Spiritual Disciplines

The Gospel is Like Math and Never Changes

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Galatians 1:1-2 – Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead – and all the brothers who are with me, To the churches of Galatia…

In most any form of communication – from email to text and phone call – it’s most helpful to know who the person communicating to us is. As we study Galatians, it’s clear that the human author is Paul, as he states this plainly at the front of the letter.

Who is Paul? As we get to know Paul through the letter he wrote to the Galatians, it’s important to get some perspective on the magnitude of this man in human history. He wrote 13 or 14 of the 27 books of the New Testament (there is a debate about the unnamed author of Hebrews). Paul wrote more New Testament books than any other author, and Luke contributed the largest amount of content for the New Testament with his historical books of Luke and Acts. But Paul was Luke’s pastor and Luke was Paul’s doctor. They traveled and ministered together. Additionally, the history of Acts 13-28 focuses mainly on Paul which, combined with the books he wrote and influence he had on Luke, means that the majority of the entire New Testament is written by Paul, written about Paul, or written by someone working closely with Paul.

Paul’s incredible intelligence includes studying under the renowned rabbi Gamaliel (Acts 22:3) and being fluent in the languages of Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and possibly Latin. In his letters, Paul used more than one hundred Old Testament quotations in addition to innumerable echoes and summations of biblical themes and terms, perhaps all from memory (he was often traveling by foot, an average of 20 miles per day, and often in jail during his roughly decade of ministry). Bible scholar Paul Barnett calls Paul the “first theologian in the early church, and arguably the greatest in the history of Christianity.”1 Early church father John Chrysostom wrote of Paul, “Put the whole world on one side of the scale and you will see that the soul of Paul outweighs it.”2 The apostle Paul is a towering figure in world history. The Protestant Reformed Martin Luther called him “the wisest man after Christ.”

For Protestant Christians, Paul’s letters to the Romans and Galatians are perhaps the most significant source of theological clarity. The Protestant Reformer Martin Luther was so fond of Galatians and taught it so passionately he said, “The Epistle to the Galatians is my Epistle; I have betrothed myself to it; it is my wife.”3 Others have called it, “the battle-cry of the Reformation,” and “the Christian Declaration of Independence”.

The strength of Paul’s writing is that he presents the gospel of Jesus Christ like math – it is unchanging, fixed, and true whether we believe it or not. For most people, they want the message of Christianity to be more like cooking where teachers change the ingredients to suit the tastes of those who consume it.

1.Paul Barnett, Paul: Missionary of Jesus (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2008), 198.
2.Quoted in Barnett, Paul, 198.
3.Kenneth L. Boles, Galatians & Ephesians, The College Press NIV Commentary (Joplin, MO: College Press, 1993).

(#6) PEOPLE IN PAIN

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“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience…” – Colossians 3:12

My goal in this Christians Might Be Crazy project is to help you lovingly communicate why Christianity is both true and good, offering help in responding to objections raised by people who are made and loved by God. But I don’t want us to lose sight of the real people from our study who inform our conversation— because they reject the thoughts and feelings of the world you and I must engage: your co-workers, your neighbors, your in-laws, and your community.

Several focus group participants expressed great negative emotion toward Christianity, like the Phoenix man who said, “I had a friend that actually got born again and evangelical, and it broke my heart.” But it is perhaps the story of a lesbian woman from Austin that best displays the deep pain behind some of the objections we hear to the Christian faith. She explained that her problems were not theoretical or historical. “It’s very emotional for me,” she said. “I lump all religious people of any kind together…. I probably do stay away from them because of my experiences…. I have a negative association with even the word God. I don’t even care for that…. I’ve had many negative experiences with religious people, but one person in particular, and it’s very vivid in my mind.” And then this woman told her story:

“When I was about 14, I was walking down the street with my girlfriend, holding hands. We stopped and sat down on a curb. We were having a discussion…. I had a really tough upbringing. Some lady came around the corner in a Suburban and was screaming out of her window, ‘You’re going to hell,’ and cursing at us every profanity and got about two inches from us in her Suburban and tried to run me over. ‘F–you’ and ‘You’re disgusting,’ and all these things. ‘You’re going to hell.’”

