WEBVTT 00:00:02.759 --> 00:00:05.799 It's a wonderful song. It's a wonderful reminder 00:00:05.799 --> 00:00:09.019 that we will follow, that our hearts cry out. 00:00:09.500 --> 00:00:14.800 I will follow you. But I questioned this morning, 00:00:15.019 --> 00:00:19.359 will we? Do we? That song talks so openly and 00:00:19.359 --> 00:00:23.280 freely about following God, trusting God, that... 00:00:23.239 --> 00:00:26.760 Hopefully, in life, when we have to follow people, 00:00:27.039 --> 00:00:28.980 you know, I think of maybe when we're a kid and 00:00:28.980 --> 00:00:31.780 we're going on a hike or a walk with your parents, 00:00:32.140 --> 00:00:34.119 right? They're hoping that, you know, you're 00:00:34.119 --> 00:00:36.740 going to follow them. I can think back of parts 00:00:36.740 --> 00:00:39.320 of my life where it seemed maybe five different 00:00:39.320 --> 00:00:44.380 times in my 41 years where the path was so clear. 00:00:44.520 --> 00:00:47.700 It was just God saying, hey, jump into the footprint 00:00:47.700 --> 00:00:50.170 right after I step. Don't go right, don't go 00:00:50.170 --> 00:00:53.049 left, just follow me. I tell our leaders all 00:00:53.049 --> 00:00:55.649 the time, staff, council, ministry leaders, that 00:00:55.649 --> 00:01:00.049 especially staff, that part of your living on 00:01:00.049 --> 00:01:02.609 staff, when you get a paycheck from the church, 00:01:02.869 --> 00:01:05.409 it's we're paying you to be a leader. And if 00:01:05.409 --> 00:01:07.450 you're out there by yourself and no one's following 00:01:07.450 --> 00:01:10.209 you, we're not paying you to go for a walk. That 00:01:10.209 --> 00:01:13.569 there is an understanding of following and leading. 00:01:14.230 --> 00:01:17.609 Good followers have a leader we hold to a leader 00:01:17.609 --> 00:01:22.069 that is Jesus and that song declares I will follow 00:01:22.069 --> 00:01:27.430 and it's awesome But what about when we don't 00:01:27.430 --> 00:01:30.769 what about we see God moving we see clearly and 00:01:30.769 --> 00:01:34.810 we just Step on the brakes or we veer right or 00:01:34.810 --> 00:01:39.689 we veer left Because where we see God going doesn't 00:01:39.689 --> 00:01:43.170 make any sense to us or it makes sense We just 00:01:43.170 --> 00:01:45.469 don't want to do it or if we're being honest 00:01:45.469 --> 00:01:51.010 We're scared to do it. There is fear Doubt sets 00:01:51.010 --> 00:01:54.150 in all of a sudden we're questioning is God the 00:01:54.150 --> 00:01:56.489 person we want to follow and things start to 00:01:56.489 --> 00:01:59.670 unravel And there are some Sundays. We just simply 00:01:59.670 --> 00:02:02.329 need to be reminded of who we're called to be 00:02:02.329 --> 00:02:06.439 and that's this Sunday That's today simple message 00:02:06.439 --> 00:02:10.099 on not so simple of a text of what does it mean 00:02:10.099 --> 00:02:14.139 to trust God. Trusting the God who holds the 00:02:14.139 --> 00:02:17.759 water of life. Because when you look at the gems 00:02:17.759 --> 00:02:20.080 you're not just looking at a ministry you're 00:02:20.080 --> 00:02:22.939 looking at a movement of faith being formed in 00:02:22.939 --> 00:02:26.139 real time. That these girls and these leaders 00:02:26.139 --> 00:02:30.319 were preparing for today to have their gems Sunday. 00:02:31.039 --> 00:02:33.710 We see young hearts learning to trust learning 00:02:33.710 --> 00:02:36.810 to step out learning to follow Jesus in ways 00:02:36.810 --> 00:02:41.090 that are very simple at times maybe not so simple 00:02:41.090 --> 00:02:45.370 at other times but very profound that the spirit 00:02:45.370 --> 00:02:49.590 is at work in our gems ministry we're reminded 00:02:49.590 --> 00:02:52.069 that faith is not something we graduate from 00:02:52.069 --> 00:02:54.889 but something we grow into we never graduate 00:02:54.889 --> 00:02:57.689 God right we never get to throw our faith caps 00:02:57.689 --> 00:03:03.199 in the air until we get to glory And there, biblically, 00:03:03.300 --> 00:03:04.740 there's nothing that says we're going to have 00:03:04.740 --> 00:03:06.639 a cap that we can throw up in the air. But we 00:03:06.639 --> 00:03:09.800 will hopefully hear those words, well done, good 00:03:09.800 --> 00:03:12.939 and faithful servant. That is the beauty of gems. 00:03:13.479 --> 00:03:15.620 That is the foundation that they're building. 00:03:16.340 --> 00:03:18.300 Girls gathering from our church, other churches 00:03:18.300 --> 00:03:20.960 from our community, discovering what it means 00:03:20.960 --> 00:03:25.060 to meet the Savior. First and foremost, who is 00:03:25.060 --> 00:03:28.560 the Savior? Before you can follow, you need to 00:03:28.560 --> 00:03:31.990 understand who He is and what He's calling. of 00:03:31.990 --> 00:03:34.330 not only them, not only the leaders, but for 00:03:34.330 --> 00:03:37.830 us. And so today, we're going to talk about stepping 00:03:37.830 --> 00:03:42.050 out to trust our faithful God. Not just the gem's 00:03:42.050 --> 00:03:45.530 theme, but the call of everybody that claims 00:03:45.530 --> 00:03:49.349 Jesus. Because the life of faith has never been 00:03:49.349 --> 00:03:52.330 about staying in the boat. The boat's comfortable. 00:03:52.849 --> 00:03:55.530 We love the boat. But what we're going to see 00:03:55.530 --> 00:03:58.289 in the Gospel text is when Jesus calls us outside 00:03:58.289 --> 00:04:02.479 of the boat, to trust in Him alone, like we just 00:04:02.479 --> 00:04:06.500 sang. So the question before the gems, before 00:04:06.500 --> 00:04:10.180 us, before those online this morning is can you 00:04:10.180 --> 00:04:15.500 walk on water? The question really becomes do 00:04:15.500 --> 00:04:20.639 you trust the God who holds you and holds the 00:04:20.639 --> 00:04:23.339 water? So let's break it down first in Deuteronomy, 00:04:23.459 --> 00:04:27.339 the foundation beneath every step we take. So 00:04:27.339 --> 00:04:31.139 we're going to be in Deuteronomy 7. 7 verse 9. 