Latest / Admonition Podcast / Courage - O.C. Woodlee - March 08, 2026

Transcript

Courage - O.C. Woodlee - March 08, 2026 · Admonition Podcast

0:00
Good evening.
0:02
I'd to thank everyone for being here this afternoon.
0:05
There are moments in life when our courage feels strong.
0:10
There are times when our faith feels strong, when conviction feels firm, and when it seems like nothing could shake our confidence in God.
0:21
When life is calm, when the path is clear, and when the wind is not blowing against us, it's easy to believe that our faith
0:29
will never falter.
0:31
But life has a way of revealing what's truly inside of you and I.
0:36
Sooner or later, every faithful child of God will face moments when their faith is tested, moments when fear rises inside of them, moments when the storm is loud and the waves are
0:49
high and suddenly the courage we thought we had begins to fade away.
0:54
And it's in those moments that one of the most searching questions in all of scripture
0:59
is asked.
1:00
In Matthew chapter 14 verse 31 tells us that immediately Jesus stretched forth out his hand and caught him and said unto him, little faith, why did you doubt?
1:14
The question here was spoken to Peter.
1:17
Peter had just done something that no other man in history had ever done.
1:21
He had stepped out of the boat and he had walked on water.
1:24
And think about how amazing this truly is.
1:27
The other disciples, they decided to stay in the boat.
1:30
They were terrified of the storm.
1:32
They were afraid of the waves.
1:33
They were uncertain of what was happening, but Peter had courage.
1:37
And in verse 28 of Matthew chapter 14, we are told, and Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.
1:47
And Jesus said simply, Come.
1:51
What does Peter do?
1:54
Peter gets down out of the boat.
1:56
and he goes to walk on water.
1:58
Now that would take some courage.
2:01
I think it might take some courage just on a calm day to decide to get out of a boat thinking you can walk on water.
2:07
What he did was amazing.
2:10
What he did was climb down to that boat, walked on water, and the Bible says that he done it.
2:16
In Matthew chapter 14, 29 through 30, we are told,
2:22
and Peter was come down out of the ship he walked on water to go to Jesus but when he saw the wind boisterous he was afraid and beginning to sink he cried saying Lord save me.
2:32
But when he looked at the wind and saw the wind was boisterous look at the word boisterous you remember in Luke 16 when the rich man said I am what in those fires what did he say he
2:43
said I am tormented in those fires.
2:46
The word boisterous is the same word as tormented.
2:50
The wind and the sea was tormenting Peter.
2:53
It was boisterous.
2:54
And Peter sees this and he begins to cry out saying, Lord, save me.
2:59
Peter did not fail because Jesus failed.
3:02
Peter did not sink because the word of Christ was unreliable.
3:06
Peter began to sink because his fear replaced his courage.
3:10
Jesus reached down and he took him and grabbed him by the hand and asked him a question.
3:14
Did he ask him, why did you sink?
3:17
He didn't ask that, did he?
3:18
He said, wherefore?
3:20
didst thou doubt.
3:22
When he saw the waters, he was afraid.
3:24
But what did Jesus say?
3:26
Christ said, don't be afraid.
3:28
You know, we can hear that sometimes, don't be afraid.
3:31
But when our lives get into some turmoil, we sometimes forget it.
3:35
There are times when the storms of life shake us.
3:39
Times where fear creeps in and sometimes we begin to sink.
3:43
Not because Christ felled, but because we took our eyes away from him.
3:48
We live in a time today
3:49
where courage is desperately needed.
3:52
The world is growing darker, the truth is being attacked, faith is being mocked, and it's becoming easier for Christians to become afraid.
4:01
Afraid of what?
4:03
Afraid to speak the truth.
4:05
Afraid to stand up for what they know is right.
4:07
Afraid to speak the gospel.
4:09
Afraid to be different from the world.
4:11
So Jesus asked, wherefore didst thou doubt, O ye of little faith?
4:16
The phrase little faith appears five times in the Bible.
4:20
Jesus uses it every time.
4:22
Peter had faith, but he had little faith.
4:25
You can have great faith, or you can have little faith.
4:29
And sometimes I'm afraid we have little faith.
4:31
I mean, we follow Jesus.
4:33
We say, when the Lord says, come, we say, Lord, I'm coming, as long as it's easy, as long as it don't require much from me.
