Embracing Faith: Stepping Deeper into God's Love

**Bible Study Discussion Guide**

**Bible Reading:**
1. Ephesians 3:17-19
2. Matthew 14:22-33
3. Hebrews 11:8-11

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**Observation Questions:**

1. In Ephesians 3:17-19, what does it mean to be "rooted and established in love"? How does this foundation help us grasp the vastness of Christ's love?

2. According to Matthew 14:22-33, what was Peter's initial reaction when he saw Jesus walking on water, and how did his focus shift during the event? [01:04:37]

3. How does the story of Abraham in Hebrews 11:8-11 illustrate the concept of stepping out in faith? What was Abraham called to leave behind?

4. In the sermon, what are some examples given of biblical figures who stepped out of their comfort zones? [01:12:25]

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**Interpretation Questions:**

1. How does being "rooted and established in love" (Ephesians 3:17) prepare believers to face challenges in their faith journey? What role does this play in going deeper in our relationship with God?

2. In the story of Peter walking on water (Matthew 14:22-33), what does Peter's experience teach us about the importance of keeping our focus on Jesus during life's storms? [01:04:37]

3. Reflecting on the sermon, how do the examples of Abraham, Moses, Esther, and Rahab demonstrate the transformative power of faith? What common theme do these stories share? [01:12:25]

4. The sermon emphasizes the need to step out of our comfort zones. How does this concept relate to the idea of experiencing God's love in new and transformative ways? [42:47]

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**Application Questions:**

1. As we enter 2025, what specific steps can you take to intentionally deepen your relationship with God? Consider areas where you need to slow down and cultivate your faith. [42:47]

2. Reflect on a situation in your life where you feel God is calling you to step out of your comfort zone. What fears or doubts are holding you back, and how can you overcome them with faith? [01:04:37]

3. The sermon encourages us to embrace the unknown with courage. Identify a "boat" in your life that you need to step out of. What practical steps can you take this week to begin that journey? [01:28:31]

4. How can the examples of biblical figures like Abraham and Esther inspire you to trust God for extraordinary outcomes in your life? What is one area where you need to exercise more faith? [01:12:25]

5. In what ways can you be more intentional about experiencing God's love in new ways this year? Consider how you can engage more deeply with your community and purpose. [42:47]

6. Think about a time when you allowed fear to prevent you from taking a step of faith. How can you apply the lesson of Peter walking on water to face similar situations in the future? [01:04:37]

7. What is one specific action you can take this week to demonstrate faith over fear in your daily life? How can you encourage others in your community to do the same? [01:25:24]

Day 1: Embracing Depth in 2025
In 2025, the call is to dive deeper into our relationship with God, our purpose, and our community. This journey is not just about gaining knowledge but about experiencing God's love in transformative ways. It requires intentionality and commitment, as we cultivate the roots of our faith to stand strong in the face of challenges. By slowing down and digging in, we can grow in faith and obedience, finding strength and stability. This year is an invitation to explore what God has in store for us, going beyond the surface to truly encounter His love. [42:47]

Ephesians 3:17-19 (ESV): "So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

Reflection: What specific steps can you take this week to intentionally deepen your relationship with God and experience His love in a new way?


Day 2: Stepping Out in Faith
The story of Peter walking on water is a powerful illustration of stepping out in faith. When we focus on God's word and keep our eyes on Him, we can overcome fear and walk on the very things that threaten to drown us. This year, we are encouraged to step out of our proverbial boats, leaving behind fear and doubt, and embracing the unknown with faith and courage. By trusting God, we can move from fear to faith, from comfort to courage, and from the known to the unknown. [01:04:37]

Matthew 14:28-29 (ESV): "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."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you feel God is calling you to step out in faith? How can you take a practical step towards that this week?


Day 3: Biblical Examples of Faith
Figures like Abraham, Moses, Esther, and Rahab show us the power of stepping out in faith. Each faced uncertainty and risk, yet their trust in God led to monumental changes and fulfilled promises. These biblical examples remind us that God often calls us out of our comfort zones to fulfill His greater purpose in our lives. By looking to these stories, we can find inspiration and courage to trust God in our own journeys, knowing that He is faithful to lead us to incredible outcomes. [01:12:25]

Hebrews 11:8-9 (ESV): "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise."

Reflection: Reflect on a biblical figure who inspires you to trust God. How can their story encourage you to step out in faith in your own life?


Day 4: Faith Overcomes Fear
As we step into 2025, we must choose faith over fear. When we keep our eyes on God, we can walk on water, overcoming the challenges that threaten to hold us back. This year, let's commit to walking in faith, trusting that God is with us every step of the way. By focusing on His presence and promises, we can find the courage to face our fears and move forward in confidence, knowing that He is guiding us through every trial and triumph. [01:25:24]

Isaiah 41:10 (ESV): "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Reflection: Identify a fear that has been holding you back. How can you actively choose faith over fear in this area today?


Day 5: Embracing the Call to Go Deeper
This year, we are called to go beyond the surface and truly explore what God has in store for us. It's a year of growth, transformation, and a renewed commitment to our faith. As we go deeper, we will encounter God in powerful ways and see His glory revealed in and through us. By embracing this call, we open ourselves to new experiences of His love and grace, allowing Him to work in our lives in extraordinary ways. [45:56]

Colossians 2:6-7 (ESV): "Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving."

