I Am: Jesus Comes Walking Into Our Storms

Aug 04, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: The Statue of Liberty in Life’s Relentless Seas

When chaos stretches endlessly like storm-tossed waters, hope often arrives as an unexpected silhouette on the horizon. Just as weary travelers glimpsed freedom’s symbol after days of gray monotony, God breaks through life’s exhausting cycles with signs of His faithfulness. The disciples rowed against impossible winds until Jesus came walking—not as a ghostly threat, but as the steady answer to their fraying strength. Deliverance may first appear small, a distant glimmer, but it carries the weight of divine promise. Look for the shape of grace where you least expect it. [30:17]

“God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.”
(Genesis 1:3–4, ESV)

Reflection: What relentless “gray seas” have drained your hope? Where might God be revealing a glimmer of His faithfulness that you’ve overlooked?

Day 2: Staying in the Ship While Waves Slap the Hull

The church, like Noah’s ark or the disciples’ boat, isn’t a refuge from storms but a vessel through them. Augustine saw the creaking timbers of the church as the place where Christ meets His people mid-tempest. To abandon the ship is to risk drowning in isolation. Yet even when fear whispers that the storm will swamp the hull, Jesus steps into the chaos, bringing a peace that outshouts the wind. His presence transforms the ship from a fragile shell to a sanctuary. [34:38]

“Immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.’”
(Matthew 14:27, ESV)

Reflection: When has staying in Christian community felt harder than abandoning it? How might Christ’s “It is I” steady you in that tension?

Day 3: God’s Detour Through the Fish’s Belly

Salvation sometimes looks like being swallowed whole. Jonah’s three-day detour in darkness became the unlikely path to Nineveh’s redemption. A pastor’s illness, a lost job, a shattered plan—these belly-of-the-fish moments often precede God’s surprising work. What seems like defeat may be His way of rerouting us toward deeper trust. The disciples feared the ghostly figure on the waves, but it was their Savior rewriting the rules of storm and sea. [37:52]

“Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters.”
(Isaiah 43:16, ESV)

Reflection: What current “detour” in your life feels like a belly-of-the-fish moment? How might God be rerouting you toward His purposes?

Day 4: “I Am” Over the Roaring Abyss

Jesus didn’t calm the storm before declaring His name. Amid howling winds, He grounded the disciples’ terror in the unshakable “I AM”—the same words spoken to Moses at the burning bush. Chaos loses its power when Christ’s eternal identity drowns out the noise. Peter’s fear resurfaced when he focused on waves instead of the One who tramples them. Yet even sinking faith still reaches for the Savior’s hand. [40:19]

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’”
(John 8:12, ESV)

Reflection: What “abyss” feels too deep for Christ’s “I AM”? How might speaking His name aloud recalibrate your focus today?

Day 5: The Centurion’s Confession at the Cross

The disciples’ awestruck “Truly You are the Son of God” at the storm’s end echoes the centurion’s cry at the cross. Both moments reveal Christ’s divinity through seeming defeat. The cross—like the storm, the fish, and life’s crises—became the unlikely throne where Jesus trampled death by death. Salvation belongs to the Lord, but its shape often surprises us. What looks like drowning is His way of carrying us home. [45:56]

“And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’”
(Matthew 14:33, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you seen God’s salvation arrive in an unexpected form? How might His “surprising work” be inviting you to worship anew?

Sermon Summary

The picture of water everywhere, water to the north, south, east, and west, sets the scene for Matthew 14, where the disciples sit in a boat beaten by waves because the wind is against them. Matthew places that storm right after the feeding of the 5,000, while Jesus goes up the mountain alone to pray, like Moses communing with God.

The sea carries more than weather in the biblical imagination. The sea is the dark, cold, unstable abyss, a sign of chaos and even death. Genesis shows God bringing order over the deep. Exodus shows God subduing the Red Sea to bring his people into freedom. Jonah shows the prophet sinking into the watery abyss, calling it “the belly of Sheol,” the place of death.

The ship carrying the disciples becomes an image of the church, like Noah’s Ark, carried through the raging waves of this life. The nave of a church even carries that old ship image. In the middle of darkness and chaos, Christ comes walking on the water, not only showing divine power, but revealing who he is.

The Old Testament says that the Lord alone tramples the waves of the sea and makes a path through mighty waters. Jesus does exactly what God does. The disciples, though, are terrified because his coming is so unexpected. The Savior looks like a ghost to them at first. God’s movement can be like that, surprising, unlooked for, even frightening before it is recognized as good.

Jesus speaks into the confusion: “Take heart. It is I. Do not be afraid.” In the middle of that command, he says the great “I Am.” The one who spoke to Moses is present on the water with his people.

Peter’s request, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come,” shows that real faith answers Christ’s call, not mere spiritual ambition. Peter cannot just believe hard enough and make it happen. Christ must call him. When Peter looks away from the Master and pays attention to the wind and waves, he sinks. His cry, “Lord, save me,” becomes the most basic prayer, and Jesus immediately reaches out and lifts him.

