Podcast appearances and mentions of simon peter

Matthew 16:13-20 English Standard Version Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ 13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ. English Standard Version (ESV) The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.ESV Text Edition: 2025.

On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on Him to hear the word of God, [Jesus] … sat down and taught the people from [Simon Peter's] boat. And when He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at Your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. … But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” … And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him. (Luke 5:1a, 3b-6, 8, 10b-11)

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Send a textIn this very familiar section of Scripture we see Jesus telling the disciples after they have fished all night to cast the net again and they catch so many fish they almost sink the boat.  They need to recognize without Him they can do nothing, as do we.  Then He feeds the disciples with fish He has created for their breakfast in the same fashion He multiplied the fish and the loaves at the feeding of the 5000 men and their families.  He then proceeds to restore Peter by asking him three times do you love me.  That is the question of all time, do we love Jesus more than others, more than things, more than anything.  As the old song says I would rather have Jesus than silver or gold, than riches untold, I rather have Jesus than anything this world affords. Is this true of you?       Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?             John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.               “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32           Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.              hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.nethttps://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don't go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F            The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions

Into the DeepFebruary 15, 2026 • RD McClenagan • Luke 5:1–16In Luke 4, Jesus withdraws to pray, but when the crowds find him and urge him to stay, he explains that he must continue preaching the good news of the kingdom of God because that is the purpose for which he was sent. Then moving into Luke 5, Jesus teaches from Simon Peter's boat and tells him to cast his nets into deep water despite a long, fruitless night of fishing. When Simon obeys, they catch such an overwhelming number of fish that their nets begin to break, revealing Jesus' authority and abundance. Confronted with this power, Peter confesses his sinfulness, but Jesus calls him to leave everything and follow him, beginning a lifelong journey of becoming a disciple who helps draw others from darkness into the kingdom of light. The “gospel” is not advice about what we must do, but news about what God has already done in Christ—grace that lifts rather than burdens and brings people into the transforming rule and reign of God.WEBSITE: https://fellowshipknox.org/INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/fellowshipknox/

Mark 10:4545For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”John 13:1-171Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, 3Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” 11For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”12When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Mark 10:4545For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”John 13:1-171Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, 3Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” 11For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”12When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Community // Week 5 // Serving To Grow TogetherPastors JF and Ashley WilkersonMark 10:42-45 NIV42 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” 1. Serving Grows Our Awareness John 6:1-6 NIV1 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near. 5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.Proverbs 28:27 NIV 27 Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.Philippians 2:3-4 NIV3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.1. Serving Grows Our Awareness 2. Serving Grows Our TrustJohn 6:5-7 NIV5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year's wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”Mark 6:34-37 NIV34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. 35 By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it's already very late. 36 Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37 But he answered, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “That would take more than half a year's wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”Mark 6:38-41 NIV38 “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.” 39 Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. John 6:8-9 NIV8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”John 6:11 NIV11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.1. Serving Grows Our Awareness 2. Serving Grows Our Trust3. Serving Grows Our Remembrance Mark 6:42 NIV42 They all ate and were satisfied...John 6:14 NIV14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” Mark 6:42-44 NIV42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44 The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand. Mark 6:45-52 NIV45 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray. 47 Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. 48 He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, 50 because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.” 51 Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, 52 for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.1. Serving Grows Our Awareness 2. Serving Grows Our Trust3. Serving Grows Our Remembrance

Click here to WATCH LIVE STREAM Worship Service on our Youtube Channel. That You May Believe, Part 3 John 1:35-51 John 1:35-36 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” John 1:37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. John 1:38-39 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. John 1:40-42 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter). Matthew 16:15-18 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. John 1:43-44 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. John 1:45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” John 1:46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Psalm 34:8a Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! John 1:47-48 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” John 1:49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” John 1:50-51 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”   Genesis 28:12-17 And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! 13 And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. 14 Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”   1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,   Daniel 7:13-14 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. 14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” Jesus calls   Mark 1:16-20 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him. John 15:16a You did not choose me, but I chose you… 1 John 4:10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Matthew 13:44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” Jesus changes Mark 1:16-17a Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you…” 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. Luke 6:40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. Jesus commissions Mark 1:16-17 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 2 Corinthians 5:20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Respond | Connect | Next Steps The post John: That You May Believe appeared first on Charleston Baptist Church.

Saturday, 14 February 2026   Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” Matthew 16:28   “Amen! I say to you that they are some of those having stood here who not they should taste death until if they should see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus told His disciples that the Son of Man is about to come in His kingdom, and then He will give each according to his practice. He next says, “Amen! I say to you that they are some of those having stood here.”   The Greek verb is a perfect participle. As can be seen, the NKJV fails to properly elucidate this, saying, “some standing here.” In fact, one would be hard-pressed to find a translation that accurately translates the verb. Instead, they rely on a present tense or present participle rendering. But Jesus' words indicate a completed action, the results of which are still present or relevant, “having stood here.” The same perfect participle is found in the same context in Mark 9:1. Combined with the words, “some...here,” this limits the scope of what is said to those present. Of those referred to, Jesus next says they are those “who not they should taste death.”   A new word is seen, geuomai, to taste. It is used figuratively here to indicate experiencing. It is aorist subjunctive, viewing the whole as a single completed event. In other words, these will not experience death, “until if they should see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”   The meaning of this is widely debated. Is this referring to the transfiguration? Does this speak of the resurrection? Is it the beginning of the church at Pentecost? Is it the destruction of the temple in AD70? Is it referring to the millennial kingdom? And so on. Each of these has its supporters. For example, some believe that Jesus' words in John 21:22 mean that John is still alive and he will be one of the two witnesses. One of several problems with that is that the two witnesses will be killed before the Son of Man returns. Further, Jesus' words in Matthew 16:28 are plural, indicating more than one person. One of many problems with the destruction of the temple view is that Jesus didn't return in AD70. If He did, other words of Jesus would be a complete failure, such as Matthew 24:27.   There is no record of such an event, something that would not be lacking. That is an unbiblical attempt by preterists to dismiss any future prophecy, including the restoration of national Israel as a literal, historical event.   The problem with the Pentecost view is that it was the Holy Spirit, not Jesus, who came upon the people in Acts 2. To conflate the meaning of one with the other is stretching the text like a rubber band, which will eventually snap. As for the resurrection view, as Jesus was not in a glorified state at the resurrection, that also seems to be a stretch of the intent.   The account that is noted next at the beginning of Matthew 17 follows in the same manner in all three synoptic gospels, which is a strong hint that tells us that the transfiguration is what Jesus is referring to. It is a kingdom foretaste for the benefit of the disciples. As it is recorded in the word, it is thus provided as a benefit for all.   This glorified state was then viewed by John when he received the book of Revelation, including Jesus' return in Revelation 19. For a fuller and more complete explanation of the details of Matthew 16, please continue reading the life application section of this commentary.   Life application: Chapter 16 of Matthew is a passage that petitions the Jews of the end times to consider who Jesus is based on their own history, comparing it to how He is portrayed in Scripture.   In verse 1, Jesus was approached by the Pharisees and Sadducees, who asked for a sign from heaven. As in Chapter 15, these types of men represent the same thinking and paradigm as the rabbis of Israel today. Jesus told them that they could read the signs in the sky, but they could not discern the signs of the times.   With the coming of the end times, the Jews of Israel would naturally be expected to understand the situation they are in, but they will be clueless about the matter. In verse 4, Jesus said that the generation was wicked and adulterous, something akin to what Peter calls the Jews who rejected Jesus in Acts 2:40. Jesus continued that no sign would be given to it, except the sign of the prophet Jonah.   As explained, the sign of the prophet Jonah is the destruction of the temple, it being a year for a day based on Jonah's proclamation, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.”   In the end times, the Jews will have to look to their Scriptures, understand that their temple was destroyed and they were exiled for rejecting Jesus, internalize this truth, and then have faith in Him based on that.   As an explanation of the doctrine of faith in the Messiah, in verse 5, the disciples went across the Sea of Galilee. As such, they crossed the Jordan because the Jordan runs through the sea. Being on the other (east) side signifies those who have not come through Christ to be saved. Jesus told them in verse 6 to take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees. They thought He was talking about bread. But He corrected them by recapping the miracles of feeding the five thousand and the four thousand.   These miracles, anticipating the salvation of Jews and Gentiles, testify to His being the Messiah. What He was warning them about was the doctrine of those false teachers, not about bread. Their doctrine is to be equated with the false doctrine of the rabbis and other law teachers of the end times who have returned to law observance, temple worship, etc. It is a warning that the end times Jews are not to follow those Satan-led examples. Faith in Jesus, as represented by the feeding of the masses, is what brings restoration with God.   In verse 13, it is noted that Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi. Caesarea is derived from Caesar. The idea of being a Caesar is the deification of the individual. He is attributed a god-like status. Philippi is from Philip, a lover of horses. But in Scripture, a horse is metaphorically used as a source of military pride –   “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.” Psalm 20:7   Abarim rightly defines Philippi with the lengthy paraphrase, They Who Lean On Their Military Complex. It is exactly the source of pride that Israel of today is heading towards. Their military superiority is their source of pride and is exalted to god-like status. This will only increase after the battle of Gogd/Magog.   It is in this prefigured end-times state that Jesus asks them who He is. The various answers are answers you could expect from Jews. Jesus was a prophet (or false prophet) or whatever. However, Simon Peter proclaims Him the Christ. What was Jesus' response? “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah.”   The same name that was acknowledged as the sign in verse 4 is now noted by Jesus. He is Simon (Hearer) Son of Jonah. In other words, he represents the Jews who have understood (heard) the sign of Jonah. To be a son signifies identity. The end times Jews who acknowledge Jesus as the Christ are “sons of Jonah,” because they have made the connection by understanding the sign. In essence, “We missed Him when He came, but we know now who He is.”   It is on this proclamation that Jesus will build His out-calling of those in the end times. They will receive the keys to the kingdom of the heavens, entering into the millennial reign of Christ. In verse 21, Jesus spoke of His destiny to suffer and die. Peter's words of admonishment stirred Jesus to turn His back on him, call him Satan, and tell him he was not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.   It is a warning to the end times Jews that they are to accept a crucified Savior as the role of the Messiah. Israel looked, and still looks, for a conquering Messiah, but His role as the crucified Messiah is what God highlights in Him more than all else.   From there, Jesus told the disciples the words about denying themselves and losing their souls in order to save their souls. The thought is "losing their souls (meaning their lives) in order to save their souls."  It is exactly what is seen in Revelation –   “Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.” Revelation 14:9, 10  &   “And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God.” Revelation 15:2   In verse 27, it said, “For the Son of Man is about to come in His Father's glory with His messengers.” This is exactingly described in Revelation 19:11 –   “And I saw the heaven having been opened. And you behold! Horse, white! And the ‘sitting upon it' being called ‘Faithful and True,' and in righteousness He judges, and He battles” (CG).   Jesus is coming in His Father's glory. In Matthew 24, it notes that in the end times, He will send out His angels (Greek: messengers) to gather His elect.   The final verse of the chapter then said, “Amen! I say to you, that they are some of those having stood here who not they will taste death until if they should see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” Again, this is exactly what occurs in Revelation. Some of the end times Jews will make it through the entire tribulation, not seeing death until they behold Jesus coming in His kingdom.   These things are gleaned from Matthew 16, forming a picture of what is coming in the future for Israel.   Lord God, how precious it is to know that You will not reject Israel, even when the whole world is imploding, You will be with them and carry them as a people through the tribulation and into the time promised to them so long ago. Thank You for Your covenant faithfulness, even to those of us who fail You constantly. Amen. Matthew 16   16 And having approached, the Pharisees and Sadducees, testing, they queried Him to show them a sign from heaven. 2And answering, He said to them, “Evening having come, you say, ‘Good weather!', for the heaven, it is red, 3and early, ‘This day... inclemency!', for glowering, the heaven, it reddens. Hypocrites! Indeed, you know to discern the face of the heaven, and the seasons' signs, not you can. 4Generation – evil and adulteress – it seeks a sign, and a sign – not it will be given it – if not the sign of Jonah the prophet.” And having left them, He departed.   5And His disciples, having come to the beyond, they overlooked to take bread. 6And Jesus, He said to them, “You behold, and you caution from the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”   7And they deliberated in themselves, saying, “Because not we took bread!” 8And Jesus, having known, said to them, “Why – you deliberate in yourselves, little-faithed? Because you took no bread? 9You grasp, not yet, nor you recollect the five loaves – the five thousand, and how many handbaskets you took? 10Nor the seven loaves – the four thousand, and how many hampers you took? 11How not you recollect that I spoke not concerning bread to you! Caution from the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12Then they comprehended that not He said to caution from the leaven – the bread, but from the teaching – the Pharisees and Sadducees.   13And Jesus, having come to the allotments – Caesarea, the Phillipi, He entreated His disciples, saying, “Whom they say, the men, Me to be, the Son of Man?”   14And they said, “These, indeed, John the Immerser, and others Elijah, and others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”   15He says to them, “And you, whom you say Me to be?”   16And answering, Simon Peter, he said, “You, You are the Christ, the Son of God, the living.”   17And Jesus, answering, He said to him, “Blessed you are, Simon, Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood not it revealed to you, but My Father, the ‘in the heavens'.” 18And I also, I say to you that you, you are Peter, and upon this – the Rock – I will build My out-calling, and Hades' gates, not they will overpower her. 19And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of the heavens. And whatever, if you may bind upon the earth, it will be ‘having been bound' in the heavens. And whatever, if you may loosen upon the earth, it will be ‘having been loosed' in the heavens.” 20Then He enjoined His disciples that they should say to none that He, He is Jesus the Christ.   21From then He began, Jesus, to show His disciples that it necessitates Him to depart to Jerusalem and to suffer many from the elders, and chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be roused.   22And Peter, having clutched Him, he began to admonish Him, saying, “Propitious, to You, Lord! No, not it will be, this to You!”   23And, having turned, He said to Peter, “You withdraw behind Me, Satan! Snare, you are, to Me. For you think not these of God but these of men.”   24The Jesus, He said to His disciples, “If any, he desires to come after Me, let him disown himself, and he took his cross, and he follows Me. 25For whoever, if he may desire to save his soul, he will lose it. And whoever, if he may lose his soul because of Me, he will find it. 26For what it benefits a man if he may gain the whole world and he may lose his soul? Or what will he give, man, equivalent his soul? 27For the Son of Man is about to come in His Father's glory with His messengers. And then He will give each according to his practice. 28Amen! I say to you, that they are some of those having stood here who not they will taste death until if they should see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

