Into The Storm

How do you navigate a world of uncertainty?

What do you do when the storms of life threaten your peace?

INTO THE STORM

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Mark 4:35-41

• There is no STORM-FREE existence.

Beware of the PROSPERITY Gospel & the Myth of PROGRESS.

Stop being SURPRISED by the presence of STORMS in your life.

• Jesus said we are GOING to the OTHER SIDE.

Hold onto the PROMISES of Jesus

The Storm of SUFFERING.                    John 16:33; James 1:2-4
The Storm of SHAME.                            Romans 8:1; Psalm 139
The Storm of ANXIETY.                           Philippians 4:6-7; 1 Peter 5:7
The Storm of SIN.                                     1 John 1:9; Psalm 103:12
The Storm of LONELINESS.                   Psalm 68:5; Matthew 28:20
The Storm of IDENTITY.                          Ephesians 1; 2 Corinthians 5:17
The Storm of SPIRITUAL ATTACK.        Ephesians 6:10-17; 1 John 4:4
The Storm of DEATH/LOSS.                   1 Corinthians 15:54-56; John 11
The Storm of DOUBT.                             James 1:5; Philippians 1:6
The Storm of DEFEAT.                            2 Peter 1:3; Romans 6:10-11

“Don’t question in the darkness what God has clearly shown you in the light.”

-   Howard Hendricks

• Jesus was ASLEEP in the middle of the STORM.

How much anxiety did Jesus experience because of the storm?

Take your cue from the PRESENCE of Jesus.

What if you took your cues from Jesus instead of the storms in your life?

• Jesus SPOKE, and the storm was SILENCED.

Our problem is not that we expect too MUCH from Jesus, but we expect too LITTLE.

Rely on the POWER of Jesus.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10