Embracing Wounds: The Journey to Restoration
Summary
Easter is a season of new life, but it doesn’t mean we leave all our burdens behind. Even after resurrection, we carry wounds, regrets, and struggles—some visible, some hidden deep within. The disciples, especially Peter, knew this well. After the trauma of Jesus’ death and Peter’s own denial, they returned to familiar routines, haunted by what they could not forget. Yet, when Jesus appears, he doesn’t ignore these wounds. He meets Peter in his pain, not to accuse, but to restore. Restoration, though, requires honesty. Jesus names the wounds, walks Peter through them, and in doing so, offers a path to healing.
This journey is not just Peter’s. All of us have places inside we’d rather keep hidden—our “demons,” as the Imagine Dragons song puts it. We fear that if others see our darkness, they’ll turn away. But where the world says, “Don’t get too close,” Jesus draws near. He sits with us in our haunted places, not to shame, but to heal. Grace is not repelled by our struggles; it moves toward us, offering companionship and transformation, not a quick fix. Jesus doesn’t erase our past, but he can transform it, stitching together what was torn, inviting us back into belonging even with our scars.
No one is disqualified from love or purpose because of what they carry. The struggles, regrets, and even mental health battles do not make us less worthy—they make us human. Jesus meets us right there, offering love and presence. Sometimes, we can’t lay down our burdens overnight, but grace can carry us when we cannot carry ourselves.
As a church, we are called to embody this grace for one another. The invitation is to come to the table as you are, without pretense or payment. Communion is not a reward for the worthy, but a gift for the weary. Our community is called to be a place where no one has to hide, where everyone is welcome, and where restoration happens together. In the haunting, there is healing; in the struggle, there is solidarity; and in every shadow, God’s light refuses to let us go.
Key Takeaways
- True restoration begins with honesty. Jesus does not gloss over Peter’s wounds or pretend they don’t exist. Instead, he names them and walks Peter through the pain, showing that healing requires facing our brokenness with courage and truth. Only then can grace begin its work of mending what is torn. [01:35]
- The fear of being “too broken” for love is a lie that isolates us. Many of us hide our struggles, believing that if others saw our darkness, they would turn away. Yet, Jesus steps into those very places, offering presence and acceptance, proving that nothing disqualifies us from love or belonging. [03:35]
- Grace is not a quick fix, but a faithful companion. Jesus does not erase Peter’s past or offer easy answers. Instead, he transforms the pain through relationship, showing us how to carry what feels unbearable and inviting us to return to belonging, scars and all. [05:04]
- Our struggles, including mental health battles, do not make us less worthy—they make us human. The gospel affirms that we are not disqualified by what we carry. Jesus meets us in our humanity, offering love and presence, and calls us to trust that grace will carry us even when we cannot carry ourselves. [06:15]
- The church is called to be a place of radical welcome and honest community. Communion is not a prize for the perfect, but a table for the weary. We are invited to come as we are, without pretense or payment, and to create a space where no one has to hide their struggles, but can find healing and solidarity together. [06:53]
Youtube Chapters
[00:00] - Welcome
[00:17] - Lakes Called Seas: Setting the Scene
[00:32] - Resurrection and Lingering Wounds
[01:06] - The Disciples’ Return to Old Patterns
[01:20] - Peter’s Denial and the Weight of Regret
[01:35] - Jesus’ Restorative Encounter with Peter
[01:50] - Imagine Dragons and Hidden Struggles
[03:02] - The Fear of Being Known
[03:49] - Jesus Steps Into Our Haunted Places
[04:07] - The Reality of Mental Health Struggles
[05:04] - Grace as Companionship, Not a Quick Fix
[05:41] - What Haunts Us: Naming Our Struggles
[06:15] - Worthiness and the Lie of Disqualification
[06:53] - Radical Welcome at the Table
[07:53] - Why We Don’t Collect Before Communion
[09:50] - Stories of Restoration and Community
[10:42] - Grace Stronger Than What Haunts Us
[11:01] - Closing Prayer
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
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### Bible Reading
John 21:1-19
(The story of Jesus’ restorative encounter with Peter after Peter’s denial)
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### Observation Questions
1. In John 21, what are the disciples doing when Jesus appears to them after the resurrection? Why do you think they returned to this activity?
