Life.Church with Craig Groeschel - Faith in the Middle of the Storm

Episode Date: March 23, 2025

One moment of brave faith can change everything. See how trusting God—even in uncertainty—can lead you to something greater than you ever imagined.NEXT STEPSHave you made the decision to follow Jesus? You might be wondering what’s next for you. We want to help! Check out these resources to ​​discover what saying yes to Jesus means: https://www.life.church/yesGET TO KNOW YOU—NEW!You get to hear our voices—now we want to hear yours! Check out this special survey for podcast listeners. It’ll allow us to get to know you better and hear how we can support you. Find the survey at: https://www.life.church/podcastconnectABOUT THIS MESSAGEIs there a part of your life you've stopped believing could get better? Imagine if one bold step could unlock a new future. It's time to believe more is possible.Ready to break free from fear? This 3-day Bible Plan is designed to help you fight fear and find peace: https://www.go2.lc/fearplanABOUT LIFE.CHURCHWherever you are in life, you have a purpose. Life.Church wants to help you find your next step. Our hope is that your journey will include joining us at a Life.Church location throughout the United States or globally online at https://www.live.life.churchFind locations, videos, and more info about us at https://www.life.church or download the Life.Church app at https://www.life.church/appFIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIAFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/life.churchInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/life.churchTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifechurchYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@life.churchCONNECT WITH PASTOR CRAIG GROESCHELYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/craiggroeschelFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/craiggroeschelInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/craiggroeschelTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@craiggroeschel#lifechurch #robertmadu Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

My wife and I have three kids, three little humans. And recently, my oldest daughter came to me with a homework assignment or really a school assignment that I actually could help her with. This bless my life, okay? All the parents know what I'm talking about. There is nothing more scary than when your child comes to you with stuff that you don't understand and you can't help them with. There's nothing scary than when your child's like, can you help me with this? And you're like, okay. Hold on one second.

Chad GPT real quick. What is nine times three? That's not a good feeling. So, but recently my daughter, she wanted help because she was preparing for their spelling bee, their spelling bee. I said, oh, communication, words, I got you, girl. So we started practicing working on her spelling bee. We had the flashcards and everything. And I'll tell you what word almost took us out. I'll tell you the word that almost took us out. We had to go over it and over it. It'll take some of y'all out here today. Wednesday. That's the word that almost took us out. I said, okay, baby girl, I don't care how it phonetically sounds.

It is wed-n-nes-day. That's how you're going to get through this spelling bee. So we worked all week, and I'm just so glad to announce today that my baby girl got fourth place in the whole school. Fourth place. Oh, yes. And she got home, and she was like, Daddy, I don't ever want to do that again. And it got me to thinking, like, why are we still dead?

doing spelling bees. Isn't this crazy that we're still doing this in America today? I did my research. We have been doing spelling bees in this country since 1808. Since 1808, we have been forcing children to get on stage with a microphone and spell. Ladies and gentlemen, you understand that the number one human fear is public speaking. The number one human fear is death is number two. That means people would rather have a funeral than speak at a funeral, okay? And we're We're going to subjugate kids to spelling on stage. We got to stop this. And then I started thinking, who, I wonder if God had a spelling bee. What would be the word he would make us spell?

I know you're looking at me like God wouldn't give us a spelling bee. Well, he's not just God. He's not just master. He's also a teacher. And I started thinking, if God had a spelling bee, what would be the word that he would make every believer past, present, and future spell? I think I know what it is. Faith. Faith. I am convinced that in God's spelling me, the word that he would make you stand on a stage, knees, knocking, hands shaken, and spell would be faith. Ladies and gentlemen, in your walk with the Lord, faith is not optional. Faith is essential. Faith is the oxygen of our relationship with God. Faith is critical. Faith, it's almost impossible to over. overestimate the value of what faith is. Faith is so important that when the Apostle Paul is writing to the church at Ephesus and he lets them know about what their salvation is, he said, it is by grace you have been saved through faith. Not of yourselves that anybody should boast. It is the gift of God.

