Repent and Return

Repent and Return  ||  Acts 3:19 || Bishop LaSalle Smith, Sr.

“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” — Acts 3:19 (KJV)

In Acts of the Apostles 3:19, the Apostle Simon Peter is preaching shortly after the healing of the lame man at the Beautiful Gate. The miracle drew a crowd—but Peter refused to let the crowd focus on the spectacle. He redirected their attention to the Savior. He did not entertain. He offered repentance. He did not offer applause. He offered transformation.
Peter’s message was clear and urgent. He said, “Repent. Be converted. Be refreshed.” That is not merely a historical sermon. It is a present-day invitation. Repent — A Change of Mind and Direction

The word repent in Acts 3:19 means more than feeling guilty. It means changing one’s mind so that one’s direction changes. Repentance is not emotional regret. It is intentional realignment. Repentance is not “I’m sorry I got caught or “I feel bad about what happened.” It is:  “Lord, I see it differently now. “Lord, I’m turning back to You.” Members of Mt. Welcome Baptist Church, repentance is not just for the unsaved. It is for the sanctified who may have drifted in devotion, dulled in discipline, or distracted in discipleship.

“Repentance is not weakness—it is spiritual courage in motion.” “You cannot walk toward God while holding hands with yesterday.” Be Converted — A Life Turned Godward. Peter says, “and be converted.” That means to turn around — to reverse direction. Repentance changes the mind. Conversion changes the movement.

There are times when we attend church, but our hearts are distant. We sing hymns but harbor hurt. We serve faithfully but carry silent frustration. Conversion means: One’s heart is turned. His or her habits are adjusted. Their priorities are reordered. Please understand that conversion is not about perfection; it is about progression. Conversion is when your direction finally matches your confession. God is not impressed with our attendance; our alignment moves Him, that our Sins may be blotted out.
 
Peter uses a powerful image. In ancient times, ink did not contain acid. It sat on the surface of papyrus. It could literally be wiped away. When God forgives, He does not erase your sin. He expunges it. He does not rehearse it. He removes it. For someone at Mt. Welcome who may feel weighed down by past mistakes, experiencing strained relationships, private failures, or silent struggles — this promise is liberating.

“When God forgives, He does not keep screenshots.” God’s Grace doesn’t edit your past—it erases the penalty.” Here is the reward of refreshing. It does not come from a promotion. It does not come from a vacation, a promotion, a new purchase, or a social media break. Refreshing comes from the presence of the Lord. The word implies revival, relief, and restoration of breath. Some members are faithful but tired. They are serving, strained and smiling, but spiritually depleted.

Peter says refreshing flows from presence. Not programs. Not personalities. Not popularity.
I want to let you know that you don’t need a new environment—you need a fresh encounter. “When you return to God, strength returns to you.”

Why This Matters for Mt. Welcome
As a church body:

• We cannot experience corporate revival without personal repentance.
• We cannot pray for refreshing while resisting realignment.
• We cannot move forward while spiritually facing backward.

Acts 3:19 is not a condemnation — it is an invitation. It tells us to turn back, come home, realign, and refresh.

Ask yourself:

• Where have I drifted?
• Does my attitude need adjusting?
• What habit do I have that needs surrender?
• What relationship am I experiencing that needs forgiveness?
• What burden am I carrying instead of confessing?

I want you to know that the Lord is not waiting with a hammer. He is waiting with refreshing.
 
Closing Exhortation
Mt. Welcome, hear the Word of the Lord:
If you turn, He will restore. If you return, He will revive. If you repent, He will refresh.
Do not let pride block your promise. Do not let delay drain your destiny, and don’t let yesterday steal tomorrow’s refreshing.

“Repentance opens the door that pride keeps locked.”
“When you change your mind toward God, God releases His refreshing toward you.”
My brothers and sisters, Acts 3:19 is more than a singular verse.  It is a divine invitation.
To Repent, return, and be refreshed. And when refreshing comes, Mt. Welcome will not just have church — We will experience God’s presence.
 
Understand Mt. Welcome that repentance is not passive. It is intentional.
Here is what we must do:

• Examine our hearts honestly.
• Confess specifically.
• Forgive quickly.
• Pray consistently.
• Obey immediately.
• Restore broken relationships where possible.

Renew your dedication to worship, engaging with scripture, and share your faith.
Remember, “Repentance is not what you say in church — it is what you change at home.”
“Returning to God begins with one surrendered step.

What We Can Expect
When we truly repent and return:
Burdens will lift.
Joy will rise again.
Peace will replace anxiety.
Direction will replace confusion.
Strength will replace weariness.
Unity will increase in the church body.
Spiritual clarity will sharpen our vision.
Refreshing is not emotional hype.
It is divine renewal.
“God does not refresh what refuses to return.”
“When you turn back to God, you step back into His flow.”
 
Closing Prayer – “Lord, We Return”
Gracious and Eternal God, Our Father and our Redeemer, We come before You, humbled by Your Word and grateful for Your mercy. Thank You for the divine invitation found in Acts 3:19 — An invitation not to condemnation, but to restoration. Not to shame, but to refresh. Lord, we confess that there have been moments when we drifted. Moments when our devotion cooled. Moments when our discipline weakened. Moments when we sang with our lips, but our hearts were distant. But today, we hear You calling us back.

Father, give us the courage to truly repent — Not just to feel sorry, but to turn around. Change our minds so our direction changes. Realign our hearts with Your will. Break the grip of pride. Silence the voice of stubbornness. Remove every barrier that keeps us from fully returning to You. Lord, convert us again. Turn our hearts completely Godward. Adjust our habits. Reorder our priorities. Restore our hunger for Your Word. Renew our passion for prayer and reignite our commitment to serve You faithfully.

For those carrying silent burdens — please lift them. For those battling private guilt — release them. For those weighed down by regret — remind them that when You forgive, You expunge the record and remove the stain. Thank You that You do not rehearse our failures. You remove them. You blot them out, and you cast them away. Now, Father, send the refreshing. Breathe on Mt. Welcome Baptist Church.

Refresh the weary servant. Renew the tired leader. Revive the distracted believer. Restore joy where heaviness has settled. Replace anxiety with peace. Replace confusion with clarity and replace weakness with strength. Let Your presence flow through our pews, through our choir, through our leadership, and through every family represented here.

Make us a church that does not just gather — but grows. Not just worship but walks in obedience. Not just hears the Word but lives it. Teach us that repentance is not weakness — it is worship. Returning is not defeat — it is victory. And refreshing is not hype — it is holy renewal. Lord, we turn. Lord, we return. Lord, we receive Your refreshing. And when we leave this place, may we leave changed, aligned, strengthened, and revived. We thank You in advance for the times of refreshing that shall come from Your presence. In the mighty, matchless, and merciful name of Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen