Love to the End

  • Pastor Josh Smith
Have you ever felt like you’ve messed up so badly that there’s no way back? Maybe you’ve denied Jesus in subtle ways—through your choices, your words, or your silence. What if the love of Jesus isn’t fragile or conditional, but constant and unbreakable, waiting for the perfect moment to restore you?

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Love to the End

Message Summary
Have you ever felt like you’ve messed up so badly that there’s no way back? Maybe you’ve denied Jesus in subtle ways—through your choices, your words, or your silence. What if the love of Jesus isn’t fragile or conditional, but constant and unbreakable, waiting for the perfect moment to restore you?
Key Scripture
After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.” “Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him. Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.” “Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said. A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.”
John 21:15-17
Additional Scriptures

 

 

5 Day Devotional

Day 1

Day 1: The Depth of Divine Love

Scripture Reference: John 3:16-21

Scripture: For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so their deeds can be shown that they were done through God.

Devotional: The love of God is not fragile, conditional, or measured—it is limitless. While our human capacity to love has boundaries, exhaustion points, and breaking moments, God’s love toward you operates on an entirely different scale. He demonstrated this love by giving His one and only Son, not as a last resort, but as the ultimate expression of His heart toward humanity.

Consider how different this is from the relationships you experience. We love those who love us back. We invest in relationships that show promise of return. We eventually distance ourselves from those who repeatedly hurt us. But God’s love? It pursues despite betrayal. It extends despite abandonment. It continues despite denial. This is the standard-setting love that Jesus demonstrated—a love that doesn’t calculate the cost of forgiveness or measure out grace in limited portions.

Today, you’re invited to stop viewing God’s love through the lens of human relationships. His love isn’t waiting for you to get it together before it activates. It’s already extended, already pursuing, already calling your name. The question isn’t whether He loves you—the question is whether you’ll finally stop hesitating and receive it.

Response Questions:

  1. In what ways have you measured God’s love by human standards, expecting it to have limits or conditions that simply don’t exist?
  2. What past betrayals, failures, or denials have caused you to hesitate in fully receiving God’s limitless love for you?
  3. How would your daily life change if you truly believed that God’s love for you is constant, unbreakable, and without measure?

Prayer Points:

  • Ask God to reveal the depth of His love for you in a way that breaks through your hesitation and doubt.
  • Thank God for loving you not because of what you bring to the relationship, but simply because of who He is.

 

 

Day 2

Day 2: When Love Meets Our Betrayal

Scripture Reference: Matthew 26:31-35

Scripture: On the way, Jesus told them, “Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say, ‘God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.” Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” “No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the other disciples vowed the same.

Devotional: Peter’s bold declaration rings with sincerity—”Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.” How many times have we made similar promises to God? We declare our devotion in moments of spiritual high, convinced that our love for Him will never waver. Yet Jesus, in His gentle wisdom, knew Peter better than Peter knew himself.

What’s remarkable here isn’t Peter’s failure—it’s Jesus’s response to it. Before the betrayal even happened, Jesus was already planning the restoration. “After I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.” In other words: “I know you’re going to fail me, Peter. I know you’re going to deny me three times. And I’m already making plans to meet you on the other side of your worst moment.”

This is the nature of Jesus’s love. He doesn’t wait to see if we’ll prove ourselves worthy. He doesn’t withdraw when He knows we’re about to fail. Instead, He moves toward restoration even before the fracture occurs. Your worst moment—the one that makes you feel disqualified from God’s presence—Jesus has already planned to meet you on the other side of it.

Response Questions:

  1. What bold promises have you made to God that you’ve failed to keep, and how has that failure affected your willingness to approach Him?
  2. How does it change your perspective to know that Jesus plans your restoration even before your failure happens?
  3. In what area of your life do you need to stop punishing yourself and instead believe that Jesus has already made plans to meet you on the other side?

Prayer Points:

  • Confess the ways you’ve fallen short of your promises to God, and receive His grace that was already extended before you even failed.
  • Ask Jesus to help you see yourself through His eyes of love rather than through the lens of your worst moments.

