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Miracles | Week 2 | Daniel Goulding | Echoes Church · Rewind

Echoes Church

37 min

Daniel Goulding · May 7, 2025 · 4 min read · 37 min listen

The big idea

The storms Jesus leads us into are not a sign He's absent — they're the very place where little faith gets tested into a faith that can be trusted, and where we finally answer the question, who is this man?

In this message

The big idea
Point 1 of 6Jesus is led by the Spirit, not by the crowd
Point 2 of 6The journey begins with a promise, not a guarantee of ease

Point 3 of 6The storm was real, possibly Jesus-caused, and it wasn't a mistake
Point 4 of 6Jesus sleeping in the storm is not distance, it's peace we're invited into
Point 5 of 6Little faith, handed to Jesus, is enough to move mountains
Point 6 of 6Everything comes down to one question: who is this man?
Take it into your week
Transcript

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Scripture in this message

Matthew 8
Matthew 8:1
Matthew 8:23
Mark 4
Matthew 8:24
James 1

Rewind AI drafted the Big Idea and some point headings shown here from the sermon transcript. Always trust the sermon itself over anything here. How Rewind uses AI

Daniel Goulding · May 7, 2025 · 37 min watch · 2 min read

Miracles | Week 2 | Daniel Goulding | Echoes Church

In this message

Big Idea
Key points
Application

Scripture in this message

Matthew 8
Matthew 8:1
Matthew 8:23
Mark 4
Matthew 8:24
James 1

Big Idea Key points Application

Big Idea

The storms Jesus leads us into are not a sign He's absent — they're the very place where little faith gets tested into a faith that can be trusted, and where we finally answer the question, who is this man?

Jesus doesn't just do miracles that leave us in awe — He leads us through storms that actually grow our faith. Following Him was never a promise that hardship disappears, but a promise that we get to the other side, and that even little, mustard-seed faith handed to Him can bring about the miraculous.

Key points

1
1Jesus is led by the Spirit, not by the crowd
Pastor Daniel notes that in Matthew 8, large crowds followed Jesus, but Jesus was never following the crowd's expectations. Even after healing a man with leprosy, a centurion's servant, and Peter's mother-in-law while the crowd swelled to a frenzy, Jesus turned away from the notoriety and got His disciples into a boat instead.
2
2The journey begins with a promise, not a guarantee of ease
Drawing out details Mark's gospel adds to the story, Pastor Daniel points out Jesus told the disciples plainly, 'let us go to the other side' — meaning they had His word they would get through the storm before it ever came. The disciples also had to choose to leave the crowd and accept Jesus into the boat as He actually is, not as they wished Him to be.
3
3The storm was real, possibly Jesus-caused, and it wasn't a mistake
Pastor Daniel highlights that professional fishermen were convinced they would die, suggesting a storm of supernatural scale that Jesus himself may have brought them into. He's careful to say this doesn't mean God causes every hardship, but that Jesus understood the storm would strengthen disciples He knew would soon face the cross and persecution.
4
4Jesus sleeping in the storm is not distance, it's peace we're invited into
Correcting a Hollywood picture of a grand ship, Pastor Daniel shows that a first-century fishing boat put Jesus right next to the panicking disciples, not far away. He argues Christians aren't exempt from storms, but are exempt from storms with no purpose, and that peace instead of panic can be the church's witness to a watching world.
5
5Little faith, handed to Jesus, is enough to move mountains
Jesus's words 'why are you afraid, you have so little faith' are framed not as rebuke but instruction — the miracle didn't require perfect faith, just faith small as a mustard seed. Pastor Daniel connects this to Matthew 17:20 and challenges the room that little faith is a fine starting point but shouldn't be where believers stay.
6
6Everything comes down to one question: who is this man?
After Jesus calms the sea with a word, the disciples ask the question the whole story was building toward. Pastor Daniel presses that this isn't an intellectual or historical question but a personal one, inviting each listener to decide for themselves who Jesus is to them.