Reflection: What is one area of your spiritual life where you feel called to go deeper? How can you begin to explore this area more fully this week?

And so today I just want to declare over you, over this house, over this church, that 2025 is the year to go deeper. This is the year where we dive deeper into our relationships with God, deeper into our purpose, and deeper into the community we're building together. [00:43:02] (16 seconds)


It's a year of growth, transformation, and a renewed commitment to go beyond the surface and truly explore what God has in store for us. Can we say amen? [00:43:59] (12 seconds)


But going deeper requires intentionality. It requires commitment. It means we will need to slow down, dig in, and cultivate the roots of our faith. It's a call to grow, not just in knowledge, but in relationship and obedience. Can we say amen? [00:44:17] (16 seconds)


We are called to be rooted, to be firmly grounded in Christ. The deeper our roots grow, the stronger we will stand in the face of challenges and adversity, and the more fruitful our lives will become. This year we are going deeper in our faith, and as we do, we will experience a strength and stability we've never known before. Can we say amen? [00:44:49] (22 seconds)


Psalm 42 .7 says, This deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls. All your waves and breakers have swept over me. In this scripture, we are reminded that God's call to us is deep. It's not just a gentle whisper, but a roar calling us to come closer to experience his fullness. When we go deeper in God, we don't just experience the surface level of his goodness. We encounter the powerful, overwhelming waves of his presence that brings transformation. Can we say amen? [00:45:10] (30 seconds)


Going deeper means drawing near to God intentionally, making space for him in our lives. This year we are committed to going deeper in our worship, deeper in our prayer, and deeper in our love for each other. Can we say amen? [00:45:56] (15 seconds)


Hope City, I declare over you today that this is the year where we will be rooted, we will be strengthened, and we will overflow with the fullness of God. As we go deeper, we will grow stronger, we will encounter God in powerful ways, and we will see his glory revealed in and through us like never before. Can we say amen? So as we prepare to step into 2025, let's embrace this year with faith and anticipation. Let's go deeper together. Can we say amen? [00:46:11] (33 seconds)


He doesn't always tell us about the storms that we will encounter along the journey, but he did promise them in the beginning. He said, hey, get in the boat and let's go to the other side. And I'm telling some of you today that if you're willing to step out of your boat, if you're willing to step out on faith and do something you've never done before, I believe that you're going to have a greater 2025 than your eyes can even imagine. [01:08:41] (25 seconds)


God called Abraham out of his past into a promise that he had no clue what the fullness of what it was going to look like. And I'm telling some of you here, God has a promise for some of you. God has a promise for some of you. God has a promise for some of you. God has a promise for some of you, but it's not in the boat. [01:12:25] (13 seconds)

God has been more than... What are folks to say? This is the church that the Lord has built. The gates of hell will not prevail. This is the Lord's church. And Jesus is... Y'all know that old song? Do you know it? This is the Lord's church, and Jesus is Lord. Y'all, nobody knows this. This is the church that's been established on His word. This is the church that the Lord is building. The gates of hell will not prevail.

This is the Lord's... this whole thing is offline. No, no, no, no. It's going to stay in the archives for the rest of life. Thank you, Charlotte. Thank you. You know... What am I doing? I don't know.

Good morning, church. Welcome to Hope City Church. Hope City, let's give our first-time guests a Hope City shout. Amen, amen. We know there are many churches you could have chosen to worship with, but you chose to worship with us, and for that, we are very, very grateful. I pray, we pray that something will be said today, done today that will cause your life to run on all cylinders for God because we truly believe that the best is yet to come. Can we get our first-time guests to shout one more time? Amen. Amen.

Now, let's take a quick moment and love on about three or four people around you, and you can take your seat after that. I ain't singing no more. Amen, amen. If you are a first-time guest, please text HC connect to 9400. Again, if you're a first-time guest, please text HC connect to 9400. Doing so, we'll be able to get some information to you to give you more insight about who we are as a church here at Hope City Church. Again, thank you so much for worshiping with us today here at Hope City Church.

I'm really out of my element right now. I normally don't do this here, but I wanted to share with you guys our 2025 Word of the Year for next year. But right before I do that, I want to give a couple quick announcements, and then I will have the team come back up and finish the rest of the announcements for today.

Just those three announcements I want to give specifically: our seven days of prayer begins this upcoming Wednesday. The first that we normally start the year off with 21 days of prayer and fasting. We've changed ours recently to seven days of prayer and fasting, which will begin on this upcoming Wednesday. We'll meet here at the building every day at seven o'clock, with the exception of Saturday. We'll meet at eight, from eight to nine on Saturday mornings.

We do have a limited supply of these books available. A lot was given out in the first service today. If you don't have the prayer first booklet, I would encourage you to grab one in the lobby. Those who already have one, please don't pick one up today. We literally have a limited supply. We tried to order some more, but they have not made it here in time.

For those that already have a copy but really want to look at it again from a different angle, if you go to the website today, all the resources for fasting, for praying, the different types of fasts you can do are found on the church website at wearehopecity.cc. I want to encourage you to please go visit that website today to get ready, starting Wednesday, for the seven days of prayer. Let today, let Monday, let Tuesday just be your preparation period, if you would, to get you ready for our seven days of prayer.