Simon Says: Be Secure in God's Grace On this Super Bowl Sunday, we delve into the fifth week of our series, "Simon Says," exploring the transformation of Simon, son of Jonah, into Peter, the rock. This journey highlights the grace of God in shaping Simon into a leader among Jesus' disciples. A critical moment in this transformation occurred on Mount Hermon when Simon declared Jesus as the Messiah, a revelation given by God, not discovered on his own. The Transfiguration: Mark 9:2-10 The focal Bible passage for this sermon is the transfiguration of Jesus, as recounted in Mark 9:2-10. Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up a high mountain where he is transfigured before them. His clothes become dazzling white, and he is joined by Elijah and Moses. Peter, overwhelmed and frightened, suggests building shelters for them, not fully understanding the divine encounter. Understanding Grace and Insecurity The sermon emphasizes that Simon Peter's journey to leadership was a gift of grace, not something earned by ambition or effort. This grace was evident in various aspects of his life, including his name change and leadership role among the disciples. However, Simon struggled to grasp this grace, often focusing on his failures and feeling the need to prove his worth. Simon's Background: As a hardworking fisherman, Simon was accustomed to earning his keep through sheer effort. This mindset made it difficult for him to accept that his standing with Jesus was a gift of grace. Insecurity at the Transfiguration: During the transfiguration, Peter's suggestion to build shelters was a reflection of his insecurity. He felt the need to justify his presence among Jesus, Moses, and Elijah, despite being chosen to witness this divine moment. Lessons from the Transfiguration Be Secure in God's Grace: The key takeaway from Simon's experience is the importance of resting in God's grace. We are encouraged to be secure in our relationship with God, knowing it is not earned by our deeds but given through faith. Stop Striving: God's voice from the cloud, "This is my son, whom I love. Listen to him," serves as a reminder to cease striving and listen to Jesus. Our relationship with God flourishes not through our efforts but through understanding and accepting His love and grace. Be Present and Grateful: Simon's insecurity almost caused him to miss the glory of the transfiguration. We are encouraged to be present in sacred moments, appreciating the grace God extends to us without making it about our worthiness. Finding Rest in Jesus The sermon concludes with a call to find rest in Jesus, as he invites us in Matthew 11:28, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." This rest comes from being secure in the relationship with God, grounded in His love and grace. In summary, the journey of Simon Peter teaches us to embrace God's grace, be secure in our relationship with Him, and focus on listening to Jesus. By doing so, we can find peace and rest, knowing we are loved and cherished by our Heavenly Father.

In this message from John 1:35-51, Pastor Matt explored the big idea that salvation is initiated by God, responded to by people, and multiplied through relationship. He emphasized that while salvation is entirely God's work through grace, it demands a human response of repentance and faith in Christ. Pastor Matt highlighted the significance of Jesus's first recorded words in John's Gospel: "What are you seeking?" - calling this the mother of all questions that exposes the heart and leads to life's most important question: "Who is Jesus?" The sermon demonstrated how Jesus's simple invitation "come and see" created a multiplication effect throughout John 1:35-51. Andrew heard John the Baptist point to Jesus as the Lamb of God, followed Jesus, and immediately brought his brother Simon Peter. Philip was called by Jesus and then found Nathaniel with the same invitation: "come and see." Pastor Matt emphasized that God uses found people to find people, and challenged the congregation to be witnesses rather than attorneys - simply sharing their story rather than feeling they need all the answers. The message concluded with a focus on baptism as a public declaration of faith and first step of obedience, encouraging believers who haven't been baptized to take that step.

As we finish up our journey with Simon Peter we see how pride can move us from a place of following to trying to lead Jesus. 

In this Bible study, Fr. Matthias Shehad explores the harmony of the Gospels by examining the early miracles of Christ recorded across different accounts. He discusses key miracles such as the healing of the nobleman's son at Capernaum, the casting out of a demon-possessed man in the synagogue, the healing of Simon Peter's mother-in-law, and the cleansing of a leper. Fr. Matthias explains the significance of Jesus' authority in teaching and miracles, the role of faith in healing, and the deeper spiritual meanings behind these events. He also addresses how Christ balanced his healing ministry with his mission to preach the kingdom of God, emphasizing the importance of prayer, faith, and understanding Old Testament law fulfillment. The discussion includes insights on demon possession, the nature of Christ's miracles, and how the public's response to Jesus evolved during his ministry. Subscribe to us on YouTube https://youtube.com/stpaulhouston Like us on Facebook https://facebook.com/saintpaulhouston Follow us on SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/stpaulhouston Follow us on Instagram https://instagram.com/stpaulhouston Visit our website for schedules and to join the mailing list https://stpaulhouston.org

Simon Says: Week 4 Exploring Matthew 16 In this week's sermon, we delve into Matthew 16, focusing on a pivotal moment in the life of Simon Peter and his interaction with Jesus. This passage is set against the backdrop of Caesarea Philippi, a place known for its pagan worship and spiritual darkness, providing a striking contrast to the revelation of Jesus' true identity. Key Themes The Revelation of Jesus' Identity Jesus' Question: Jesus poses two critical questions to His disciples: "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" and "Who do you say I am?" These questions are foundational, prompting us to reflect on our understanding of Jesus. Peter's Confession: Simon Peter declares, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." This confession marks a significant step in Peter's journey from Simon to Peter, the rock upon which Jesus would build His church. The Importance of Divine Revelation Truth from God: The sermon emphasizes that truth about Jesus comes from divine revelation, not human intuition or ideas. This truth is graciously provided by God and requires us to align our beliefs and behaviors accordingly. The Church Built on the Rock Foundation of Faith: Jesus affirms Peter's confession as the rock upon which He will build His church. Unlike the shrines at Caesarea Philippi, built on a literal rock to honor dead gods, Jesus' church is built on the living truth of His identity. The Gates of Hades: Jesus promises that "the gates of Hades will not overcome it," signifying that His church will have dominion over death and darkness. The Path of the Cross Misunderstanding the Messiah: Despite Peter's confession, he misunderstands the nature of Jesus' mission, expecting a political revolution rather than a sacrificial path. Jesus corrects him, underscoring that His kingdom is established through sacrifice, not might. The Call to Sacrifice: Following Jesus means taking up our cross, denying ourselves, and embracing the full truth of God's revelation, even when it challenges our personal convictions. Reflective Questions Who do you say Jesus is? This question is central to our faith journey and requires ongoing reflection and confession. Are you aligned with God's truth? Consider whether your beliefs and actions reflect the divine revelation of Jesus as the Messiah. Conclusion This sermon challenges us to examine our understanding of Jesus and to align our lives with the truth revealed by God. As we confess Jesus as the Messiah, we are called to live out this truth, embracing the sacrificial path of discipleship. Let us hold firmly to the keys of the kingdom, sharing the message of hope and life in Jesus Christ. For further reflection, read Matthew 16 and consider how this passage speaks to your personal journey of faith.

Jesus calls the first disciples (Sermon Series on John) - Sunday, 1st February 2026[Episode 7 - John Chapter 1 KJV]1. What seek ye?John 1:38  Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?2. Come and see.John 1:39  He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour. 3. Andrew finds PeterJohn 1:40-41 One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.4. We have found Him.John 1:41  He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.5. Peter's name is changed.John 1:42  And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.

JOHN 13:18-38 - JESUS PREDICTS BETRAYAL - BRIAN SUMNER - 2025JOHN 13:18-38 "I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.' 19 Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am He. 20 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”21 When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” 22 Then the disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom He spoke.23 Now there was [d]leaning on Jesus' bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. 24 Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke.25 Then, leaning back on Jesus' breast, he said to Him, “Lord, who is it?”26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27 Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.” 28 But no one at the table knew for what reason He said this to him. 29 For some thought, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus had said to him, “Buy those things we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor.30 Having received the piece of bread, he then went out immediately. And it was night.The New Commandment31 So, when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. 32 If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him immediately. 33 Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,' so now I say to you. 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”"To support this channel and partner with Brian in Ministryhttps://www.briansumner.net/support/For more on Brianhttp://www.briansumner.nethttps://www.instagram.com/BRIANSUMNER/https://www.facebook.com/BRIANSUMNEROFFICIALTo listen to Brians Podcast, click below.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...Purchase Brians Marriage book at https://www.amazon.com/Never-Fails-Da...Brian is a full time "Urban Missionary" both locally and internationally with a focus on MISSIONS - MARRIAGES - MINISTRY. Since coming to faith in 2004 doors continued opening locally and internationally to do more and more ministry with a focus on Evangelism, Outreach Missions, Marriage, Counsel, Schools, Festivals, Conferences and the like.  Everything about this ministry is made possible because of people personally partnering through the non profit. God Bless and thank you. †Support the showSUPPORT THE SHOW

Follow - Pt 5 - “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you,” Jesus promised just before He left them. A few days later, it happened. No one who knew Simon Peter before that day would have believed what he could accomplish. But when the Spirit of God is involved, everything changes. Nothing is impossible.

