See It | Dr. Tom Pace Preaching | 9.13.26

What happens when we take an honest look at our lives and ask the hard question: where have we fallen short? This sermon invites us into that uncomfortable but necessary space of self-examination, using the story of Simon Peter's denial of Jesus as a powerful lens. Peter, one of Jesus' closest companions, found himself in a courtyard making three denials he swore he would never make. When Jesus and Peter locked eyes in that moment, and the rooster crowed, Peter went out and wept bitterly. That image of bitter weeping is not a picture of defeat. It is a picture of awakening. The sermon walks us through four categories of regret that research shows are nearly universal: foundation regrets, boldness regrets, moral regrets, and connection regrets. Chances are, at least one of those categories stirs something in us. The central spiritual insight here is that acknowledging our regrets is not an act of despair. It is an act of honesty that opens the door to growth, healing, and deeper faith.