We believe in God for something absolutely amazing in 2025. And I do believe as you set the temperature of prayer in your heart and your personal life, it really will make a difference in the lives of us as a corporate church body here at Hope City Church. Amen. Amen.

So make sure you step out in the lobby and get your prayer ready. We'll be right back. Get your little wristband as well to say "pray first." And then we also got a list of prayer points that we're going to be praying for as a church. So step out there today, get those lists of things to be praying for. I'm on that list. My wife and I are on that list. So different things that if you are in a service or you want to pray for some specific things, there's a lot of things already written out that you can use as a prayer resource during your time of prayer.

The second thing is we are going into the official launching of our Pooler campus next Sunday. Amen. The team went out this past Saturday, prayed, passed out flyers, and we're believing God for something absolutely amazing. I didn't do this in the first service, but I want to do it here in the second service for those individuals who are going to go with Pastor David to the new campus. I want to pray for you. I know there are others in the first service and the third service who are not here, but specifically, I'm going to ask Pastor David if you'll come forward here, sir.

And also, as a matter of fact, anyone who's on the team as well who's going, that's in this service here, those individuals can come as well. The team members who are going to be serving with any particular leadership role over there, I want you guys to come forward as well. Yes, ma'am. Let's give it up for them as they come forward. This is our kids director, dream team director, our sound person. So these are some of the leadership team members who will be over at the Pooler campus.

And then for those who are going to be coming, if you are here as well and you already know that you're going to the Pooler campus, I want you to come up here as well. And we're going to pray. I'm going to ask my wife to come forward as well. And we're going to pray over this particular leader today and those that are going with him. So if you're here in this service and you know you're going to the Pooler campus, I'm going to ask you to come on for the stage as well.

And we're going to pray for this group here. Amen. As a matter of fact, I'm going to have my wife, if we get a microphone, I'm going to have my wife pray. I'm going to ask the rest of us to stand. But again, all of those who are going, who are in this service, and if you need, if you're going to the Pooler campus, you can also come to the stage as well.

Okay, she's going. Amen, amen, amen. We got about 100 people who are going to be going from here to the Pooler campus starting next Sunday. So that doesn't include the people we don't know about who we're sharing the vision with and things for. So I want us to pray for this team, this group.

We're going to look back a year from now. This is what we did 10 years ago in January of 2012. It was just almost a mishandle. I could see like this right here that was meeting for a few months. And then we launched on January the 12th, 2012 here, well, here in Savannah at the movie theater.

And now we're basically, as one scripture says, in a sense that every branch in me that bears fruit, I purge it, that it may bring forth more fruit. The context is kind of different on what I'm making here. But if you ever had that grandmother who would have flowers and she would now and then break off a branch or break off a piece of that flower and put it in a jar of water until it began to grow its own roots, that's pretty much what we're doing right here right now.

We're breaking off what God is doing here at this location and planting this church in another part of the city, and we'll just watch God just grow the roots. We believe God it's going to flourish over the months and the years to come. Amen. Amen.

So yeah, so where y'all standing? Oh, the prayer. Okay, so yeah, so why the rest of them not standing? I thought y'all were standing saying y'all going to something. Okay, y'all go and say yeah. So why y'all sit now then? So let me have a... So Pastor, pray for them. Amen.

Your hands here if you just... Thank you, Lord God. Come on, let's give God a praise for that. Hallelujah. Thank you, Lord. Hallelujah. Eyes. A church is being birthed right before our eyes. And we believe just like when Jesus planted that first church, that you guys can look back one day and say, I was there that day when that group went to start this new church in this region, and look what the Lord has done. Amen.

Let's give God one more heck of a praise. I praise you, God. Thank you. Thank you, God. Amen. I'm about to give it to him. So y'all can stay standing. No, stay standing. It's the last Sunday of the year, and I'm going to work y'all today.

We're not doing a New Year's Eve night service, so this is Sunday morning. And going into 2025 service, and normally I always share one word of the year. So I want to just share that, and I'll turn the service back over into the hands of Pastor David to move us further along in the service as we normally do.

But the word that the Lord gave me, and this word actually came from just me processing. You always hear people say stuff like, "Lord, I want to go to another level." It's time to go to another level. And God began to speak to me. It's like, "No, it's time to go deeper."

We always want to go high, but many times in order to go high, you need to go low. And that's where God began to deal with me with this idea of 2025 being the year of going deeper, not trying to go higher and get bigger and get more, but just going deeper.

And so today I just want to declare over you, over this house, over this church, that 2025 is the year to go deeper. This is the year where we dive deeper into our relationships with God, deeper into our purpose, and deeper into the community we're building together.

It's a year of growth, transformation, and a renewed commitment to go beyond the surface and truly explore what God has in store for us. Can we say amen? Ephesians 3:17 says, "So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. And to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Can we say amen?

This scripture is our foundation for 2025. God's love is deep, is boundless, and immeasurable. And this year we're going to experience it in ways we never have before. We're going to dig deeper into God's... We're going to dig deeper into the word, deeper into His presence, and deeper into the community He's called us to. Can we say amen?

But going deeper requires intentionality. It requires commitment. It means we will need to slow down, dig in, and cultivate the roots of our faith. It's a call to grow, not just in knowledge, but in relationship and obedience. Can we say amen?

