Utah's Hope

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Nobody backslides overnight. It’s neglect here, a missed prayer there, a compromise in another area—and before you know it, you’re sinking.

That’s exactly what happened to Simon Peter. The night before the cross, he boasted he’d never abandon Jesus, even if everyone else did. Within hours he’d fallen asleep when he should’ve been praying, swung a sword when he should’ve trusted God, followed at a distance instead of staying close, and warmed himself by the wrong fire with the wrong crowd. When a servant girl recognized him, Peter cursed and swore he didn’t even know Jesus. Immediately, the rooster crowed—and Jesus turned and looked at him.

But that wasn’t the end of his story. Three days later, an angel gave the women at the tomb a message with two words that still carry grace: “and Peter.” Weeks later, the same man who denied Jesus three times stood up and preached the sermon that led three thousand people to faith.

Fallen? Yes. Finished? No.
If you’ve fallen, hear this: God doesn’t run from failure. He restores it. Your failure isn’t final when you belong to Jesus. Run to Him, not from Him. Listen in for more on this topic from Greg Laurie.

Notes:

Luke 22
  
1 Timothy 4:1 (NLT)
Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons.
 
One sign that points to Christ’s return is that some people will fall away spiritually.
 
If we are not moving forward, we are naturally going backward.
There is no standing still spiritually. We are either progressing or regressing.
 
Hebrews 2:1 (NLT)
So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.
 
After you have fallen, you may wonder if you can be forgiven.
 
The past cannot be changed, but our response to it can be.
God can take our endings and turn them into beginnings.
 
The fall of Simon Peter is the anatomy of backsliding.
 
Read Luke 22:31–34
 
Satan himself targeted the big fisherman.
 
It is unlikely any of us has personally been tempted by the devil himself.
 
Satan had to ask God first.
He can do nothing in the life of a child of God without our Father’s permission.
 
Even when Satan attacked Job, he was under divine restraint.
 
Jesus is saying to Peter, “Simon, I know you better than you know yourself.”
 
Jesus is interceding for us.
Romans 8:34–35
  
Jesus added a very important detail.
Peter’s lapse will be temporary.
Peter will return and be stronger for it.
Luke 22:32
 
1 Peter 5:10 (NLT)
After you have suffered a little while, God will restore, support, and strengthen you, and He will place you on a firm foundation.
 
The trial you are going through has a beginning, a middle, and an end.
 
God has a purpose for your life.
Psalm 30:5
 
Satan targeted Peter because he could see that Peter was a spiritual leader who could shake his world.
 
The devil sets his sights on those who are a threat to the kingdom of darkness.
 
Peter’s first step down was self-confidence.
Matthew 26:33
 
1 Corinthians 10:12 (NKJV)
Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
 
Read Luke 22: 39–46
 
Peter’s second step down was prayerlessness.
 
All Jesus asked of Peter, James, and John was to be with Him and pray.
 
Peter, James, and John were not watching and praying.
Instead, they are slumbering and sleeping.
 
Peter had no idea the storm was brewing.
 
Prayerlessness can be as much of a sin as breaking a commandment.
It’s a sin of omission.
James 4:17
 
Peter’s third step down was self-reliance.
 
Read Luke 22:47–51
 
Peter was boasting when he should have been listening.
Sleeping when he should have been praying.
Now he was fighting when

Adultery, deception, and murder are among the sins of King David—yet he was given a second chance in life. And God can do the same for you, too.

Discover how David's story proves that no failure is beyond God's grace to redeem, offering real hope and practical steps for anyone seeking a fresh start today.

—

Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years.

Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.