It says that we walk by faith, not by sight. The writer of Hebrews says that without faith, it is impossible, impossibly, to please God. Faith is everything. Faith is so important that somebody in here can testify. I am here today because I've been walking this journey by faith. I'm not here by my own intellect. I'm not here by my own gifting. Every step I've had to take has been a step of faith. And faith is so critical.

And maybe because people talk about faith in church all the time, maybe I need to explain what faith is not. Faith is not a personality test. Faith is not a characteristic. Faith is not like a class. can take and then once you take the class you're like oh done with that don't have to go through that anymore no no no no faith is deeper than that hobby lobby picture that you saw with the cat holding on to the road talking about keep the faith no no no faith although it is a noun it best operates as a verb

because if there's anything that faith will demand from you it is action who faith demands action faith will demand that you take a step faith will unsettle you faith will show you faith will shake you. Faith will not allow you to sit in complacency. Faith won't let you sit on the sideline. Faith will push you into everything that God has for you. Faith will make you leave a good job with great benefits and say, I'm out here. I don't know what's next, but I'm trusting God. Faith will make you move to a city that you don't even like, but you know that God told you to go there. Faith will make your family members look at you like you have lost your mind. Go on, what are you doing? This makes no sense. You're like, I know, but he's calling. He's

me faith is not for those who want to play it safe. Faith is not for those who want comfort. Faith is for those who are walking with God and it is critical. Let me tell you why most of us miss God's spelling B because God gives us the word faith, right? He says spell it and we get up on stage and we get ready to spell faith and we go, all right, faith. S, try again. Like, okay, faith. All right. C, Try again. You're like, all right. Faith. Oh, here it is.

P. E. And God's like, that messed up half of y'all. Because, you know, believers are notorious for going, you know, I don't really have a peace about this. I just, as if God gives you a peace

for everything that you're about to step into. Can you imagine God in the Garden of Gessimity? I don't really have a peace about going to the cross. Of course you don't have a peace about it, but yet it was God's will to crucify him And thank God he didn't go just from a peace. We got salvation because he was obedient when it wasn't comfortable. I'm just waiting on a piece.

I'm glad I didn't wait for a piece before I decided to show up and preach to y'all today. I would be at the house watching Netflix. No, here's how you spell faith. You ready? Spelled risk. Can you use it in a sentence? We walk by risk and not by sight. Risk is the substance of things hope for.

It is the evidence of things not said. let it be to you according to your risk. Your risk has made you whole. It was by risk that Noah built an ark before he ever saw one drop of rain. It was by risk that Abraham went to a land that God was going to show him. And Sarah conceived, even while she was a senior citizen, everybody who walked a walk of faith took the risk. I want to encourage somebody who's been planning it safe to take a step of faith. to take the risk. If you haven't had a season recently where you felt like, we're out here, I would dare say you are not walking by faith. You are walking by safe. And I'm urging you, your chocolate brother from the great country of Texas, is begging you to take the step of faith

to take the risk. Brings me to my text today. A classic story. Come on, Jesus walking on the water and Peter walking on the water. I'm curious, Life Church fam, what are you more intrigued with? The fact that Jesus walked on the water or Peter walked on the water? Peter, same, same. I really wouldn't impress that Jesus walked on the water.

I figure if you can speak water into existence, you could probably walk on it. But Peter walking on water? I mean, I've been intrigued with this text. I was like, kid, y'all. Come on, don't act like you never went to a swimming pool as a kid that was like, let me just see it.

If it works, I am blown away that, Peter, I mean of all the disciples, I get if it was the beloved John, you know, the one that's always laying his head on the chest of Jesus. I get if he walked on water. But Peter? Disfunctional, Peter? The one who speaks and then thinks? The one who's always putting his foot in his mouth? Peter, the one who one day he's up and the next day he's down.