 

 

Day 3

Day 3: The Weight of Denial

Scripture Reference: Luke 22:54-62

Scripture: So they arrested him and led him to the high priest’s home. And Peter followed at a distance. The guards lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter joined them there. A servant girl noticed him in the firelight and began staring at him. Finally she said, “This man was one of Jesus’ followers!” But Peter denied it. “Woman,” he said, “I don’t even know him!” After a while someone else looked at him and said, “You must be one of them!” “No, man, I’m not!” Peter retorted. About an hour later someone else insisted, “This must be one of them, because he is a Galilean, too.” But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Suddenly, the Lord’s words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly.

Devotional: There’s something devastating about that moment when Jesus looked at Peter. Not a look of anger or condemnation, but a look that simply acknowledged the reality of what had just happened. Peter had sworn at a little girl in his adamant denial of knowing Jesus. And in that moment of eye contact, the full weight of his betrayal came crashing down.

Maybe you know that feeling—the moment when you realize you’ve done the very thing you promised you’d never do. The moment when your actions are so far from who you want to be that you barely recognize yourself. Peter wept bitterly because he had to sit with the reality of his failure. He couldn’t take it back. He couldn’t undo what he’d done.

But here’s what we often miss: those bitter tears weren’t the end of Peter’s story. Yes, he denied Jesus. Yes, he fell apart when it mattered most. Yes, he felt the crushing weight of his failure. But Jesus’s love doesn’t end when our performance fails. In fact, that’s often when His love becomes most evident—not when we’re at our best, but when we’re sitting in the wreckage of our worst.

Response Questions:

  1. What moment of failure in your life still brings tears when you think about it, and how has that moment shaped your view of God’s love?
  2. In what ways do you still carry the weight of past denials—times when you’ve distanced yourself from Jesus in order to protect yourself?
  3. How can you allow yourself to weep over your failures without getting stuck in the belief that those failures define your relationship with Jesus?

Prayer Points:

  • Bring before God the failures that still haunt you, asking Him to replace the weight of shame with the freedom of His forgiveness.
  • Pray for the courage to make eye contact with Jesus again—to stop avoiding His gaze and instead see the love that remains despite your denials.

 

Day 4

Day 4: Breakfast on the Beach

Scripture Reference: [John 21:1-14](https://www.bible.com/bible/116/JHN.21.1-14.NLT**Scripture:** Later, Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened. Several of the disciples were there—Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples. Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.” “We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night. At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was. He called out, “Fellows, have you caught any fish?” “No,” they replied. Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it. Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore. The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only about a hundred yards from shore. When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them—fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread. “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus said. So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn’t torn. “Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead.

Devotional: Imagine the awkwardness Peter must have felt. He had denied Jesus three times. Jesus had appeared to the disciples twice already, but there had been no conversation between them—no clearing of the air, no addressing of the elephant in the room. Peter likely wondered if he had completely ruined everything. So he did what many of us do when life gets uncomfortable—he went back to what was familiar. “I’m going fishing.”

But here’s the beautiful reality: Jesus didn’t wait for Peter to come crawling back with the perfect apology. He didn’t make Peter earn his way back into relationship. Instead, Jesus showed up at dawn on the beach and cooked breakfast. He served them. After everything—the betrayal, the denial, the abandonment—Jesus was still serving.

This is the heart of God toward you. You don’t have to have the perfect words or the perfect posture before you approach Him. He’s already preparing a place for you. He’s already waiting on the shore. And when you finally recognize Him and swim frantically toward Him (because you realize it’s Him and you can’t get there fast enough), He won’t lecture you or shame you. He’ll simply say, “Come and have some breakfast.”

Response Questions:

  1. When have you gone back to old patterns or familiar routines because you were avoiding a necessary conversation with Jesus?
  2. What does it reveal about Jesus’s character that He served breakfast to the very disciples who had abandoned Him in His darkest hour?
  3. In what area of your life do you need to stop trying to earn your way back and simply accept the invitation to “come and have some breakfast”?

Prayer Points:

  • Thank Jesus for not waiting for you to get it together before He shows up in your life with love and provision.
  • Ask God to help you recognize His presence in the ordinary moments of your life—the dawns, the meals, the quiet invitations to draw near.

 

 

Day 5

Day 5: Do You Love Me?

Scripture Reference: John 21:15-19

Scripture: After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.” “Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him. Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.” “Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said. A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep. I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go.” Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.”

