Join us this Sunday! In-Person 9:00am & 10:45am, Online 9:00am, 10:45am & 5:00pm

Join us this Sunday! In-Person 9:00am & 10:45am, Online 9:00am, 10:45am & 5:00pm

Join us at the next Sunday worship service:
In-Person
9:00am & 10:45am,
Online 9:00am, 10:45am & 5:00pm

The Calm In The Storm

“Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.” – Matthew 8:24-26.

Storms have a unique way of revealing truth about God, while at the same time revealing how little we know about Him. They leave us shaken and exhausted and weary. We turn to Him in our chaos. We cry out for Him to intercede.

One of the best stories in the Bible is Jesus calming a raging storm while with His disciples. Jesus needed a rest from teaching the crowds near the Sea of Galilee. He decided to take a boat with His disciples to the opposite shore (Mark 4:35–36). Once on the boat, Jesus fell asleep, and a treacherous storm arose (Luke 8:23).

Terror gripped the men. We know that some of the disciples were professional fishermen and made their living on the water. Professional fishermen would know how to react to a sudden storm if they spent their lives in the occupation. We can gauge the storm by how frightened these fishermen were. They even thought they would drown. (Luke 8:24).

And yet Jesus slept in the back of the boat (Mark 4:37–38). He slept peacefully and restfully because He knew that God was with Him. Proverbs 3:24 tells us that “You can go to bed without fear;  you will lie down and sleep soundly” and Psalm 4:8 adds, “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.” These verses tell us that we can sleep peacefully because God is near. Jesus was awakened by the disciples and He said, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:40).

This story is an example of how Jesus’ disciples were not all that different than you and I. They saw Jesus perform countless miracles and walked with Him day to day, but they still thought that they would drown. But is their lack of faith any different than our lack of faith?  We can never misplace our faith when we put it in Christ. When the waters of life appear to loom over us, threatening to crash, find Him in the midst of the storm sleeping at the stern of the boat. Come to Him. Rest in Him. Recognize His presence with you. As He moves and calms the storm, praise Him and learn more about Him. He longs to reveal more of Himself to you. He cares for you. He is completely in control.

If you seek and find His presence in the midst of the storm, you will find His presence is enough.

Discussion Questions:

  1. In what ways can you identify with the fearful disciples? Are there areas where you are running to safety or wanting to go back to the shore/solid ground?
  2. What is the purpose of the “life storms” we experience? How have you reacted to the “life storms” you’ve experienced?
  3. What does having faith look like in your life?

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