Peter, the one that Jesus had to rebuke and say, Satan, get behind me. Peter, the one that Jesus, when he said no weapons, still brought a knife anyway and cuts ears off? Oh, that blows my mind. This is the guy that walked on H2O. On top of that, after he walks on water, Jesus picks him up and says, oh, you of little faith. Why did you doubt? You mean to tell me dysfunctional Peter with little faith was able to walk on water? Ladies gentlemen, there is hope for us if God could use Peter with all his issues and little faith,

and he walked on water, I wonder what God could do in you and through you if you just had a little bit of faith. Just a little bit. See, it's never about the size of your faith. It is always about the object of your faith, who is Jesus. Look at this dysfunctional dude with just a little bit of faith out here walking on water. So I really was intrigued with Peter walking on water. I was not that intrigued with Jesus walking on water. But then I felt like God started speaking to me.

And he said, well, the reason you're not impressed with me walking on water is because you have the benefit of reading the Bible in retrospect. You are sitting down and reading in one setting what they walked through in three years next to me. And you have to understand that when he called the disciples, the 12 that walked with him, they said yes. They took a risk. They left businesses. They took a step of faith. They said, we'll follow you. but they didn't really know who they were following.

They knew, but they didn't really know. Because how many know, Jesus did not disclose all that he was on day one. He did it over time. He was just disclosing who he was over time. So when they said, I'll follow you, they didn't really know who they were following. They knew, but they didn't know. They knew like the married people in here today. Like when you said, I do, you said I do, but you didn't really know what you said I do to.

Come on. It's over the years that you're. realize, oh, that's what I said I do too. Wow. Okay, you never pick up your clothes off the floor. That's what I said I do too. Your credit score is fine. Wow, that's what I said. You find out over the years, you find out. So watch this. The disciples said, we'll follow you. But over time, they got a revelation of who he was, which shows us a principle that God always gives you the revelation after the risk. The revelation comes after the risk. It's after you make the move that he often does the miracle.

It's after you've taken the step that he reveals the thing to you. So those of you who are waiting for God to give you a PowerPoint presentation of what the future is going to look like and you want to know the 10-year plan, you might be stuck for years because God will show you the revelation after you take the risk, after you take the step. Oh, look at Jesus. He's better than me. I wouldn't have done it that way. If I'm the son of the living God, I would have revealed everything on day one. Your gospels would be this thin. Because day one, I'm multiplying fish and bread. I'm healing everybody. I'm glowing in the dark. I mean, I'm just doing it all on day one. But not Jesus. Look at him over time. He would reveal this this is what I'm able to do. And watch this. As they trust and as they took a step and as they walked with him, they got deeper revelation. Who? One time he even tried to get them to go away. He tried to make them leave. He said, unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you can have no part in me. Canibalism? Is that what we doing, Jesus? So many left that day. He even tried to get them to leave. Y'all want to leave too?

They're like, no, where else we're going to go? We were already out here. And they just trusted him. And they took a step day by day. Allow me just to use my exegetical imagination. Can you imagine walking with Jesus and you don't really know what's in him, but he's revealing it to you day by day? Just imagine you're Matthew, the tax collector, so you know he takes good notes. So I can see Matthew with papyrus and a pen, just keeping a catalog of all the things that he didn't even know was in him. And because he's so into categories and tabs, you know he had like one tab called what Jesus can do with the water. Can you see Matthew? And they're at a wedding one day, and it's the after party, and they're dancing.

And Jesus on the dance floor, I don't know how you see Jesus, but I see him on the dance floor. Some of you, your face is telling me that you don't. You think he's on the sideline. No, no, no, no, he's on the dance floor. And all of a sudden they run out of wine at this wedding. They run out of wine. They fill the water jugs with water, and the savior of the universe changes the molecular structure of H-2-0 to Pino-N-War. And Matt goes, can turn water into why. He keeps walking with them. God keeps revealing.

