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Preacher: Landon Bryant

Texts: Jonah 1:3-5, 15-17; 2:1, 10 & Matthew 14:22-33

What if the storm outside isn’t the real threat—and the storm inside is? We open with breath and prayer, then move into two sea-soaked stories that refuse to let fear write the ending. Jonah runs from a calling he judges impossible, only to find that God’s presence fills even the places chosen as escape routes. Inside the belly of a great fish, he discovers a hard-won resolve that leads to Nineveh’s surprising turnaround and a reminder that mercy can reach people we’ve already ruled out.

From there we step onto rough water with Peter. After a long night and a contrary wind, Jesus appears walking across the waves. Peter asks to join him, and for a few steps he does what no one expects. The moment the wind takes his focus, he starts to sink—until Jesus grabs hold and asks the question that lingers: why did you doubt? We explore why Jesus “made” the disciples board in the first place, and consider a perspective that Peter’s doubt may have been less about Jesus and more about his own capacity to live like his rabbi. Faith becomes more than belief; it becomes apprenticed confidence shaped by attention.

Across both passages, a single thread holds: where we place our gaze changes what becomes possible. Jonah learns that obedience can open the door to communal renewal. Peter learns that courage grows step by step, especially when the wind rises. Together they invite us to trust God’s nearness and also trust that, by grace, we can take the next faithful step. Listen for a grounded, hopeful take on fear, focus, and the kind of trust that carries you through the waves.

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