Shipwrecked or Rescued?
Prolonged suffering is nobody’s desire. Nobody wants to be endure dark, cold, painful suffering. Nobody wants to be shipwrecked, we all want to be rescued. But what if the shipwreck is our rescue? Paul’s arrival in Malta ends weeks of suffering, but it also testifies to God’s grace and power. 275 people were given a once in a lifetime opportunity to know God and His goodness. That’s something far more valuable than a ship, it’s cargo and even the mortal lives of those on board. God can use shipwrecks to rescue us.
Scripture
Acts 27:27-44 ESV When the fourteenth night had come, as we were being driven across the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land. [28] So they took a sounding and found twenty fathoms. A little farther on they took a sounding again and found fifteen fathoms. [29] And fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come. [30] And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, and had lowered the ship's boat into the sea under pretense of laying out anchors from the bow, [31] Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” [32] Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship's boat and let it go. [33] As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have continued in suspense and without food, having taken nothing. [34] Therefore I urge you to take some food. For it will give you strength, for not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you.” [35] And when he had said these things, he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all he broke it and began to eat. [36] Then they all were encouraged and ate some food themselves. [37] (We were in all 276 persons in the ship.) [38] And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea. [39] Now when it was day, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a bay with a beach, on which they planned if possible to run the ship ashore. [40] So they cast off the anchors and left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes that tied the rudders. Then hoisting the foresail to the wind they made for the beach. [41] But striking a reef, they ran the vessel aground. The bow stuck and remained immovable, and the stern was being broken up by the surf. [42] The soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any should swim away and escape. [43] But the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for the land, [44] and the rest on planks or on pieces of the ship. And so it was that all were brought safely to land.
Through the Scripture
Two weeks and 800km of dark storms
Two weeks after taking the quick and easy way, the popular decision, the ship has been driven 800km in cold, dark, stormy water - it seems land is finally in reach. But land doesn’t just mean rescue, it could mean wreck. The sailors let down anchors, did what they could, and then prayed that they would survive until dawn. Paul was right they had all made a terrible call, would they face the loss of the cargo, the ship and their lives as Paul had warned? Have you been in a situation like this, praying for hope, for dawn, knowing that your decisions led you here?
Acts 27:27-29 ESV When the fourteenth night had come, as we were being driven across the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land. [28] So they took a sounding and found twenty fathoms. A little farther on they took a sounding again and found fifteen fathoms. [29] And fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come.
Romans 5:6-8 ESV For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. [7] For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— [8] but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Betrayal and abandonment
The sailors were the ones who had the knowledge, experience and strength to land the ship, but they rated their chances of surviving by abandoning everyone and saving their own lives by escaping on the life boat. When days are dark, friends are few. Have you been betrayed or abandoned by those you hoped would save you? Paul could have been quiet here and trusted in God, but he knew he had to speak up to save everyone, including the sailors.
Acts 27:30-32 ESV And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, and had lowered the ship's boat into the sea under pretence of laying out anchors from the bow, [31] Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” [32] Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship's boat and let it go.
Proverbs 31:8-9 ESV Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. [9] Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.
Paul encouraging and caring for everyone
In contrast to the sailors, who were looking out for themselves alone, Paul realised that everyone, sailors, soldiers and prisoners needed encouragement for one last push. The end was in sight, but it was also the most dangerous time. When things reach their peak, our witness is most powerful. Can we stay calm, keep trusting God and keep caring for each other in these moments? If we can our testimony grows in power.
Acts 27:33-37 ESV As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have continued in suspense and without food, having taken nothing. [34] Therefore I urge you to take some food. For it will give you strength, for not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you.” [35] And when he had said these things, he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all he broke it and began to eat.
2 Corinthians 5:14-16 ESV For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; [15] and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. [16] From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.
Material loss in perspective
It takes some pretty dark and dangerous situations to give us perspective over what really matters. Despite all the suffering of the last fortnight, they’ve hung onto the material wealth, the cargo. It must have been substantial, and someone would have to answer to it’s loss. But eventually they realised it wasn’t worth their lives and got rid of it to increase their chances of making the beach. Have you ever got to this place, where you realise what’s really important?
