So Peter Messed Up… Same Boat?

Some mornings start empty, like nets dragged through dark water. Then a familiar voice from the shore changes everything. We walk with Peter from the sting of denial to the warmth of a charcoal fire, where Jesus serves breakfast and asks the one question that can heal a fractured heart: do you love me?

Across this short, focused conversation, we trace why imperfect people like Moses, David, and Peter are central to the story of faith. Their failures are real—anger, adultery, denial—but they are not the final word. We revisit the post-resurrection scene in John’s Gospel: the fruitless night, the cast to the right side, the net straining with fish, and John’s quiet certainty, It is the Lord. Peter’s leap into the water becomes a picture of how love outruns shame. On the beach, Jesus replaces interrogation with invitation and turns regret into a renewed mission: feed my sheep.
I share why relationship beats rule-keeping when your heart is bruised, and how restoration is more than a pat on the back—it’s a recommissioning to care for people with courage and tenderness. If you’re carrying guilt, fear, or the weight of a hard night, this reflection offers practical hope: you are not your worst moment, and grace is already making breakfast on the shore. Come as you are, receive forgiveness, and step into the day with purpose.

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Chapters

• 0:10 Welcome And Morning Setup
• 0:32 Imperfect Heroes: Moses, David, Peter
• 1:40 Peter’s Night Of Failure And Return
• 2:38 Breakfast With Jesus And Restoration
• 4:00 Relationship Over Rules
• 4:30 Hope, Forgiveness, And A Fresh Start
• 5:10 Sign-Off And Daily Invitation

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:10

Good morning and welcome to Starting Right. I am Danny Mack, and I'm going to be here every Monday to Friday to help you get a great start to your day. So grab your cup of coffee, sit back and relax for the next five minutes as I help you start your day by starting right. I was asked recently who my favorite Bible character is. Now, I don't really think I have one. I have several of them that really appeal to me, and most of them have the same kind of characteristics. They're guys like Moses and David and Peter. And what I like about all three of those guys is they weren't perfect. I think that's amazing that God chooses imperfect people to fulfill his kingdom. That Moses, who murdered a man, who argued with God, was still chosen to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt. David, David, who messed up big time, who committed murder, who committed adultery, in the New Testament is talked about as a man after God's own heart. And then there's Peter. I love Peter. Peter was so full of emotion and energy, and he responded to situations and the people around him, and he messed up big time more than once, but he was still the guy who walked on water. He was the one who had the most leadership within the disciples. And yet at the very end of Jesus' life, he failed Jesus miserably when he denied Christ three times. After Jesus' death, Peter went back to fishing. He didn't know what else to do. That was all that was left for him. The master was gone. John chapter one tells that story, picking it up in verse five. Jesus called out to them, Friends, have you got any fish? No, they answered. He said, Throw your nets on the right side of the boat, and you will find some. When they did, they were unable to haul the net because it was such a large number of fish. Then John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, said to Peter, It is the Lord. And as soon as Simon Peter heard him say, It is the Lord, he wrapped his outer garment around him, for he had taken it off, and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from the shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it and some bread. And Jesus said to them, Bring some of the fish that you have caught. They brought the net ashore, and Jesus fed them there. Down in verse 15. When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, do you truly love me more than these? Yes, Lord, he said, You know that I love you. Jesus said, Feed my lambs. Simon, son of John, do you truly love me? And he answered, Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. Jesus said, Take care of my sheep. The third time he said to him, Simon, son of John, do you love me? And Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, Do you love me? He said, Lord, you know all things. You know that I love you. And Jesus said, Feed my sheep. Simon Peter, who had denied Christ three times, had turned his back and said that he did not know him, who had cursed and said he didn't know Jesus, now found restoration. Jesus said, Feed my sheep. He was giving authority now to Peter to do the job that he'd been trained to do as a disciple. Not once did Jesus say, Why did you deny me? Not once did Jesus say, Why did you turn your back on me? What was wrong with you? What was the problem with you? Jesus didn't do that to Peter. All he did to him was say, Feed my sheep. The thing about our relationship with God is that it's just that. It is a relationship with God. It's not a bunch of rules, it's not a bunch of do's and don'ts. It's about relationship with Jesus Christ. And when we have that relationship with Jesus, he doesn't beat on us. He just wants to love us. And so, my friends, this morning, if you're carrying a burden over something you feel you've done wrong, somehow you've let yourself down, or you've let your family down, or you've let Jesus down. Don't beat yourself up about it because God's not beaten on you about that. God is just saying, Come to me and let me love you and help you, and I can restore you and forgive you and give you life and hope and joy one more time. And that's why Peter is one of my favorite characters in the New Testament. Because here's a man who was completely imperfect, who messed up big times, and yet Jesus still loved him and Jesus restored him to do what he was called to do and be. And that's the kind of God I love to know that I serve. Have a great day, my friends. We'll talk tomorrow. Thank you for listening today. And I invite you to join me Monday to Friday right here on Starting Right with Danny Mack.