A story from life

Story about a childhood neighbor named David whose unexpectedly powerful kickball kick changed how the whole cul-de-sac regarded him.

Application

Pastor Daniel frames the ask around measuring the time from panic to peace and bringing whatever little faith you have to Jesus.

Answer who Jesus is for yourself
Move past an intellectual or historical answer and personally decide who Jesus is to you, especially if storms are raging in or around your life right now.
Bring your little faith to Jesus
Don't wait for big or perfect faith before expecting God to move — hand Jesus whatever small, mustard-seed faith you have and watch what He does with it.
Let your little faith grow into big faith
For those who've walked with Jesus a while, keep growing rather than staying at little faith, trusting Him for even more as you've watched Him be faithful before.
Measure your growth by panic-to-peace time
Use how quickly you move from panic to peace in this storm compared to the last one as a real gauge of spiritual maturity.
Cry out, Lord, save me
If you're here and have never trusted Jesus with your life, respond right now in desperation with that simple, most important prayer.

Take it into your week

Rewind AI contributed study material from the sermon transcript; church-authored wording and verified sermon quotes keep their own source. Always trust the sermon itself over anything here. How Rewind uses AI

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Scripture in this message

From the transcript
“If you if you have a bible, open them up to Matthew chapter eight. We are in week two of a series that we started last week called miracles”
From the transcript
“Matthew chapter eight verse one, here's how the story begins. It says, large crowds followed Jesus as he came down the mountainside”
From the transcript
“skip down with me down to verse 23, okay? Crowd is there. Miracles have been happening and then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples”
From the transcript
“Mark chapter four records that that day, that same day when evening came, he said to his disciples, Jesus said to his disciples, let us go over to the other side”
From the transcript
“verse 24, it says, suddenly, everybody say suddenly. Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake with waves breaking into the boat but but Jesus was”
From the transcript
“I think this is what Jesus's brother James is referencing in James chapter one when he says, dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way”
From the transcript
“John chapter 14 verse 27, Jesus says, I'm I'm leaving you a gift. This is the gift that god wants to give you this morning. Peace of mind and heart”
From the transcript
“verse 25, the the disciples went and woke him up shouting, Lord, save us. We're we're going to drown”
From the transcript
“Psalm chapter 42 verse five. He says, why my soul are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? And now he starts to preach to himself. Put your hope in god”
From the transcript
“Verse 25, Jesus responds to them. He says, why why are you afraid? You have so little faith and then he got up. He rebuked the wind and the waves”
From the transcript
“Matthew chapter 17 verse 20, he says, you don't have enough faith. Jesus told them, I tell you the truth. If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed”
From the transcript
“Here's how the story ends. Jesus calms the storm. Verse 27, the disciples were amazed. And then they asked the question, who is this man”

Rewind AI contributed study material from the sermon transcript; church-authored wording and verified sermon quotes keep their own source. Always trust the sermon itself over anything here. How Rewind uses AI

7-day devotional

A personal reading plan from this message — scripture, reflection, and prayer for each day.

Sign in to track your progress through this devotional.

Day 1

It's easy to assume that if we're following Jesus closely enough, the waters will stay calm. But the disciples did exactly what we'd want to do — they got in the boat with Jesus — and a furious storm broke over them anyway. Pastor Daniel made the point plainly: following Jesus doesn't exempt us from storms. Sometimes Jesus leads us straight into them. That truth can sting at first, especially if you've quietly believed that obedience earns smooth sailing. But notice where Jesus was in this scene. He was in the same boat. He hadn't abandoned them to the wind; He had gone with them into it. The storm wasn't evidence that they'd taken a wrong turn. It was part of the journey to the other side. Whatever you're facing today, the presence of a storm doesn't mean you've drifted from Jesus. He may be doing something in the waves that calm water could never accomplish. The first step isn't to fix the weather — it's to remember who is in the boat with you.

For reflection

Where have you assumed a storm in your life meant you'd done something wrong, when it may simply be part of the journey Jesus is leading you through?

