Maturing in the Midst: God's Not Done Yet

Apr 26, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Obedience in Contrary Winds

The disciples gripped oars as waves slammed their boat. Jesus had commanded them to cross the lake, yet now winds fought their progress. Salt spray stung their eyes; muscles burned with each futile stroke. Their obedience led not to calm waters but to a 3 AM struggle. Growth often begins with following Jesus into storms we’d never choose. [35:27]

Jesus didn’t promise smooth sailing when He directed their path. He knew the storm would come—and let it come. The disciples discovered that maturity means rowing through resistance while trusting His command. Their location wasn’t a mistake, but a classroom.

You’ve felt those contrary winds—the job that drains you, the diagnosis that shakes you, the relationship that strains you. Instead of asking “Why me?”, ask “What now?” Jesus sees your storm. Will you keep rowing where He’s called you, even as waves slap your face?

“Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake… A strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves.”
(Matthew 14:22, 24 NLT)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to strengthen your resolve to obey when His direction leads to difficulty.
Challenge: Write down one situation where obedience feels like rowing against wind. Pray over it for 3 minutes.

Day 2: Stepping Onto Stormy Waters

Peter’s callused hands gripped the boat’s edge as Jesus said, “Come.” Waves slapped the hull. Wind whipped his tunic. For one breathless moment, Peter swung his leg over the side. Water held his weight. He walked—not because the storm ceased, but because Christ spoke. Faith often means stepping into chaos, not waiting for calm. [38:29]

Jesus didn’t calm the storm first. He let Peter practice trust amid turbulence. Each step proved that Christ’s word overrules natural laws. Peter’s brief walk revealed more growth than years of fishing—because he risked failure to reach His Lord.

You’ve hesitated to act, waiting for perfect conditions. But growth happens when you step out mid-storm. What bold move is Jesus inviting you to make today? Where is He saying “Come” despite your fear of sinking?

“Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.”
(Matthew 14:29 NLT)

Prayer: Confess your fear of failure. Ask for courage to step out where Jesus calls.
Challenge: Call one person today and share a step of faith you’re being called to take.

Day 3: Sinking and Salvation

Peter’s eyes flickered from Jesus to the crashing waves. His feet plunged into cold blackness. “Save me!” he gasped. In an instant, Jesus’ hand seized his arm. The rescue came before the rebuke: “Why did you doubt?” Even in failure, Peter learned—Christ saves first, teaches second. [40:01]

Jesus let Peter sink to show him the source of true strength. The disciple’s cry revealed more maturity than his earlier bravado. Broken pride opened the door to deeper dependence. Sinking became sacred ground—a place to experience Christ’s grip stronger than the storm’s pull.

You’ve beaten yourself up for “failing” mid-struggle. But what if your sinking moments are where Jesus meets you most powerfully? When did you last cry out instead of trying to self-rescue?

“Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him.”
(Matthew 14:30-31 NLT)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for His instant response when you cry out. Name one current struggle where you need His grip.
Challenge: Set a phone alarm for 3:00 PM today to pause and whisper, “Save me, Lord” in a hard situation.

Day 4: Calm After the Climb

Drenched and shaking, Peter clung to Jesus as they climbed back into the boat. Only then did the wind stop. The storm’s end came not when Peter walked, nor when he sank, but when he returned to community. Sometimes peace arrives after we’ve been tested—and humbled. [26:13]

Jesus prioritized Peter’s growth over his comfort. The storm lasted exactly as long as needed to teach raw dependence. The calm didn’t reward perfect faith but marked the next phase of formation. Even soaked disciples could worship a Savior who storms couldn’t drown.

Your storm may rage until you learn what Jesus wants to teach. But the calm will come. Are you willing to endure the waves until He says “Enough”? What lesson might He be working in you through this prolonged struggle?

“When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshiped him. ‘You really are the Son of God!’ they exclaimed.”
(Matthew 14:32-33 NLT)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to help you endure storms until He brings His perfect peace.
Challenge: Identify one ongoing struggle and write “God is working here” next to it in your journal.

Day 5: Anchored in Growing Pains

The boat creaked as soaked disciples huddled together. Their hands still trembled from the storm, but their hearts burned with fresh awe. Maturity hadn’t come from avoiding the waves, but from surviving them with Christ. Each man now knew—storms don’t disqualify you; they develop you. [33:31]

Jesus uses contrary winds to strengthen spiritual muscles. The disciples’ fear, failure, and rescue all contributed to their growth. That night’s trauma became a cornerstone of their testimony—proof that storms shape us into witnesses who can say, “I’ve seen Him walk on waves.”