00:04:31.180 --> 00:04:34.420 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, 00:04:34.480 --> 00:04:37.540 the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast 00:04:37.540 --> 00:04:40.920 love with those who love him and keep his commandments 00:04:40.920 --> 00:04:45.360 to a thousand generations. So right there we're 00:04:45.360 --> 00:04:48.199 going to lay the foundation. A God who loves 00:04:48.199 --> 00:04:52.100 you who is faithful and who keeps covenant. We 00:04:52.100 --> 00:04:53.920 know what that means. We've talked and walked 00:04:53.920 --> 00:04:56.759 that out. Covenant and contract, two different 00:04:56.759 --> 00:04:59.420 things. Contract says, if you don't do your part, 00:04:59.519 --> 00:05:02.980 I don't do my part. Covenant says that God will 00:05:02.980 --> 00:05:08.300 keep His part even when we fall in ours. But 00:05:08.300 --> 00:05:10.699 the word no there matters. God is not inviting 00:05:10.699 --> 00:05:15.259 His people into this vague spirituality or emotional 00:05:15.259 --> 00:05:18.160 guesswork, the highs and lows of our emotions. 00:05:18.459 --> 00:05:23.220 He is calling us into certainty. And just that 00:05:23.220 --> 00:05:26.000 word can bind all of us. Whether you're young 00:05:26.000 --> 00:05:28.540 in faith, maybe you're here and you don't really 00:05:28.540 --> 00:05:31.120 have a faith, the idea of having a certainty 00:05:31.120 --> 00:05:36.000 about the person of God can be hard to really 00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:40.160 walk that road, hard to understand. But what 00:05:40.160 --> 00:05:41.959 we're going to learn today, what the gems have 00:05:41.959 --> 00:05:45.680 showed us is what it means to step out into confidence 00:05:45.680 --> 00:05:49.720 that God has us. We're confident in who He is. 00:05:50.060 --> 00:05:54.980 The Lord your God is God. So another question 00:05:54.980 --> 00:05:57.759 I have this morning is do you believe that? Do 00:05:57.759 --> 00:05:59.800 you believe that in how you think about God? 00:06:00.139 --> 00:06:02.720 Do you believe that in how you talk out God in 00:06:02.720 --> 00:06:04.819 your life? Do you believe that in what you actually 00:06:04.819 --> 00:06:09.579 believe about God? Do you trust He is sovereign? 00:06:09.759 --> 00:06:13.120 He is unchanging. He is not reacting to your 00:06:13.120 --> 00:06:17.060 life. He rules over it. That's his prerogative. 00:06:17.100 --> 00:06:19.579 That's his point of view. And my guess is at 00:06:19.579 --> 00:06:22.160 least half of us struggle with that because we 00:06:22.160 --> 00:06:25.100 want to be the master of our own ship. We want 00:06:25.100 --> 00:06:27.459 to be in the control of our own life. We want 00:06:27.459 --> 00:06:31.300 to call all the shots. But guess what? We're 00:06:31.300 --> 00:06:34.459 following the sovereign God. Meaning, you and 00:06:34.459 --> 00:06:37.139 I aren't sovereign. We can't handle that anyway. 00:06:37.540 --> 00:06:39.939 We might think we can. We might act like we can. 00:06:40.300 --> 00:06:42.850 Deep down inside of the Places we don't talk 00:06:42.850 --> 00:06:45.250 about at parties, we probably think we are. We're 00:06:45.250 --> 00:06:50.029 not. And it is easier to submit to that. The 00:06:50.029 --> 00:06:52.850 faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast 00:06:52.850 --> 00:06:56.209 love. The phrase steadfast love is the Hebrew 00:06:56.209 --> 00:07:01.350 word... Someone said it over here. Hesed. One 00:07:01.350 --> 00:07:05.069 out of 315. Good job. We had a whole sermon series 00:07:05.069 --> 00:07:08.110 on it. Right? Say it gutterly. How do we say 00:07:08.110 --> 00:07:11.610 it, Alex? Get it in the throat. Stop laughing. 00:07:11.850 --> 00:07:15.730 Say it. Chesed, right? It gets really deep down 00:07:15.730 --> 00:07:19.029 in your throat, right? Good Hebrew. It's covenant 00:07:19.029 --> 00:07:22.490 love, loyal love, unbreakable love. It is the 00:07:22.490 --> 00:07:24.589 kind of love that does not walk away when things 00:07:24.589 --> 00:07:27.250 get hard. It's not the kind of love that depends 00:07:27.250 --> 00:07:30.589 on our performance, praise the Lord. It is the 00:07:30.589 --> 00:07:33.870 kind of love that holds on even when we don't. 00:07:34.430 --> 00:07:37.529 And this is what GEMS, the program, was teaching 00:07:37.529 --> 00:07:40.439 our girls this year. Through gems they are not 00:07:40.439 --> 00:07:42.639 just learning the Bible stories, but they are 00:07:42.639 --> 00:07:45.699 learning about the character of God through gems 00:07:45.699 --> 00:07:48.019 They are learning that God's faithfulness is 00:07:48.019 --> 00:07:51.079 not theoretical up in the clouds, but it's deeply 00:07:51.079 --> 00:07:54.779 personal Not our strength not our courage not 00:07:54.779 --> 00:07:58.319 our ability to hold on to God, but his unwavering 00:07:58.319 --> 00:08:02.079 grip on us the Belgian confession One of the 00:08:02.079 --> 00:08:04.160 confessions we have in the church, our confessions 00:08:04.160 --> 00:08:07.339 help us understand scripture, right? The Heideberg 00:08:07.339 --> 00:08:09.459 Catechism, the Belgian Confession, the Canons 00:08:09.459 --> 00:08:13.000 of Dort. We hold these writings, not sacred, 00:08:13.100 --> 00:08:15.560 but we hold these important in our life. We hold 00:08:15.560 --> 00:08:18.579 them confessionally to help us understand God's 00:08:18.579 --> 00:08:21.199 Word. Without God's Word, none of those texts 00:08:21.199 --> 00:08:23.839 mean anything. But the Belgian Confession reminds 00:08:23.839 --> 00:08:28.240 us that even after humanity fell into sin, God 00:08:28.240 --> 00:08:31.480 pursues his people. He did not abandon them. 00:08:31.779 --> 00:08:33.539 He didn't say, well, they screwed up, they're 00:08:33.539 --> 00:08:37.080 done, over, let's start fresh. He did not wait 00:08:37.080 --> 00:08:39.740 for them to figure it out. He moved toward them 00:08:39.740 --> 00:08:43.799 in grace. So church, gems, hear this clearly 00:08:43.799 --> 00:08:47.139 today. You don't step out just because you are 00:08:47.139 --> 00:08:51.460 brave. You step out because God is faithful. 