Then he asked them, "Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Jesus replied, "You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Now I say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you lock on earth will be locked in heaven, and whatever you open on earth will be opened in heaven."  (Matthew 16:15-19 NLT)

Today begins a lengthy series. Each day we’ll take a look at the disciples. The first is Simon Peter. There were so many verses I could have picked to remind you of this popular character in the earthly life of Christ. From walking on the water, to cutting off an ear, to denying knowledge of Christ and the powerful restoration of Peter, you are familiar with this man's great faith. However, there is one incident that I want to focus on this morning. It speaks of his character more than any other.

We start with Simon Peter, the ROCK, as Jesus would choose to call him. As we know, Peter was one of the inner circle of Christ. He was among Christ's closest friends. A man of great passion, we see Peter react quickly to his emotions. If Peter is angry, you knew it. If he was sad, it was obvious. If Peter was afraid, it was a great fear. Peter had no problem expressing himself.

Even though, we sometimes criticize Peter for denying Christ those three times, we fail to mention he was the only disciple who stuck around long enough to have the opportunity. When he knew it was Jesus approaching the boat, he wanted to jump down out of the boat, and on to the water. He was impulsive, quick thinking, and loyal. And, although he was not always predictable in his actions, sometimes reacting harshly (Jesus one time called him Satan; a stumbling block...Matt. 16:23), Christ renamed him Peter, which means rock, because of what Peter would become. By the time we get to the book of Acts, Peter is a pillar of the New Testament church. It was his tenacious faith that made him such a good leader.

What potential does Christ see in you and me? Would His name for us reflect the great opportunities we have to glorify His name? May we today be like Peter; a ROCK, ready to do whatever it takes to stand firm for the One who calls us into His glorious Kingdom! The same opportunities exist for us as they did these early disciples. The challenges of life are no less severe. God is calling us to be who he has gifted us to be. For some that may mean being a foundation for others. Don’t let the past keep you from taking your place in God’s kingdom. Like Peter,  put the past behind you and move into the future in faith!