4:41
And I think fear has a lot to do with that.
4:44
And Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 1, 7, For God hath not given us
4:49
the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
4:54
God has not given us the spirit of fear.
4:57
In this way the word fear is used in this text.
5:00
only appears in the New Testament.
5:01
It is related to the word used in Revelation 21 8 where the Bible says the fearful will be among those judged.
5:09
In Matthew chapter 25, why did the one talent man not use that power?
5:16
He was afraid.
5:18
But that is no excuse.
5:20
How many times do we say, can't do that, or there's no way I'm not able to do that?
5:24
I know I say that a bunch.
5:26
We all say it.
5:28
But God has not given us the spirit of fear or cowardness.
5:32
He's given us the spirit through His truth.
5:34
So maybe the Lord could be asking you and me today, wherefore didst thou doubt?
5:38
O ye of little faith.
5:40
How many people today doubt the church?
5:43
They doubt the church that they're in.
5:44
God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power.
5:47
Paul told Timothy in the previous verse in Saint Timothy 1 6, wherefore I put thee in remembrance, that I'll stir up the gift of God which is in thee.
5:58
Evidently, Timothy needed a little bit of encouragement.
6:02
He had the ability, he had the opportunity that he need, but Paul reminded him that he might need to stir it up a little bit.
6:07
And sometimes it's exactly what we need.
6:10
We may have talent, we may have opportunity, but like Timothy, it needs to be stirred up.
6:15
Paul,
6:15
had the spirit of courage, he had the spirit of love, and the same God who strengthened Paul can strengthen us today.
6:22
And so today we must remember and ask ourselves the same question that Peter was asked.
6:27
Wherefore didst thou doubt?
6:30
Our first point this afternoon is courage begins when we trust the word of Christ.
6:37
Peter did not step out because the storm had stopped.
6:40
Peter did not step out because the sea had calmed down.
6:43
He didn't step out either because the waves were calm.
6:45
Peter stepped out because of Jesus said one word.
6:48
Jesus said, That one word was enough.
6:53
Matthew 14, 29.
6:54
And he said, come.
6:55
And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.
7:00
Think about what is happening here.
7:02
The sea was still raging.
7:04
The wind was still blowing.
7:05
The boat was still rocking.
7:06
Nothing about the situation looked safe at all.
7:10
And yet Peter climbs out of the boat and puts his foot in the water.
7:13
Why?
7:14
because the Lord said, comp.
7:15
And that is where true courage begins.
7:18
Courage does not begin when the storm stops.
7:21
Courage begins when we trust the Word of God more than the situation around us.
7:27
You see, from a human perspective, what Peter was doing made no sense at all.
7:33
Humans can't walk on water.
7:35
I've tried before, it don't work.
7:37
You can run as fast as you want, before you get there, you're still going to sink.
7:41
Storms don't make walking easier.
7:44
If anything, storms make everything ten times harder.
7:48
But Peter trusted the word of Christ more than the storm that he was standing in.
7:53
And because of that, Peter did something no man has ever done.
7:58
Peter walked on the water.
8:00
And brethren, that is still how courage works today.
8:03
True courage is not pretending the danger does not exist.
8:07
True courage is trusting God even when the danger is real.
8:11
The Bible is filled with examples
8:14
of this kind of courage.
8:15
You think of Joshua.
8:17
Joshua had to learn this type of courage.
8:20
When Moses died, Joshua was suddenly had the responsibility of leading Israel.
8:25
He had to face enemies.
8:27
He had to face battles and enormous pressure and listen to what God told him in Joshua chapter 1, 9, have not I commanded thee, be strong and of good courage, be not afraid,
8:36
neither be thou dismayed, for the Lord thy God is with thee, whithersoever thou goest.
8:41
Notice what God did not say.
8:43
He did not say the battles would be easy.
8:45
He did not say there would be no more enemies.
8:47
He did not say there would be no danger.
8:49
Instead, he told Joshua to be strong and courageous.
8:52
Why?
8:53
Because the Lord was with him.
8:55
God would be with him every step of the way.
8:57
David understood this as well.
8:59
In Psalm 27, David tells us, Lord is my light and my salvation.
9:05
Whom shall I fear?
9:07
The Lord is my strength in my life.
9:08
Of whom shall I be afraid?