00:08:51.899 --> 00:08:55.019 When we step out in our life, we are banking 00:08:55.019 --> 00:08:58.159 on that relationship with God, not only being 00:08:58.159 --> 00:09:01.289 there, but that he is holding us as we step out. 00:09:01.809 --> 00:09:03.950 And this is the foundation that GEMS is laying 00:09:03.950 --> 00:09:06.169 through the lives of all the young girls that 00:09:06.169 --> 00:09:09.029 go through it. A foundation that will carry them, 00:09:09.269 --> 00:09:12.649 hopefully, not just through childhood, not just 00:09:12.649 --> 00:09:14.690 through that journey through junior high when 00:09:14.690 --> 00:09:17.490 they get to eighth grade, but through every season 00:09:17.490 --> 00:09:21.149 of life. That all of you, whether you're in second 00:09:21.149 --> 00:09:23.149 grade through eighth grade, when you get older, 00:09:23.470 --> 00:09:25.289 right, even a couple years maybe into high school, 00:09:25.509 --> 00:09:27.909 we come back and we help with our GEMS program. 00:09:28.139 --> 00:09:30.600 Or if God moves you away somewhere else in the 00:09:30.600 --> 00:09:33.080 world, maybe you find a GEMS program there. And 00:09:33.080 --> 00:09:36.659 we dive in and we invest in the next generation. 00:09:39.000 --> 00:09:41.279 Every season of life, we want this to be not 00:09:41.279 --> 00:09:45.259 only true, but we want to understand that God 00:09:45.259 --> 00:09:49.440 is really faithful to us and will call us at 00:09:49.440 --> 00:09:52.320 times to things that we are very, very, very, 00:09:52.320 --> 00:09:56.059 very, very uncertain about. Maybe even scared 00:09:56.059 --> 00:09:59.220 about. So let's dive into the book of Matthew. 00:09:59.419 --> 00:10:02.399 We're going to be in Matthew 14 with this section 00:10:02.399 --> 00:10:04.879 of my sermon is called The Voice That Calls Us 00:10:04.879 --> 00:10:07.620 Out. We're going to be in Matthew 14 starting 00:10:07.620 --> 00:10:29.759 with verse 22. But the boat by this time was 00:10:29.759 --> 00:10:32.559 a long way from land, beaten by the waves, for 00:10:32.559 --> 00:10:36.159 the waves was against them. And in the fourth 00:10:36.159 --> 00:10:38.460 watch of the night he came to them walking on 00:10:38.460 --> 00:10:41.159 the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on 00:10:41.159 --> 00:10:44.379 the sea, they were terrified and said, It is 00:10:44.379 --> 00:10:47.340 a ghost. And they cried out in fear. But immediately 00:10:47.340 --> 00:10:49.799 Jesus spoke to them saying, Take heart. It is 00:10:49.799 --> 00:10:53.169 I. Do not be afraid. Peter answered him Lord 00:10:53.169 --> 00:10:56.370 if it is you command me to come to you on the 00:10:56.370 --> 00:11:00.190 water and He said come so Peter got out of the 00:11:00.190 --> 00:11:04.210 boat walked on the water and came to Jesus So 00:11:04.210 --> 00:11:07.409 let's set the scene Middle fourth watch the night 00:11:07.409 --> 00:11:10.750 early in the morning, right? How many fishermen 00:11:10.750 --> 00:11:13.090 or fisherwomen do we have today that like to 00:11:13.090 --> 00:11:17.110 do that? Wow, that's it. We got a fish more Jim. 00:11:17.269 --> 00:11:19.250 There's you're one of only like two that did 00:11:19.250 --> 00:11:20.789 it We love to eat the fish, but we don't like 00:11:20.789 --> 00:11:23.980 to Never mind. So we are at fourth watch of the 00:11:23.980 --> 00:11:26.820 night, right? The boat is way far out. Jesus 00:11:26.820 --> 00:11:29.740 was just praying. It's dark. The wind's against 00:11:29.740 --> 00:11:32.259 them. The waves are crashing, and I'm going to 00:11:32.259 --> 00:11:35.019 offer just a little Pastor Jim point of view. 00:11:35.940 --> 00:11:39.320 I would be terrified because the depths of the 00:11:39.320 --> 00:11:40.799 ocean, even though we're talking about the Sea 00:11:40.799 --> 00:11:42.580 of Galilee, not the ocean, but I'm sure there's 00:11:42.580 --> 00:11:46.179 depth to it, absolutely terrifies me. yet I'm 00:11:46.179 --> 00:11:49.159 fascinated about what could be under there I 00:11:49.159 --> 00:11:51.340 don't like to go into bodies of water that I 00:11:51.340 --> 00:11:58.200 cannot see the bottom of i .e. a pool or shallow 00:11:58.200 --> 00:12:00.980 Caribbean that's it right other than that if 00:12:00.980 --> 00:12:03.320 I can't see the bottom of it I will probably 00:12:03.320 --> 00:12:07.159 stay on the land but it is dark the waves the 00:12:07.159 --> 00:12:11.220 wind and waves are against them And Jesus, in 00:12:11.220 --> 00:12:14.659 typical Jesus fashion, comes walking out to them 00:12:14.659 --> 00:12:19.700 on the water. And instead of comfort, they feel 00:12:19.700 --> 00:12:24.399 fear. It's a ghost, they said. I don't know if 00:12:24.399 --> 00:12:26.700 they couldn't recognize him, I don't know, but 00:12:26.700 --> 00:12:29.779 in the midst of their chaos, the boat being thrown 00:12:29.779 --> 00:12:32.120 around by the winds and the waves, they seem 00:12:32.120 --> 00:12:35.059 to maybe forget who Jesus was, or that Jesus 00:12:35.059 --> 00:12:38.049 has got them, right? He's got their back. He's 00:12:38.049 --> 00:12:40.750 the one that told them to go out. So they're 00:12:40.750 --> 00:12:44.590 following their disciples commands. Yet fear 00:12:44.590 --> 00:12:47.409 has a way of distorting reality. It takes what 00:12:47.409 --> 00:12:50.330 is true and twists it to something that might 00:12:50.330 --> 00:12:52.950 even be threatening in our life. Maybe you've 00:12:52.950 --> 00:12:55.470 been there in life. That you feel good about 00:12:55.470 --> 00:12:58.629 a certain aspect or relationship or season of 00:12:58.629 --> 00:13:01.259 your life. Yet when the minute you allow fear 00:13:01.259 --> 00:13:04.120 or trepidation or anxiety in there, everything 00:13:04.120 --> 00:13:07.039 binds. Everything seems to twist out of whack. 00:13:07.399 --> 00:13:09.840 And then all of a sudden what happens? I don't 00:13:09.840 --> 00:13:12.360 know if God's really in this. I don't know if 00:13:12.360 --> 00:13:14.399 this is really God's plan for me. Maybe I don't 00:13:14.399 --> 00:13:16.700 have... All of a sudden the domino effect that 00:13:16.700 --> 00:13:19.600 Satan pushes starts to take hold. We know this 00:13:19.600 --> 00:13:23.220 feeling. Because fear tells all of us, not just 00:13:23.220 --> 00:13:25.519 to the gems, but to all of us, stay where it's 00:13:25.519 --> 00:13:30.419 safe. Don't take the risk. Don't step out. Then 00:13:30.419 --> 00:13:35.539 Jesus speaks Take heart it is I do not be afraid 00:13:35.539 --> 00:13:39.200 that phrase it is I echoes God's covenant name 00:13:39.200 --> 00:13:43.799 I am Jesus is not just offering reassurance. 