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Peter: Keys to Following Jesus
Renowned scholar Dr. Tim Gray masterfully guides you through the tumultuous and inspiring life of Peter--from his call to discipleship to his eventual martyrdom in Rome. Using Sacred Scripture and tradition, Dr. Gray highlights these important lessons from Peter's life, including: How to become a trusting disciple and "cast into the deep" The pitfalls of living discipleship at a distance and the eventual denial that will come How to recover from sin and accept God's mercy How to become a bold witness to others of the love of Jesus
Come to better know, love, and follow Jesus through the Rock on whom he built his Church.
Come to better know, love, and follow Jesus through the Rock on whom he built his Church.
208 pages, Paperback
Published September 7, 2016
47 people are currently reading
124 people want to read
About the author
Tim Gray
62 books38 followersDr. Timothy Gray is President and Associate Professor of Sacred Scripture at The Augustine Institute.
He received an MA from Franciscan University of Steubenville, ThM from Duke University, and PhD in Biblical Studies from Catholic University of America.
Under Dr. Gray’s guidance, the Augustine Institute has created Symbolon, a comprehensive program of faith formation for adults, YDisciple, to inform and inspire youth to deepen their relationship with Christ, Beloved, a twelve part series that explores the mystery and meaning of marriage for marriage enrichment and marriage prep programs, and Lectio an innovative series of Bible studies exploring topics through the lens of Scripture, Tradition and Art.
Tim and his wife Kris, and son Joseph, live in Littleton, Colorado.
He received an MA from Franciscan University of Steubenville, ThM from Duke University, and PhD in Biblical Studies from Catholic University of America.
Under Dr. Gray’s guidance, the Augustine Institute has created Symbolon, a comprehensive program of faith formation for adults, YDisciple, to inform and inspire youth to deepen their relationship with Christ, Beloved, a twelve part series that explores the mystery and meaning of marriage for marriage enrichment and marriage prep programs, and Lectio an innovative series of Bible studies exploring topics through the lens of Scripture, Tradition and Art.
Tim and his wife Kris, and son Joseph, live in Littleton, Colorado.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
June 20, 2023
This was such a great book by Dr Tim Gray. It’s a short book but has a lot of insights for reflection that enrich one’s faith, at least in my case.
I love this book since it is the first book that walked me through some books of the New Testament and it did so in the light of discussing discipleship. In my younger years, sometimes, I would really only pay attention to the Gospel reading during Mass, neglecting the richness in the other readings being read. After reading this, I have found a new appreciation of NT books other than the Gospels.
This book opened a lot of the Scriptures for me as it detailed the significance of certain passages from the OT and NT related to Peter's life and discipleship.
One of the things that struck me was the power of Peter's witness. Dr. Gray emphasized that even though Peter was not trained as a rabbi nor a very learned man, he still preached with boldness that 3,000 people were baptized after his first sermon. As Jim Rohn said, that's a good day on your first day at your job. Thus, as Dr. Gray continues, like Peter, we can also proclaim the Good News by the quality of our witness with the grace of the Holy Spirit rather than all of our studies combined. What Peter preached is what he witnessed especially how he experienced God's love, mercy and forgiveness as he has a firsthand experience of these which transformed his life and discipleship moving forward.
Another thing that struck me in this book is its discussion of the calming of the storm at sea. This story in the Gospel (both versions in Mark's and Matthew's Gospels) is a personal favorite since I got to pray with this passage in the life of Christ with His apostles. By God's grace, I got to pray with it and delve deeper from my previous reading of it. As Fr Roque Ferriols SJ said in one of his interviews, praying with this passage in the Gospels is very important to pray about in one's life because we all know the darkness of our times yet this reminds us that Jesus will be with us through the storms we face in our world and in our lives.
I guess, any book that would reflect on this Gospel passage will surely be making it to my list of favorite books. Dr. Gray did a great job discussing it in the light of discipleship to our Lord. Highly recommended!
I love this book since it is the first book that walked me through some books of the New Testament and it did so in the light of discussing discipleship. In my younger years, sometimes, I would really only pay attention to the Gospel reading during Mass, neglecting the richness in the other readings being read. After reading this, I have found a new appreciation of NT books other than the Gospels.
This book opened a lot of the Scriptures for me as it detailed the significance of certain passages from the OT and NT related to Peter's life and discipleship.