Colossians 2:6-7 says, "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in faith as you were taught and overflowing with thankfulness." Can we say amen?

We are called to be rooted, to be firmly grounded in Christ. The deeper our roots grow, the stronger we will stand in the face of challenges and adversity, and the more fruitful our lives will become. This year we are going deeper in our faith, and as we do, we will experience a strength and stability we've never known before. Can we say amen?

Psalm 42:7 says, "This deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls. All your waves and breakers have swept over me." In this scripture, we are reminded that God's call to us is deep. It's not just a gentle whisper, but a roar calling us to come closer to experience His fullness. When we go deeper in God, we don't just experience the surface level of His goodness. We encounter the powerful, overwhelming waves of His presence that bring transformation. Can we say amen?

This is the year to embrace His call to dive deeper into everything He has for us. We are not just going to stretch the surface anymore. We're going to go all in. James 4:8 says, "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you." Can we say amen?

Going deeper means drawing near to God intentionally, making space for Him in our lives. This year we are committed to going deeper in our worship, deeper in our prayer, and deeper in our love for each other. Can we say amen?

Hope City, I declare over you today that this is the year where we will be rooted, we will be strengthened, and we will overflow with the fullness of God. As we go deeper, we will grow stronger, we will encounter God in powerful ways, and we will see His glory revealed in and through us like never before. Can we say amen?

So as we prepare to step into 2025, let's embrace this year with faith and anticipation. Let's go deeper together. Can we say amen?

Let's give God a word for His word for us, for this house, for 2025. Can we just receive the new campus pastor of... Praise for being Yahweh, we thank you for being all that we need. God, speak to our hearts and our minds for the rest of this portion of the service we have on today. For truly in your presence, there is a fullness of joy. And at your right hand, there are pleasures forevermore. Everything that we need is in your presence.

So God, we thank you for your presence in this space on today. Today, whatever these particular people are in need of today is here because your presence is here. And God, if they ask for clarity, for understanding, for the way to move, for direction, for healing, for breakthrough, whatever it may be, God, you will answer us today.

So God, we thank you for allowing us to be in your presence, for your word. The word declares no flesh shall glory in your presence. So God, we thank you for allowing us to be in your presence. And as we sit in your presence, as we hear from your word, I decrease so that you may increase. Speak a word of healing, of hope, of direction, insight, of clarity. In Jesus' name. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen. Amen.

Let's give God one heck of a praise right before you take your seats. Amen. Amen. I'm going to go ahead and jump right into the word. With the time I have left, not going to be long, I promise. I just want to share with this final message of 2024, just a thought the Lord dropped in my heart about two days ago, three days ago, maybe, and just simply: step out of your boat.

Step out of your boat. It just came from this idea from Matthew chapter 14 and us about to step into another year, if you would, as well. But Matthew 14, a very familiar scripture. I've probably quoted this dozens of times here at Hope City, but I don't think I ever really preached from the text itself.

So look what it says here, Matthew 14:22. "Immediately, Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side." It says, "While he dismissed the crowd, after he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray." It said, "Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it."

Have you ever been there before, like the winds were just beating up against your life? It said, "Shortly before dawn, Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake." It says, "When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear.

But Jesus immediately said to them, "Take courage. Somebody say, 'Take courage.' He said, 'It is I. Don't be afraid.'" Peter said, "Lord, if it is you, tell me to come on the water." And Jesus said, "Peter, come on the water." And Jesus said, "Peter, come on the water." And Jesus said, "Peter, come on the water."

Come, he said, and then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came towards Jesus. It says, "But when he saw the wind, he was afraid." And how many of you know you can't see wind? He said, "But I found it interesting," he said, "but when he saw the wind."

And what he's actually saying is when he saw the effects of the wind. When he saw the wind, he was afraid of the effects that the wind was having on the boat. And it says, "It began to sink, and he cried out, 'Lord, save me.'" It says, "Immediately in verse 31, Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. It says, 'You of little faith,' he said, 'why did you doubt?'"

When they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly, you are the Son of God."

Step out of your boat. All of us have a boat, a situation, a circumstance, that every now and then, God is going to challenge us to step out of. And oftentimes, there are going to be people in the boat who are not willing to step out. But God is still going to challenge you and call for you to step out of that situation, to step out of that boat.

And Peter's question to him was, "Lord, is that you?" When they were afraid and what they saw, they thought it was a ghost. And I'm convinced that some of you have got a warped insight or revelation about what you see. It says they saw something that they called a ghost, but it really wasn't that. But their eyes made them see something to be something that it wasn't.

And we have to be very careful, even with our own lives, to call something that is not. Come on, somebody. Because it can cause fear to break off into our heart. They were literally afraid of something that was not a real reality. And do you know that we have the ability to be afraid of something that's not a true reality?

Because they were not first afraid of the storm. They were afraid of what they saw walking towards them. And they thought it was a ghost. Instead of it being a ghost, it really was their answer. And I believe for some of you, your answer is coming in a way that you're not expecting it to come. And God's going to challenge you even with that answer.

Are you willing to step out of the boat in a situation that is dark and ugly to walk into something that's much more greater than what's in the boat? Come on, somebody. See, here's the beautiful thing about the boat. They were excited to be in the boat at the time. They were excited to be in the boat at the beginning. They were excited to step into the boat because the boat wasn't rocking. The boat was calm.