00:13:43.820 --> 00:13:48.559 He is revealing to them again his identity now 00:13:48.559 --> 00:13:51.679 Put yourself in the boat. I don't care any one 00:13:51.679 --> 00:13:54.360 of the 12 your pick you're in the boat. You see 00:13:54.360 --> 00:13:57.019 this What's the first thing that you should be 00:13:57.019 --> 00:14:01.620 astonished by? Anybody? You're in the boat. You're 00:14:01.620 --> 00:14:07.240 seeing Jesus do this. Yeah, go ahead. What are 00:14:07.240 --> 00:14:13.100 you astonished by? He's walking on water. 1 ,000%. 00:14:13.100 --> 00:14:16.080 That is the only right answer, right? That he 00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:21.809 is walking on water. Like, that should blow all 00:14:21.809 --> 00:14:24.529 of our minds. Whether you are more into the sciences, 00:14:24.850 --> 00:14:26.529 analytics, you're like, that can't happen and 00:14:26.529 --> 00:14:29.409 here's why, push up your glasses. Or you're just 00:14:29.409 --> 00:14:32.669 freaked out and go, holy cow. Like, what is he 00:14:32.669 --> 00:14:36.049 doing? How is he doing that? Or like me, maybe 00:14:36.049 --> 00:14:38.309 I can do it. I would totally be a Peter. You 00:14:38.309 --> 00:14:40.389 don't need to say amen. We all understand that. 00:14:42.970 --> 00:14:48.559 Here I am. I am God. You can trust me. Is that 00:14:48.559 --> 00:14:51.179 not some of the most reassuring aspects of Jesus? 00:14:52.519 --> 00:14:55.000 But what's the hard part about being able to 00:14:55.000 --> 00:14:57.519 really believe that? I can trust in God, right? 00:14:58.000 --> 00:14:59.799 But what if I don't trust easy? What if my trust 00:14:59.799 --> 00:15:01.879 has been broken? What if I've been burned by 00:15:01.879 --> 00:15:04.659 Christian people or the church or whatever? And 00:15:04.659 --> 00:15:07.559 so I don't trust easy. How can you say that I 00:15:07.559 --> 00:15:10.309 trust the Lord? Well, let me punk you out a little 00:15:10.309 --> 00:15:12.610 bit this morning stop putting people on the same 00:15:12.610 --> 00:15:15.509 place as God or the other way around stop bringing 00:15:15.509 --> 00:15:17.870 God down to the same people that are in your 00:15:17.870 --> 00:15:20.730 life because there's one key difference all the 00:15:20.730 --> 00:15:23.090 people in your life your pastor the elders gems 00:15:23.090 --> 00:15:26.190 gem program cadets everybody all sinners in need 00:15:26.190 --> 00:15:29.730 of a Savior guess who's sinless the Savior and 00:15:29.730 --> 00:15:31.470 That's who we're talking about. We're talking 00:15:31.470 --> 00:15:35.669 about Jesus So Peter again in typical Peter fashion 00:15:35.669 --> 00:15:43.330 Lord if it is you You ever catch that? If it 00:15:43.330 --> 00:15:47.909 is you, does not show me like super devotion. 00:15:49.090 --> 00:15:51.549 How do I know? Let's put this in maybe with your 00:15:51.549 --> 00:15:55.730 spouse. If your spouse ever says to you, if you 00:15:55.730 --> 00:16:00.409 really love me, then you will... Give me some 00:16:00.409 --> 00:16:02.730 endings of that sentence. Be careful, don't incriminate 00:16:02.730 --> 00:16:06.669 yourself. If you love me, you will... Mike, go 00:16:06.669 --> 00:16:08.889 ahead. I know already 19 things came into your 00:16:08.889 --> 00:16:13.429 brain. What? Oh, way to keep it safe. Good job. 00:16:13.549 --> 00:16:15.909 Mow the lawn. Yeah. And we all know you have 00:16:15.909 --> 00:16:17.409 sons. You make them do it. You haven't mowed 00:16:17.409 --> 00:16:20.690 a lawn in years. But understand, right, if you 00:16:20.690 --> 00:16:23.889 love me, you will... Someone go a little deeper 00:16:23.889 --> 00:16:28.950 than lawn, please. What? Stop snoring. How is 00:16:28.950 --> 00:16:32.429 that above or below mowing the lawn? Father, 00:16:32.429 --> 00:16:34.190 we pray for the van der Meijens right now. We 00:16:34.190 --> 00:16:36.549 pray for Brad. We pray for his deviated septum. 00:16:37.610 --> 00:16:41.179 What was over here? If you love me, someone said 00:16:41.179 --> 00:16:45.659 a good one. Follow, right? So if your spouse 00:16:45.659 --> 00:16:49.080 says that, if you love me, then follow me. How 00:16:49.080 --> 00:16:53.340 are you really taking that, Marilyn? Everybody 00:16:53.340 --> 00:16:58.600 look at her. You said it. That's sometimes easy, 00:16:58.679 --> 00:17:01.620 sometimes hard, right? There was a time on our 00:17:01.620 --> 00:17:04.380 trip out West to be about a year and a half ago 00:17:04.380 --> 00:17:06.720 When how many people know what a ridge back is 00:17:06.720 --> 00:17:08.380 on when you're coming up to a mountain right 00:17:08.380 --> 00:17:12.880 Wendy? What's a ridge back? Yes, when you go 00:17:12.880 --> 00:17:14.720 up a ridge back good all right That's exactly 00:17:14.720 --> 00:17:16.759 what it is. It's when you go up, and there's 00:17:16.759 --> 00:17:19.740 really nothing on the sides It's like this land 00:17:19.740 --> 00:17:22.160 bridge right and there's a pretty famous one 00:17:22.160 --> 00:17:24.900 in southern Utah that I really wanted to go on 00:17:25.540 --> 00:17:27.480 regardless of if my wife said she didn't want 00:17:27.480 --> 00:17:29.980 to. And so the boys and I, we kind of, you know, 00:17:30.059 --> 00:17:31.799 we were at dinner and we asked about it like, 00:17:31.880 --> 00:17:33.680 oh yeah, as long as you're in daylight, right, 00:17:33.819 --> 00:17:35.920 as long as, you know, it hadn't rained, then 00:17:35.920 --> 00:17:40.700 you are good to go. Okay? Yeah, it might have 00:17:40.700 --> 00:17:43.140 just rained, but it was still gonna be, it was 00:17:43.140 --> 00:17:45.829 still gonna be light. We never asked how long 00:17:45.829 --> 00:17:48.109 it actually takes to get there and that was the 00:17:48.109 --> 00:17:50.369 error in the story And they're not here today 00:17:50.369 --> 00:17:53.609 So I'll blame Jack and so understand that we 00:17:53.609 --> 00:17:55.970 start on