Devotional: Three denials. Three questions. This wasn’t Jesus being cruel—it was Jesus being redemptive. Each question gave Peter the opportunity to reaffirm what he had denied. Each answer was a step toward restoration. And notice that Jesus didn’t just forgive Peter and send him on his way—He gave him a mission: “Feed my lambs. Take care of my sheep. Feed my sheep.”

When Jesus restores us, He doesn’t just wipe the slate clean and leave us wondering what’s next. He gives us purpose. He invites us into His work. He trusts us with what matters most to Him—His people. Peter, who had failed so spectacularly, was now being entrusted with the care of Jesus’s flock.

The third question hurt because Peter finally felt the weight of his three denials. But that sting wasn’t meant to punish—it was meant to heal. Sometimes we need to feel the depth of what we’ve done in order to fully receive the depth of what’s been forgiven. And after the hurt, after the honest acknowledgment of “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you,” Jesus simply said, “Follow me.”

That’s the invitation for you today. No matter how many times you’ve denied Him, no matter how deep your failures run, Jesus is asking you: Do you love Me? And when you answer yes—even through tears, even with trembling—He says, “Then follow Me. I have work for you to do. I’m not done with you. In fact, I’m just getting started.”

Response Questions:

  1. If Jesus asked you today, “Do you love Me?” what honest answer would come from the deepest part of your heart?
  2. In what ways have you disqualified yourself from serving Jesus because of past failures, when He’s actually already restored you and given you a mission?
  3. What does it mean for you personally to hear Jesus say “Follow Me” today—what is He calling you toward that you’ve been hesitating to pursue?

Prayer Points:

  • Respond to Jesus’s question with honesty—tell Him about your love for Him, including the fears and doubts that sometimes cloud that love.
  • Ask Jesus to reveal the specific mission He has for you—the “sheep” He’s entrusting to your care—and pray for the courage to follow Him wherever He leads.

 

 

GrowGroup Guide

A weekly guide to carry the conversation beyond Sunday morning.

A King Who Loves to the End

Opening Prayer (2-3 minutes)

Begin by thanking God for His unmeasurable, constant love and ask the Holy Spirit to guide your conversation and help each person engage honestly with how Jesus is calling them deeper.

Icebreaker (5-7 minutes)

Question: What’s something you’ve hesitated to do for a long time but finally did? What made you finally take action?

This gets people talking and warms up the theme of “crucifying hesitation” in a light, relatable way.

Watch or Recap the Sermon (5 minutes)

If your group didn’t attend together, briefly summarize the key points or watch a short clip focusing on the breakfast scene in John 21.

Discussion Questions

1. The Weight of Denial

Question: Peter denied Jesus three times, and when Jesus looked at him after the third denial, Peter “wept bitterly.” Have you ever experienced a moment where you realized you’d betrayed or denied Jesus in some way? What did that feel like?

Context from Sermon: The pastor described how Peter went from bold declarations (“I will never deny you!”) to cursing at a little girl to distance himself from Jesus. When the rooster crowed and Jesus made eye contact with Peter, the weight of his denial crushed him. The pastor also shared how standing at the Sea of Galilee, he was overwhelmed by all the “little sneaky, subtle ways” he had denied Jesus throughout his life—through eating patterns, treatment of others, and everyday choices.

Leader Tip: This is vulnerable territory. Share your own example first to set the tone. Remind the group that recognizing our denials isn’t about shame—it’s about honoring the reality of what Jesus forgives.

2. Living in the Awkward In-Between

Question: After the resurrection, Jesus appeared to the disciples twice without addressing Peter directly. How do you think Peter felt during that time? Have you ever been in that “awkward in-between” space with Jesus—knowing He’s alive and present but not sure where you stand with Him?

Context from Sermon: The pastor described those two post-resurrection appearances where Jesus said nothing to Peter. He painted the picture of Peter mentally reviewing all of Jesus’s teachings (“For God so loved the world…”) while wondering if he was now excluded. It’s like running into someone at Costco after a fractured relationship—you make eye contact but haven’t aired things out yet. Peter was probably thinking, “I’m sunk.”

Leader Tip: Many people live in this space without realizing it—they believe Jesus is real but aren’t sure they’re fully reconciled to Him. Help people name this feeling.

3. The Significance of Three

Question: Jesus asked Peter “Do you love me?” three times—the same number of times Peter denied Him. Why do you think Jesus chose to ask three times? What does this tell us about how Jesus restores us?