Your hardest storms may become your most powerful stories. What current struggle could God be using to mature you for future ministry? How might this pain prepare you to help others?

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”
(Hebrews 6:19 NIV)

Prayer: Thank God for how He’s using your present storm to prepare you for future purpose.
Challenge: Text someone today with this truth: “God’s not done with you yet.”

Sermon Summary

Maturing in the midst. The narrative from Matthew 14 frames spiritual growth as a process that unfolds inside, not outside, hardship. The disciples obeyed Jesus and moved where he told them to go, yet a contrary wind rose and they fought heavy waves. Obedience did not spare them calm seas. Jesus came walking on the water toward their storm. Fear distorted perception and made the miraculous seem like a ghost, but a clear voice cut through the terror: take courage. I am here. Peter asked for a word, received it, and stepped out in faith. His feet found the water while his eyes still found the wind. Focus shifted from the Word to the weather, and doubt grew louder than the call. Sinking followed, not as final defeat but as a real-time lesson in dependence. Peter cried out, save me, and the hand of rescue met him immediately. The wind did not stop because obedience had failed; the wind stopped when the rescued returned to the boat.

The text reframes maturity. Maturity is not measured by absence of storms or by neat, linear progress. Maturity appears in how one responds under pressure, in the patience to stay where God positioned one, and in the humility to call for help when buoyancy fails. Growth often looks like repeated attempts, renewed vulnerability, and the courage to trust while circumstances contradict the promise. The story insists that being in God’s will does not guarantee ease. Instead, God uses contrary winds to reveal faith that perseveres, to stretch understanding, and to shape character. The divine presence meets the faltering and turns cries of fear into immediate rescue and corrective love. The overall movement moves from obedience through testing toward deeper dependence, with rescue and restoration woven into the very hardships that seemed to contradict progress. Those who seek growth should expect storms, keep attention on the voice that calls, and practice the quick humility of asking for help, knowing that rescue accompanies true spiritual formation.

Key Takeaways

1. Obedience may lead into storms Obeying a clear call does not guarantee immediate comfort. God sometimes directs into situations that reveal hidden fears, expose dependence, and force faith to grow under pressure. When direction leads into hardship, the experience often serves as formative training rather than evidence of error. Trust of God’s presence matters more than smooth conditions. [35:27]
2. Maturity forms in the storm Spiritual maturity does not appear only after trials end. Hard seasons function like crucibles that press out immaturity and teach perseverance, patience, and reliance on God’s timing. Growth happens step by step within trouble, not only when trouble disappears. Embrace the shaping work even when progress feels invisible. [33:31]
3. Keep the gaze on Jesus Attention determines momentum. Looking at circumstances amplifies fear and invites sinking, while fixing eyes on the one who called steadies the step and sustains movement. Faith requires repeated refocusing away from loud problems toward the quiet promise. Practice returning attention to God whenever the wind demands it. [38:59]
4. Cry out for help quickly Sinking does not disqualify; it clarifies need. Immediate, honest cries bring rescue and reveal dependence as the path to restoration. Pride will delay deliverance; confession accelerates it. Learn to shout for help the moment footing fails. [40:01]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[24:27] - Scripture reading Matthew 14
[26:13] - Wind and the stopped storm
[27:59] - Opening prayer and invocation
[28:32] - Honest look at spiritual growth
[31:10] - Contrary winds explained
[33:31] - Maturity forms in the midst
[35:27] - Obedience can lead into storms
[38:29] - Peter steps out in faith
[40:01] - Cry for help and rescue

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Matthew 14:22-33 (NIV)
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. 25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” 32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Observation Questions

What did Jesus do immediately after sending the disciples into the boat (v. 23)? How does this detail connect to the idea of obedience leading into storms?
How did Peter’s focus shift during his walk on the water, and what immediate consequence followed (v. 30)? [38:59]
What happened to the wind after Jesus and Peter returned to the boat (v. 32)? What does this timing suggest about the relationship between rescue and circumstances?