9:10
This is language of courage.
9:12
Not because David never faced any danger, but because David trusted the God who was greater than the danger he was facing.
9:20
And the same thing was true for Peter.
9:22
As long as Peter could see Christ, the storm could not stop him.
9:26
The waves could not defeat him.
9:28
The sea could not swallow him.
9:31
Because the Lord says something, His word is stronger than any storm combined.
9:37
And this is a lesson that you and I need today.
9:40
Because many times our obedience of God
9:42
will require courage.
9:44
Standing for the truth requires courage.
9:48
Living differently from the world requires courage.
9:51
Remaining faithful when others are falling away requires courage.
9:55
And there are times when the pressure of society is pushing so hard against us to those who want to follow Christ, it makes it hard to be courageous.
10:05
Sometimes people are mocked for believing the Bible.
10:09
I was talking to Michael before I got up here saying I was so nervous.
10:11
was walking back and forth and he said, what's your lesson?
10:14
And I said, courage.
10:16
He goes, come on.
10:19
And so, you know, this lesson is for me and is it for you.
10:22
But sometimes Christians are pressured to compromise.
10:26
And in those moments, the easy thing to do is just to stay in the boat, stay where you're at.
10:31
The boat feels safe.
10:33
The boat feels comfortable.
10:34
The boat feels secure.
10:35
But sometimes Jesus calls us out of that boat.
10:38
Sometimes he calls us to trust his word even when the storm is raging and the question is will we trust him enough to step out of the boat?
10:48
You see Peter had something the other disciples did not have.
10:53
They all believed in Jesus.
10:55
They all followed Jesus, but Peter the one willing to step out when the Lord said come.
11:01
The others stayed in the boat yet Peter stepped into the water and sometimes the difference between a life
11:08
of fear and a life of courage is simply whether we trust the Word of God or the Word of Christ to obey it.
11:14
Because the truth is the safest place Peter could be that night was not the boat.
11:18
The safest place that he could be was in that storm and wherever Jesus told him to go.
11:24
And that's the same thing as the truth for us today.
11:26
The safest place in the world is not comfort.
11:28
The safest place is obedience to the Word of God.
11:31
Wherever Christ leads us, that is where we must go.
11:35
In John 12, 26,
11:37
If any man serve me, let him follow me and where I am, there shall also my servant be.
11:42
If any man serve me, him will my father honor.
11:47
Even if the wind is still blowing, even if the waves are high, even if the storm looks frightening, because the word of Christ is stronger than any storm.
11:56
And when we trust his word, courage is what begins to start.
12:01
But Peter's story does not end here.
12:03
because the same man who had enough courage to step out of the boat also faced something every Christian eventually faces, fear.
12:12
And that brings us to our next point, point two.
12:15
Fear enters when our focus leaves Christ.
12:19
Peter had the courage to step out of the boat, but the story does not end there.
12:24
Something changed.
12:25
Matthew chapter 14, 30 tells us, but when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid and beginning to sink, he cried out saying, Lord,
12:33
Save me.
12:34
Notice the turning point in that verse.
12:36
It was not when the storm began.
12:38
The storm was already there when Peter stepped out of the boat.
12:41
The wind was already blowing.
12:43
The waves were still rising.
12:44
The danger was already present, but Peter was still walking on water.
12:48
The problem began when Peter saw the wind boisterous.
12:52
In other words, his focus shifted from where it needed to be.
12:57
Instead of looking toward Christ, he started looking at the storm.
13:01
Instead of thinking about the command of the Lord and what he had said, he started thinking about the danger that was around him.
13:07
And when his focus shifted from where it needed to be, fear entered into his heart.
13:12
And fear entered in his heart and he began to sink.
13:16
Brethren, that is exactly how fear works in the life of a Christian.
13:20
Fear uh grows when our focus moves away from Christ and toward our circumstances.
13:26
And as long as Peter was focused on Jesus,
13:29
He walked on the water, but the moment he started focusing on the storm, it began to sink.
13:35
Because that is a lesson that we all need.
13:37
Because storms come into every single one of our lives.
13:41
No Christian is immune from difficulty.
13:43
No servant of God escapes hardship.
13:46
Sometimes the storm comes in the form of discouragement.