Context from Sermon: The pastor emphasized that three is the number of perfection in the Bible (angels sing “Holy, holy, holy”). Jesus waited for the perfect moment to ask the perfect question to restore His relationship with Peter perfectly. It wasn’t about rubbing Peter’s nose in it—it was about complete restoration. Jesus knew the third question would sting, helping Peter understand the depth of his denial while offering complete healing. The pastor said, “Jesus has waited for the perfect moment to ask the perfect question, to restore his relationship with Peter perfectly.”

Leader Tip: Help the group see that restoration isn’t quick or superficial. Jesus brings us through a process that honors both the hurt and the healing.

4. Measured vs. Unmeasured Love

Question: The sermon said our love is “measured”—it has limits and eventually we “cut our losses and move on.” But Jesus’s love is unmeasured, constant, and unbreakable. Where in your life do you need to experience the unmeasured love of Jesus right now?

Context from Sermon: The pastor described how we all have that family member who “can’t get their junk together” and after enough disappointment, we seal things up and move on. We count relationships as “no longer worth the emotional investment.” He admitted, “I got limits. You find me on the wrong day and you might catch the end of that limit.” But Jesus? He “continues to pursue humanity despite betrayal, abandonment and denial.” His love held Him to obedience even to a criminal’s death, and it’s still reaching out to us today.

Leader Tip: This question moves from head to heart. Give people space to sit with it. Some may need to receive Jesus’s unmeasured love; others may need to extend more grace to someone in their life.

5. The Miracle, the Meal, and the Moment

Question: Jesus performed a miracle (153 fish), prepared a meal (breakfast on the beach), and created a moment (the restoration conversation). Which of these three stands out most to you, and why?

Context from Sermon: The pastor highlighted that even after being raised from the dead, Jesus was “still serving”—preparing breakfast for His disciples. He said, “Jesus has just been raised from the dead… and he’s still serving.” Jesus wasn’t just busy with “resurrection stuff”—He was about restoring fractured relationships at the right moment. The combination of miracle (provision), meal (intimacy), and moment (restoration) shows the full picture of how Jesus meets us.

Leader Tip: Different people will connect with different aspects. Some need to see Jesus’s power (miracle), others His care (meal), others His intentionality (moment).

6. Crucifying Hesitation

Question: The sermon challenged us to “crucify hesitation” and finally invite Jesus’s unmeasurable love into our hearts. What’s one area where you’ve been hesitating—where you know Jesus is calling you but you’ve been holding back?

Context from Sermon: The pastor said, “Some of you have lived a lot of years where you’ve probably heard the message… and we’ve been careless, lazy. I’ve got time. This is more of a bother. I’m just here for Grandma.” He challenged people to stop being spectators and finally let Jesus live in their hearts fully. He warned that hesitation keeps us from experiencing the restored relationship Jesus offers. “Today is a day of decision. Today’s a really good day to crucify hesitation.”

Leader Tip: This is your application question. Be specific. Hesitation might look like: fully surrendering a relationship, changing a habit, forgiving someone, serving somewhere, or having an honest conversation with God.

Closing Prayer (5-7 minutes)

Invite anyone who wants prayer to share briefly. Pray specifically for:

  • Those who need to experience Jesus’s unmeasured love in a fresh way
  • Those who are ready to “crucify hesitation” and surrender an area they’ve been holding back
  • Those who need restoration in a fractured relationship (with Jesus or others)
  • Those making a first-time commitment to follow Jesus

Close by thanking Jesus for being the King who loves to the end—who waits for the perfect moment to restore us perfectly.

 

 

Family Table Talk

A weekly practice you can do beyond Sunday morning.

📖 Scripture

John 13:1 – “Having loved his own… he loved them to the end.”

❓Family Question

How does Jesus love differently than we do?

💬 Parent Prompt:

Talk about limits in human love. Ask: “What does it mean that Jesus never stops loving us?”

 

 

Weekly Practice

A weekly practice you can do beyond Sunday morning.

Practice: Stay at the Cross

Spend time reflecting on Jesus’ love that didn’t quit—even when it hurt.

Read: John 13:1 or the crucifixion story

Ask: “Where would I have walked away?”

Thank Jesus for staying.

Worship or sit quietly.

 “Jesus didn’t stop loving when it cost Him.”