Object: A stone.

Good morning, boys and girls. Has anybody ever called you a rock? (Let them answer.) Seriously, has anyone ever said to you, "Jim, you are a rock!" or "Mary, you remind me of a rock!" (Let them answer.) What does that sound like when someone calls you a rock? Does it sound like they are calling you a bad name, or are they trying to be nice? (Let them answer.) Take a look at the rock that I have with me this morning and think about it for a moment. Jesus called Peter, his apostle, a rock. What do you think Jesus meant when he called Peter a rock?

This was a very big moment in Peter's life, and one that he never forgot and neither did any other of the disciples of Jesus. Jesus said, "You are Peter, a stone; and upon this rock I will build my church; and all th…