We don't mind being in boats when everything is calm. We don't mind the house when it's brand new. We don't mind the marriage when it's brand new. But when things begin to get rocky, come on, somebody, we begin to get terrified and afraid. But we forget that Jesus was the one that called them to go forward.

And with that being said, you can rest assured you're going to make it. Come on, somebody. He doesn't always tell us about the storms that we will encounter along the journey, but he did promise them in the beginning. He said, "Hey, get in the boat and let's go to the other side."

And I'm telling some of you today that if you're willing to step out of your boat, if you're willing to step out on faith and do something you've never done before, I believe that you're going to have a greater 2025 than your eyes can even imagine.

They said they looked out and what they saw appeared to be a ghost. And the Spirit said, or Jesus said, "Take courage. It is I. Don't be afraid." And I say that to you going into a new year. You may be afraid of something this year, but I believe the word of God for you is don't be afraid. Take heart.

You may have lost a job. Your loved one may not be here. You may not have the level of income you had at the beginning of the year. I hear God saying, "Don't be afraid. I got you on the other side. Just come. Just step out the boat."

I just recently heard that a law was passed where individuals now get access. Those older individuals whose loved one passed away, they now get their deceased or their spouse who will ultimately pass away. The spouse gets to keep that.

How many people do you know who could not get their spouse? What is it called again? Couldn't get social security. And now they're able to get social security. Do you know how many people don't even know that law just got passed last week now? And now they're about to get a check every month now because the law has been passed.

I'm telling some of you, take heart. Don't be afraid. You don't know what God is doing behind the scenes, working things out on your behalf. I don't know the specificity of what you need to be worked on, but I'm telling you, God is working on some stuff for you behind the scenes that you don't even know about. Just take heart. Be of good courage. God is working it out. Don't be afraid of what you see.

Peter said, "Lord, if it be you, lead me to come." And Jesus said, "Come." And Peter stepped out and he began to walk on water. People always talk about how Peter drowned, but watch this here. Peter walked on water.

Peter is the only one who will be able to say, "I did what no other man has been able to do." And don't miss this here. Peter did not walk on water. Peter walked on the word.

I'm going to say it again. Peter didn't walk on water. He walked on the word. Yes, he walked on water. Yes, he did. But don't miss the point. He would have never been able to walk on that water if he didn't get a word. Come on, somebody.

And when you get a sure word from God, when other people are drowning in, you're going to be walking on water because you got a word from God that says, "Come." Come on, somebody. Give God a praise for that.

I don't care how bad the storms get. I don't care how bad the winds become. When God tells you something, you can rest assured it is going to come to pass. I mean, just think about even in this here.

Now, have mercy on Peter for being afraid. He says, "Oh, you of little faith." You would think Jesus would say, "Oh, Peter, I understand. It was just a little water. Got a little scared, huh? Okay."

No, he said, "Why is your faith? I'm with you. You're walking with me. Now, if you weren't with me, you should be afraid. But if I'm with you, why are you afraid?"

And some of you are afraid of stuff, and God is with you. You're afraid of what the next year is going to look like, but God is with you. Listen here. God is with me. I'm not afraid of what's going to come because He's with me. Come on, somebody. Y'all got to get this today.

You're intimidated already about the unknown of next year. But guess what? What you do know is God is with you. You know, when I looked at this idea of stepping out of the boat, I looked at a few other people like Peter who had to step out of their proverbial boat, like Abraham.

It said in Genesis 12, verse 1, "The Lord has said to Abraham, 'Go from your country, your people, and your father's house to a land I will show you.'" In other words, step out the boat. Do something that you don't even know what's going to happen. God called Abraham out of his past and into his promise.

I'm going to say it again. God called Abraham out of his past into a promise that he had no clue what the fullness of what it was going to look like. And I'm telling some of you here, God has a promise for some of you. God has a promise for some of you. God has a promise for some of you. God has a promise for some of you, but it's not in the boat.

And you're not going to be able to possess or walk in that promise until you're willing to step out of the boat into the unknown and experience something absolutely amazing this year that God wants to bring in your life. Can we give God a praise for that today?

Abraham's call to step out of his comfort zone was monumental. It literally changed the trajectory of his family, of his heritage. He stepped out into the unknown. What about the story of Moses?

Exodus chapter 3, verse 10 says, "So now go, I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt." You're talking about stepping out of a boat. You're telling me Moses, who's a stutterer, to go to Pharaoh and tell, "Hey, Pharaoh, the Lord told me to tell you, let my people go."

You had to have some level of confidence and boldness, and watch this here. You're going before a king, before Pharaoh. I don't care what level of boldness you have; your head is about to be cut off. But God tells Moses to go to Pharaoh and tell him to let my people go.

Listen, I don't care what God tells you to do in this season here. I don't care how dark and how ugly it is. If God is in it, it's going to work for you. It may not work for them, but if God told you to do it, it's going to work for you. All you need to rest assured is, do I got a word from God?

Well, what you see, not a word from your emotions, not a word from your favorite Facebook friend, but when you get a sure word from God, no weapon formed against you will prosper. The weapon may form, but it will not do what it's sent out to do against you from the enemy.

