Jesus asked: “Do you love me?”

September 4, 2022 by Rev. Fred Steinberg

Jesus asks, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” Just as Peter denied any knowledge of Jesus three times on that hideous night, Peter is now allowed to announce his love for Jesus the same number of times. In this interaction, Peter has a chance to realize how deep and genuine his love for Jesus is. It’s easy to imagine Jesus asking us, “Do you love me?” As Christians, we know our answer would be, “yes!” Then how do we show it? This message will look at how our answer changes our actions toward others.

Peter: When We’re At Our Worst

November 7, 2021 by Rev. Fred Steinberg

Guilt is our conscience reminding us that we should have done better. We know we have done something wrong, and we deserve the consequences of our actions. In this week’s message, we learn how Jesus works with a man who felt incredibly guilty when he did what he proclaimed he would never do.

Peter: Guess Who?

October 24, 2021 by Rev. Fred Steinberg

Who do people say that Jesus is? The Barna Research organization reports that nine in ten American adults say Jesus was a real person, but only 56% believe Jesus is God. The question was so important that Jesus takes a poll and asks his disciples what they heard others say. Their answers vary. Then he asks his disciples what they think. Of course, it is Peter who hits the nail on the head.

Peter: Through the Storm

October 17, 2021 by Rev. Fred Steinberg

When we face difficult times, we might feel like we’re in the midst of darkness and there is no light at the end of the tunnel. In other words, we don’t see hope. Some of us might describe it as being in the midst of a storm, and we worry the waves will swamp our boat. A storm threatened to sink Peter and the disciples’ boat, but Jesus arrived on the scene and caused them to think differently. Peter even requested to take a risky step while the other disciples were boat potatoes.

Peter: If You Say So

October 10, 2021 by Rev. Fred Steinberg

Simon Peter is mentioned in the gospels about two hundred times. In those passages, he sometimes gets it wrong. Other times he shows tremendous courage. And then, in a different moment, Saul argues with Jesus. He is a flawed but faithful disciple of Jesus. Through his story, we can learn how to be better followers of Jesus.