Transcript of a published sermon by Nathan Grace, transcribed from YouTube. An attributed primary source — not Acts 2:38 Life doctrine text.
Summary · Transcript · Scripture Index · Download transcript (.txt)
Summary
Summary prepared by Acts 2:38 Life from the transcript below — the preacher’s words follow in full.
The text: Thomas was not with them
- Invited to greet the congregation, he says he is glad to be in a place where folks know how to worship the same true and living God that he has experienced, and that he feels the power and the liberty of the Holy Ghost tonight.
- He reads his text, John 20:24-25: Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
- The other disciples therefore told him, 'We have seen the Lord'; but Thomas answered that except he saw in his hands the print of the nails, and put his finger into the print of the nails, and thrust his hand into his side, he would not believe.
- He is glad the story did not end there — but Thomas is known throughout time for the one thing he did wrong: doubting Thomas.
Scriptures: John 20:24-25
You don't have to be defined by your worst mistake
- A college football player in the 1929 Rose Bowl is known the same way, for the one thing he did wrong: he picked up a fumble, lost his bearings, and ran some 65 yards the wrong way before his own teammate stopped him at his own one-yard line.
- But he did not stop there: he went on to first-team All-American honors, served as his team's captain, and was later inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame — the mistake overshadowed his achievements only for a time.
- Someone here has let the circumstances of life cloud their view of what God wants to do. The song they sang says it: hell lost another one — I am free, free from the sins of my past, free from the mistakes I have made.
- Yes, you may have got disoriented; yes, you may have headed the wrong way — but you can turn around today and walk in the right direction. You do not have to be defined by your worst mistake; you can go on to greater things.
- Thomas's story turned too: there came a day when Jesus stood before him again, and Thomas recognized him for who he was — his Lord and his God.
- He closes calling the congregation to give the Lord praise because he turned them around: I am not the same.
Scripture index: John 20:24-25.
Transcript
so glad to be in a place where folks know how to worship the same true living god that we've experienced and i'm here tonight to tell you that he is the same god that i've experienced and i feel the power and the liberty in the holy ghost tonight amen real quick i'm going to read from the book of john chapter 20 verse number 24 and 25 it says but thomas one of the twelve called didymus was not with them when jesus came and the other disciples therefore said unto him we have seen the lord but he said unto them except i shall see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails and thrust my hand into his side i will not believe but i'm glad that the story didn't end there hallelujah and thomas is known throughout time for the one thing he did wrong he's known as doubting thomas there's another man known we talked about football tonight well brother carpenter mission football but thomas is known throughout time for being doubt and thomas and there's another man in the football circles in college football named roy regals anybody ever heard of roy regals well he's known throughout time as for the one thing that he did wrong and he played for the university of berkeley california from 1927 to 1929 and in the 1929 rose bowl he was running toward the sidelines when he picked up a fumble from georgia tech and roy regal started running and he turned towards the tech's goal line and somebody shoved him and he lost his bearings he didn't know the direction he was supposed to be going and in pivoting to get away he turned in beginning running the wrong way he ran 65 yards the wrong way and ended up down on his own one yard line and his teammate benny lom stopped him and he was then tackled by a georgia tech player his mistake is often cited as the worst blunder in all of college football and he's known today as wrong way regals and for some time this overshadowed all the other achievements that he had made in his career but i'm here to tell you today the wrong way regals didn't stop there we find that since that time he earned his first his first team all american honors and he served as team captain for the bears in 1929 he was later inducted into the rose bowl hall of fame but he could have stayed as wrong way regals there's someone here tonight that you've allowed circumstances in your life to cloud your view of what god wants to do and i believe here tonight that we sang the song earlier hell lost another one i am free i am free for the sins of my past i am free from the mistakes that i have made i refuse to be defined by the mistakes that are in my past yes i may have got disoriented yes i may have hit it the wrong way but i'm turned around today and i'm gonna walk in the right direction you don't have to be defined by your worst mistake you can go on to greater things tonight and so today i call upon the church today to remember that jesus christ is looking for some people who will turn that worst mistake around in thomas he was known as doubting thomas but there came a day when jesus came back in front of him and he said oh lord my god oh lord he recognized him for who he was and i'm thankful that i know jesus christ as my lord and savior why don't you give the lord a handcuff and praise because he turned you around i am not the same
Scripture references as spoken: John 20:24-25.