The disciples worship and confess, “Truly, you are the Son of God.” Matthew repeats that confession at the cross, where the centurion sees Jesus die. Christ’s walking on the sea points ahead to his death, where he sinks into the abyss and tramples death by death, opening the way home for all who call on him.

Key Takeaways

1. Christ comes where chaos rages. Christ does not wait for the sea to calm before he comes to his people. Matthew’s storm shows the Lord walking directly over the thing that terrifies the disciples, proving that the chaos under their boat is already under his feet. The darkness may still be real, but it is not ultimate, because the Savior stands where human strength cannot stand. [35:06]
2. The “I Am” steadies fear. Jesus does more than say, “Don’t be afraid.” Jesus places his own identity in the middle of that command, saying in effect, “I Am.” Fear loses its right to rule when the God who spoke to Moses is present in the storm, not as an idea, but as the living Christ coming near. [39:19]
3. Calling must answer Christ’s voice. Peter does not step out because he has impressive courage or a strong religious imagination. Peter asks for a command, because discipleship is not copying someone else’s miracle or forcing a grand moment to happen. Christ’s call is personal, and faith becomes dangerous when it tries to live on another person’s vocation instead of listening for the Master’s voice. [41:48]
4. Little faith still cries rightly. Peter’s faith is mixed with fear, distraction, and sinking, but his cry goes to the right person: “Lord, save me.” Jesus does not wait for Peter to recover perfect confidence before reaching out. The weakness of the prayer does not cancel the strength of the Savior’s grip. [43:03]
5. Death is trampled by death. Jesus walking on the sea is a sign of what the cross will accomplish. The Son of God enters the abyss of death itself, and his divine life blows it open from the inside. What first looks like disaster becomes the surprising work of salvation, because salvation belongs to the Lord.

## [46:19]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[29:20] - Helmar Heckel and Water Everywhere
[30:56] - Disciples Beaten by Wind and Waves
[32:01] - The Sea as Chaos and Death
[34:11] - The Ship as the Church
[35:06] - Christ Walks Where God Walks
[36:04] - The Savior Arrives Unexpectedly
[39:19] - Take Heart, I Am
[40:36] - Peter Asks to Come
[42:25] - Listening for Christ’s Particular Call
[43:03] - Lord, Save Me
[44:43] - Truly the Son of God
[46:19] - The Cross Tramples Death
[47:54] - Christ Holds Through the Headwinds

Bible Study Guide

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.’” [30:56]

Observation questions

What details in Matthew 14 show just how difficult the disciples’ situation was before Jesus came to them? [31:06]
What do the disciples first think Jesus is when they see him on the sea, and what does that reveal about how unexpected his arrival was? [36:04]
What exactly does Peter ask Jesus before stepping onto the water, and what happens right after Jesus answers him? [40:36]
What words do the disciples say at the end of the passage after Jesus gets into the boat and the wind ceases? [44:43]

Interpretation questions

The sea often carries the meaning of chaos, instability, and even death in Scripture. How does that deepen the meaning of Jesus walking on the water in this passage? [32:10]
Jesus says, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid,” and the words “it is I” carry the force of “I Am.” How does that shape the way this passage reveals who Jesus is? [39:46]
Peter asks for a command before he comes to Jesus on the water. What does that suggest about the difference between faith that answers Christ’s call and self-made spiritual ambition? [41:48]
The confession “Truly you are the Son of God” appears here and again at the cross. How does this storm scene point forward to what Jesus would accomplish in his death and resurrection? [46:19]

Application questions

Where do headwinds feel strongest right now—at home, in work, in health, in grief, or somewhere else? What would it look like to remember that Christ comes to his people in the middle of the storm, not only after things calm down? [47:54]
God’s movement can be surprising enough to seem confusing or even frightening at first. Has there been a time when something that looked like loss, delay, or disruption later proved to be a place where God was meeting you? [36:34]
Jesus does not simply say, “Try harder”; he says, “I Am. Do not be afraid.” When fear starts to run away with the imagination, what practices help fix the heart again on Christ’s presence rather than on the waves? [40:25]
Peter did not step out on the water until Christ called him. Are there places where the pressure to copy somebody else’s path has made it harder to listen for Christ’s particular call on your own life? [42:25]
Peter’s most basic prayer was, “Lord, save me.” When life feels too chaotic for polished words, what does it look like to pray that simple prayer honestly and often? [43:03]
Little faith still cried to the right Savior, and Jesus immediately took hold of Peter. Is there an area of life where shame, doubt, or weakness has made you hesitate to call on him? What would it mean to ask for help there now? [45:21]
Christ entered the abyss of death and trampled death by death. How does that truth speak into a fear that feels especially powerful right now—fear of failure, fear of suffering, fear of loss, or fear of death itself? [46:37]

Sermon Clips

52s

#ResurrectionVictory

“``When Christ who is fully man but also fully God allows himself to sink into the abyss and darkness of death, something utterly unexpected then happened. An ancient liturgy of the church says the risen Christ trampled death by death. By going into death, he exploded it with his own divine life. His unending, uninvincible life blew death open like a little paper firecracker being blown open by the gunpowder. And at first, they look at the cross and it looks utterly terrible. Something horrible is about to happen or is happening, the death of the Messiah, but it's actually the savior doing his work, surprising his people.”

