06. Your Worst Chapter Doesn’t Have to Be Your Last
What If Jesus Is Different Than You Think?
06. Your Worst Chapter Doesn’t Have to Be Your Last
Whose name comes to mind when you think about someone you have hurt?
Perhaps you have an explanation for what happened.
You were angry. You were desperate. They hurt you first.
But when everything gets quiet, you know there is something you still need to face.
What would happen if you let Jesus into that part of your life?
In Luke 19:1–10, a wealthy tax collector named Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus.
The crowd blocked his view, so he ran ahead and climbed a tree.
When Jesus reached him, He stopped and looked up.
“Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”
Imagine hearing your name.
Jesus knew whom He was calling. He knew the man’s reputation. And He wanted to enter his home.
Zacchaeus came down and welcomed Him gladly.
The crowd complained. Jesus was going to stay with a sinner.
Perhaps you have wondered whether that is how God sees you—someone whose worst choices have settled the question of who you will always be.
Watch what happens next.
Zacchaeus stood and said he would give half his possessions to the poor. If he had cheated anyone, he would repay four times the amount.
His encounter with Jesus changed what he was willing to hold on to.
Think about the people who might receive that repayment.
A family who had struggled after losing money. Someone who had felt powerless to challenge him.
For them, his response would become something they could see.
What would the people around you notice if you welcomed Jesus?
Would someone finally hear the truth?
Would money be returned?
Would an apology come without another explanation of why it was really someone else’s fault?
These are uncomfortable questions. We may want relief from guilt while hoping we can leave the wrong untouched.
But consider what continuing to hide is costing you.
The careful explanations. The fear of being found out. The distance between you and someone you once loved.
How long do you want that chapter to keep writing the next one?
Jesus declared that salvation had come to Zacchaeus’s house. Then He explained that He had come to seek and save the lost.
Zacchaeus needed saving. Jesus came close enough to call him into a changed life.
He can meet you where you are too.
Read Luke 19:1–10. Then name one wrong you need to acknowledge and one practical step toward making it right.
You cannot control whether someone forgives you. Some damage cannot be fully repaired. In a complicated situation, seek wise help about how to proceed.
But you can stop defending what you know was wrong.
You can tell God the truth:
“Jesus, I did this. I have made excuses, and I need Your forgiveness. Help me face what I have done and take the next right step.”
You do not have to spend the rest of your life hiding from that prayer.
Your worst chapter doesn’t have to be your last.
If you welcomed Jesus today, what would need to change tomorrow?
Want to go further?
All ten Zúme discipleship lessons are on my site—free, with the video and the same teaching notes I use when I train leaders in person. Take them on your own, take them with a few friends, or join me live on Zoom and I will teach them to you face to face. When you finish, tell me and I will coach you personally.
Start the ten Zúme lessons:
https://internationalafricanmobilization.com/training/terrys-zume-teaching-series/
Join a live training:
https://zume.training/join-a-training
Terry Ruff
DMM Catalyst & Zúme Trainer | Missionary at Northside Christian Church
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