I have always loved Peter so much for his impetuousness, imperfections, and deep love for Christ. In this book, Michael Card has presented a much more real Peter than I have ever seen. I can see him so clearly now as he grew in his faith, love, obedience, and strength in Christ. I see him with his personal struggles as he comes to the realization that the Messiah must die and that following Jesus may very well lead to his own death. In the chapter describing the changes around Jesus during the last week of his life, Michael Card focuses on the fact that people began leaving Jesus because He made them realize that following Him would be hard, challenging, dangerous, and yet more fulfilling than any other experience of life. When the people say that what Jesus is describing is hard and who could bear that life, they begin leaving. Jesus turns to the twelve and asks if they are going to leave as well. Only Peter answers telling Jesus that He is Lord, Savior - where else would they go? In the past, when I have read or studied this part of Scripture, I just assumed that Peter was giving a strong affirmation of their faith and faithfulness. Michael Card gives another and much more realistic portrayal - Peter is tired, sad, disappointed and he agrees with the people who said that following Christ is hard and difficult to bear. His answer is more one of resignation - You are the Lord, Jesus. You are the Savior, you are the way to salvation - Where else are we going to go?? I have read these pages to almost everyone I know because Card continues on with these thoughts and states that at some point in our lives, we will also be disappointed with Christ. Things will go in a way we never wanted or imagined - he gave the examples of losing a child or getting cancer. At these points in our lives, we have the same decision as Peter - are we going to stay or will we decide that being a Christian is too hard and we cannot bear it. But we will be forced to choose faith or no faith at what may be the most painful point in our lives. Peter made his choice, yet he then followed by denying Christ three times. Watching Peter become "the rock" from being a "fragile stone" has brought me to an even stronger place in my faith. Peter is shown to be like us - with all the struggles, mistakes,joys and sorrows and he was able to choose Christ above all. Michael Card takes the reader on Peter's journey and the reader is strengthened and enriched. If I could give more than 5 stars, I would - just as I would have done for his book, A Sacred Sorrow - Reaching Out to God in the Lost Language of Lament.