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Monday
Read John 21:15
The Failure That Stings
“When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?’” (John 21:15)
Failure often has a sting that lingers. It doesn’t just come and go—it hangs heavy on your heart. It echoes in your thoughts, keeps you up at night, and often has you questioning your worth. For Peter that sting came with the sound of a rooster. After boldly declaring he would never deny Jesus, Peter did just that—three times. And even after witnessing Jesus’ resurrection, Peter must have wondered if his failure had disqualified him from being a disciple forever.
We find Peter in John 21 back in a fishing boat. But this is more than a fishing trip—it’s a return to the familiar, where it all began. But perhaps, more deeply, it’s a retreat from the guilt and shame Peter carries. That’s what failure does: it drives us backward when God intends to move us forward.
Jesus doesn’t leave Peter in that boat. He meets him on the shore—not with rebuke, but with breakfast. And then He asks, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” It’s not a question of performance, but of the heart. Jesus isn’t asking Peter to explain or defend his failure—He’s asking if Peter still loves Him.
This is the grace of God: He doesn’t define us by our worst moments. Instead, He restores us by inviting us to reaffirm our love for Him. Jesus doesn’t ignore Peter’s actions—He addresses them with gentleness and purpose. “Feed My lambs,” He says. In that simple command, Jesus reaffirms Peter’s calling. The mission is not canceled. Grace puts Peter back in the game.
What failure are you carrying today? Has it driven you away from your calling, confidence, and closeness with Christ? Hear Jesus’
voice asking you: “Do you love Me?” Not, “Did you fail?” But, “Do you still love Me?”
Let today be your turning point. Let Jesus meet you on the shore of your regret, and respond not with excuses or shame, but with love.
Reflection Questions
What’s a failure you haven’t fully released to God? How would it feel to hear Jesus ask, “Do you love Me?” What does it mean to let love, not failure, define your next step?
Prayers
ECO Church Plants
Praise God that the Missio Church Plant in Pasadena is now an officially chartered church! Your prayers have been answered! Please continue to pray for pastor Len Tang and the congregation as they seek to reach out to students at Cal Tech and the greater Pasadena community.
Tuesday
Read John 21:16
A Grace That Recommissions
“Jesus said, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love Me?’ He answered, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Take care of My sheep.’” (John 21:16)
One failure does not cancel a calling. But if we’re honest, we often act or behave like it does. When we mess up, we assume God must want to use someone else; we are “not good or smart enough.” Someone else must be more qualified or someone else who doesn’t fail (good luck!). That’s why this tender moment between Peter and Jesus is someone who is powerful and moving. Not only does Jesus ask about Peter’s love for Him, but He reaffirms Peter’s mission for the rest of his earthly life.
After Peter declares his love again, Jesus could have responded, “I forgive you,” or “Let’s just move on.” But this is Jesus, sent because God so loved the world, and He says, “Take care of My sheep.” These are commissioning words. These are words of trust. Jesus is entrusting Peter again with people, purpose, and leadership. That’s not just forgiveness—it’s full restoration and more.
Imagine how Peter felt hearing those words from the same Jesus he had violently denied three times. Public denials were denials that were personally so painful. Yet, Jesus still sees him as the shepherd He once called Peter to be. This moment reveals something foundational about God: God’s grace doesn’t just restore our standing—it reactivates our calling.
Maybe you’ve been sidelined by failure. Maybe you’ve written yourself out of God’s story for your life. But Jesus hasn’t. He sees your potential, not just your past. When we return to Him with a heart of love, He’s ready to give us fresh assignments. God’s plan for your life isn’t canceled—it’s being rewritten by grace.
Jesus doesn’t lower the bar of His plan—He raises Peter back up to it. Not with guilt, but with grace. “Take care of My sheep.” It’s the recommissioning of a leader, a man who knows what it feels like to fall and will now lead with humility and compassion.
Reflection Questions
What calling or ministry have you stepped away from because of failure? How does Jesus’ response to Peter give you hope? What “sheep” is God inviting you to take care of today?
Prayers
ECO Church Plants
Pray for La Casa Church and Gio and Indra that the Lord would lead many more Spanish-speaking people to this church to get to know Jesus. Pray that additional funds would be available for expansion of this ministry.
Wednesday
Read John 21:20-21
The Wound of Comparison
“Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. … When Peter saw him, he asked, ‘Lord, what about him?’” (John 21:20-21)
Unfortunately, restoration doesn’t always erase insecurity. What if I fail again? How many times will Jesus forgive me? Peter had just been forgiven and recommissioned by Jesus. He was back in a relationship, back on purpose for his life. Yet even in this holy moment, Peter looked over his shoulder and asked, “What about him?” What was Peter thinking? The first words after being recommissioned were to ask about John’s future.
But it’s a moment we can all relate to. Even after a fresh start, we’re human and the temptation to take our eyes from Jesus is many times to compare. We wonder if someone else’s path will be easier, if their calling will be greater. Maybe even if their failure was smaller. Will their sacrifice be less? Even as we walk closely with Jesus, the sin of comparison can steal our peace.
Peter’s question also reveals a lingering fear: Will my story measure up? And Jesus’ response is gentle but clear: “What is that to you? You must follow Me.” In other words, stay focused on your own path. Don’t get distracted by someone else’s relationship with the Lord.