this what I thought was gonna be immediate 00:17:55.970 --> 00:17:59.230 Ridgeback It was not hour and a half later son 00:17:59.230 --> 00:18:03.430 has now gone down. We finally get to the Ridgeback 00:18:03.430 --> 00:18:07.650 My wife through is not speaking to me. Okay at 00:18:07.650 --> 00:18:10.849 this point. She is so upset I thank God the kids 00:18:10.849 --> 00:18:13.250 are playing one fell asleep in the back. I am 00:18:13.250 --> 00:18:17.900 praying Lord please just get us through this. 00:18:18.759 --> 00:18:22.920 I said follow me and now I am not at all convinced 00:18:22.920 --> 00:18:25.799 that we are going to make it as because of said 00:18:25.799 --> 00:18:28.279 rain that happened mere hours before as we're 00:18:28.279 --> 00:18:30.700 going in our Jeep every once in a while it would 00:18:30.700 --> 00:18:33.319 slip and go this way or slip and go this way 00:18:33.319 --> 00:18:38.480 and I felt every movement of that in every part 00:18:38.480 --> 00:18:43.660 of my body. Three hours later. If we would have 00:18:43.660 --> 00:18:45.019 just gone the regular way, we would have been 00:18:45.019 --> 00:18:49.640 home in 40 minutes. Three hour and, cherry on 00:18:49.640 --> 00:18:53.180 top, no cell reception. So guess when you don't 00:18:53.180 --> 00:18:55.420 have cell reception, what doesn't work on your 00:18:55.420 --> 00:18:57.940 phone? Jay, what doesn't work on your phone if 00:18:57.940 --> 00:19:00.720 you don't have cell reception? Maps. Yeah, he 00:19:00.720 --> 00:19:02.500 didn't need your help, Claire. He understood. 00:19:02.680 --> 00:19:06.440 He's in seventh grade, right? Maps, right? GPS, 00:19:06.720 --> 00:19:09.339 nothing. When you look on there, it's just your 00:19:09.339 --> 00:19:14.740 car, black. Okay, so we finally make it out every 00:19:14.740 --> 00:19:18.759 tension in my body Finally melts Carrie's still 00:19:18.759 --> 00:19:22.420 not talking to me, right? Good night, babe. I 00:19:22.420 --> 00:19:25.480 love you. I think her words were sure and we 00:19:25.480 --> 00:19:30.740 went to sleep All right, so that understanding 00:19:30.740 --> 00:19:33.440 of follow right I knew I was gonna need to earn 00:19:33.440 --> 00:19:36.400 back some of that trust or just not make any 00:19:36.400 --> 00:19:39.160 more decisions that trip and let her take control 00:19:39.160 --> 00:19:42.079 but What is faith when it comes to following 00:19:42.079 --> 00:19:47.440 Jesus? That he knows where he's going. Lord, 00:19:47.720 --> 00:19:51.839 if it is you, command me to come to you on the 00:19:51.839 --> 00:19:56.559 water. Now, I love the grace. Maybe you haven't 00:19:56.559 --> 00:19:57.940 thought about it this way, but this hit me this 00:19:57.940 --> 00:20:02.000 week. The grace of Jesus in this moment. Because 00:20:02.000 --> 00:20:04.980 if I'm Jesus, I've been walking with them. Now, 00:20:05.000 --> 00:20:07.079 granted, Matthew's not really written out chronologically, 00:20:07.140 --> 00:20:10.079 but we're already in chapter 14. We have seen 00:20:10.079 --> 00:20:12.299 a bunch of stuff right now. A bunch of reasons 00:20:12.299 --> 00:20:14.279 why these guys should trust Jesus hook, line, 00:20:14.380 --> 00:20:17.259 and sinker, right? No pun intended. But understand 00:20:17.259 --> 00:20:22.000 that if I'm Jesus, I would have been very upset. 00:20:23.720 --> 00:20:29.140 Peter, if it is you, if to me, Jesus, boat would 00:20:29.140 --> 00:20:31.400 have sank, right? It would have been Titanic 00:20:31.400 --> 00:20:33.759 in a very early age, right? That boat would have 00:20:33.759 --> 00:20:35.500 sank. I don't know who would have made it. Good 00:20:35.500 --> 00:20:39.220 thing I'm not. What does Jesus say? Come. He 00:20:39.220 --> 00:20:42.880 doesn't call Peter out yet, but he says, come. 00:20:43.740 --> 00:20:46.279 And Peter steps out. Church, this is important. 00:20:46.779 --> 00:20:49.960 Peter does not step out randomly. Because a lot 00:20:49.960 --> 00:20:51.279 of us would think that Peter's just like, OK, 00:20:51.279 --> 00:20:55.420 here we go, splash. He steps out because Jesus 00:20:55.420 --> 00:20:58.160 called him. Because that's where faith comes 00:20:58.160 --> 00:21:01.279 in. Faith is not reckless. Faith is not impulsive. 00:21:01.579 --> 00:21:06.650 Faith is responsive. We have faith because of 00:21:06.650 --> 00:21:09.630 what Jesus done has done in our life That is 00:21:09.630 --> 00:21:12.549 how the Holy Spirit regenerates us that we in 00:21:12.549 --> 00:21:15.329 what however way we can understand it Jesus is 00:21:15.329 --> 00:21:18.170 sacrificed on the cross for us he rose again 00:21:18.170 --> 00:21:21.109 that we may have new life and This is what gems 00:21:21.109 --> 00:21:23.930 model so beautifully because in gems girls are 00:21:23.930 --> 00:21:27.470 being taught to listen for the voice of Jesus 00:21:27.470 --> 00:21:30.069 Especially in a world where there are millions 00:21:30.069 --> 00:21:32.309 of voices the minute you go on that app right 00:21:32.309 --> 00:21:34.589 or the minute you step foot in school or whatever 00:21:34.890 --> 00:21:37.730 In GEMS they're learning that faith is not just 00:21:37.730 --> 00:21:40.210 about proving something, it's about trusting 00:21:40.210 --> 00:21:45.490 someone. So let me ask, where is Jesus saying 00:21:45.490 --> 00:21:49.910 come in your life? And are you willing to step 00:21:49.910 --> 00:21:52.710 out? Because the invitation that Jesus gave Peter 00:21:52.710 --> 00:21:54.569 is the same invitation he's gonna give all of 00:21:54.569 --> 00:21:57.250 us today and tomorrow and every day that ends 00:21:57.250 --> 00:22:01.029 in Y. And through GEMS we are seeing that even 00:22:01.029 --> 00:22:04.410 the youngest among us can hear the call and respond. 00:22:04.680 --> 00:22:08.980 with courage. Because that's faith. Even when 00:22:08.980 --> 00:22:11.279 things don't go well. Even when our faith falls. 00:22:11.539 --> 00:22:14.740 Jesus' faith never does. For generations upon 00:22:14.740 --> 00:22:17.960 generations, he is faithful. But when faith falters, 00:22:18.319 --> 00:22:21.960 something happens. Matthew 14 verse 30 and 31. 