“When Doubt Gets In”

Series Title: Still Believe Pastor Jim Lowe III

Sunday Morning, 9:30am Stream 09/20/26 (3rd Sunday Message)

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{All scriptures are “NIV84” unless stated}

Current Series:

Still Believe

This series continues to discuss faith. what it is, what it looks like

and how we can grow it.

Message Title:

When Doubt Gets In

Let’s start with a point:

Even Believers Have To Deal With Doubt!

Last week we talked about Peter on the boat. Jesus told him to come to him…

He stepped out of the boat

stood on the water and walked to Jesus.

But then it happened…. Doubt entered.

Doubt Doesn’t Always Stop Faith From Starting. Sometimes It Stops Faith That’s Already Working!

So let’s look at it in the passage.

Matthew 14:28-32

28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” 32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.

He is doing all of these things… Then something changed.

Jesus didn’t change.

His words didn’t change.

Even Peter walking on the water didn’t change.

BUT doubt sets in.

Why?

Because Peter changed what he was focused on.

When Doubt Gets In

Doubt Gets In When Our Focus Changes!

When Peter was in the boat…

one word from Jesus was what Peter responded to.

He was originally responding to: “Come”

Now he is responding to: “Wind”

Let’s see something about the wind.

Matthew 14:23-24

23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buﬀeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

buﬀeted by the waves because the wind was against it. What do we see about the wind?

(AMP) the boat was beaten and tossed by the waves, for the wind was against them.

(NLT) a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves.

This was prior to the situation on the boat.

In other words…Peter knew about this when he ASKED Jesus to join him.

The wind was a problem…

but Peter built his faith on something past that problem. his focus was on the word from Jesus

But we know things didn’t stay that way.

Peter Messed Up When He Let His Problem Turn Into A Distraction That Caused Doubt!There are a lot of problems we deal with…

but they don’t become distractions until we begin to put our focus on them.

Think about it…

We just made a decision to do something by faith. we prayed about it.

we believe the Lord will make it happen.

we even put our feet out of the boat and started MOVING.

But then it happens.

An unexpected bill comes

you get a call you didn’t expect the timeline seemed to change

you had to deal with that person you can’t stand you started but didn’t see a response fast enough

These things are real.

these things bring their own concerns…

but they become distractions when our focus shifts to them and THAT is where doubt gets in.

When Doubt Gets In

Doubt Can Make You Question What You’ve Already Experienced!

That’s a terrible thing about doubt… when it comes to Peter

it says when he saw the wind.

we know that’s when his focus changed. but BEFORE he saw the wind…

what was he doing?

He was already walking on water.

He was doing the impossible…

he was doing something no one else would do. and he was doing it based on faith…

and he was doing all of this.

while the wind was still blowing.

He was experiencing a miracle… when the doubt set in.

Doubt Can Make You Question Something God Is Currently Doing!

Peter was currently walking on water!

The evidence was under his feet… yet he allowed doubt to set in

and it killed the entire thing.

This goes back to our first week. There was a point I made about faith.

From Week 1:

“Faith Grows Out Of Knowledge And History!”

What we talked about was making sure you remember your history! when it comes to God:

has he provided before has he carried you before

has he ever opened up a door before? two doors?

has he ever healed you of anything?

have you ever seen him protect you or your family?

You Might Have Seen This Problem Before, But You’ve Also Seen Your God Move Before!

But Peter let his CURRENT focus derail his miracle!

Don’t Let Today’s Wind Make You Forget Yesterday’s Water So Peter began to sink…

and when he did, he cried out “Lord save me!!” This leads us to point 3.

When Doubt Gets In

Doubt Doesn’t Mean Your Faith Is Gone!

So when he begins to sink… he does what?

he calls Jesus.

Peter, even in the middle of his doubt still knows who his savior is. Peter’s faith isn’t completely gone.

the moment the doubt set in…Peter sinks. and as SOON as he calls…

Matthew 14:31

31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

Jesus catches him…

and he says to him:

“You of little faith…why did you doubt?” Let’s not look at this the wrong way.

what did Jesus say?

What type of faith?

little faith.

So Peter had “faith.”

it was just “little faith.” But YET with that little faith.

when he called on Jesus. Jesus caught him.

Struggling With Doubt Doesn’t Mean You Don’t Believe. It Means Your Belief Needs Some Help!

It means that Peter believed…but there was also help he needed with it. There is a certain honestly we need about where we come up short.

There was a boy brought to Jesus who had a spirit on him. some stories call him the demon possessed boy.

the disciples weren’t able to drive the spirit out of the boy.

Jesus turns to the boy’s father.

Mark 9:21-24

21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. 22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” 23 “ ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.” 24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

The man said to him two things that seem to not mix. I believe AND I have unbelief.

He doesn’t pretend He doesn’t fake it.

He doesn’t lie for the church. he tells Jesus the truth.

he tells Jesus…

“There is part of me that believes you and there is something in me that is struggling.”

The rest of the story is after saying this…Jesus turned around and healed the boy.

Peter doubted and sank…but Jesus caught him.

The father admitted unbelief…and Jesus still healed his son.

Thomas doubted…and although he didn’t receive the thing the other disciples did… Jesus did show up to address him directly.

Unaddressed Doubt Can Mess With How We Walk In Faith!

Let’s talk about Thomas.

He saw Jesus do all these miracles. he saw Jesus walk on water

he saw Jesus speak to the fig tree and it withered… yet he ALSO saw Jesus die.

death was supposed to be the end. no one had ever beaten that.

the doubt he had wasn’t random…

so when the other disciples come to say we saw him.

Thomas could easily say he needed to see him personally.

I need to see his hands and his wounds and his side. or else I’m not believing that.

this was doubt - why we call him Doubting Thomas But that title might be a little unfair.

he was going based oﬀ what he knew…

yet when Jesus appears he goes right to Thomas.

shows him the exact things he said to the disciples. ’Stop doubting and believe.”

Jesus talks to the exact place Thomas had struggled.

God Isn’t Afraid Of Meeting You In The Places Your Faith Is Struggling!

this is a moment of honesty with the Lord. he already knows where we’re struggling…

let’s not hide it

let’s not pretend we’re better than we are.

Closing Question:

What Has Been Shrinking Your Faith?

We aren’t asking anymore if we HAVE faith. that was week one

We aren’t asking if we’re moving by faith. that was week two.

Now what has been shrinking our faith? is it fear?

is it just waiting? bad news

the words of someone else? the things we see?

waiting on a certain “safety net?” Peter didn’t sink because Jesus lost power.

his focus changed

his fear became overwhelming and his movement stopped.

but EVEN when that happened, Jesus was there to catch him.

Don’t Let What You See Make You Forget What You Know!

and the final point:

The Answer To Doubt Is Remembering Who God Is And What He Has Already Done!