Acts 27:36-38 ESV Then they all were encouraged and ate some food themselves. [37] (We were in all 276 persons in the ship.) [38] And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.
Matthew 16:26 ESV For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?
Hope dawns, prayers answered
God graciously answered the pagan sailors prayers. They did get to see another day. They were lost and without the hope of a harbour, just as Paul predicted they would have to run aground on “some island”. Sometimes it’s really hard to push the last few meters when you suffered for so many miles, especially when the stakes and risks are high. How much hope do you think Paul’s words and promise of God’s rescue do you think they all clinged to?
Acts 27:39-40 ESV Now when it was day, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a bay with a beach, on which they planned if possible to run the ship ashore. [40] So they cast off the anchors and left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes that tied the rudders. Then hoisting the foresail to the wind they made for the beach.
Hebrews 10:23 ESV Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.
Joshua 21:45 ESV Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.
Nothing seems to go right even when it seems to be going right
It’s darkest just before dawn. Sometimes the worst fear lies just before the door to freedom. Their high hopes for a safe beaching were dashed by a shallow reef, like the ship itself was being broken apart by the waves. Again God’s protection is evident as the prisoners narrowly escape execution by frightened soldiers who, like the sailors, want to save their own skin.
Acts 27:41-43 ESV But striking a reef, they ran the vessel aground. The bow stuck and remained immovable, and the stern was being broken up by the surf. [42] The soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any should swim away and escape. [43] But the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for the land,
Psalms 27:10-14 ESV For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me in. [11] Teach me your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies. [12] Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe out violence. [13] I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living! [14] Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!
God’s faithful Word is proven again
The final verse is short, as would have been the time that they all took to get to land. It’s amazing how quickly the rescue happened after such a prolonged ordeal. But the rescue was always going to happen, because God said so, and because Paul needed to testify. Here to these 275 people and to Caesar and all his powerful people in Rome. God doesn’t fail. We need to keep testifying with our words and lives just like Paul did.
Acts 27:44 ESV and the rest on planks or on pieces of the ship. And so it was that all were brought safely to land.
Lamentations 3:18-25 ESV so I say, “My endurance has perished; so has my hope from the LORD.” [19] Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! [20] My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. [21] But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: [22] The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; [23] they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. [24] “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” [25] The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.
Daily Devotions
Monday — When You Start Counting the Nights
"When the fourteenth night had come, as we were being driven across the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land." — Acts 27:27 ESV
There is something profoundly human about Luke's detail here: he has counted the nights. Not the days — the nights. Anyone who has walked through a prolonged season of suffering knows why. The days can be endured; it is the nights that strip you bare. Fourteen of them. Fourteen nights of howling wind, crashing waves, salt water burning wounds, and fear that refuses to rest. Luke was there, and he counted every one.
If you are in a season where you find yourself counting — counting the days since a diagnosis, the weeks since a loss, the months since everything changed — you are in good company. The disciples of Jesus have always been people who know what it is to count. And the God of Scripture is not distant from those numbers. He sees every night. He is present in every one.
What is remarkable is that even on night fourteen, God had not abandoned them. The land they were drifting toward — the island of Malta — was not an accident. It was the destination God had already prepared. The darkness was not the end of the story. It was the penultimate chapter before the rescue.
Supporting Scriptures
Psalm 56:8 — "You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?"
Lamentations 3:22–23 — "The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
Romans 8:38–39 — "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Life Application
If you are in the middle of a prolonged struggle, take a moment today to write down what night you are on. Not to dwell in despair, but to acknowledge the reality of what you are carrying before God. Then write beside it this truth: God has counted every one too. He has not missed a single night of your suffering, and He is already preparing the shore you are drifting toward.
Prayer Points
Thank God that He is present in your darkest nights, not only in your brightest days.
Ask Him to renew His mercies over you this morning, specific to what you are carrying right now.
Pray for the faith to believe that the darkness has a limit — that a shore is coming.
Lift up someone you know who is in a long, hard season — ask God to make His presence unmistakably real to them tonight.
Ask God to replace exhaustion and fear with a quiet, steadfast trust in His faithfulness.
