I’ll never forget a funny incident. I was going to the airport at 4 am last year. As we pulled up to get out of the car, a truck pulled up next to us, blocking me from getting out. We pulled forward… then they pulled forward. We backed up… then they backed up. I started getting frustrated and thought to myself, “I’m about to jump out of this car!” Well, the truck’s driver window rolls down, and it’s a member of our security team from church. He was playing with my soul.

Have you ever been played by your emotions? Perhaps you’ve let frustration or anger get the best of you, or you’ve allowed bitterness to hinder a relationship. Unfortunately, our emotions aren’t 100% reliable or consistent. You see, emotions are good indicators, but horrible dictators. We can’t depend on them to lead us in the right direction.

The more our emotions lead us, the less dependable and stable we become. Ultimately, we end up filled with regret. When we fail, the enemy lies to us and tells us, “You can’t change. You’ll always be a slave to what you feel and what you’ve done.” However, this is not how God sees you!

Friend, God sees your potential. He sees your possibilities and who you can become in Him. In fact, this is exactly how Jesus looked at Simon Peter, one of His 12 disciples. In John 1:42, we read, Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, “Your name is Simon, son of John—but you will be called Cephas” (which means “Peter”).

Wow! Jesus renamed Simon to Peter. Simon, which means “One who hears,” wasn’t the right name for his potential and future. Jesus said, “You’re not just one who hears. You’re a doer of the Word. You’re not a reed blown by the wind. You are a rock. You’re a stone.”

Friend, similar to Simon Peter, we may see ourselves as an emotional, mistake-ridden mess—but Jesus sees our potential as a stable rock! To discover how God wants to rename you based on your potential in Him, dive into this message with me…