85s

#TakeHeartIAm

“``They don't know what to expect but into their confusion, the Lord speaks a word. In verse 27, he says, take heart. One translation says, take courage. Take heart. It is I. Do not be afraid. So he tells them, be courageous. It is I. And then again, don't be afraid. Right? The very thing that Peter's gonna struggle with in a moment. in between don't be afraid and don't be afraid, in the middle he says, it is I and this is key. In the Greek, he literally says, ego ami, which means I am. The exact same phrase that you find in the great I am sayings in John's gospel as when Jesus says, I am the light of the world. I am the resurrection and the life. It's the same phrase that Moses hears in the Greek version of the old testament in Exodus chapter three verse 14. He asked God his name and God said to Moses, I am who I am. Ego Amy. Jesus says, take heart. Do not be afraid for I am. This is why we shouldn't let our fears dominate our vision or run away with our imagination. The I am is right here with his people.”

52s

#SaveMeLord

“``Maybe you've experienced something like that or seen that. Christ calls Peter and then Peter walks on the sea for a minute. But then he famously turns his gaze away from the master and starts paying attention to the fearsome wind and the waves and the raging of the chaotic sea all around him And he's not paying attention any longer to the voice of the Lord whose word is over the waters, whose voice is mighty. And Peter starts to sink and he cries out. He cries out, Lord, save me. That's our most basic prayer. We'll come back to that again and again and again and again and again. We need to because Jesus does. He saves.”

64s

#SurprisingSalvation

“``For Jonah, salvation came in the form of being swallowed up by a fish and then vomited out on the shore. The way that God works his salvation in our life might be very surprising. The way that God works in us to overcome the things that beset us that maybe we've struggled with for a long time. It might be extremely uncomfortable and not at all what we would have picked. It might not even look spiritual at first glance, but God knows his business and he knows what we need. Salvation belongs to the Lord is what Jonah says in Jonah two verse nine. And that sentence, salvation belongs to the Lord is the exact midpoint of the little book of Jonah. It's it's the very heart of the whole thing. Salvation belongs to him. We can trust him with it.”

45s

#JonahForeshadowing

“``Jonah chapter one in verse 17, it says that Jonah was in the belly of the deaths and the fish down in the dark for three days. And Jesus explicitly points to this in Matthew chapter 12 verse 39 and says this is a sign of what he was about to accomplish. He was going to trample down the power of sin and death in the most surprising of ways. And he was gonna open the way for everybody who calls on him. Jesus, save me to be gathered up and to be brought safely home into a new life, a new creation. That's what Jesus does.”

61s

#IAmHere

“``in between don't be afraid and don't be afraid, in the middle he says, it is I and this is key. In the Greek, he literally says, ego ami, which means I am. The exact same phrase that you find in the great I am sayings in John's gospel as when Jesus says, I am the light of the world. I am the resurrection and the life. It's the same phrase that Moses hears in the Greek version of the old testament in Exodus chapter three verse 14. He asked God his name and God said to Moses, I am who I am. Ego Amy. Jesus says, take heart. Do not be afraid for I am. This is why we shouldn't let our fears dominate our vision or run away with our imagination. The I am is right here with his people.”

41s

#FollowYourCalling

“``Jesus calls all of us to follow him, but we have to understand that what that looks like is different in our individual lives, our individual stories, our individual callings, and vocations. And I wonder sometimes if we don't get into trouble because sometimes we're trying to do things for Jesus that we heard some other Christian did, but it's not what Jesus is calling us to do. And we're frustrated. Why isn't this working? And Jesus is saying, listen to my call on your life because it's for you, not for them and vice versa.”

66s

#JesusInMyBoat

“``When the disciples see all of this, they see the lord trampling down the sea as god does. They see him stepping into their boat and bringing with him a powerful peace saving Peter from the raging sea. They see all of this and verse 33 says, they worshiped him. And they said, truly, you are the son of God. Because they're starting to see just who this is that has stepped into their boat. Have you asked him to step into yours? Have you called out to him looking at your problems, looking at your sins, looking at your struggles and said to him, Lord, save me. Come come in and and clean this mess because I can't. Have you called out to him? I love this. Even Peter's little faith mixed with fear and doubt, even when he cries out from that place, Jesus hears. Jesus reaches out. Jesus grabs him and lifts him up.”

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