Most of us know the feeling that comes right after we do something we regret. The weight of our choices settles in, and a quiet, painful thought creeps in: God is done with you now.
But that thought is one of the most convincing lies we can believe.
The Bible is full of people who heard that same voice but chose not to listen. Their failures did not erase their stories; instead, those moments shaped them. What stands out most is not their strength or determination, but how God kept pursuing them and never gave up on those He loves.
The Fire That Started It All
In John 21, after Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead, the disciples went back to something ordinary. Even though Jesus had already appeared to them twice, Simon Peter simply said he was going fishing.
At first, this might sound strange. But it makes sense when you think about what Peter was feeling. Just days before, Peter stood by a charcoal fire and denied knowing Jesus three times. He did it loudly, with anger and strong words. He did not just make a small mistake; he completely failed.
So Peter did what many of us do after a big failure. He went back to what was familiar and safe, and others followed him.
It’s important to notice this. Our failures often affect more than just ourselves. When we fall back into old habits, we can lead others there too, sometimes without knowing it.
Jesus Does Not Wait
This is the moment when the story changes in a way that should make us pause.
Jesus does not wait on the shore for Peter to realize his mistake and come back. Jesus is already there. He builds a fire—the same kind of fire as when Peter denied Him—and calls out to the men in the boat. He gives them breakfast and creates a sense of warmth and belonging before saying anything about what happened.
This is how God acts throughout the Bible. When Adam and Eve sinned, God came looking for them in the garden. When David did wrong, God sent Nathan to help him return. When Jonah ran away, God followed him across the sea. God does not wait for us to fix everything ourselves. He comes looking for us.
Relationship Before Responsibility
When Jesus finally speaks directly to Peter in John 21:15-17, He does not open with a rebuke. He opens with a question: do you love me?
Jesus asks the question three times, once for each time Peter denied Him. In doing this, He does something important. He does not ask Peter to prove himself, to complete a list of tasks, or to show he has changed first. He asks about their relationship. He wants to know if Peter still loves Him.
Only after Peter says he loves Jesus three times does Jesus give him a new job: Feed my lambs. Shepherd my sheep. Feed my sheep. The responsibility comes from the restored relationship, not before it.
This order is important. We often want people to fix themselves and prove they are worthy before we accept them. But Jesus shows us a different way. He restores the relationship first, and then the responsibility comes from that.
Your Past Is Not a Disqualifier
The Bible containThe Bible says there is only one unforgivable sin: blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Divorce is not on that list. Murder is not on that list. Addiction, abuse, betrayal, and any other moral failure are not on that list either. Yet sometimes we act as if we can add to that list for God.scribes God removing our sins as far as the east is from the west. The brilliance of that comparison is that east and west never meet. You can travel east indefinitely and never arrive at west. That is the distance God places between us and our confessed sin.
God does not erase our names from His record. Instead, He removes our sins and invites us to move forward.
Stories That Were Never Meant to Stay Hidden
Everyone has parts of their story they wish could stay hidden. But those parts are often the most powerful. One preacher spent seven years in a Texas prison for killing an undercover officer, then went on to lead thousands. D.L. Moody, a famous evangelist, met Jesus while drunk on a Chicago curb. Billy Sunday, who influenced many, found faith during a life marked by anger and alcohol.
None of these men were disqualified by their pasts. In fact, their pasts made their message real to people who needed hope.
Someone near you who feels overwhelmed by shame might need to hear your story more than a perfect sermon. When you give your struggles to God, your story can become the hope someone else is searching for.
Grace That Goes Both Ways
When we receive grace, we have a simple responsibility: to share it with others.
It is easy to talk about restoration in general. It is much harder to show grace to real people who have hurt us. But the message is clear: we forgive because we have been forgiven. We give grace because God gave it to us when we did not deserve it.
God’s grace does not simply pardon. It restores. Joel 2:25 promises that God will restore the years that God’s grace does more than forgive; it restores. Joel 2:25 promises that God will give back the years that were lost—not just what was taken, but the time itself. This kind of restoration is possible for anyone who is willing to face the past and choose a new path. The question being asked is the same one it has always been.
Do you love me?
Thoughts from Pastor Toney 