Friends,

Have you ever noticed how quickly fear can take over?

One moment, everything seems manageable. Then the wind picks up, the waves get bigger, and suddenly fear is telling the whole story.

That’s where we find the disciples in this week’s Gospel (Matthew 14:22-33). Caught in a storm, they see Jesus walking toward them across the water. Peter steps out of the boat, but when he notices the wind, he becomes afraid and begins to sink. And Jesus reaches out his hand and pulls him up.

Maybe becoming who God has created us to be means learning not to let fear have the final word.

Fear can narrow our vision and convince us that we are alone in the storm. But Jesus meets us there, reaches toward us, and pulls us back up. Faith isn’t the absence of fear. Sometimes it’s simply trusting that when we begin to sink, Jesus is still reaching for us.

This Sunday, our own Steve Shamblin will be bringing a word and helping us go deeper into this theme as we continue our Journey into Becoming series. I hope you’ll join us as we explore what it means to move through fear, trust God’s presence, and become the people God is calling us to be.

Alongside You,

Pastor Paul