00:22:22.720 --> 00:22:25.059 But when he saw the wind, he being Peter here, 00:22:25.299 --> 00:22:28.299 saw the wind, he was afraid and began to sink. 00:22:28.359 --> 00:22:31.440 He cried out, Lord save me. Jesus immediately 00:22:31.440 --> 00:22:34.420 reached out, took his hand, took his hand and 00:22:34.420 --> 00:22:37.059 took hold of him saying to him, oh you of little 00:22:37.059 --> 00:22:42.019 faith, why did you doubt? Put yourself in Peter's 00:22:42.019 --> 00:22:44.960 shoes. Lord, if it's you, let me come out onto 00:22:44.960 --> 00:22:47.940 the water to you. Jesus says come. You start 00:22:47.940 --> 00:22:51.039 walking on the water. You start doing the impossible. 00:22:51.539 --> 00:22:53.660 You start doing things that you never thought 00:22:53.660 --> 00:22:57.579 you'd be asked or called to do. Because when 00:22:57.579 --> 00:23:00.000 Jesus calls you what? We need to trust that he 00:23:00.000 --> 00:23:03.819 will sustain you. Jesus will never call you and 00:23:03.819 --> 00:23:06.180 say, oh, by the way, you're on your own. No, 00:23:06.180 --> 00:23:08.559 I am with you forever to the very end of the 00:23:08.559 --> 00:23:12.319 age. But what did Peter see? He saw the wind, 00:23:13.400 --> 00:23:17.579 the waves, the chaos of the moment, and things 00:23:17.579 --> 00:23:21.740 shifted. His focus moves from Jesus to the storm. 00:23:22.319 --> 00:23:25.420 He begins to sink. And this is where the story 00:23:25.420 --> 00:23:29.480 becomes painfully familiar for me and my guess 00:23:29.480 --> 00:23:34.190 is for all of us. When we start with faith we 00:23:34.190 --> 00:23:38.589 step out with confidence. We trust God with boldness 00:23:38.589 --> 00:23:41.490 Call it a camp. I a service high ministry high 00:23:41.490 --> 00:23:43.970 whatever it is. We think we can take on the world 00:23:43.970 --> 00:23:49.069 for Jesus But then life happens Reality sets 00:23:49.069 --> 00:23:54.390 in sinful depraved Reality sets in the winds 00:23:54.390 --> 00:23:57.440 pick up the people start talking, right? The 00:23:57.440 --> 00:23:59.339 people at your job maybe start making fun of 00:23:59.339 --> 00:24:01.119 you kids, it just doesn't happen in school when 00:24:01.119 --> 00:24:03.319 you step out in your faith, also as you adult. 00:24:05.359 --> 00:24:09.480 The waves rise, the pressure builds, and suddenly 00:24:09.480 --> 00:24:12.059 what do we do? We take our eyes off the cross, 00:24:12.339 --> 00:24:14.619 we take our eyes off of Jesus into the world 00:24:14.619 --> 00:24:18.799 around us, and we start thinking something very, 00:24:18.799 --> 00:24:25.220 very hard in our life of faith. Can Jesus actually 00:24:25.220 --> 00:24:30.069 do this? Is God really real? What happens? We 00:24:30.069 --> 00:24:32.029 begin to sink and like Peter we cry out, Lord 00:24:32.029 --> 00:24:36.349 save me. Three words, no filter, no performance, 00:24:36.869 --> 00:24:40.369 just absolute and utter dependence on Jesus. 00:24:41.509 --> 00:24:43.730 I love how Matthew writes, immediately Jesus 00:24:43.730 --> 00:24:46.809 reached out his hand. Not after a lecture, not 00:24:46.809 --> 00:24:49.309 after disappointment, right? Not having, you 00:24:49.309 --> 00:24:52.789 know, getting beat with the grace stick for the 00:24:52.789 --> 00:24:57.039 millionth time in my life. but immediately. And 00:24:57.039 --> 00:24:59.740 this is what we want every girl in GEMS to know, 00:25:00.240 --> 00:25:02.200 and this is what we want every one of you to 00:25:02.200 --> 00:25:05.539 know. That when we struggle in life, when we 00:25:05.539 --> 00:25:08.359 doubt, when we feel overwhelmed, Jesus isn't 00:25:08.359 --> 00:25:14.140 distant. We all need to learn, from GEMS to adulthood, 00:25:14.460 --> 00:25:18.519 that Jesus is near and His grace is immediate. 00:25:19.460 --> 00:25:21.240 And again, we don't believe in a grace that we 00:25:21.240 --> 00:25:23.539 get more of when we do stuff. Nope. We don't 00:25:23.539 --> 00:25:27.819 earn grace. And this is what we need to remember 00:25:27.819 --> 00:25:31.059 as well. Because even as adults, we are not beyond 00:25:31.059 --> 00:25:33.680 these sinking moments. I look out, and I know 00:25:33.680 --> 00:25:36.779 some of you are sinking right now. You are in 00:25:36.779 --> 00:25:40.019 seasons of life, maybe seasons of ministry, whatever 00:25:40.019 --> 00:25:42.579 it looks like, and you feel like you are sinking. 00:25:42.920 --> 00:25:45.900 But the good news today and every day is that 00:25:45.900 --> 00:25:48.759 even when your faith wavers, our Savior's does 00:25:48.759 --> 00:25:53.470 not. As the Canon of Dort, another one of our 00:25:53.470 --> 00:25:56.049 confessions remind us that God preserves His 00:25:56.049 --> 00:25:59.490 people. Your salvation is not held together by 00:25:59.490 --> 00:26:02.109 you. Your faith and salvation is not held together 00:26:02.109 --> 00:26:06.509 by me. It's held together by Him. So faith is 00:26:06.509 --> 00:26:10.150 not a perfection. Faith is this. When you begin 00:26:10.150 --> 00:26:15.480 to sink, you look back to Jesus. So many times 00:26:15.480 --> 00:26:17.519 we get overwhelmed but what we believe is making 00:26:17.519 --> 00:26:19.759 us sink or the weight that's pushing us down 00:26:19.759 --> 00:26:22.400 or that Relationship that seems broken or that 00:26:22.400 --> 00:26:24.400 relationship that needs to be well defined or 00:26:24.400 --> 00:26:26.559 that kid at school that keeps making fun of us 00:26:26.559 --> 00:26:29.200 Or whatever it is. We start looking and give 00:26:29.200 --> 00:26:33.180 credence to those things Jesus says look at me. 00:26:33.680 --> 00:26:38.200 I am all that you need but We need to believe 00:26:38.200 --> 00:26:45.430 that and that can be very hard And in GEMS, that 00:26:45.430 --> 00:26:48.150 kind of faith is being nurtured every other Wednesday 00:26:48.150 --> 00:26:50.589 through the school year. And I'm sure throughout 00:26:50.589 --> 00:26:53.410 the summer when those relationships continue 00:26:53.410 --> 00:26:56.970 to evolve, it can't just be in our GEMS program. 00:26:57.029 --> 00:26:59.210 It has to be in our council room. It has to be 00:26:59.210 --> 00:27:01.210 in our Bible studies, our support ministries. 