She continued sharing with a mixture of fear and graciousness:

“I realize it’s a very dramatic example. I feel like even on a much smaller level that most religious people have those thoughts even if they don’t act on them to that extreme. That’s just one example…. My family is all very religious. They think I’m the one who has gone astray, and they keep telling me I’m going to be saved one day. The clouds are going to open up, and I’m going to and my true self. Honestly I will. I appreciate whenever they tell me, ‘I’m praying for you.’ I say, ‘Thank you very much. I need all the prayers I can get.’ I don’t know that I believe in all of that, but it couldn’t hurt.”

Most people would agree that her encounter with a hateful SUV-driving Christian was extreme. But her painful story lets us see beyond our own assumptions into a world where religious people are considered anything but safe.

BAD CHRISTIAN PARENTS

After the focus groups were complete, I spoke with the facilitator, Susan Saurage-Altenloh. I wanted to hear her personal insights on the project. When I asked if anything surprised her, she replied that she was taken aback by the impact of parents on participants’ religious views and feelings. The habits they set in the home deeply and often negatively impacted their children as they grew into adulthood and started having kids of their own. “I wanted to go back and talk to an awful lot of mothers and fathers,” she said. The men and women she talked with “were individuals who were formerly engaged in a relationship with their church or their faith and who had turned away. They might still maintain a spiritual component in their worldview— even appreciating or respecting spiritual considerations—but they have turned away or never been involved with the church because they’re fighting a lot of bad experiences.”

If you’re a Christian reading this, these realizations should make you more compassionate and understanding toward people who display strong and even emotional opposition to Christianity. For some, past experiences have so hurt them that they see the Christian faith as something unhealthy, unwanted, and even evil. As you begin to understand the passion with which some people hold negative views about Christians and Christianity, I invite you to see them through God’s eyes and consider some of the hurt behind their remarks so you can learn to listen differently.

People who have had painful experiences with religion tend to engage on an emotional level, and their pain makes their beliefs highly compelling. Christians who lack firsthand experience of those hurts tend to engage on a philosophical and theoretical level. That doesn’t make their responses untrue, but it often makes them unhelpful because they’re received as devoid of compassion, grace, and love. Worse yet is for a Christian to respond to someone’s objections with anger or offense. That only reinforces a person’s fear and pain. I can tell you that I have been guilty of that, and God has used

Susan’s insight to convict me of that in my own Christian witness. Our goal should be to serve, engage, and endure with the valuable people God has created, meeting their intensity with love. Because you and I both know that God does that with us.

One final remark about this project from a personal perspective: It has been a labor of love amid the demands of being a husband, father, and pastor. But, I believe it was critical, because I have a lot to learn on how to better speak to the real issues of people’s lives and how to help other believers do the same. The questions that drove apologetics in the last century occupy fewer and fewer minds and hearts. If we are answering questions that

people are no longer asking, we are wasting time. We are on mission. We need to come to grips with the fact that we have lost many of the battles of the culture wars. But that’s not a reflection of the power of the Gospel. It’s a call to go back to the heart of Christ and reengage our culture with our feet firmly planted in His grace and truth. Learning how we can better be loving messengers of biblical Christianity is the task before us—and it has eternal implications. The answer isn’t thinking that we have to edit God’s Word in order to truly love people. God commissioned Christians to be His messengers, not His editors. And it’s time for us to start spreading the true and life-giving message of His Word and leave the results in His hands.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

So, what are you going to do now? Our research and my own experience show that the Unchurched and Dechurched have serious and personal problems with Christianity. They certainly take issue with Christians. But they do often have the same hang-ups about Christ. We can get dragged into all kinds of arguments that do not help them interact with Jesus. We can expend all kinds of o -topic energy and still not compel them to consider Jesus. So it is crucial that we distinguish between Christianity and Christians on one hand and Christ on the other. They are not the same thing, and we cannot expect the people we meet to have a firm grasp on any of them. Finally, I’ve undertaken this with the expectation that many readers will be Christians trying to navigate how to live out their faith in a culture that mistrusts and even maligns biblical Christianity. But that doesn’t exclude other readers who might be coming from a different place. As you read this you might be:

