Peter Sinks on the Water

sink? Let's try it and see. Great! Most of you were right. The block is floating in the water. Wood floats because it's less dense than water - that means the wood particles are more spread out than water particles.

Here is the second item. A metal spoon. How many of you think it will float? How many think it will sink? Well, let's try it and see. You were right again! It sank! Metal is much denser than water, so it's heavier and pushes through the water to the bottom.

Here is another item. A piece of heavy duty foil. How many of you think it will float? How many think it will sink? This one might surprise you! Let's see. You were right if you said float! Even though it's metal, when it's flat like this, it spreads its weight over a large area and traps air underneath.

Here is another piece of foil. It is exactly the same as the other one. (Wad it up into a ball.) Now how many of you think it will still float? How many think it will sink? Let's test it! Wow! Now it sinks! When we crumpled it up, we removed the air and made it denser. Same material, different result based on its shape and what it's trusting in.

This experiment teaches us something important about life. Are you a floater or a sinker? Don't worry, I'm not going to throw you into a tub of water to find out, but I think we can find the answer in the Bible. Let me tell you about one of the most amazing events that ever happened.

Do you remember the story when Jesus fed five thousand people with just five loaves of bread and two fish? That's like feeding everyone in a large school with just one Happy Meal! After this incredible miracle, Jesus told his disciples to get into their boat and sail to the other side of the Sea of Galilee while he went up into the mountains to pray alone. Jesus often went away to pray, especially after big events, to spend time with his Father.

While the disciples were rowing across the lake, something scary happened. The wind came up strong - imagine trying to ride your bike against hurricane-force winds! The waves began crashing over their boat. These weren't just little ripples - these were huge, dangerous waves that could easily sink their boat. The disciples were experienced fishermen who had been on this lake their whole lives, but even they became afraid that they might drown.

Then something impossible happened. They looked out across the stormy water, and they saw a figure walking toward them. But this person wasn't in a boat - he was walking ON TOP of the water! It was Jesus! At first, they thought they were seeing a ghost because no human being can walk on water. But Jesus called out to them, "Don't be afraid! It's me!"

When Peter realized it was really Jesus, he got so excited that he made an incredible request: "Lord, if that's really you, let me walk on the water too!" Can you imagine having that much faith? Peter was ready to step out of the safety of the boat onto the stormy sea. Jesus simply said, "Come on!"

So Peter climbed over the side of the boat and took his first step onto the water. And guess what? He didn't sink! Step by step, Peter was actually walking on water, just like Jesus! For those amazing moments, Peter was doing something that defied all the laws of physics we just learned about with our floating and sinking experiment.

But then Peter made a critical mistake. He started looking around at the storm instead of keeping his eyes on Jesus. He felt the powerful wind whipping around him, saw the huge waves crashing nearby, and suddenly fear took over his heart. The moment he focused on the storm instead of Jesus, he began to sink! "Help me, Jesus! Save me!" he cried out. Immediately, Jesus reached out and pulled Peter up, saying, "Why did you doubt? You had such little faith!"

Think about this: As long as Peter kept his focus on Jesus and trusted him completely, he could do the impossible. But the second he started trusting in his own understanding - looking at how scary and impossible his situation seemed - he began to sink. Peter went from being a "floater" to a "sinker" based on where he placed his trust.

Now let's think about our own lives. We all face "storms" - maybe it's problems at school, family difficulties, friendship drama, worries about the future, or fears about things we can't control. These storms can feel overwhelming, just like those waves felt to Peter. When we face these challenges, we have a choice: we can focus on Jesus and trust him, or we can focus on our problems and try to handle everything in our own strength.

Here are some questions to think about: When you face a difficult situation at school, do you panic and try to handle it alone, or do you pray and ask Jesus for help? When friends pressure you to do something wrong, do you focus on what they might think of you, or do you remember what Jesus wants you to do? When you're worried about a test or a big decision, do you trust in your own abilities alone, or do you ask God for wisdom and guidance?

Just like Peter, we can be "floaters" when we keep our eyes on Jesus. This means praying regularly, reading our Bibles, trusting that God has a good plan even when things seem scary, and remembering that Jesus is always with us. But we become "sinkers" when we take our eyes off Jesus and try to rely only on ourselves.

The amazing thing is that even when we start to "sink" like Peter did, Jesus is always there to reach out and save us. He doesn't get angry with us for doubting - he just pulls us back up and helps us refocus on him.

Remember, the same Jesus who walked on water and saved Peter is the same Jesus who loves you today. No storm in your life is too big for him to handle. When you feel like you're sinking, call out to him just like Peter did. Jesus will always be there to lift you up.

Dear Jesus, when the storms of life come against us, help us to keep our eyes on you and put our trust in you. When we start to doubt and feel like we're sinking, remind us to call out to you for help. Thank you that you're always there to save us and pull us back up. Help us to be "floaters" who trust in you rather than "sinkers" who rely only on ourselves. Amen.