Pray

Thank Jesus that He is in the boat with you, and ask Him for trust when the way forward feels stormy.

Day 2

James writes something that almost sounds unreasonable: consider it an opportunity for great joy when troubles come your way. Not because the trouble itself is good, but because of what it produces. Pastor Daniel put it this way — Christians aren't exempt from storms, but we are exempt from storms with no purpose. God never wastes our difficult days. That doesn't make the hard things hurt less, and the sermon didn't pretend it would. Fear is human; the disciples felt real terror, and so do we. But James points us past the storm to the endurance it grows in us, and the maturity that endurance produces. There's a difference between a faith that has never been tested and a faith that has weathered something. The second kind can be trusted, because it has been. If you're in a season that feels pointless and exhausting, you're allowed to name that honestly. But you're also invited to ask a quieter question: what might God be growing in me here that comfort never could? You don't have to manufacture joy. You only have to trust the One who is at work.

For reflection

What is one hard thing you're walking through that you could begin to view as something God might use rather than waste?

Pray

Ask God to help you trust His purpose in a season that feels purposeless.

Day 3

Jesus gives a kind of peace the world simply can't hand out. The world's peace depends on circumstances — calm seas, good news, a steady bank account. Jesus's peace can exist in the middle of the wind and the waves. That's exactly what stunned the disciples: He was asleep in the storm. Not because He didn't care, but because His peace wasn't tied to the weather. Pastor Daniel drew out something beautiful here — Jesus's peace in the storm is an invitation for us to carry that same peace as a witness to the world. When the people around you are panicking and you're able to be steady, that steadiness becomes a question others start asking. Where does that come from? How are you not falling apart? Your calm in the storm can point someone to Jesus more powerfully than a perfect explanation ever could. This isn't about pretending you feel fine. It's about letting His presence settle you enough that others catch a glimpse of Him in you. Peace, it turns out, is one of the clearest forms of testimony we have.

For reflection

Who in your life might be watching how you handle your current storm — and what would they see?

Pray

Ask Jesus to fill you with His peace so that it becomes a witness to someone watching.

Day 4

The psalmist does something honest and a little surprising — he talks to himself. 'Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad?' He doesn't bury the feeling or scold himself for having it. He names it, then turns it toward God: 'I will put my hope in God! I will praise Him again.' Pastor Daniel pointed to this as a picture of spiritual maturity — not the absence of panic, but the ability to move from panic to peace more quickly each time a storm comes. The first storm may leave you frozen for days. The next one, maybe only hours. That shrinking distance between fear and faith is real growth, and it's worth noticing. The point isn't to skip the discouragement; the psalmist clearly felt it. The point is what you do next. You preach to your own heart. You remind yourself who God is when your feelings are shouting something else. If you're in that gap right now — somewhere between panic and peace — you're not failing. You're learning the rhythm the psalmist knew: feel it honestly, then turn it toward God.

For reflection

When fear rises, what truth about God could you speak to your own heart, the way the psalmist did?

Pray

Ask God to shorten the distance between your panic and your peace the next time a storm hits.

Day 5

Jesus didn't ask the disciples for impressive faith. He pointed to a mustard seed — one of the smallest seeds there is — and said that's enough to move mountains. Pastor Daniel landed on this with a freeing word: don't wait until your faith feels big enough. Bring whatever little faith you have and place it in Jesus's hands. So much of our hesitation comes from believing we need to work up some grand, unshakable confidence before we come to Him. But the disciples in the boat didn't have great faith. They had just enough to cry out — and that cry was enough. The power was never in the size of their faith; it was in the One they directed it toward. Small faith in a great God moves mountains. Great faith in nothing moves nothing. So if your faith feels thin and shaky today, that's not a disqualification. Bring it anyway. Place that mustard seed in His hands and watch what He does with it. Maturity in following Jesus often starts with the simple, repeated act of bringing Him the little we have.

For reflection

What would it look like this week to bring Jesus your small faith instead of waiting until it feels strong enough?