One day, they're trying to catch fish. They can't catch anything fished all night. Here's Jesus. Throw your nets on the other side. They're like, what do you know? He's a carpenter. Just try it. They throw their nets on the other side,

catch more fish than they've ever caught. Matt goes, knows where the fish are underneath the water. One day they're talking about taxes and how to pay it. And Jesus is like, oh yeah, go catch a fish. And the first one you catch, pull the coin out of its mouth and pay your tax with that. They go catch a fish. The first one coin in its mouth match like,

knows which fish under the water has money in their mouth. This guy is incredible. And all of a sudden, they're in a storm one day. Not the storm of our text. Understand that this storm in Matthew 14 is not the disciples' first storm. They've been in a storm before. The storm that preceded this one, the winds and the waves are crashing. And Jesus is not screaming on the boat with them.

They're, ah! Jesus is on the boat. Talking about sleeping. Mark says on a cushion, on a pillow, taking a good nap in a hurricane. And you know they don't know the power that's in him by what they said to him. Because they did not go, Jesus, wake up and go up to the edge and say peace be still. They didn't say that. They didn't know that was in him. So since they didn't have a comprehension of his power, they attacked his care.

They said, don't you care about us? We're about to die. And Jesus gets up, he's like, oh, you want to talk about my care for you. Hold on. And he goes to the edge of the boat and just goes, peace. Be still. And their jaw hit the floor because they didn't know that he could calm storms with the words that came out of his mouth. So Matt pulls out his pen and goes, can calm storms with three words.

By the way, if you're in a storm, as long as he's on your boat, everything is going to be okay. Period. That sounds awesome. And I'm glad you clap for that, because I have preached that. As long as Jesus is on your boat, everything's going to be okay. As long as he's on your boat, everything's going to be fine. The only problem with that is Matthew chapter 14. Jesus is not on the boat.

He's not there. And their only context up to this point is that if he's he's on your boat, he'll say peace be still and the storm will be calm. But what do you do? When you're on the boat, you're in the middle of the lake and the storm is taken you under. And Jesus is nowhere to be found. He wasn't there. And watch this. You didn't even want to get on this boat. He made you get on the boat. And now you're facing a storm. Ladies and gentlemen, this is not a storm of disobedience. This is a storm of obedience. This is a storm of obeying what he told you to do. And now the winds and the waves are coming at you. Hear me, I've grown up in church and we talk a lot about the storms of

disobedience. Come on, I've preached that message. That's Jonah. I appreciate it every youth camp. You're in the storm right now because of your disobedience. But this is not the case. They're in this storm because they were obedient. He told them to get on the boat and they obeyed and now they're facing a storm. What does that mean? You can be in the perfect will of God and still be facing a storm. You can be in the center of God's will and still be going through the storm. Away with this cotton candy theology that makes everybody think that if I'm in the perfect will of God, I'm always going to get a raise and I'm always going to get a Tesla. Explain Matthew 14. They are in the will of God and the winds and the waves are coming against them.

I don't know who this message is for today, but maybe you're in a storm, not a disobedience, but a storm of obedience. But you trusted God. You said, God, I'm going to trust you with my finances and I'm going to tithe. And now you're hit with the crazy medical bill.

Now your car is breaking down. You say, God, I'm going to get out of this relationship that I know is not healthy. Some young person said, I know I've got to end this relationship. But now you're facing the storm of a Friday night by yourself and you're wondering if you should go back and God

sent me on assignment to tell you trust him even when he's not in the boat. Trust him. Trust that the same God that said, I'm going to send you to the other side is the same God that'll make sure you get to the other side even if he's not

in the boat with you. God was setting them up for what was about to occur because you understand he was going to leave them and ascend to heaven and he wasn't always going to be there in physical form. And he wanted to show them, can you trust me even when you don't see me there? Can you trust me and still have faith when the winds and the waves are coming against you? And I'm not in your boat.

