Who Do You Say That I Am?

At the heart of this powerful message lies one of the most defining questions ever asked: 'Who do you say that I am?' This question from Matthew 16, posed by Jesus to Peter, cuts through the noise of secondhand faith and cultural Christianity to challenge us at our core. We're confronted with the reality that knowing Jesus as Savior is only half the equation—He must also be Lord. The message unpacks the critical distinction between borrowing someone else's faith and owning our own, between calling Jesus our Savior while keeping areas of our lives off-limits to His lordship. Through Peter's confession that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God, we see how personal revelation unlocks personal identity. When Peter declared who Jesus truly was, Jesus revealed who Peter truly was—a rock upon which the church would be built. The same is true for us: when we see Jesus clearly as both Savior and Lord, we discover our true identity and purpose. This isn't about religious performance or political alignment, but about total surrender to the One who fulfilled over 300 prophecies, who defeated sin and death, and who reigns over all creation. The challenge before us is to examine what we're still withholding from His lordship—whether it's our habits, our politics, our finances, or our pain—and to understand that true freedom comes not from holding back, but from giving Him everything.