Everybody is in one of three places: you just came out of a storm, you're in one right now, or one is on its way.
In this message from the Watch and Learn series, Nathan Shedd walks through Matthew 14 — the night the disciples got caught in a storm they never asked for, the moment Peter stepped out of the boat, and the second he took his eyes off Jesus and started to sink.
Hebrews 12 tells us to look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. So this morning we watch Him — not just for how He calmed the storm, but for how He handled it, and for what He was doing while His friends were straining at the oars in the dark.
The question isn't whether the storm is coming. It's how you'll respond when it does.
Five practical things you can carry into Monday:
I rely on the words of Jesus.
I recognize that storms are inevitable.
I remember what Jesus has done.
I realize that Jesus knows my struggle.
I refocus on the value of storms.
Storms can bring benefits that sunshine cannot. And nobody — no matter how strong or how mature — was ever meant to face one alone.
Scripture Focus: Matthew 14:22-33, Hebrews 12:2-3, John 16:33, Isaiah 43:2, Hebrews 2:17-18
Speaker: Nathan Shedd
Topics: Trials & Suffering - Fear and Doubt - Trusting God's Word - Community - Perseverance in Faith
CrossWay Church — Columbia, Missouri
https://crosswaycolumbia.com
Chapters
00:00 Introduction — The Watch and Learn Series
02:00 Let Us Look to Jesus (Hebrews 12:2-3)
02:53 The Storm on the Water (Matthew 14:22-33)
06:22 The Voice of Truth vs. the Voice of the Waves
07:43 Wise Builders and Foolish Builders (Matthew 7:24-27)
08:46 Point 1 — I Rely on the Words of Jesus
11:07 I Will Never Leave You or Abandon You (Hebrews 13:5-6)
13:28 Unshakable, Assured, Deeply at Peace (John 16:33)
15:34 Point 2 — I Recognize That Storms Are Inevitable
17:08 The Pop Quiz and the Exam (James 1:2)
18:44 Point 3 — I Remember What Jesus Has Done
21:11 They Didn't Need a New Miracle — They Needed a Better Memory
23:13 Point 4 — I Realize That Jesus Knows My Struggle
25:02 He Watched From the Shore (Mark 6:47-48)
27:40 He Doesn't Just See the Storm — He Steps Into It (Isaiah 43:2)
29:22 A High Priest Who Knows What Suffering Feels Like (Hebrews 2:17-18)
31:41 The Lies That Keep Us From Asking for Help
33:55 Point 5 — I Refocus on the Value of Storms
35:43 Why the Earth Needs Thunderstorms
37:49 Grief, Loss, and the God of All Comfort
41:57 Two Storms, Two Responses (Matthew 8:27 / Matthew 14:32-33)
43:33 Comfort or Christlikeness?
44:49 Communion — Salvation Was Won in a Storm
49:16 Communion Song — Cornerstone
52:05 Forced to Trust God Totally (2 Corinthians 1:9)
54:12 This Trouble Isn't Punishment, It's Training (Hebrews 12:5-11)
55:11 Nobody Was Meant to Go It Alone
57:17 Next Steps and Closing Prayer
Key Takeaways
Jesus wasn't afraid of the storm because He trusted His Father's words — and He's given us words to stand on too
Storms aren't a surprise; the question is how you respond when they come
The disciples didn't need another miracle, they needed a better memory
Jesus saw them straining from the shore long before He stepped onto the water
Refusing help isn't strength — it's pride pushing away the provision God sent
Storms can bring benefits that sunshine cannot