Monday, 2 February 2026   Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:16   “And answering, Simon Peter, he said, ‘You, You are the Christ, the Son of God, the living'” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus, in a question bearing emphasis, asked the disciples who they say He is. A response is given in a similar emphatic form. Matthew begins this statement with, “And answering, Simon Peter, he said.”   Simon Peter is generally the one to step forward and speak for the others. He was a bit impetuous, and he was not sound in backing up his faith at times, such as on the night of Jesus' crucifixion and at the time when Judaizers had come to Antioch. At that time, he waffled in his convictions, withdrew from the Gentiles, and had to be sharply rebuked by Paul for his stand, as recorded in the book of Galatians.   However, he was able to clearly express his thoughts to Jesus about who the disciples agreed Jesus was, saying, “You, You are the Christ.”   The emphatic “You, You” is given as a response to Jesus' carefully structured question. The word Christ is the same as the Hebrew mashiakh, Messiah, both of which mean “anointed.” This was both a recurring thing and a unique thing, depending on the situation.   Kings were anointed for their position. The high priest was anointed for his. Even Cyrus is called the Lord's anointed in Isaiah 45:1. It was as if the Lord had personally anointed Cyrus with oil to accomplish a particular task. These and other examples of anointing meant the person was a messiah, a Christ.   However, Peter's words were indicative of One on a completely different level. There was to be a particular Messiah who would come, anointed of God, to fulfill a role that none other could fulfill. This Messiah was to be the specific representative of God on earth.   It is true that various scholars and sects had varying opinions about what this would mean, but it was generally agreed within society that One was coming who would be Israel's redeemer, leading them to a golden “messianic” age where they would lead the nations of the world.   At the time of the Roman Empire, the people thought this Messiah's role would include casting off the Roman oppression and putting Israel over Rome and all other foes. It is certain that none of them, even these disciples, saw Jesus' role as One who would die for the sins of the people. It is equally certain that none of these people actually believed that the Messiah would be God incarnate. He may be a “god” to the people, but not Yehovah in the flesh. This was a totally unknown aspect of who Jesus would be.   And more, they never, in a thousand lifetimes, would have thought that His messiahship would level the field for Gentiles as well as Jews, offering them the same benefits in the commonwealth of Israel that they would receive. Such an idea would have been totally repugnant to them.   As such, Peter's statement, though true, was not something that meant a whole lot in regard to Jesus' actual ministry and mission. It was a truth, it was an anticipation of Jesus being the fulfillment of their Scriptures, but it was an almost wholly misunderstood proclamation. And that is fine. Jesus would slowly reveal this to them, including things that would only be understood after His work was complete and He ascended to heaven. In some cases, like speaking to Gentiles such as Cornelius in Acts 10, it would cause confusion in their minds and generate hostility among one another. The Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15 clearly reveals this. As for Peter's words, he continues with, “the Son of God, the living.”   As noted, this doesn't mean they understood Jesus to be God incarnate. The term “son of the God” is something that was applied to people throughout the Jewish Scriptures, beginning in Genesis 6:2. Even Gentiles were called “sons of the God” in Job 1:6 and 2:1. It is a title that indicates sonship in an adoptive sense.   Peter's proclamation is an indication that Jesus is One who is set apart in a preeminent position, even if it was still misunderstood exactly what that meant. One other point is that this was something that was already known to Peter quite some time before –   “One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah' (which is translated, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, ‘You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas' (which is translated, A Stone).” John 1:40-42   As such, this proclamation of Peter is an adamant assertion of something he and the other disciples already knew. However, Jesus asked it to form the basis of another proclamation that needed to be made at this time.   Life application: The most important question any person can ever answer is, “Who is Jesus to you?” In fact, it is a great question to ask when you are about to evangelize someone. The answer to the question will mean where a person spends their eternal existence.   If someone says, “I don't know,” he needs careful instruction. If he says that Jesus was a “good person,” though true, it tends to imply that they have been indoctrinated by liberal ideology to accept Jesus as someone who will illuminate one's path, but who is on the same level as Buddha, Muhammad, or Gandhi.   If the person says, “Jesus is the Savior,” that still needs to be further defined. Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons will say Jesus is the Savior, but their understanding of what that means is so vastly different from what is biblical that they are referring to “another Jesus” who proclaims “another gospel.”   Jesus is the Yehovah Elohim, the Lord God, in human form, nothing less. If this is not accepted and believed, they are following the wrong Jesus. Be sure to be precise and properly instruct others on who He is and what He means to the people of the world. There is no other subject that is as important as this.   Lord God, may we carefully convey the message of who Jesus is to those we interact with. Help us to be bold in our proclamation while being correct in our doctrine concerning Him and what He has done. The world needs Jesus! May we be responsible in telling others about Him so that they may be saved. Amen.  

John 13:36-14:6,36 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.” 37 Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” 38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”In this sermon, God willing, I'm going to tell you two truths about us, one truth about Jesus, and then I'm gonna try to answer a big question.First, two truths about us.Two Truths About usHere at the start of Chapter 14, it's still Thursday night — the longest Thursday night ever. And Jesus said he was leaving. Earlier in the Gospel of John, two different times, Jesus had told unbelieving crowds that he was “going” somewhere, but at the end of Chapter 13 he tells his disciples he's going somewhere — and we could imagine the worry this might have caused. It makes sense if the disciples of Jesus have troubled hearts.A troubled heart is what you would call a heart that's filled with worry and fear and confusion. The disciples are about to step into a world they did not expect, and it's gonna come through the most gruesome event imaginable. And from one vantage, it's only gonna get worse for them over the next four chapters.So if you take it altogether, they are in a “troubled-heart situation.”That's what this is: it's an unprecedented place; it's high-stress; it's a “THS” — troubled-heart situation. And troubled-heart situations bring things out of people.Peter: Stubborn ResolveTake Peter for example. In Chapter 13, verse 36, Jesus told Peter that where he's going, Peter cannot come — not at first anyway because Jesus must go to the cross alone. But Peter is just not having it. He's not even sure what Jesus is talking about, but he's like: No matter what, Jesus, I'm with you all the way! In verse 37 Peter says, I'll even lay down my life for you!See, what this troubled-heart situation brings out of Peter is what I'm calling stubborn resolve. And the resolve part is good, but the problem is that Peter is looking to his own strength to carry him. He thinks he can handle this. He's saying, I got this! You can imagine he's probably got his headphones on, playing some hype music ... But the deal with Peter is that he's overconfident that he will do the right thing at all costs. That's one way to respond to troubled-heart situations.Thomas: Paralyzing UncertaintyBut then there's another kind of response in the same scene. This one is Thomas in verse 5. Jesus, in verses 1–4, has just assured his disciples that although he's leaving, it's for their sake, so he says Don't let your hearts be troubled! Jesus says he's gonna come back for them!His end goal is for his disciples to be with him. And he says Y'all know this. Jesus is speaking encouragement here. He's saying: I'm for you in this. You're gonna be with me.But then Thomas replies, verse 5: “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Basically, Thomas hears the encouragement Jesus gives, but he can't receive it. Instead he says: Jesus, we're completely helpless here! We don't stand a chance! Thomas assumes Jesus must be missing something. Jesus doesn't get it. Thomas is looking around at the other disciples and he's like, Jesus, look at us! (He probably sees Peter over here doing some pushups). Thomas is like: There's no way we'll get this right! Thomas is saying No way do I got this!That's what this troubled-heart situation brings out of him. I'm calling it paralyzing uncertainty.And I want you to see these two responses together, Peter and Thomas — stubborn resolve and paralyzing uncertainty. If Peter is overconfident that he will always get it right; Thomas is under-confident that he will ever get it right. Peter is I GOT THIS and Thomas is NO WAY I GOT THIS. And both are forms of unbelief.That's Peter and Thomas, and listen: both responses are in us. Each of us, as individuals, we have Peter and Thomas instincts. And then our church corporately, we have Peter and Thomas instincts. Two truths about us is that we are Peter and Thomas! And troubled-heart situations bring that out — have we had any troubled-heart situations lately? …Well if it hasn't yet, in the days and weeks ahead, what happened to our church on January 18th is gonna bring out these instincts in us: stubborn resolve and paralyzing uncertainty. And I believe that I have a word from God for our church this morning. Can I tell you? Actually, let me show you. Everybody find Chapter 14, verse 6:Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”That is God's word for us, Cities Church!I've told you two truths about us — we are Peter and Thomas, we need help — now I want to tell you one truth about Jesus.One Truth About JesusOne truth about Jesus is that he's the way, and the truth, and the life.And you're probably thinking, “Wait a second! That's three truths!” But no, it's one. It's one truth with three facets because you can't ever have one of these without the other. Jesus is always at every moment way, truth, and life.And in fact, since the early church it's been taught that in order for people like us to become fully-formed followers of Jesus, we need to understand each facet.So back in the fifth century, the church father Augustine was asked to write a little discipleship manual for the ‘everyday Christian.' Basically, the question was: Can you write a handbook for us on what it means to follow Jesus? Augustine did, and he organized the handbook in three parts: faith, hope, and love — Christian virtues — but they correspond to John 14:6, truth, life, and way.Augustine would say that the virtues of faith, hope, and love flow from Jesus himself as truth, life, and way. So John 14:6 is not only about who Christ is, it's the source for how Christians are made.That's what I want to show you now. This simple verse, John 14:6 — this one truth about Jesus — becomes a guide for what it means to be a Christian. I'm going to follow Augustine's outline and start with truth.Jesus said I am the truth.Jesus is the definitive revelation of God. Which means he is the highest, most absolute standard for what is real in this world and what is true about God. Jesus is the lens through which we interpret everything. He is light in our darkness. He is clarity amid confusion. To learn Jesus is to learn everything because in him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3), and in him the eternal purposes of God have been realized (Ephesians 3:11). So we should get to know him. We have to start here.If we are to worship him, speak him, share him, we must know him. And one of my favorite quotes about knowing Jesus is from the theologian Kevin Vanhoozer. He says, To minister Christ, one needs to know Christ, and for this we need the testimony of the Old and New Testaments, and the tradition of the church's sustained reflection on that testimony, and personal experience of Christ's presence and activity.Learning Christ with heart, soul, strength, and mind alike must be the beginning and end, the center and circumference, the energy and matter [of our discipleship].Jesus is the truth. Know him. We start there.But also …Jesus said I am the life.Jesus is the supplier of existence. Hebrews 1:3 says that Jesus upholds the universe by the word of his power. This has been called “the continuing act of creation.” It means everything is because Jesus says so — and when he stops, it's over. In this Gospel we have learned right away that “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:3). In him is life itself. Jesus calls it eternal life; abundant life; the kind of life that every human being longs for. It's the good life, and I know you want it! The good life is only found in Jesus.Whom have I in heaven but you?And there is nothing on earth I desire besides you.My flesh and my heart may fail, but Jesus is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Do you see it? — If you have all the stuff of this world, but you don't have Jesus, ultimately you have nothing. Even if you have none of the stuff of this world, but you have Jesus, ultimately you have everything. Jesus is the life. Have him. Get that life.And …Jesus said I am the way.Jesus says this first in verse 6 and it is, of course, a metaphor. The word “way” is another word for “path” or “road” — and we know that Jesus is not literally a path or a road, he's a person. And so how can a person be like a path or a road? What does it mean that Jesus is “the way”?Well, this actually reminds me of when I was a kid, there was a path that ran beside my house. It's still there. And I always knew two things about that path: first, I knew it was a dirt path; and then second, I knew it led to my great-grandparents house. So, there was the kind of path it was, and there was where the path led. And both things are in view here when Jesus says he's the way.First, I want you to see the kind of way he is. And we've already been seeing this because Jesus said in Chapter 13, verse 15,“I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.” And verse 34,“Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” So the kind of path is love. What was Jesus's way of being? … It was love! — except it's even more than that, because it's sacrificial love. I said this a couple of weeks ago: the love of Jesus is not aimed at our transient ease, but at our eternal good in God — and a lot of people didn't like that, but Jesus still paid the cost. So Jesus's kind of way is love that is cruciform. It's love that's shaped like a cross.Which means, listen: if we follow the way of Jesus, we have to be okay bearing a cross. We are going to shoulder shame. We are going to suffer ridicule. 1 Peter 1:21,“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.”So we follow him in the kind of way he is, but now where does this way lead? Where's the destination? Where does the way of Jesus take us?The answer is home. Heaven. Where God is. As Pastor Marshall said last week, “Our home is always him.” Where does the way of Jesus get us to? He gets us to himself. He gets us to his fellowship — the fellowship that he has with the Father, together with the Holy Spirit. Jesus invites us into that — and over the next two chapters in this Gospel he's gonna tell us all about it!Jesus is the way — follow him. He is the way of the cross, and the way to God. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.The Big QuestionNow, here's the big question: what does this one truth about Jesus have to do with the two truths about us?How does the way, truth, and life of Jesus transform our stubborn resolve and paralyzing uncertainty? …It's amazing that in this Gospel, we see Jesus redeem both Peter and Thomas. He tells Peter, If you love me, feed my sheep. He tells Thomas, Put your hand in my side and believe. Jesus overcomes the weakness of both their instincts by his presence — or can I say, by his realness.When we are in troubled-heart situations, Jesus knows that resolve is good and uncertainty is unavoidable — we just need to keep our eyes on him. The last thing we need is for Peter and Thomas to be looking at each other. Both must look to Jesus. Jesus is our strength and our guide. This is not theoretical. The real person, Jesus Christ, helps us. He stands by us. He will not leave us.Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit, Christ when I rise, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.The sum of all our theology and worship and living is Jesus Christ. It's always Jesus, only Jesus.He says, verse 6,“No one comes to the Father except through me.” Isn't that the greatest news you've ever heard? Some people only hear this as restrictive — are you kidding me? This is the most amazing invitation ever spoken. The headline here is not “Restrictive Jesus Only Way to God” — the headline is “JESUS SAYS THERE'S A WAY!” There's a way! That there is a way at all is wonder upon wonder! And Jesus is that way.If you're here this morning and you've not put your faith in Jesus, I invite you to do that right now… Just tell him: Jesus, I can't save myself and I'm done trying. You came to save me, and I trust you.Believe in Jesus right now. And if you do believe in Jesus, which is a lot of us, let's just give thanks to Jesus in this moment. Let's ask him for more of his Spirit, to remember more of his realness in all of life. That's our prayer, church, and that's what brings us to the Table. The TableWe come to this table to remember all that Jesus is for us, and thank him for what he has done. He died on the cross and was raised from the dead and ascended in victory for our salvation. And if that's your hope, if you have put your faith in Jesus, we invite you to eat and drink with us.