Full Sermon at Family Church Online
Tuesday — Praying for Day to Come
"Fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come." — Acts 27:29 ESV
These were sailors — not believers, not churchgoers, not people with a developed theology of prayer. They were rough, experienced men of the sea who had exhausted every professional resource available to them. And when everything ran out, they prayed. They let down their anchors and they asked for morning.
There is no shame in that kind of prayer. In fact, it is one of the most honest prayers a human being can offer. It is not a polished petition — it is a cry from the depths. It is the prayer of a person who has reached the end of themselves and has nowhere left to turn but up. And the God of Scripture is extraordinarily attentive to exactly that kind of prayer.
Perhaps you know what it is to pray for day to come. Perhaps you are praying it right now — longing for the relief that morning brings, for clarity after confusion, for peace after anguish. What is tender and beautiful here is that God heard the prayers of these men — men who barely knew Him — and He gave them morning. He gave them a bay and a beach. He brought them safely to land. That is the kind of God we have: one who bends down to listen even to the fumbling, desperate prayers of those who are only just beginning to reach for Him.
Supporting Scriptures
Psalm 130:5–6 — "I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning."
Psalm 34:6 — "This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles."
Romans 8:26 — "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words."
Life Application
You do not need eloquent words to reach God. Today, if you are exhausted and the carefully composed prayers feel impossible, simply pray this: "Lord, let morning come." Bring whatever is weighing most heavily on your heart — raw, unpolished, honest — and place it before the God who listens. He is not waiting for you to have it together before He hears you. He hears you now.
Prayer Points
Thank God that He hears desperate prayers — not just polished ones.
Ask the Holy Spirit to intercede on your behalf in the places where you do not have words.
Pray for the people in your life who are not yet believers but who are crying out in their own storms — ask God to meet them in their midnight.
Ask God to give you genuine compassion for those who are only beginning to reach toward Him, rather than impatience at where they are.
Pray for your own areas of spiritual exhaustion — ask God to renew your hunger for His Word and His presence.
Full Sermon at Family Church Online
Wednesday — When Those Who Should Protect You Abandon You
"As the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship and had lowered the ship's boat into the sea… Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, 'Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.'" — Acts 27:30–31 ESV
Betrayal in the middle of a storm is its own particular kind of pain. The sailors — the very people whose expertise and leadership the rest depended upon — quietly lowered the lifeboat under the pretence of setting anchors. They were saving themselves. And had Paul not intervened, 276 people would have been left to die without the knowledge needed to navigate the final, most dangerous stretch of the voyage.
Paul had a choice in that moment: stay silent and let it happen, or speak up at personal risk. He chose to speak. He went directly to the centurion and named what was happening. His courage was rooted not in personal bravery but in something far more solid — he knew God had promised that all 276 would survive, and he was not willing to let that promise go unfulfilled on his watch.
When people in positions of trust fail us — and they sometimes do — it is a painful, destabilising experience. But Paul's response is instructive: he did not despair, did not retaliate, and did not take matters into his own hands. He named the truth, trusted the authorities available to him, and left the outcome to God. The soldiers cut the ropes. The lifeboat drifted away. And the community was held together for what lay ahead.
Supporting Scriptures
Proverbs 31:8–9 — "Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and the needy."
Psalm 118:8–9 — "It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes."
2 Timothy 4:16–17 — "At my first defence no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me."
Life Application
Is there a situation in your life right now where you are holding back from speaking a difficult but necessary truth? Ask God today whether He is calling you to a moment of courage like Paul's — not to accuse or condemn, but to protect what He has entrusted to you. And if you have been wounded by someone who abandoned you in your hour of need, bring that specific pain to God. Ask Him to be for you what He was for Paul: the one who stands by and strengthens when everyone else has gone.
Prayer Points
Ask God for the courage to speak truth even when it is uncomfortable or risky.
Pray for wisdom to know the difference between speaking up in love and reacting in hurt.
Bring any wounds of betrayal to God — ask Him to bring healing and to prevent bitterness from taking root.
Thank God that He never abandons you, even when people do.
Pray for those in your life who are in positions of responsibility and leadership — ask God to give them integrity and faithfulness.
