TOPIC: JESUS SAVES PETER
1. STORY
John, a young sailor, was asked by the captain of the sailing ship to
climb to the top of the mast when the sea was stormy. The first half of the climb was easy. But halfway to the top, he made a mistake. He looked down at the stormy sea and grew
dizzy and was in danger of falling. The
captain called out to him to look back at the sky. John followed the captain’s instruction and
finished the climb safely.
2. GOSPEL, MATTHEW 14:22-33
A) THE DISCIPLES WERE IN FEAR
It was natural for the disciples to be fearful late in the night as their boat “was being tossed about in the waves raised by a strong wind.” Even Peter, who attempted to walk on the water, cried out to Jesus, “Lord, save me.”
B) JESUS SAVES THE DISCIPLES
Jesus shows his great power as he “came walking toward them on the
lake.” Jesus saved the frightened and
sinking Peter as “he stretched out his hand and caught him.’ Jesus told them, “How little faith you have,”
exposing their greatest weakness which was a lack of strong faith in him.
3. APPLICATION TO LIFE
A) FEAR IN OUR LIVES
Just as the storm on the lake caused the disciples to fear, so do we fear which is caused by many storms in our lives. Here are some storms or difficulties we encounter: poor healthy caused by aging or sickness, not enough money to meet our expenses, job insecurity or job dissatisfaction, family disharmony or worry about aging parents or children growing up properly, difficulty in getting along with people, etc. Such fears cause unhappiness in our lives.
B) JESUS HELPS US
Just as Jesus helped the frightened disciples, so does Jesus help us.
The more we rely on Jesus, the stronger we will be facing and overcoming our
difficulties. Here are some suggestions
that may help us. First, put Jesus into your mind remembering that He loves us,
cares for us, and has the power to help us. This requires us to push out of our
minds the worries that are presently bothering us. Second, speak to Jesus as Peter did saying
“Lord, save me.” Ask Jesus to increase our faith in him who is our savior. We must do this every time we are gripped with
fear. Jesus will help us as he helped
his disciples.
4. CONCLUSION
The captain helped John reach the top of the mast by instructing him to
look up to the sky. Jesus helped the
worried and frightened disciples on the stormy sea and told them they needed a
stronger faith in him. Jesus will
continue to help us face and solve all the problems and worries we encounter in
life. We thank him for his loving care
and ask him to strengthen our faith.