Pray

Hand Jesus the small faith you have right now, and ask Him to do what only He can do with it.

Day 6

Once the wind died down, the disciples were left with one trembling question: 'Who is this man? Even the winds and waves obey Him!' Pastor Daniel called this the most important question every person must answer — and not theoretically, but personally. It's one thing to recite what you've heard about Jesus. It's another to face a calmed storm and realize you're dealing with someone far greater than you imagined. The storm wasn't pointless. It existed, in part, to bring the disciples to this question. Often our hardest seasons do the same thing for us. They strip away our easy answers and force us to decide what we really believe about who Jesus is. If He is who Scripture says He is — the One the wind and waves obey — then His presence in your boat changes everything. The fear doesn't get the last word. So sit with the question honestly today. Not 'who do people say Jesus is,' but who is He to you, here, in this storm? Your answer shapes how you'll face the next one.

For reflection

If you answered 'Who is this man?' honestly today, what would your answer reveal about how much you trust Him in your storm?

Pray

Ask Jesus to show you more clearly who He really is, and to make that answer personal.

Day 7

This week we've watched one short scene from every angle — the boat, the storm, the silence, the cry, the calm, and the question. Take in the whole story now. Jesus led His followers into the storm, slept through their panic, then rose and spoke peace into the chaos with a word. Pastor Daniel gave us a threefold challenge worth carrying forward. First, trust the promise — Jesus said they were going to the other side, so hold onto His word in your storm. Second, bring whatever small faith you have and place it in His hands rather than waiting until it feels big enough. Third, measure your growth not by verses memorized but by how quickly you move from panic to peace next time. A faith that has been tested is a faith that can be trusted. The most natural next step from here isn't to do this alone — it's to keep growing in the Word, to walk it out with people who can remind you who's in the boat, and to live it day to day. Storms will come again. But so will Jesus's peace, and the steady answer to the question that matters most.

For reflection

Looking back over this week, where have you seen your own faith grow — even a little — in moving from panic toward peace?

Pray

Thank Jesus for what He's grown in you this week, and ask Him to help you live it out in community and in the Word.

Rewind AI contributed study material from the sermon transcript; church-authored wording and verified sermon quotes keep their own source. Always trust the sermon itself over anything here. How Rewind uses AI

Small-group discussion guide

For leading a group conversation about this message.

Open

Most of us have a story about a time life felt like a small boat in a big storm. Before we dig in, share one image or moment that comes to mind when you hear the word 'storm.'

Discussion questions

1
In Matthew 8, Jesus is the one who leads the disciples into the boat right before the storm hits. What does it tell us about Jesus that He would lead His followers directly into a storm rather than around it?
2
Pastor Daniel pointed out that Jesus seemed silent — asleep in the boat — even as the waves rose. How might people experience God's presence even when He seems quiet in a hard season?
3
The sermon described 'mustard-seed faith' as small faith placed in Jesus's hands. What does it look like for us to bring a small faith to Jesus instead of waiting until our faith feels big enough?
4
Pastor Daniel suggested that maturity shows up in how quickly we move from panic to peace the next time a storm comes. How might that change the way we encourage one another when difficult days arrive?
5
After the storm calmed, the disciples asked, 'Who is this man?' What do you think the sermon meant by answering that question personally rather than only theoretically?
6
The message claimed that God never wastes our difficult days. How could trusting Jesus's promise that 'we are going to the other side' shape the way a group like ours walks with someone in the middle of a storm?

Pray together

Thank Jesus for being present in the boat with us, and ask Him to grow our small faith into a tested, trusting faith that answers 'Who is this man?' with our whole lives.

Rewind AI contributed study material from the sermon transcript; church-authored wording and verified sermon quotes keep their own source. Always trust the sermon itself over anything here. How Rewind uses AI

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Miracles

Week 2 · 10 messages

Where these passages are preached

Matthew 8 Mark 4 James 1 John 14

Explore related topics

Faith in the Storm God's Presence Miracles Spiritual Growth Trust in Jesus

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