One of the things that struck me was the power of Peter's witness. Dr. Gray emphasized that even though Peter was not trained as a rabbi nor a very learned man, he still preached with boldness that 3,000 people were baptized after his first sermon. As Jim Rohn said, that's a good day on your first day at your job. Thus, as Dr. Gray continues, like Peter, we can also proclaim the Good News by the quality of our witness with the grace of the Holy Spirit rather than all of our studies combined. What Peter preached is what he witnessed especially how he experienced God's love, mercy and forgiveness as he has a firsthand experience of these which transformed his life and discipleship moving forward.
Another thing that struck me in this book is its discussion of the calming of the storm at sea. This story in the Gospel (both versions in Mark's and Matthew's Gospels) is a personal favorite since I got to pray with this passage in the life of Christ with His apostles. By God's grace, I got to pray with it and delve deeper from my previous reading of it. As Fr Roque Ferriols SJ said in one of his interviews, praying with this passage in the Gospels is very important to pray about in one's life because we all know the darkness of our times yet this reminds us that Jesus will be with us through the storms we face in our world and in our lives.
I guess, any book that would reflect on this Gospel passage will surely be making it to my list of favorite books. Dr. Gray did a great job discussing it in the light of discipleship to our Lord. Highly recommended!
April 27, 2020
Loved this book. Reading this book allowed me to picture myself in the story he told of that time. He makes me want to read more on Christianity, Jesus,, the apostles, the Bible..
and perhaps more books by DR Tim Gray.
and perhaps more books by DR Tim Gray.
February 28, 2020
Great study of Peter in scripture and early Church traditions. Gray helps you see and understand things easily missed, things to encourage your faith as well as challenge you in your walk with God.
August 23, 2025
Excellent!
This is an easy to read but very spiritually deep book about St. Peter. It is definitely worth reading it.
This is an easy to read but very spiritually deep book about St. Peter. It is definitely worth reading it.
June 4, 2023
Wonderful book about Peter. It explains how to follow Christ in very easy language and how Peter came to be the disciple and Pope that he was.
July 26, 2019
Dr. Gray provides a detailed and thorough explanation of Saint Peter, the first prime minister (Pope) anointed by Jesus Christ to lead the Church on earth. In addition to explaining the importance of the prime minister and how Jesus chose Peter, Dr. Gray uses Peter's life (struggles and triumphs) to teach us lessons in our Christian faith. Peter is a model of discipleship for Christians.
Definitely Catholics should read this book because my guess (as a Catholic convert) is that many Catholics who were educated in the 70, 80, and 90s may lack key aspects of formation. This book details the importance of the Pope as prime minister of the Church and establishes the reasons how and why (based on Sacred Scripture) Jesus setup this governance structure. Protestants may appreciate this book as well.
Definitely Catholics should read this book because my guess (as a Catholic convert) is that many Catholics who were educated in the 70, 80, and 90s may lack key aspects of formation. This book details the importance of the Pope as prime minister of the Church and establishes the reasons how and why (based on Sacred Scripture) Jesus setup this governance structure. Protestants may appreciate this book as well.
March 10, 2019
Tim Gray seems to brings to life what we only think of as stories from the past. He brings an understanding of the life Peter lived and the true love and devotion he has for our Lord. He also provides us a glimpse of what life was like during Peter's time on this earth.
June 7, 2022
This was a really good book for understanding the role and importance of St. Peter in scripture and in the Church. I have to admit, though, that I heard Jeff Cavin’s voice while I was reading it only to find out now that it was written by Tim Gray.
November 25, 2017
This book is interesting and rich with information. I will definitely be rereading this one!
March 11, 2020
Extremely readable. The story of Peter and Jesus comes alive
March 8, 2018
I LOVED learning about Peter, and more closely following Jesus. There was so much great information in this book, so from a content standpoint, this was an excellent read. But, did you ever read a book and think "you could have said that in half the pages?" Yup - that's this book. So, in good faith (pun intended), I couldn't give it any more than 3 stars.
October 6, 2018
Easy enough to read & understand, sometimes repetitive.
Problem for me at this time was, - too boring!
Problem for me at this time was, - too boring!
February 16, 2024
Excellent, highly recommend. Fills the heart as well as the mind.
March 27, 2025
This book was so insightful! I learned so much about Jesus through reading about the life of Peter. Beautiful Book!
April 28, 2022
Wonderful exploration on the importance of Peter. Perfect listen for Holy Week. Would recommend to any Catholic looking for a deeper understanding of Peters relationship to Christ and role in founding our Church.
February 17, 2019
This was the third book my Catholic best friend Nicole chose for me to read in exchange for her reading all of the Harry Potter books. It’s very clearly targeted for a Catholic audience, but even a Protestant like me found some valuable lessons about a life of faith here.