00:27:01.490 --> 00:27:03.730 Every brick that may get built up over the next 00:27:03.730 --> 00:27:08.710 year, it has to be in there as well. Because 00:27:08.710 --> 00:27:13.339 the ultimate question is, do you trust? Jemzes, 00:27:13.380 --> 00:27:16.200 girls everywhere meeting the Savior. Fantastic. 00:27:16.299 --> 00:27:20.599 Love it. But when we meet Him, do we trust Him? 00:27:21.119 --> 00:27:25.079 And clarity comes after we trust. Matthew 14. 00:27:26.519 --> 00:27:29.559 And when they got into the boat, the winds ceased, 00:27:29.960 --> 00:27:32.299 and those in the boat worshiped Him saying, truly 00:27:32.299 --> 00:27:38.759 you are the Son of God. Some of us, we can find 00:27:38.759 --> 00:27:41.980 so much comfort in these verses, right? Oh, man, 00:27:42.019 --> 00:27:44.519 then he steps into the boat everything calm the 00:27:44.519 --> 00:27:48.759 wind ceases all of the things He is the son of 00:27:48.759 --> 00:27:51.279 God. He made it through. He made he made made 00:27:51.279 --> 00:27:55.200 us made it through with us again, right? There 00:27:55.200 --> 00:27:59.720 is a calm after the storm. Praise be to God We 00:27:59.720 --> 00:28:02.079 could sit there and the sermon can be done and 00:28:02.079 --> 00:28:05.980 that's fantastic. Guess what? It's not Because 00:28:05.980 --> 00:28:09.980 how many times do we have to be in this place? 00:28:10.380 --> 00:28:14.599 Now it gets raw right now. It gets personal Because 00:28:14.599 --> 00:28:18.000 that is quite the statement truly. You are the 00:28:18.000 --> 00:28:21.880 son of God Where did we just hear that two weeks 00:28:21.880 --> 00:28:25.519 ago? For lunch and a conversation with Pastor 00:28:25.519 --> 00:28:28.140 Jim we heard this come from an unlikely place. 00:28:28.200 --> 00:28:30.880 I just made a lot easier So it's gonna be a value 00:28:30.880 --> 00:28:37.140 meal Where did we hear this? What the soldier 00:28:37.140 --> 00:28:39.900 at the cross? You hear a version of this with 00:28:39.900 --> 00:28:43.039 the guy hanging on the cross. People that were 00:28:43.039 --> 00:28:46.380 one minute dead to themselves, the next minute 00:28:46.380 --> 00:28:49.220 making a profession of faith. Why is that hard? 00:28:49.319 --> 00:28:52.319 Why is Jim getting mad? What's coming? This sermon 00:28:52.319 --> 00:28:54.740 now seems like it's taking a turn and it should 00:28:54.740 --> 00:28:57.119 because we've been in church most of our lives 00:28:57.119 --> 00:29:00.900 for a lot of us. Yet this is still a place that 00:29:00.900 --> 00:29:04.579 we come to week in and week out. When will we 00:29:04.579 --> 00:29:07.839 get it? When can we just walk it? When can we 00:29:07.839 --> 00:29:11.519 speak it? When do we why do we need all this 00:29:11.519 --> 00:29:18.559 grace? Here's even better news Because Jesus 00:29:18.559 --> 00:29:21.440 knows we're gonna need it. He knows you're going 00:29:21.440 --> 00:29:25.160 to need it time and time again That's why it's 00:29:25.160 --> 00:29:28.730 not a pitcher of water grace that will one day 00:29:28.730 --> 00:29:33.450 run out. Grace upon grace, mercy new every morning. 00:29:34.930 --> 00:29:38.869 But in this account, they confess. Probably for 00:29:38.869 --> 00:29:41.529 the third or fourth time already. They see more 00:29:41.529 --> 00:29:45.029 clearly. And here's the pattern. Clarity comes 00:29:45.029 --> 00:29:49.569 after we trust. You have to trust. Right? Even 00:29:49.569 --> 00:29:52.250 when I do premarital with couples, and there's 00:29:52.250 --> 00:29:54.269 a question, one of the questions in the assessments, 00:29:54.750 --> 00:29:57.849 is there anything that can be done in life, that 00:29:57.849 --> 00:30:00.690 will make me waver in my commitment to my spouse. 00:30:02.309 --> 00:30:04.650 You want to set up a couple that's going through 00:30:04.650 --> 00:30:07.069 pre -marital, getting ready, maybe in their 20s? 00:30:07.289 --> 00:30:09.130 You want to ask that question to a couple that's 00:30:09.130 --> 00:30:11.630 been married five years? You want to ask that 00:30:11.630 --> 00:30:14.009 question to a couple married 10 years, 15 years, 00:30:14.049 --> 00:30:16.670 20 years, 30 years, 40 years? If you're the Zichterman, 00:30:16.809 --> 00:30:20.029 somewhere in the 60s or 70 years, fantastic. 00:30:21.970 --> 00:30:23.569 You want to get that conversation uncomfortable? 00:30:23.730 --> 00:30:28.000 Ask that question. Because that is tried and 00:30:28.000 --> 00:30:32.539 weathered and tested commitment over and over 00:30:32.539 --> 00:30:34.859 and over again. And that's between two sinners. 00:30:35.140 --> 00:30:39.900 Yet we have that tested and tried and weathered 00:30:39.900 --> 00:30:42.640 relationship with the Son of God. Because we 00:30:42.640 --> 00:30:45.019 want answers first. We want guarantees first. 00:30:45.539 --> 00:30:48.160 We want to control our level of the relationship 00:30:48.160 --> 00:30:50.359 first. God, if I do this, you better do that. 00:30:50.509 --> 00:30:52.750 That's not how it works with the sovereign God. 00:30:53.690 --> 00:30:56.529 In this relationship, the follower never trumps 00:30:56.529 --> 00:31:00.930 the leader. That's blasphemy, right? When we 00:31:00.930 --> 00:31:03.130 think we know more than God, we're saying we 00:31:03.130 --> 00:31:07.210 are God. Spoiler alert, we never will be. We 00:31:07.210 --> 00:31:11.690 never should be. The conviction we should never 00:31:11.690 --> 00:31:15.240 want to be. And this is something that Gems is 00:31:15.240 --> 00:31:18.160 helping cultivate the life in our church. Because 00:31:18.160 --> 00:31:21.099 what we see in this ministry is that the reminder 00:31:21.099 --> 00:31:23.140 that we don't have to have everything figured 00:31:23.140 --> 00:31:28.319 out. Trust and obey. There is no other way. And 00:31:28.319 --> 00:31:31.079 our lives are like, trust and obey when we get 00:31:31.079 --> 00:31:35.359 our way. That's not how it works. That's a terrible 00:31:35.359 --> 00:31:38.799 hymn. This is a wonderful hymn. To be happy in 00:31:38.799 --> 00:31:42.920 Jesus. To trust and obey. So let's step out together. 