By Andrew Williams
The Living Gospel (Week 2: Connecting Your Chapter to His Book)
Opening Prayer
God of grace, thank You for being honest about our brokenness. Help us to see our failures not as a point of shame, but as a signpost pointing to our need for a Savior.
Today’s Scripture (NLT)
Romans 3:23
“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”
The second act of the Bible’s grand narrative is the Fall. It’s the story of how humanity chose their own way, fell short of God’s standard, and became separated from Him. This universal story is mirrored in our own personal stories.
When you share the “before” part of your testimony—the emptiness, the wrong choices, the brokenness—you are not just telling your story. You are telling everyone’s story. You are connecting with the universal human experience of being flawed and falling short. This is a crucial part of your testimony because it establishes the problem that only Jesus can solve.
Don’t be afraid to be honest about your own “Fall.” Your mistakes don’t disqualify your testimony; they qualify it. They make it relatable. When you admit that you didn’t have it all together and that you couldn’t fix yourself, you are revealing our shared need for a Savior. Your story of brokenness becomes the perfect backdrop for the beautiful news of God’s grace.
Disciples’ Life Tip: Reflect on the “before” part of your story again. Can you identify the core way you “fell short”? Was it pride? Selfishness? Trying to find life apart from God? Naming it helps you clearly explain the problem that Jesus came to solve.
Closing Prayer: Lord, thank You that You don’t ask me to pretend that I am perfect. Help me to share my story of falling short with humility, knowing that it magnifies the greatness of Your grace. Amen.
