From Brokenness to a Breakthrough

Have you ever failed so badly that you thought there was no coming back? That moment when everything falls apart, when you hit the bottom and wonder if you’ll ever be whole again? If so, you’re not alone. And here’s the good news—your breakthrough is often just on the other side of your breaking point.

In the fourth message of The Journey series, we explored The Breakthrough—the moment when brokenness meets healing, when failure turns to restoration, and when we finally become who God created us to be. We looked at John 21:15-19, where Peter, after his greatest failure, encounters the resurrected Jesus and is restored.

The Breaking: When We Hit the Bottom

Every journey has a breaking point. A moment when we come face to face with our biggest wounds, our deepest shame, and our greatest fears. For Peter, that moment came around a fire in a courtyard when he denied Jesus three times. And when the rooster crowed, he ran away, hid, and he wept bitterly.

What’s your breaking point? Maybe it’s a mistake you can’t take back. Maybe it’s a wound you’ve carried for years. Maybe it’s the fear that you’ll never be enough. Whatever it is, here’s what you need to know: your failure does not define you. Satan wants you to believe that your brokenness is who you really are. But God created you for more. He knows who He created you to be, and He wants to give you your true identity. The battle of our lives is a battle for identity. If Satan can convince us that we are nothing more than our wounds, our sins, or our failures, he can keep us from stepping into the life God has designed for us. But Jesus came to restore what was lost—to finally bestow on us the identity He's been waiting to give.

The Healing: Facing Jesus and Finding Grace

When Peter hit rock bottom, Jesus didn’t leave him there. After His resurrection, Jesus called Peter to Him in a recreation of Peter's first calling and a mirror of Peter's worst moment. Peter had denied Jesus around a coal fire. Now, on the shore, he finds Jesus waiting for him—around another coal fire. But this time, it wasn’t a moment of shame; it was a moment of grace. Jesus had prepared breakfast. Before any conversation, before any confrontation, Jesus simply invited Peter to sit and eat. Jesus used Peter's brokenness to bring give him healing.

This is what Jesus does for us. When we reach the bottom, when we feel like we can’t go any further, He meets us there—not with condemnation, but with an invitation to be healed. And in that moment, we have a choice: will we sit with Jesus and allow Him to feed us, or will we keep running from our pain?

Jesus wants to feed us, not in a way that ignores or erases our brokenness, but by using our brokenness. He wants to remind us that our failures do not make us unworthy of His presence. When we let Him feed us, we begin to understand that we are still His. That He still calls us His own. That we are still meant for more.

Have you let Jesus meet you in your brokenness? Have you allowed Him to feed you—to nourish you with His grace, His love, and His presence? Healing doesn’t come from pretending everything is fine. It comes from facing Jesus, surrendering your brokenness, and letting Him restore you.

The Commission: Becoming Who You Were Meant to Be

Jesus didn’t just restore Peter; He called him to something greater.

After breakfast, Jesus took Peter on a walk—away from the coal fire, away from the reminder of his failure. Peter had to step away from his past to step into his future.

And then, Jesus asked him three times, “Do you love me?”

Three times Peter had denied Him, and now, three times, Jesus gave him the opportunity to reaffirm his commitment. But this wasn’t just about forgiveness—it was a commission. Each time Peter answered yes, Jesus responded with the command: “Feed my sheep.”

This was the moment Peter received his true identity. This was the climax of his Journey. He was no longer defined by his failure or his past. He was no longer just a fisherman. He was no longer the man who had denied Jesus. He was healed. He was restored. And he was called.

What if your greatest failure is the very thing God wants to use to reveal your calling? What if the pain you’ve walked through is the very thing that will equip you to help others?

Your journey isn’t over. Your story isn’t finished. If you’re willing to let Jesus restore you, He will use you in ways you never imagined. This is where your true identity begins.

Your Invitation

Are you ready to be restored?

Maybe you’re at your breaking point, feeling like there’s no way forward. Maybe you’ve been carrying a wound for too long, and it’s time to let Jesus heal it. Or maybe you’ve had your breakthrough, but you’ve been hesitant to step into the calling God has placed on your life.

Take a moment to reflect:

• Have you been identifying yourself by your failures instead of God’s grace?

• Have you allowed Jesus to meet you in your brokenness and bring healing?

• Are you ready to step forward into your new identity and the purpose He has for you?

  
  

This may be the climax, but The Journey isn't over. In fact, in many ways it may just be beginning. Next week, we’ll explore The Return—what it means to live out our calling beyond the breakthrough.

Want to go deeper? Watch the full sermon here:

The Breakthrough | Mt. Olive Church

You don’t have to stay where you are. Your breakthrough is waiting.