Full Sermon at Family Church Online
Thursday — Bread in the Storm
"Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, 'Today is the fourteenth day that you have continued in suspense and without food… Therefore I urge you to take some food. It will give you strength, for not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you.' And when he had said these things, he took the bread and giving thanks to God in the presence of all, he broke it and began to eat." — Acts 27:33–35 ESV
In the most dangerous moment of the entire voyage — with a shipwreck hours away and the sailors' desertion barely averted — Paul took out bread, gave thanks to God, and began to eat. It is one of the most quietly extraordinary acts of faith in the New Testament. He was not pretending the danger was not real. He knew exactly what was coming. But he also knew that the God who had promised to save them was more reliable than the circumstances that threatened them.
The act of giving thanks in the presence of all was not a private spiritual moment. It was a declaration. It said to 275 frightened people: there is a God who keeps His promises, and I am not afraid to thank Him in front of you. And what followed was equally significant — they were all encouraged. Paul's peace became contagious. His trust in God became a lifeline for those around him.
You carry more influence in your storm than you realise. The way you handle fear, pressure, and uncertainty — whether you collapse into panic or anchor yourself in God — will be observed by those around you. Not to perform for them, but because you genuinely know that the One who promised is faithful.
Supporting Scriptures
2 Corinthians 5:14–15 — "The love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died. And he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised."
Philippians 4:6–7 — "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
1 Thessalonians 5:18 — "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
Life Application
Today, find one thing to thank God for publicly — not when everything is easy, but precisely because things are hard and your trust in Him is real. It could be as simple as giving thanks before a meal at the office, or telling a friend or colleague what God has been doing for you in a difficult season. Paul's thanksgiving was not a performance; it was an overflow of genuine faith. Ask God to make yours the same.
Prayer Points
Ask God to cultivate in you a spirit of genuine thanksgiving that is not dependent on circumstances.
Thank Him right now for three specific things He has done for you that you did not deserve.
Pray for the grace to be a carrier of peace and courage in your home, workplace, or community — that your faith would be an encouragement to those around you.
Ask God to show you who in your immediate circle is most in need of encouragement today, and how you might practically offer it.
Pray for a fresh revelation of what Jesus has done for you — that the love of Christ would truly control how you live.
Full Sermon at Family Church Online
Friday — Throwing the Wheat Overboard
"And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea." — Acts 27:38 ESV
For fourteen days, they had held onto the cargo. Wheat was valuable — someone had grown it, purchased it, loaded it, and was depending on its delivery. But when the shipwreck became inevitable, they ate what they needed and threw the rest into the sea. The ship rode higher in the water. The chances of clearing the rocks improved. The cargo that had seemed indispensable was suddenly the very thing standing between them and survival.
Storms have a clarifying effect on what truly matters. When everything is calm and comfortable, we can accumulate attachments — to possessions, to status, to security, to the things we have built — and gradually allow them to weigh us down without even noticing. It often takes a storm to reveal what we have been placing our trust in, and to invite us to let it go.
Jesus asked the question plainly in Matthew 16: "What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?" Luke's detail that there were 276 souls on board is not incidental. It is a reminder of what is truly irreplaceable. Everything else can be thrown overboard. The soul cannot.
Supporting Scriptures
Matthew 16:26 — "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?"
1 Timothy 6:6–8 — "Godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world."
Hebrews 12:1 — "Let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us."
Life Application
Spend some time today honestly asking God: What am I holding onto that is weighing me down? It may be a material possession, a relationship dynamic, a habit, a reputation, or a financial security that has quietly become more important than it should be. Ask God to give you the courage and the freedom to let it go — not out of obligation, but out of a genuine reordering of what you value most. What would it look like today to travel lighter?
Prayer Points
Ask God to reveal the "cargo" in your life — the things you are holding onto that are weighing you down spiritually.
Pray for the grace to hold material things loosely, and to invest your deepest trust in what is eternal.
Thank God that He is more valuable than anything you could lose.
Pray for those in your life who are in a storm that is stripping away material security — ask God to use it to draw them closer to Himself.
Ask God to renew your sense of what is truly worth living for.