Audio Transcript Yeah, Full house this morning. There we go. So, yeah, it’s good to meet in God’s house and to sing praises to the Lord. So today we are going to continue our sermon series in the book of Luke. And so if you have a Bible, you can go ahead and open up there. And if you don’t have a Bible, there should be some blue Bibles in the chairs that you can go ahead and grab. And so we are in Luke chapter six. And we’re going to be reading verses 12 through 19. And so this passage is focusing on the calling of the 12 disciples and the events that follow right after their calling. And so I’m going to read this passage and then I’ll pray and we’ll get started. So here’s what the word of the Lord has for us this morning. Luke 6:12. In these days he went out to the mountain to pray. And all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them 12 whom he named Apostles Simon, whom he named Peter and Andrew his brother, and James and John and Philip and Bartholomew and. And Matthew and Thomas and James the son of Alphaeus and Simon, who was called the Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. And he came down with them and stood on a level place with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all. So that’s God’s word for us. Please pray with me. God, thank you that you speak to us through, through your holy word that you have preserved so that we might hear from you. Now I pray God that you would indeed speak, and God you would help me to speak your word and that you would give us hearts and ears to receive what you are saying this morning. It’s in Jesus name we ask these things. Amen. All right. So up until this point in Luke’s eyewitness account of Jesus life, Jesus has done a lot in the region of Galilee and in Judea. And in the very beginning of Jesus ministry, Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, followed by a supernatural phenomenon with the Holy Spirit descending upon Jesus like a dove and the voice of the Father declaring, this is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Jesus was then led into the wilderness for 40 days, where he was tested and tempted by Satan and where he overcame the devil through God’s word. Jesus taught in the synagogues throughout the surrounding area of Galilee, teaching that the scriptures were now being fulfilled in him. Jesus declared that he is the Son of man, who has authority to forgive sins. The Bridegroom of God, the Lord of the Sabbath. Jesus had casted out demons, proving his authority over spiritual realms of darkness. Jesus had healed many people of a variety of sicknesses and malformities, including fever, disease, leprosy, paralytics, withered hand and and much, much more. Jesus had called forth specific individuals to begin following him that nobody would expect, including outcasts and fishermen and a tax collector. And with all of these things Jesus had done and continued to do, he was doing the will of his Father. But now a shift in Jesus ministry strategy was about to happen. So no longer was Jesus going to continue his mission in solidarity. And although Jesus certainly could have done this, that’s not what God planned to happen. Instead, Jesus would now choose 12among those who had been following him since the baptism of John, and they would become his personal disciples. And so understand, like this is no small thing for the ministry of the Son of God this moment here in our passage, as we know that these 12 disciples would go on after Jesus to establish God’s church for the edification of the saints and for the proclamation of the Gospel to the ends of the earth. So the establishment of God’s kingdom for generations would come, beginning with these 12 disciples. Through these 12, by the power of God, lives would change and the world would change. So how does Jesus make this very big decision? Looking at verse 12 in our text, it says in these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. So before choosing the 12 disciples, we learn that Jesus removes himself from all distractions by going to a mountain in Galilee and he goes there alone to pray to God the Father. And Jesus did this actually early, early on in his ministry that Luke mentions. And he’s doing this at the days when the Pharisees hate for Jesus was only increasing more and more as we learned about from last week’s sermon. And as Luke had mentioned, Jesus had done this in the past. What is unique here in this passage is that this is the only time Luke records Jesus takes all night to pray in isolation. Like the only other time Jesus comes close to doing this is in the Garden of Gethsemane before his crucifixion. And so there’s two Reasons why I think God’s Word gives us this information and why Jesus prays all night. The first reason is to show us the humanity of Christ. Jesus is fully God and fully man. And therefore during his time on earth, there are times when Jesus knowledge or power were willingly limited in order for him to be fully human. And so to put it another way, Jesus subjected himself to the Father’s will by choosing not to exercise the full limit of his divinity during his life and ministry on earth. So Jesus never stopped being God, but also he was man. And Jesus dependency upon prayer with his heavenly Father shows us the humility of Christ as he had to depend on his Father at times to reveal to him what the Father’s will was. And since this is such a large decision happening here, Jesus spent the entire night in prayer seeking the Father’s will. The second reason I think Jesus did this is to teach us about the vital importance of prayer. So when faced with a large decision that Jesus knew was part of God’s will for his life, he didn’t say like, I’ll pray about it and then like walk away and like forget to pray about it or just kind of briefly mention it to God in prayer and then just kind of go further about his day. Like actually Jesus, like knowing that he was going to choose the 12among this crowd of disciples, like took, made the disciplinary action to step away from the busyness of ministry to be alone with God and to pray not for five minutes, not for 15 minutes, and not for an hour, but all night long until the text tells us like the sun rose the next day. Like, let that sink in. This is vitally important what Jesus is doing and taking this time to pray. And if the Son of God felt that prayer was this vitally important for his ministry, then how much more vitally important is prayer for God’s people and determining God’s will for our lives? Jesus is the perfect example of what it means to be a Christian and what it means to walk by faith in the living God who hears and answers prayer. And so we as God’s people, we must do the same and carve out devoted time to pray to God individually as a family and corporately if we want to carry out God’s will for our lives. And so if your prayer life is lacking, then let the example of Jesus encourage you to make time for prayer this week. Make some like, attainable goals on how you can devote more time to prayer this week so that God’s will may be done in your life. For God delights in hearing and answering the prayers of his saints. And if the perfect Son of God depended on His Father to lead and direct him while on this earth through the power of prayer, how much more do we need to depend on our heavenly Father through prayer? That being said, moving to verse 13, it says, and when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them 12 whom he named apostles. So the sun rises after Jesus long night of prayer, and Jesus knows who he is going to choose as his 12 student. 12 students. The meeting that Jesus had with his heavenly Father in prayer made it clear who would be chosen and what he would teach them that morning. It’s important to note that the only reason the disciples are made like one of the 12 is, is because Jesus graciously chose them to become his apostles. Like, this isn’t something that they signed up for, but rather something Jesus called them forth to do and chose them to do. And with that line, like John the Baptist understood this as well. John the Baptist said this about his own ministry. A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given to him from heaven. It is by the grace of God and his choosing that these men are made into 12 disciples for the purposes that God set long ago. And the word apostle that is here in our text that Luke points out, it literally means to send. And so this is signifying the mission that was given to these men, to these disciples from Jesus. So in both the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Mark, Jesus choosing of the 12 apostles involves giving them authority to be sent out to preach, to cast out demons, and to heal every disease and affliction, which is exactly what Jesus is about to do in the next few verses. And so the 12 apostles were God’s chosen disciples in whom he gave authority to carry out his great mission. Jesus was instituting a new office of apostleship for the early church, who would serve as his official representatives. And the way he would teach his apostles is by spending time with them. 24, 7. Because of this, these 12 disciples would get to know their teacher and their Lord on a much more personal level from this point on, which is such a privilege for each of these 12 disciples. And then in our text, verses 14 through 16 gives us a list of these apostles names. And so A list of 12 disciples is also given in Matthew, Mark, and Acts. And in each of these lists, Simon Peter is always listed as first. And then Judas Iscariot is always listed as last. This is because Simon, who was renamed Peter, which literally means rock, is whom Jesus said, on this rock, I will Build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Jesus chose Peter to be the leader in whom he would begin to build his church after his resurrection. And Jesus words are actually fulfilled later in the Book of Acts we read on the day of Pentecost, Peter preaches a sermon of repentance to all who gather to hear him in Jerusalem. And about 3,000 people profess faith in Jesus that day and are baptized. And so hence, Jesus uses Peter to begin to build his church. So overall, there’s not actually a ton of information known about each of these apostles based on what God gives us in His Word. We know that, like, four of these guys were just simple fishermen and they were called to follow Jesus. And this was Peter and Peter’s brother Andrew, and then two other men named James and John, who Jesus called the Sons of Thunder. We know that John was called the disciple of whom Jesus loved, and that John wrote the Gospel of John and as well as three epistles and the Book of Revelation. And then we know that John was exiled to the island of Patmos at the end of his life. We know that Matthew, also known as Levi, was a tax collector who wrote the Gospel of Matthew, which we just spent some time learning about him a few weeks ago. We know Bartholomew was also known as Nathanael, and he was described by Jesus in the Book of John as an Israelite in whom there is no deceit. We know Thomas doubted the resurrection of Jesus until he saw him again, which, honestly is kind of a bummer thing to be remembered as. But I’m pretty sure as we get to heaven, we’ll learn like, there’s some other great things that Thomas did in faith. We know that Simon was a zealot, in which the zealots was like a zealous religious group who are committed to the fall of Rome. And then we know about Judas Iscariot, who was the money keeper for the apostles and who betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. And after betraying Jesus, Judas hung himself in the field of blood and was later replaced by a man named Matthias, who became the 12th apostle in his place. And as for the rest of the disciples in this list, like, the Bible actually doesn’t give us a ton of information about them. And from what we know, these apostles, like, they did not come from noble or wealthy families. They weren’t priests or scholars. They weren’t even like, really educated. They were like untrained, ordinary people like you and me. And so don’t miss this with this list that is provided here. By Luke, these guys were just ordinary men. And yet they were called and chosen by an extraordinary God. And because they were chosen by an extraordinary God, by Jesus, their names will stand as pillars in heaven for all of eternity. Which is wild to think about. Just listen to what Revelation 12:14 says concerning the new Jerusalem that represents the city of God in the new heavens and new earth. It says this, and the wall of the city had 12 foundations, and on them were the 12 names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb. So these apostles, they may have been just ordinary guys before Jesus called them to himself, but because they were called by an extraordinary God, their names will be remembered as pillars in heaven forever. And the Bible doesn’t tell us much about the apostles, but that’s because it’s not about who the apostles are, it’s about the extraordinary God the apostles were called by and who followed for the sake of Christ’s kingdom. That’s what matters here in this passage. And because Jesus chose these 12 disciples who gave up their lives for the sake of the Gospel, according to church tradition, today there is a foundation that the household of God’s church stands upon and will forever stand upon, namely, because Christ is its cornerstone. And so we, Red Village Church, we are in debt to the way that God used these 12 disciples. And that is something incredible to think about. God chooses ordinary people like you and like me for extraordinary purposes that make ripples into eternity. And we would do good to never forget that. Moving on to verses 17 through 19, our text says, and he came down with them and stood on a level place with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them. So after Jesus chooses his 12 disciples, he now comes off of the mountain that he was on in prayer with these 12 at his side, to what Luke said, a level place. Now, this description of a level place, it’s important because it seems to be signifying that this is a different place from the Sermon on the Mount, where Matthew clearly says Jesus went up on the mountain, and then he began preaching the Sermon on the Mount after he had ascended the mountain. And so the sermon, this sermon right here, it differs from the Sermon on the Mount in that it doesn’t focus on the Jewish law, but instead its focus is on love and fruit that a disciple’s life should have. And so although this like sermon is very similar and it’s actually using the same information that Jesus uses on the Sermon on the Mount, it’s actually only half as long as the Sermon on the Mount. And because of this, this sermon is often referred to as the Sermon on the Plain, in which many scholars agree was a similar sermon to the Sermon on the Mount, but it was given a different. It was given at a different time, likely before the Sermon on the Mount. So before Jesus preaches the Sermon on the Plain, Luke tells us a great crowd of Jesus, other disciples, and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon. They all gather to Jesus for these three reasons that Luke gives us. To hear Jesus preach, to be healed of their diseases and to be freed of unclean demonic spirit. So it’s important to note that Jesus fame, like it’s now spreading beyond just the region of Galilee and Judea in which Jesus has been up to this point. And so now, like Luke says, great multitudes, which is most likely in the thousands, are now coming from the sea coast of the cities on the Mediterranean, which means these were Gentile cities. And so Gentiles are now coming in to gather around Jesus to hear him teach and to be healed and to be freed by demonic spirits by Jesus. So we know that this is the reason why Jesus came is to redeem and to save not only the Jews, but also the Gentiles from every tribe and language and tongue on the earth. And as people came from near and far, their diseases were healed. And the demons that oppressed those who were troubled were cast out and cured. And those who came wondering like, could this be the long awaited Messiah that we have been waiting for? Truly they heard and they seen that this is the Christ. Verse 19 tells us that as people began to be healed and cured, others in the crowd who had not been healed simply made it their mission to just touch Jesus. Because Luke says divine power was radiating out from Jesus that healed them all. Now this is like an incredible scene that Luke is portraying for us. There are literally hundreds if not thousands of people pressing in just to simply touch Jesus. For just by touching him, lifelong illnesses, chronic pain, infirmities, and agonized demon possessed people who have been dealing with this for who knows how long are instantly healed when they touch Jesus. Like that is incredible. All because the Son of God, the Christ, was standing on level ground on planet earth and from him was radiating this life restoring power to whom all were healed. That came to him like, what a sight this must have been. This, this had to been incredible to witness, especially for the 12 disciples that are now called to join in with Jesus ministry. Like this had to be mind blowing. And the word for power here that Luke gives is actually the Greek word dunamis, which is where we get the English word for dynamite. And so this is the same power that Luke describes Jesus having in Luke 4:14, where Luke says, and Jesus returned in the power of the Holy Spirit to Galilee. So this power that Jesus has coming from him is directly related to the Holy Spirit who we see brings life and restoration both to creation and to all of mankind throughout the Bible. And this is the Holy Spirit’s life changing power being poured out from Jesus to everybody who is coming to him and to everybody who is touching him. And so this picture is certainly painting for us. A picture of the nations coming to Jesus in great physical and spiritual need. And Jesus is at the center, allowing all to come to him and to be healed as they believe and touch the Son of God, who is the supply and source of the Holy Spirit’s power, which knows no bounds. And it’s important to think about this scene in relation to the 12 disciples who were just chosen. Like up to this point, they’ve listened to Jesus teach, they’ve watched him heal and cast out demons. But this, this is on a completely different level. Directly after being chosen to be Jesus apostles and given authority to do the same work as Jesus, this scene unfolds. And so this is the work that Jesus is doing and will continue to do with all of his 12 disciples at his side. People will be drawn to Jesus in both physical and spiritual need, both Jews and Gentiles. And Jesus will continue to restore and change lives through the power of the Holy Spirit living in his disciples. This is what Jesus Kingdom looks like. And he invites his 12 disciples to join in on this work. For it is only the beginning and that ends our passage. And so from this I have three applications for you that I want to give you from this passage of Scripture that I think speak loudest. And so the first application I have for you, if you have put your faith in Christ, remember you are chosen by Christ for the purposes of his kingdom as his disciple. In the same way that Jesus chose the 12, he has chosen you that all may be drawn to Christ. Ephesians 1:4:5 says this. He chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him in love. He predestined us for adoption to Himself as the sons through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of his will. That being said, there is purpose in the will of God as He calls his people from death to. So if you are a Christian here this morning, meaning that you have made Jesus like the Lord of your life, then just like the 12 disciples, remember that God has purpose for your life. As his disciple, he wants to use you to draw others to himself by sharing the gospel and by living as Christ’s ambassador, not because of what you’ve done, but because of who God is. And that is really encouraging to know that if you are in Christ, God created you for good works to do today, tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day and the next day that will ripple into eternity. When I was in college at a fall retreat for a collegiate ministry that I was a part of, it was in New Mexico. This was a collegiate ministry called the Christian Challenge. And the director there was named David Engelhardt. And so David led us out from this little Bible camp in the mountains of New Mexico. And he had all these students, including myself, gather around a little pond that was about 50 yards wide. And what David taught me that day and the rest of the students, I will never forget. With everyone gathered around this pond, he picked up a rock and then he just threw it into the pond and told all of us just to be silent and to watch. And so David does this. The rock goes. Splashes into this pond. And then ripples are sent out from this rock that go out all the way to the edges of this pond and. And then bounce off of different things in the pond until they all begin to go completely still. And so, in silence, everyone, including myself, watches these ripples go out. And after the ripples disappeared, David said this. Serving Christ is a lot like ripples in a pond. You, by faith, make a splash in obedience to Christ. And ripples are sent all across the pond, but the rock is at the bottom of the pond. And often the rock does not see the ripples that are going on up above. But God, he sees all that his hand is doing with these ripples. And so what he is saying is, God has purpose in every splash, every good work, every step of faith, every Gospel conversation, every Sunday service that we gather. God says he is working. And even if we can’t see it, God is building his kingdom through his chosen disciples, and that is through you. If you have put your faith in Jesus, he has chosen to use you to make ripples that will last for eternity. An extraordinary God calls ordinary people like you, like me, to follow him so that they might live with extraordinary purpose for the glory of God. So first application is, do not forget this. My second application from this passage is very simple, and that is to seek to make disciples of Christ Jesus. Master plan of evangelizing the world started with investing more time into just 12 disciples. And then Jesus spent even more time in just three of those disciples who were Peter, James and John. And so Jesus intentionally invited these disciples to not only join his ministry, but to also get a glimpse into his personal walk with God. And we are called to do the exact same thing. Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he gave the great commission for his disciples to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and to teach them to observe all that Christ has commanded his people. And so if you’re here and you believe in Jesus as the Lord of your life, then you are his disciple. And you too are called to make other disciples through baptism and teaching other followers of Jesus to observe all that Jesus has commanded in the Bible. So if you’re a believer, my question to you is, who are you discipling right now? Who are you helping to follow Christ? Discipleship can look like a lot of different things. It can look like serving in kids ministry to help teach kids about the Bible and how they can know God. It can look like having a daily time of family worship with your kids and teaching them about the Bible and how to walk with God. It can look like inviting people to church so they can hear God’s Word preached and then grow in their faith through community with other believers. It can look like meeting together with a believer who is new to the faith or with someone who is considering the claims of Christ and to study the Bible with them and teach them about Jesus. It can look like leading a small group Bible study that is teaching others God’s Word and how to put it into action. Or it can look like inviting a college student to your home for a meal to see how you are following Christ while encouraging them to do the same. Which is what I personally am praying that God will do with Adoptive Student Day today. And so, regardless of how we do discipleship, what’s important is that we do seek to do it no matter what it will. No matter what it will require you to be intentional and to invite another person into your life and into the church so that they too may become a disciple who follows Jesus and who keeps his commands and if you’re not sure where to start, then I encourage you to do what Jesus does here in our passage of scripture. Carve out some intentional time to pray to God that God would give you someone to disciple and to show you who that person is. And if you do this, then God will guide you in the right direction and he will equip you with what you need to help others grow in Christ. This is the work that God is doing and what he’s called us to do. And it’s not about who you are and how good you are at teaching or helping others. It’s about just seeking to be faithful and God using you to build up and raise up other disciples. My third and last application from this passage is point all people to the life restoring power found in Christ alone. Our passage ends with human need, both little and great being met in the person of Jesus. So Jesus is the only one with the power to change a person’s life from spiritual death to spiritual life. Only in Jesus can the Holy Spirit change a dead heart to beat for God and to live the extraordinary life that God calls us to live by faith. Jesus lived the life that we could not and died on a cross in our place. And then three days later, Jesus rose again from the dead and is victorious over sin and death. And today, Jesus is alive. That’s why we gather here and that’s why we continue to worship God. It’s because Jesus lives. And if you repent today and believe that Jesus truly is the Lord over all the earth who rose again from the dead, then scripture says you too will receive the resurrection power by the Holy Spirit who will come to live inside of you and who guarantees that you will be with God in heaven for eternity. Which is incredible. This is the gospel, the good news given to mankind. And so no matter who you are, where you’ve been, or what you’ve done, the power of God can change your life today. And I believe that wholeheartedly, because I am a walking example of that. God has changed my life from death to life through faith in Him. And so, in summary, point all people to the life restoring power that is found in Christ alone. May we never grow weary in doing that and in seeing that our Savior is the one who has life life restoring power so that all who believe may find new life and joy in him for eternity. That being said, please pray with me, God. We believe that Jesus truly is alive. And we believe, God, that you can use us as you use these 12 disciples to bring about life for others, to bring about Godliness, to bring about godly fruit that is good and righteous and holy. And Lord, that you call us to make other disciples. And so I pray, help us to be faithful in trusting Lord in your choosing and being faithful, to step out works of faith and to be intentional with others so that others may grow in Christ and be able to know and love you and walk with you and God, that the Gospel by your grace, may go to the ends of the earth, that you would use our small little church to fulfill your great commission. And God, that we would never grow weary in pointing people to the all powerful Christ who is alive and who gives new life to all who believe in him. And I pray God be with us as we continue our service today. And it’s in Jesus name we all pray. Amen. The post Chosen Disciples – Luke 6: 12-19 appeared first on Red Village Church.

“Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven you.’” (Mark 2:3–5 NKJV) The Gospel writers give us very little insight into why Jesus chose the people He did to serve as His disciples. We can get a sense of the personalities of Simon Peter, John—and Judas Iscariot—because they are featured prominently in certain stories. But for the rest of the Twelve, we must rely on quick glimpses. We must look beyond the words to the circumstances in which they’re mentioned to see just a little of what Jesus saw in them. Case in point: Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. We find the origin story of Andrew’s discipleship in John 1. Andrew was first a disciple of John the Baptist. One day, as Jesus walked past, John the Baptist pointed at Him and said, “Behold the Lamb of God!” (verse 36 NKJV). That was all Andrew needed to hear. He immediately started following Jesus. But that’s not all he did. “He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which is translated, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus” (verses 41–42 NKJV). The thing about Andrew is that once he was convinced, he was convinced. He saw for himself. He believed. And he immediately went out to tell his brother Simon. How we need more Andrews today. If we had more Andrews, we would have more Simon Peters. One person bringing another person to Jesus—it’s so simple. It’s so effective. And it’s so neglected. Mark 2 gives an account of four men who brought their paralyzed friend to Christ. As Jesus was teaching inside a house overflowing with people, these four persistent men climbed up to the roof and lowered their friend inside. Jesus was so impressed with their demonstration of faith that He forgave the paralyzed man of his sins and healed him (see Mark 2:3–5). This story serves as an inspiration and a reminder that sometimes a number of Christians working together can bring a person to Christ more effectively than one person working alone. As Paul said, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:6 NKJV). We all have a part in God’s plan. Andrew was brand-new in the faith, and often the newest converts are the most zealous evangelists. That’s probably because they are so cognizant of the fact that they have just been saved from a miserable lifestyle. That was Andrew. Maybe we, too, need to remind ourselves time and time again of what God has done for us. Reflection question: Who can you bring to Jesus? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this Bible study, Fr. Matthias Shehad explores the harmony of the Gospels through Christ's return to Galilee, His encounter in the synagogue at Nazareth, and the calling of the first apostles. Fr. Matthias explains the historical and spiritual significance of the synagogue as a place of assembly and scripture reading, contrasting it with the Old Testament sacrificial system. He examines Jesus' proclamation of His mission by reading from Isaiah 61, emphasizing His role as the Anointed One bringing spiritual liberation and the “acceptable year of the Lord,” understood as an eternal Jubilee. Fr. Matthias also discusses the skepticism Jesus faced in His hometown and the reasons for people's rejection of Him. He then details the calling of fishermen Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John, highlighting their immediate response to follow Jesus and the transformative nature of their calling. This study looks at themes of faith, submission, and the true value of discipleship grounded in service and trust in God's plan. Subscribe to us on YouTube https://youtube.com/stpaulhouston Like us on Facebook https://facebook.com/saintpaulhouston Follow us on SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/stpaulhouston Follow us on Instagram https://instagram.com/stpaulhouston Visit our website for schedules and to join the mailing list https://stpaulhouston.org

John 13It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

JOHN 13:1-17 - JESUS WASHES FEET - BRIAN SUMNER - 2025JOHN 13:1-17 "Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.2 And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, 4 rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. 5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 6 Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?”7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.”8 Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!”Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”9 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!”10 Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, “You are not all clean.”12 So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. 16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them."To support this channel and partner with Brian in Ministryhttps://www.briansumner.net/support/For more on Brianhttp://www.briansumner.nethttps://www.instagram.com/BRIANSUMNER/https://www.facebook.com/BRIANSUMNEROFFICIALTo listen to Brians Podcast, click below.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...Purchase Brians Marriage book at https://www.amazon.com/Never-Fails-Da...Brian is a full time "Urban Missionary" both locally and internationally with a focus on MISSIONS - MARRIAGES - MINISTRY. Since coming to faith in 2004 doors continued opening locally and internationally to do more and more ministry with a focus on Evangelism, Outreach Missions, Marriage, Counsel, Schools, Festivals, Conferences and the like.  Everything about this ministry is made possible because of people personally partnering through the non profit. God Bless and thank you. †Support the showSUPPORT THE SHOW

In this message from our FULFILLED journey through Luke, Pastor Clayton teaches Luke 4:38–39, where Jesus heals Simon Peter's mother-in-law in a quiet, intimate moment after the synagogue.We see the Kingdom Way on display—not spectacle, but compassion. Jesus stands over the vulnerable, rebukes sickness with authority, restores what was lost, and calls people back into purpose. This passage reveals a powerful pattern for every believer: Healing, Rising, and Serving.If you've been healed by Jesus but hesitant to fully rise and follow, this message calls you to step out of the sickbed and into the life God restored you for.

