him in support as he learned a new way of life. They met daily for prayer and to study the Bible, encouraging Matt to attend disciplemaking and Navigators Workplace<\/a> events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, Matt is connected with the Navigators Detroit city team, and he\u2019s joined a men\u2019s ministry house where his housemates all participate in a weekly Bible study. Matt has secured a steady job and he actively engages in different Bible studies \u2014 including one with Jon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe\u2019s working so hard,\u201d Jon says. \u201cHe\u2019s being faithful and obedient in so many different areas of his life, from sharing his faith with his brother who hurt him in the past to posting Bible verses on Facebook to encourage others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Offering the Power of Second Chances Through Disciplemaking<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For Matt, Jon has not only been a constant support system over the past couple of years, but he has also exemplified what a godly man looks like \u2014 one who truly lives out his faith. By having a Life-to-life\u00ae<\/a> relationship with Jon, Matt learned what it meant to be a lifelong disciple of Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would watch what Jon was doing, and he\u2019s just so dedicated,\u201d Matt says. \u201cEvery day he wakes up and he really lives it. I have had many people in my life I can\u2019t trust. But I know I can count on Jon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Matt still faces challenges that require the Holy Spirit\u2019s guidance \u2014 like we all do \u2014 he is seeking to obey Christ and continue on the right path. His newfound faith has been an encouragement to Jon in his ministry, as well as a light to the community around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGod kept pointing me to 1 Corinthians 13, where it writes that love never fails,\u201d Jon says. \u201cIt never gives up, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. God\u2019s love continuously pours out. So when we deal with resistance, we have to keep raising the standard \u2014 to love others as Jesus would.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matt\u2019s story reminds us that everyone deserves a second chance and that transformation is possible with the love of God and the dedication of a compassionate community \u2014 no matter how long it takes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been in a constant war since I got into this world,\u201d Matt shares. \u201cBut now, I finally have peace.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pray for peace in your life. \u201cPeace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid\u201d John 14:27<\/a> (NIV).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Discipleship Tip:  <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t let proximity stop you from inviting someone to read the Bible with you. If connecting in person isn\u2019t an option, then invite them to read the Bible with you over the phone or through a video chat. God can still work powerfully!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
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Finding Hope in Hard Times<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Have you ever been in an impossible situation and felt stuck? Did you long for hope and relief, unsure of where it would come from? In this free Bible study from the book of Exodus, join the Israelites as they journey out of Egypt and find themselves stuck with the Red Sea in front of them and their enemies behind them. Click the link below to download your free Bible study, Finding Hope in Hard Times. <\/em>Grow in your relationship with God and deepen your trust in His love and provision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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DOWNLOAD NOW<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Matt needed the transformative power of a second chance through Jesus. Jon read the Bible with Matt and his heart was changed. Discover how this led to more disciplemakers in Detroit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":262234,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_helpful_pro_status":1,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6337],"tags":[1483],"mission":[10349],"topic":[44],"class_list":["post-262235","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ministry-impact-stories","tag-disciple","mission-navigators-disciplemakers-for-life","topic-discipleship"],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/02.06.24-Article-Web.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"The Navigators","author_link":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/staff\/thenavigators\/"},"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/262235","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=262235"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/262235\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":263544,"href":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/262235\/revisions\/263544"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/262234"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=262235"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=262235"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=262235"},{"taxonomy":"mission","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/mission?post=262235"},{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic?post=262235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}