It's interesting because there they are fighting the wind. The Bible is clear. The wind was against them. If you study storms, they categorize storms by the strength of the wind. Category one, two, three, four. Isn't that crazy if they would categorize a storm by something you can't even see? I've noticed that a lot of people are going through storms and you can look at their life on the surface but have no clue the wind that they're facing. That's why you ought to be careful what you say to people. You ought to be somebody that, encourages other people. You have no clue. The wind that's coming against people. Because we don't post our wind on Instagram. We post our winds. And here they are fighting against the wind. And what is Jesus doing? The Bible says, he is watching them from a distance. What? You mean to tell me that I'm about to go under and I've got salt water in my eyes? And you have

the nerve to be watching me while I'm struggling? Watching me while I'm about to drown? Maybe you feel that when you're like, God, where are you? In the text, Jesus is just watching them. Y'all, this seems like malpractice to me. Why are you watching them while they're struggling? But I think there's two ways to look at it. One way is to shake your fist at God and say, how dare you watch me while I'm here struggling? And another way is to say, I'm so glad that even when I'm in a storm, he's never takes his eye off of me, that God is always looking at me, that he is Elroy, the God who sees me. Oh, somebody ought to thank God for that. That no matter the storm, God has never taken his eye off of you because he loves you so much. He's watching. This is not a God

who doesn't care. This is a God who is watching your every step. Even when you feel like you're about to go under, he never took his eye. Beautiful Savior that doesn't get distracted, but can keep his eye on him. I have a rule. I have to be careful when I go to public parks. My wife knows this. She's like, keep your eyes on the kids. Because I go to a park and I'll just be talking to somebody.

I'd be like, hey, you should come to church. And then all of a sudden I'll look and I'm like, hold on, I lost one. Hey, stop talking to me. You distracted me. Can I tell you some good news? Your Savior cannot be distracted. He's able to see you right where you are. He has never taken his eyes off of you.

Look at how cool, calm, and collected Jesus is. They're struggling. He's watching. them. And then when he goes to them, he does not run on the water. I'm sorry, if I'm about to drown, this text should be Jesus ran on water. Help! He doesn't run. He walks on water. Can you see him? Even the Greek speaks to Jesus just doing a casual stroll on water. Walking on water, you know why he's walking and not running? Because this was not a rescue mission. This was a revelation mission.

He was showing them who he was. He was showing them by walking on water, cool, calm, and collected, that I'm walking on top of the thing that's trying to take you under. So if it's trying to take you under and I'm walking on top of it, you need to know I have authority over it. And can I just declare to somebody who's listening to this message today, the thing that you think is going to take you under, God has authority over it.

He has authority over sickness, authority over disease, authority over anxiety, authority over depression. Oh, I'm telling you, he can walk on top of what seeks to take you under. And he walks on top of it to show those who took the risk. Look at the revelation. I'm a God that has all power and all authority. It's a ghost they can't see. I would have thought the same thing too.

I've seen too many horror movies. It's dark. There's a figure walking on the lake I can't see. they shouted, it's a ghost because they were afraid. And look at how he reveals himself. He says to them, take courage. It is I. Don't be afraid.

Take courage. It is I. Don't be afraid. Somebody came all the way to Life Church to get those three stanzas right there. Take courage. It is I. Don't be afraid. Take courage.

Notice he didn't say muster up some courage. He said, take courage. How many of you know, Jesus would not have told them to take courage if courage was not within their reach. He said, take courage. I don't know who this is for, but I'm telling you, I know you're afraid and you're in a storm right now. But Jesus would not say take courage if courage was not within your reach. It's within your grass by him commanding them to take courage. That means courage was within their reach.

Take courage. And this is the part that really blessed me. Look at what he says. It is I. Huh? It is I? I can't see you. How about you say it is Jesus? No, it is I. What is he saying in that? Imagine I go to your house and I knock on the door and you have no peephole and no ring camera. And I say, open up. You're like, who is it? And I say, it is I. What are you going to say? It is who? You better reveal yourself. But if I'm saying, it is I.

I must have confidence that you have enough familiarity with my voice, that you know who I am, that I don't even have to give you my name. The disciples didn't even know. They had already been prepared for the storm that they were in. They had enough history with the voice of God that all he had to say was, it is I. And when you know it's him, how do you know, you don't have to be afraid. He said, it is I. You know me.

