Show notes
It’s late, the shoreline has vanished and the boat is pitching under a wind that seems determined to swallow the night. From a classroom in Los Angeles, the Facilitator Rev. Cliff Higgins takes you back to that Sea of Galilee moment right after Jesus feeds five thousand, where fear and worship collide. The disciples are beaten by waves, hearts pounding, when the impossible appears: a figure walking on water!
Through the rhythm of scripture and the warmth of a Sunday school class, this episode unpacks the calling of the 4th watch; the quiet, sacred hours between 3 and 6 AM, when God’s most strategic interventions have often begun. You’ll ride the narrative with Peter as he hears Jesus’ single-word invitation, climbs out of the safety of the boat, and begins to walk on water. For a moment, bold faith carries him across the sea; then taking his focus from Jesus, glancing at the storm, he begins to sink. There's a nugget right there!
Rev. Higgins and the class turn that ancient scene into a mirror for our lives: the debts that feel like deep water, the medical alarms that jolt us awake, the upcoming elections, and storms of the world that can weigh us down and cause despair. Yet in the thunder of anxiety comes powerful words that can change everything: "Have courage." "It is I." "Don’t be afraid." The voice is not a platitude but the Great I Am, the one who created the sea and stills the wind. "Him" Jesus Christ!
More than doctrine, this episode becomes practical formation. You’ll hear Rev . Higgins' plea for solitude prayer, a temporary withdrawal from noise to listen starting with five or fifteen minutes and growing into transformative hours. There’s honest confession about cell phones, morning routines, and the way quiet moments carve out room for God to speak.
As the story reaches its climax, Jesus’ hand pulls Peter from the verge of drowning. The wind stops. The disciples worship. The classroom exhales with the same realization: Jesus is both human companion and divine rescuer. Worship becomes the natural response to being saved, and faith the only posture that lets you step out of the boat.
This episode invites you into a narrative, not just a lesson: to recognize the storms, to get up in the fourth watch if God rouses you, to answer the call to come, and to keep your eyes on Jesus when the storms of life come and the waves roar. Whether you are deeply seasoned in faith or simply curious, you’ll leave with a challenge; start small in solitude prayer, trust the hand that reaches for you, and let worship rise from the place of rescue.
Walk with this class, through laughter, testimony, and hard questions about doubt, and let the closing prayer minister to you: "be of good cheer, have courage, it is I, don’t be afraid." This episode of In God’s Service re-tells an ancient rescue so you can meet the one who rescues you today. Jesus Christ; "I'm Him"!
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