2. How does Jesus approach Peter after his denial? What specific actions or words does Jesus use to address Peter’s past?
3. According to the sermon, what are some of the “wounds” or “demons” that people carry, and how are these described? [[03:02]]
4. What is the significance of Jesus asking Peter three times, “Do you love me?” in light of Peter’s earlier denial?
---
### Interpretation Questions
1. Why might Jesus choose to address Peter’s denial directly instead of ignoring it? What does this tell us about the way Jesus handles our failures? [[01:35]]
2. The sermon mentions that “restoration requires honesty.” What does it look like for someone to be honest about their wounds or struggles in a faith community? [[01:35]]
3. The phrase “grace is not a quick fix, but a faithful companion” was used. What does this mean in the context of Peter’s story and our own lives? [[05:04]]
4. The sermon says, “The gospel affirms that we are not disqualified by what we carry.” How does this challenge common beliefs about worthiness and belonging in church? [[06:15]]
---
### Application Questions
1. The disciples went back to fishing after Jesus’ death, returning to old routines. When you face regret or pain, what “old routines” or habits do you find yourself returning to? How might Jesus want to meet you there? [[01:06]]
2. Peter’s restoration happened in front of others, not in private. Is there a struggle or regret you’ve been carrying alone? What would it look like to let someone trustworthy into that part of your story? [[10:22]]
3. The sermon talks about the fear of being “too broken” for love. Have you ever felt this way? How did it affect your relationships with God or others? [[03:35]]
4. Jesus invites us to come to the table “as we are.” Are there ways you feel you need to “clean up” or “fix” yourself before coming to God or church? What would it mean to accept the invitation as you are? [[06:53]]
5. The church is called to be a place where “no one has to hide their struggles.” What is one practical thing our group or church could do to make this more of a reality? [[06:53]]
6. The sermon mentions mental health struggles and the lie that they disqualify us. How can we as a group support each other in our mental and emotional health, especially when things feel heavy? [[04:07]]
7. Grace “carries us when we cannot carry ourselves.” Can you share a time when you felt carried by God or by others during a difficult season? What did that look like? [[06:34]]
---
Devotional
Day 1: Restoration Requires Honesty and Facing Our Wounds
Restoration is not about pretending our wounds do not exist, but about naming them and walking through them with honesty. Jesus does not accuse or shame Peter for his denials; instead, He invites Peter into a holy reckoning, asking hard questions that lead to healing and restoration. This process is not easy, but it is necessary for true transformation, as Jesus gently leads us to confront what haunts us so that we can be made whole. [01:35]
John 21:15-17 (ESV)
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep."
Reflection: What is one wound or regret you have been avoiding? How might you invite Jesus to walk with you through it honestly today?
Day 2: Grace Moves Toward Us, Not Away
No matter what we carry—regrets, secrets, or struggles—Jesus is not repelled by our pain or brokenness. Instead, He draws near, sits with us in our haunted places, and offers companionship rather than condemnation. His grace does not erase our past but transforms it, showing us how to carry what feels unbearable and reminding us that we are never alone in our struggles. [04:43]
Romans 8:38-39 (ESV)
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Reflection: When you feel weighed down by your struggles, how can you remind yourself that Jesus is drawing near to you, not turning away?
Day 3: You Are Not Disqualified by Your Struggles
The struggles, regrets, or even the “demons” you wrestle with do not make you less worthy of love or purpose. The truth of the gospel is that you are not disqualified or too broken; your humanity is not a barrier to God’s love. Jesus meets you exactly where you are, sits with you in your pain, and assures you that you are still invited to belong and to serve. [06:15]
2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV)
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Reflection: What is one area where you have believed you are “too broken” for God or others? How can you receive God’s assurance of your worthiness today?