Moses was called by God from the burning bush to step out of his life as a shepherd in Midian and go back to Egypt and to free the Israelites from slavery. You're talking about stepping out of your comfort zone. What is God challenging you to do in 2025?

Is it to move from an apartment to a house? Is it to move from being single to married? Because you know you want to be married, but all you think about what Bozo did 20 years ago, or what Ruth did, Bozo or Ruth, I mean, whoever, and now you don't believe in marriage or love anymore because you don't believe in marriage.

You don't believe in what Bozo and what Ruth did, but God is trying to get you to step out of the boat to walk into something different. God called Moses out of his past fears and failures and into a future of leadership and deliverance.

He called him out of his past fears and failures into a future of leadership and deliverance. A man that was full of fear and shame could not even speak, and failures he is now about to be one of the most powerful, well-known, talked-about leaders throughout ages to come.

What boat is God calling you to step out of that is intimidating you that, man, if I step out of this boat, I might drown? How about you change the statement? How about if I step out this boat, I might walk on water?

See, we always like going to the negative first, but if we learn how to go to the... well, whatever, we're going to go to the negative first. We're going to go to the negative first. What if it works? Come on. What if I get healed? What if the door opens? What if the door don't open? What if I don't get healed? Why we got to talk negative?

Why can't we speak faith? Moses, God used him to become a leader and a deliverer. What about Esther? Esther 4:1 says, "And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time?"

He said, "How do we... is it possible? Is it plausible that you're born for such a time as this? Is it possible that you're sitting here at Hope City Church this last Sunday in 2024 for a purpose to hear this message today that God is saying, it's time for you to step out the boat?"

He says, "With the same joy and excitement you had to get in the boat, I need you to have that same excitement and joy to step out the boat." Come on, somebody.

Okay, it's going to get good, I promise. Esther, he said, Queen Esther was living a life of comfort in the palace, but when her people were threatened with destruction, she was called by her cousin Mordecai to step out of her security and risk her life to save the Jews.

Her willingness to step out in faith led to the salvation of her people. Listen, God called Esther out of her position of safety and into a moment of destiny where her courage would save a nation.

See, you think you've been born in that little house with eight people and two bedrooms. You think when you was raised in the house with big mama and your cousin and your auntie and your uncle that can't nothing great come out of you.

Listen, something great can come out of you. Something great can come out of that small house. Something great can come out of those three kids that sing a mother had 30. Something great can come out of you. A queen, a king, a destiny changer can come up out of your situation.

God called Esther out of her position of safety and into a moment of destiny where her courage would save a nation. What about Saul, whose name will be called Paul later on?

Paul was on his way to kill Christians day after day after day, but God called the light that shines from heaven, knocked Saul off his donkey. He said, "Saul, he said, Saul, he said, Saul, he said, Saul, he said, Saul, he said, Saul, he said, Saul, he said, where you kick against the brick?"

And it made Saul say, "Lord, who are you and what are you asking me to do?" In that moment, Saul got a new assignment on his life because he was willing to step out of the boat of what he was doing to what God was calling him to do. Come on, somebody.

His name went from Saul to Paul. What about Mary, the mother of Jesus? I mean, little small teenager girl had a little basic ordinary life. It says in Luke chapter 1, verse 38, "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May your word to me be fulfilled."

She said, "God, I'm willing to step out the boat." Now this is strange. Folk will talk about me. I gotta go tell Joseph I'm pregnant, and he is not the baby daddy. Come on, somebody. I don't know how that conversation is going to go.

But I got to go tell Joseph, "Hey, Joseph, I'm pregnant, and I don't know no man." And Joseph said, "Well, how stupid do you think I am?" Come on, somebody. I wouldn't want to be in that room that day.

God called Mary out of her ordinary life and into an extraordinary calling that would change the world. See, you think God is looking for the people who are the most likely to succeed, the one who is considered the most attractive, the most handsome, the one who was the queen and the king.

God ain't looking for them. He's looking for the least likely. Come on, somebody. And some of you have disqualified yourself because you think you're not this or you're not that. You are the candidate that God is looking for.

Because you'll be able to say, "It wasn't by power. It wasn't by might. But it was by the handpicking of the Spirit of God that chose me for this here."

You know, as we reflect on these examples here, I want you to ask yourself two questions. What is God calling you out of? And what is God calling you into? I'm going to say it again. What is God calling you out of? And what is He calling you into?

You know, the one I want to just focus on real quickly is Rahab. Rahab was a harlot, y'all. She was a prostitute. And when she saw two Israelite spies who had entered the city to gather some intelligence before Israel's invasion, guess what she did?

She risked her life by hiding them from the king's soldier and helping them escape. Look what it says here in Joshua chapter 2, verse 1. It says in verse 1, "Joshua, the son of Nun, secretly sent two spies from Shittim, saying, 'Go look over the land,' he said, 'especially Jericho.'"

So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there. The king of Jericho was told, "Look, some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land."

So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab. "Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house because they have come to spy out the whole land." But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them.

She said, "Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from." She said, "At dusk, when it was dark, to close the city gate, they left. I don't know which way they went." Now she's lying. She knew exactly where they were. She's hiding them.

