Slideshow image

The following blog is a summary of a message preached by Pastor Eddie Lawrence.

Watch the Sermon HERE!

When a dream starts to fall apart, the temptation to retreat to familiar ground can feel overwhelming. Whether you've experienced a personal failure, a season of confusion, or a moment where everything seemed to unravel, the pull to go back to what you've always known is real. The story of Peter in John 21 speaks directly to this struggle and offers a powerful reminder that God is not finished with you.

What Happens When We Fail and Want to Give Up?

Peter had walked with Jesus. He had received a direct word that he would be the rock upon which the church would be built. He had been warned that Satan wanted to sift him like wheat. And yet, he denied Jesus three times at a charcoal fire on the night of His arrest.

After the resurrection, Jesus had already appeared to the disciples twice. Peter had seen the risen Christ. But something was still unsettled in him. So he made a decision that would set the stage for one of the most powerful restoration moments in all of Scripture.

"Simon Peter said to them, 'I am going fishing.' They said to him, 'We are going with you also.' They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing." - John 21:3

The Pull of the Familiar: Why We Go Back to Old Habits

Before Jesus called Him, Peter was a fisherman. When the weight of his failure became too heavy, he went back to what he knew. This is one of the enemy's most effective strategies against believers.

When you stumble or fail, the enemy whispers that you never really had what you thought you had. He uses shame and confusion to pull you back toward old patterns, old habits, and old ways of coping. He is not all-knowing, but he is a careful observer of human behavior. He knows your weaknesses. He knows your family's history. And he will engineer opportunities to exploit those vulnerabilities.

But here is the truth. You are not who you used to be. You are a new creation in Christ. The locks on your past have been changed. Going back and trying to live there will only leave you frustrated and empty-handed.

The Frustration of Retreat: Why Going Backward Never Works

Peter and the other disciples fished all night and caught nothing. That is not a coincidence. When we move away from what God has called us to do, we often find that our efforts produce very little. God, in His mercy, will sometimes frustrate our attempts to succeed outside of His will because He loves us too much to let us settle for less.

Those old patterns may feel comfortable, like a worn-out pair of shoes. But comfort is not the same as purpose. What feels familiar will not always get you where God wants you to go.

What Does the Bible Say About God's Goodness in Dark Seasons?

After a long, fruitless night on the water, morning came. And with it, Jesus appeared on the shore.

"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." - Psalm 30:5

Jesus called out to them and told them to cast their net on the right side of the boat. They obeyed, and the net filled with 153 large fish. It was John who recognized what was happening first. He said, "It is the Lord." And the moment Peter heard those words, he jumped into the water and swam to shore.

Notice what Jesus was already doing on the shore. He had a fire going. He had fish cooking. He was preparing a meal for them before they even knew He was there. That is a picture of God's faithfulness. He is working on your behalf even when you cannot see Him or sense His presence.

How Does God Restore Us After We've Blown It?

Here is where the story becomes deeply personal. There are only two places in the New Testament where a charcoal fire is mentioned. The first was the night Peter denied Jesus three times while warming Himself by the fire. The second is this moment in John 21.

Jesus did not bring Peter to a courtroom. He brought him to a fire. And by that fire, He asked Peter three times, "Do you love me?" Three denials. Three confessions of love. Three opportunities to be restored.

  • "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?" - John 21:15
  • "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" - John 21:16
  • "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" - John 21:17

Each time Peter answered, Jesus responded with a call to purpose. Feed My lambs. Tend My sheep. Feed My sheep. The very thing the enemy used to wound Peter, God used to restore Him. That is the redemptive nature of God. He does not waste your worst moments. He redeems them.

God Has Not Changed His Mind About You

The gifts and callings of God are without repentance. He has not revoked your purpose because of your failure. You have never done anything that caught God off guard or left Him unprepared. The finished work of Jesus on the cross covers every failure, every denial, every moment of retreat.

"He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness. By whose stripes you were healed." - 1 Peter 2:24

God is a God of restoration. He can restore what has been lost in your life, your family, and your calling. He can even require the enemy to return what was stolen. The years the locusts have eaten, He can restore.

Life Application

This week, identify the boat you tend to jump into when life gets hard or when you've failed. Maybe it's an old habit, a destructive coping mechanism, or a pattern of behavior you thought you had left behind. Name it honestly before God. Then, instead of retreating to the familiar, choose to stay on the shore with Jesus. Sit with Him in prayer, open His Word, and listen for that fresh word He has for your situation. Trust that even if it still feels like night, morning is coming.

Ask yourself these questions as you reflect this week:

  • What is my "fishing boat"? What do I run back to when I feel like I've failed or when life feels uncertain?
  • Am I allowing shame or past failure to convince me that God is done with me or that I no longer fit into His plan?
  • Where in my life do I need to stop striving in my own strength and start listening for what God is actually saying?
  • Do I truly believe that God's goodness and restoration are available to me, not just to others?

Do not go back. Keep your eyes on Jesus. The darkness will give way to dawn, and He will meet you there.