John 13:36-14:4,36 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.” 37 Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” 38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”Let not your hearts be troubled. The text was chosen months ago. And your pastors believe it was chosen before the foundation of the world for this church, on this Sunday, January 25, 2026.“Let not your hearts be troubled.” (John 14:1)Has your heart been troubled this week?Pastor Jonathan talked last week about Jesus giving his disciples both a new commission — that we love one another — and a new location. For the first time, these men were going to follow Jesus in a world without Jesus. A world without Jesus. We know that kind of world, don't we? Most weeks, we live out there in a world without Jesus, and we see and feel his absence in all kinds of ways… Some of you were deeply troubled long before last Sunday — you've been staring down serious financial trouble. Or stubborn marriage trouble. Or sudden health trouble. Or heartbreaking trouble with your kids. All this might feel small compared to what weighs on you most right now. I know because we pray for you as pastors. You have laid in bed at night and wondered, Jesus, where are you? Why would you leave me here, to deal with this?Every week, we live out there in a world without Jesus. And then once a week, we come together here, and it feels like he's really here… He is of course here, we all know that. We say it at the end of every service, Matthew 28:18-20,“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations. . . . And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”He was with us last Sunday, and he's with us this Sunday, and if he doesn't return, he'll be with us next Sunday, whatever comes. He'll never leave us or forsake us… And yet we can't see him. But when we come together like this, it's almost like we can — the singing, the preaching, the praying, the one-anothering — this gathering pulls his throne back down out of the clouds for an hour or two, just long enough for us to run back in and spend 6 days facing all the things that trouble us. And then, last week, the trouble broken in and interrupted even that. Or did it? It's true that the service we had planned didn't immediately continue as planned, that a scene unfolded that none of us wanted to witness much less experience, but as I watched it all happen, standing right over there, Jesus was so real in the chaos. Jesus was really real. He was real in you.One mom injured herself rushing another family out of the Sanctuary. More moms quickly getting our kids to the safest part of the building. Men like Pastor Mike and the other Pastor Mike and Ben and Tommy and Eli and Warren and others quickly standing to shield others and calmly but firmly surround the protestors. Our people engaging the aggression with calmness, kindness, and truth. Attempting to talk and reason with them. Praying for them, and even with one or two of them. Pastor Jonathan, with mics shoved in his face, responding with Jesus and Jesus and more of Jesus. We're here to worship Jesus! And then since Sunday, you haven't stopped. Every day, sometimes hour by hour, we've watched dozens of you rise to meet some need.I've talked to a number of you now who have gone to visit immigrants in our church community who are hurting and afraid, bringing food and Scripture to strengthen them.You keep stepping up, each in your own way, to comfort one another, to feed one another, to protect one another, to pray for one another.We heard in the sermon last Sunday:“They will know you are my disciples by the way you love one another.”And, brothers and sisters, the whole world knows we worship Jesus because of how you loved one another last Sunday.But last Sunday was troubling — the state of our city is deeply troubling. And the sermons of the last couple months are helping me process the trouble. Just a few verses before we get to verse 1, we heard, John 13:21,“After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.'”What does that mean? It means it's not always wrong to be troubled. There is an unholy troubled — an unholy anxiety, an unwillingness to trust God. May God guard us from that. But Jesus knew Judas was going to betray him, he knew why he was going to die, he knew he was going to rise from the dead, he knew he was saving the world from their sins — and he was still troubled. It's not always wrong to be troubled.And so, when Jesus says to his disciples here, with his own heart troubled by Judas, “Let not your hearts be troubled,” I don't think this is mainly fatherly correction — “Boys, stop being so worried and upset about all of this.” He's certainly not afraid to confront and correct them (in fact, he corrects Peter right here in these verses), but that's not the tone here. No, this isn't mainly fatherly correction; this is fatherly encouragement for battle. They needed courage to face the trouble ahead, and a good father knows how to give courage in moments like these. These men have good reasons to be troubled, and he's reminding them they have even better reasons to trust him and take heart. And he gives us reasons right here in these verses.My three main points are questions:How could he leave?Where did he go?How do we get to him?1. How Could He Leave?Before I get to how Jesus strengthens his friends, we need to try and feel their trouble with them. We all know the things we're troubled about — I know what's troubling me — but what was troubling them? I'm thankful that we put the end of John 13 with the beginning of 14. John 13:36, our first verse, helps define the trouble for us:“Simon Peter said to him, ‘Lord, where are you going?'”It's a little hard for us to put ourselves in their shoes, isn't it? They were desperate for a savior, for a king to come and conquer Rome. And they really believed this was their king. He's here. And now this is the moment. We're going up to Jerusalem again, but now we have the promised Messiah, the king, the champion. We're going up there and we're going to win. This time's going to be different. We don't have to live in a world without our king anymore.And then as they gird up their loins and prepare for battle, the Messiah says, “Actually, I'm going to leave you now.” What! It felt like their savior was leaving right when they needed saving. . . . The wine at the wedding, and the bread and fish in the dessert, and even raising Lazarus from the dead, that's all amazing, but we need you now, Jesus. Like, none of that means anything if you don't come through for us now. You're supposed to be the one who delivers us. . . . And now you're deserting us? You're leaving us to try and live here, without you?Now, we know where he's going, and so we want to say, “Hey Peter, relax, it's going to be alright. He's going to die and rise. You're going to win — like really, really win.” But we do the same thing they're doing, don't we? We might not get in Jesus's face like Peter did, but we ask the same questions — we do if we're human anyway. Some of you were asking verse 36 questions this week. Jesus, you're just going to leave us here — with this? Jesus, why did you have to leave? If you loved us, why would you let us go through all this without you? You were already here! You could have just stayed and made all of this right by now. How could you leave?How could he leave? He had to leave. The question we should ask is: Where did he need to go? And that's really what these next verses are about.2. Where Did He Go?“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?”Where was Jesus going when he left his disciples behind? He says he was going to his Father's house, and he was going to prepare a place for them, for us.He's talking about heaven, the place where God dwells. That's where he was going. But why did he call heaven “the Father's house”? . . . The Bible doesn't talk this way about heaven a lot. I think Jesus calls heaven a house at this particular moment, right before intense suffering and opposition, because he wanted them to know that heaven isn't just a shelter for forgiven believers — no more sin, no more fear, no more tears. That would be an improvement on these cities. That would be an improvement on any city. It's certainly better than eternal destruction in hell. No, Jesus wanted these men to know, in the face of great danger, that heaven is more than a shelter; it's a home — it's a place where you belong, where you're loved, where you feel safe. It's a place for family. The heaven Jesus bought for you is a home — and don't you want a new home? Don't you want to be a part of that kind of family? You might think you have a great home, in a great part of town, hemmed in by great neighbors, but even there you're hit with waves of heartache and temptation and uncertainty. Because of sin and all the horrible consequences of sin, we all want to go home. We're all out of place here. And some of us feel that more than others. You feel very, very far from home here. Jesus is going to say in just a few verses, “I will not leave you as orphans . . . ” (John 14:18). I'm going to provide a home for you. A place to belong. A place to be loved. A place where you are fully and finally safe.And in that house, he says, there are many rooms. Why did he say that? Because he wants us to know that there's plenty of room.“For God so loved the world that he sent his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).Heaven isn't going to be like the inns in Bethlehem when Christ first came. No, there's always room in this house. Do you want to live in this house? There is room for you — and there's room for everyone you know (and everyone they know). If every soul in these cities turned to Jesus, he'd have a place for every single one of them. And that's our mission as a church. This is a big, big house, and our prayer is that God would fill up the rooms — that he would bring many, many in our city home, even through the horrors of what's happening right now. The people in our city are hurting and divided and afraid and they need a King. I've prayed, with all the extra attention on our church, Lord, fill up the rooms! Make Jesus impossible to ignore. And make him impossible to resist. There's always room in this house. He won't turn you away.And if you'll believe in Jesus, not only is there room for you, but there's a room for you. Listen to him carefully, “In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” When you get to this house, he's not going to be scrambling around to make room (Hey, Epaphraditus, can you bunk with Aquila until we find a spot for Pastor Max?). No, there will be a place prepared for you. And when you get there, you're going to know it's yours. Our kids got a number of things for Christmas this year, but the biggest hit was a case of colored pencils my wife bought for our son. I didn't know my wife had gotten this gift for him, and so when he opened it and I saw his eyes, I cried. I cried! Why did I cry about some colored pencils?Because as soon as I saw it, and saw him holding it, I knew it was the perfect gift for him. You could have shown me that pencil case anywhere in the world, and I would have said that's something my wife would buy for our boy, because she's a good mom who knows and loves her son. No child in the world is going to love this more than he does. That's what your room's going to be like. Your place in heaven. It's going to be obviously yours, prepared for you.Some of you have never had a home like that. A lot of people feel that way in Minneapolis and St. Paul right now. You sit in your home, in this city, and it feels like anything but home here. You're anxious. You're angry. You're troubled. And into that persistent sense of homesickness, Jesus says, “If you're with me, Oh I have a home for you. I'm going to prepare a place for you.”And the best part of the home he makes for you is going to be him. “In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”So he left to prepare a place for you, and he's coming back to make sure you get there safely. Did you hear that? He's not going to prepare a place for you and then waiting to see if you can get there on your own. No, when it's time, he's going to come back, pick you up, and escort you there himself. Not one of you will be lost or left behind.And when you get home, he'll be at the center of everything you love about that place. You'll be happier than you've ever been — Do you believe that about heaven? You'll be happier than ever before, and it's not going to be about the colored pencils he put next to the bed — it's not going to be about all the things you'd want to do if you could do anything you want in heaven (and I think we'll do all those things in heaven). No, you'll be happier than you've ever been, and it'll be because he's there. I promise you. You won't have to convince yourself he's the best. No, it'll be so good to be with him that it'll be a little hard to believe that he's really just there, every day, for thousands and thousands of years.More than anyone besides the Bible, Randy Alcorn has helped me long for that home. He says in his book on heaven,“Nothing is more often misdiagnosed than our homesickness for Heaven. We think that what we want is sex, drugs, alcohol, a new job, a raise, a doctorate, a spouse, a large-screen television, a new car, a cabin in the woods, a condo in Hawaii. What we really want is the person we were made for, Jesus, and the place we were made for, Heaven. Nothing less can satisfy us. . . . Not only will we see his face and live, but we will likely wonder if we ever lived before we saw his face!” (Heaven, 166, 172)So he's going to the Father's house, which has many rooms, there's a room prepared for you, with him at the center, and he's coming back to make sure we get there. But how do we get there?3. How Do We Get to Him?Verse 3:“If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.”You don't think you know. That's exactly what Thomas says in the next verse,“Lord, we don't know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Pastor Jonathan will preach those verses in a couple weeks, but we get a taste even here in these verses. When Jesus says, “I go to prepare a place for you,” what did he mean by prepare? Did he mean he had to leave because he needed to do some work on the house to get it ready for us? Is he framing out doors and laying sheet rock on a couple floors? No, this isn't that kind of preparation. The house is finished. All the rooms are ready. No one has been forgotten, and no detail has been missed. The problem isn't the readiness of the house; the problem at this point in the Gospel of John is that there's no way to get in. When he says he's going to prepare a place for them, he's going to install the front door. And this glorious door is made of two horrifying beams of wood. He's going to die for his friends. That's really why he had to leave. When he says he's preparing a place, he's opening the home. And so yes, where's he going? He's going to the Father's house. But he gets there through the grave. “I am the good shepherd,” he told them. “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. . . .” (John 10:11). He's going to die for their sins, so that they get to go home. He's going to lay down his life for the sheep, for his friends. As he's leaving them, we realize he's not abandoning them; he's rescuing them. All they can see is the immediate threat — we can relate to that — all they can see is the immediate threat ,but he was focused on a far greater threat. They're focused on little Rome, and he's about to go to war against hell — and he's going to win.Colossians 2:13–15:“And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” How could he leave? Where was he going? That's where he's going. “And,” he says verse 4, “you know the way to where I am going” (John 14:3–4). Again, you don't think you know the way — we've felt that way this week, haven't we? We don't think we know the way forward, but we do know the way, because we know him.Even You, PeterAs we turn to the Table, then, that leaves us with three verses I've said almost nothing about. This is chapter 13:36–38. I'll be brief here, in closing, but I'm so jealous for you to see this. “Simon Peter said to him, ‘Lord, where are you going?' Jesus answered him, ‘Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.' 37 Peter said to him, ‘Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.' 38 Jesus answered, ‘Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.'”Next verse, next words out of his mouth, in the very next breath as far as we know:“Let not your hearts be troubled.”Think about that. “I will lay down my life for you!” “No you won't, Peter. You're going to fail me, you're going to disown and betray me three times today . . . . and I'm still going to lay down my life for you, so you don't have to be troubled.” He doesn't say that to Judas (he's already left by now), but he says it to Peter. I'm going to prepare a place for you, Peter. Yes, even you. And so I say to you this morning, it doesn't matter how you have betrayed him and how many times you have betrayed him — how many times you have run from him and sinned against him. Maybe you betrayed him three times in the last 24 hours. It doesn't matter where you're coming from this Sunday. And it doesn't matter where you were sitting, standing, or shouting last Sunday. If you will turn and believe, he has prepared a home for you. You can be forgiven. His death can cover you. His wounds can heal you. His house can shelter you. Yes, even you.So, Cities Church, let not your hearts be troubled.