If you fall into one of those groups that take issue with Christians and Christianity, I hope you’ve seen by now that my heart is not to attack you or bully you into belief. My hope for you is that you’ll see through the caricature of Christianity through some honest conversations and encounter Jesus Himself.

a person who is Unchurched or Dechurched
a Christian with a foot (maybe even two feet) out the door
a Christian who feels overwhelmed by the objections to your faith and unsure how to respond
a ministry leader trying to provide helpful answers to real people
a parent or friend concerned for loved ones and wanting to get a resource like this project and book into their hands
This series of 30 daily devotions are adapted from the first chapters of Pastor Mark Driscoll’s new book “Christians Might Be Crazy” available exclusively at markdriscoll.org for a tax-deductible gift to Mark Driscoll Ministries. For your gift of any amount, we will email you a digital copy of the book (available worldwide) and also send you a paperback copy of the book (U.S. residents only). Pastor Mark also has a corresponding six-part sermon series that you can find for free at markdriscoll.org or on the free Mark Driscoll Ministries app. Thank you in advance for your partnership which helps people learn that It’s All About Jesus! For our monthly partners who give a recurring gift each month, this premium content will be automatically sent.

5 Dramatic Differences Under Pressure

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John 19:8-11 – “When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, ‘Where are you from?’ But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to him, ‘You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?’ Jesus answered him, ‘You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.’”

We all know what the pressure point feels like. In that moment, all of the complex variables of life have converged to one moment where it feels like there is a vice squeezing in all around us as we feel the pressure intensely.

In the dramatic scene where Jesus Christ is on trial before Pilate, accused of declaring Himself to be God, the two men are under incredible pressure. Pilate had problems at work and home. At work, he was pressed by local religious leadership who wanted Jesus executed. If that didn’t happen, they might bring a riot and drag his boss, the Caesar of Rome, into the conflict, which could likely cause Pilate to not only lose his job but also his head. Face to face with Jesus, Pilate knows that He is a good and not a guilty man, something Pilate states no less than seven times in the four gospels before killing Jesus. At home, Pilate had pressure from his wife who was warned by God in a prophetic dream that Jesus was a good man (Matthew 27:19). Pilate, who was likely a spiritual and superstitious man, feared his fate. Despite the opportunity to do right, Pilate ultimately violates James 4:17 and has Jesus sentenced to death, “whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”

Face-to-face under the same pressures, we see five dramatic differences between Pilate and Jesus.

Pilate got political and sought a political compromise which brought failure. Jesus got prayerful and spent an entire night seeking the will of God which brought faith.
Pilate tried to win and sought the outcome he wanted. Jesus tried to worship and surrendered to the outcome the Father wanted.
Pilate rejected what was right and experienced internal bondage with fear and burden. Jesus accepted what was right and experienced internal freedom and a burden lifted so that He was freer than Pilate, who held him in custody.
Pilate thought short-term about this life and a kingdom that came to an end. Jesus thought long-term about eternal life and a Kingdom that never ends.
Pilate killed Jesus so that he could live and later committed suicide, killing himself. Jesus was killed and later rose from death to live forever.
Which of these five failures of Pilate do you relate to most? Why?

Evil Happens When You Know the Bible but Don’t Know Jesus

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John 19:6-7 – “When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, ‘Crucify him, crucify him!’ Pilate said to them, ‘Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.’ The Jews answered him, ‘We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.’”

Jesus is the most significant person in the history of the world. The most significant statement Jesus ever made was that He alone is God.

By declaring His deity, Jesus set Himself at odds with the religious and political leadership in His day. The religious leaders considered Jesus a liar guilty of blasphemy and deserving death. The political leaders considered Jesus a threat because He set Himself over Caesar as the one and only real Lord. So, the religious and political leaders conspired together to kill Christ in an unholy alliance against a common enemy.           

