One Foot in the... Mouth

Week 24: Discovering the Character of God through Simon Peter

24.1 Invite the group to share times when they've 'put their foot in it'. I.E: having said or done something without thinking it through first.

• Did they regret it?
• Wiish they could have retracted it?
• Did they learn from it?

This week's study focuses on someone who was a master of speaking first, thinking second, regretting third and learning from it... after doing it a few more times: Peter.

Enquire if the group know anything of him and, if so, to share.
*Likely that the 'walking on water' will be mentioned, as, probably, will be Peter's denial. In both instances, invite those who volunteer these to turn up the passages for later use (Matt 14:25-32 and Luke 22:54-62, respectively).

24.2 Just as with our own lives, there is far more to Peter than these incidents and, through them all, we learn a lot about God. In fact, we see through all of Peter's mess-ups a whole lot about God's grace. Through this ordinary man, we discover an extraordinary God.

Read Mark 1:16-18 and Luke 5:4-8 to see - and discuss - just how ordinary Simon Peter was. Go on to discuss what these brief passages show us of God's nature (clue: doesn't look for perfect people!).

24.3 Read the passage bookmarked earlier of Peter's 'walk on the wet side' in Matthew 14:25-32.

• Invite the group to imagine themselves in this situation. Where would they place themselves in the story?
• Zoom in on Peter for a moment; why was it that he began to sink? What about Jesus' response: why didn't He help sooner?
• Notice that He goes straight to the heart: 'Your faith is small.' What would they imagine Peter might have replied?

24.4 Peter always seemed to have one foot lodged securely in his mouth, but his heart was usually in the right place. Read Matt 16:13-23 and Matt 17:1-7. Within 6 days, he goes from having it so right to being so wrong before settling somewhere in the middle.

Break this period and passage into the three stages and discuss each. If the group is large enough, split into three groups to deal with each section. In each case, look for one thing to learn about Peter's nature (see if they can see how we might identify) and 2 things about God.

24.5 Perhaps Simon Peter's most infamous moment came on the passover night where he denied all knowledge of Jesus - however, many don't even realise that the 'story' doesn't end there. Read Luke 22:54-62 (bookmarked earlier). Again, put ourselves in Peter's shoes: would we really fare any better?

Move forward in our imaginings: if we had been the ones denying Jesus, and then He came back from the dead, what reaction would we expect to receive from Him?

Go on to read John 21:15-19. Note that Jesus neither judges nor condemns; nor does he demand repentance or reject Peter based on his actions. No, Jesus' overriding concern is how Peter would respond to the bigger question: 'do you truly love me?' Jesus knew that repentance and changed lives follow from a 'true love' for Him. He also knew that Peter had spent long enough beating himself up over what he'd said; now, the key was to focus on loving Jesus instead of dwelling on the mistakes of the past, so that God would be able to use him.


Week 24: Summary
Peter is perhaps one of the figures of the Bible who we can most closely identify with. We, too, spend most of our lives with one foot firmly in mouth; we, too, can start out with bold, secure faith yet in the next moment our circumstances can come crashing around us and draw our attention from the Saviour. Yet, there is hope. Jesus questions us in that same, gentle manner as He did, Peter; not condemning, but inviting sincerity and a fresh start based on our reply to his question: 'Do you truly love me?'

Various characteristics discovered of God's character this week include:

• He uses ordinary people and gives them purpose
• He invites us to trust Him but won't do everything for us
• He restores us
• He doesn't condemn us