Starting Again Without Shame | Ep. 140

Do you feel like you've drifted too far from God to start again? In this episode, we talk about the shame that keeps many believers stuck and why God's response to repentance is not condemnation but invitation. Anchored in Luke 15, 2 Samuel 12, and Romans 8, you'll see how God's mercy meets us in our failures and calls us back to Him. If you've been avoiding prayer, Bible reading, or Christian community, this conversation will help you take your next step without carrying the weight of shame.

👉 Listen to a related episode: Why Trusting the Bible Feels Hard (and What Builds Confidence) | Ep. 130

Transcript

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Welcome And How To Connect

SPEAKER_00 0:00

This is episode 140, and I'm your host, Latoya. And this is Equip the Next, where you get equipped to lead, disciple, and move the mission forward. Feeling shame of starting over? You don't want to miss this. Welcome, welcome, welcome to Equip the Next. This is your host, Latoya. Listen, if you are being blessed by these episodes, I encourage you to share, follow, subscribe wherever you're listening to it. It's greatly appreciated. Um, I long to just reach out to people to encourage them to dig into scripture for themselves, to build a relationship. That is the premise of this podcast. So if that has been a blessing to you, feel free to join the community. If you have a question, you can always um send me some fan mail, I think through Apple somehow. Just click on it, or you can just visit YouTube, um, leave a comment, or you could just email me at hello at equiphthenext.com.

Starting Over Without Condemnation

SPEAKER_00 1:38

So today I wanted to talk about starting again without shame, i.e., condemnation, because the Lord does not condemn you. And a lot of times we can drift away and feel ashamed because that's what the enemy wants to put in your mind. So that way you will stay away instead of walking in humility, being humble, right? Being held accountable, and walking towards the Lord and having Him clean you up. Clean you up because there's nothing you've done that the Lord has not already seen. I'm just saying. And so today I wanted to focus on that because my focus is how repentance and God's mercy create a pathway back after failure or inconsistencies. We see this throughout scripture, and I want to, of course, highlight some things in scripture to encourage you to draw near to him. Listen, life happens, we understand, things happen. If you are a busy person, you know, we understand the Lord understands. Once you recognize that, draw to him. You know, you can have your pity party for about a couple seconds and then get it together and stay focused because he loves you and people need you. You're here for a reason. Okay. So the question I want to I want you to ask yourself, I try to do this every week, is like putting out a question that you ask yourself. Whether you're driving in your car, whether you're um exercising, whether you whatever is going on, I want you to ask yourself this question.

What Keeps You From Returning

SPEAKER_00 3:43

What is keeping me from returning? What is keeping you from returning to reading scripture? What is keeping you from returning back to studying the Bible? Uh fellowshipping. Perhaps you've been church heard. Is that is that is that the thing that's keeping you from fellowshipping with any believer? Um what is keeping you from returning back to your first love, which is Jesus Christ? That is what we're going to be talking about today.

Prodigal Son And Open Arms

SPEAKER_00 4:16

You know, this reminds me of Luke chapter 15. It starts at 11, and you guys know this. This is a parable that is mentioned quite a lot, both in secular and in the church. And that is the prodigal son parable. The prodigal son parable. Um, we see that this is, and I'm just gonna shorten it, you know. This man, he had two sons and one of his sons, and um, this is a parable, okay? So it's just a parable, but he, you know, Jesus here is is using these very good examples. He's the best teacher, the best at delivering parables. And so here we see this example of two sons. So this is a man with his two sons, and one of his sons was like, Hey, I want out. I'm trying to give you the 2026 version, 21st century. Hey, I want out, you know, like I just want, you know, this ain't working out. I want, give me my inheritance now. Let me let me get my inheritance. His father gave him his inheritance. He leaves and, you know, spends all his money, whatever. Now you broke. And, you know, he finally comes to himself. And he was like, Man, I could just, man, I'm better being a servant for my father than going back. Goes back, returns back. His father not only welcomes him with open arms, but throws a feast for him. Now, we're not gonna talk about how his other brother felt, the other son felt. I just want to focus on the fact that even though this man decided to leave from his father's covering, and I'm also not gonna get into the historical context of this because this is very significant, but he also said, I want my inheritance now, leaves, does all he want to do, everything, you know, under the sun, and returns, and his father receives him. This is a great picture of our father, our heavenly father. A great picture of this because a lot of us are like, yeah, we're gonna do our own thing, you know. Catch you later, deuces. And we think we can't come back to him. But when we come to our senses, when we hopefully, maybe this podcast will shake you up a bit and allow you to come into your senses that he is ready and willing to receive you with open arms. Whatever that rhythm is, maybe you feel bad. You know, if you're a mother, especially, you might feel like you're never good enough. You you may feel like you you're doing everything you're doing everything you can, but it's just not working. You might feel bad about that. And you might feel bad even if you're not a mother, or just whatever you do. You might feel bad because, man, I haven't opened up my Bible in so long. Oh man, I haven't, you know, fellowshiped with anyone so long. Oh man, I feel really, really, really bad. I can't go back. You can go back. He wants you to come back because you have to understand that shame is what pushes us away. Shame pushes us away, condemnation pushes us away. Love, repentance is what draws us back, coming to ourselves. And you it's so important that we understand that the father welcomes returning children. He he welcomes, I mean, he welcomes you. Maybe your natural parent never did, but he does because he's the ultimate father. God's mercy is greater than our failure. His love, his sovereignty is greater than anything that you think you've done wrong. His love, his mercy restores. There's another.