The religious leaders typically stoned people to death for declaring themselves to be God. This was virtually never necessary since no one dared call themselves God. In fact, no other major world religion has its’ founder declaring themselves to be God other than Christianity. Jesus’ claim is without precedent or peer in history.

Cults that claim to be Christian all deny that Jesus alone is God. Jehovah’s Witnesses deny that Jesus claimed to be God. Mormons say Jesus was the polygamist half-brother of Lucifer and a man who became god just like we can become gods. Unitarians say Jesus was a good teacher of peace, love, and justice but not God. And, Christian Science founder Mary Baker Eddy said, “Jesus Christ is not God.”

World Religions also deny that Jesus is God. Bahá’ís say Jesus is a manifestation of God and a prophet but inferior to Muhammad Bahá’u’lláh. Buddhism says Jesus was not God but rather an enlightened man like the Buddha. Hinduism has many views of Jesus but does not see Him as the only God but either a prophet or one of pantheon of gods.  Islam says Jesus was a mere man, prophet, and inferior to Muhammad. And, the New Age says Jesus was just a guru and not God

To cause Jesus the greatest pain and shame, the religious leaders wanted Him crucified. But, they did not have the legal authority to crucify someone and so they needed the Roman government to play the role of executioner for them. After examining the facts no less than seven times in the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) does Pilate the Roman leader declare Jesus to be a good and innocent man – one he will kill nonetheless to spare himself grief.    

In all of this, we see the evil that can happen when someone knows the Bible but does not know Jesus. They sought to kill Jesus for violating Leviticus 24:16 which says, “Whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him.” First, Jesus is God, so He is not guilty of blasphemy. Second, the verse they quote commanded them to put a blasphemer to death by stoning, but they are demanding crucifixion, meaning they are not obeying the verse in Scripture they quote to condemn Jesus.

Is there any part of the Bible that you are consciously not obeying?

What is Truth?

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John 18:37-38:“’For this purpose I [Jesus] was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.’ Pilate said to him, ‘What is truth?’”

As the Prophet and the politician come face to face, Jesus appeals to the truth as He is on trial facing execution by crucifixion. Pilate the politician does not care much about right and wrong and is far more pragmatic, simply wanting to keep his maniacal king happy by keeping the peace and collecting the taxes. Flippantly, Pilate dismisses one of the most important issues everyone must face.

Simply put, truth is like gravity. Truth exists whether we believe in it or not. Truth is an objective moral standard over everyone despite their culture, lifestyle choice, or belief system. In our day, it is faddish and trendy to be pithy with the truth like Pilate. The result is a culture of complete and total hypocrisy.

Pick any trending moral outrage issue that is trending on social media and you will quickly see something odd. The same people who deny that there is any truth and objective moral standard that transcends cultures, nations, and times also feel free to become morally outraged and appeal to that same standard when they feel it is violated. This is the insanity of our culture and social media only amplifies this fact.

The reason is simple, as sinful rebels we operate like most criminals. We deny that the law applies to us, but if someone punches us in the mouth and steals our stuff we forget everything our philosophy professor said about relativism and equally valid perspectives on reality that deny anyone the right to judge another person and call the cops. We deny truth when it does not benefit us. We appeal to truth when it does benefit us. This is the truth about liars.

Not only is the truth a standard over us, it is a Person who wisely and perfectly brings true justice. His name is Jesus Christ and He said just a few chapters earlier in John 14:6, “I am…the truth”. How ironic is it that Pilate asks “what is truth” while he is looking at Truth face to face?

Is there any truth in your life that you are suppressing as Pilate did?

My Kingdom is Not of This World

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John 18:33-36: “So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ Jesus answered, ‘Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?’ Pilate answered, ‘Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?’ Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.’ Then Pilate said to him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king.’”

There are two realms – the physical realm on earth, which we see by sight, and the spiritual realm in the Kingdom, which we see by faith. These two realms are connected and constantly working together for both good and evil. God sees both realms and, on occasion, lets us see the past, present, and future of both realms through His eyes. This is the point and purpose of prophetic books such as Daniel and Ezekiel in the Old Testament and Revelation in the New – to get God’s perspective. 