Full Sermon at Family Church Online
Saturday — The Reef Before the Beach
"Striking a reef, they ran the vessel aground. The bow stuck and remained immovable, and the stern was being broken up by the surf." — Acts 27:41 ESV
They could see the beach. They had made for it with everything they had — hoisting the foresail, loosening the rudders, aiming for the bay. Rescue was in sight. And then the ship struck a reef. The bow jammed. The stern began to break apart in the surf. After fourteen days of storm, the final obstacle arrived just as the finish line came into view.
This is one of the most honest moments in the entire passage, because it reflects an experience many of us know: the rescue you were promised is real, but the road to it is harder than you expected. The reef before the beach is not evidence that God has failed. It is the final stretch, and it is often the most demanding one. It is where faith is most severely tested, and most powerfully demonstrated.
Notice that the promise held. Not one life was lost. Not a hair of anyone's head perished, exactly as Paul had declared. Some swam; others grabbed planks from the breaking ship and rode them in. The method of rescue was not smooth or dignified. But every single person reached the shore. God's word did not fail — not even at the reef.
Supporting Scriptures
Hebrews 10:23 — "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful."
Joshua 21:45 — "Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass."
Isaiah 43:2 — "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you."
Life Application
Is there a place in your journey right now where the shore is visible but you have just struck a reef? Where the promise of God seems real but the final stretch is breaking things apart? Hold on. The same God who kept His word for 276 people on a wrecked ship in the Adriatic will keep His word for you. He is not revising the promise — He is fulfilling it. Write down the specific promise you are holding onto and keep it somewhere visible this week.
Prayer Points
Thank God that His promises do not bend under pressure — what He has said, He will do.
Ask for the strength to hold on at the reef — to not give up just before the breakthrough.
Pray for anyone you know who is in this exact space: close to breakthrough but feeling like things are falling apart.
Ask God to give you a specific Scripture promise to anchor to in this season.
Praise Him in advance for the shore that is coming — for the faithful landing He has already prepared.
Full Sermon at Family Church Online
Sunday — Rescued, Not Because We Deserved It
"And so it was that all were brought safely to land." — Acts 27:44 ESV
Ten words. After fourteen days of storm, after the abandonment of the sailors, after the threatened slaughter of the prisoners, after the reef and the breaking ship — ten words complete the story. All were brought safely to land. Every single one. Not because they had earned it, believed it, or deserved it. Because God had promised it, and God keeps His word.
This is the gospel in miniature. Romans 5 reminds us that while we were still sinners — not after we had cleaned ourselves up, not once we had made better decisions, not when we finally deserved it — Christ died for us. The 275 on that ship made bad decisions, deserted their posts, and tried to save their own skins. And God saved them anyway, through the faithfulness of one man who trusted Him completely.
You are not being carried through your storms because you have been good enough, faithful enough, or spiritual enough. You are being carried because God loves you with a love that does not wait for you to deserve it. The same grace that brought 276 souls safely to shore in the Adriatic is the grace that is carrying you today. It is not shipwreck. It is rescue. And the Rescuer will not stop until every one He has promised to save stands safely on the shore.
Supporting Scriptures
Romans 5:6–8 — "For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person — though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die — but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Ephesians 2:4–5 — "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved."
Jude 24–25 — "Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen."
Life Application
End this week by sitting quietly with this question: Do I truly believe that God's rescue of me is based on His grace, not my performance? If there are areas where you are still trying to earn what has already been freely given, bring them to God today. Receive His grace afresh — not as a theological concept but as a living reality. And then, from that place of being rescued, ask Him: Who in my life needs to know that this rescue is available to them too?
Prayer Points
Thank God — genuinely, specifically — for rescuing you. Name the ways He has brought you safely through.
Confess any tendency to relate to God based on your performance rather than His grace.
Ask God to give you a fresh, deep experience of what it means to be loved before you deserved it.
Pray for someone in your life who does not yet know they can be rescued — ask God to give you an opportunity to tell them.
Close with praise: honour the God who keeps every promise, completes every rescue, and brings every soul He loves safely to shore.
Full Sermon at Family Church Online
All Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).