00:31:43.180 --> 00:31:45.299 What does this look like for us today? Well, 00:31:45.299 --> 00:31:47.460 let me start with the girls and gems. This is 00:31:47.460 --> 00:31:51.099 me to you. This is kind of fun. Whenever I say 00:31:51.099 --> 00:31:53.279 a word, they're all writing it down. We may adopt 00:31:53.279 --> 00:31:55.039 this for just every Sunday because I think it's 00:31:55.039 --> 00:32:00.019 really cool. So gems, what does this mean? Trust 00:32:00.019 --> 00:32:03.720 God at school. Right? Whatever school system 00:32:03.720 --> 00:32:07.420 you're in, trusting God has you even in the midst 00:32:07.420 --> 00:32:09.960 of your classes and tests and all of those things. 00:32:10.380 --> 00:32:13.339 Standing up for what is right. Standing up for 00:32:13.339 --> 00:32:15.759 the little one, the one that might be getting 00:32:15.759 --> 00:32:18.299 made fun of, that we stand up for that. That's 00:32:18.299 --> 00:32:22.660 justice in the world of gems. That we can pray 00:32:22.660 --> 00:32:27.619 with boldness. All of you, can you say, Father, 00:32:27.700 --> 00:32:31.380 help? One, two, three. Greatest prayer you could 00:32:31.380 --> 00:32:35.319 ever pray. Pray it with boldness. And if you 00:32:35.319 --> 00:32:37.500 need help, ask your leaders. Ask me, ask your 00:32:37.500 --> 00:32:39.859 parents. Go to God's Word. He will teach you 00:32:39.859 --> 00:32:43.650 how to pray. And for gems, it's okay to live 00:32:43.650 --> 00:32:47.289 differently. It's okay to understand that you 00:32:47.289 --> 00:32:51.230 want to be everywhere meeting the Savior. Live 00:32:51.230 --> 00:32:53.569 that out as best you can, knowing you're never 00:32:53.569 --> 00:32:56.190 going to do it perfectly, but God's grace is 00:32:56.190 --> 00:32:59.190 always there. And for the rest of us, we all 00:32:59.190 --> 00:33:01.589 could be probably like that, but for you this 00:33:01.589 --> 00:33:04.390 morning, what does it mean to take steps in obedience 00:33:04.390 --> 00:33:09.099 today? Letting go of control and all of you type 00:33:09.099 --> 00:33:12.759 A's hate that I said that but it's so true There's 00:33:12.759 --> 00:33:16.319 grace even for the type A's and he spoiler alert. 00:33:16.339 --> 00:33:17.940 It's probably not gonna come the way you wish 00:33:17.940 --> 00:33:20.799 it was directed in your life Stop being type 00:33:20.799 --> 00:33:25.019 A over Jesus Trusting God and uncertainty and 00:33:25.019 --> 00:33:29.059 loving people Sacrificially and for us as a church. 00:33:29.059 --> 00:33:31.519 We are not called to stay comfortable. We're 00:33:31.519 --> 00:33:34.809 called to step out What I love is that through 00:33:34.809 --> 00:33:37.609 gems we are not we are this is not just something 00:33:37.609 --> 00:33:39.769 that we're preaching just for today But it's 00:33:39.769 --> 00:33:41.809 something we're seeing in every aspect of the 00:33:41.809 --> 00:33:45.309 church We need to step out in faith if your mind 00:33:45.309 --> 00:33:47.710 goes to one or two or three things in that good 00:33:47.710 --> 00:33:53.309 Live in that space step out in faith We are seeing 00:33:53.309 --> 00:33:56.130 young lives shaped we're seeing faith take root. 00:33:56.130 --> 00:33:59.400 We're seeing courage grow God is reminding all 00:33:59.400 --> 00:34:01.720 of us, not just through gems, what it looks like 00:34:01.720 --> 00:34:05.019 to trust Him in everything. Because ultimately, 00:34:05.119 --> 00:34:07.160 what we get from this passage, what I want you 00:34:07.160 --> 00:34:10.039 to take with you today, is Jesus didn't just 00:34:10.039 --> 00:34:13.340 walk on water, but He walked to the cross carrying 00:34:13.340 --> 00:34:16.800 it on His shoulders. He stepped into our brokenness. 00:34:16.920 --> 00:34:21.000 He took our sin. He made a way for us to be held 00:34:21.000 --> 00:34:25.960 forever and ever. So, in our life, when we cry, 00:34:26.019 --> 00:34:30.630 Lord, save me. Guess what? He already has. The 00:34:30.630 --> 00:34:32.530 Heideberg Catechism reminds us that we are not 00:34:32.530 --> 00:34:36.070 our own, but we belong to our faithful Savior, 00:34:36.289 --> 00:34:39.730 Jesus Christ. And that is the same Savior that 00:34:39.730 --> 00:34:42.809 the girls in gems are coming to know. That is 00:34:42.809 --> 00:34:44.949 the same Savior that the girls in our gems are 00:34:44.949 --> 00:34:48.750 getting point to every other Wednesday. And so 00:34:48.750 --> 00:34:51.250 here's the invitation this morning. Not just 00:34:51.250 --> 00:34:54.110 for our gems, but for all of us. The question 00:34:54.110 --> 00:34:56.269 is not, can you walk on water? I tricked you 00:34:56.269 --> 00:34:59.860 in the beginning of the sermon. Who are will 00:34:59.860 --> 00:35:04.480 you trust the one who holds the water? When you 00:35:04.480 --> 00:35:08.719 hear him saying to you come What step is in front 00:35:08.719 --> 00:35:12.079 of you? It may feel small or you may feel small 00:35:12.079 --> 00:35:14.880 or afraid or unsure But the same God who was 00:35:14.880 --> 00:35:17.480 faithful in Deuteronomy the same Jesus who stood 00:35:17.480 --> 00:35:20.519 on the water is still faithful in your life in 00:35:20.519 --> 00:35:24.900 2026 We are being reminded that this truth of 00:35:24.900 --> 00:35:28.119 this truth in a fresh and powerful way My last 00:35:28.119 --> 00:35:32.880 point for you today. You don't. You don't. You 00:35:32.880 --> 00:35:36.199 don't step out just because you are strong. You 00:35:36.199 --> 00:35:39.579 step out because he is faithful and the one who 00:35:39.579 --> 00:35:44.519 calls you is already standing on the water. That's 00:35:44.519 --> 00:35:47.599 what I think Peter missed. They were astonished. 00:35:47.619 --> 00:35:49.579 They thought he was a ghost. They all their mind. 00:35:51.019 --> 00:35:54.300 He's already standing on the water. So why did 00:35:54.300 --> 00:35:57.730 Peter need to be afraid? Jesus wasn't sinking, 00:35:58.389 --> 00:36:02.309 yet he started to. That sometimes this road of 00:36:02.309 --> 00:36:05.289 faith will be hard and doubt will set in. But 00:36:05.289 --> 00:36:10.050 remember, the one who calls you out is already 00:36:10.050 --> 00:36:14.530 there. Thanks be to God. Let's pray.