This verse-by-verse teaching from Pastor Kevin focuses on Luke 5:1–11 and Jesus' call of Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John at the Sea of Galilee. The message examines the different ways people follow Jesus, including curiosity, indifference, and committed obedience, as seen throughout the Gospels and especially in Peter's life. Attention is given to Jesus' personal call, His authority, and the way He meets ordinary people in the midst of their everyday work. Through Peter's response to the miraculous catch of fish, the teaching highlights humility, recognition of sin, and the beginning of a transformed life shaped by following Christ. This passage is presented as a clear example of how Jesus patiently calls, restores, and leads those who follow Him.

What happens when Jesus interrupts your ordinary life? In Luke 5, we find Simon Peter exhausted after a long, fruitless night of fishing. He has nothing to show for his work—just empty nets and tired hands. Then Jesus shows up, commandeers his boat, and changes everything. In this message, we explore the moment when Jesus called his first disciples AND what his calling looks like in YOUR life today. Discover what happens when Jesus: • Meets us exactly where we are • Interrupts our plans with His purpose • Shows His power in unforgettable ways • Gives us a brand-new identity • Becomes our greatest treasure This sermon is part of our series “The Way of Jesus,” an overview of the Gospel of Luke where we're learning what it truly means to follow Christ—not just believe in Him, but apprentice our lives to Him. Whether you're brand new to faith, feeling spiritually stuck, or wondering if God could still use you after failure, this message is for you. Jesus is still calling ordinary people to live lives of eternal purpose—and He may be calling you today

 29 [John the Baptist] saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.' 31 I myself did not know him, but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel." 32 And John testified, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' 34 And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Chosen One."   35 The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and as he watched Jesus walk by he exclaimed, "Look, here is the Lamb of God!" 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?" 39 He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated Anointed). 42 He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter). 

Simon Says: Lessons from Peter's Faith Journey In the third installment of our series, Simon Says, we delve deeper into the life of Simon Peter, a disciple known for his bold yet flawed faith. This week's sermon focuses on the theme of maintaining focus on Jesus, even amidst life's storms. The Scene on the Sea of Galilee Our journey begins with Matthew 14:22-33, where Peter experiences both triumph and failure while walking on water. After Jesus feeds the 5,000, He sends the disciples ahead on a boat while He prays alone. As a storm brews, Jesus walks on water towards the struggling disciples. Mistaking Him for a ghost, they are terrified until Jesus reassures them. Peter, ever eager, asks Jesus to command him to walk on water too. With Jesus' invitation, Peter steps out of the boat, initially walking towards Jesus. However, the moment he shifts his focus from Jesus to the wind and waves, doubt creeps in, and he begins to sink. Jesus saves him, but not without pointing out his "little faith" and questioning his doubt. Insights into Faith Saving Faith vs. Living Faith The sermon distinguishes between two types of faith: Saving Faith: This is the initial trust in Jesus that justifies us and connects us with God. It is the root of our salvation, a gift of grace that requires nothing from us but belief in Jesus' sacrifice. Living Faith: Unlike saving faith, living faith requires action. It is the faith we live by, animating our lives and guiding us to walk by faith, not by sight. Living faith is about obedience, trust, and sacrifice, leading to our transformation and sanctification. Lessons from Peter's Experience Peter's water-walking adventure teaches us about the nuances of living faith. Despite his initial boldness, Peter's faith falters when he diverts his gaze from Jesus. This moment illustrates how living faith can ebb and flow, influenced by our focus and external distractions. Focus on Jesus: Peter's failure came when he focused on the waves instead of Jesus. This shift led to doubt and fear, which are antithetical to living faith. To maintain our living faith, we must keep our eyes on Jesus, especially when stepping out of our comfort zones. Common Pitfalls: The sermon identifies three reasons why Peter might have taken his eyes off Jesus: Self-reliance: Attempting to navigate the waves on his own strength. Overthinking: Second-guessing his decision to walk on water. Pride: Seeking approval from others instead of focusing on Jesus. Each of these pitfalls centers around a shift in focus from Jesus to self, leading to a weakened faith. Conclusion The story of Peter walking on water is a powerful reminder of the importance of living faith. We are called to step out in faith, but we must remain focused on Jesus to sustain that faith. As believers, we should examine our lives to ensure that our faith is active and alive, rooted in Jesus and bearing the fruit of transformation. In closing, the sermon invites us to reflect on our faith journey. Do we possess saving faith, trusting in Jesus for salvation? Are we walking by living faith, keeping our gaze fixed on Him despite life's challenges? As we ponder these questions, let us strive to keep our eyes on Jesus, ensuring that our faith remains vibrant and steadfast.

Confession of St. Peter: Acts 4:8-13; Psalm 23; 1 Peter 5:1-11; Matthew 16:13-19 (Fr. David)

A sermon for Epiphany 2A, January 18, 2026. John 1:29-42 John saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.' I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.” The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

Notes Matthew 4:12-23 Isaiah 9:1-4 1 Corinthians 1:10-18 Summary In this episode of the Pulpit Fiction Podcast, hosts Robb McCoy and Eric Fistler delve into the Gospel reading from Matthew 4:12-23, which recounts the calling of the fishermen. They explore the significance of Jesus' call to Simon Peter and Andrew, as well as James and John, emphasizing the differences in the Gospel narratives. The discussion highlights the socio-political context of Galilee, where Jesus begins his ministry amid Roman oppression, and the implications of being 'fishers of men' as a call to advocate for justice rather than mere evangelism. The hosts also touch on the upcoming readings from Isaiah and 1 Corinthians, drawing connections between the texts and contemporary issues of division within the church and society. Takeaways Jesus's call to the fishermen is immediate and transformative. The Gospels present different perspectives on the same events. The arrest of John the Baptist serves as a catalyst for Jesus's ministry. Church divisions can distract from the core message of unity in Christ. The Kingdom of Heaven challenges existing power structures. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Pulpit Fiction Podcast 02:03 Conferences and Continuing Education in Ministry 04:58 Exploring the Sermon on the Mount 07:43 The Calling of the Fishermen: Matthew 4:12-23 09:00 Comparative Analysis of Gospel Accounts 12:04 The Significance of Jesus' Command to Follow 16:11 The Context of John's Arrest and Its Impact 19:26 The Political Implications of Jesus' Ministry 22:19 Understanding 'Fishers of Men' in a New Light 26:26 The Historical Context of Galilee and Its Importance 30:17 The Struggles of Modern Empires 35:07 The Light in Darkness: A Message of Hope 45:07 Unity in Diversity: The Call for Christian Togetherness  

John 6:47-7147 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” 70 Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” 71 He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.

Our scripture reading for this week features John – known as the baptist – introducing Jesus. John suggests two aspects of who Jesus is: “Lamb of God” and “Chosen One.” Later, Simon-Peter and Andrew call Jesus “Rabbi” (“teacher”). Jillian Nelson writes: “What is particularly poignant to me about this passage is that these markers of Jesus' identity are not used to elevate him above everyone else, making him unapproachable. Instead, Jesus invites his new disciples into participation with him. He

John 1:29-42The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.' I myself did not know him, but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Chosen One.”The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter). A couple of weeks ago, I signed up for Better with Time, a weekly newsletter course. Each week, I get a new tip in my inbox. Something small I can do at a different time of day to add a little more joy and adventure to my life. I'm two weeks in, and so far, I've experienced no added joy and absolutely no adventure.And it's not because I didn't try—well, maybe the first one. Week one's suggestion was to eat chicken parmigiana for breakfast. I mean… who would do such a thing? The point wasn't nutrition. It was control. The author argues that breakfast can be whatever you want it to be, and that by eating chicken parm for breakfast, you reclaim a sense of freedom over your life. You start thinking outside the bowl.You can let me know how that goes.Week two didn't do much for me either. The challenge was to spend twenty minutes flipping through a dictionary. The most joy I got from that was asking Pastor Mark for a dictionary—who, of course, had one from 1922.I signed up for this newsletter because, honestly, I could use a little more joy in my day—who couldn't? I don't necessarily need more adventure. But a distraction would be nice. A distraction from the endless updates of insanity that seem to flood our newsfeeds, no matter which one you're looking at. So when I saw something that promised to tell me how to live my life in a way that might add a little joy—and it was free—I thought, why not?After all, we are constantly being told how to live a life. By people, by companies, by experts. We're told what we should want, what we should value, and then—almost always—we're offered a solution. Usually at a cost. But our passage today gives us a pretty good picture of how to live a life.This is Jesus' first public appearance in the Gospel of John. And instead of John the Baptist doing any baptizing, he shows up here as John the Witness—or John the Testifier. He doesn't perform a ritual. He points. Literally.Every time Jesus walks by, John points and says, “Look! There he is!” Honestly, it's a little odd. John is like a toddler in public, loudly pointing at a stranger: Look at that person! I can't help but wonder if it was as embarrassing for Jesus as it can be for parents when that happens. But that's the scene. John sees Jesus, and he wants everyone else to see him too.The second time John points and shouts at Jesus, two of his disciples finally pay attention. They hear what John is saying, and something about it catches them. So they begin to follow Jesus.And then—Jesus turns around.He looks at them and asks, “What are you looking for?”In English, the question sounds simple. But it doesn't really capture the depth of what Jesus is asking. It's closer to: What are you seeking? What do you hope to find? What do you long for? The disciples respond to Jesus by asking, “Rabbi, where are you staying?”It's a richer question than it first sounds. They aren't asking for an address. They're asking where Jesus dwells, where he abides. And that word carries the sense of belonging. It's the difference between a hotel and a home. You stay at a hotel. But you abide, you belong, at the place you call home. That's what the disciples are really asking: Where do you dwell? Because we want to dwell there too.Jesus responds with a simple invitation: “Come and see.” Not an explanation. Not a theological lecture. Not a test to see if they believe the right things or are worthy enough. Just an invitation. Come and see.And they do. They spend the rest of the day with Jesus. The text doesn't tell us what happens while they're there, but something clearly does happen. We know this because before abiding with Jesus, they called him Rabbi, teacher. Respectful. Formal. After spending time with him, they leave calling him Messiah: the anointed one, the one who saves and frees.Don't you wonder what happened in between: what they talked about? what they saw? what they experienced? Whatever it was, it changed them. They had to be impressed. Amazed. Astonished. So much so that Andrew immediately goes and tells his brother Simon what he has seen and experienced.I wonder how Simon took that news. If he's anything like me, I imagine his response was something like, No way. Are you sure? Prove it. But Andrew doesn't argue. He doesn't explain. He simply brings his brother to Jesus. I wonder if he used the same invitation Jesus used with him: Come and see. Because no sooner than he tells his brother the two of them are off to find Jesus. And that's when it clicks for me.I don't need a newsletter to tell me how to live a more joyful or adventurous life. I don't need influencers, companies, or marketing campaigns promising they have the product that will finally solve all my problems. What I need in this life is what those two disciples just experienced—because that is living a life: paying attention, being astonished, and telling about it.And that's not my framework, but the poet, Mary Oliver's. In her poem Sometimes, she writes: “How to live a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.”The disciples paid attention to what John was saying about Jesus. They noticed where he was pointing, and they were willing to look in that direction. That's often how faith begins, not with certainty, but with curiosity. With listening to those who point us toward Jesus, and being willing to follow their gaze. And sometimes that pointing takes us somewhere we didn't expect.Then they abide with Jesus—and they are astonished by him. What a gift. When was the last time you were astonished by Jesus? Truly astonished—filled with wonder, caught off guard, surprised by grace.Maybe it happens in the quiet of prayer, when you aren't looking for an answer, and Christ meets you with peace instead.Maybe it happens through the words of Scripture - when you read a passage for the one hundred and first time and finally hear the promise it has for you. Not because the words changed, but because you did.Maybe it happens through a song - when the Spirit overwhelms you at the very moment you least expected it.You know this kind of astonishment when it happens - because it changes you. No longer is Jesus only a teacher, someone with wise words to admire from a distance. He becomes Messiah: the one you follow, the one who meets you, the one who saves and frees. And once we are astonished, just like Simon, we can't help but tell about it.About the Messiah we've found. About the astonishment we've experienced. About the abiding that has changed us.And the way we tell isn't by arguing or proving or persuading. It's by offering the same invitation Jesus offered in the first place: come and see. Hearts and minds aren't changed by data or debates. They're changed through stories and experiences.Siblings in Christ, Jesus gives the same invitation to us: come and see.Come and abide with me.Come and be astonished by me.This is what I hope for us at Cross of Grace. That we are a people who have seen Jesus, and who can't help but point to him. A community astonished by his mercy, forgiveness, and grace. So that when others are searching, when they know something is missing, when they are looking for more hope, more joy, more belonging in their life, we don't try to convince them or fix them.We simply point. We point to Jesus. We point to a place where he abides with us. A place where they will be welcomed and loved. And we offer the same simple invitation: Come and see.Come and see why our joy doesn't come from newsletters, but from being astonished by the grace of Jesus Christ. Come and see a place where you can experience that grace for yourself.That's how we live a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.Amen.