And this messed me up for years. I'm like, "Well, now God, now, how did I tell the people? Now, you're about to bless this woman and put her in the bloodline of Jesus Christ. But she just said a lie. Now, help me reconcile this here, because then they're going to go to work on Monday and lie to their boss. That's why I had to lie about that thing. I mean, what?"

You know, Rahab did it, and she put it in the bloodline of Jesus Christ. I need God to help me reconcile this here. She said, "At dusk," she said, "but she said, but he said, but she said."

Yeah, I mean, I just can't reconcile that. I'm like, "She lied for God." Because those men would say, "Well, she lied for God." And it worked, though. That's the part that messed me up.

But she had taken them up. She had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of the flax she had laid on the roof. So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan. And as soon as the pursuers had gone, the gate was shut.

She said, "Before the spies laid down for the night, she went up on the roof and said to them, 'I know that the Lord has given you this land and that great fear of you has fallen on us. So that all who live in this country are men.'"

And she said, "We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt. And what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed."

And they would ask me where y'all was at. I told them, "I don't know." I knew exactly where y'all was at, but I was scared. I'm like, "I ain't with y'all. I'm with them. I'm with them."

When we heard it, our hearts melted in fear. We were scared. And everyone's courage fell because of you. For the Lord your God is God in heaven above on the earth. She knew who... she knew God was with them.

She was willing to leave her family and say, "Hey, I know we blood, but right now, God with them. And I'm going with God in 2025." Come on, somebody. I'm going with God.

She said, "I'm going with God." Rahab stepped out of her past. She stepped out of the fear of the unknown. What do you got to step out? She stepped out of her past being a harlot.

Listen, God used her in a way that transformed her identity from a harlot to an ancestor of the Savior. She went from being known as the harlot of the city to being put in the bloodline of Jesus Christ. Come on, somebody.

I don't care how bad you messed up. I don't care how dark your sin may be. When you get it right with God, when you confess your fault and say, "I messed up, I jacked up," you could be placed in some divine positions where God would do something great through your life.

Who am I talking to right now? You feel like there's no hope for you, that it's over for you. I'm telling you, when your heart melts, it's right with God. He will open up doors that no man can shut, and He will shut doors that no man will be able to open.

What did Rahab step into? She stepped into faith and redemption. Come on, somebody. She stepped into a legacy of honor. I mean, you go from being known as the street girl to the Jesus girl. Come on, somebody.

I don't care how they knew you 10 years ago. I don't care how they knew you at the job. "Oh, she always late." "Well, he always lying." I don't care how they knew you then. You got a new name. Come on, somebody.

I'm the truth teller. I'm always on time. I'm a man of faith. I'm a woman of faith. Yeah, I did that. That was then, but this is now. Come on, somebody.

God's willing to change your name if you're willing to step out of your boat. Quickly, redemption. It's possible for all. There's nobody's situation so dark and so low that God cannot redeem you.

Here's another thing. Faith overcomes fear. When you allow your faith to overcome your fear, there's nothing impossible unto you. When he said to Peter, when Peter said, "Lord, if that be you, bid me to come." He said, "Come."

Peter walked out on the water. He was doing what nobody ever did. He kept his eyes on the word. He kept his eyes on Jesus. In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God, and the word became flesh and walked on water. Come on, somebody.

And said, "Come." As long as Peter kept his eyes on the word, kept his eyes on God, and I'm telling some of y'all now, as long as you keep your eyes on God going into 2025, you're going to walk on stuff that people are drowning in.

You're going to possess stuff that nobody else can't possess. You're going to get out of other stuff that other people can't get out of. Come on, somebody. Stuff that's holding other people down is going to lift you up. Why? Because you are walking with your God.

Faith overcomes fear. Listen, at some point, one man said, "Lord, I believe." But he said, "Help my unbelief." At some point, if you don't deal with that fear, if you don't deal with that fear, it's going to kill out the rest of your faith.

Because faith and fear cannot stay abiding together but so long. Remember when Jesus was about to heal somebody in the room, and Jesus said, "I can't do nothing up in here because somebody is so much doubt in the room."

Remember one town that Jesus went through. He says, "He didn't do no great works there, but heal a friend." He said, "Heal a sick folk." Why? Because of their unbelief. The fear, the doubt that was in the room.

I'm telling some of you right now, you cannot step out the boat going into this new season, into this new year, walking in fear. You have to walk in faith. You saw what happened to Peter when he walked in faith. As long as he was walking in faith, he was walking on water.

But as soon as he walked and stepped into fear, he began to drown. Come on, somebody. And he began to sink when God wanted him to walk on water.

As I close, as we end out this year, as we prepare to go into a new year, as you prepare to go into a new season of whatever it is in your particular life, and maybe some of you are stepping out of the boat, it may be very daunting, just like the storm that was surrounding that boat.

I understand it. I get it. The boat is comfortable right now. Stepping out of the boat, it's going to cost you something. And for some of you, it may cost you your ego. It may cost pride. It may cost people talking about you. It may cost people saying you're stupid or you're crazy, whatever the specificity of it may be.

It's going to cost you something to step out this boat. But I would go this far also to say it's going to cost you something to stay in the boat. When the question is, which one am I willing to pay?

If I'm going to stay in the boat of comfort, stay in the boat of settling, stay in the boat of it's just always how it's going to be, or am I going to step out the boat and try something different?

