After the day's readings, my sermon is partly written or and partly notes and fragments. -PC

Order of Worship

Psalm 37:23-26

Our steps are made firm by the LORD, when he delights in our way; though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong, for the LORD holds us by the hand. I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. They are ever giving liberally and lending, and their children become a blessing

Acts 10:1-8

In Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of the Italian Cohort, as it was called. He was a devout man who feared God with all his household; he gave alms generously to the people and prayed constantly to God. One afternoon at about three o’clock he had a vision in which he clearly saw an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius.” He stared at him in terror and said, “What is it, Lord?” He answered, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. Now send men to Joppa for a certain Simon who is called Peter; he is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the seaside.” When the angel who spoke to him had left, he called two of his slaves and a devout soldier from the ranks of those who served him, and after telling them everything, he sent them to Joppa

Matthew 14:28-36

Peter answered Jesus, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

After the people of that place recognized him, they sent word throughout the region and brought all who were sick to him, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed

Sermon

“Our steps are made firm by the LORD.”

When you are walking in faith, you're walking on water.

Jesus makes our steps firm in faith.

Our steps = We walk together in imani moja, over faith

Doctor Juma: BP high because you fear

Hand of the Lord catching me, making my steps firm again in faith

I told him, “God made you a healer.”

The deepest healing is faith.

When you sink in fear and doubt, you can trust Jesus to catch you.

The strong wind made Peter fear. He began to sink and lose faith. He cried out, “Lord, save me!” And without hesitation, Jesus reached out and caught him.

Trust Jesus to catch you too. Jesus will make your steps firm again in faith.

Do not be of your fear! Jesus will save you from your fear.

The strong wind made Peter fear. And Jesus knows the wind is real and the wind is dangerous.

The strong wind can be anything that threatens you, your family, your community

• The struggle to provide for your family, low income, unemployment, depression
• Sickness that prevents you from working, hopelessness
• Division and opposition in the community, betrayal, threats to your reputation, violence anywhere, oppression, powerlessness

All of these and more are the strong winds. All of these and more make us fear and doubt and sink like Peter.

And so we come together. Why? Because we trust Jesus to catch us. Even just to cry out, “Lord, save me!”

And without hesitation, Jesus reaches out and catches us. Catches you.

The loving hands of Jesus are everywhere

• Every song we sing and prayer we pray, today and every day
• The scriptures
• The bread and wine of communion
• The presence of our sisters and brothers in Christ, loving, supporting, encouraging, teaching us—living in faith from day to day
• Even our companionship, Zion and Kirangare parish

Jesus knows just how to save us from fear because Jesus also sank in the waters, Jesus drowned in them.

Jesus was crucified. From the cross he cried, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus died.

And on the third day, Jesus rose again. Jesus lives. Bwana asafiwe.

Jesus walks on the water he drowned in. And because of Jesus, so do we. Jesus makes your steps firm again in faith. On top of the very water that drowned you.

That's what faith is, thanks to Jesus, walking on the very water that drowned us.

Baptism

We walk on water with Jesus. Above the chaos. Above the storm. Above rejection. Above death.

I've heard done express doubts and fear about the companionship.

Too great a debt to repay (Zion people feel the same way. It's God's generosity to you and us. There's no repaying it)

For Kirangare preaching point only, not us Marindi or Idaru or Mpare (Why I was so eager to go to Marindi and so disappointed that sickness prevented me. Water project, Freezer project.)

The purpose of the companionship is faith, moja. One faith, imani moja. We catch each other so that we do not sink.

Can Zion solve all your problems? No. Can you solve all Zion's problems? No. Pastor Fue said, we will have problems until Jesus returns.

Why do two antelope walk together? To blow the dust from each other's eyes. That's companionship.

Jesus walks with us, so we walk together, and help make each other’s steps firm in faith.

Support for Julie, even when we're apart

Joseph getting stronger and sturdier on his feet, like the companionship itself.

We can trust each other. We can trust Jesus.

With Jesus, we walk together on the very water that drowned us.

Bwana asafiwe. (Praise the Lord.)