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Jesus allowed the disciples to face the storm even though they were obeying His command to get into the boat? [35:27]
The sermon says, “Fear distorted perception and made the miraculous seem like a ghost.” How does fear interfere with recognizing God’s presence in hard situations?
Peter’s sinking is described as a “real-time lesson in dependence.” What does this imply about the role of failure in spiritual growth? [40:01]

Application Questions

When have you experienced a “contrary wind” (a situation resisting your progress) after stepping out in obedience? How did you respond in that moment?
The sermon emphasizes that “maturity is revealed in how you respond when life is anything but calm.” What is one practical way you can refocus your attention on Jesus when fear or doubt amplifies your current struggles? [38:59]
Share a time when you hesitated to ask for help in a crisis. How might the example of Peter’s immediate cry for rescue (“Lord, save me!”) reshape your instinct to handle challenges alone?
The wind stopped only after Jesus and Peter returned to the boat. How can this truth encourage someone who feels stuck in a storm despite their obedience?
What area of your life currently feels like “sinking”? What would it look like to cry out for help today instead of waiting for circumstances to improve? [40:01]

Sermon Clips

26s

#ObeyAndTrust

“You can do what Jesus told you to do and still face resistance. And that doesn't mean you miss God. It means you're where God has you on the journey to learn what God has you to learn in that season. Maturing is saying yes and trusting God with what comes after. Some of us are in situations right now that we didn't choose, we didn't expect, we would not have signed up for. But if we're honest, we got there because we followed God's direction.”

29s

#KeepRowingInFaith

“And the question becomes, will you trust God even when obedience leads you into uncertainty? Will you keep rowing when the wind is against you? Will you believe that the same Jesus who sent you is still aware of where you are? Because if God directed you, God has not lost sight of you. So what do you do when you're trying to grow but everything in your life looks like the opposite? First, you remember maturity moves at God's direction even if it leads you into a storm.”

31s

#MaturityInTheMidst

“Maturity is revealed in how you respond when life is anything but calm. Because when you look at this text, the disciples were not outside of God's will. They were in it. Yeah. Yeah. They weren't out of position. They were exactly where Jesus told them to be, and they were still in trouble, which means you can be moving at God's direction and still face resistance. You can be doing what God told you to do and still find yourself in a storm. You can be growing and struggling at the same time.”

30s

#ObeyIntoStorm

“They were there on purpose. And while out on the water, they were in trouble fighting heavy waves because a strong wind had risen. They were in trouble because they did what Jesus told them to do. They were in a storm because they obeyed. And if God is maturing us in the midst of it all, then this is the first thing we have to understand about maturity. Maturity moves at God's direction even when that direction leads us into something we would not have chosen ourselves.”

36s

#MaturityIsResponse

“Contrary winds on your job, you're showing up doing the work, still facing opposition, coworkers getting on your nerves, and dealing with bad attitudes. It feels like the wind is against you. And when your life doesn't line up with what you thought maturity would look like, you start asking, what do I do when I'm trying to grow but everything in my life looks like the opposite? Here's what this text shows us. Maturity is not proven by how calm your life is. Maturity is revealed in how you respond when life is anything but calm.”

61s

#KeepEyesOnJesus

“Something happens when he started walking and stopped looking at Jesus. His focus shifted. His fear rose, and the bible says he began to sink. Do you know what that feels like when you're doing fine until the wind gets your attention? Holding on until the waves start rising. Walking in faith until fear starts talking louder than God's voice. We've had moments when we stepped out on faith, trusted God, moved when Jesus said moved, believed the word, but somewhere along the way, something got our attention. The situation got louder. The pressure got heavier. The uncertainty got closer, and now we're dealing with what feels bigger than the one who we were trusting. And Peter begins to sink.”

28s

#GrowingThroughStruggle

“You can be growing and struggling at the same time. And that doesn't always mean something is wrong or that you did something wrong. Sometimes it means you are experiencing growing pains because maturity doesn't simply appear after everything settles down. Maturity is formed in the middle of what you're going through. And if we wanna see what that looks like, we can look at Peter's life and legacy because when we read his story, he shows us what it looks like to grow in real time.”

29s

#ContraryWinds

“Some translations describe them as contrary winds, not just strong winds. These are winds that rise up against you, winds that resist your progress, winds that seem to show up at the moment you start moving in the direction God told you to go, winds that feel hard to navigate even when you're giving it the best you've got. But every time you try to move forward, something pushes you back. Is anyone willing to say amen or nod your head to let me know that you know what I'm talking about?”