Second Sunday after the Epiphany Old Testament: Isaiah 49:1-7 1Listen to me, O coastlands, pay attention, you peoples from far away! The Lord called me before I was born, while I was in my mother's womb he named me. 2He made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me away. 3And he said to me, "You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified." 4But I said, "I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my cause is with the Lord, and my reward with my God." 5And now the Lord says, who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him, for I am honored in the sight of the Lord, and my God has become my strength— 6he says, "It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth." 7Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations, the slave of rulers, "Kings shall see and stand up, princes, and they shall prostrate themselves, because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you." Psalm: Psalm 40:1-12 1 I waited patiently upon the Lord; *        he stooped to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the desolate pit, out of the mire and clay; *        he set my feet upon a high cliff and made my footing sure. 3 He put a new song in my mouth,   a song of praise to our God; *        many shall see, and stand in awe,        and put their trust in the Lord. 4 Happy are they who trust in the Lord! *        they do not resort to evil spirits or turn to false gods. 5 Great things are they that you have done, O Lord my God!   how great your wonders and your plans for us! *        there is none who can be compared with you. 6 Oh, that I could make them known and tell them! *        but they are more than I can count. 7 In sacrifice and offering you take no pleasure *       (you have given me ears to hear you); 8 Burnt-offering and sin-offering you have not required, *        and so I said, "Behold, I come. 9 In the roll of the book it is written concerning me: *       'I love to do your will, O my God;        your law is deep in my heart."' 10 I proclaimed righteousness in the great congregation; *        behold, I did not restrain my lips;        and that, O Lord, you know. 11 Your righteousness have I not hidden in my heart;    I have spoken of your faithfulness and your deliverance; *        I have not concealed your love and faithfulness from the great congregation. 12 You are the Lord;    do not withhold your compassion from me; *        let your love and your faithfulness keep me safe for ever, Epistle: 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 1Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, 2To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: 3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, 5for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind— 6just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you— 7so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.9God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Gospel: John 1:29-42 29The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.' 31I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel." 32And John testified, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' 34And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God." 35The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, 36and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, "Look, here is the Lamb of God!" 37The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?" 39He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon. 40One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41He first found his brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated Anointed). 42He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter).  

“Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him.’” (Mark 9:7 NLT) Two thousand years ago, Jesus put this question to the Pharisees: “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is He?” (Matthew 22:42 NLT). Some of history’s greatest minds have grappled with that question ever since. The confusion, doubt, and skepticism started early. It’s worth noting that during Jesus’ earthly ministry, many people were perplexed about who He really was. Jesus never became God, nor did Jesus ever cease to be God. His deity, which means His divine lordship—the fact that He is God—was pre-human, pre-earthly, and pre-Bethlehem. In the Incarnation, that moment when Jesus came to earth and was born of the Virgin Mary, He didn’t lay aside His deity. He was God before He was born, and He remained God after He became a man. We are given a glimpse of Jesus’ divine nature in the story of His transfiguration, as recorded in Mark 9:2–13. “Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white, far whiter than any earthly bleach could ever make them. Then Elijah and Moses appeared and began talking with Jesus” (verses 2–4 NLT). According to Matthew’s description of the event, Jesus’ “face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light” (Matthew 17:2 NLT). For most of His time on earth, Jesus veiled His glory. But for one brief shining moment, God allowed Jesus’ disciples to see who He really is. God punctuated the moment with a verbal acknowledgment and a pointed instruction: “This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him” (Mark 9:7 NLT). Jesus’ identity validates His words. Attention must be paid to His teachings because they come from the Son of God and God Himself. Ignoring them is not only short-sighted but also spiritually dangerous. In Matthew 16:13–20, we find a profound interaction between Jesus and His disciples that begins with a question from Jesus: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (verse 13 NLT). “‘Well,’ they replied, ‘some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets’” (verse 14 NLT). And then Jesus makes it personal. “But who do you say I am?” (verse 15 NLT, emphasis added). “Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God’” (verse 16 NLT). This may have been Peter’s finest moment. “Who do you say I am?” It’s a question everyone must answer—and a question everyone does answer, whether they realize it or not. You can’t very well say, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” and leave it at that. If Jesus is who He says He is, you must receive Him as Savior and Lord. You must obey His commands, follow His teachings, and seek His will for your life. Reflection question: Who do you believe Jesus is? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.” (Mark 16:7 NLT) Except for Judas Iscariot, no one failed harder during the events of Jesus’ crucifixion than Simon Peter, one of Jesus’ closest companions. His failure likely came as a surprise not just to himself but also to his fellow disciples. Of the twelve, Peter certainly seemed to have the most bravado. In the account of the Last Supper in Matthew 26, Jesus announces to His disciples, “Tonight all of you will desert me” (verse 31 NLT). Peter boldly replies, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you” (verse 33 NLT). And then Jesus breaks the news that must have broken Peter’s mind: “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me” (verse 34 NLT). Sure enough, a few hours later, while Peter was waiting outside the high priest’s residence for news of Jesus’ trial, he was spotted—and called out as one of Jesus’ disciples. Not once, not twice, but three times. And when people turned their attention to him, when he had a chance to make good on his promise and stand boldly with Jesus, Peter lied. He denied being a disciple. He denied even knowing Jesus. Not once, not twice, but three times. And what started with bravado ended with bitter tears of regret, failure, and shame (see Matthew 26:69–75). That’s why the announcement of Jesus’ resurrection in Mark 16 is so notable. Poor Peter was devastated by his own unfaithfulness and by the fact that he never had a chance to tell the Lord that he was sorry. He really needed encouragement. With that in mind, look at the words again: “Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died” (emphasis added, NLT). Isn’t that amazing? Here is the Lord directly responding to the doubts, fears, and regrets of one of His followers. More than the rest of the disciples, Peter needed reassurance. His risen Lord knew that—and knew how to restore his faith. The story of Jesus restoring Peter to service can be found in John 21:15–25. But let’s consider the takeaway from Mark 16. What can we learn from Jesus reassuring Peter? We can learn that failure gets the final word only if we let it. We can learn that what may look like the end of someone’s story is only the end of an early chapter of the person’s life. There’s still much to be written. And we can learn that not only will Jesus forgive us when we fail Him, but He will seek us out to give us a chance to make things right. That’s how much He loves us. Reflection question: How can you keep failure from getting the final word in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jesus, help me not to miss the true miracle you have for me.Scripture: Luke 5:9Keywords: Success; miracles; Simon Peter; leaving; following Jesus; Jesus said. {{Best of}}

In this episode of The Leader's Notebook (Ep. 295) from our seven-part series, The Magnificent Seven, and the final message in this series, I turn our attention to Paul the Apostle and the decisive turning points God used to shape the most influential voice of the early church. We begin with his commissioning in Acts 13 and look back to his dramatic conversion, his unmistakable calling, and the costly obedience that followed. Saul of Tarsus emerges as a Roman citizen, an elite rabbinical scholar, and a relentless Pharisee who encountered the risen Christ and was forever changed. From that encounter, Paul became the great theologian of salvation by faith alone, clarifying what it means for Gentiles to be grafted into the body of Christ. His life reminds us that to touch the church is to touch Christ Himself, and that true Kingdom leadership is not formed by ease, reputation, or advantage, but by answering God's call wherever it leads. – Dr. Mark Rutland Chapters (00:00:03) - The Leaders Notebook(00:00:25) - Paul the Apostle(00:04:02) - Paul the Apostle(00:12:10) - Saul of Tarsus(00:20:22) - Paul the Apostle's life(00:21:30) - Why Do Certain People Change Their Names?(00:27:40) - Paul the Apostle: Suffering and Joy(00:35:58) - Simon Peter on the Book of Hebrews(00:43:17) - Gentiles and the Law

John the Baptist sees Jesus coming and declares, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”We ask Lars Olson: Why is John the Baptist such a key figure in Lutheranism?What does Lamb of God mean? What does it mean to be baptized into Christ?CARE OF SOULS - ADDICTIONIn Care of Souls, a special mini-series podcast from Luther House of Study, Lutheran pastors and theologians come together to explore the deeply personal and pastoral task of preaching to and caring for those struggling with life's challenging situations: addiction, death, family disharmony, and more. Rooted in the theology of the cross and the Lutheran tradition of radical grace, this series offers both theological depth and practical guidance for pastors, church workers, and lay leaders.With conversations, real-life stories, and reflections from the front lines of ministry, Care of Souls equips listeners to enter the broken places of addiction not with easy answers, but with the crucified and risen Christ.Because in the end, it's not about fixing people—it's about preaching the Gospel.Listen to Care of Souls wherever you listen to podcasts or on the Luther House website: Care of Souls - Addiction SING TO THE LORD Martin Luther said, "Next to the word of God, the art of music is the greatest treasure in the world." To understand the importance of hymnody in the Lutheran church, Lars Olson and Mason Van Essen sit down with Zachary Brockhoff to discuss the lectionary's hymns, their meaning and history, and how the music preaches the Gospel. 

Follow - Pt 2 - Jesus wasn't through changing Simon Peter when He called Him. Instead, He was just getting started. In the transfiguration, Peter saw that Jesus was much more than he thought. Later in life, as he thought back to that day, it reminded him of Christ's power to change us. Salvation is an event, but also a process. It's a long transition from a self-centered to a God-centered life. And discipleship is more than just being with Jesus. It's also becoming like Him.

Send us a textMost sermons that I have heard, including some that I have preached myself, that focus on Simon Peter tend to portray him as something of a buffoon. They present Simon Peter as a boaster and a blowhard. Peter, as the Gospels admit, said and did some foolish things. But that did not make him a fool. Nor was he a coward. The bravest thing that Simon Peter ever did is probably not what you think. Dr. John Koessler is an award-winning writer and retired faculty emeritus of Moody Bible Institute. John writes the Practical Theology column for Today in the Word and a monthly column on prayer for Mature Living. He is the author of 16 books. His latest book , When God is Silent, is published by Lexham Press. You can learn more about John at https://www.johnkoessler.com.

Discover the moment when Simon Peter declares Jesus as the Messiah, changing the course of the disciples' journey forever.In this compelling episode, Jesus confronts the Pharisees and challenges His disciples with a profound question about His true identity. As the disciples wrestle with their understanding, Simon Peter boldly declares Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the living God, leading to a powerful moment of revelation and transformation.Today's Bible verse is Matthew 16:16, from the King James Version.Download the Pray.com app for more Christian content including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Pray.com is the digital destination for faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Leader's Notebook (Ep. 294) from our seven-part series, The Magnificent Seven, I examine the life, faith, and formation of Simon Peter—introduced in John 1 as a fisherman who meets Jesus and is immediately renamed, redefined, and relentlessly shaped by grace. Peter is bold, impulsive, strong, outspoken, and deeply human: quick to confess Jesus as the Christ, equally quick to resist the cross; first to step out of the boat, first to deny with a curse; yet also first to preach at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit transforms failure into authority. We trace Peter's journey from natural leadership to spiritual power, from Jewish boundaries to Gentile inclusion, and from rough-edged disciple to apostolic voice whose letters reveal profound theological depth. In the end, Peter himself tells us what mattered most—not miracles, not Pentecost, not even leadership—but seeing Christ in His glory, a vision that steadied his life and clarified his witness. – Dr. Mark Rutland Chapters (00:00:03) - The Leaders Notebook(00:00:53) - Simon Peter(00:09:38) - Simon Peter(00:13:23) - Simon Peter(00:16:58) - Simon Peter Confirmed as the Messiah by Jesus(00:22:28) - Simon Peter at Pentecost(00:28:48) - Simon Peter the Disciples(00:35:43) - St. Paul the Gentile encounter(00:39:02) - 1 Peter and 2 Peter(00:40:22) - The Greatest Moment of Peter's Life(00:46:24) - Leader's Notebook

1 Peter 1:11:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia...John 1:35-421:35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).Luke 5:1-115:1 On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3 Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” 6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 7 They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” 9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” 11 And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.