Reading: Who was the man that wrote first and second Peter? Yes, he was one of the twelve closest disciples of Jesus Christ, but who was he? 

Simon Peter, throughout the four gospels, was enthusiastic, strong-willed, impulsive, and at times, brash. But somewhere inside this man, Jesus would chisel out a leader whom he says, “on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” The rough and reckless fisherman was, in Jesus’ eyes, a firm and faithful rock.

This is actually pretty interesting because of the meaning of Peter’s name. Jesus looked at him (as recorded in the Gospel of John) and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be caIled Cephas.” The name Peter actually means “stone” in Greek, while Cephas is “stone” in Aramaic. Christ was speaking in Aramaic, and would have called Peter “Cephas.” John wrote his gospel in Greek, so he included the note for his readers that “Cephas” meant ‘’a stone.” 

This is significant because, if you’re not familiar with the Old Testament storyline, God has a history of renaming the ones he “calls”. He called Abram and renamed him Abraham, and his wife Sarai he renamed Sarah. This husband and wife would bless the entire world through their son. He renamed Jacob, Israel. From him, God continued the promise of his grandfather Abraham. And then he called Peter, the one who would deny Jesus three times at his death... his rock! 

AlI of these people had faults, but God saw something in these people that many did not. That is what God does. As scripture says, “by our weaknesses, he (God) is made strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

As Jesus left the earthly ministry to his disciples under Peter’s leadership, more people would be called like Abraham, Sarah, Israel, and Peter. They are “chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father”, and they were all over the globe -- 2,000 years ago and even now! Hey, we think he has called you! 

Peter was chosen. No matter your background or failures, if you are reading this... yes, Jesus is calling you too. No matter who you were, God wants you on his team today. God may not rename you, but he knows you and calls you today by name. Will you answer the call?

Reflection: At Full Count Ministries, we are excited that you have chosen to be with us. If you are new to us, welcome. We may not know where you have come from. We don’t know what you believe about God right now. We think this study could be beneficial for the seasoned Christian and the ones that are just learning about Christianity. First and foremost, we do know that we will be here for you. 

Full Count Ministries exists to share the Gospel, help you respond to the Gospel, and help you grow in your walk with Jesus Christ. We want to know if you are willing to walk with us.

What do you want to get from this study?

What are some things that are holding you back from a close relationship with God?

Prayer Prompt: Lord, thank you for letting me go through this study today. I’m asking you to show yourself more to me. I want to open my heart to what you want to tell me. I want you to show me who I am and who you are. I will be vulnerable. I will open up to others and to you. I trust that you will show me who you are. Yes, I will be open to you.