In the conversation between Pilate and Jesus, it would, at first glance, seem that Pilate works for the bigger Kingdom. Rome was the most powerful empire in the world with the largest military force ruled by King Caesar whom they called Lord. Conversely, Jesus owns no land, holds no office, and commands no army yet His followers persist in calling Him King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

As Jesus confronts the powers of Rome, the two kingdoms and two realms come face to face and head to head. Pilate is most concerned about defending the political clout of king Caesar, but King Jesus has much bigger plans than ruling over the puny Roman Empire. His Kingdom is so big that it does not fit in the realm of this world, and His angelic army is so big that a battle with Rome would have bored them.

The reason Jesus was not seen as a King was because of His humility. He veiled His glory, held back His angelic army, and spent His time serving others rather than being served. Our King came to die that we might live, and rise that we might reign with Him. Our King came to do something far greater and grander than petty politics, He came to unveil a coming Kingdom that will overtake all nations for all generations.

Honestly, do you spend more time and energy fretting about politics or focusing on the Kingdom?

Counterfeit Religion

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John 18:28-32: “Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover.”

In this amazing scene, we see the corruption that occurs when politics and religion come together to oppose Jesus Christ. The religious and political leaders considered Jesus’ growing popularity and declarations to be the God over Judaism and King over Rome as a threat to their power. So, they formed an unholy alliance to execute Jesus.

All of this happens at night, under the cover of darkness, and in violation of the rule of law. The religious leaders refuse to enter the home of a Gentile for fear that it will make them ceremonially unclean for the Passover holy day. In this, we see six aspects of counterfeit religion:

Religion is rule based not relationship based. Jesus Christ is standing before religious leaders, and rather than seeking a relationship with Him, all they want to do is judge Him for breaking their rules.
Religion is outward and not inward. The religious leaders are worried about going into the home of a Gentile but not worried about the fact they are plotting to murder God in their hearts.
Religion is about keeping yourself clean not Jesus making you clean. The religious leaders are so consumed by their purity that they overlook the obvious fact that by murdering Jesus they could not be more defiled and overlook the fact that He came to make unclean people clean. 
Religion makes you take yourself too seriously and Jesus too lightly. The religious leaders are determined to make Jesus suffer for not honoring them, and they fail to overlook the obvious mistake of dishonoring Him. 
Religion is about always being the teacher and never being the student. With none other than Jesus Christ standing before them, religious scholars don’t seek to learn anything from Him.
Religion uses politics to establish a counterfeit Kingdom. The Jewish law allowed stoning of a person committing blasphemy, but the religious leaders wanted Jesus crucified since it was more shameful and painful. But, they did not have the legal right to crucify someone and so they use politics to achieve their ends. Their sin actually fulfills the prophecy that Jesus would be crucified (Psalm 22) as the Kingdom of God overcomes the counterfeit kingdom created by politics and religion.
Of these six signs of counterfeit religion, which one(s) are you most susceptible to?

God Creates, Satan Counterfeits

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The more valuable something is, the more likely it is to be counterfeited. This explains why fake Rolex watches, fake Gucci handbags, and fake Jordan sneakers, along with counterfeit currency, are so proliferous.

God creates, Satan counterfeits. This simple clue helps unlock a lot of the Bible. Satan is the counterfeit of God. Demons are the counterfeit of angels. The world is the counterfeit of the Kingdom. Lies are the counterfeit of the truth. Demon-possession is the counterfeit of being Spirit-filled. And, as we continue our study of John’s gospel, we find more counterfeits as Jesus approaches the cross.

First, there is a counterfeit high priest who seeks to condemn Jesus the real High Priest for being guilty of sin (John 18:19-24).  Second, there is a counterfeit judge who wrongly participates in the arrest, trial, and execution of Jesus the real Judge (John 18:28-32). Third, there is a counterfeit king who demands allegiance over Jesus the real King (John 18:33-38).