David Repentance And God’s Mercy

SPEAKER_00 8:58

Um, I'm not gonna read this whole thing. Definitely read it on your own time. Because some, you know, when I'm able to, I like to look at something in the old testament, look at something in the new testament. And so this reminded me of 2 Samuel 12. 2 Samuel 12. Now we know that David, you know, he was messing around with a married woman, got a man killed. Okay. And he had to, he, he, he had to be held accountable for that, and um he had to pay the consequences for that. His child dies. You know the story. If you don't, definitely check it out. What stood out to me, um, was the fact that, and I'm trying to look up the verse, I think it may be down at the bottom, but it was the fact that the Lord David repented and the Lord had mercy on him. Um, and I want to say that is in verse 13 when David um says, I I have sinned against the Lord, and they just said to David, the Lord also has put away your sin, you shall not die. And then, you know, he he goes on to say what will happen, but I wanted to highlight this because we see God's mercy. Now, adultery is a sin. Okay, like we we hopefully you know that the point that is that stands out here is the fact that God's mercy and how He how He really honors covenant, and if you are in a new covenant with Jesus, He honors that. And if you repent for whatever, I don't know. There's so many people that listen to this podcast, so I try to make it very general, but also try to make, you know, if something lays on my heart to reach out to somebody, maybe you've gone really far down and you're like, I don't have anyone to talk to, I am just so bad and wretched. The Lord loves you. Now you have to be held accountable for whatever you did, but that doesn't diminish his love for you, and the enemy wants you to feel like you are a failure, and therefore he does not love you, and that is not the case. That is not the case. I don't want anyone to listen to this to think that um you have done so wrong that the the the that God will never hear you, or you have just gone completely astray.

Faith Over Works And Romans 8

SPEAKER_00 12:19

You have not read your Bible in months. You know, reading the Bible is for you to get to know the Lord. But it doesn't matter how much you read, how much you pray, how much you fast, what you do, it's not about works, it's about faith alone. There are two verses that really stand out to me, and that's Romans 8, 38 and 39, where it says, For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. His love endures forever, the word says. Nothing can keep you from that. So get rid of the shame. We're getting rid of the shame. I pray for everyone. I'm gonna say a quick prayer, just in case someone's listening. Perhaps there's someone out there who has so much shame that they feel like they can never go back to the Lord.

Prayer Challenge And Final Encouragement

SPEAKER_00 13:43

Father, I just ask that you bless everyone on this that's listening to this. But for that person that feels that shame and that guilt, Father, I want to just ask that you remind them of your love, your kindness, your your mercy, and how you love them. Remind them of that. Open up their heart and their eyes so that they may see all of the things that you have blessed them with, no matter how small, no matter how big. And Father, continue to minister, send people their way to guide them and lead them. And perhaps if this podcast is a blessing to them, Father, allow them to seek after you with their whole heart minus the distractions. In Jesus' name. Amen. Listen, I challenge you to bring one area of failure honestly before God this week in your prayer closet. You don't have to literally go in a closet. Okay, we already know that. But anyway, bring one area of failure that you feel is a failure, rather, and bring that before the Lord in prayer. Drop that burden on him so that you may return back to him lightweight, so that you can really fellowship with him, leave it at the altar, they say. They used to say back in the day. Bless you. Well, that's it for today. Thanks for listening to the Equit the Next podcast. If this episode blessed you, I'd appreciate it if you leave a review and share it with someone who can use a little encouragement. Now grow in God's word and lead boldly.