Comparison is a trap that has us looking sideways instead of forward. It is Satan’s subtle method of distracting us from the grace given to us. Your purpose and path with Jesus are unique for you (Jeremiah 1:5), and so is your restoration and calling. Trying to measure your worth by someone else’s story will only reopen wounds that Jesus is trying to heal.
Peter’s failure didn’t disqualify him, nor did his comparison, but Jesus called him back to focus. “You must follow Me.” That’s our call too. Not to compare. Not to compete. But to follow Christ wherever He leads us, in confidence and humility. “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope’” (Jeremiah 29:11-12).
Reflection Questions
Who are you tempted to compare your story with? How has comparison affected your sense of calling? What would it look like today to focus fully on following Jesus?
Prayers
ECO Church Plants
Pray for Central City Church that a larger facility would become available to accommodate this growing congregation. Pray that funds would be available to support their lead pastor, Israel Gonzales, to devote an increasing amount of time to the church.
Thursday
Read John 21:19
Following Again
“Then He said to him, ‘Follow Me!’” (John 21:19)
These two words—“Follow Me”—may sound familiar. They are, of course, the first and exact words Jesus said to Peter when He called him from the fishing boat just three years before (Matthew 4:19). After Peter’s failure and restoration, Jesus says it to Peter again. It’s not just a command—it’s also an invitation, a renewal, a recalling. Two words on two beaches that changed Peter’s life forever—and ours.
What grace that Jesus—who called Peter the first time—is willing to do it again. But that’s how redemption works. God doesn’t just forgive us; He re-invites us to a deeper relationship with Him. He picks us up from the point and place of failure and says, “Let’s keep walking this path together; you are My child” (John 1:12-13 paraphrased).
Peter had denied Jesus around a fire, and now he’s reinstated by another fire. Peter, just a few weeks before, had followed Jesus from a distance. Now, Jesus invites Peter to walk closely with Him again. The story has now come full circle. But Peter’s understanding of “following Jesus” has been changed. Failure was not a cliff, but a stepping stone. He’s no longer the impulsive, overconfident disciple. He’s now the humbled, wiser one who knows what grace feels like (1 and 2 Peter highlight this transformation).
However, following Jesus after failure looks and must be different. It’s deeper. More dependent. Less about striving and more about surrender. When Jesus says “Follow Me” to you and me, He’s not asking for perfection. He’s asking for faithfulness, dependence on Him, perseverance, obedience …
Maybe you once followed Jesus closely but drifted after a mistake, a disappointment, or, in your mind, an unforgivable sin. Maybe you’ve felt too embarrassed or ashamed to return to the feet of Christ. So hear these words from Jesus again and loudly: “Follow Me!” No more guilt. No more qualifiers. Just hope and faith in the grace of our Lord Jesus.
Get up right now from where you are and follow again.
Reflection Questions
Have you stopped following Jesus closely because of failure? What would it look like to follow Him again, starting today? How does grace change the way you walk with Jesus?
Prayers
ECO Church Plants
Pray for Mission OC and Pastor Scott Cody. Pray that people’s hearts would be open to the “interest socials” as they seek those who would be interested in attending this new church, as well as those who could be part of the leadership and prayer teams. Also, pray that this important stage of this church plant process would be protected from spiritual warfare.
Friday
Read John 21:17
Grace That Sends
“Jesus said, ‘Feed My sheep.’” (John 21:17)
Jesus not only restores Peter’s relationship, but He reaffirms his role. These words, “Feed My sheep,” are not merely gentle advice or encouragement; they are a divine commissioning. Jesus entrusts Peter with a sacred responsibility: to care for, nurture, and lead His people. In essence, He’s saying, “Peter, your failure doesn’t define you—your love and your willingness to serve do.”
Peter, the one who had publicly denied Jesus three times, is now being publicly reinstated—not just into friendship with Christ, but into leadership in His kingdom. Only grace can do that. Only grace sends a former failure back into the field, not in shame, but in strength. Peter is not being benched—he’s being sent. This is the remarkable nature of God’s redemption.
This moment is important for all of us who have known the weight of failure. Because when God restores you, He also reassigns you. You are not just allowed back in—you are commissioned again. Your past mistakes don’t eliminate your future usefulness; they often deepen it. Peter would now lead with humility (something he may have lacked in the prior three years). He would now teach with empathy. He would love with a heart softened by mercy.
“Feed My sheep” is a call to action. It’s a charge to take what you’ve received and share it. It’s a call to pour out the same grace Jesus poured into you. It’s about tending to people—those who are searching, hurting, wandering, or questioning. It’s about shepherding not from a pedestal, but from a place of understanding and compassion.
Have you been restored? Then you’ve also been called. Your healing is not the end of the story—it’s the beginning of your assignment. You’ve been entrusted with a mission: to care for others with the same love that restored you. So, go. Feed His sheep. Encourage the weary. Be present for the broken. Speak from your scars, not with pride, but with the power of a story redeemed by grace. You’ve been healed to help others heal.
Reflection Questions
Where is Jesus sending you today? How can your failure and restoration help someone else? What does it mean for you to “feed His sheep”?
Prayers
ECO Church Plants
Pray for the Spanish Alpha Courses. Pray that this would be a powerful tool to reach those far from God with the hope of the gospel. May God use these efforts to build His Church and transform lives through La Casa Church. Pray especially for the Alpha Course for Couples beginning in May. Pray that this would open space for meaningful conversations, strengthen relationships, and lead couples into deeper relationships with Christ.
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