Working behind all of this religious, legal, and political evil was Satan and demonic forces. Speaking of demons, we learn that, “the rulers of this age…crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Corinthians 2:8). After failing to destroy and overthrow Jesus in heaven, they repeat their efforts on the earth. At the Passover meal, Satan had already entered Judas Iscariot, the counterfeit disciple: “after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him.” Satan also sought to turn Peter into a counterfeit disciple, and nearly succeeded: “Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:31-32).           

The power in a counterfeit is that it deceives someone into wrongly believing that what they have is real, true, and valuable when in fact it is fake, false, and worthless. For this reason, it is vital that God’s people learn to distinguish that what is created by God versus that which is counterfeited by Satan.

What things come to mind in your past where you have been fooled by a spiritual counterfeit? Is there anything that God brings to mind in the present that may be a spiritual counterfeit?

In the End, Peter Did Not Fail Jesus & You Don’t Have To Either

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If we are honest with ourselves, we’ve all had that moment where we wonder if we will ever change. We fall back into a horrible habit, secret sin, or foolish failure. In that moment, it feels like any progress we have made in our walk with God is erased in an instance and we’re right back to where we started.

Peter was the leader of Jesus’ disciples, supposedly a mature Christian, and had just this dark day. No less than three times, when Jesus needed him most, Peter failed Jesus. Although Peter failed Jesus, Jesus did not fail Peter. Their relationship is an encouragement for us and example of 2 Thessalonians 2:13 which says, “if we are faithless, he remains faithful…” As Jesus does, He forgave Peter, they reconciled their relationship and had this conversation

John 21:18-19: “‘Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.’(This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, ‘Follow me.’”

Peter’s greatest fear was that he would suffer like Jesus. This is the entire reason he denied even knowing Jesus as the cross approached. Now, Jesus prophesied that Peter would die by being drug to his own cross and having his hands stretched out to be nailed like his Lord’s. Peter was never perfect, but he did make progress.

In the opening chapters of Acts, after Jesus returned to Heaven, Peter stepped up to lead the church, preach the sermon at Pentecost, see some folks healed, and even got arrested for preaching Jesus. Eventually, he wrote two books of the Bible and died as Jesus promised.

History outside of the Bible reports that when they came to Peter, he was pressured to again deny Jesus or be crucified. Peter told them to crucify him upside down since he was unworthy to die like his Lord. So he finished his race well despite stumbling a few times along the way. God wants the same for you.

How does Peter’s story encourage you?

Who do I pray to? Father? Jesus? Spirit?

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Our prayers are how to talk to God. But when we dial up, do we speak to Jesus, the Father, or the Holy Spirit?

In today’s Ask Pastor Mark, I answer a common question with explaining how we pray to the Father, by the Son, through the Spirit.

And if you have a question you’d like answered, email it to [email protected] today. 

People Like Peter

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John 18:25-27 – “Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, ‘You also are not one of his disciples, are you?’ He denied it and said, ‘I am not.’ One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, ‘Did I not see you in the garden with him?’ Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed.”

Every day you make decisions. Most of them are minor and don’t consume much time or energy. Once in a while, however, we are pressed to make a major decision. You know it’s a major decision when your anxiety level raises. Major decisions could cost us something we love (e.g. money, power, reputation, relationship). Major decisions can change the course of our entire life in an instant.

Earlier in John’s gospel, Jesus foretold that Peter would buckle under pressure and deny that he knew the Lord no less than three times before a rooster would crow (John 13:36-38). In that instance, Peter denied that he would ever do such a thing. But, seeing Jesus arrested and watching from a distance, Peter chose to deny rather than declare his relationship with Jesus. At this point, Peter still believed in Jesus but simply stopped obeying and following Him and denied Jesus for the third time that night.

If we are honest, every Christian is at some point a person like Peter. This brings up four important questions:
1) Is there any area of your life that you have stopped obeying Jesus?
2) Are you currently following or not following Jesus?
3) What price (e.g. money, time, reputation) are you unwilling to pay to be a disciple of Jesus?
4) What sin has gotten easier in your life the more you do it?