The Charcoal Fire: Accepting Forgiveness When You Can’t Forgive Yourself | Shawnee Community Christian Church

Regret is a lonely place to live. It tells us we aren’t worthy of love and that our worst mistakes define us. But faith isn’t about being perfect; it’s a “group project” where we lean on God’s abundance when our own reserves are dry.

“After everything went sideways, Peter and the guys went back to the only thing they knew: fishing. They caught nothing all night. At dawn, a guy on the beach—who they didn’t realize was Jesus—told them to try the other side of the boat. Suddenly, they had more fish than they could carry. When they got to shore, Jesus didn’t give them a lecture; He gave them breakfast. He asked Peter three times, ‘Do you love me?’ – matching the three times Peter had turned his back—and then told him, ‘Okay, then get back to work caring for my people’.

We often think God is waiting to condemn us, but Tabatha reminds us there isn’t a “syllable of judgement” in this story. Jesus uses the ordinary—a meal of bread and fish—to set Peter free from his shame.

YouTube Chapters

0:00 – The Heavy Weight of Regret

3:15 – Tabatha’s Paraphrase: Going Back to What We Know

7:42 – Grounded Insight: Why Jesus Makes Breakfast

12:10 – The Three Questions: Mirroring Our Mistakes

18:30 – Active Hope: Being Born Anew in Forgiveness