I remember the lepers at the gate in the Old Testament, and it was outside the gate because the law says you cannot go and be with regular folk. And there was a war about to go on, and the guys that was at... the three lepers at the gate, and one obviously got tired of being at the gate, and he came up with this wild, crazy idea.

He said, "Man, I've been out. Man, I'm hungry. I know they say don't go in that gate. They don't kill us, but the way we're going right now, we're about to die of starvation out here, so I got an idea. Let's try to go in the gate. If they kill us, we just die. If we sit here, we're going to die. That's at least diatron."

Come on, somebody. Come on, somebody. Is your dream worth you stepping out the boat? Is that thing that's in your heart worth you taking a risk looking stupid?

It was a show years ago called something called "Get Rich or Die Trying." Get Rich or Die Trying. Are you willing? Are you willing to take a risk for what you say God called you to do?

Are you willing to take a risk of what you wrote on your vision board that you're going to help X amount of people get out of debt, that you're going to help this kind of house by this time next year? Come on, somebody.

See, some of you wrote on your vision board, "I'm going to be married in 2024, or at least engaged." 2024. 2024. You ain't nowhere near married, and engagement is nowhere in sight, and here's the reason why.

Because the man probably passed you by, or the woman probably passed you by, but the man probably passed you by, but you was in Walmart with a bonnet on your head.

Do not email me. Do not text me. Do not text me. I can't believe you. You there, that pastor. I wear my bonnet every Saturday when I go for that right now. Don't bother with me, pastor.

I'm just playing, just making the message understandable, y'all. Make it relatable. But he probably came right past you. He saw that bonnet. He said, "Let me keep on walking. Keep on stepping. She ain't the one."

But the funny thing is, with your bonnet off and your hair done right, girl, you bad. All by yourself. We just don't see it with that bonnet on your head.

And then you double down with it by putting... That man said, "I'll pass." Don't text me. Email me. I'm joking. I want you to get the point. I'm going to make it plain.

You walk around your pants hanging down. No reason. Don't got not one belt. Saying, "Where she at?" She don't pass by 20 times. She's looking for another. Come on, somebody.

I'm trying to figure out who's looking at anybody with their pants down. Okay, anyway. Step out the boat. Step out the boat. Get uncomfortable. We'll be... Get comfortable with being uncomfortable as we go into this new year.

Let's trust God for something absolutely amazing. And watch us here. If you have to do it afraid, do it afraid. But whatever you do, don't stay in the boat.

Let's give God a praise for His word. Let's stand to your feet. Let's pray.

Father, we thank you for your word. Thank you for speaking to our hearts. Thank you for speaking to our minds. Thank you for challenging us. This last message of 2024 to step out of our boat.

God, they know what their boat is, and if they don't, God, I pray that over the next few hours, the next day or so that God, you show them the boats that you're challenging them to step out of.

And maybe some are sitting in a boat of shame. A boat of hurt. Maybe your boat is fear, a boat of unforgiveness, whatever the specificity of it is. God, I pray that you will reveal to each of us what boat, what boats we need to step out of to experience your best in our lives.

Maybe someone is past the core. I needed this world today. I know you, but I don't know him. I've shaken your hand, but I've yet to shake God's hand. I got good religion, but I don't have a personal relationship with this God.

I know church very well, but I don't know him that way. I want to know this God you're talking about. I want to know what it means to be born again. I want to know what it means to be redeemed.

I want to know what it means to be even placed and grafted into the bloodline of Jesus Christ, to be born again, to become an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ Jesus. I want to know what that means.

Or maybe you're saying, "Hey, Pastor Corey, I already made that decision. I'm already assured of my salvation. I know whenever that day comes, 80, 90, 100 years from now, when I take my last breath, that I will enter into the presence of God, my creator. I have that assurance. I have that confidence.

But what I don't have is a church home that teaches the word of God in such a way that I can take it and apply it to my life and see my faith, my family, and my life grow and be transformed by it.

I believe I can hear God's voice in this place. I believe I can hear God's voice speak directly to me in a way that I can understand so that I can grow and go deeper and become all that God desires me to be.

I believe my faith, my family can grow here at Hope City Church. So if you're in this place, I'm not going to call you up, I'm not going to call you out, but right there at your seat, you're saying, "Hey, this message resonates with me, and today I want to respond by accepting Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I'm making Hope City Church my home."

Whichever one, I want to pray for you right there at your seat. So on the count of three, no pressure, no problem. Just if this message, you feel that it was for you and that your next step, your stepping out of the boat, stepping towards salvation, stepping towards a church home where you can grow in your faith walk with God.

One, two, three, will there be one? No pressure, no pressure at all. Will there be one? Will there be one? Will there be one? Will there be one? No pressure, no pride. Will there be one? Will there be one? Will there be one?

Father, we thank you for your word. Thank you for speaking to our hearts. And God, I pray that this final message of 2024 will resonate, come lift your hands towards heaven, that this message will resonate with everyone's heart and that we'll see a hundredfold return on the seed sown that were planted through this word today.

And God, that they will see their life, their lives transformed by it, and that we will go deeper in everything you're calling us to do. We honor you now in Jesus' name, I pray. Amen. Amen. Amen.

Let's give God a praise for His word on today.