Follow Me Again, A Shepherding Sermon for the New Year John 21 At the start of a new year, many of us feel what could be called the New Year Ache—a quiet pressure to fix ourselves, reinvent our lives, or prove we’re enough. Even when life is good, January often amplifies exhaustion, comparison, regret, and a crisis of confidence. This message explores why cultural solutions to that ache ultimately fall short. While the world tells us to stop striving by convincing ourselves we’re already enough, the gospel offers a deeper and truer hope: we are restored not by self-belief, but by re-anchored dependence on Jesus. Peter’s Confidence Collapse — and Ours In John 21, Peter meets Jesus after his greatest failure. Peter’s struggle isn’t just burnout—it’s fracture: -moral collapse (he denied Jesus), -identity collapse (“I thought I was that kind of man”), and -vocational collapse (“Can I still lead?”). Fishing again wasn’t sin—it was retreating into what he could control. Jesus restores Peter not by sending him inward to fix himself, nor by ignoring his failure, but by restoring him to his calling: “Feed my sheep. Follow me.” Peter’s soul is healed because: -he is forgiven without minimizing, -reinstated without probation, -and trusted without pretending. The Big Idea Jesus restores people not by telling them to fix themselves, but by re-anchoring them in His love and calling—inviting them to follow again, this time without illusion. This message invites us to recognize our own temptation to retreat into control, productivity, or self-optimization—and to hear Jesus’ gentle call again: Follow me. The Frontier Why This sermon also launches Frontier’s January Vision Series and answers a foundational question: Why does the church exist in this cultural moment? At our core, Frontier exists to be: a counter-cultural family, formed by the presence of Jesus, for the frontiers of modern culture. Not a community built on performance or confidence, but one shaped by dependence, formation, and faithful presence. Reset to Rhythms The message introduces a seven-week Reset to Rhythms journey, inviting the church into shared practices of prayer, fasting, and reflection—not to fix ourselves, but to follow Jesus with intention as we prepare for a new season and a new home. Closing Invitation As we begin the year: -Don’t reinvent your life. -Don’t carry what was never meant to be on your back. -Let God re-form you. You don’t have to carry the year today. Just follow the Shepherd this week.