30s

#ContraryWindsEverywhere

“You've experienced contrary wins in your health. Last checkup, the doctor said your cholesterol was looking good. This appointment, they said they're worried about your blood pressure. Contrary wins in your finances. You're doing what you can to make ends meet in this economy, and an unexpected withdrawal hits your account the day before your mortgage is due. Contrary wins in your family when you're trying to do right and relationships still feel strained. Contrary wins in your mind, you're praying, believing, and peace still feels distant.”

32s

#ResistanceDoesntEqualFailure

“And the deeper you've tried to go with God, the more resistance you faced. The more you've prayed, the more pressure you felt, the more you trusted, the more uncertain things have become. The problem is that we might misinterpret our experience and start to think, if I were really growing, I wouldn't be dealing with this. If I were really maturing, I wouldn't still struggle like this. If God was really at work in my life, it wouldn't feel this hard. But be careful because that thought will begin to shape your faith.”

33s

#TrustHisVoice

“and you saw something walking towards you on top of the water, your first thought probably wouldn't be, oh, that's just Jesus because you've never seen Jesus walk on water before. Fear will make you misinterpret what you see, but then Jesus speaks, don't be afraid. Take courage. I am here. And I believe his voice calms Peter a bit. It's like he's considering that his eyes may not be playing tricks on him. So Peter responds, Lord, if it's really you, tell me to come to you walking on the water.”

25s

#ObedienceIsntComfort

“Because somewhere along the way, we picked up the idea that if we're really walking with God, things should get easier. And if you're members of six Mount Zion, your pastor has said it enough that you should know that not to be true. We believe that obedience should lead to comfort. Faithfulness should lead to smooth sailing, but the bible challenges that because the disciples were not outside of God's will and still in a storm. They were still in trouble.”

35s

#MaturityIsNotLinear

“that growth would include progress you could measure, habits you've kicked, struggles you've outgrown, prayers that get answered the way you asked for them. You were taught to view spiritual maturity as a simple cause and effect. If you do what God asks, God will keep all the pain and problems away from you. But that hasn't been your experience. For you, maturity has looked like confusion sometimes. For somebody else, it has looked like trying, failing, and trying again. For others, it has looked simply like holding on when everything else wanted to let go.”

30s

#StepByStepMaturity

“Because for Peter and for us, maturity doesn't come today and one and done. It's something that is developed step by step, moment by moment, even in the middle of a storm. So let's set the scene. You heard the scripture. The text says Jesus insisted that the disciples get back into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side. A few translations said, he made them go. He wanted to stay behind to dismiss the crowds so that he could go alone to pray.”

30s

#StormsAreNotSetbacks

“be careful because that thought will begin to shape your faith. And when the next storm shows up, instead of seeing it as part of your God given journey, you'll see it as evidence that something is wrong with you, that you somehow missed something, that you failed somewhere, that maybe you're not as far along as you are supposed to be. And that is dangerous thinking because when you believe that walking with god should be easy peasy lemon squeezy, then every storm starts to feel like a setback.”

36s

#JesusWalksOnWater

“The storm is raging. Wind hasn't stopped. The waves haven't settled. The disciples are still in trouble. And then in the middle of all of that, Jesus comes walking toward them on the water. And the bible says they were terrified. Didn't recognize him at first. They said it must be a ghost. And before we judge them, we need to be honest with ourselves because if we were out there on a boat in the dark, said about 03:00 in the morning, winds blowing, waves crashing in a storm, fighting to stay afloat,”

34s

#AmIReallyGrowing

“If you've ever been in a season where you've been trying to grow, but your life didn't look like it. Praying for more, but things seem to get harder. Trusting God, but the doors are still closed. Trying to do the right thing, and somehow everything still went wrong. You may have wondered, am I really growing in God, or am I just going through a bunch of mess? That question comes up because somewhere along the way, many of us were taught that maturity would look like steady forward movement, that growth would include progress you could measure,”

31s

#HonestSpiritualCheck

“Last week, pastor Nelson began a sermon series on growth, and he challenged us to take an honest look at our spiritual lives. He pushed us to consider whether we've been walking with God long enough to be further along than we are. And today, I wanna continue this conversation on spiritual maturity by talking to those who are serious about growing, but you feel like you're not progressing the way that you should. I believe there are at least a few people in the sanctuary and listening online who would fit into this category.”

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Maturing in the Midst: God's Not Done Yet

Devotional

Day 1: Obedience in Contrary Winds

Day 2: Stepping Onto Stormy Waters

Day 3: Sinking and Salvation

Day 4: Calm After the Climb

Day 5: Anchored in Growing Pains

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Maturing in the Midst: God's Not Done Yet

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