8/19/25 Resurrected Faith

Takeaway: Jesus meets us in our failure not to condemn us,but to restore us; calling us to a deeper faith grounded in love.

Opening Prayer (Tuesday)

Lord, I come before You seeking wisdom and clarity. Help me to discern Your will and make choices that honor You. Open my heart to Your truth as I spend time with You today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Reflection

Failure has a way of sinking deep into the soul. It lingers long after the moment passes, replaying in our memory and whispering lies about who we are and what we’re worth. Peter knew that weight all too well. He had walked with Jesus. He had confessed Him as the Christ. He had even promised to die for Him. And yet, in his darkest hour, Peter denied Jesus not once, but three times. The failure wasn’t just in his words, it was in his trust. The one who had once been called “the rock” now felt like rubble.

But John 21 tells a different story, not of condemnation, but of restoration. After the resurrection, Jesus meets Peter on the shores of Galilee. It’s a familiar setting. The same sea where Peter was first called from. It was here, in a previous life, Peter fished and failed before. But it was also where grace first found him. This time, Jesus cooks breakfast over a charcoal fire. There is something both tender and purposeful in the setting. Jesus isn’t just offering fish; He’s offering healing.

Then comes the conversation. “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Jesus doesn’t ask Peter if he’s sorry, or if he’ll try harder, or if he’ll never fail again. He asks him if he loves Him. Because love, not performance, is the heart of faith. Peter’s response is honest and humble. He doesn’t boast. He doesn’t hide. “Lord, you know all things. You know that I love you.” And Jesus replies with a calling: “Feed my sheep.” The failure Peter thought disqualified him became the very soil in which a deeper faith could grow.

So many of us carry our own stories of denial. Times we’ve let fear speak louder than conviction. Moments when we’ve chosen comfort over faithfulness, silence over truth, or distance over intimacy with God. And yet, Jesus still meets us. He speaks our name, asks for our love, and entrusts us with new purpose. Failure is not the end of the story. With Jesus, it can be the beginning of something far deeper, a faith that has walked through fire and come out refined.

Questions

When have you felt disqualified or distant from God because of failure or doubt?

How does Jesus’ question to Peter—“Do you love me?”—speak to your own heart today?

Application

Take time to prayerfully revisit a past failure, not to dwell in shame, but to listen for Jesus’ invitation to love and serve again. Let His grace reframe your story and lead you forward with renewed purpose.

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You for meeting me in my weakness, not with judgment, but with love. When I fail, remind me that Your love is greater still. Help me to hear Your voice calling me to love You and to live out that love in service to others. Grow in me a faith that is humble, honest, and resurrected. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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