Saluki downtime September 1, 2025

• “Which is worse: 6 a.m. conditioning or a 3-hour bus ride home after a loss?”
  
  

• “Is game-day superstition real, or just an excuse for wearing the same socks all season?”
  
  

• “Would you rather your highlight make ESPN Top 10 or your blooper go viral on TikTok?”

God has been relevant for forever. God loves you where you are. 

The only person who can change your life is you. 

What is the most significant event where you have changed your mind? 

Does God change his mind? 

God reveals who He is through Scripture and the Spirit. Because He is eternal, He is unchanging, all-knowing, all-powerful, and good. As a loving Father, He keeps His promises, and His word is always effective. Yet, the Bible also records moments where God seems to “relent” or change His mind—usually showing mercy or compassion—which raises the question of how this fits with His other unchanging attributes.

- Jonah  3:4-10 

In Jonah 3:4, the prophet announced that Nineveh would be destroyed in forty days, presenting it as a certain outcome. The people, however, responded with humility and repentance, showing their sincerity by fasting and wearing sackcloth.

Seeing their genuine change of heart, God chose to relent. Instead of carrying out the destruction He had declared, He showed mercy and spared the city from disaster 

- King Hezekiah in 2 Kings 20:1-6. The prophet Isaiah tells Hezekiah to set his house in order because he will die. Hezekiah prays and weeps bitterly, asking God to remember his faithfulness. God responds to Hezekiah’s prayer by sending Isaiah back to tell him that he has heard his prayer and seen his tears, and will add fifteen years to his life.

- Exodus 32:9-14, after the Israelites worship the golden calf, God expresses his intent to destroy them and make a great nation out of Moses instead. Moses intercedes on behalf of the people, reminding God of his promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. As a result, “the LORD relented from the harm which he said he would do to his people” (Exodus 32:14).

Genesis 18:22-33 provides a compelling example when Abraham pleads with God to spare Sodom and Gomorrah if righteous people are found there. Abraham negotiates with God, starting from fifty righteous people down to ten. Each time, God agrees to spare the city if that number of righteous people is found.

What Are the Principles and Themes Surrounding When God Changes His Mind? What do they have in common? 

1.  repentance and intercession. Jonah 3:4-10 depicts how the people of Nineveh responded to Jonah’s warning of impending destruction with genuine repentance. 

2. fasted, wore sackcloth, and cried out to God, turning from their evil ways.

 In response, God relented. God is willing to change his plans in response to sincere repentance and the abandonment of sinful behaviors.

The theme of personal prayer and weeping is evident in the story of King Hezekiah. God responded to Hezekiah’s prayer by sending Isaiah back to tell Hezekiah that he had heard his prayer and seen his tears, and he would add fifteen years to Hezekiah’s life. This incident underscores the theme that God responds to heartfelt, personal prayer, showing his readiness to alter His plans in response to individual pleas.

3. Intercessory prayer is another powerful theme. In Exodus 32:9-14, after the Israelites made a golden calf and worshiped it, Moses interceded on behalf of the Israelites, reminding God of his promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and appealing to his reputation among the Egyptians. As a result, the Lord relented.  

This story highlights how intercessory prayer can move God to reconsider his judgments, demonstrating his compassion and willingness to forgive. Additionally, Moses appealed to God’s character and glory with the nations, implying how God would be worshipped and feared more if Israel was redeemed and not destroyed.

Abraham’s negotiation with God over the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 18:22-33 showcases another aspect of intercession. Abraham pleaded with God to spare the cities if a certain number of righteous people could be found. Although the cities were ultimately destroyed due to their wickedness, this dialogue reveals God’s openness to intercession and his desire to find reasons to show mercy rather than execute judgment.

Another instance illustrating this theme is found in the life of King David. In 2 Samuel 24:10-25, after David sinned by conducting a census of Israel, God sent a plague as punishment. David repented and pleaded for mercy. God instructed David to build an altar and offer sacrifices, after which the plague was stopped. This event underscores the theme of repentance and sacrifice, showing that genuine contrition and acts of atonement can lead God to relent from further judgment. 

What Does It Mean for God to Repent?

Repentance is turning fully to God in heart, mind, and direction, while God’s relenting shows His mercy in shifting from judgment to compassion. Though His nature never changes, He responds to genuine repentance and prayer by withholding judgment. At the center of this is His desire for relationship—His willingness to relent reveals His deep love, offering redemption and inviting us into an interactive walk with Him.

What Does God’s Repentance Mean for Us Today?

God’s relenting reveals both His justice against sin and His great mercy, showing that repentance, prayer, and intercession invite His compassion—

His willingness to withhold judgment reminds us that no situation is beyond redemption, filling us with hope to seek Him continually, intercede for others, and share the transforming power of His love.

If you will repent - You will see God. 

Circle around an ant 

What wall have you built around yourself that is just your imagination. 

God loves you and wants to have a relationship with you. 

Its your turn. Who is ready to commit their life to Christ?