In this message, Rev. Ron McDougald explores the familiar yet powerful story of Jesus walking on the water and Peter’s bold step of faith. After the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus sends the disciples ahead by boat while He prays alone on the mountainside. As a storm rises on the Sea of Galilee, the disciples are terrified—not primarily by the wind and waves they know so well as fishermen, but by the sight of Jesus walking toward them on the water.
Jesus responds with the divine declaration “It is I” (echoing the holy name of God, “I AM”), tells them to take courage, and invites Peter to come. Peter steps out of the boat and walks on the water toward Jesus—until fear of the wind causes him to sink and cry out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reaches out, catches him, and gently confronts his little faith and doubt (the Greek idea of being double-minded or of two minds). When they return to the boat, the wind dies down and the disciples worship Jesus as the Son of God.
Rev. McDougald weaves in a Jewish midrash tradition about Nashon, who walked into the Red Sea up to his chin before it parted, illustrating the call to step forward in faith even when the way is not yet clear. Drawing from personal stories—including Mississippi State football memories, a stormy sail on the Ross Barnett Reservoir, lingering reminders of Hurricane Katrina along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and a recent reassuring visit to the cardiologist—he connects the biblical account to the real storms of life: health scares, family worries, financial pressures, job uncertainties, grief, and the temptation to stay safely in the boat of the familiar.
The central challenge is clear: the worst failure in the storms of life is not sinking or struggling, but never getting out of the boat at all. Jesus does not always immediately calm every wave; instead, He invites us to come and stand with Him in the midst of the storm. Through prevenient grace, He continually says “Come” to those who are fearful, doubting, or locked in place. The sermon calls both individuals and the church to leave behind double-mindedness, step out in faith, and trust the One who walks calmly on the waters.
Key themes include overcoming fear, the nature of true faith, the presence of the “I AM” in chaos, the invitation to leave the safety of the boat, and finding solid ground by standing with Jesus amid life’s troubles.
When the storms of life are raging, Jesus says, “Come.” Will you get out of the boat?
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Mount Pleasant Methodist Church – Vancleave, Mississippi. All are welcome. Come as you are and discover the One who stands with you in every storm.