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What if your child’s biggest challenge is actually their greatest strength? Dr. Kathy Koch explores life-changing insights from her book 8 Great Smarts, revealing how every child is uniquely wired with different kinds of intelligence – from the nonstop talker to the deep thinker, the music-maker to the curious questioner. Learn how to recognize your child’s natural strengths, nurture what makes them come alive, and stop unintentionally paralyzing their "smarts."
8 Great Smarts
7 Traits of Effective Parenting Assessment
Match Your Parenting to Your Kids' Needs
Helping Your Child Develop Resilience

Dr. Stanley teaches that God has everything we need in any situation we may face. 

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Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) ratings are often presented as neutral measures of corporate responsibility, but they can reflect a moral framework that conflicts with biblical convictions. On the next Faith & Finance Live, Rob West and Nick Schmitz explain how ESG investing can differ from faith-based investing—and why Christians should pay attention to how their shares are voted. Then, it's on to your calls. That’s Faith & Finance Live—where biblical wisdom meets today’s financial decisions—weekdays at 4pm Eastern/3pm Central on Moody Radio.

Faith & Finance Live is a listener supported program on Moody Radio. To join our team of supporters, click here.

To support the ministry of FaithFi, click here.

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Topics: 

Dropping Your Phone, Miracles, Love Your Enemies, People At The Gym, History Segment, Thankful, Manual Engines, Hansen 2042

Quotes:

"God holds everything together."

"If you don't have love, you're a bunch of noise."

"I implicitly trust Gus."

"I registered my stamp club."
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ESG investing promises to align your portfolio with your values. But an important question remains: Whose values are shaping the standards?

Environmental, social, and governance ratings are often presented as measures of corporate responsibility. Yet the assumptions behind those ratings may not always align with biblical convictions.

Nick Schmitz, Professor of Finance at The Catholic University of America and a Board Member of the Christian Investing Council (CIC), joined the show today to explain the differences between ESG and faith-based investing—and why Christians should pay attention not only to what they own, but also to how their shares are voted.

ESG stands for environmental, social, and governance. ESG ratings attempt to evaluate companies based on their performance in each of those areas.

But Schmitz points out that ESG standards are developed by secular ratings agencies and can shift with cultural and political trends. Faith-based investing starts somewhere different: with convictions rooted in biblical truth.

That distinction matters because a company may receive strong ESG ratings while supporting practices that conflict with a Christian investor’s beliefs about issues such as the sanctity of human life, religious liberty, family, or human dignity.

There may certainly be areas of overlap. Christians care about justice, responsible stewardship, fair treatment of employees, and care for creation. But agreement on certain issues does not mean the underlying moral frameworks are the same.

Faith-based investing asks a deeper question: Does the way this company operates—and the way my ownership stake is used—reflect the convictions I am seeking to live by?

One area investors may overlook is proxy voting.

Owning shares in a publicly traded company generally gives investors the opportunity to vote on certain corporate matters. But individual investors rarely cast those votes themselves. Instead, asset managers often rely on large proxy advisory firms to provide recommendations or process votes on their behalf.

That means Christians may unknowingly own investments whose shares are being voted in ways that conflict with their beliefs.

Schmitz offered an example involving shareholder proposals related to Google and crisis pregnancy centers. Some proposals sought changes in how those organizations appeared in search results and were characterized positively within ESG-oriented frameworks. Faith-based investors, however, could reach a very different conclusion because of their convictions regarding the unborn and the work of pro-life ministries.

For Christian investors, then, screening a portfolio may be only part of the stewardship equation. How shares are voted can matter too.

Schmitz has been involved in developing proxy-voting policies designed to better reflect Catholic investment principles. The effort grew from concern that existing guidelines did not always reflect the convictions they claimed to represent.

The broader lesson applies to Christian investors of many traditions: we do not necessarily have to outsource our influence without asking questions.

Faith-based investing can involve both screening and engagement.

Screening considers whether a company’s products, services, or practices conflict with an investor’s convictions. Engagement asks whether shareholders can encourage companies toward practices that better promote human flourishing.

That makes faith-based investing more than a list of companies or industries to avoid. Shareholders can also use their ownership to advocate for positive c