4 steps to walking on water

These are the notes from the talk I gave at church last night from the story of Peter walking on the water (Matthew 14:22-33).

1. Recognise Jesus. Often our tendency is to be fearful in tough or uncomfortable situations, but it is hard to recognise Jesus when you are afraid, because fear blinds us spiritually. Let us repent for living fearfully.

2. Desire to be where Jesus is. Peter did not ask Jesus to come into the boat, he asked to be were Jesus was, doing what Jesus was doing. Be available and willing to move. Jesus must always be our example, not what other people are doing around us. Let us repent for the tendency to stay where we are.

3. Wait for Jesus' invitation. Don't get ahead of God. Don't venture out on your own. Wait. Wait. Wait on God. Trust God's timing. Respond immediately when you hear him call you or feel the urging of the Holy Spirit. Do not hesitate. Let us repent for impatience and ask God what his invitation is to us today.

4. Step out on the word of Jesus. When God speaks, it brings things into existence. When Jesus says,"Come," his word makes a way, his word makes the water walkable. Jesus' words are the foundation of our actions; it is not dependent on the level of our faith. The goal of prayer is to be one with Jesus so that our words also bring things into existence and we can make paths for people to get out of situations. Being one with Jesus allows us to be under the umbrella of and participate in his authority.

Warnings: Don't take your eyes off Jesus. Don't give in to fear. Don't be afraid when you stumble - Jesus is right beside you. Don't hesitate to ask for help. Jesus want us to learn and we won't always get things right on the first try. Try again and try again.

What walking with Jesus looks like: It is often in a storm in the dark, but even though the wind was against him, it hardly mattered. Jesus affected his circumstances instead of letting them affect him. Do you want to be in the boat waiting for God to calm your storm as you tremble in fear, or do you want to get out and walk on the water with Jesus?

This is a sailboat on Lake Champlain in Vermont.

The first picture is of the Atlantic Ocean at Charleston (Isle of Palms), South Carolina.

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