Day 4: The Table Is Open—Come As You Are
The invitation to Christ’s table is for everyone, regardless of where you are in life or what you have to offer. There is no payment or prerequisite; you are welcomed just as you are, with all your struggles and imperfections. The church is called to be a place where no one has to hide, where all are invited to come to the table and experience the grace and acceptance of Jesus. [07:30]
Matthew 11:28 (ESV)
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Reflection: Is there something that makes you feel unworthy to come to Jesus or to the table? What would it look like to accept His invitation just as you are today?
Day 5: Grace Is Stronger Than What Haunts Us
Whatever shadows or struggles we carry, God’s grace is stronger and His light refuses to let us go. In the midst of haunting memories, fears, or pain, there is healing and solidarity; we are called to carry one another in love and to trust that God’s presence is with us, bringing hope and restoration even in the darkest places. [10:42]
Psalm 34:18 (ESV)
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
Reflection: Who in your life might need to experience God’s grace through your presence or encouragement today? How can you be that grace for them?
Quotes
The disciples are back at sea, fishing, falling into old rhythms of trauma after trauma, perhaps trying to move forward while carrying the weight of everything that's happened. Fear, betrayal, failure. Peter especially knows what it is to be haunted. He's carrying this thing of denial. [00:00:56]
When Jesus appears, Peter is invited into a painful but holy reckoning. It's not an accusation. It's a restoration. But restoration requires honesty. Jesus doesn't pretend the wounds aren't there. He names them. He walks Peter through them. [00:01:30]
See, my mom used to tell me those families who say we're perfect and we're happy and we've got it all together. She's like, "No, there's something underneath there. There's something that they don't want the people outside of their family to see." [00:02:31]
How many of us have pushed people away when we're carrying so much and we don't want them to know what we're carrying. That's what that's talking about. Isn't that fear that if we let people get too close, too close to the truth of our struggles, our failures, our depression, anxiety, our trauma, the turn away, that the real us is too broken to be loved. [00:03:10]
But here's the grace. Where the song tells us don't get too close, Jesus does precisely that. He steps into the haunted places. He sits down at Peter's fire, breaks bread, and ask the hard questions, not to shame, but to heal. [00:03:49]
When we carry the demons, the regrets, the unspoken struggles, struggles are real. Mental health struggles are real and their weight can feel unbearable at times. Now mental health struggles doesn't mean you live with mental illness. All of us at some point in our lives may have mental health struggles. [00:04:09]
But the grace we see in Jesus isn't repelled by what haunts us. It moves us toward us. It stays. The song also says, "I can't escape this now unless you show me how." That's where Christ's grace meets us. not with an easy fix, but with companionship that shows us how to carry what feels unbearable. [00:04:54]
Jesus doesn't erase Peter's past, he transforms it. Each, "Do you love me?" becomes a stitch, mending what was torn. Each answer, "Yes, Lord, you know I love you." Is Peter returning to belonging even with the scars? [00:05:21]
Maybe you believe the lie that it disqualifies you from love or purpose or affirmation. But here it is. The gospel today and the honesty of demons tells the truth about our struggle and about grace. You are not disqualified. You are not too broken. [00:05:56]
The demons you wrestle with don't make you less worthy of love. They make you human. And Jesus meets you, sits with you, loves you through it. We can't always lay down what we carry overnight, but we can trust that grace will carry us even when we are haunted. [00:06:23]
And here's a deeper call. As a church, we are called to be that grace for one another. to create a space where no one has to hide their demons, where no one hears, don't get too close, but instead come to the table just as you are. [00:06:47]
Come to the table as you are. That is the literal invitation or communion. In this church, we don't care where you are in life's journey. And that goes a long way. If you feel I'm going to receive communion, then you come because it is not my table. [00:07:12]
It is not one specific person's table. It is Christ's table. Jesus is inviting you to that table. Now, most congregations often time do the collection before communion. I grew up in a similar situation and I know many of you probably did. [00:07:34]
I want you to feel that you are invited to the table regardless. Whether you give a penny, whether you give a $100, or whether you say, "Not today. I don't have any." That's okay, too. [00:09:33]
Peter's restoration wasn't private. It happened in the community and so was ours. What we carry matters, but what matters more is that grace is stronger than what haunts us. In the haunting there is healing. And in the struggle there is solidarity. [00:10:33]
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