Passion 2025: Pastor urges young people to rise above shame: ‘The enemy wants to steal your future’

Passion Conference/Screenshot

Speaking to a sea of young adults gathered at Passion 2025, Ben Stuart, pastor of Passion City Church, Washington D.C., delivered a message of redemption, hope and renewed mission, urging attendees to embrace faithfulness and rise above shame despite their shortcomings. 

Anchoring his sermon in John 21, Stuart unpacked the narrative of Peter's restoration by Jesus after his devastating denial, framing the story as a call for believers to rise above shame and move forward into their God-given purpose.

“Faithfulness,” Stuart began, “is what Jesus calls us to, even when we fall short.” He brought the story of Peter’s return to fishing, the miraculous catch of fish, and Jesus’s probing question — “Do you love me?” — into focus. 

Stuart emphasized Jesus’s grace-filled approach to Peter, noting that even in the moment of Peter’s deepest shame and failure, Jesus did not cast him aside. Instead, He recreated the circumstances of their first encounter, using a miraculous catch of fish to remind Peter of his original calling.

“He recreates the moment of connection,” Stuart said. “How does Jesus treat you when the thing you swore you’d never do again, you do again? He comes for you. He calls you back. He recreates the moment of connection, and in doing so, says, the door is still open, the relationship is not lost. 'I am still connected to you. I still want you.'"

"That's what He does to Peter, and that's what He's doing to many of you, that when the moment comes, when you say, 'I did it again. I made these choices. I went to dark, sad, broken places God has banished me.' No, He shows up on the shore and calls you home. The relationship is still open."

The pastor pointed out that Jesus’s actions were deliberate, both in recreating the miracle and in addressing Peter’s denial directly, so that Peter could confront his shame and move forward in freedom.

Stuart described the charcoal fire around which Jesus and Peter met in John 21, highlighting its symbolic significance. 

“There are only two charcoal fires in the Bible,” Stuart explained. “The first was where Peter denied Jesus three times, and the second was where Jesus restored him. Jesus recreated the moment of Peter’s failure, not to shame him, but to heal him.”

Stuart recounted encounters with people who had wandered from faith, carrying the weight of their past mistakes.

a“I remember talking to a guy once who was drunk, and when he found out I was a pastor, he said, ‘I used to be in Young Life.’ Then he just trailed off, looking at himself like, ‘What happened?’” Stuart said. “That’s Peter in this story. He’s asking, ‘What happened?’ And Jesus’s response is to show up and call him home.”

Shame, the pastor emphasized, can paralyze people and steal their future. “The enemy wants to steal your future by reminding you of the sins of your past,” he said. “But Jesus puts His hand on the wound — not to hurt you, but to heal you.”

Stuart reflected on Jesus’s playful interactions with the disciples after His resurrection. 

“He calls them ‘little boys’ and asks, ‘You don’t have any fish, do you?’” Stuart said. “It’s a gentle way of showing them their way isn’t working. He’s not dismissive of their sin, but He’s also not harsh. Instead, He cooks them breakfast. Why? Because you eat with people you like.”

Transitioning from restoration to mission, Stuart emphasized that Jesus didn’t just restore Peter; He recommissioned him.

 “What does Jesus say to Peter after asking if he loves Him? He doesn’t drag him back into shame. He says, ‘Feed my sheep.’ He calls Peter forward into his mission.”

Stuart reminded attendees of the stakes of their faith and the needs of the world around them. 

“There are sheep who are suffering — people in your colleges, high schools, and towns who need the hope you carry,” he said. “God’s not calling you back into the boat to fish. He’s calling you to care for His sheep.”

He warned against allowing shame or distractions to sideline them, adding: “Don’t let shame steal from you the future God has for you … and don’t let comparisons hold you back either. When Peter asked about John, Jesus said, ‘What is that to you? You follow me.’ That’s the message for all of us. Jesus is talking to you about you.”

Stuart closed by addressing those who might feel that Jesus’s message of grace and mission isn’t for them. “You might think, ‘Peter betrayed Jesus, but you don’t know what I’ve done.’ Let me tell you something: Jesus paid for that sin. He went to the grave with it and rose again to offer you life.”

“He’s calling you back into relationship, back into mission,” he concluded. “Don’t retreat. Throw yourself into the sea like Peter and swim toward Him. He’s waiting for you on the shore.”

Launched in 1995, the Passion Movement has the stated aim of “calling students and leaders from campuses across the nation and cities around the world to live for what matters most.” Over the years, Passion has given over $18 million to 70 partner organizations around the world.

Part one of Passion 2025, geared toward 18-25-year-olds, was held Jan. 2-4, with part two held Jan. 6-8. The theme of this year's conference was "For His Renown" and featured founder Louie Giglio, Sadie Robertson Huff, Jackie Hill Perry, Jonathan Pokluda and others, with music from Brooke Ligertwood, Kari Jobe, Cody Carnes, KB and Passion Music.