13:49
Sometimes it can come through suffering or from the pleasures of this world or through the doubt that creeps into our minds.
13:55
But storms are a part of life.
13:58
Jesus never promised his followers that they would be free from them.
14:02
He in fact he warned them that they would come.
14:05
In John 16 33, these things I have spoken into you that in me you might have peace.
14:10
In the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.
14:16
Notice what Jesus said, in the world you shall have tribulation.
14:20
He didn't say you might have it.
14:22
not maybe, but he said you will have it, you shall have it.
14:25
Storms are going to come, but the key to surviving the storm is where we keep our eyes.
14:31
And Hebrews 12, too, gives us one of the most important instructions in the Christian life.
14:36
Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
14:41
That phrase, looking unto Jesus, carries the idea of fixing our attention upon him, keeping our eyes upon him, holding our focus upon Christ.
14:51
Because when our attention shifts away from Christ, fear begins to grow.
14:56
And fear is powerful.
14:58
I debated whether or not to use this story, and I had actually two different stories to say.
15:04
I won't say the other one, but I'll say this one.
15:07
One night, or one morning, this was the deer and deer season.
15:11
I'm a big deer hunter when I'm back home.
15:13
And so I get up at four o'clock in the morning, and normally I'll run straight to my stand.
15:18
I'm too afraid to start walking, so I'll run.
15:21
But one morning I got up and started walking up our hill and going over to the gate and I hopped over the gate and I had me a little headlamp, a headlamp on with my .30-06 in my
15:30
hand.
15:30
And as soon as I hop over the gate, I look up and there are eyes staring right back at me.
15:37
And I'm telling you, I've never been so afraid in my life.
15:40
I didn't know if it was Bigfoot, I didn't know if it was Bear or something creepy that was looking at me.
15:45
So I called my dad and I said, Dad, I need you to come up here and help me.
15:50
He said, Son, you have a
15:51
You have the gun in your hand.
15:53
And I'm like, no, Dad, I'm shaking here.
15:55
And he's like, just don't forget, the Lord says that you are over the animals.
16:01
I had never been so mad in my life when he said that.
16:05
Some things that I was going to say because Eddie and Erin have been teaching me not to say some of those things, but I was so mad.
16:12
I said, you know what?
16:13
What if a bear comes up to me?
16:15
I tell the bear, hey, don't hit me.
16:18
It's not going to work that way.
16:19
The bear is going to take me out.
16:20
It's going to take me out.
16:21
So I mean, I think that's just silly.
16:24
anyways, fear has a way of terrifying our lives.
16:29
Fear has a way of controlling us even when it could be nothing.
16:32
I kept walking and guess what?
16:33
It was a deer.
16:34
And I jumped it up.
16:36
So I mean, that whole time I was afraid and I could have waited about 10 more minutes, the sun could come up and I could have had a deer.
16:42
But instead, I was just screaming and hollering and was afraid.
16:46
But fear can silence truth.
16:50
Fear can make strong people hesitate.
16:53
Fear can make faithful people question themselves.
16:56
And sometimes fear causes Christians to begin to sink spiritually.
17:01
When we start focusing upon the of the world, instead of the promises of God, their courage begins to fade.
17:11
And that's what happened to Peter.
17:13
For a moment, the storm looked bigger than the Savior.
17:16
For a moment,
17:17
The waves look stronger than the word of Christ for a moment.
17:20
Fear is what replaced courage.
17:22
But notice something important about Peter.
17:24
Even when he began to sink, he knew exactly who to call.
17:28
The Bible says he cried out saying, Lord, save me.
17:32
Peter did not cry out to the other disciples.
17:34
He didn't cry out to the boat either.
17:36
He cried out to Jesus.
17:37
And that is exactly what we must do when fear enters our lives.
17:41
Because every Christian has moments when fear enters in.
17:45
Every strong believer faces time when courage feels weak.
17:48
Every faithful servant of God sometimes feel overwhelmed by the storms around them.
17:54
Well, what happens to Peter is what we need to also say and what we also need to do.
18:01
Peter looked back to Christ, fixed our eyes upon Christ because the storm may be loud, but Christ is greater than the storm.
18:11
The waves may rise, but Christ stands above the waters.
18:14
And when we keep our eyes focused on him, fear begins to lose its power.
18:18
But the story also does not end with Peter crying out, because what happens next reveals something beautiful about the character of our Lord.
