One-on-one with God (Mt 14:22-33)

(1) Living with real distance, real waves, real winds 

  - Why they exist:

    1. Satan's purpose - attack our faith in chrit

    2. Christ's purpose - build faith (watch Christ's & Peter's esponse here)  

 we don't choose to go through it

 but God permits them to come to us

(2) introspect: where do we stand in our walk with God? 

- like peter in this passage: caught midway between faith & doubt 

 - doubt weighs us down and we sink 

- when do we doubt? when we focus on things other than Christ. 

(3) Desire and pursue the ONE-on-1 experience with GOd

- an experience we tremble to go through, yet we desire because God is faithful.

1. respond to Him by "venturing a step" - doubter can do great things too! (Peter > Rock later)

2. trust in Christ alone 

- what does it mean? Focus right - in His character, His promise, His past faithfulness 

- WALK (so that you can verify on your own) 

- Christ is sovereign even in the most dire situations you are in. His sovereignty gives careful consideration to your "threshold" 

- if you do not go 1-1 with God, what you know and heard of God (His wonderful work and beautiful promises) will remain abstract --> can we say "you're the son of living God"?

Conclusion

- Fear not the problems, but the wrong focus. 

- faith placed not in ourselves or ideal circumstances but on Christ for who He is and what He has done.