Some notable things you will learn:
1. How to step out in faith and trust God by “cast[ing] into the deep”
2. The pitfalls of living discipleship at a distance like Peter during the Passion of Christ
3. The power of the Holy Spirit and how the legacy of Pentacost continues today
4. The acknowledgment that true discipleship is cruciform - following Christ is not about your comfort or success
5. How Jesus appointed Peter to be his “prime minister”
6. How Jonah is a symbol of and a precursor of Peter
There are some interesting discussions of sacred art and the symbolic choices made by the artists in this book. There are also parts where Scripture is put into its proper cultural context, which often reveals a different and/or deeper meaning than a surface-level interpretation.
This is a short, though sometimes repetitive, book, but I wouldn’t suggest binge reading it. The lessons are best absorbed slowly with ample time for digestion. This book also doesn’t make for great bedtime reading as it can be somewhat dry at times.
I recommend this book for Christians, particularly Catholics, who want to learn more about the life of one of (if not THE) most important of the early Christians and how we can use what we learn from his life to deepen our own relationships with Jesus.
Some notable things you will learn:
1. How to step out in faith and trust God by “cast[ing] into the deep”
2. The pitfalls of living discipleship at a distance like Peter during the Passion of Christ
3. The power of the Holy Spirit and how the legacy of Pentacost continues today
4. The acknowledgment that true discipleship is cruciform - following Christ is not about your comfort or success
5. How Jesus appointed Peter to be his “prime minister”
6. How Jonah is a symbol of and a precursor of Peter
There are some interesting discussions of sacred art and the symbolic choices made by the artists in this book. There are also parts where Scripture is put into its proper cultural context, which often reveals a different and/or deeper meaning than a surface-level interpretation.
This is a short, though sometimes repetitive, book, but I wouldn’t suggest binge reading it. The lessons are best absorbed slowly with ample time for digestion. This book also doesn’t make for great bedtime reading as it can be somewhat dry at times.
I recommend this book for Christians, particularly Catholics, who want to learn more about the life of one of (if not THE) most important of the early Christians and how we can use what we learn from his life to deepen our own relationships with Jesus.
December 5, 2016
When it comes to important figures in Church History, St. Peter is easily in the top five. Last year Augustine Institue released a DVD program called Lectio: Peter by Dr. Tim Gray. This year Augustine Institute teamed up with Ignatius Press to release a book, also by Dr. Tim Gray titled Peter: Keys to Following Jesus. The book begins with a foreword that states the purpose in writing this book, with one of those purposes being "to impart a theology of discipleship and evangelization based on seven interactions between Jesus and Peter. Each interaction comes after a failure on the part of Peter to understand or act properly." The book is then divided into ten chapters, with the first seven referencing the aforementioned quote, one on Peter and Pentecost, one on Peter coming to Rome, and the final chapter discusses Peter's own Way of the Cross.
The seven encounters Peter had with Jesus were as follows:
1. Jesus recruiting Peter to be an Apostle after Peter was fishing all night
2. Jesus healing Peter's mother-in-law and setting up "headquarters" in Capernaum
3. Peter's lack of faith when he was out at sea and the storm came and failing to walk on water
4. Peter becoming the rock on which Jesus will build His Church
5. Peter being given the keys to the Kingdom
6. Peter's increasing leadership and his presence at the Transfiguration
7. Peter's failure and denial during Jesus' Passion
Each of these chapters was very interesting and made you stop and meditate on these different episodes in the life of Peter. We see growth in Peter, but we also see him fall and fail repeatedly too. However, he doesn't stay down and defeated. He goes back to Jesus, because he knows that Jesus is the only one who can save him. The most interesting chapter to me was actually the final one in this book, which focused on Peter's own passion. This chapter relies primarily on Church Tradition, and in it we see Peter fleeing Rome, because the Christians of Rome felt he was too important to be martyred and the Church needed him. As he was fleeing, he encountered Jesus on the road, who said that He was going to Rome to be crucified again (basically implying that Peter was abandoning Rome, but Jesus would not). This opened Peter's eyes and with Jesus' help (again), Peter realized what he needed to do. He went back to Rome and strengthened God's people, even though this ultimately led to Peter being crucified too.
Peter: Keys to Following Jesus is a very important work for any Christian to read. It doesn't paint us a picture of a perfect man, but instead we see a man, like us, who is flawed in nature, but struggling to do the right thing. However, with God's help, he was able to become a great saint and one of the pillars of the Catholic Church. If you are looking for a thoughtful and thought-provoking study on the life and ministry of Peter, I highly recommend this book to you.
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May 3, 2019Very good read. Tim Gray does a great job explaining Peter and how he came to be the first pope.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews