Jesus, the Encourager–Peter’s Story

Have you ever felt like you had blown an assignment or a relationship so badly that there was no hope of any recovery?  Then you know how Peter felt following his denials of Jesus.  But for us to fully understand this dramatic setting, we need to go back and get to know Peter “up close and personal.”  All along Jesus has been preparing Peter, but Peter has proven to be a difficult case.  Jesus had called him “the rock” but Peter seemed more like a stumbling stone than a building stone.  Peter’s story is an example for us of how God can bring forth beauty from the ashes we often make of our lives.  This is a wonderful story.  It is also a bridge into the Book of Acts.