18:25
Third point and our final point, Christ is ready to lift us when our courage fails.
18:32
Think about the Savior that Peter was standing before.
18:35
This is the same Christ who spoke the world into existence.
18:39
This is the same Christ who calmed the storm with just a word.
18:42
The same Christ who rose the dead and the same Christ who would soon conquer death itself later on in the book.
18:49
And yet Peter allowed the wind and the waves to cause him to doubt.
18:54
Sometimes we do the same thing.
18:56
We belong to Christ.
18:58
We believe Christ.
18:59
We follow Christ.
19:00
But when the storms of life arise around us, fear begins to take hold.
19:04
Doubt whispers in our minds and courage begins to be weakened.
19:08
But brethren, the Christ we serve today is the same Christ who stood on that water.
19:12
We find in Hebrews 13, 8 that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
19:18
He has not changed.
19:20
The same Savior who caught Peter is still able to lift us up today.
19:24
The same Savior who walked upon the sea still rules over every storm in our lives today also.
19:31
And when our courage begins to fail, His hand is still strong enough to hold us.
19:38
Think about courage in the New Testament.
19:40
It's hard not to think about the Apostle Paul and the courage that he had.
19:45
Look at everything that he went through.
19:47
Paul was beaten.
19:48
Paul was imprisoned.
19:49
He was persecuted, rejected, and constantly facing danger all along in his life.
19:54
Second Corinthians 11, Paul lists some of the things that he went through.
19:58
Of the Jews, five times received I have 40 stripes, saved one.
20:01
Thrice I was beaten with rods.
20:03
Once I was stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck.
20:06
and pearls of waters and pearls of robbers and pearls of my own country, man.
20:10
And you read that and you almost have to ask the question, how do you beat a man like that?
20:15
How do you stop someone like Paul?
20:17
You can't threaten him.
20:19
uh You can't beat him.
20:22
You can't discourage him.
20:23
Why?
20:24
Because his faith was fixed on Christ.
20:27
In Philippians chapter 1, 20 through 21, Paul said, according to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed.
20:36
with all boldness as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death.
20:44
For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." How do you defeat someone who believes that?
20:51
If you let him live, he serves Christ.
20:53
If you kill him, he goes to be with Christ.
20:56
You can't defeat a man whose courage is rooted in that kind of faith.
21:00
And that's same kind of courage that the gospel produces.
21:04
Paul understood something that Peter was learning that night on the sea.
21:08
When your faith is anchored in Christ, the storm cannot defeat you.
21:12
The world cannot overcome you.
21:14
Fear cannot control you because Christ is greater than the storm.
21:18
And when our courage begins to fail, His hand is still strong enough to lift us up because Christ is greater than the storm.
21:27
He is the one who walked upon the sea.
21:30
He is the one who caught Peter when he was sinking.
21:33
He is the one who conquered sin, who overcame death, and he is still the one who calls men and women today through his word.
21:41
Brethren, courage is not the absence of storms.
21:45
Courage is trusting Christ in the middle of them.
21:47
Courage is keeping our eyes upon him when the winds begin to blow and when the storms of life come into our lives.
21:54
And so this afternoon we must ask ourselves the same question Jesus asked Peter.
21:59
Wherefore didst thou doubt?
22:02
Maybe there is someone here today who has allowed fear from keeping them to obey the gospel.
22:07
Maybe you know what he has commanded, you know what to do, you may believe in Christ, but fear may be holding you back.
22:13
Fear of change, fear of what others might think of you if you obey the gospel, fear of stepping out in faith.
22:20
But notice something and remember something.
22:23
Peter did not experience walking on water until he stepped out of the boat.
22:28
And sometimes the greatest step of courage
22:31
as a person can take is to simply obeying the word of Christ.
22:36
Jesus said in Mark 16, 16, he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be condemned.
22:43
And the Lord calls men and women today through his word by hearing the word, by believing, by repentance, by confessing his name and baptism for the remission of our sins.
22:52
Acts 2, 38, repent, be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and you shall receive the gift.
23:00
of the Holy Ghost.
23:02
And maybe today in that moment someone needs to step out in faith to stop letting fear hold you back from stop letting fear control you.
23:11
If there's any way that we can help you, come now, it's together we stand in