- Winner of a Chicago Book Clinic 2004 Design Award

"The ultimate reason for getting to know Peter is so together we might better know Jesus. For the story of Peter is the story of Jesus. Perhaps, if you and I do our best, the same will be said of us someday"--Michael Card.Simon Peter emerges from the pages of the Gospels with greater clarity and definition than any other person except Jesus. He is the Rock, the unambiguous leader of the Twelve. He could even be described as Jesus' best friend. But that is not all. "He was a fragile stone," writes Michael Card, "completely dependent upon his Master and Friend, Eeven as Jesus had insisted on his dependence on the Father."In this landmark book, songwriter and musician Michael Card explores the dynamic, contradictory life of the apostle Peter. The fruit of years of careful study, A Fragile Stone revisits well-known passages and discovers unexpected insights, painting a portrait of Peter that isboth familiar and jarring. With a scope spanning the entire New Testament, Card reveals how the impetuous fisherman of the Gospels was transformed into the pivotal leader of the early church. The life of Simon Peter thus serves as a model for Christian discipleship, offering hope that we likewise can be changed as Jesus calls us to follow him.



Michael Card is an award-winning musician and performing artist. His many books include A Fragile Stone, Inexpressible, The Nazarene, and the Biblical Imagination Series on the four Gospels.



Foreword by Brennan Manning



Introduction: The Search for Simon



Part 1: The Stone

1. A Meeting on the Seashore - John 1:40-43

2. Jesus the Fisherman - Luke 5:1-11

3. A GlimpseInside His Household - Luke 4:38-39

4. The Fearless Water Walker - Matthew 14:22-33

5. Who They Both Are - Matthew 16:13-23

6. Loyal Despair - John 6:53-71

7. "Fear Not!" - Mark 9:2-10

8. Back to Fishing - Matthew 17:24-27

9. Confusion at the Final Meal - John 13:6-10

10. Dismay in the Garden - Mark 14:27-42

11. The Despairing Denier - Mark 14:66-72

12. ". . . and Peter" - Mark 16:7

13. A Farewell on the Seashore - John 21:1-23



Part 2: The Bridge

14. The Passionate Preacher - Acts 1--5

15. The Compassionate Healer - Acts 3:1-10; 9:32-42

16. The Fearless Prisoner - Acts 4:1-4; 5:18-20; 12:1-19

17. The Reluctant Reconciler - Acts 10:1-33

18. The Passionate Writer - 1-2 Peter



Epilogue: The Faithful Martyr



Bibliography



About the Author