Do you ever look back on your life and think, “God could never use me”? Maybe it’s because of something you said, did, or became. But here’s the truth — the Bible isn’t a story of perfect people doing great things for God. It’s a story of a perfect God doing great things through broken people.
In this episode of Behind The Mike Podcast with Mike Stone, Mike shares a powerful message of redemption and grace — showing how God used liars, doubters, adulterers, rebels, and even murderers to accomplish His purposes. From Adam and Eve to Paul, every one of them had a past… and every one of them was still used by God.
If you’ve ever felt unworthy, ashamed, or “too far gone,” this episode will remind you:
💔 Failure isn’t final.
💫 Grace doesn’t just forgive your past — it fuels your purpose.
🙌 God still uses broken people… including you.
Timestamped Chapters:
00:00 – Do you ever feel like God could never use you?
00:27 – The Bible is full of broken people
01:00 – A lineup of the most flawed people in Scripture
02:06 – What if these same people applied for jobs today?
02:43 – God’s standard is different
03:12 – Mike’s personal story of shame and conviction
04:09 – The enemy’s lies about your worth
04:36 – How God redeemed each flawed person
05:57 – Grace fuels your purpose
06:59 – Why we compare ourselves to “spiritual heroes”
07:46 – If sin disqualified us, none of us would be qualified
08:14 – Don’t write yourself off
08:58 – God can use murderers, liars, rebels, and doubters
09:09 – You’re not too broken — failure is not final
09:51 – God still uses broken people
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Episode Transcript
So do you ever look backon your life and think, man, God
could never use me?
Maybe it's because of somethingthat you did or something
you said or who you were.
Maybe it's the guilt thatwhispers at night.
The shame that still clingsto your story.
(00:21):
But here's the truth.
The Bible isn't a book ofperfect people doing
great things for God.
It's a story of a perfectGod doing great things through
broken people.
So today, I want to gorapid fire through some of the
most flawed people in Scriptureand watch how God
still uses them.
Stay tuned.
(00:50):
Alright.
Are you ready for this?
Adam and Eve.
Disobedient.
Noah.
Drunkenness.
Abraham. Fear.
Sarah. Doubt.
Moses. Anger.
Jacob.
Deception.
Rebekah Manipulation.
Joseph's brothers.
Jealousy.
Miriam. Envy.
Gideon.
Insecurity.
Samson. Lust.
David.
Adultery and murder.
(01:11):
Solomon.
Idolatry.
Jonah. Rebellion.
Peter. Denial.
Thomas. Unbelief.
Paul.
Persecution.
The Israelites complaining.
The Pharisees.
Hypocrisy.
James and John.
Ambition.
Rahab.
Prostitution and Judas.
Betrayal.
That's a rough list.
If you saw that line uptoday, you'd say, God, maybe
(01:35):
pick a different team.
But that's the team.
That's the story.
And that, my friend,is the point.
Now think about that list.
Every single name you justheard represents someone
who failed, sometimes publicly,painfully, and permanently
(01:55):
recorded in God's Word.
Here's the wild part.
If those same people applied forjobs today, most of
them wouldn't make it pastthe background check.
You got Adam and Eve firedfor disobedience.
Noah got drunk on the job.
Abraham.
He lied to protect himself.
Moses.
(02:16):
Manslaughter charge.
David.
Adultery and murder.
Jonah refused his assignment.
Peter.
Denied his leaderunder pressure.
Paul.
Former religiousextremist. Rahab.
She's a former prostitute.
By our standards,they would be un hirable.
(02:36):
But God's standard is different.
Because failure doesn't endyour story.
It simply sets the stagefor God's grace to begin.
God doesn't cancel the broken.
He redeems them.
He doesn't write people off.
He writes them in.
And maybe he's still writing youin two.
(02:58):
I can't tell you how many timesthrough my life, even as a
young kid, you know,I was one of those kids
that stood in at the altar callat the end of every service
that I probably ever attendedand said, God, I love you.
Please save me.
I need you, but I wouldnever step out and walk down
that aisle because first of all,I was ashamed.
(03:22):
Now, shame back then.