And is there anybody that can testify that if God has ever brought you through one thing, He can bring you through this storm you're facing right now. Come on, if he's ever healed you before, he can heal you again. If he's ever done a miracle before, come on, somebody. He can do a miracle again. It is, I, don't be afraid. Take courage. So maybe you're out, and you've taken the step and you feel like you're out there.

God wants you to know that if he brought you through that, he'll bring you through this. And it's worth, don't go back to what's safe. because it would have been easy, especially when the wind was coming against them. It would have been so easy to turn around and go back. Then the wind would have pushed them back. They said, no, we're going to keep going. And God revealed himself, take the risk. It's worth it.

When a Savior who sends you is the same one who will sustain you. Would you bow your heads with me today? Father, thank you for your word. I pray for my brother and sister, who you've been calling to take the same. step of faith to take the risk. God, give them the strength to do it. God, thank you. And if you sent us, you will strengthen us and you will sustain us. Help us to trust you, even when we can't trace you or see you. In Jesus' name. Amen. Love you, Life, Church. Well, I know God is speaking to to so many of you today and online or all of our churches. Wonder how many of you, maybe you're

going through something right now and you need a little faith or maybe you've been playing it safe and you need some faith at all of our churches. If you recognize that maybe God's calling you to take a risk or you need a little more faith, maybe lift up your hands in a symbol of worship right now all over the place online. You can type in the comment section, I need some faith and I want to pray for you, God. I pray especially for those who may be in the middle of a storm right now and feel like you're not on the boat. God, we thank you that you're on. are on us, that your power is with us. And God, that in a moment, you have authority over all things and you can speak peace. We put our faith in you, God. God, I pray for you that you would

stir up some faith in someone that may be playing it safe. Got faith to take the risk. Got faith to venture out. Faith to make the ask. Faith to start it. Faith to believe that you are with us. God increase our faith. Help us to walk by faith and not by sight. As you keep praying today, if we could just sit down and kind of talk about, you know, where you are spiritually, somebody may say, you know, I'm going to try to be a good person, but I'm not really sure where I stand with God. What's amazing is that we're never made right with God by our own effort, by our own religious activity, by being good or not being bad. But the way that we're making, right with God's scripture says is by grace through faith. It's amazing that it's the grace of God.

In other words, we can't be good enough and we can't ever earn it and we don't deserve to be right with God. But it's by his grace through our faith. The only way we're made right with God is by grace through faith. And I want to speak directly to someone today. You don't know where you stand with God. Well, guess what? Today, By the grace of God, he can forgive your sins. And how does he do it? When you put your faith in him, no matter what's going in your life right now, no matter maybe how far away God feels, no matter how bad you feel about what you've done,

you can be safe, forgiven, changed by the grace of God through faith. So what are we going to do today? We're going to step away from our sins that the Bible calls it repentance. We're just turning away. And we're going to put our faith in Jesus. Who is Jesus? the one who walks on waters, the one who calmed storms, the one who gave his life and was raised again so that we could be saved by grace through faith, no matter where you are or what's going on in

your life right now, if you want to devote your whole life to God, if you want to know that you belong to him, if you need the forgiveness of your sins, if you want to know that he's with you, that you belong to him by grace through faith. We're stepping away from our sins. We're saying, Jesus, I trust you. I give you my life today, wherever you are. That's you. You need his grace. Do you need his forgiveness? By faith we call on him. By faith we say yes. By faith we give our lives to Jesus. If that's you and you're ready to say by grace. Through faith, I trust in him. If that's your prayer, would you lift your hands high? Right now today at all of our churches just lift your hands up and say yes. Jesus, I trust you. I give you my life. I say yes.

Online type in the comment section. I'm putting my faith in Jesus to save me. I'm putting my faith in Jesus. And would you just pray today wherever you are? Pray, pray Heavenly Father, I put my faith in you. I put my faith in Jesus to save me, to be the Lord of my life. Fill me with your Holy Spirit so I could know you, so I could trust you, so I could live by faith. Thank you for new life. I give you all of mine.

In Jesus' name, I pray, and all God's people took a moment by grace through faith to tell God, thank you for who you are. Thank you for a new life in Christ.