Right then, Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead to the other side of the lake while he dismissed the crowds. When he sent them away, he went up onto a mountain by himself to pray. Evening came and he was alone. Meanwhile, the boat, fighting a strong headwind, was being battered by the waves and was already far away from land. Very early in the morning he came to his disciples, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified and said, “It’s a ghost!” They were so frightened they screamed.

Just then Jesus spoke to them, “Be encouraged! It’s me. Don’t be afraid.”

Peter replied, “Lord, if it’s you, order me to come to you on the water.”

And Jesus said, “Come.”

Then Peter got out of the boat and was walking on the water toward Jesus. But when Peter saw the strong wind, he became frightened. As he began to sink, he shouted, “Lord, rescue me!”

Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him, saying, “You man of weak faith! Why did you begin to have doubts?” When they got into the boat, the wind settled down.

Then those in the boat worshipped Jesus and said, “You must be God’s Son!”

-Matthew 14:22-32

In the midst of our storms, God always shows up.  But sometimes we have trouble recognizing the Spirit at work.  We might be too focused on our own faith and feelings; or we might be looking for a bigger miracle than God has planned.  Yet if we reach out, Christ is still there, waiting to catch hold and bring us to safety.  [hear sermon audio]

This week, take some time to go deeper.  Ponder your own baptism, or what being baptized could mean for your life.  Read and reflect on these scriptures and questions.

Texts to read:

• 1 Kings 19: 11-13
• Romans 8:26-39

Questions to ponder:

• What storms are raging in your life right now?
• How have you asked God to be present?
• Taking a hard look, where might God have already shown up?

Do and share:

• The news is full of weather related stories right now.  Share a story about God showing up in affected communities to our twitter: @dpumc.
• Is God calling you to be present for someone else in turmoil?  Tell us about it on our Facebook page (dpumctx)