All of us can see the so-called "big" sins around us, but many of us have a harder time seeing the "smaller" sins within us. Why is this the case? Perhaps part of our fallen nature is our tendency to shrug off our personal responsibility. "Denial" isn't just a river in Egypt! Have we become like the culture around us? Have we become largely immune to accepting blame and feeling shame? Nell Plantinga has said, "We are tempted to see ourselves not as sinners, but as victims; not as fallen, but as frustrated; not as wrong, but as misunderstood. We deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (Beyond Doubt, Grand Rapids: Bible Way, 1980, p. 53).

Few of us are tempted and trapped by the so-called "big" sins that we see on the evening news. But all of us easily falter and fall to many so-called "small" sins, often over and over and over again. Over-working. Over-worrying. Over-spending. Over-eating. Over-hearing. Over-exaggerating. These and so many other subtle, small sins, unconfessed and unrepented, will leave us feeling overwhelmed! All of us will do well to remember the promise of 1 John 1:8-9, "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

Sin brings adversity, and much of the adversity in our lives is directly due to our unconfessed, unrepented sins. The cumulative toll of our so-called "small" sins day after day will detour our faith journeys, derail our service for Christ, and diminish the joy and strength in our lives. Is there any wonder that in our most honest, introspective moments we often ask ourselves, "Why aren't I growing in my walk with the Lord?"

Even Peter, the acknowledged leader of the Twelve, was struggling with several subtle sins in his life. They were small sins which still brought him a great deal of adversity. As we have noted, it's easier to see these sins in Peter's life and harder to admit them in our own. But this element of Peter's story reminds us that If he can fall, so can we. If bold Peter denied Jesus, then each of us is at risk of doing the same.

What were some of those steps in that downward path? Overconfidence was a major one, which we will say more about in a moment. But there was also a failure to pray. Prayerlessness, of course, leads to carelessness. Perhaps you will recall that Jesus warned His disciples in the Garden, in Matthew 26:40, that they must pray that they not fall into the adversary's traps. But what did Peter and the others do? Instead of praying, they slept. Prayerlessness led to powerlessness. Carelessness led to cowardice. While each step led Peter further and further away from the Lord, the first step on this slippery slope was Peter's pride. When Jesus predicted Peter's denial, this rugged fisherman-turned-disciple boldly replied in verse 33 of our text, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death."