Fix Your Eyes on Jesus in Faith

Faith is “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11 shows that faith kept God’s people connected to him as Noah built, Abraham went, Moses led, and walls came down. God worked in, on, and through ordinary people by faith, and that same faith keeps believers connected to Jesus and the Father.

Saving faith receives Jesus as Lord and Savior, holds on to forgiveness, and gives confidence even in the face of death. Sustaining faith keeps believers equipped for life here and now. Sustaining faith informs decisions, helps carry hard situations, and keeps a person useful to God in the middle of real life.

Matthew 14 shows the disciples already distracted by their own expectations. The disciples wanted time alone with Jesus, and that desire was not bad, but Jesus had a bigger plan for the crowds who were like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus fed the five thousand through five loaves and two fish, showing that his plan is not limited by what looks available.

Jesus then sent the disciples into the boat and went up the mountain alone to pray. Jesus, the very Son of God, prioritized getting away from the noise, the crowds, and the busyness to be with the Father. Prayer is more than downloading every burden before God. Prayer is a dialogue, a place to speak to God but also to get quiet, listen, and trust that God still speaks by his Spirit and through his Word.

Jesus came to the tired disciples in the fourth watch of the night, when the boat was beaten by waves and the wind was against them. Jesus did not wait until they were fresh, confident, and put together. Jesus often meets people when they are aware of how much they need him, and his word in the fear is still, “Take heart, it is I. Do not be afraid.”

Peter stepped out of the boat because Jesus called him. Peter walked while his eyes were on Jesus, but the wind and waves captured his attention, and he began to sink. Hebrews 12 gives the clear call: lay aside every weight and sin, run with endurance, and fix the eyes on Jesus. Undistracted faith looks away from the wind and waves and keeps its full focus on the One who calls.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Saving faith needs sustaining faith Saving faith brings forgiveness, life, and confidence before death. Sustaining faith carries a believer through decisions, suffering, uncertainty, and daily obedience. Faith is not only for getting to heaven someday; faith is how God keeps his people connected to himself today. [33:59]
• 2. Prayer makes room to hear God Prayer includes thanksgiving, confession, needs, and intercession, but it cannot stop at talking. Silence before God creates room for the Word and the Spirit to search, direct, and strengthen the heart. God’s guidance should be tested with Scripture and trusted Christian community, but his ability to speak should not be underestimated. [45:41]
• 3. Jesus meets people in weakness Jesus came to the disciples when they were exhausted, stuck in the dark, and fighting waves they could not control. Hard seasons can strip away the illusion that life is manageable without him. Jesus’ presence does not always remove the storm immediately, but his presence turns fear into a place where faith can grow. [47:57]
• 4. Fix your eyes on Jesus Peter did not sink because the wind and waves suddenly appeared; he sank when they became the center of his attention. Faith does not deny that the wind is strong or that the waves are real. Faith looks away from what overwhelms and fixes its eyes on Christ, the founder and perfecter of faith.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [25:15] - Opening Prayer
• [29:52] - Undistracted in Faith
• [31:02] - Faith in Hebrews 11
• [33:07] - Saving Faith and Sustaining Faith
• [35:16] - Jesus Walks on the Water
• [37:56] - The Feeding of the Five Thousand
• [42:56] - Jesus Prioritizes Prayer
• [44:39] - Prayer as Dialogue With God
• [46:59] - Jesus Comes in the Storm
• [50:04] - Take Heart, It Is I
• [51:51] - Peter Loses Focus
• [53:27] - Fixing Eyes on Jesus

Bible Reading

Matthew 14:22-33
“Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, 'It is a ghost!' and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.' And Peter answered him, 'Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.' He said, 'Come.' So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, 'Lord, save me.' Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, 'O you of little faith, why did you doubt?' And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, 'Truly you are the Son of God.” [35:16]

Hebrews 11:1
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” [30:59]

Hebrews 12:1-2
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” [54:42]

Observation questions

1. In Matthew 14:22–33, what actions does Jesus take after sending the disciples away in the boat, and what is happening to the disciples while he is praying? [43:01]
2. What do the disciples first assume when they see Jesus coming toward them on the water, and how does Jesus respond to their fear? [50:04]
3. What does Peter do after Jesus calls him to come, and what change takes place when Peter notices the wind? [51:48]
4. According to Hebrews 11:1 and Hebrews 12:1–2, what words describe faith, and what are believers called to lay aside and fix their eyes on? [54:08]

Interpretation questions

1. The disciples’ desire for time alone with Jesus was good, yet Jesus had compassion on the crowds and a larger plan. What does this reveal about the difference between a good desire and insisting that God work according to a person’s expectations? [41:39]
2. Jesus chose solitude and prayer after a demanding time of ministry. What does this suggest about why time with the Father is necessary even when a person is doing good and meaningful things? [43:43]
3. Jesus came to the disciples when they were exhausted, afraid, and unable to control the storm. How can a difficult season make a person more aware of their need for Jesus rather than simply proving that God is absent? [47:57]
4. Peter began to sink when his attention shifted from Jesus to the wind and waves. What might the “wind and waves” represent in a believer’s life today, and how does Hebrews 12 help someone respond? [55:01]

Application questions

1. Where have personal expectations about how God should answer, provide, or direct made it harder to notice what he may be doing? What would it look like to trust his bigger plan this week? [41:48]
2. Saving faith holds on to Jesus for forgiveness and eternal life, while sustaining faith helps believers trust him in daily decisions and hard situations. What current decision, burden, or uncertainty especially needs sustaining faith right now? [33:49]
3. What distractions most often keep time with God rushed or shallow—noise, screens, worry, busyness, or something else? What small, realistic step could create a regular space for quiet prayer this week? [45:41]
4. Prayer is a dialogue: believers bring their thanks, needs, and burdens to God, but they also make room to listen through Scripture and the Spirit. How could a time of prayer include both honest speaking and unhurried listening? [46:11]
5. When life feels exhausting or out of control, what fears tend to become louder than Jesus’ presence? How might the words “Take heart, it is I. Do not be afraid” shape a response in that situation? [50:43]
6. What “wind and waves” have captured attention lately? What practical habit could help turn attention back toward Jesus—such as reading Scripture, asking another believer for prayer, limiting a distraction, or remembering God’s promises? [55:14]