Kind of looks silly to us now.
You know, maybe it was callingmy brother or sisters
a bad name.
Or maybe it was justcompletely being angry at
my parents.
But the thing is, the HolySpirit even then, was convicting
me of my sin.
(03:43):
So a lot of times,the Holy Spirit will step in
and correct us or tell us wherewe're being disobedient,
where we need to wake up.
But the problem is, the enemyalso gets in our minds too.
And he starts to tell us,you don't matter.
(04:04):
You're not worthy.
God could definitely not useyou and laugh at you.
Point his finger and tell youall of your flaws.
So I want to go back tothat list, and I want to see
how God dealt with that list.
So we have Adam and Eve who weredisobedient, but God
(04:25):
covered them with his grace.
Abraham was fearful, but he camethe became the father
of all nations.
Sarah she doubted.
But God gave birth tohis promise.
Moses was angry, but he ledGod's people to freedom.
Jacob deceived, but he wastransformed into Israel.
(04:47):
Joseph's brothers jealous,but they were reconciled through
forgiveness.
Gideon was insecure,but he became a mighty warrior.
Samson was reckless.
But ended his life in victory.
David.
He was an adulterer.
But he was called a manafter God's own heart.
(05:10):
Solomon.
Idolater.
But he left wisdomfor generations.
Jonah ran away, but he sparkeda citywide revival.
Peter denied Christ,but became a bold preacher.
Thomas doubted, but confessed.
My Lord and my God.
Paul persecuted Christians,but he became the greatest
missionary.
(05:30):
Rahab she was a prostitute,but she found her place in Jesus
family tree.
The Israelites were complainers,but they still inherited
the promise.
James and John sent firefrom heaven.
Lord, they were ambitious,but God turned their passion
into service, every one of thembroken, every one of
(05:54):
them flawed.
Every one of them used by God.
Because grace doesn'tjust forgive your past, it fuels
your purpose.
So this episode isintentionally short because
I don't know whatI can add to it.
(06:14):
I just wanted to give examplesof how we sometimes
even in our life today, we lookat our pastor or our priest
or whoever leads us on Sundays,and we think, wow, what a great
man of God.
I could never be like them.
Or maybe it's, a teacherin our class Sunday
(06:34):
school class.
Maybe it's a Bible study leader.
Maybe it's someone on a boardsomewhere that we look up to,
and we see them modeling Jesusand think, I could
never be that.
Let me tell you something.
This book is not justfor us to open up
(06:55):
and read through and pore overand memorize and hide
in our hearts.
It's also to show us examplesof how God works through
fallible people.
All of us are flawed.
All of us are sinful and needa Savior.
God doesn't expect usto be perfect.
(07:19):
I've been wearing a shirtthat I created that says,
here am I, Lord, send me.
And that's the cry of my heartis I know how flawed I am.
I know how wretched, even as aas a kid.
The thoughts that I had, thatthe things that I did.
(07:40):
I look back and think, you know,those weren't very big
since then, but they were sin.
It was sin.
And if sin disqualified us,none of us would be good enough
to share the gospelor to be a part of the kingdom
of God.
But God in his Scriptureshows us through all the people
(08:02):
I've listed and so many more,that he not only uses
broken people, he wants touse us.
He wants to use you.
Don't write yourself off.
So let me ask you a question.
(08:22):
What sin have you decidedin your life that disqualifies
you?
What moment from your paststill tells you you're done?
Because here's my point.
(08:42):
If God can use murderers, liars,doubters, rebels, prostitutes.
We just went through the list.
Listen, friend.
He can use you.
He can use me.
If he can use a manwho denied him three times.
A woman with a past, a prophetwho ran away, and a king
(09:05):
who fell from grace.
He can use you.
You're not too broken.
You're not too far gone.
And you are not beyondthe reach of his mercy.
God is not finished with you.
(09:25):
In fact, he may just begetting started because in
the kingdom of God, failure isnot final.
Think of it this way.
Failure is the soilwhere redemption grows.
So take a deep breath.
Look up and rememberGod still uses broken people.
(09:52):
Even people like us.
He.
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